The Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation Board on Dec. 3 approved the department’s proposed 2026 budget following a presentation from recreation manager C. Penas and discussion about priorities and outstanding requests.

"The entire proposed budget is $5,125,070.47," said C. Penas while summarizing the package. She described three major portions: the community buildings fund (community center and Jacob Smith House), a RACK general fund portion, and general recreation (teams and aquatics), which was presented at roughly $3.81 million.

Staff flagged one proofreading error in the packet: a professional services line had been shown as $120,000 instead of the intended $20,000; staff corrected the number during the meeting. Commissioners also discussed lodging tax revenue projections that staff did not include in the budget because the city council had not yet approved a lodging tax change.

The board reviewed community buildings spending — including maintenance lines and an increased senior center maintenance allocation tied to roof replacement — and discussed revenue from field use fees and the Jacob Smith House. Staff said field fees combined with district field fees total about $95,000, with the city retaining roughly 10% and remitting the balance to the school district per the current agreement.

Several budget requests were noted as approved or pending; staff said one journey‑level maintenance technician position for Guyot (Kuyo) Park and a combined maintenance position tied to a new police station were not funded. Staff said they will redistribute seasonal positions and reshuffle existing staff to cover essential maintenance work.

The board also received preliminary cost estimates for RACK improvements: a base bid to convert Field 2 to synthetic turf with lighting, seating, fencing and netting was estimated at about $7.4 million; base‑bid alternatives would add roughly $3.5 million and future build‑out items (restrooms, concessions, locker rooms, press box) were estimated in the tens of millions and would likely require outside partnerships.

Following discussion, the board moved, seconded and approved the 2026 Parks, Culture and Recreation budget by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will proceed with implementation, return with clarified items as needed and present the document to city council as part of the citywide budget process.