Logo courtesy of Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - At the May 20 meeting, the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) Board of Directors considered the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Plan, presented by Parks and Facilities Manager Sean Ventura. 

The project list includes interior renovations and roof and HVAC replacement at the Old Library ($191,400), updates to the District Master Plan ($200,000), ADA walking path panels ($11,000), amphitheater food services equipment ($100,000), amphitheater operational shelving ($15,000), amphitheater lighting/tech equipment ($90,000) and districtwide bleacher replacement ($120,000). 

Staff recommended a Capital Improvement budget of $396,000 to complete a few high priority projects from that project list. Board approval of the full plan allows staff to pursue additional funding sources, and each project will still come before the board for official approval. 

The $2.4 million preschool renovations are not included here as staff are seeking federal grant funding from Senate Appropriations for that project. 

Board Chair Raymond James Irwin said his only hesitation was the district master plan: “I don’t know if we really need to spend that kind of money to find out what the community wants. I think there’s a lot that we could do internally with the district that would not have to incur such a large cost.”

Irwin said they are already familiar with a lot of community priorities and could gather more input through public meetings. 

Director Delinda Tamagni said, “I like the idea of a master plan because it’s a road map, but I’m open to exploring how we do that.” 

District Administrator Mike Aho explained that the district needs to update their master plan every 10 years to be eligible for federal grant funding. The last update was in 2010, “so we are out of compliance for federal funds,” he said.

While it is possible to complete the master plan in-house, Aho cautioned that the process “is beyond burdensome.” It would require a new full-time staff member dedicated to that project, and the salary and benefits would likely outweigh the cost of hiring a consultant. 

The board voted to approve the list of possible projects for Fiscal Year 2026-27. 

They also considered an updated purchasing policy to increase the district administrator’s spending authority from $10,000 to $25,000 for general purchases, from $20,000 to $30,000 for construction-related purchases and from $15,000 to $20,000 for emergency purchases. Staff said these thresholds improve operational efficiency, reduce delays and provide flexibility by allowing the administrator to make time-sensitive purchasing decisions within the already-approved budget rather than waiting for the next monthly board meeting. Board oversight would remain in place for purchases exceeding the revised authority limits and for any expenditures requiring a formal bidding process.

This proposed update reinstates the district administrator’s previous purchasing thresholds, which were inadvertently lowered in a policy update last October. This update would shift the thresholds back to their historical limits. 

The board voted to approve the updated policy. 

Aho is retiring this summer, so the board has been working with a consultant group to recruit candidates for the position. Aho presented a possible timeline for resume review and interviews to ensure a replacement is ready to step into the role. 

The consultant selected six candidates to move forward, and Aho suggested each director should independently review and rank those resumes. The board decided to conduct in-person interviews with no more than four candidates, so their rankings will be tallied to determine which four are invited to interview in June. 

The management team will independently interview the candidates in a separate panel to provide input to the board after all the interviews are completed. 

The board also considered the final reconciliation change order for the Village Park Renovation Project in the amount of $144,267. 

Some final costs include $7,697 to fix drainage and erosion after unforeseen ponding issues at the west steps, $5,277 for alarm keypads and painting trim at the concession and restroom building and $3,320 for other minor finalizations. 

The County Inspectors also mandated additional ADA improvements totaling $69,878, and the Fire Marshall required a pedestrian gate at the Clubhouse yard for $18,100. 

Aho understands it’s frustrating to still be putting money out on this project, but he said these last-minute costs were unavoidable and relatively minor considering the scale of the project. 

The board approved the final change order. 

The next regular meeting of the FORPD Board of Directors is scheduled for June 17, and Aho said it will be a long meeting as the board goes over the budget for the next fiscal year.