Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee 9-28-26

The City of Bay City, Michigan, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee met on September 28, 2026. The committee approved the July meeting minutes; no procurement-related votes or contract awards were reported. Members discussed parks design standards, a possible consultant, updates to the parks website, and upcoming work on park fees and volunteer programs. At Carol Park, playground construction was underway, and staff may pursue a change order for ADA ramp work after measuring quantities. The committee also discussed a roughly $9,000 set of projector, speaker, and related equipment for park events; grant funding would not arrive in time for a fall event, so members considered a small test using a borrowed projector.

Project and funding discussions included the Arboretum’s recent approximately $35,000 project and more than $400,000 in city and partner investment over the past year to year and a half. A proposed next phase was described as having an older estimate of about $860,000, potentially closer to $1 million or more today; no approval was made. Miracle Field representatives described a multi-use, ADA-compliant project expected to approach $2 million including parking, and requested city partnership and grant support. The committee raised long-term maintenance and funding concerns and requested a review of the plans before final engineering. Other grant-funded or pending work included Crooked Bridge interpretive signs and benches, a Davidson Cut project awaiting a spring grant decision, and a proposed skate-park lighting and concrete repair application. Members also noted that future grant requirements should be checked against citywide design standards and maintenance capacity.