Parks and Rec Consultant Would Help Craft Master Plan

MOSCOW – The city intends to hire a consultant in Fiscal Year 2027 to develop a master plan for parks and recreation, the Moscow Parks and Recreation Commission was told at its regular Thursday meeting. 

“There are a lot of big pieces to this puzzle that a consultant can bring together,” said David Schott, city parks and facilities manager and the staff liaison to the commission. He was referring to work he and the commission have been discussing and pursuing throughout the year: a park asset management plan, strategic plan, parks and rec master plan update, and part of the city capital improvement plan. 

“A consultant will bring all these pieces together so we have a plan for the next 10 to 20 years … until the next update,” Schott said.

In preparation, he will assemble a parks asset plan, replacement schedule and related costs, parks maintenance plans and other data for the consultant between now and October, when FY2027 begins. At the same time, Betsy Rawls, city recreation manager, will gather detailed usage data and a needs assessment for playing fields, programs and facilities. 

Schott will prepare a budget request to present to the City Council in February or March, he said. The city works on the budget through the summer and typically adopts it in August.  

Opportunities for community input and feedback will be included in the consultant’s duties, Schott said.

In other business, the commission:

* Set its FY2027 budget request at $500, the same as last year, on a unanimous vote. Theirs is essentially an operating budget, Schott said, and isn’t used to fund events or giveaways as with some of the other commissions whose budgets are bigger. 

* Unanimously reelected Chair Cat Harner and Vice Chair Gretchen Hayes for 2026, and welcomed City Councilman Scott Sumner as the council liaison to the commission.

* Voted unanimously to add Itani Park as the city’s 2026 pesticide-free park. The program was adopted in 2018 with two parks designated for 2019: Lillian Woodworth Otness and Almon Asbury Lieuallen parks. Since 2022, one park has been added annually, starting with Anderson Frontier, Kiwanis, Triangle and, in 2025, Morgan’s Orchard Park. 

The next regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission is scheduled for Feb. 26. The Parks & Recreation Activity Guide for spring/summer 2026 is available at https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/DocumentCenter/View/34582/2026-Parks-and-Rec-Activity-Guide.