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Home My WebLink About12/08/2025 - MinutesCity of Tigard Park & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes THE PURPOSE OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD IS TO ADVISE AND ADVOCATE FOR PARK AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR A GROWING TIGARD. PARK & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES – DECEMBER 08, 2025 DRAFT City of Tigard | 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 | 503-639-4171 |www.tigard-or.gov | Page 1 of 4 MEETING DATE: December 08, 2025, 6:00 PM MEETING LOCATION: In-Person at Tigard Public Works (8777 SW Burnham St.) Virtual via MS Teams Comments/questions should be sent prior to the meeting to Rick Gruen, staff liaison: rickg@tigard-or.gov 1.Call to Order and Roll Call The meeting was called to order at 6:02 PM by Chair Ellen Brown. Roll Call Members Present: Ellen Brown (Chair), Natalie Newgard (Vice Chair), James Essenberg, Ken Barker, Denise Stephens, Skip Haak, Joleine Sigler Alternates Present: Candi Cornils Council Liaison Excused: Councilor Faraz Ghoddusi Alternates Excused: Veronica Johnson Staff Present: Rick Gruen (Parks, Recreation, and Green Infrastructure Manager), Martin McKnight (Parks Supervisor), Kaitlyn Leaf (Recreation Coordinator), Melissa Heine (Recreation Administrative Specialist II/Recorder), Jordan Porter (Tigard Park Ranger) Others Present: Mark Fitzsimons (Tualatin Riverkeepers) 2.Approval of Minutes The minutes from November 10, 2025, were reviewed. Motion: A motion was made by Denise Stephens to approve the minutes. Natalie Newgard seconded. Vote: Motion carried unanimously. 3.Comments from the Audience No public comments 4.Pilot Park Ranger Program Jordan Porter, Park Ranger, City of Tigard Parks and Recreation, provided a presentation on the first season’s accomplishments of the pilot Tigard Park Ranger Program. •Jordan (first Ranger) has successfully shifted the focus to education, code compliance, and maintenance support. •Early intervention reduced average encampment cleanup costs from $8,000 to $1,000 per PARK & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES – DECEMBER 08, 2025 DRAFT City of Tigard | 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 | 503-639-4171 | www.tigard-or.gov | Page 2 of 4 site. One high-risk property saw costs drop from $100k over 5 years to $6k in 6 months. • Top concerns include unhoused campsites (Fanno Creek), graffiti, and off-leash dogs (Dirksen Park). • Future Goals: Expansion of youth Junior Ranger program involving Rec and Library, a "Leash Up" dog campaign, and additional fishing platforms at Summerlake Park. • PRAB will advocate for Park Ranger funding at the upcoming PRAB/City Council meeting. 5. Tualatin River Water Trail Signage Program Tualatin Riverkeepers River Experiences Program Manager, Mark Fitzsimons, shared updated National River Trails signage for Cook Family Park and other locations along the federally designated Tualatin River Water Trail. • Unified Signage: Launching a new signage package (river-facing dock signs, "You Are Here" maps) across 19 public access sites. • National Water Trail website, brochure, and map are live. • New wayfinding and rental area signage are being installed at Cook Family Park. 6. Parks and Recreation Manager Update Parks, Recreation, and Green Infrastructure Manager, Rick Gruen, provided updates on park related policies, programs, and projects of interest. • Emphasized the importance of partnerships (Tualatin Riverkeepers, PD, regional partners) given limited staff. • Volunteer coordination: o Recognized need and interest but noted it requires dedicated staff time. o If the Ranger position is sustained/expanded, some volunteer coordination duties may be built into the role. • Park rules signage: o Three sign sizes with approximately 8 key rules from the Tigard Municipal Code. o Main purpose: support effective enforcement when PD responds. o New signs anticipated to roll out in the new year. • Budget/CIP: o Internal budget work is underway. • Upcoming PRAB presentations: o CIP overview – City Engineer Joe Wisniewski o Budget overview – Business Manager Joe Barrett • February 17 Council work session: o Parks-focused: Ranger update and park funding discussion 7. Recreation Update Update, overview, and future Recreation offerings provided by Kaitlyn Leaf, Recreation Program Coordinator. • Wreath Workshops on Nov. 29 were full and successful. PARK & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES – DECEMBER 08, 2025 DRAFT City of Tigard | 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 | 503-639-4171 | www.tigard-or.gov | Page 3 of 4 • Merry Mess Makers toddler program ongoing; high engagement. • Snowman Scavenger Hunt (8th annual) at Cook Park happening next week; last year saw 150+ submissions. • Kids Night Out (every 3rd Friday) is almost full through March following winter registration. • Baby & Me returning in January and February with new participants. • Active recruitment underway for summer sponsors and vendors, with strong early interest. 8. Park Update Projects and operations update from Park Supervisor, Martin McKnight. • Last leaf drop & food drive at Cook Family Park scheduled for this Saturday. • Tree Lighting at Universal Plaza had strong attendance and went smoothly. • Asphalt and curb repairs at Universal Plaza are complete. • Recent events at Cook Family Park: o Turkeython with approximately 400 participants. o Long-running Ho Ho Ho run. • Boy Scout tree recycling to occur post-Christmas at Cook Family Park and Lasich. • Nearing hiring of a new utility worker (offer in progress). • Blueberry Hill restroom nearly ready; awaiting automatic locks and irrigation controller installation. • Martin strongly endorsed the Ranger position, noting substantial prevention of camps and damage. 9. PRAB Member Recognition • Ellen presented recognition for Natalie for six years of service on PRAB. • Natalie’s reflections: o Proud of the significant growth in Recreation (from minimal offerings to robust programming for all ages). o Praised Kaitlyn’s innovation and Rick’s leadership in supporting new ideas. o Commended Martin and maintenance for consistently high park standards and rapid response to issues. o Recommendations for the future: ▪ Improve volunteer recognition by Council (including PRAB and other city volunteers). ▪ Update PRAB bylaws to clarify term limits and provide a process to remove inactive members. ▪ Add non-voting member roles (e.g., youth, river focus, sports, dog advocates). o She thanked the board, called out Ken’s contributions to river advocacy (including the on-the-water annual meeting), and expressed appreciation for Ellen’s steady leadership. PARK & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES – DECEMBER 08, 2025 DRAFT City of Tigard | 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 | 503-639-4171 | www.tigard-or.gov | Page 4 of 4 10. Advocacy Items PRAB reaffirmed advocacy priorities: • Sustained funding for the Ranger position (and potential expansion). • Park and trail funding and long-term maintenance. • Councilor Ghoddusi advised: o Council (particularly Councilor Schlack and the Mayor) responds well to clear data and cost-benefit analysis. o Encouraged using Jordan’s data, cleanup cost reductions, and positive outcome stories in the February 17 presentation. o Letters, one-on-one conversations with councilors, and strong PRAB participation at the work session are all helpful. 11. Non-Agenda Items No additional non-agenda items. 12. Adjourn Motion: A motion was made by Natalie Newgard to adjourn the meeting. James Essenberg seconded. Time: The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM. Upcoming Meetings: • PRAB Meeting: Monday, January 12, 6:00 PM, Tigard Public Works Auditorium • City Council/PRAB Annual Meeting – Tuesday, February 17, 2026 Submitted by Melissa Heine, Recorder Signature: Attestation by Ellen Brown, Chair Signature: Approval Date: Wet signature minutes on file with PRAB Recorder. File location: I:\PW\1-PUBLIC WORKS ADMIN\Meetings (PRAB & IWB)\PRAB\2025\12-Dec\Minutes\PRAB Minutes 251208- DRAFT.docx