Puyallup Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - July 13, 2026

The Puyallup Parks and Recreation Board met in person at Council Chambers, City Hall, 333 S. Meridian, on Monday, July 13, 2026, beginning at 5:00 p.m. per the agenda. Chair Whiter presided; Vice Chair McKenna was excused, and the board had a quorum. The board approved its agenda and the May 11, 2026, meeting minutes, received no public comments, and spent the meeting reviewing the Parks Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan goals/policies and level-of-service data, then heard park project updates.

Consent Calendar

• Roll call established a quorum; Chair Whiter and Board Members Cavizel, Tier, Reagan, Martin, and Sparklin were present; Vice Chair McKenna was excused.
• Motion to approve the agenda passed by voice vote.
• Motion to approve the May 11, 2026, minutes passed by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public commenters signed up and no oral public comments were made; written comments were accepted until 3:00 p.m. per the agenda.

Discussion Items

• PROS Plan Goals and Policies (presented by Alex Campbell, AHBL): Mr. Campbell outlined the seven existing goals and their supporting policies carried from the 2020 PROS Plan. He described the update as a "light refresh," with city staff believing the current goals/policies remain accurate, and noted the process could lead to comprehensive plan amendments. He asked board members to provide feedback using the goals-policies matrix; after discussion, the board set a July 24, 2026, deadline for comments, followed by public engagement and delivery of draft goal/policy updates to the planning department around the end of September.
• Level of Service (LOS) Presentation (Alex Campbell with Cody): Using NRPA benchmarks for jurisdictions in the 20,000-50,000 population band, the city (population just over 43,000) was compared on facilities, programs, staffing, and finances. Key data points included a median 10.9 acres of park per 1,000 residents compared to Puyallup's just over 7; skate park ratio of one per 43,410 residents versus the NRPA median of one per 35,000; trail miles of 14.8 versus a median of 10; and 91 annual programs offered versus a median of 164, with an upper quartile of 788. Puyallup's fee-based programs were about 80% versus the 85% median. Staffing and expenditure metrics trended near or below the lower quartile, but Mr. Campbell summarized that Puyallup "does more with less" given its high service and facility counts.
• Board member feedback and clarifications requested during the LOS discussion:
  • The memo's statement that Puyallup's skate park ratio was "above" the NRPA metric was misleading; staff agreed to clarify that the ratio is higher in residents per facility, and to add context that the skate park draws users from outside the city.
  • The senior center also serves many out-of-city residents, and board members asked for that context along with consideration of future capacity.
  • Corrections to facility counts: racquetball courts should be 4, not 7, and pickleball courts should be 6.
  • The "nature centers" category should be defined; the fish hatchery adjacent to Clark Street Park could be noted as a non-city partner facility.
  • Board members questioned the usefulness of NRPA's annual programs metric because counting methods vary; staff agreed to document that Puyallup counted each activity guide/catalog listing as one program.
• Park Project Updates (Cody):
  • Skate park: bid opening was delayed to avoid mid-summer construction; Grindline was the only bidder and is being recommended for contract at the next council meeting. Construction is expected to start in fall, with 100 working days estimated, meaning potential completion in late spring of next year.
  • Pioneer Park pavilion: two new LED panels and an upgraded public address system were installed; the technology upgrade is nearing completion.
  • Rainier Woods: drainage work remains on the project list but was delayed by seasonal staffing shortages; target is end of summer.
  • Wildwood Trail: Washington Trails Association returns in early August to finish the trail to the meadow; MultiCare easement is close to signatures; Wildwood master plan begins this month.
  • Bradley Lake: RCO (Recreation and Conservation Office) presentation is scheduled for August 15; RCO gave positive feedback.
  • Van Lierop parking lot: state funds were received; consultant selection for design is upcoming.
  • "Move Puyallup" summer event: first night attracted over 2,500 people; new sound equipment received positive feedback.

Board Comments & Future Agenda Items

• The Chair asked the board to consider moving future meeting start times from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the remainder of his term, citing difficulty arriving at 5:00. Board members agreed to discuss it at the next meeting.
• No other future agenda items were identified, and the board adjourned by voice vote.

Key Outcomes

• Approved agenda and May 11, 2026, minutes unanimously.
• Board feedback on the PROS goals/policies and level-of-service memo is due July 24, 2026; staff will revise the LOS memo to clarify contextual wording, correct facility counts, and note partner agencies.
• Public engagement for the PROS Plan update will follow board feedback, with goal/policy updates targeted for the planning department by the end of September.
• Skate park procurement and fall construction start were anticipated after council contract approval.