Shelly Howell

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance and welcomed attendees to the first meeting of 2026. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to recognizing long-term employees. Edgar Hernandez was honored for 10 years of service as a Fleet Technician Assistant, noted for his technical skills, eagerness to learn, and community involvement as an entrepreneur and musician. Xavier was recognized for 10 years of full-time service (though his history dates back to 2006), highlighting his progression from seasonal cashier and lifeguard to Recreation Coordinator, leadership in aquatic training and organizations, and success in staff recruitment and program expansion. David Cobb Adams, a Grounds Worker 2, was honored for 10 years of service, praised for his well-rounded skills across turf, irrigation, and maintenance, and his role in various park and playground projects, including the significant Healing Garden project. Andrew Mooney, Director of Parks and Planning, was also recognized for 10 years of service, emphasizing his transition from private landscape architecture to public service, his oversight of grounds maintenance, building maintenance, planning, and major projects like drought response landscaping and playground development. Finally, Billy Sosa was recognized for 20 years of service, specifically for his recent promotion to Irrigation Technician and his responsiveness and dedication as a groundskeeper.

The meeting commenced with a roll call and a closed session concerning a workers' compensation claimant. The board then proceeded to a special presentation detailing the past and future of the Church Skate Park, including a presentation on the current park's long service and the imminent groundbreaking for a new state-of-the-art skate park designed in collaboration with California Skate Parks, the firm responsible for the Olympic parks in Tokyo and Paris. The presentation highlighted planned improvements such as shade sales and lighting, and detailed expansion of programming, including new classes like Girls Skate, Adult Skate, and Shred and Snap, which integrates art and photography. Staff members were introduced, emphasizing their history with the program and dedication to community health and character building through skateboarding.

This document presents the Conejo Recreation and Park District's goals and objectives for 2025, assessed during a board retreat in February 2026. The strategic focus areas encompass staff development, Master Plan refinement, financial stewardship including fee protection and revenue measures, and infrastructure enhancements like new pickleball courts, skatepark construction, and park improvements. Further objectives include facility management, strategic parkland acquisition, environmental initiatives, youth engagement programs, and expansion of art and accessible trail opportunities. Each objective is evaluated with its current status and recommendations for continuation or completion.

The meeting commenced with a dual flag salute led by a board member and a coach from a championship soccer team. A special presentation honored the California Lutheran University women's soccer team for their Division Three NCAA Championship victory, recognizing their historic regular season and tournament performance, which included defeating top-ranked teams on penalty kicks. Following this, the board addressed public comments concerning the allocation of field space for local youth soccer clubs, where direction was provided to submit an email to the general manager for follow-up. The consent calendar included approval of minutes from prior meetings (January 30th, February 1st, 2024) and approval of warrants/accounts payable totaling $784,900. Under new business, the annual audit report was presented, indicating an unmodified (clean) opinion on the financial statements. Financial highlights showed that the government-wide net position increased by 12.3% to approximately $187 million. The general fund balance increased by $4.5 million to $43.94 million, with $9.3 million unassigned, primarily due to increased property taxes.

The meeting included roll call verification and featured special presentations recognizing part-time staff for service awards. Multiple staff members from various units, including Therapeutic Recreation, Global Center, Aquatics, Teen Center, Dos Vientos Center, and Cano Community Center, were honored for their dedication, initiative, organizational skills, and positive impact on participants and peers. Board members expressed high praise for the recognized employees' contributions to the community and their progression within their roles. Two other award recipients were mentioned as being unable to attend.