Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board Meeting - March 30, 2026
Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board Meeting - March 30, 2026
The City of Waukesha Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board met on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 5:30 PM in Council Chambers, City Hall. The board approved the 2026 summer recreation program fees, pool program fees, and a revised aquatic facility group admission application. All votes were unanimous. Staff provided updates on summer preparations, program participation statistics, and ongoing capital projects.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (ID#26-03070): The draft minutes from the February 16, 2026 board meeting were approved unanimously (6-0).
Discussion Items
- Item A – 2026 Summer Recreation Program Fees (ID#26-03178): Staff presented the proposed fee schedule for summer 2026, which includes a total of 635 program offerings: 457 youth classes, 126 adult classes, 42 classes for ages 55+, and 10 family classes. Most fees remained unchanged; contractual programs saw minor increases (e.g., Tree Climb – 6%, Skyhawks – 1%). The board approved the fee schedule unanimously (7-0).
- Item B – 2026 Pool Program, Season and Fees (ID#26-03179): Staff reported strong pool pass sales and outlined adjustments including new cabana rentals and reformatted pool party packages (basic and ultimate at Buckner facility). No other significant fee changes were proposed. The board approved the pool fee schedule unanimously (7-0).
- Item C – Revision to Aquatic Facility Group Admission Application (ID#26-03180): Staff proposed removing the $50 non-refundable application fee because weather-related cancellations typically resulted in refunds, causing administrative overhead. A board member suggested reformatting the application for clarity (e.g., numbering instead of bullet points). The board approved the revised application unanimously (7-0).
Board President Report
- Board President had no report for the month.
Director and Staff Report
- Capital Projects & Master Plan: A kickoff meeting for the Parks and Recreation System Master Plan has occurred; a second meeting with the consulting firm is scheduled. Staff received a list from finance regarding the Community Investment Program (CIP) and are reviewing carryovers.
- Activities Guide: The summer activity guide is in production, expected in mailboxes at the end of next week, with registration opening the following week.
- Program Participation:
- Youth soccer league: 75 teams registered (approximately 900 children).
- Adult softball/kickball: 84 teams registered as of the meeting, expected to reach 90–100.
- Men's basketball winter league: 16 teams (two full leagues).
- Aquatics: First chemical order placed; five individuals completed Water Safety Instructor (WSI) training; a 12-person lifeguarding course begins the next day. Hiring for summer pool staff is underway; pools expected to fill with water in early May.
- Community Learning Centers: Staff are working with the School District of Waukesha and the Department of Public Instruction to transfer a federal grant from Hawthorne Elementary (closing) to Lowell Elementary, where an estimated 75% of current Hawthorne students will attend.
- Parking Lot Usage: A board member inquired about unauthorized use of the Prairie Avenue parking lot. Staff will investigate whether private organizations are parking there and will report back.
Key Outcomes
- All three discussion/decision items (summer fee schedule, pool fees, group admission application revision) were approved unanimously.
- The board directed staff to consider formatting improvements to the group admission application for future versions.
- Staff will follow up on unauthorized parking lot usage and provide an update at a future meeting.
- The meeting adjourned after a brief staff report.
Meeting Transcript
I think that's in the web. All right. We will call tonight's uh Monday, March 30th. Waukeshaw Parks Recreation and Forestry Board to order with roll call. All right. Alderman Camacho. Eric Hummer. Steve Johnson. Sarah Roth. Here. John Schmidt. Absent. Alderman Wells. Here. Jennifer Walner. Here. And Erica Yoss is absent. And that completes roll call. Great. Thank you. Okay. Moving right along to public comment. We do not have any public comment this evening. So we will move along to the approval of the minutes from the Waukesha Parks Recreation and Forestry Board from February 16th, 2026. Motion to approve. Motion. Motion by Eric Hummer, second by Alderman Camacho. Any further discussion? Great. We'll take that to a vote. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed. And that passes unanimously. Moving on to discussion decision items. Item A, review and possible action on proposed 2026 summer season recreation program fees and charges schedule. All right. Thank you, Jennifer. Spring break is taking the toll on our staff. But we still have the few of the proud, the recreation team. The uh here tonight to go over the programs. Um we're real close to uh getting our activity guide out for the summer. So very important that we take action on these uh on these uh fees and charges that are proposed. Uh I think Gail is leading the show here. And then we got uh Cheryl and and uh we got Logan to cover the rest. Good evening, everybody. Thank you for being here. Uh so we are very excited to kick off summer, another wonderful summer in the great city of Waukesha. Uh we're going to be offering a total of uh 635 different uh program offerings, 457 youth classes, 126 adult classes, 42 55 and plus classes, and 10 family classes. So if we turn to uh the summer youth development page, uh we will be offering youth dance.
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