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Home My WebLink About2025-11-18 Agenda NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS & GARDENS 896 Airlie Road · Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 798-7620 · (910) 798-7621 FAX · www.nhcgov.com PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD AGENDA NOVEMBER 18, 2025 5:30 P.M. Airlie Cottage 896 Airlie Road 1. Call to Order Dana Lingenfelser 2. Approval of September Minutes Dana Lingenfelser 3. Financial Report Sean Olds 4. Staff Report Jodi Rich 5. Old Business/New Business 6. Adjournment Next meeting: January 20, 2026 NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 2 REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 ASSEMBLY The Parks Conservancy Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the Airlie Cottage. Present: Dana Lingenfelser, Walter Whaley, Monty Hobbs, Dave Ellegood, Cassidy Santiguida, Susanne Werner, Wood Flynn, Leanne Pierce, Hillary Stevens and Mark Ihnat Excused: Nivine Richie Absent: Rex Burford Staff: Jodi Rich, Janine Powell, Tanya Gurganious, and Latashia Smith WELCOME AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES Dana Lingenfelser welcomed everyone in attendance and called the meeting to order. She asked if everyone had a chance to review the minutes and asked if there were any changes. Hillary noticed that she was not listed as being in attendance, but she was present for the meeting. Hearing no other changes, the following motion was made: MOTION: Hillary Stevens MOVED; Dave Ellegood SECONDED, to approve the July minutes as amended. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Financial Report. August Financials Credits Pump Track: $15.00 Interest Earned (August): $5.72 Total Credits: $20.72 Debits Click & Pledge Fee for online transactions: $25.00 Beginning Balance: $90,023.38 Ending Balance: $90,017.75 NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 3 REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 Staff Report Janine introduced Jodi as the new Parks & Gardens Director. Jodi has served in various roles within Parks & Gardens for the past 13½ years. The department received a $265,000 North Carolina Public Beach and Water Access Grant for Trails End Park. Staff are currently working with engineers to determine whether stormwater remediation will be necessary to install the kayak launch using pervious concrete. The County Commissioners approved a resolution for a $2.8 million WMPO grant to construct a 10-foot-wide trail at the intersection of South College Road and 17th Street, extending past Chick-Fil-A across South College Road and continuing to Piner Road. At Northern Regional Park, the pump track has been completed. Landscaping efforts are underway, and work has begun on the athletic fields. The fields are expected to be playable by fall of next year, as the grass sprigs will take time to establish. An opening date for the pump track has not yet been determined. Smith Creek Park Phase 2 remains ahead of schedule despite delays in shipping gloss block materials. Completion is anticipated by March. Grant applications have been submitted to USTA, USTA North Carolina, and USTA Southern Region for the addition of five clay tennis courts. Plans have been submitted and have passed technical review. The department is currently awaiting feedback to proceed and is seeking approximately $350,000 in grant funding. It was recently discovered that the NHC Parks Conservancy and the Airlie Foundation are not obtained, ranging from $300 to $400. A final quote will be presented to the board for approval. At Echo Farms, the pool will close after one final weekend of operation. A social media survey will be conducted to gather feedback. Janine reported that the recent Development Committee meeting was productive and generated several promising ideas. A summary of the discussion items is outlined below. Janine shared a list of FEMA properties. Walter discussed his research and suggested converting some of these properties into natural green spaces, which would reduce maintenance needs and alleviate parking issues. He also recommended planting more native North Carolina tree species on these sites. NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 4 REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 Trash Mob: The group discussed reinstating the Trash Mob program, particularly along College Road near Hanover Pines. Board members are encouraged to invite friends to participate in this volunteer effort. Pine Cone Pickup: A pine cone cleanup at Long Leaf Park was proposed. This would require significant coordination and staff support to ensure a truck is available for collection. Mulch Days: Consideration of reinstating community Mulch Days. Reinvigorate the Park Stars recognition program. The board discussed the importance of achieving 100% participation in board giving to strengthen future grant applications. Contributions should be meaningful to each member, and grant reviewers often inquire about board participation. Explore expanding the Plant an Azalea program to additional locations. Currently, over 98% of cards are purchased through the Cape Fear Garden Club. Board assistance will be needed to ensure participating locations remain stocked, funds are properly collected, and checks are made payable to the New Hanover County Parks Conservancy. Walter recommended that the Parks Conservancy register on the Front Door App for greater visibility. Consider hosting a luncheon or breakfast with table hosts. Explore opportunities for Movie Nights in the parks. Nivine reached out to the UNCW Marketing Department to discuss partnership opportunities with the Parks Conservancy. Janine noted that one of the top priorities is enhancing the Encourage board members employed by companies with matching gift programs to leverage those opportunities. Review potential Food Truck Rodeo improvements, such as incorporating pop-up elements. Jodi feels this would be a great place to start since it is an established event. Old Business/New Business: The board discussed the potential for a partnership with Cape Fear Pickleball. Wood has been in communication with representatives from the organization, who expressed interest in meeting with staff to explore collaboration opportunities for the development of pickleball courts at Ogden Park. While the group indicated a willingness to contribute financially to the project, no specific donation amount has been provided at this time. NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 5 REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 Monty proposed hosting pop-up events in local parks to promote and advocate for Parks & Gardens programs. He inquired about the possibility of independently setting up such events at locations including Airlie Gardens and Smith Creek Park. Jodi explained that Airlie Gardens operates under its own nonprofit organization, and therefore, care must be taken not to overlap or interfere with their -up events in various parks, which are promoted through social media and distributed via email to Airlie members. increase visibility and collaboration. Cassidy suggested that, during the next meeting when the topic of insurance is reviewed, the board also discuss the procedures for organizing sanctioned events and clarify expectations for Parks & Gardens advocates. This would help ensure all members have a clear understanding of event planning protocols and maintain consistency in community engagement efforts. ADJOURNMENT Since there was no further business there was a motion to adjourn. MOTION: Dave Ellegood MOVED; Walter Whaley SECONDED. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm. Next meeting: November 18, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Latashia Smith -Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the New Hanover County Parks Conservancy Board meeting.