thousand people we've got 125,000 or so now tremendous growth but along with it I've been doing some tremendous changes in the market department and Paul sent that a great idea to send out a note to some of the people that were involved in this past board members and past uh directors and past uh board presidents uh just it's in the spirit of thanksgiving to say thanks because everything that we do is kind of built on the shoulders of the ones who went before us and they've done a in my opinion a terrific job I think we have one of the finest park systems in a state I'd probably think it is the park system in the state people would say I'm a homer about that so that's the way it goes but uh Roy is the senior uh park director any kind a few comments you want to make about your experience well first of all I want to thank you for inviting me tonight it's uh this obviously brings back memories I don't know a lot of you realize that but for 13 years my kids and I my family lived here so for 13 years my kids thought we were rich and um you know I think the farmer house is a perfect example of the impact the Rochester Park of Recreation Department said on the city of Rajas originally the house was given to the other center they couldn't manage it it was just way too big and when you look at the farmer house 50 years later on the grounds the house itself the water tower now that it's been renovated it's amazing and and if it hadn't been for the park and department I I'm not sure what would have happened to the house.

I will say this when when I moved here rent on the house was 35 dollars I think it's 900 now maybe but so we had oh god there are so many stories I we don't have enough time for me to play asked well um again thank you um I'm so proud that my name's on the rock and I'm still above ground um and I want to thank the park board for uh the updates on the playground that's building show that's uh my kids don't come to Rochester that we don't have to take a trip down there in the middle of the night after I'm gone you get a report that somebody spread ashes down there which it'll be my ashes again thank you very much Ron uh did you got a couple comments I don't have a lot to say other than I was born and raised in Rochester so I've watched this department go from small little department I started working in 1964 as a skate guard at one of the uh outdoor skating rings I was only 14 I wasn't supposed to be working but my brother was 16 he got the job but he had another job so I filled in for him I worked with Roger Old and um I spent uh five years as a um summer maintenance work for when I was going to college so I got to know all of the guys and all of the faces and I ended up working for a lot of those guys and eventually they ended up working for me and we had just a the greatest relationship that's again like Roy said just extremely proud to be part of this organization and thank Paul and Call of India guys for inviting us to come back up here.

And I think the last time I was in this time but I got married here so um very special place here at the farmer house as of our entire park system so okay thanks for the invite thank you we got a couple of task board presidents Dr.

Sterling would you want to measure out with the work students I was uh board member of 2017 board president from last year 2017 I have a physician work at Mayo and retired in 2019 right my main reflection is like again wrote it up here like Ron and I class anything routine anything I still years older than so just come from the phone stay channel and uh well actually we played regularly on the ground um I've just recently been reading it preliminary book my friend is working out who said he grew up on 10 and a half street town they hill and uh bunch of action book is set up another crowd lumber house so I have a lot of great remarks from growing up here and uh pleasure to say about the hard board um time cheer um sorry yeah

And much of the action book is set up on the crowd plumber house.

So I have a lot of great preparation growing up here.

And uh pleasure to serve on the hard board.

Um cheer.

Um sorry.

Thanks for inviting us.

I also got the doctor is a noted historian and has done one of the best histories of Rochester.

I think we're still the president.

Yeah, very excellent book I had.

That's still we have uh a couple uh Larry Martinson is here, he's a former board president.

Larry, you got nothing kind of uh very few comments.

Thanks for having us today.

Um I served on the park board from 2009 through 2000 sapphine, and I continue to follow uh the actions of the park and right departing and the hard work on a regular racist.

And I think it's exciting for all the things that you folks have accomplished the last decade or so.

Thanks for having me.

Well, thanks for your service on the board.

We've got uh uh Andrew, I was born too rep from I think 2016 to 2024, and um it was uh it was it was a challenge at times, but I am delighted with a lot of the work that we got done, and I really enjoyed seeing those things implemented at Other Great.

So um, yes, it's the dirty things that we have to yes, uh uh uh please.

Former hardboard, um what board four commissioner?

Um remember the years.

I think it was during COVID.

Um blur.

I think similar to so many of you previously expressed um this place, this this place is a very special one.

And I have so many people in the community that I know that have had special moments here, whether it's photos or a wedding, and it remains like one of the most beautiful places, but also priced excessively so people can get married in a beautiful spot and not break the bank doing it, um, which is important, and then um and then just you guys, each one of you that worked at at Parks and Rec and then on the board, right?

The civil service, the public commitment, working with our public colleagues that I'm sure at times very much frustrate us, but also um really shine a light on hope and um perpetuity, right?

You guys, I I know when I'm gonna pick up the phone and I'm gonna talk to somebody at Parks and Rec.

I'm always excited because it's fun and we they know their stuff and it's done well.

So um it thank you for for putting it's things like this that inspire me to go do additional work.

So thank you so much with your uh Dale.

Our most recent retirement.

Yeah, so Dale McCamish, I was uh an employee started at the rec center 22 years.

I put in with the city, nothing compared to Ron or Roy there or anything, but very good friends with Ron and Rolling.

We still have coffee once a month, but uh been gone for about a year and a half now.

So Mark and uh Chad, Marty were still on the board back when I was around, but um a lot of changes.

My last our last major project that happened before was the swimming pool, so for like uh swimming pool.

Um it's just amazing to see what Cascade Lake turned into after years and years of work way back when Ron and Denny and Roy were there, how it transpired about the game haven't is amazing piece of ground out there.

Silver Lake is soon gonna be another amazing facility.

So you know a lot, a lot of good things going on, and uh I keep an eye on everything, but uh you guys are still doing a great great job.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dale.

Um if I could this story.

Yeah, um, I I wanted to thank everyone for being here.

The our legacies, uh a lot of it is uh sitting in this room right now.

amazing facility so a lot a lot of good things going on and uh i keep an eye on everything but uh you guys are still doing a great great job thank you thank you there um uh yeah i if i could this do yeah um i i wanted to thank everyone for being here the our legacies uh a lot of it is uh sitting in this room right now and i want to thank you all for your service um i i kind of feel like uh the last runner in a relay race i i got to cross the finish line on a lot of projects that you started but it couldn't have uh happened with without uh the leadership that's uh representing this room and not to say that there was not not a lot accomplished along the way but some of these major projects had their i they were ideas that started 20 plus years ago so thank you um i mean it's great to be in the room with uh uh Ron and Roy uh I you know can't thank you now for the support from the very first day uh welcoming me to the city uh I think that reflects the community we live in and uh appreciate your example and leadership um we've been a little out of touch but I also know you're only a phone call away and sometimes it's coming my way when hey you need to pause here for a minute I I do appreciate that but uh thank you all uh just uh for anybody here for uh volunteer service as board members uh we rely heavily on you and current board members as well um and uh just uh want to wish you a happy holidays and again thank you for being here and all that you accomplished okay applause for our guests well we still have some we have some beliefs that's the young people in and town at least that we appreciate what you have done for the city um so with that we always start the meetings with these budget of allegiance and present how to yeah it's right let's just call it score all right first item on my agenda is a full call and start with you Mario I have Marjorie for me represent Ward one Paul Morino I'll represent Ward two Martin right three maker ward six Rebecca Clinton for five work builder back ward four we at large work uh next item on the agenda is approval of the minutes of the November 4th meeting are there any questions or changing anybody saw the limits I see none is anybody want to make a motion to approve so moved uh Chad is there second Becky all favor say aye aye next item is the ordering the agenda do anybody have any questions on the agenda want to change the order seeing none so we want to make the motion approve the order agenda mark is there Marty all in favor say aye thank you approved open commentary's anybody here who's uh Kelly signed up for open comment I can grab the sheet when I or if anybody has raise your hand if we've got an open comment period I'm seeing the hands going up so I think we'll probably be able to get over that okay on uh the next item is the reports we've got the parts and recreation uh monthly reports that we see from you from your staff this is one of my favorite things frankly that we get in our agenda and uh it's got a lot of good things in this time I'll be very brief uh we've got uh no attention in there that the bubble was going up uh with uh work got it is up it is and it was done by uh city staff members about 30 city staff members from Parker Director Public Works and 60 students put it up to save quite a bit of money from the install of the bubble so that was an excellent thing for the finances of the RCTC to get that facilities on that uh there's also another item uh in there about a that I found very interesting which is about the state uh golf uh this golf championship held at game game which was I don't know if that's a first for the city Mike do you or I the first official one yes there's another tournament but that's the first state tournament so there's a lot of other good information in our in our reports but I will leave it at that any questions on that uh if none we're gonna receive and file the reports for the month of November uh the next item is old business and it's a mobile sauna permit application for soldiers field park that was discussed at our past meeting the action request of

Mike, do you know?

Or uh the first official one, yes, there's been other tournaments, but that's the first state tournament.

So there's a lot of other good information in our in our reports, but I will leave it at that.

Any questions on that?

Uh if you're gonna receive and file the reports for the month of November.

Um next item is old business, and it's a mobile sauna permit application for soldiers' field park that was discussed in our past meeting.

The action in question of approving your permit application to operate a mobile sauna unit at Soldier Shield Park November 25th, uh 2025 through March 26.

Uh of March of 2026.

And I think it nope, nope, November.

Yeah, okay, that's where it's if approved the part for uh by the park board.

The staff will determine what exact spot it will have the details on the permit are in your agenda.

Um Paul or uh Mike, do you have any comments?