Good evening, everyone.
But, we'll go ahead and um call this meeting to order.
Uh item number two, um information only. Information items will be provided to
the board in writing and are not intended for formal presentation.
Um thanks uh items 2A and 2B. So,
um any questions from the board?
So, we'll go on move to item uh three, consent items.
Uh consent items will be provided to the board in writing and are not intended
for formal presentation. We may vote on them collectively unless
a board member requests that any item be voted on separately.
And if not, uh I would like to have a motion to accept items 3A, B, and C.
Thank you. Can I have a second? >> Second.
» All those in favor, please say I. I.
Any opposed? >> I.
» Item uh four, information and discussion items will be
presented verbally to the parks board and are for discussion only. No action
will be taken on these items at this meeting.
First item is item 4A, parks and recreation youth sports programs.
Correct? >> Good evening, uh Chairman Moy and
members of the parks board. Happy to be here this evening with you
folks. Um our youth sport sports programs across our system have always
been uh uh, amazing for our our youth. So, I'm going to ask uh, special
operations deputy director Greg Lyons and our downtown deputy director Tony
Salinas to give you an update on our youth sports programs across our system.
» Thank you, Marty. Good afternoon, Chairman Moya and
members of the Parks Board. This afternoon, we are presenting an update
on our Parks and Recreation youth sports programs.
Our youth sports programming serves participants ages 3 through 17.
And and we are proud to offer activities year-round so families have access to
recreation no matter the season. Altogether, more than 22,000 kids take
part in these programs annually, reflecting the strong demand for
accessible and inclusive sports opportunities across the city.
With that brief overview, I'll turn it over to Tony, who will walk you through
the different youth sports programs in more detail.
» Good evening, Chairman Moya and members of the Parks and Recreation Board.
I'd like to begin with one of our most popular youth sports programs, youth
soccer. Our soccer programs serve children ages
3 to 15, offering opportunities for skill development at every stage.
We operate more than 80 soccer programs across the city, ensuring broad access
for families in every area. Each year, approximately 2,000 participate building
foundational skills, teamwork, and confidence through active play.
Another popular option for families is youth flag football.
Flag football continues to grow rapidly within our youth sports lineup.
Interest has expanded significantly in recent years, especially among girls.
The program serves youth ages 5 through 15, offering inclusive and
age-appropriate opportunities. With 35 programs offered citywide,
participants enjoy fun, low-contact introduction to the gridiron sport that
builds teamwork and confidence. Flexible practice and game schedules
throughout the week make the flag football a favorite choice for families
across the city, supporting more than 200 young players.
Our youth baseball programs are a grand slam.
We serve children ages 4 through 12, and this sport continues to be one of our
most popular offerings. We provide more than 40 baseball
programs across the city, giving families convenient options in their own
neighborhoods. Last year, more than 600 young athletes
took part in our leagues, developing skills, staying active, and enjoying
supportive, team-focused environment.
Next is our volleyball program, another sport experiencing steady
growth. Youth volleyball is offered for
participants ages 10 to 13. More than 60 programs operate at sites
across Phoenix. Participation remains strong and consistent, with over 400
youth being served each year. These programs help develop fundamental
skills and teamwork in a supportive indoor environment.
Next, we tee up for golf programs. Serving participants ages 3 to 17,
these programs offer are offered at all seven city golf courses.
Technical difficulties. Please hold. Stand by.
Keep going? All right. It's a nice slide, but I'll
describe it to you. >> [laughter]
» Uh these programs are offered at all seven city golf courses, ensuring broad
access for families. Youth golf hosts more than 14,000
participants annually, reflecting strong and sustained interest.
Offerings range from Itty Bitty Open to First Tee programs all the way
through high school state championship events.
Now, we move on to our largest sports partnership, the Junior Suns program.
Junior Suns basketball continues to be one of the largest and most popular
youth sports offerings. The program serves participants ages 5
through 15, providing age-appropriate skill development opportunities.
We operate more than 100 Junior Suns programs across the city.
These programs provide consistent, high-quality basketball experiences for
youth at all levels. Last year, more than 4,000 young ballers
participated in the Junior Suns program. Participants benefit from skill
development, team engagement, and the strong partnership the city of Phoenix
has with the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury organizations.
Youth sports participation continues to grow across both merging and established
programs. Ball hockey now serves participants ages 7 to 13, expanding
engagement in this fast-growing sport. Karate offers opportunities for youth
ages 7 to 17, and remains a strong, steady contributor to overall
participation. Esports maintains high interest,
engaging more than 200 young players each season.
New programs introduced are cricket and disc golf,
attracting smaller groups, but provide valuable variety, and broaden our
recreational sports. Together, these offerings expand the
range of interest and activities that are available to youth across the city,
supporting continued growth and inclusivity.
At this time, I'll turn it over to Greg to discuss park facilities.
» Thank you, Tony.
To support all these youth programs, the department relies on several major
sports complexes across the city. Facilities like Rose Mofford, Desert
West, Papago, and Reach 11 provide the fields, courts, and amenities that make
some of our leagues and tournaments possible year-round.
The Rose Mofford Sports Complex is one of Arizona's premier destinations for
youth and adult recreation, offering a plaza-style environment that welcomes
both players and spectators. As a long-standing host site for
national championships, college invitationals, regional tournaments, and
high school playoffs, the complex continues to serve as a major hub for
softball and soccer, drawing more than 200,000 participants and spectators each
year. Its expansive layout includes multiple
lighted soccer fields, six enclosed softball fields,
tennis and racquetball courts, volleyball and basketball courts,
a running track, pickleball courts, and a 2 and 1/2 acre dog park, providing a
full range of amenities that support year-round recreation and community
engagement.
The Desert West Sports Complex is a major recreation destination that
supports both daily community use and large-scale tournament play. It's widely
recognized for hosting local, regional, and national softball events, including
the Senior Winter Worlds Tournament and the Saucony Cup,
each drawing more than 4,000 players and spectators.
» [clears throat] >> The complex features four enclosed
softball fields, along with a broad range of amenities such as ball fields,
soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts,
tennis and racquetball courts, urban fishing, and a permanent concession
area. Making Desert West a versatile and
highly active hub for youth and adult recreation.
Papago Sports Complex is a key hub for both league play and major tournaments,
hosting local and regional, national, softball and baseball events throughout
the year. Its north side features the Papago
softball fields, which along with Desert West consistently host large signature
events. Softball complex includes four enclosed
softball fields. South side contains Papago baseball
fields, leased to the city of Scottsdale for the San Francisco Giants year-round
player development program.
Reach 11 is a 1,500 acre recreation area that combines natural desert, trails, a
horse park, and one of the largest complexes in the western United States.
We manage the complex under a federal land use agreement. The site supports
recreation while maintaining its primary role as a flood detention basin for the
Central Arizona Project. The sports complex hosts international,
national, and regional tournaments in soccer, lacrosse, field hockey,
football, and other field sports, and is organized into five major areas. The
east and west field zones, the Diamondbacks youth baseball complex,
an extensive trail system, and Horse Lovers Park.
With 18 regular soccer fields, four youth baseball fields, and more
than 20 miles of natural trails, Reach 11 serves as a premier destination for
both competitive athletics and daily outdoor recreation.
As we conclude today's overview, I want to highlight the continued impact we
have on our youth programs across Phoenix. From entry-level activities to
competitive leagues, these programs provide thousands of young participants
with opportunities to stay active, build skills, and connect with their
community. Our sport complexes, partnerships, and
year-round operations all support a vibrant system that meets the diverse
interests of families throughout the city.
Thank you for your time and support as we remain committed to offering
accessible, high-quality recreation experiences for all youth.
At this time, we'd be happy to answer any questions.
» Great. Thank you. Awesome presentation. Board members, any questions?
Right here, sir.
» Oh. Uh I'm I'm wondering about the survey
that you plan to send out to uh and whether
I guess what I'm wondering is to what extent is the
Parks Master Plan thinking about or integrating information about youth
sports? And if there's a survey being done at
the end of this year when the master plan is going to be done, you know, what
are there ways that those two things can be the survey results can be integrated?
» Um Mr. Chair and members of the Parks Board and Board Member Vieira, our our
Parks Master Plan is um focusing on a lot of different things including
programs and services for for our youth including sports. So,
uh we will have um uh results later this fall to share with
with the Parks Board um and then determine what uh changes we need to
make across our system. Um and I'll let Tony, I'll let you talk about the survey
for sports.
» So, uh Board Member Moylan and uh
Chairman Moylan and Board Member Porter, uh currently after each league uh
concludes our program concludes, the parents will receive a survey so that we
can get feedback on how to better our programs.
We do share that with the divisions so that we understand what the community
needs are and how we can make adjustments for the next season
or session of classes or leagues.
Any other questions? >> Great, Renee.
» Great.
» Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I have a a couple of questions about
sort of program capacity and sort of trends.
Um first of all, let me just say, I mean, this is a way better than what I
had when I was growing up in terms of diversity of programs, availability of
programs, quality and diversity of facilities. I mean, it's just
so impressive what we have available and what we offer. What What I'm interested
in as understanding A, where is there demand
that just gets sucked up so quickly that lots and lots of people are turned away.
And then secondly, what are you seeing in terms of trends
of of either growth, I mean, Tony, you
mentioned you know, girls are getting more
interested in flag football, but what what other trends are out there in terms
of growth of types of programs or demand for certain
types of youth facilities and that kind of thing.
» So, as far as Sorry.
Chairman uh Moya and board member Neymar, as far as
the demand, um whenever a facility fills up, uh the spots fill up. So, the beauty
of parks and recreation is that we have all our sports happening at the same
time, same season. So, there's never really a facility
that's not too far away, and that's how we will help the other facilities fill
their leagues or programs. Um if there's an opportunity and
options to add more practices and games during the weekend the weekend, they
will add more uh teams to the league. So, that's how we
we we do our best to accommodate, but we definitely stay in contact and we share.
And the the key is to, you know, register as soon as that registration
opens, and so that we can definitely accommodate. Now, if it's a family, and
you know, we don't want the mother to have or the father to have to drive 5
miles, you know, every Saturday, we'll do our best to accommodate to get the
whole family in so that they're in one location.
And as far as trends, we are the majority of our full-time
team are certified youth sports administrators,
uh which is a certification obtained through the National Alliance for Youth
Sports. And they have a national database that
tells us what's trending and what's going on, and a lot of times it's going
to be the public. They'll they'll come in and they'll tell us. So, that's how
we find out about, you know, flag football and and and all the girls that
want to play it. And, you know, a lot of them don't want to play coed. They want
to be playing, you know, all girl leagues. Uh the majority of our leagues
are coed. So, that's we take community feedback and feedback from days in the
National Parks and Recreation Association as well, following up with
with trends that are are coming our way. So, right now I can say pickleball's a
big one. The flag football's a big one. And e-sports, believe it or not,
e-sports is is taking off.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Rick.
» Can I ask one quick question? Is e-sports
really a big thing for kids or
people under 18. >> Um
Chairman Moya and board member Porter, I'm sorry can you repeat that?
» I'm surprised to hear that pickleball is a
an emerging popular sport for the alpha Gen Alpha.
But you're saying it is. >> They love it.
They love it, yes.
» Rick. Emma, any questions?
Aubrey, I see you online. Any questions?
If not, I have I have a couple. Sorry.
I have a couple of quick questions. Tony, you you
noted some of the the the numbers for baseball in terms of participation.
So, help me understand the leagues. Are are those numbers
uh leagues that the city
um coordinates with or do we track or are
there other leagues that aren't part of the city that
utilize some park as well?
» Chairman Moya, those that data is specifically for city-run programs.
Uh the city of Phoenix are all of our leagues and classes are recreational,
which means anybody that wants to even learn the sport in a team atmosphere, we
welcome them. And others use it that are great at the
sport and they just want to, you know, increase their skill set. So, these are
just our our specific parks are our city of Phoenix
run and that's why they got those cool Phoenix plays jerseys and socks.
» I wonder those come in extra large. >> We can make that happen.
» [laughter] >> Um so, again, so this has to do with
numbers as well because I see our beautiful facilities and obviously the
Rose Mofford one and the one the baseball one that we had lots of
discussions in this meeting before near Scottsdale, but it's in Phoenix.
Um so do we
Marty, maybe track all of those numbers because
um if we do if we do how how do we do that
because obviously when we bring in these big soccer teams and these big baseball
do we track all that and if so how and where would that show up?
» Thank you, Chairman members of the Parks Board. Yes, we do track that through our
ActiveNet program and the last count that we had just before doing this
report were over 60,000 uh participants that use all of our
facilities that that's not part of our city programs but the from other
programs that come and use our facilities.
» Great, that's great that's great to know because obviously they're just not
sitting there they are utilized by others and not only uh for those city
league programs. So again, great you thank you great presentation.
Oh, and one thing and I don't do the I don't get caught up in the whole
formality thing cuz at home I'm hey you so if you miss it I don't I don't get
you know, anyway, thank you. So next we have Parks
Parks Volunteer Program update.
» Mr. Chairman and members of the Parks Board um
the city of Phoenix has a system-wide volunteer program called Volunteer
Phoenix. In 2024 the approval of the mayor and council the Parks Department
did receive a volunteer coordinator position. Joining me at the table uh
this evening is our volunteer coordinator Jenna Kirchhoff who will
give us a summary and kind of status of the Parks and Recreation Department
volunteer program. So I'll I'll over to Jana.
» Thank you, Director Whitfield. Good evening, Chairman Moya and members of
the board. It is my honor to be here today to give you guys an update on the
Parks and Recreation Department volunteer program.
The City of Phoenix operates a robust volunteer program called Volunteer
Phoenix, which strengthens community service by increasing volunteer
participation, expanding opportunities, and building strong partnerships. These
partnerships include AmeriCorps, Keep Phoenix Beautiful, and HandsOn Greater
Phoenix, among others. They also host the annual Volunteer Impact Awards
ceremony, where amazing volunteers are honored for their dedication.
The Parks and Recreation Department works closely with Volunteer Phoenix to
place corporate and large group volunteer requests,
find volunteers for internal Parks Department special events, and recruit
volunteers for specialty programs like our volunteer coaches and park stewards.
Together, we engage with interested individuals to identify and sometimes
create opportunities that meet their requests. Volunteer Phoenix frequently
features department requests for volunteers in their monthly newsletters,
as you can see displayed on your screen, our request for volunteers for our Earth
Month tree plantings. The Parks and Recreation Volunteers
Program, also known as My Phoenix My Park, provides a variety of
opportunities for interested individuals, groups, and organizations
to get involved. By focusing on recruitment, retention, partnerships,
and impact, we aim to increase volunteer participation in the maintenance of our
parks and preserves each year. We recruit volunteers through online
engagement, flyers in community centers, and promoting the program at community
meetings. By recognizing the value and hard work
of our volunteers through award ceremonies and appreciation events, we
encourage individuals to continue their volunteerism with us.
Retention is also supported by establishing long-lasting partnerships
with organiza- organizations and corporations.
Volunteers can get engaged with My Phoenix My Park in a variety of ways,
including sports coaching, the Park Steward program, park cleanups, tree
plantings and invasive removals, special events support, trailhead engagement,
repainting and beautification, native seed collection and disbursement, and
our wonderful Phoenix teens program. All of these efforts result in enormous
positive impacts for the parks in the community that we serve.
The Adopt-A-Park program is a way for individuals or groups to take ownership
of their volunteerism by committing to multiple park cleanups events throughout
the course of the year. In 2025, a 10th grade class from the
Arizona Autism Academy adopted El Oso Park to learn life skills and give back
to their community. The class visited twice monthly to rake playgrounds and
clean up trash, volunteering over 300 hours during the school year.
This is an ongoing partnership and we look forward to having Mr. Jonathan's
new class out to the park next year. The Arizona Sustainability Alliance has
adopted part of the Rio Salado habitat restoration area. The group has made a
huge impact removing invasive weeds, creating native seed balls, and cleaning
up around the trailhead. In 2025, they donated 567 hours to improving this
area. Dynamite Park was unofficially adopted
by a local resident and his young daughter on school breaks. They visit
the park to pick up trash, rake entrances, and pull weeds. Here you can
see some before and after photos of their efforts and also his daughter who
is very proud to have her own pink volunteer vest to wear when she was out
collecting trash. In 2026, we have successfully adopted
Encanto and Cave Creek Park at Cholla and we are working towards an adoption
at Nino's Park as well currently. The Park Steward program is a unique
opportunity for volunteers to work side-by-side with park rangers in our
mountain preserves to make a positive impact and learn valuable skills.
The Park Steward program has 461 active park stewards and continues to grow each
year. These dedicated volunteers expand the
ability of our staff to maintain our preserves and in fact, last year they
were honored with the Volunteer Impact Award recognizing their contributions
which included 3800 hours of trail work and trail
maintenance, 475 hours of cleanups, park stewards patrolled over 1800 hours
of bike patrols covering more than 10,000 miles of our trails,
over 1700 hours of hiking patrols covering 2900 miles on our trails,
and they performed 256 hours of trailhead education. This month as the
temperatures in Phoenix have been heating up, the park stewards have been
out at Piestewa, Echo Canyon, and Pima Canyon trailhead handing out water and
educating our hikers about safe hiking in the summer heat. So, thank you park
stewards.
April is historically one of our busiest volunteer months. Earth Day, Arbor Day,
and Volunteer Week all fall during this month and people are excited to give
back. In April 2026, over 1700 volunteers
donated almost 7,000 hours of their time.
In partnership with Volunteer Phoenix, the Parks Department curated over 20
volunteer events throughout the city to help beautify our parks and preserves.
Volunteers planted 250 trees and over 700 pollinator and native plants.
In addition, they removed 550 gallon bags of trash and invasive species from
our parks and preserves. This weighed over 6,000 pounds.
I would like to take a moment to give a big shout-out to the Forest Section of
the Special Operations Division who made these tree plantings a success. They
pre-dug holes and took the time to teach volunteers proper planting and pruning
techniques at each and every one of these events. They will also continue to
water these plants throughout the year to ensure their growth and development.
In 2025, the Parks and Recreation Department had almost 8,800 volunteers
donate more than 60,000 hours of their time to help improve our parks and
provide recreational opportunities in our community.
This equates to the labor of 29 full-time employees for an entire year.
In 2025, our volunteers had an estimated $2.1 million financial impact for the
department. Volunteers play a vital role in
supporting our staff to maintain the integrity of our 189 parks and over
40,000 acres of mountain preserve lands. If you or anyone you know is interested
in volunteering with the City of Phoenix, you can connect with us in any
of the three ways that we see on your screen. And with that, I would be happy
to answer any questions you have. Thank you.
» Great. Thank you very much. Quite impressive numbers. So, I don't imagine
what the trails would look like without all that help. So, great. Thank you. Any
questions from the board? Sarah, go right ahead.
» Thank you. Thanks for the report. I'm
I I guess my question is if we apart from Earth Month,
do you feel like we there could be more um
that more there it's it's great to have this many people volunteering. And I'm
wondering, do you feel like there's untapped demand
or um by people in Phoenix who would like to
be park volunteers? And I And I guess what I'm wondering is some cities have a
you know, have a whole group of staff members dedicated to
activating volunteers. I'm just wondering what's the demand? What's your
sense of the demand in Phoenix? >> Thank you for that question, Chairperson
Porter. Um, Board Member Moya and members of the
board, so while April is typically one of our busiest months, we do have
ongoing programs like our volunteer coaches that coach throughout the year.
Um, we do have the park stewards which work throughout the year. I would say
one of the difficulties that we find specifically here in the city of Phoenix
is that a lot of kids are out of school in the summer months and have more time
to volunteer with their parents and with the heat that really restricts what we
can do. So, with our partnership with Volunteer Phoenix, we for the past
couple months we know the heat is coming. So, we've been reaching out to
our recreation coordinators. We've been reaching out to folks to find indoor
opportunities to help place people that reach out during the summer. So, I would
say our biggest limitation would probably be trying to accommodate people
who have more time in the summer when we're limited by the heat.
» Any other questions? Go ahead, Emma.
» Thank you for the presentation. It's really exciting to see all these
Um, what type of training do they Uh, is
there any specific information, general information
that volunteers go through?
» Thank you, Chairperson Viera. Uh, Board Member Moya and members of the board, it
depends on what type of volunteerism that you're getting engaged with. Our
sports coaches do go through an extensive training through the NAYS
program, the National Alliance for Youth Sports that Tony spoke to in the
previous presentation. Our park stewards, they also go through 40 hours
of direct one-on-one training before with a park ranger before they are
allowed to go out and do a hike patrol on their own, for example. Um, with our
Adopt-A-Park program, we do go out and meet them for the very first cleanup and
we walk them around the park and show them the areas that, you know, need
cleaning up and areas of high high use. Um, so I guess I would say it depends on
what specific type of volunteer that you are, but there are there is training and
one-on-one. Like with the tree plantings, the special operations team
came out and showed them how to plant the trees before they were just jumping
in there.
» Any other questions? Uh, great. Again, thank you for the
presentation. So, we'll move on to item five
uh, for discussion and possible action. Uh, the the items are for information,
discussion, and possible action. Item 5A, South Mountain land donation and
acceptance. Chairman lawyer and members of the Parks
Board, I'm excited about this next item. Um,
uh, in the Parks and Recreation Department, we're always looking at
opportunities to uh, purchase uh, land in our preserves. So,
tonight, uh, our Management Services Deputy Director, Teresa Ball, will
present on a potential uh, donation of about 10 acres.
Teresa.
» Good evening, board members. I'm very excited to share with you this
opportunity that we have to grow our preserves with this potential land
donation.
First though, what I'd like to do is highlight a summary of recent
acquisitions into the mountain preserves within the last 5 years.
As you can see, the acquisitions in 2025 alone totaled more than 250 acres. And
you may recall that the board approved the acquisition of the Carver Mountain
property near South Mountain via a donation. And the Dean Hills property
near 35th Avenue and Happy Valley, that was acquired through the Arizona State
Land Department auction that was held last November.
For the potential donation we're going to be discussing tonight, a
representative for the property owner approached the city earlier this year
regarding whether his client's 10-acre parcel could be considered for purchase
during the city's next bond process. After several meetings with the property
owner's rep and a site visit in March, it was determined that the potential
donation might be a better path forward for the property owner. And this is due
to the bond timeline and really the uncertainty of whether that parcel could
be included as part of that bond project.
So therefore, the property owners generously decided to offer the land to
the city as a donation, and we're very appreciative of having this
um potential parcel of land.
Here I want to show you a vicinity map, and it provides an overview of the
location of the property being considered for a donate uh donation. You
can see there it's on the very southwest side of South Mountain, just adjacent
there of the 202 freeway.
And here in to get a perspective, the area in which the 10-acre park parcel is
located, it's just north of those developed homes that are kind of in the
gray area, and it's shown in the green shaded area on the left.
Um I'll show you in the next slide a little bit more close-up picture of it,
but this area here was originally planned to be developed with homes as
shown on this conceptual site plan. However, it's not a very easy place to
develop because there's a lot of hurdles with the topography of the land,
hillside engineering, including a sewer system that would have to go up and over
the mountain.
So this site uh slide here, you can more clearly see that the parcel in
highlighted red area there. It's 10 acres. You can see how close it is to
the boundary of South Mountain, which is denoted by the green line,
and its proximity to both um Gila Gila and the um Bursera trails.
And you can see here too that it's not immediately continuous to South Mountain
Park. So, the thought is to obtain the land, preserve it as it is, and then
eventually we could connect it to in the future to South Mountain Park.
In this view here, you can see the outlines of the adjacent private
property owned parcels. These other parcels around the community
have the potential for development, but due to the hurdles that we already
mentioned, the mountain side there also has a slope. These might be an
opportunity now to use this donated parcel as leverage to acquire other
surrounding or nearby parcels that could eventually create that connectivity to
South Mountain Park. However, if the donated parcel stays
disconnected, it would still serve as preservation. There's no city
infrastructure needed nor edge protection, and since the neighborhood
to the south is gated, um also just over the ridge to the north side of the
mountain is a water catchment for wildlife. So, the area could still just
remain a wildlife corridor.
So, we're always excited when we have these opportunities to add land to our
preserve system, and we really appreciate the property owner's interest
to be donating this to the city. This item was just heard by the Sonoran
um Phoenix Sonoran Preserve and Mountain Parks Preserve Committee on May 18th,
and the committee was in favor of the acquisition. So, our next step then
pending Parks Board approval is to go to City Council tentatively prior to their
summer recess. And with that
that ends the presentation and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may
have. >> That was exciting. Um, before we open it
up for a vote, any questions?
Yeah, I have a few. This This is a little new for me, so I apologize. Um,
first of all, it's of course exciting that somebody wants to donate 10 acres.
That's a very valuable parcel and
uh and it also is obviously going to I
don't know what the right wording is, but prevent development of
of properties right up against the preserve. What I was interested in
understanding and and maybe could flip back a
a slide or two here.
Going
two things. Um Yeah, that's fine. That slide's good.
So, first of all, uh the green line that you show as the preserve
line is different than the one in the report,
which is a straight line that goes across.
And I was going to ask because there were a bunch of City of Phoenix
properties to the west there that didn't appear to be in the
preserve, but it looks like the green line is an updated preserve
map. Is that right?
» I don't Yes, let me look at the the one in the report.
Yes, I the one on the display on the screen is the accurate one.
» Okay, good. Um, cuz one of the questions I I had is
why is the city own this property and why isn't it not in reserve? So, that
makes sense. Okay. The second thing is, um, you know, it's it's an island as you
point out and it still has value for wildlife and that kind of thing. But,
you know, having lived down in this area for like 25 years, I don't live down
there anymore, but you know, there were all sorts of little islands created
in the um development process and um so as as an example, I owned a house
back on what they called, you know, it was a preserve lot it but but it wasn't
a preserve. It was an island that was surrounded by homes, a mountain and
there were no trails on it because fences went all the way around. Uh, and
but it it was never thought to be part of the preserve and frankly, the
homeowners association had to take care of any issues or problems there or
liability or whatever.
And there are probably hundreds of those kinds of situations around the city and
I'm just trying to think through the process of
islands like this. Um, obviously if somebody's giving it to
us, it's great, right? But, um Um, I'm just thinking about you know,
this island could end up getting being surrounded by development in the future
based upon the the ownership pattern, I think. But,
it's kind of hard to tell, right? >> Right. Um,
thank you, Chairperson Newmark. Um, we did a site visit on this, Jared
Rogers and I with the rep and we had several discussions with him about these
other parcels and what they're going through through their development. In
fact, the one directly to the west is from our understanding is having some
real challenges and hurdles um with the infrastructure that they
need to get that the picture doesn't really do it justice to really display
the the wash area
the hillside how it goes through. Um what our hope is because of how close
this parcel is to the preserve even if we could acquire the one just directly
north of it now we've got some connectivity straight there. The ones to
the east also again the picture doesn't do it justice. It's very the topography
is is not easy to build at all and these parcels have been sitting for a while
and one of the parcels even to the north a little bit you can see someone tried
to build their own little makeshift house on it maybe with some stones and
everything and then from our understanding it's been like that for
many many years. So that's where our thought is this might be a good leverage
point um because there is that big wash that goes down under the the freeway
area there too with the 202 so it provides that connectivity and then over
time we're our hope we're hopeful these other property owners might see the
benefit maybe for their own tax purposes or what financially to maybe offer the
donation to the city. >> Right. Well that that
that's very helpful information and and also I assume that big parcel to the
east of there was probably required to be
you know left as hillside or desert when they developed that gated
community is that be my guess but I I don't know that for sure.
Um okay. Well that's that's that's very helpful. Yeah I was I just
if if we were buying it I might have a different thought about it. The fact
that they're they're donating it to us I I
I don't know why we wouldn't do it, particularly given the adjacency to the
preserve. Some you know, if they donated the one that was behind my house, that
was surrounded by fences and houses, maybe a different story, right? And it
was a little bit farther away from preserve land. So, I could I can see why
this this makes a lot of sense. And of course,
I'm not not appreciative of the donation, but I just I'm just thinking
about, you know, if all these homeowners associations donated their stranded
islands to us, we might not want them, right? Um, this one I think is a little
different than that. And that and it makes a lot of sense. And um
I don't know if there are other questions, but I'd be willing to make a
motion to >> I do have a question.
» Okay, go ahead. >> Okay, I'll wait I'll wait on the motion.
» To Rick's point, is the donation unconditional so that if if these
things that are very unlikely to happen did occur, the city would have some
options and not have a little stranded island parcel?
In other words, could the city let's just say that
something happened and there were development um between the existing
preserve and this donated parcel and the city decided and it would actually be
better for us to sell this parcel and we'll do something good with the
proceeds from that sale. Is would something like that be feasible or is
the city really committed forever and ever to this little island that is not
quite connected to the preserve? Understanding that it's unlikely, but
» Yeah, board member Ford, that's a very good question. Um,
city charter prevents the sale of preserve property without
if we right it would it's not going straight into the preserve, right? Well,
our request to be to have a dedicated preserve but
maybe that's something we can look at whether we
refrain maybe from designating it as preserved just acquire the acquisition,
not have it designated preserve until a later time. We could
that would be an option for consideration.
» And are there any other conditions related to the donation that that
could constrain the city's ability to do what is the best thing to do with
that parcel should these unlikely developments occur?
» Not not that I'm aware of. Um
I can't think of anything. I mean I know that the property owner is still doing
things like going through their environmental assessment of it too,
making sure all the environmental pieces would be adequate for us. But once
acquired um there's no other
maybe strings attached to it or conditions that I'm aware of with it. It
would be a complete donation to us. >> Thank you.
» Mr. Chairman, on on that same line of discussion I actually sort of have a
diff an opposite thought which is if we don't put it in preserve now
there will be leverage in the future for somebody to come in and say I I I need I
need this city to develop my parcel and somebody may you know, push the
department to sell the uh parcel. So I'd rather put you know, I
I my sense is I'd rather given how close it is and how uh valuable the staff
has indicated that it would be for wildlife and other things. I would
probably put it in the preserve and and risk that we could never sell it
because I don't >> I think that's a if you
I think that's a good point and I defer to you because you know land
transactions and how what people how people respond, but I am
concerned that
about having a little piece of preserve that could have mischief around it that
wouldn't be desirable. And it's not this isn't
it's and it's terrible because it looks like I'm not feeling
that this is a wonderful gift to the city. It absolutely is, but we are
counting on neighboring land owners being willing to sell their property at
a price that the city thinks would, you know, be the right price or maybe even
you know, taking a page out of the donor's book
and donating. And what would be what if the
the the things that we're envisioning don't happen?
Then is it going to be problematic for the parks department to own this 10
acres that are not quite connected to the preserve?
» So, the the motion will be to accept the donation and to designate
it as mountain as mountain preserve. So, if we accept that, it will be
part of the mountain preserve. >> But what I'm asking is
what the surrounding areas don't become incorporated into the preserve, which is
kind of our that would be the long-term best possible aspiration. Is there any
is there any potential problem for the Parks Department with
having in perpetuity now develop this little island, Tanager Island, a
preserve. And and which you're the expert, so
you know, that's what I'm asking. Like, what's the worst that could happen that
where you could envision a future where it actually wasn't that great to get
this little piece of property because the things that we hoped that would
happen around it didn't. >> So, we Thank you, um
Board Member Porter. I we acquired Carver Mountain. Um it's a
larger parcel, obviously, but that is a kind of an island, so to speak, as well.
I mean, the intent is to one day have some trails there on that one.
Um so, that's one that's not maybe directly connected to another preserve
area. With this parcel,
the parcel to the north would be the connectivity. I mean, we would just only
need that first one, and we've got that connectivity. And to the south, as I
indicated, unfortunately, it would be nice to have a maybe video, but to the
south that it's it's a kind of a real wash area right there.
So, there's not really development that's going to occur right on the back
side of those homes to the north of them because of the wash that runs through
there. So, this is going to still at least give that corridor wildlife that
goes back under the freeway cuz there's like a little
APSA area, like a little substation thing right there on the corner by the
freeway, and it goes straight under the freeway,
the the corridor or the wash there. So, at the
the very least, we would have some still connectivity to the wash and wildlife
right there.
» The other The other thing I'm guessing, and and those of you who've been with
the department for a while may may know this. There may
I'm guessing the history of the preserves is peppered with islands. And
that And there may be many of them out there today. You know, I even looking at
your very cover slide that you had it looked like there was maybe one or two
around South Mountain still where you know, it's not ideal, but it is
it still makes for a hopscotch. You know, it's a but what I
would say is you know, we really should work hard to try to get that connection
through a purchase or donation as we as we go forward if we approve
the recommendation.
» Great. Any other questions? So, I will make the motion as we had
originally planned it was to accept the donation and to designate it as a part
of the mountain preserve. So, if I get
have someone make that motion. So, moved. Second.
» Second. >> All those in favor.
» I. >> I.
» I. >> And of course with the input put in by
my fellow board members obviously. So, we appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Sorry. I've had this cough for about 3 weeks
maybe. So, call to the public. We do have a
couple of people citizens provided to make statements to the board.
We welcome citizen however items brought to the board's attention cannot be
discussed unless they're listed as an agenda item action taken as a result of
public comment will be limited to requesting staff to study the matter or
rescheduling the matter for further consideration or a decision at the later
date. Jerry, you're here. So, you have 2 minutes.
» And we got you the information. Thank you.
» Uh thank you. Yeah, it and it wasn't planned. Jerry Vargas, caretaker of
Jesse Owens' Olympic medals. Uh I was headed out the door this
morning to make my rounds about 4:00 and I happened to look at my iPad.
I'm pretty familiar with Jesse's uh you know, face and
uh there he was on USA Today.
Uh and they're doing in
contacts with the 250th uh anniversary of the founding of the
country. They're doing these surveys around the
country with all the different sports. This week happens to be track and field.
And uh you know, we don't we don't need to
campaign for Jesse around the country. He's got a groundswell, you know, people
that know him, his exploits, and what he meant to the country.
Uh but we you know, our the same people feel slighted that he was not included
on the survey for the renaming of the Cesar Chavez Park.
Uh but you know, just like Jesse overcame everything, they're going to
vote in legion legionnaire numbers. We've got uh
uh votes coming in from his alma mater, from all the athletes, uh Ohio State, uh
Michigan where he set four world records. This past weekend, I was up at
his uh old home neighborhood off of uh Shay and 32nd Street.
Uh they have a Memorial Day weekend kickoff for the summer
that Jesse and two neighbors started back in 1974.
Still going on. And every year four
uh World War II vintage bombers fly over his house 8:00 Memorial Day morning.
We were waiting for them and all of a sudden
this humongous roar the F-35
did a flyby. And then went over to Pismo Peak and
then to the National Cemetery. Thank you.
» Thank you, Jerry. And uh we have someone on the line.
Uh we have uh Jeremy Fecker on the line. Jeremy?
» Uh thanks. Uh I too want to say >> 2 minutes.
» Yeah. I too want to support uh the renaming of the park to
Jesse Owens Park. And I'm surprised that uh
the name wasn't included. It's a we have to write it in on the survey. Um
and the fact that he's competing against uh
a cow is a little uh embarrassing considering he's one of the greatest
uh athletes and Olympians in US history and
like the USA Today said
almost unquestionably the most important. Uh
and he lived here for the last decade of his life
and
contributed substantially to the community. And
it's a slight that he wasn't included and we'd like that to be remedied uh
quickly as possible on the survey as it stands today.
Thank you. Thank you.
So now we have uh board chairs report um for today. Fit Phoenix morning yoga
at Encino Park. Start your weekend uh your weekend right
with a moving yoga class to wake up your body and clear your mind.
The next session will take place on Saturday.
I don't think this is correct. February 14th, that's um
I don't know do It says February 14th.
» June 14th. June 14th. >> From 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Encanto
Park Do Someone Had Valentine's on their mind. Uh
Encanto Park Clubhouse located at 2499 North 15th Avenue in Phoenix.
Uh then we have the Phoenix Father's Day Walk Morning with Dad. The Phoenix
Father's Day Walk takes place on Saturday, June 6th, 2026
with activities running from 7:30 a.m. till noon. Join the community for a
meaningful morning walk and family festivities beginning at Encanto Park in
Phoenix. Celebrate fatherhood, connection, and purpose while supporting
safer futures and Arizona families. And finally, the summer sports
registration uh for the 2026 summer season of adult
and youth outdoor sports and indoors activities open this month. There are
activities available through August and registration is available on activenet.
Uh now we go on to board member comments or requests. Board members, any comments
or requests? Go right ahead. >> Um just one. I We moved so fast at the
beginning um and uh there was an item on the agenda just information that I just
want to ask a follow-up question on which has to do
with the council's ordinance which uh takes effect and you're going to
start taking applications next week for the food uh service and medical
um um services in parks.
Um what is um
I got the impression that we were going to have to come back and amend some park
rules to conform with the new ordinance and I'm just curious what the the
of that is and when we would uh
be hearing that. I may have the wrong
impression, too. Tell me if I'm wrong. >> Mr. Chairman, members of the Parks
Board, board member, name Marty, you do have the correct impression. Uh you are
right. We did open our uh allocations for the new Parks
Ordinance on May the 7th. Those did um conclude
um last Friday.
Uh we are looking through the the um permit requests right now. We will come
back in June with an update to our code of conduct for the Parks Ordinance.
» Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Any other questions from the
board members? Thank you. Uh now uh director's
briefing. Marty? >> All right. Chairman Moya, members of the
Parks Board, we'll start with our assistant director, Todd Schaeffer.
» Good evening, Chairman Moya, members of the Parks Board. Camp Colley
Great slide here. Camp Colley is a place where youth can explore nature, build
confidence, and form lasting friendships in an inclusive environment that welcome
both neuro-diverse and neurotypical campers. For summer 2026, the camp will
offer 5 weeks of programming from mid-June through late July.
With each week featuring both adventure camp for ages 7 to 15 and the team
leadership counselor in training program for ages 16 and 17.
Adventure camp focuses on outdoor recreation, teamwork, and personal
growth, while the CIT program provides hands-on leadership development, job
readiness skills, and a mentorship experience. The cost for all programs is
$250 per camper, which includes transportation, meals, lodging,
programming, and supplies. Phoenix residents must
register through ActiveNet to receive their resident pricing, and early
registration is encouraged due to limited transportation space.
On May 25th, the Parks and Recreation Department opened 23 pool facilities to
provide or pool facilities to the public for
Memorial Day, offering open swim from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The holiday weekend marked the official start of the summer pool season and the
community turnout was tremendous. Over the 3-day weekend, nearly 10,000
people visited our pools, showing just how valued these spaces are
for families looking to cool off, stay active, and enjoy time together.
That, I'll turn over to the director. >> All right, thank you, Todd. On May the
20th, the Arizona Diamondbacks invited the Parks and Recreation Department to
participate in an on-field check presentation at their home game at Chase
Field, recognizing the swim lesson donation of 20,000 made in partnership
with Presidential Pools. This opportunity highlights our ongoing
collaboration around water safety and community programming. Vice Mayor Keisha
Hodge-Washington was also present, joining representatives from the
department for the presentation. I did ask the the Vice Mayor to excuse me from
from council that day so we could stay and watch the game. She asked if I could
excuse her, so we both came to council.
I'm pleased to introduce our new Deputy Parks and Recreation Director for
Management Services, Stacy Atzmgersberger, who joined us on May the
25th. I think she was in that room we're meeting right now. Stacy
brings more than a decade of experience with the City of Phoenix, beginning as a
management fellow in 2011, and later serving in key leadership roles within
the Public Works Department, where she oversaw administrative and operational
functions, contract and budget management, and regulatory compliance.
Her leadership has been recognized statewide, earning her the 2017
Operations Manager of the Year Award, and the 2024
Rachel Raymond Leadership Award. Uh her connection through parks and recreation
goes way back to her first job as a recreation leader in Chandler. So,
please join me in welcoming Stacy to the team.
With that, that concludes our director's update.
» Oh, great. Thank you, everyone. Uh thank you again to staff for getting us all
ready for this, and thank you to my fellow board members. And one more
meeting until our summer break. So, we will see you all next week month.
Thank you. Adjourned.