Monterey Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting - Dec 10, 2025
Monterey Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - December 10, 2025
The Parks and Recreation Commission convened on December 10, 2025, to honor long-serving commissioner Ellen McEwen for 13 years of dedicated service. The majority of the evening consisted of comprehensive presentations from department leadership regarding operations from July through November 2025, facility improvements, technology modernization, and significant programmatic achievements in parks, recreation, and aquatics. A major focus was placed on the future of the Lower Presidio Historic Park and the potential transition of its management to secure public access beyond the current lease expiration. The meeting concluded with a moment of silence honoring the late Kay Russo.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the meeting minutes from July 9th and October 8th.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received during the public comment segments for either the presentations or the Lower Presidio Historic Park item.
- Commissioner Schmidt expressed strong support for the cemetery digitalization project, noting its value for genealogy research and its ability to share data with external sites like "Find a Grave."
- Commissioner Ono expressed appreciation for recent park maintenance work near his residence and the cleanup efforts at Del Mani Beach, stating they were looking good.
- Commissioner Reed praised the transformation of the Sports Center facilities, specifically the new pool and sauna, while expressing concern for staff who had maxed out their vacation hours.
- Commissioner Bence welcomed Commissioner Julieta, expressed gratitude for community feedback regarding Camp Kinsabi, and urged the hiring committee to secure a permanent Director to replace the interim leadership.
Discussion Items
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Honor of Ellen McEwen:
- Shannon (Manager) presented a tribute to Ellen McEwen for 13 years of service, highlighting her roles as Chair and Vice-Chair, her advocacy on NCIP committees, and her crucial support as a medical advisor during post-COVID program rebuilding.
- Ellen McEwen expressed that Parks and Recreation is the "heart and soul" of the city, describing the department as the "lifeblood" that creates community. She expressed full support for the department and urged staff and commissioners to stay engaged with city council meetings.
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Department Operations Report (July-Nov 2025):
- Shannon reported on the first annual department report, the success of new academies (Monterey Way and First City), and facility improvements including the Hilltop Park Center seismic/termite repairs (Phase 1) and the El Estero Park Center playground installation.
- Bill (Sports Center Director) shared that sports center memberships have recovered to 2019 levels, with revenue growing from $2.2M in 2023 to $4.5M in the prior year. He highlighted the success of the new cycling studio, the return of the Dia de los Muertos event (drawing ~1,000 people), and the cost recovery rate reaching 80%.
- Tice (Parks Operations) detailed vegetation management at Laguna Grande, sea lion management at the coast, and the success of the Tree Ordinance town halls, which received over 300 survey responses.
- Nate (Recreation) reported record attendance for summer camps (exceeding fiscal year 2019 revenue and approaching 2019 attendance numbers) and high enrollment in winter programs. He outlined future recruitment challenges due to upcoming minimum wage increases and the need to balance staff capacity with high demand.
- Intern Patrick Williams was acknowledged for his work digitizing the cemetery records, updating 600+ columbarium niches, and identifying historical figures from diverse backgrounds.
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Lower Presidio Historic Park Status:
- Shane (Parks Supervisor) presented the history of the 25.15-acre site, including its significance to the Ohlone Eshlin and Rumsen tribes and its history as El Castillo.
- Shane stated that the U.S. Army has indicated a desire to terminate the current lease (ending 2046) or move to a market-rate lease, stating that the City must design a retaining wall for the Lighthouse curve or face lease termination.
- Discussion: Commissioners and staff discussed the high cost (estimated $1.5M by Army, higher by staff analysis) and complexity (archaeological sensitivity, NEPA regulations) of the proposed wall.
- Positions on Future Action:
- Shane expressed a strong position in favor of seeking National Park Service designation (National Monument status) to secure public access in perpetuity.
- Council Direction: The Commission noted the City Council's previous instruction to return in early-to-mid 2026 with a public outreach plan.
- Recommendations: Staff proposed conducting a community survey, workshops involving the Historic Preservation and Museums commissions, and a charrette at the park site in February 2026.
- Commissioner Schmidt questioned the timeline for potential National Park designation, noting it would take 3-4 years.
Key Outcomes
- Staffing: The Parks and Recreation Director position is currently open; the Interim City Manager (starting Jan 1, 2026) is overseeing the recruitment process for additional candidates.
- Partnership Discussion: Commissioners questioned if the Boys and Girls Club remains willing to partner for the Monte Cito location, with staff to follow up.
- Lower Presidio Park: The Commission agreed to support the upcoming public engagement process to determine the future of the park, with a target return to Council in early 2026.
- Memorial: The meeting adjourned with a moment of silence in honor of Kay Russo, former Parks and Recreation Director.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for January 14, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
All right. This is the December 10th Parks and Recreation Commission meeting for the City of Monterey. Call this meeting to order. Melissa, will you take role? Yes. Chair Ono. Here. Vice Chair Buya. Commissioner Bence. Here. Commissioner Crampton. Commissioner Nazal. Commissioner Reed. Here. Commissioner Schmidt. Absent. All right. Uh next segment is the uh public comment. Nate, can you read the public comment procedures? Yes. Uh good evening, Commissioners. Information on participating in this meeting and providing a public comment, including remotely by Zoom or telephone, is available on this meeting's agenda, which is online at iSearch Monterey.gov. Remote commenters, you will be muted until it is your turn to speak. And a timer will be shown on the screen. If you're connected on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay. In the chamber, we ask attendees to please keep their phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with tonight's meeting. Thank you for participating in your city government. Oh so we don't go public comment first? Oh okay. All right, moving on to presentations. Uh Commissioner Ellen McEwen for 13 years of service in City of Monterey. This is not a project under CQA Article 20, Section 15378, and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061. Shannon. She was appointed to fill a seat on commission, and she served as chair and vice chair for a total of five years. And for two of those years, she served as the vice chair over the COVID. So she served a longer term due to COVID. And so I said, well, if you do move, um, and it's not in the city limits of Monterey, then we will not be able to serve. And she said, Well, that's it. I'm not moving. I'm looking for another place to live. Um she's just always been there as a a resource anytime we needed to call her, any time we needed a support. She would go to NCIP committees and advocate for our programs and services and our facilities. Um she was always there to listen and to support all of our programs and parks and sports center and rec. Um when we came back after COVID and were rebuilding all of our programs and services. We had to go through a much more stringent process with the county and the health county health department. And I called Ellen at the very last minute. I said, Ellen, I need help. I need a medical advisor. I need someone who can we can call if there's an emergency so that Camkin Sabi has what's called like a health director or someone we can put on our paperwork just in case there's ever emergency, we've got you on the hotline. And she said, Yes, absolutely.
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