Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - April 9, 2026: Project Updates and Minutes Approval
Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - April 9, 2026
The Parks and Recreation Board met on April 9, 2026, at 5:30 PM at 1000 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM. The meeting focused on updates to trails, open space, and parks projects, approval of prior meeting minutes, and a council update. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (March 12, 2026): A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as presented. The board voted unanimously in favor, and the minutes were approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were offered during the designated period.
Discussion Items
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Trails and Open Space Projects Update (Eric Peterson): Mr. Peterson reported on the completion of the Open Space and Trails Management Plan (summer 2025) and a Keystone Restoration conceptual design for erosion control in Walnut Canyon (fall 2025). Recent volunteer projects included the Tough Riders spreading crusher fines at Mitchell Trailhead to address mud. Trail bridge maintenance involved sanding and UV treatment on 13–14 bridges, and replacement of handrails on the Peggy Sioux Bridge. The on-call trail maintenance contractor (CM Arbor Care) has six projects lined up for summer, including replacement of the Dot Grant Bridge to equestrian standard and erosion control on Dot Grant and Woodland Trails. Current management plan projects include the Bio Canyon Trailhead redevelopment (second public meeting held) and LA Mesa Trail repaving and ADA-compliant switchback redesign. The feral cattle issue has been mitigated since June 2025, with about 30 head removed from Pueblo and Bio Canyon, and 200 head removed since 2020. A volunteer event, Celebrate Trails Day, is scheduled for April 25, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Tent Rocks. Mr. Peterson noted that the Keystone on-call contract has expired, and staff are working to issue a new RFP.
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Parks and Recreation Projects Updates (Wendy Parker): Ms. Parker reviewed completed projects: Mesa Library entryway renovation, golf course improvements, North Mesa pickleball and tennis courts, East Park basketball court, North Mesa Master Plan approval, athletic field renovations (Bomber, Hope, Darrow Jones in 2024), Mesa Library, trails and open space management plan, and ice rink overflow parking lot. Robotic mowers are in use at North Mesa Field, saving 4–6 staff hours per week; additional mowers are planned for White Rock by June 2026. Current projects nearing completion include 37th Street and Pinyon Playgrounds, with ribbon cuttings on May 5, 2026 (10:30 AM at Pinyon Park, noon at 37th Street). The rocket at Pinyon Park is being repainted and will return. Projects in design or construction: Brewer Arena, Grand Canyon Playground, San Ildefonso (Dinosaur Park), Athletic Court Phase Two (urban park courts), North Mesa Picnic Grounds, North Mesa Recreation Area, and a three-year athletic field renovation (now four-year) with Bun Ryan and Spirio Field work starting May 2026. Other items: Rose Garden fence installation (minor adjustments remaining), LA Mesa Trail repairs, Ashley Pond concrete repairs, and aquatic center pool resurfacing. Future projects include Guahe Pines Cemetery Phase One (task order released, design/construction in early 2027), North Mesa recreation design/construction, athletic field renovation years two and three, robotic mowers in White Rock, Camazon Trailhead, demonstration garden, Ashley Pond shore power Phase Two, signage upgrades, and upper ice rink slab and shade structure (not starting this year). Ms. Parker emphasized that the project page on the website is kept updated.
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Chairman's Report (Brian Watkins): The Chair noted a lull in public outreach energy but highlighted good participation at the recent Bio Canyon Trail meeting.
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Staff Report (Katherine Hudspeth and Wendy Parker): Ms. Hudspeth reported that the pool renovation is progressing; tile and plaster removal is complete, the foundation is in good shape, and new tile installation began this week. Golf course warranty work by Mid America is ongoing, with back tees completed and front nine work starting in about 1.5–2 weeks. The course is currently open Wednesday (from 2:00 PM), Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday, with hours expanding as the season progresses.
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Work Group and Task Force Assignments (Jerry Cowan): No new updates.
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Council Communications (Councilor Cull): Councilor Cull reported highlights from recent council meetings: a petition for a four-way stop at Urban and North Roads (following a fatality) was forwarded to the county manager and transportation board for study; the Environmental Sustainability Board was asked to propose a policy on single-use plastic bags with no bag fee within 90 days; a fire station renovation is direly needed; a resolution allowing additional terms for board/commission members (if council approves) will go to the November election; an Atomic City Transit Saturday pilot was briefed but may not occur this year due to bus driver shortages; an ordinance was approved for leasing the golf course restaurant (expected to open June 1); and a liquor license was approved for Salah.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the March 12, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously.
- Project Updates Received: The board received and noted the extensive updates on trails, open space, parks, and recreation projects.
- Next Meeting Preview: The next meeting is scheduled for May 14, 2026, in B&C Room 110. Agenda items will include a work plan discussion, master plan update, budget update (from hearings starting April 26–27), aquatic center update, Pinyon Park opening, and summer concert series. The board agreed to discuss agenda planning during meetings rather than separate scheduling meetings.
Meeting Transcript
Like we have to get the right area. You don't have to get a problem that it's really key to have to go on the tossing that's not maybe happy happy. Yeah, she put it up. So we're putting that one so we can have with an SPM. Yeah, I think I was showing it. Oh yeah. Well I think it's not all the customs come for the moment. Um see all the good things in the middle of the week. So we see cool things. Yeah, you have a bird's setting out where it's going to be. I just put it on it. Once we put them in the screen, there's a lot of people. Oh, is that I'm walking once? It was good. All right, good afternoon, everybody. Uh we'll call this meeting to order. Uh before we get started, any public comment on items not currently on the agenda. All right. Uh we will move on to business. Uh first item we've got is approval of the minutes from the March twelfth, twenty twenty-six meeting. Any comments or discussion before we make a motion on that. Any motion on that? I move that we accept the minutes from the March twelfth meeting as presented. I second. Thank you. Uh we'll vote. Uh all in favor. Hi. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. I. Thank you, Jerry. All right, meeting uh minutes past is approved or approved as uh presented. Uh on to the next uh item we've got presentations, proclamations, and recognition. Um first item we have is trails and open space projects update. We can just scroll, that's not a problem. Um no, I can just read off of this. All right. Good evening. Um board and chair, thank you for having me for the presentation on current projects on open space. Uh many of you are aware we have just finished our open space and trails management plan. We finished that in the summer of twenty twenty-five, where we identified uh many different county plans, consolidated those documents into one large operating document that we're currently executing projects from we also just finished our last contract uh project through the Keystone Restoration and Natural Channel Design. They uh did a conceptual design to address some erosion control, some urban runoff, and uh trying to keep the uh urban wetlands intact. So they went down into Walnut Canyon and executed their conceptual design in fall of twenty twenty five. So if you're below the golf course, you can take the access road down, and it's everything above the access road where they need to work. All right, some operational projects. We've had a lot of volunteer outreach lately. We've had the Tough Riders reaching out. They do a project once on County a month and then once on forest service.
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