The size — and duties — of the Manteca Parks & Recreation Commission could be altered tonight by the City Council to encourage more community input on new park and recreation facilities.

Changes in the ordinance governing the commission that are coming before the council when they meet tonight at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St., include:

*Inserting language that empowers the commission to collect community input, as well as provide input, on proposed park and recreation improvements whether they are in neighbor or community parks.

*Expands the commission from five to seven members.

*Increases commission member terms from three to four years.

“We’re hoping this will increase community input into what goes into put parks,” noted Mayor Gary Singh of the changes requested by the council.”
If passed, the commission will review all park plans and improvements while collecting community feedback.

The final decision on what will actually be built would still rest in council approval of specific development projects or initiatives to develop new community recreation and park facilities.

Singh said the changes would make sure the community had more impact on decisions being made instead of it being left up to city staff to decide what developers need to have in new parks.

The commission in recent years has been reduced to essentially rubber stamping recreation program fees and hearing updates on recreation programs.

The responsibility to review and approve fees will still rest with the commission.

However, things such as “advising and assisting the parks and recreation director in preparation of the annual budget” and enforcing code of ethics among players of adult leagues as well as serving as an arbitrator are being proposed to be stricken from the existing ordinance.

Those are two duties outlined in the municipal  code that the commission hasn’t been tasked with doing for years.

 New language proposed makes it clear the commission will serve as a layer of approval for needed parks and recreation facilities and review plans for such endeavors.

Ideally, Singh noted, it would encourage more community input and make the commission a major conduit for neighborhood input.

Input from throughout the  community is why the ordinance proposes each council member will appoint one commission members from within their district to serve on the seven-member board.

That would assure the four designated council areas in the city all have representatives on the commission.

The mayor would appoint two member at large.

The Manteca Unified School District would retain a seat.

The city makes use of a number of school facilities for recreation programs and vice versa when it comes to the school accessing city facilities for sports programs.

The proposed recreation commission appointment change is similar to how the planning commission is now formatted. Each council member has one appointment from their district and the mayor has one at large.
The change was made when the city a switched to area elections in 2022.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulleltin.com

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