Napa Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting - May 20, 2026
Meeting Overview
The Napa Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission convened on May 20, 2026, to discuss community updates, capital projects, and public feedback. Key presentations included the Napa Little League state-of-the-league report and the Main Street Dock's expanded waterfront operations. Staff also provided an update on the Harvest Middle School property acquisition and concept design process, which will involve extensive community engagement in the coming months. Commissioners also received reports on emergency storm response, summer camp planning, and park usage trends.
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes from the April 15, 2026 meeting were approved with no corrections.
Presentations
- Napa Little League: Co-Presidents Katie and Elijah reported that the league is financially stable and serving over 1,400 youth. They noted the need for more fields and expressed frustration with Napa Valley Unified School District field availability, especially during the BottleRock festival. They emphasized the importance of maintaining and expanding access to quality playing surfaces.
- Main Street Dock (Sean O'Malley): Reported on the successful launch of the Duffy boat, gondola, and kayak rentals. They hosted a community event on May 2 with 2,500 attendees. Key initiatives include a youth gondolier program in partnership with the high school, a local membership program to increase river usage by Napa residents, and a reciprocal club with other watercraft operations. They aim to promote river access and environmental stewardship.
Harvest Property Update (Parks & Recreation Staff)
- Staff presented the timeline and community engagement plan for the Harvest Middle School site acquisition and design.
- A contract has been awarded to Nollam Tam Architects for concept design.
- Community engagement will include surveys, pop-ups, and targeted outreach to stakeholders (youth, seniors, sports leagues, etc.).
- Commissioners asked about parking, traffic, and ensuring that the design reflects community needs across demographics.
- The design process is in Phase 1 (concept design), with construction anticipated to begin in 2026.
- A robust public input process will be conducted before any design is finalized.
Staff Reports
- Elijah reported on post-storm park cleanup, noting that the Department Operations Center was activated for the first time, and crews worked efficiently. Fuller Park opening was celebrated, and summer camp registration is ongoing.
- Simone noted the success of the Fuller Park grand opening and the positive community feedback, especially for the new playground.
Public Comments
- There was a question from a commissioner about ensuring the feedback from the community engagement process is transparent and reflected in the final design.
Decisions and Next Steps
- The commission received the report and provided feedback on the Harvest project's community engagement approach.
- Staff will proceed with the concept development phase and continue community outreach.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 17, 2026.
Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
So, we'll call to order the meeting of the Parks Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission for May 20th, 2026. Can we get a roll call, please? Stoltz here. Richard. Here. Wallace. That's O'Neal. Uh here. Graffuus. Here. Binum. Here. And Bordona's absent. Thanks. Quick review of the agenda for the meeting. We're going to approve the minutes in a minute. We have presentations this evening from Napa Little League and also the main street doc. We have administrative reports on Harvest Park project update, which is the talk of the town. And comments by commissioners and staff at the end of the meeting. With that, can I get a motion to approve the minutes for if you're comfortable, both March 18th and April 15th? Mike moves. Yeah. Oh second. Thanks, Joe. Joe with a second. Any uh comments or discussion on those two sets of minutes? If none, uh, uh everybody that approves say aye. All right. All right. Any opposed? Any abstentions? No. All right. Minutes are approved. Can we do them together, Elijah? Or do they have to be separate actions? Uh, can we do them separate? And then can we go back to um agenda review? We're gonna have a supplemental report for uh 5A. Okay. Supplemental report for 5A. Got it. Okay, we're gonna do the minutes separately. So can I get a motion to approve the March 18th regular meeting minutes? I'll move. Thanks, Joe. I'll second. All right, thanks, Jeffrey. Uh all in favor, any discussion on March minutes, no? All right, all in favor say aye.
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