The Monterey Parks and Recreation Commission convened on February 11, 2026, at 5:23 PM. The meeting featured the introduction of new Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Banks, updates on Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program (NCIP) projects, a detailed status report on department operations from December 2025 to January 2026, and a recommendation to the City Council for the next round of NCIP projects. Commission members reviewed progress on 26 park-related projects, heard public comments on herbicide use, wood materials, and wildfire mitigation, and approved the prior meeting's minutes.
How do we give us a hug Twenty twenty-six parks and recreation commission meeting to order. Melissa, can you call roll? Chair Ono. Here. Vice Chair Blaya. Here via Zoom, a little under the weather tonight. Sorry, guys. I don't hear. Thank you, Kathy. Commissioner Bence. Here. Commissioner Crampton. Commissioner Nazal Getty. Here. Commissioner Reek. Here. Commissioner Schmidt. Thank you so much. All right. Now we're going to go to Nate to read the public comment procedures. Nate, can you read those? Thank you, Chair. And good evening, Commissioners. Information on participating on this meeting and providing 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 with a timer, will be shown on the screen. If you are 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. Consistent with the First Amendment and the Brown Act, individuals have the right to speak at a public meeting, which includes the right to criticize or support support city policies or actions. She is here. And this is her two-week anniversary. Yes. So we are doing our best to get her acclimated to Monterey and California. She's from Newton, Massachusetts. I know she's got some things to say to all of you, but we're very excited for her to be here. She's spent spending time with each of us individually and taking a tour of all of our facilities and trying to get a good grasp of Monterey. And the weather up until today has been pretty pretty good. So she's been definitely enjoying her time here and we are very happy to have her. And so I'm just going to pass this on to Nicole. I know she's got something for you. Well, good evening, Commission members. I am very excited to be here tonight. I was introduced to the city council. Pardon the interruption, but I believe the microphone is muted. Okay, I might have hit that by accident. So good evening, commissioners. Nicole Banks, and I'm just uh joining the team as the Parks and Recreation Director. Um just wanted to say tonight that at the last city council meeting on Tuesday night, um, I was introduced there, um, gave some overall information for our parks and recreation department and what we uh hope to accomplish. Um, but I'm very excited to be here to say that I'm happy to be here in Monterey is uh really just an understatement. I can't express um enough how how excited I am. Uh tonight I really want to recognize the team that works for the department.