Message President’s MessageCARPD - Call toAction: SB 499CARPD ConferenceIn ReviewHonoring OutgoingCARPD BoardMember - NickSchoutenLegal Upate -Registry of PublicAgenciesLegislative UpdateCARPD BoardElection1CARPD: Leading with Purpose and PlayStephen King once said: “In bowling and in life, if aperson made the spares, the strikes would take care ofthemselves”. Consistently making good choices andfollowing through with them, will create momentum andpave the way for greater achievement. This is whatCARPD is all about and what all of us, park professionals,offer our communities. Hello, I’m Dean Wetter and it is my honor to step into therole of President for CARPD; and, embark on this journeywith all of you, advocating for the vital role our localparks and recreation services play in the lives of ourcommunities.Our industry has seen its share of fascinating recentdevelopments, from the sober reality of wildfire impacts,to the ongoing challenges of legislation and inflationarycosts, all meaning our parks are doing more with lessand with greater purpose. These challenges underscorethe critical need for continued advocacy and creativesolutions. Being involved in the legislative process hasmade a difference in Sacramento - a testament to thepower of our unified voice.I want to thank Matt Duarte and his CARPD team for anincredible Conference. San Diego was a great locationand as always, a perfect setting for great camaraderie,sharing of ideas and collaboration. One of thosecollaborations is the “Board Member Roundtable”program, bringing our elected officials together isinvaluable and beneficial to all of us. Thank you to PastPresident Brian Danzl for your good leadership last yearand a warm welcome to newly elected CARPD BoardMember Jan B. Bissell.No two districts are alike, and it is that diversity thatmakes us stronger when we work together. As I beginthis role of President of CARPD, my hope is that there areno more Code Green Alerts, but if there are, I know wewill come together and support each other as wecontinue to uplift our communities. Dean WetterValley-Wide Recreation and Park DistrictPresident, CARPDCARPDCommunicatorInside this Issue:P R E S I D E N T - D E A N W E T T E RJ U NE 2 0 2 5President’s Message
CARPD - Call to Action: SB 499Submit your letter of SUPPORT on SB 499 today!We are writing to you today to again request your support on an importantpiece of legislation for our members. As you may recall, CARPD is proud tosponsor SB 499 (Stern), a bill that adds parkland and recreational facilities tothe list of public improvements exempt from certain fee deferrals. With thisbill, the State will affirm our Districts' essential role in providing safety andsupport in public emergencies and will facilitate local strategic planning tobest utilize all available community resources.Last month, the bill advanced out of the Senate Local GovernmentCommittee and then was passed on the Senate Floor. It is now scheduled tobe heard before the Assembly Local Government Committee and we againneed your help!You can find a sample letter of support for your review on the CARPD websiteat https://www.caparkdistricts.org.We ask that you please submit yourDistrict's letter of support by emailing a copy to CARPD's Executive Director,Matthew Duarte, at mduarte@capri-jpa.gov and CARPD's LegislativeAdvocate, Ethan Nagler, at enagler@public policygroup.com. We will ensureyour letter is timely uploaded through the State’s legislative portal.For more on SB 499, check out our CARPD's letter to Senator Henry Stern,Sen. Stern’s Fact Sheet, and review the current draft language HERE.Letters are due by Wednesday, June 25th. Thank you in advance for yourcontinued support!J U NE 2 0 2 52
Thank you CARPDSponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 3
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 4
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J U NE 2 0 2 56CARPD Conference in ReviewMay 21 - May 24, 2025It was a pleasure to see everyone in San Diego! Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you all at our conference next year in Monterey!
J U NE 2 0 2 57CARPD Conference in ReviewMay 21 - May 24, 2025
J U NE 2 0 2 58CARPD Conference in ReviewMay 21 - May 24, 2025It was a pleasure to see everyone in San Diego! Thankyou for joining us. We look forward to seeing you allat our conference next year in Monterey! Check out more photos from our event here: https://www.caparkdistricts.org/2025-carpd-conference-in-review
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 59CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years!
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 10
MontereyJ U NE 2 0 2 5112026 CARPD ConferenceSAVE THE DATE!MAY 26 - MAY 30 , 2026T H T H
Honoring Outgoing CARPD Board Member - Nick SchoutenAt the recent meeting of the CARPD Board of Directors, the Board voted tobestow one of its highest honors and recognize outgoing Board Secretary, NickSchouten, as an Honorary Member of CARPD. Mr. Schouten recently endeddecades of service on the CARPD Board when he declined to run for re-election. Nick Schouten has been a Member of the Valley-Wide Recreation and ParkDistrict Board of Directors for 47 of the 52 years the District has existed. Mr.Schouten’s advocacy and experience has also guided Valley-Wide from one parkto nearly one hundred Parks and Community Centers, an aquatic facility andgolf course and miles of streetscapes over an 800-square-mile area with 275,000residents.Please join CARPD (and a number of other distinguished organizations anddignitaries as shown in the photo below) in thanking Nick for his committmentand devotion to CARPD and its mission of advocating, educating, and servingCalifornia’s recreation and park districts! J U NE 2 0 2 512
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 25CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 13
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 25CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 14
Legal Update - Registry of Public AgenciesKeeping your District's information accurate and up-to-date in the Registry ofPublic Agencies isn't just good practice – it's a critical legal safeguard. This publicregistry serves as a vital public resource, providing essential details about yourDistrict, including its legal name, official mailing address, and the names andaddresses of all governing board members, including the chairperson andsecretary. Think of it as a public directory that ensures transparency andaccessibility for anyone needing official information about your district.California Government Code section 53051 mandates that every governmentagency (including recreation and park districts) file a Statement of Facts form SF-405 with both the California Secretary of State and your County Clerk in eachcounty where your District has an office. This isn't a one-time task; the law requiresDistricts to amend their statement within 10 days of any change to these basicfacts, such as welcoming new board members after an election or appointment.It's also crucial to use your district's full legal name, not an abbreviated acronym,when filing to ensure proper identification.One of the primary reasons for maintaining an accurate Registry listing is its directimpact on legal claims. Under the Government Claims Act, potential claimants relyon this information to properly file a claim against your district. The timely filing ofsuch a claim is a mandatory prerequisite before any lawsuit can proceed. If theinformation in your District's Registry listing is significantly inaccurate orincomplete, it could have severe consequences, potentially waiving therequirement for claimants to file a timely governmental claim, opening yourdistrict up to immediate litigation. Indeed, there has been a recent trend in state court filings in which there is achallenge to an agency’s legal status as a government agency by pointing to thecurrentness of the filings in the Registry of Public Agencies. Your District shouldtake action to ensure your filing is up to date and accurate by completing the SF-405 form and following the mailing instructions found on the California Secretaryof State website at https://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sf/forms/sf-405.pdf.J U NE 2 0 2 515
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 16
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 17
Legislative UpdateBy Dane HutchingsCalifornia Public Policy GroupSummary of Governor Newsom’s Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26Background: On June 13, the Legislature met its constitutional deadline to advance a balanced statebudget proposal for fiscal year 2025-2026. SB 101 contains $324.7 billion in total spending, ofwhich $231.9 billion is from the General Fund. General Fund expenditures represent $6billion more than Governor Gavin Newsom had proposed in his May revision. The primarybudget bill also closes a projected $12.3 billion deficit, including $3.5 billion in reductions,$7.8 billion in borrowing, and $1 billion in other solutions, such as funding shifts. Totalreserves stand at $13.2 billion. About $81 billion has been allocated to Proposition 98 funding.Additionally, $95 million has been allocated in the budget for funding the implementation ofProposition 36. SB 101 also included language stating that it is the intent of the Legislature tofund the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program up to $500 million in the2026-27 budget. However, no allocated funding for the program was included in SB 101.Both chambers of the Legislature passed the bill along party lines, with Democratssupporting and Republicans opposing the measure 57-19 in the Assembly and 26-8 in theSenate. Legislative leadership had announced a bicameral budget agreement on June 9which is reflected in the budget passed on June 13. The Legislature sent the budget toGovernor Newsom on June 15 and he has until June 30 to sign it.Next Steps: While the Legislature has now met its constitutional requirement to pass a balancedbudget, it is anticipated that over the coming weeks (and potentially months) there will beone or more subsequent Budget Bill(s) Junior which amend the primary budget bill, SB 101,to reflect subsequent compromises between the Legislature and the Governor after June 13.Additionally, other fiscal measures commonly referred to as “budget trailer bills” will beforthcoming. These budget bills provide the budget detail and provisional language to enactthe funding proposals contained in SB 101 or subsequent Budget Bill(s) Junior. Similar to themain budget, these subsequent budget action items do not adhere to the traditionallegislative process, meaning that major budget agreements can be reached and advancethrough the entire process very quickly.Nonetheless, the spending in SB 101 aligns with the bulk of the Governor’s proposals, withsome modifications. There had been proposed cuts to higher education and health/socialservices to stabilize the state budget in light of a bleak economic forecast. However, theLegislature avoided these cuts by pulling more funds from reserves and borrowing fromother state funds. Proposals around budgeting reforms are still under discussion betweenthe Legislature and the Administration.Conclusion: Major budgetary and policy priorities still remain unresolved. Governor Newsom wanted toinclude a straight reauthorization of cap-and-trade in the budget and use revenue from theprogram to backfill General Fund spending on Cal Fire and fund high-speed rail;negotiations on a deal are ongoing. A final budget deal between the Governor andLegislature will be announced on or before the constitutional deadline of June 30.J U NE 2 0 2 518
Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 5CARPD Sponsors are integral to ensuring our member agencies areable to network and learn at our CARPD Annual Conference. We thank them for their generous support over the years! 19
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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 521
J U NE 2 0 2 5The 2025 Awards of Distinction winners were announced at the CARPD Conference on May22, 2025, in San Diego, CA . Congrats to the winners!D I ST R IC T AWA R DSOUTSTANDING NEW FACILITY:HAYWARD AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT - ASHLAND ZOCALO PARKOUTSTANDING RENOVATED FACILITY :CONEJO RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT - ALEX FIRE THOUSAND OAKS TEEN CENTER & GOEBEL ADULT CENTEROUTSTANDING ACTIVITY/PROGRAM/SPECIAL EVENT:JURUPA COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT - TEEN CREWOUTSTANDING INNOVATION:NORTH HIGHLANDS RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT - PAINT THE PARKSENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE:DESERT RECREATION DISTRICT - CORAL MOUNTAINI N DI V ID U A L AWA R DSOUTSTANDING DISTRICT EMPLOYEE:ANDREA WHITE - CORDOVA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICTOUTSTANDING GENERAL MANAGER:COLBY DIUGUID - JURUPA AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICTOUTSTANDING BOARD MEMBER:LAURA MCGALLIARD - DESERT PARK DISTRICTCA R PD CO M MU N I T Y L AN D M A RK :BILLE PARK - PARADISE RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICTKENNEDY PARK - HAYWARD AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICTNOBLE CREEK REGIONAL PARK - BEAUMONT CHERRY VALLEY RPDPAWLEY POOL FAMILY AQUATICS CENTER - DESERT RECREATION DISTRICTAwards of Distinction Winners 202522
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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 524
CARPD Board Election - Congrats!The recent election for our CARPD Board resulted in a dynamic blend of experienced incumbentsand fresh voices to guide the future of parks and recreation in California. These individuals, electedby the CARPD member districts at the General Membership Meeting on May 22, 2025, are steppingforward to embrace a critical role for our Districts. Their commitment underscores the deeply rootedbelief that vibrant parks, accessible recreational programs, and preserved open spaces arefundamental to the well-being and quality of life for all Californians.As we all know, serving on a park district board is a true act of civic dedication. These volunteerscontribute countless hours, often behind the scenes, making decisions that shape our associationand acting as advocates for CARPD’s member districts up and down the State.We extend our sincere congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected board members. Yourwillingness to dedicate your time, expertise, and passion to the continued enhancement ofCalifornia's park and recreation landscape is invaluable. We look forward to collaborating with youas you champion policies and initiatives that will not only maintain but also expand access to theessential health, social, and environmental benefits that our parks and recreation agencies provideacross the State.2025 CARPD Board Election Winners!President – Elect Jesus Perez, Bear Mountain Recreation & Park DistrictSecretaryDoug Nickles, Conejo Recreation & Park DistrictDirector at Large (Odd Year) Jan Bissell, Valley-Wide Recreation & Park DistrictMichael Seaman, Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park DistrictAdministrator Rep (Odd Year):Mat Fuzie, Livermore Area Recreation & Park DistrictJ U NE 2 0 2 525
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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 527
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Thank youCARPD Sponsors!CARPD SponsorsJ U NE 2 0 2 531
CARPD Board of DirectorsThe CARPD Board of Directors consists of eleven elected representatives of theCARPD Membership. In these volunteer positions, the Board provides policydirection for the organization in order to fulfill its mission to advocate, educate,and support California’s recreation and park districts. Thank you to all, past andpresent, that have served our organization!Directors:Michael SeamanJan BissellDennis WaespiMathew FuzieRick SloanMichelle LacyPresident:Dean Wetter President-Elect:Jesus Perez Past President:Brian DanzlSecretary:Doug NicklesCFO:Al McGreehanJ U NE 2 0 2 532Pictured (left to right) Board Member Rick Sloan, Past President Brian Danzl, Secretary Doug Nickles, Board Member Dennis Waespi, HonoraryMember Nick Schouten, President Dean Wetter, President-Elect Jesus Perez, Board Member Michael Seaman and Board Member Michelle Lacy. (Missing from photo: CFO Al McGreehan, Board Member Jan Bissell, and Board Member Mathew Fuzie)