Parks & Recreation Board — Minutes

City of Fort Atkinson City Manager's Office 101 N. Main Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING IN PERSON AND VIA TEAMS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 – 4:00 PM CITY HALL – SECOND FLOOR MINUTES 1. Call meeting to order President Jaeckel called the meeting to order at 4:02 pm 2. Roll call Present Bm. Baird, Dary, Scheckel, Baird, Heath, President Jaeckel and School Rep. Mahoney. Also present: Josh Bennett Absent: Bm. Dorfman 3. Election of the Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board Jaeckel called for nominations. Heath nominated himself, seconded by Mahoney. 4. Election of the Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board Heath called for nominations. Jaeckel nominated Scheckel, and Mahone seconded. 5. Approval of Minutes a. Review and possible action relating to the minutes of the June,10 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting (Chair) Jaeckel moved, seconded by Scheckel, to approve the June 9, 2026 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting minutes. Motion carried. 6. Unfinished Business None 7. New Business a. Fort Atkinson Parks and Recreation Virtual Park Facilities Tour Presentation (Director Dayton) Director Dayton led Advisory Board members on a virtual tour of key facilities throughout the City's parks system, including the Aquatic Center, Haumerson's Pond Warming House, Barrie Park, Jones Park, Memorial Park, Ralph Park, Rock River Park, and the Theater Facade. The tour highlighted the condition of these facilities and provided context for current and future maintenance and improvement needs. b. Jones Park Baseball Scoreboard Improvements Fort Atkinson Generals (Josh Bennett) Bennett shared an overview of the Fort Atkinson Generals baseball organization and its partnership with the City's Parks and Recreation Department. Since 2001, the Generals have operated what is now known as Baseball Fest at Jones Park. The home-talent organization receives annual support from approximately 44 local businesses and partners with numerous community organizations that volunteer in the concession stand as a fundraiser for their groups. Since 2001, the Generals have donated approximately $7,000 annually to support improvements at Jones Park, totaling roughly $152,000 , and recently partnered with the Parks Department to help raise funds for the Jones Park batting cage project. Bennett explained that the Generals organization is interested in replacing the right-field scoreboard and is seeking feedback from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board before entering the Public Monument Review Process. He outlined three potential funding options: using a donation received by both the Generals and the Parks Department through the estate of Lloyd Knopfel; running a fundraising campaign and pursuing a matching grant through the Community Foundation; or securing corporate sponsorships. Bennett noted that the current City ordinance does not allow permanent business advertising in parks, meaning an ordinance amendment would likely be required to accommodate sponsorship opportunities. He also inquired about the possibility of adding the name of the donor associated with the project. Dayton explained that while temporary event-related advertising, such as signage during Baseball Fest, is permitted, the ordinance currently prohibits permanent advertising within parks. He added that granting perpetual naming rights to an individual or business would require careful consideration and approval. Dayton also raised concerns regarding long- term maintenance costs, noting that responsibilities could ultimately fall to the City if the user group is no longer able to provide support. Mahoney shared information about the School District of Fort Atkinson's sponsorship program, which has helped fund facility improvements through corporate partnerships. Scheckel noted that the Fort Atkinson Youth Baseball Board has also expressed interest in pursuing corporate sponsorship opportunities. Dayton discussed successful partnerships that have supported past park improvements. He noted that collaborating with service organizations that have secured corporate donations for large projects has been successful. He mentioned Rotary Pavilion and Rotary Depot shelter operations as examples. Dayton stated that if the ordinance is amended, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and City staff will need to establish clear policies and guidelines governing donor recognition and signage within City parks. Baird suggested that Jones could be a potential partner for the scoreboard project. Bennett agreed and noted that the company already provides annual support to the organization. 8. Miscellaneous a. Director's Report Each September, we celebrate our seniors for National Senior Center Month. At the September 1st council meeting, we recognized our folks with a proclamation. I was honored to speak about Chris Nye, our Senior Center Director, and Crystal Porter, our part-time assistant there, and to highlight the amazing work they do. They provide many positive programs and services for the community. It was exciting to present them with that proclamation. We have a few fun upcoming events through the Parks and Recreation Department. On Friday, September 11th, we’ll host our Adult Recess Remix from 6 to 8:30 P.m. The event will feature a live DJ and concessions from the Generals. This year, families are welcome to attend together, so you won’t necessarily need to find a babysitter. There will also be an adults-only, 21-plus playground lounge area where guests can hang out without necessarily having kids in their group. Also, World of Wheels is on Saturday the 12th from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. That's at Ralph Park. The first 30 minutes of the program are siren-free, so kids or folks with sensitive ears can safely go out there and enjoy the event as well. Aquatic Center: The Aquatic Center was hopping this year. We welcomed an impressive 28, 752 visitors this season. As you recall, it was kind of an odd summer. Last year, we had almost 31,000 visitors, but this is several years in a row that we've been around the 30,000 mark. For the second year in a row, we were able to stay open for an additional three bonus days in August, thanks to our awesome part- time staff! The Aquatic Center officially started accepting credit cards for the 2026 season. From June through July, we received 2,943 credit card payments. About 21% of all payments were made through the new credit card system. During that period, 27% of concession sales were paid by credit card, and 34% of admissions were as well. We weren't necessarily expecting that, so it'll be interesting to compare these numbers in the years to come and see how this trend may change. If you recall, June brought several days of heat that continued into July. On one day, we had nearly 1000 people, and staff reported that about 300 came through the front gate within the first half hour. It was an interesting time down there, and we definitely felt it at the concession stand, selling out of quite a few items because you can't always predict that kind of crowd. Our lowest attendance was on opening day, when 69 people showed up on a cold and rainy afternoon. This year, staff provided 800 kids with public swim lessons and 105 kids with private lessons. This was possible because a large group of staff decided to get their swimming lesson certifications or become certified to teach swim lessons. We had a high-achieving group of staff members, which offered us the ability to provide more private lessons during that time. Main Street Dance Studio: We held our popular dance intensive class again this summer. In that class, 30 participants went through a variety of more technical dance techniques and continued practicing their skills throughout the summer. We also offered our summer dance program. In session one, we had 164 registrations, and in session two, we had 182. I don't know if you've heard me say this before, but our dance program here rivals many private entities. We provide a very high-quality program, so it's impressive to see it offered through a Park and Recreation agency. During our opening weekend of dance registration, we saw an incredible $31,000 in online transactions. Right now, only 9 of our 29 classes remain open, while all classes for children six and under are completely full. It’s clear community members are taking advantage of this asset. Parks: Matt Thompson, our aquatic specialist, received a promotion and now serves as the city's facility manager. So we congratulate Matt and are happy he took that step. However, we are now at the end of the pool season, and we had to work through closing the pool. We are nearing the end of a job search and hope to have the position filled soon. The update to Section 62 of the city's ordinance amendments, which was reviewed by this board, went through two readings at council and will have its third and final reading at the next council meeting on September 15th. Recreation: As mentioned in a previous meeting, we updated the door access system this year and will introduce a new procedure for renters using the municipal building gym. This will improve security and eliminate the need to manage physical keys or pick them up at the police department. It was a worthwhile improvement. The table and chair program also received an upgrade. We purchased new commercial- grade chairs with plastic seats and backs that are lighter—which is a huge benefit—and easier to transport. They will soon be put into circulation, and we expect them to be a positive change for our rental program and the people who use it. In July, Heather Fox, our administrative assistant program coordinator, left us for a great opportunity as the senior center coordinator in her home community of Jefferson. I want to give congratulations to her! The job search attracted 28 candidates. We narrowed the pool to six for interviews. We selected two individuals for a second interview. I'm excited to share that Lacy Edwards, who previously worked at Fort Atkinson Middle School, accepted the position and started on August 31st. She's already doing a great job and making an impact. Senior Center: The Senior Center Board Inc. will host another Brat Bash fundraiser this Saturday, September 12th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds go to the Senior Center Board, Inc., their friends group, supporting facility improvements, scholarships for seniors who cannot afford certain trips or events, presentations, and entertainment. It has been a great partnership. I want to highlight two of their most recent contributions: the installation of a new cabinet and countertop for the coffee station, matching the existing countertop and replacing a folding table and small serving cart. They also donated a red bike rack, visible from the senior center. This is forward-thinking, as current and future seniors may travel by bike. 9. Next Meeting a. Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. 10. Adjournment Jaeckel moved, seconded by Scheckel, to adjourn. Meeting Adjourned at 5:12 p.m. City of Fort Atkinson City Manager's Office 101 N. Main Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 MEMORANDUM DATE: September 9, 2026 TO: Committee/Commission/Board FROM: RE: Jones Park Baseball Scoreboard Improvements Fort Atkinson Generals (Josh Bennett) BACKGROUND Each year, the Fort Atkinson Generals baseball team partners with the Parks and Recreation Department staff to explore ways to collaborate on park improvement projects that benefit the park and the user groups that call it their home field. DISCUSSION The Fort Atkinson Generals are interested in upgrading the scoreboard at Jones Park. The project is in its early stages, and the Generals would like to discuss with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to gather feedback. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS None RECOMMENDATION N/A ATTACHMENTS 1. 530856BAC_JONES_1 ad panel 2. 530856BACD_JONES_2 ad panels