Community Services Advisory Board

City of Naples City Council Chamber 735 Eighth Street South Naples, Florida 34102 Community Services Advisory Board Meeting – July 15, 2025 – 2:30 p.m. It is noted for the record that all documentation electronically appended hereto is also contained in the file for this meeting with the City Clerk’s Office. 1) Call To Order Chair Smith called the meeting to order and presided. 2) Roll Call Board Members Present: Nathaniel Smith, Chair Christina Muracco Laura Oscher Cassie Barone Joseph Murray, Alternate Board Members Absent: Brian Smith, Vice Chair Staff Members Present: Chad Merritt, Parks, Rec, and Facilities Dir. Heather Shields, Urban Forest Manager Aaron Hopkins, Parks, Rec, and Facilities Dep Dir. Alec Boccaccio, Recreation Supervisor Ali Duran, Executive Assistant 3) Pledge of Allegiance Chair Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4) Announcements Chad Merritt, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director, announced that July is Parks and Recreation Month, and urged citizens to utilize the City parks. 5) Public Comment None. 6) Changes To The Agenda None. 7) Approval of Meeting Minutes MOTION by Muracco to APPROVE the May 20, 2025 meeting minutes; seconded by Oscher and carried 5-0 (Barone-yes, Muracco-yes, Murray-yes, Oscher-yes, B. Smith-absent, N. Smith-yes). May 20, 2025 Meeting Minutes 8) Regular Agenda 8.A) Election of Vice Chair and Chair. Chad Merritt, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director provided direction to the Board regarding nomination and election of the Chair and Vice Chair. Chair Smith announced that his second term as a Board member is scheduled to conclude in May 2026 and, having no intention of seeking a third term, said he believed it would be best for the Board to elect another Chair. Smith NOMINATED Muracco as Chair.

Community Services Advisory Board Meeting – July 15, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. MOTION by Murray to ELECT Muracco as Chair; seconded by Barone and carried 5-0 (Barone-yes, Muracco-yes, Murray-yes, Oscher-yes, B. Smith- absent, N. Smith-yes). Smith NOMINATED Barone as Vice Chair. MOTION by Muracco to ELECT Barone as Vice Chair; seconded by Smith and carried 5-0 (Barone-yes, Muracco-yes, Murray-yes, Oscher-yes, B. Smith- absent, N. Smith-yes). Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt stated that Members Muracco and Barone would start serving as Chair and Vice Chair at the next meeting. He added that he would schedule an orientation meeting with them beforehand. Agenda Memorandum 8.B) Review of the Urban Forest Work Plan Quarterly Report - 2025. Urban Forest Manager Heather Shields provided an overview of the Urban Forest Work Plan Quarterly Report for the Third Quarter , which included tree-related activities in the City during April, May and June of 2025. She announced that the Tree Inventory Update is scheduled to be completed shortly, and the results would be shared with the Board in the fall. In addition, she said the Tree Fill-In Project is underway, with tree installation beginning in August. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Chad Merritt discussed the challenges arising from the three named storms over the past two years, particularly the efforts to restore damaged trees versus the difficult decisions involved in removing and replacing them. In response to Chair Smith, Urban Forest Manager Shields explained the schedule for the City to apply for the Tree City USA designation, the Growth Award, and Tree Cities of the World designation. Agenda Memorandum Urban Forest - Third Quarter Report 8.C) Discussion Regarding the Naples Dog Park. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Chad Merritt introduced the item and provided a brief background on the Naples Dog Park. He noted that in 2010, City Council adopted Resolution 10- 12743, which authorized the construction of the Dog Park, with the condition that its maintenance and upkeep be funded through donations. Due to a decline in recent donations, he said a questionnaire was distributed to Dog Park users, and research was conducted on the fee structures of 32 municipalities stretching from Tampa southward to help identify potential future funding sources. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt noted that Cape Coral was the only municipality in the study that charged a user fee, which is set at $20 per dog annually. He stated that a recommendation from the CSAB is needed before the matter can be presented to City Council. In response to Alternate Member Murray, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt explained that primary needs such as parks, playgrounds, and shelters are typically funded by the City through the General Fund, while additional amenities and activities often require user fees, which can only be approved by City Council. Aaron Hopkins, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Deputy Director, pointed out that there is a Dog Park donation link on the City website. Chair Smith and Alternate Member Murray acknowledged that the City has not been following Resolution 10-12743 by funding the Dog Park with internal resources and expressed the need to formalize the practice moving forward. To address the issue, Chair Smith proposed two resolutions: 1) recommend that the City formally allow the funding of the Dog Park through the General Fund, and 2) direct staff to implement a registration system requiring all dogs to be registered and display dog tags. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt estimated the annual maintenance cost of the Dog Park at $77,000. He also noted that the current donation balance available for the park is $20,000.

Community Services Advisory Board Meeting – July 15, 2025 - 2:30 p.m. Following a Board discussion, the following motion was proffered. MOTION by Muracco to RECOMMEND that Council amend the current Resolution to allow the Naples Dog Park to be funded through the General Fund; seconded by Barone and carried 5-0 (Barone-yes, Muracco-yes, Murray-yes, Oscher-yes, B. Smith-absent, N. Smith-yes). Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt suggested postponing a vote on requiring dog registration until after City Council determines the funding source for the Dog Park. Agenda Memorandum Dog Park Operations - Other Cities Bonita Springs - Dog Park Information Cape Coral Dog - Park Information Charlotte County - Dog Park Information Collier County - Dog Park Information 8.D) Director and Staff Report. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Chad Merritt announced that the Master Plan Update Project kick-off is scheduled for July 23 and 24, 2025, and invited Board members to attend. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Merritt then provided an update on beach access, noting that work has progressed without requiring any closures to public access. He then provided an update on reconstruction work at the Naples Pier, noting that work cannot begin until permits are received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Next, he spoke briefly about new median landscaping and mentioned that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant parking spaces were added at the Vedado Way Beach Access, and improvements were made at the Horizon Beach Access. Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Deputy Director Aaron Hopkins provided a Summer Camp update, reporting that registration numbers are the highest in many years, with most camps sold out. He also announced that pickleball lines were added to two tennis courts at the Charlie C. Anthony Park, although users must provide their own nets. Additionally, he provided a Tennis Center update, noting that current membership stands at 675. Lastly, he announced that new merchandise is available at the Naples City Dock, and he announced the completion of the Dock Ship Store renovations. Agenda Memorandum Director and Staff Report - July 2025 9) Member Communications None. 10) Adjourn 4:19 p.m. Minutes approved: 8/19/2025.