Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/08/2026

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5. 3. Park and Recreation Commission Meeting Date: 01/08/2026 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Connect the community through Parks, Trails and Recreational Programming Information Title: 2025 Program Review + 2026 Upcoming Programs Purpose/Background: Ramsey Parks and Recreation has expanded and strengthened its recreation program offerings over the past several years. The purpose of this agenda item is for staff to provide the Commission with an update on program growth, participation trends, and key highlights, as well as a preview of what is planned for 2026. Staff will present this update during the meeting. In addition, staff launched an informal Recreation e-Newsletter in late 2023 to improve communication and connection with residents. Subscriber numbers have steadily increased since its creation. As of the end of 2025, the newsletter has just over 425 subscribers. The most recent E-Newsletter can be viewed below: Hello all, Happy New Year! Ramsey Parks and Recreation had so much fun in the community this year. In 2025, we offered 126 sessions across 37 unique programs, welcoming more than 12,000 participants. We also like to understand the total impact of recreation in the community instead of just the total number of programs we offer. Recreation Experience Hours reflect the total time residents spend participating in our programs. By that measure, for every one hour we programmed, it created about 103 hours of recreation experiences in the community. We are so proud of the impact we have had and hope to continue connecting the community through parks through 2026! With that, we have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT for next year — we're getting a Farmer's Market! See below for more information. On a personal note, I would like to sincerely thank you for allowing me to have one of the best jobs in the world. Over the past year, I have been able to witness so many meaningful moments in our community, from people running their very first race ever at the Dash and Dine 5K or Happy Days 5K, to friends making time to reconnect each week at the Concert Series, to kids of all abilities playing at the new Central Park playground, talented youth artists selling their work for the very first time at the art fair, and all of the new friendships made throughout programs. Moments like these are exactly why I came into parks and recreation. Parks and Recreation create space and opportunities for people to try something new, build healthy habits, express creativity, and connect with others in meaningful ways. I am incredibly grateful to do this work near where I grew up and to be part of the Ramsey Community! Cheers to another year of fun ahead! This newsletter provides an overview of some of our upcoming programs and events. Use the links below to explore additional offerings: • View our full current program listings on our registration page here. . Learn more about parks, rentals, and general Parks and Recreation information here. Upcoming Programs: Annual Photo Contest — deadline TONIGHT at midnight!