Parks and Recreation Commission — Cornelius, NC
Date: 2025-10-10

Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC)
Thursday, October 2, 2025 Cornelius Town Hall
5:30 – 7 p.m. www.cornelius.org/pr

 AGENDA
1) Call to Order
 Vice-Chair Eustache called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m.

2) Determination of Quorum
 A quorum was reached with five (5) commissioners in attendance.
 • Commissioners Present: Vice-Chair Carla Eustache, Jeff Jones, Robert Reed, Steve True, and Jana Ritter
 • Commissioners Absent: Chair Trey Fouche, Jon Show, Andrew Heywood, Travis Dancy
 • Staff Present: Director Troy Fitzsimmons, Assistant Director Adam Abernathy, Recreation Superintendent
 Michael Wolf, Special Events Manager Shelby Cruse, Athletics Program Manager Rashad Hart, and
 Executive Assistant Mary Curcione
 • Partners Present: Thomas Finlay – Charlotte Independence

3) Public Appearances – Citizen Concerns/Comments
 a) Staff Promotions
 • Shelby Cruse – Special Events Program Manager
 Director Fitzsimmons introduced Shelby Cruse as the new Special Events Manager, effective at the end of
 September. She succeeds Michael Wolf, who recently transitioned to the role of Recreation
 Superintendent.
 • Rashad Hart – Athletics Program Manager
 Director Fitzsimmons introduced Rashad Hart as the new Athletics Program Manager, effective at the end
 of September. He succeeds Shelby Cruse, who recently transitioned to the role of Special Events Manager.

4) Approval of Minutes
 a) September 2025 Draft Minutes
 Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve the minutes from the September 4, 2025, meeting as presented,
 and the motion passed unanimously.

5) Presentations
 a) Charlotte Independence – Thomas Finlay
 Mr. Finlay emphasized the club’s mission and values, while outlining its vision for holistic player development
 and community engagement. It also detailed participation across recreation, competitive, adult, and TOPSoccer
 programs, as well as extensive league play and tournaments that attract both local and out-of-town teams.
 b) Draft FY27 CIP and Budget Goals
 • Assistant Director Abernathy’s presentation on the drafted FY27 Capital Improvement Plan focused on
 long-term investments, including greenway development, park and facility upgrades, land acquisition, and
 replacement of aging equipment to support community growth and infrastructure needs.
 • Director Fitzsimmons’ presentation on the Proposed FY27 Budget Goals outlined plans to enhance special
 events, customer service tools, and new programming such as an MLK Day event and 30th Anniversary
 Carnival, all funded through increased sponsorship revenue.

6) Director’s Report
 a) September 2025 Director’s Report
 Director Fitzsimmons presented on strong community participation across recent special events including the
 Festival of Cultures, Lake Norman Empowerment Festival, and the 25th Annual All American Dog Show, and
 provided updates on upcoming fall programs. He also highlighted the completion and dedication of the new
 pickleball courts at Bailey Road Park.

7) Parks & Recreation Commissioner Recommendations & Reports
 a) Items to be placed on record
 b) Commissioner Reports
 • Vice-Chair Carla Eustache
 o Attended the night farmers market on October 1 and felt that it was a great variety of vendors. She
 Enjoyed the food trucks that were there – Handel’s and Carolina Smash Truck – they were good
 options for that time of evening.
 o Joined the Programs Fees & Facilities Committee (PFFC) meeting where they reviewed and discussed
 three partnership agreements: Charlotte Independence, Lake Norman Little League, and Lake Norman
 Tennis Association.
 • Chair Trey Fouche – Absent
 • Commissioner Jeff Jones
 o Went to the last daytime farmers market on September 24 and felt attendance was lower than in
 previous weeks. He also noticed that vendors were still setting up after the market had started. Loves
 the “one man band” and think that adds to the overall experience.
 o Also enjoyed the night market on October 1 and the food truck offerings. Should the night market
 continue next year, he would like to see beer/alcoholic beverages and live music as that would set our
 market apart from daytime/weekend markets.
 • Commissioner Jon Show – Absent
 • Commissioner Steve True
 o Attended the 9/11 Anniversary Ceremony and enjoyed the speeches that were given that day; very
 moving.
 o Really enjoyed the Festival of Cultures event on September 13. Would love to see this event take off
 in the future.
 • Commissioner Robert Reed
 o Gave Thomas Finlay of Charlotte Independence kudos for being so willing to give his time to speak
 with him as a parent. Loves that the Independence is teaching young kids skills, but also to just run
 and have fun which is important for recreational leagues.
 • Commissioner Andrew Heywood – Absent
 • Commissioner Jana Ritter
 o Gave the PFFC kudos for bringing in Charlotte Independence for a conversation regarding their
 agreement.
 o Would like to see all partners come in to give consistent presentations and include data specifically
 related to growth and percentage of Cornelius residents.
 o Excited to be starting a tennis program at Bailey Middle School. It will be the first-ever tennis club
 program offered through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and 45 students were already
 registered.
 o In close contact with Jeremy Martin of Modern Strike as well as LNTA in regards to the new
 programming that will be going on at the Bailey Road Park Court Complex and is looking forward to
 new programming for the community.
 • Commissioner Travis Dancy – Absent
 c) Town Commissioner Report: Commissioner Todd Sansbury – Absent

8) Old Business
 a) Parks & Recreation Code of Ordinances Update
 Representatives from the surrounding small towns, the City of Charlotte, and Mecklenburg County met to
 discuss the ordinances. The County acknowledged the concerns regarding personal conveyance vehicles, and
 all parties are working to align and synchronize rules to ensure consistent enforcement.
 b) Parks & Recreation Commission Goals & Committees
 • The Lakeside Living November article will be focused on the 2024 Park Bonds.
 • Commissioner Ritter advised that she would be forwarding any media inquiries to the Department to
 handle.
 c) 2024 Park Bonds

9) New Business
 a) Charlotte Independence Agreement for field use and synthetic turf funding at Bailey Road Park
 •  Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve authorizing the Parks & Recreation Director to finalize the
 2026 – 2035 Independence Partnership Agreement based on the general terms presented and recommend
 the Town Board approve the agreement. Commissioner Reed seconded, and the motion passed
 unanimously.
 b) Lake Norman Tennis Association Programming Operations and Facility Use Agreement
 • Vice-Chair Eustache made a motion to approve authorizing the Parks & Recreation Director to finalize the
 2026 LNTA Partnership five (5) year agreement based on the general terms presented. Commissioner True
 seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

10) Adjournment
 Vice-Chair Eustache adjourned the meeting at 7:18 p.m.

Upcoming PRC Meetings – Thursdays, November 6 and December 4, 2025
Next Town Board Meetings – Mondays, October 6 and 20, 2025