The Recreation & Parks Commission met on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, beginning at 5:30 PM and adjourning at 6:48 PM. The meeting included approval of minutes, an action item on a co-sponsored rental rate, staff reports on the Parks Master Plan and Applegate Park projects, and requests for future agenda items.
Action Item F – Co-Sponsored Rental Rate for Club 67 Dances: Christopher Jensen (Parks and Community Services Director) presented the request from the Chance Dobbins Sr. Charity for a 50% discount (co-sponsored rate) on use of the Merced Senior Community Center for monthly dances. The director supported the application due to the service provided to individuals with disabilities, but cautioned against granting such discounts broadly. Commissioner Holloway moved to apply the 50% discount only to the hourly rental fee, not to the setup or cleaning fees. The motion was seconded and passed 5–0.
Report G.1 – Parks and Recreation Department Updates:
Business Item H.1 – Request to Add Item to Future Agenda: A commissioner requested that staff send a monthly calendar of upcoming events (similar to the previously emailed flyers) and provide an update on attendance at McNamara Pool after it opens (Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 20, 2025). Staff agreed to follow up.
Introduce yourself. Ryan, we're ready to go live. We're gonna start the meeting now. Good evening. Good evening, five thirty-four to stand for the flag salute, please. Of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. Agenda item C roll call. Commissioner member Holloway. Here. Smith. Lopez. Rodriguez. Chair We Throwing. Present. Chair, I would like to remind the audience that if they wish to address the recreation and parks commission, they must submit a green request to speak form located at the podium. Agenda item D, public comment. Members of the public who wish to speak on any matter listed on the agenda may speak during this portion of the meeting and will be allotted three minutes. State law prohibits the commission from acting at this meeting on any matter raised during the public comment period. The chair may propose a further limit to the time available for all speakers at the discretion of the commission in order to accommodate as many speakers as possible. Members of the public who wish to speak on any on a matter that is listed on the agenda will be called upon to speak during the discussion of that item. I currently have zero requests to speak forms from the audience members wishing to speak on items not listed on the agenda. Agenda item E, consent calendar. Commissioner, we can check the minutes. Why don't you do if I can get a motion? I motion to approve the minutes. Second? I second. Yeah. We're supposed to vote. What do we vote here? No. Right there. You should be okay. There you go. That is approved. Agenda identity reports. Oh, sorry, F action items. Agenda item F action items. Thank you, Cynthia. Um, good evening, commissioners. Uh Christopher Jensen Parks and Community Services Director. Um tonight we have uh for your consideration the approval of a request for a co-sponsored rate for the rental of the MERSED Senior Community Center by the Chance Dobbins Senior Charity. The Chance Dobbins Senior Charity is an outside organization that serves the specific needs community, both youth and adults. Uh one of the things that Chance Dobbins Senior Charity does is an activity called Club 67, which is an effort to bring a club like experience or a monthly dance experience to MERSED and a broad individuals uh with specific needs. A lot of times, uh especially for the young and older adults that are members of that community have a difficult time uh taking part of the typical festivities, such as clubs and and and bar social scenes due to their limitations. And so Chance Dobbins charity works to provide that uh venue and user experience to both youth and adults. Um they are separate activities. Um the adult activities have um different things uh affiliated with them than the youth activities. Um but primarily this is done um here in MERSED at the MERSAD Senior Community Center, and their request is for a co-sponsored rate. So what that means is as a bona fide uh 501c3, they have the option to request basically a 50% discount uh for the use of the facility.