To: PUBLIC AMENITIES COMMISSION
From: KELLY ORTA, DEPUTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF A PARK RANGER PROGRAM SUBCOMMITTEE
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BACKGROUND
On November 8, 2023, the former Recreation and Parks (R&P) Commission created a Park Ranger Subcommittee (Subcommittee) to research and analyze whether the R&P Commission should recommend to the City Council the establishment of a Park Ranger program, including information on desired roles, responsibilities, and oversight. R&P Commissioners Deckman, Yousufzai, and Lang were selected for this role. The Subcommittee held multiple meetings with staff from various departments including the Police and Community Services Departments as a way to gather anecdotal information as well as boots-on-the-ground insight on whether a Park Ranger program was necessary, and if so, how would it be most effective against current issues experienced in the parks.
The Subcommittee was in the process of having subsequent conversations with the City’s police department personnel as well as discussions with the Public Works team in order to determine its recommendation to share with the R&P Commission. Unfortunately, the R&P Commission was consolidated with multiple commissions in 2024, which created the Public Amenities (PA) Commission. At that time, the work of the subcommittee halted until the PA Commission could consider whether it desired to continue addressing the issue. Currently, the PA Commission’s Chairperson Yousufzai and Commissioner Lang, the original members of the Subcommittee under the R&P Commission, are serving on the PA Commission.
Staff requests the PA Commission consider whether it would like to create the Park Ranger Subcommittee to resume the work previously accomplished under the R&P Commission regarding the Park Ranger program.
ATTACHMENTS
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