Turlock council will talk about parks and art

The City Council’s review of services turns on Tuesday night to parks, the arts and a few other topics.

The workshop is the latest in a series scheduled by Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth for the first few months of his term. It will deal with the Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Department.

The agenda packet included these highlights:

▪ Turlock has 24 parks totaling 185 acres, as well as 20 playgrounds and 49 grassy areas that catch storm runoff.

▪ The city took 22,119 registrations for recreation programs in the fiscal year that ended last June 30.

▪ They brought $1.56 million in fee revenue, 81 percent of the $1.9 million in program costs.

▪ Recreation programs employed 210 part-time and seasonal people, and 60 volunteers coached teams.

▪ The aquatics program includes family swimming, lessons, water polo and lifeguard training.

▪ The city also offers baseball, softball, golf, basketball, soccer, football, track, tennis and volleyball.

▪ The Teen Advisory Council, made up of seventh to 12th-graders, helps provide activities for young people.

▪ The department, which oversees small-scale street repairs, poured 230 tons of asphalt last year, filled 1,009 potholes and picked up 845 tons of leaves.

▪ Areas devoted to dogs and their owners are at Quail Rand Norton Park and Swanson Centennial Park.

▪ The city owns Turlock Municipal Airport, a small operation several miles east of town.

This story was originally published March 15, 2015 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Turlock council will talk about parks and art."