At a meeting of the Shelton Metropolitan Parks District, staff reported plans to update the city’s Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROS) plan without a consultant, detailed dedicated design funding for the Crosstown Trail, and reviewed summer recreation programming, including $1,900 in donations for Movies in the Park and a 10‑team adult softball season.

The PROS plan matters because, staff said, an approved plan is a prerequisite for some large grants administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office; updating the plan also will guide future trail and park project priorities, design work and grant applications.

Aaron Nixas, Public Works Director, told the board the district will perform the PROS update internally and use the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee for community outreach and input. “We are not gonna use a consultant,” Nixas said. He added that meeting the Recreation and Conservation Office criteria makes the jurisdiction eligible for larger acquisition and project grants, saying those programs include a variety of funding streams for design and acquisition work. Nixas said the district already has funds dedicated for initial Crosstown Trail work: “we have $199,820 dedicated towards phase 1 and then 250,000 dedicated to phase 2,” which he described as design funding tied to how the grant is written.

Jordan Kumple, corporation supervisor, summarized recreation programming and community engagement. Kumple said the district’s summer events were successful: Movies in the Park brought in $1,900 in donations, which Kumple said covered most of the licensing fees; adult softball drew 10 teams, and staff are preparing for fall and winter offerings including yoga, pickleball, volleyball and youth basketball for second through sixth graders. Kumple said the district received 41 responses to a July community survey that will inform adding one or two new programs next year, and that scholarships are available for youth who cannot afford fees.

Board members asked how the PROS plan relates to the city’s comprehensive plan. Nixas and Counselor Gutierrez said the comprehensive plan contains high‑level vision elements and typically “adopts by reference” thematic plans such as a PROS plan; Gutierrez said that upon the council’s update and adoption, the PROS plan would be adopted by reference within the city’s comprehensive plan. Nixas noted the update will feed into the city’s six‑year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and help establish priorities for builders and grant applications.

Board members also raised a pending proposal from the master gardeners for planting at Catalyst Park. Kumple said that project has been put on hold because it is not currently in the CIP; Nixas and another speaker noted large projects require staged funding and multiple grants. At one point a speaker characterized the master gardeners’ concept as having a roughly $10,000,000 price tag and said the district would likely need multiple grants and incremental funding over several years to approach that scale.

Formal board business at the start of the meeting included approval of the consent agenda “as published.” A motion to approve was made and seconded; the board voted "aye" and the motion carried. The district’s next meeting was announced for November 4 at 5:45 p.m., and the meeting adjourned at 5:57 p.m.

Details:
- Recreation: Movies in the Park donations $1,900; 10 adult softball teams; youth basketball planned for grades 2–6; yoga and pickleball currently running; 41 survey responses in July. Scholarships are available for youth participants.
- Planning/funding: PROS plan update will be done without a consultant; staff will use the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee for outreach; updating the PROS plan is intended to make the jurisdiction eligible for Recreation and Conservation Office grants. Crosstown Trail: $199,820 dedicated to phase 1 and $250,000 dedicated to phase 2 (described as design funding tied to grant structure).
- Process: No formal vote was recorded to authorize the PROS update or Crosstown Trail agreement during this meeting; staff said they are finalizing an agreement to move forward with phase 1 design.

Board members, staff and community groups will return to these items as the PROS update progresses and as design agreements for Crosstown Trail are finalized.