Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

Legal basis

• Charter Sec. 157 (1961-01-31) · creates · Creation of the parks and recreation advisory board source source
• Ordinance No. 2392 (1961) (1961-01-31) · creates source
• Ordinance No. 7914 (2013) (2013-11-05) · amends source
• Charter Secs. 158-164 · governs · Terms, organization, functions, park fund, disposal, acquisition, leases source source source source
• BRC 2-3-10 · governs · Parks and Recreation Advisory Board source source
• BRC 8-3-23 · authorizes · delegation of lease, license and permit approval source
• PRAB Handbook (revised) · governs source

Appointed by

City Council. City Council appoints all seven members, may add ex-officio members for terms it chooses, and fills vacancies (Charter Secs. 157-158). source source source as of 2026-10-29

How

The city recruits applicants each winter (for 2026: Dec. 8, 2025 to Jan. 25, 2026). Each applicant has an individual recorded virtual interview with staff and at least one council member; the recordings go to the full council, which appoints by motion at a regular meeting before April (2026: public hearing and 9:0 vote on March 5, appointments effective April 1). Council fills vacancies for the rest of the term. · annual; applications December-January, council appointment by March, terms start April 1 · city-council (motion at a public hearing) source source source source source source source as of 2026-03-05

Seats

7 source source as of 2026-10-29

Seat types

• City resident qualified for an advisory commission under Charter Sec. 130, holding no other city office ×7 at-large
• Ex-officio members council may appoint for terms it chooses (none on the 2026 roster) ex-officio

source source as of 2026-10-29

Term

5 years source source as of 2026-10-29

Term limit

none set: Charter Sec. 158 sets the five-year term and no limit on reappointment; BRC 2-3-1 (general provisions) and Charter Sec. 130 set none either; members serve until their successors take office source source source as of 2026-10-29

Staggering

Staggered: the 7 five-year terms are set so about one seat expires each year; council appoints each spring and terms now run April 1 to March 31 (e.g. a 2022 appointment runs through 3/31/27); a vacancy is filled for the unexpired remainder source source source source as of 2022-02

Powers

mixed. Decides: Binding: no money may be spent from the Permanent Park and Recreation Fund without its favorable recommendation; council may dispose of park land, or grant park leases, permits or licenses, only with the affirmative vote of at least four PRAB members; by delegation (BRC 8-3-23) it approves leases, licenses and permits on park land of up to three years itself.. To council: Park land disposals (with a non-binding Planning Board recommendation), park fund expenditures, longer leases and permits, and its review of the parks and recreation budget go to City Council; other advice to council, the City Manager or the department is not binding. source source source source source as of 2026-10-29

Council liaison

not applicable: City Council assigns no council member as liaison to its boards and commissions: in late 2022 council rejected a one-board liaison pilot, the May 2025 status report lists the liaison recommendation as on hold, and the January 2026 council committee assignments name no board liaisons (only intergovernmental bodies, internal committees and sister cities). source source

Staff liaison

Parks and Recreation Department source source as of 2026-10-23

Relations

• City Council appoints Parks and Recreation Advisory Board source
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member of Greenways Advisory Committee · each board sends one of its members as its representative source source
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommends to City Council · binding on park fund expenditures; four votes needed before council disposes of park land source source
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommends to City Manager source
• Parks & Recreation staffs Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · staff liaison source source source source source

History

• 1961-01-31 · created · Created in the Charter (Article XI) by Ord. No. 2392, adopted by the electorate on January 31, 1961; Sec. 157 amended in 2013 (Ord. No. 7914). source