City of Menifee staff recommended on Dec. 4 that Audie Murphy Ranch Skatepark transition from its current staffed model to an unstaffed operating model, citing lower ongoing costs, improved legal protections under state law for unsupervised facilities and changed local safety conditions.

The presentation summarized the park’s history: opened in 2014, the skatepark experienced nuisance activity that led the city to install fencing and staff the facility. Staff said those measures, and the later creation of a park ranger program, reduced problems. Since a second regional skate facility opened in 2022, staff reported attendance at Audie Murphy Ranch has declined by roughly 63% and that part-time staffing—about 3,600 annual hours—costs the city about $67,000 per year while producing less than 3% of operating revenue.

Community Services staff described two operational alternatives: scheduled access with automatic gate locks and set hours, or fully open access similar to nearby Gale Webb Kids Are Number 1 Action Sports Park. Staff also cited guidance from the city’s insurance pool and the California Intergovernmental Risk Authority, saying that having on-site staff can create an implied duty of supervision that increases exposure to negligence or discrimination claims. "Staff operations do increase the liability exposure due to an implied duty of supervision," staff said, and noted that California law provides broader immunity for unsupervised skate facilities operated as hazardous recreation areas.

Commissioners repeatedly urged more community engagement before changing the model, citing the facility’s troubled history and potential impacts on immediate neighbors. "If we just open the doors again, who is going to come back?" a commissioner asked, referencing past nuisance reports. Another commissioner proposed a workshop that would include city council members so political leaders could hear constituent views directly.

Staff proposed an implementation plan that would phase out registration and fees, update signage to a "use at your own risk" standard, rely on enhanced signage and continued ranger patrols during the transition, and finalize hours based on the chosen option. Commissioners asked operational questions including how automatic gate locks would handle users still inside at closing and whether a remote public-address system would be used to clear the park; staff said locks would allow emergency egress, lights would be turned off after closing and cameras tied to police dispatch would support enforcement.

The commission did not take a formal vote to change operations on Dec. 4. Instead, commissioners unanimously asked staff to host a well-advertised community meeting or workshop—open to citywide users and nearby residents—and to return recommended next steps and community input for a future commission recommendation to city council.

Next steps: staff will schedule a public engagement event (staff suggested coordinating with the local HOA or hosting a meeting at a nearby school), gather feedback, and bring meeting results back to the commission before forwarding a formal recommendation to the City Council.