OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Parks and Community Enrichment Commission Regular Meeting - April 16, 2026

Other — Thursday, April 16, 2026
BodySacramento, California
SessionOther
DateThursday, April 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:12:07

Transcript — Verbatim
0:26

All right, good evening and welcome to the meeting of Thursday, April 16th 2026.

0:34

Parks and Community Enrichment Commission.

0:36

This meeting is now called to order.

0:39

We couldn't find the gavel, so will the clerk please call the roll to establish quorum.

0:45

Yes, thank you, Chair.

0:46

Commissioners, can you please unmute your microphones for roll call?

0:49

Commissioner Linger.

0:51

Here.

0:51

Commissioner Uri Langer.

0:54

Langer.

0:55

Linger.

0:55

Here, present.

0:56

No worries.

0:58

Commissioner Yuribe is absent.

1:00

Vice Chair Robbins?

1:01

Present.

1:02

Commissioner Laver.

1:04

Here.

1:04

Commissioner King.

1:06

Here.

1:07

Commissioner Vasquez is absent.

1:09

Commissioner Flores is also absent.

1:11

Commissioner Ling.

1:12

Here.

1:13

Commissioner Boone.

1:14

Present.

1:15

Commissioner Florney.

1:17

Here.

1:18

And Chair Gaines.

1:19

Here.

1:20

Thank you.

1:20

We have a quorum.

1:22

Thank you.

1:23

I would like to remind members of the public in chambers who wish to speak on any item on today's agenda to please turn in speaker slips before the item begins.

1:32

You will have two minutes to speak once you're called on.

1:35

First, the speaker, oh, after the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

1:40

And we'll now proceed with the land acknowledgement followed by the pledge of allegiance.

1:45

So please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous uh people and tribal lands.

1:55

To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Pat Winwin Tun peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

2:06

May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples history contribution and lives.

2:22

Midwatch, thank you.

2:24

Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:35

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

2:41

You may be seated.

2:48

So the first agenda, the first agenda item today is approval of the consent calendar.

2:53

Clerk, are there any members of the public who would like to speak on this item?

2:57

Thank you, Chair.

2:58

We do not have any members who wish to speak.

3:00

Are there any commissioners who would like to speak on this item?

3:07

All right.

3:08

Seeing none, is there a motion and a second to approve the consent calendar?

3:12

I motion.

3:14

I second.

3:15

All right, we have a motion from uh the vice chair and a second from Commissioner King.

3:21

All right, all those in favor say aye.

3:24

Aye.

3:24

Opposed.

3:26

Abstentions.

3:28

All right.

3:29

The motion passes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Budget and Finance███████████████████████████████32%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Commissioner Comments██████6%
Procedural████4%
Volunteer Programs█1%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Parks and Community Enrichment Commission Regular Meeting - April 16, 2026

The Parks and Community Enrichment Commission met on April 16, 2026, at 5:30 PM at City Hall. The meeting included roll call (quorum established), land acknowledgement, pledge of allegiance, and approval of the consent calendar. The primary discussion focused on the department's early budget work session, with presentations on reduction strategies to address the city's $66 million structural deficit, followed by updates on the historic city cemetery, 916 Day planning, and department highlights. Commissioners voiced strong concerns about service impacts and urged community advocacy.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of March 5, 2026 Meeting Minutes (File ID 2026-00126) – Approved unanimously.
  • Approval of Follow Up Log (File ID 2026-00264) – Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke on any agenda item during the meeting.

Discussion Items

3. Early Budget Work Session Update – Reduction Strategies and Potential Impacts

  • Director Jackie Beecham presented a preliminary baseline to address the city’s $66 million deficit, requiring a 15% reduction ($6.1 million) from the Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment (YPCE) department. The plan eliminates 102 FTE (86 filled positions) and affects multiple program areas.
  • Youth & All Ages Programs – No fee increases but elimination of vacancies and realignment of FTE, leading to growing waitlists; reduced or eliminated stipend programs and workforce development offerings (savings: $1.3 million).
  • Community Centers – Reduction in facility fee waivers by 50% (no impact on youth organizations); all eight centers would reduce operating hours from six days to four days per week (27% reduction).
  • Aquatics – Closure of four standalone wading pools; neighborhood pools reduced from six-day to three-day summer operations, with three hub pools remaining open six to seven days per week (estimated impact of 12,000 visits per summer).
  • Park Maintenance – Contracting out specialty and landscape maintenance; potential quality impacts and delays in emergency response (e.g., storm events).
  • Commissioner Positions:
    • Commissioner Boone asked about long-term planning and community involvement in budget decisions; Beecham emphasized participation, data, and creative funding.
    • Commissioner Laver inquired about grant funding for park rangers and expansion of volunteer programs (VIP); Beecham confirmed ongoing grant efforts and noted the VIP program can go beyond tree planting to cleanups and maintenance.
    • Commissioner King urged commissioners to seek community sponsors and volunteers for park activation; cited disc golfers as an example.
    • Commissioner Langer asked if priority was given to programs only YPCE provides; Beecham confirmed core services (safe spaces, meals, youth/senior programs) are prioritized.
    • Commissioner Ling highlighted worsening future deficits ($81M in FY27-28, $99M in FY28-29, $102M in FY29-30) and called for alternative funding sources; Beecham acknowledged long-term planning and core service focus.
    • Commissioner Flournoy stressed the importance of youth workforce programs (e.g., Summer at City Hall) and noted community fears about stipend cuts; Beecham said nothing is final.
    • Chair Gaines delivered a passionate speech urging commissioners and the public to fight for YPCE services, framing them as public safety (prevention, early intervention). She opposed community center hour cuts and pool closures, and questioned whether other departments are cutting proportionally.
  • Outcome – Item received and discussed only; no vote taken. The city manager’s proposed budget will be released the week of April 28, followed by council hearings in May and adoption in June.

4. Cemetery Update

  • Sarah Musser (Park Maintenance Superintendent) presented on the historic city cemetery (established 1849), which functions as a public park and outdoor museum. Maintenance is led by city staff with support from the Old City Cemetery Committee (nonprofit) and volunteers. Year-round programming includes guided tours and popular lantern tours in October (tickets sell out quickly).
  • Commissioner Questions: Vice Chair Robbins asked about volunteer tasks (light landscaping, tree planting, monument restoration). Commissioner Flournoy expressed interest in visiting and connecting youth volunteer groups.
  • Outcome – Item received and commented on; no vote required.

5. 916 Day Updates

  • Staff (Shannon Brown introduced by name in agenda but not explicitly in transcript) requested commissioners identify potential 916 Day volunteer events in their districts. Site walks have begun in districts 2, 4, and 5. A sponsor list was provided; commissioners were asked to claim contacts to avoid duplication. Sponsorship letters and tax-deductible donation information are available.
  • Commissioner Questions: Vice Chair Robbins asked about brewery sponsorships (monetary or volunteers). Commissioner Langer asked for deadlines (events need three weeks’ notice for L&L support; council offices should be involved). Commissioner Laver asked for sponsorship templates and clarified volunteer-led events count as 916 Day events.
  • Outcome – Item received and discussed; no vote.

Department of Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment Highlights

  • Summer program registration is open; scholarships available through youth programs scholarship fund.
  • Spring Carnival at Hagginwood Community Center on April 25 (free, 11 AM–1 PM).
  • Older adult resource fair at Hart Center on May 8 (10 AM–1 PM, pre-registration recommended).
  • Park Rangers in March: 996 calls serviced, 145 rapid response calls, 7 major cleanups, 7 hours of special event time, 185 park permits posted.

Commissioner Comments, Ideas, and Questions

  • Commissioner Langer requested unified branding/graphics support for commissioners to amplify communications; staff will coordinate with marketing.
  • Commissioner Laver asked about cannabis dispensary proximity to parks and schools; noted it has not been on the commission agenda.
  • Vice Chair Robbins thanked outgoing Commissioner Boone for her service and leadership.
  • Chair Gaines provided District 8 updates: Meadow View tree planting (April 18, 9 AM–12 PM), Wood Park community garden plots available ($25/year), Jacinto Creek dog park cleanup (April 25, 8 AM–12 PM), Meadowview Farmers Market returns (May 3, 9 AM–1 PM).
  • Commissioner Laver thanked Parks Planning for two new projects at Mirror Park and one at Grant Park.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar (minutes and follow-up log) approved unanimously.
  • All discussion items were received and discussed; no votes or formal decisions were taken.
  • The budget reduction strategies remain preliminary. The city manager’s proposed budget is due April 28, with council budget hearings in May and final adoption in June.
  • Commissioners strongly encouraged public and council members to advocate for preserving YPCE services and alternative funding sources.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening and welcome to the meeting of Thursday, April 16th 2026. Parks and Community Enrichment Commission. This meeting is now called to order. We couldn't find the gavel, so will the clerk please call the roll to establish quorum. Yes, thank you, Chair. Commissioners, can you please unmute your microphones for roll call? Commissioner Linger. Here. Commissioner Uri Langer. Langer. Linger. Here, present. No worries. Commissioner Yuribe is absent. Vice Chair Robbins? Present. Commissioner Laver. Here. Commissioner King. Here. Commissioner Vasquez is absent. Commissioner Flores is also absent. Commissioner Ling. Here. Commissioner Boone. Present. Commissioner Florney. Here. And Chair Gaines. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Thank you. I would like to remind members of the public in chambers who wish to speak on any item on today's agenda to please turn in speaker slips before the item begins. You will have two minutes to speak once you're called on. First, the speaker, oh, after the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. And we'll now proceed with the land acknowledgement followed by the pledge of allegiance. So please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous uh people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Pat Winwin Tun peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples history contribution and lives. Midwatch, thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. You may be seated. So the first agenda, the first agenda item today is approval of the consent calendar. Clerk, are there any members of the public who would like to speak on this item? Thank you, Chair. We do not have any members who wish to speak. Are there any commissioners who would like to speak on this item? All right.

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