Consent Item 4e
STAFF REPORT
City Council Consent Item
DATE: September 15, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Kaylyn Stainbrook, Parks and Recreation Director
THROUGH: Amy Nilsen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Parks and Recreation Department Monthly Report for August 2025 STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report as an informational item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Parks Maintenance
Recruitments in progress: Three part-time Parks Maintenance Worker I positions First Aid and CPR Training completed at Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department Park/Facility Maintenance Tasks Completed (done in addition to several routine items):
o Removed hazardous tree branch at Newburg Park
o Removed hazardous tree at Rohner Park Rec Hall
o Repaired plumbing issue at River Lodge
o Refinished Rohner Park bench and installed memorial plaque o Delivered picnic tables and trash/recycle receptacles for Vintage Market o Completed landscaping at Chamber of Commerce
o Summer Fun waterslide setup and tear down
o Repaired irrigation issue at Fortuna Library
o Placed “Special Event” signs for Soccer Saturday at Newburg Park o Removed three beehives in Rohner Park
o Completed repairs to the Roller-Skating Trainers/Walkers o Hops in Humboldt prep, event maintenance, and clean-up: 54 park staff hours
o Fire Fest prep, event maintenance, and clean-up: 5 park staff hours Rentals
There were four Monday Club rentals, one Firemen’s Pavilion rental, six cookshack/picnic area rentals, and one Rec Hall rental. Hops in Humboldt rented Rohner Park for a Special Event. Fire Fest, another special event, took place at Newburg Park. Additionally, several user groups, such as the Genealogical Society, HOPS in Humboldt, Fortuna Garden Club, Eel River Little League, Eel River Youth Soccer League, Emerald Football Club, and Results Fit Camp, continue to use our indoor and outdoor facilities on a recurring basis.
Consent Item 4e
Community Service
In collaboration with the Humboldt County Probation Department, one Community Service Worker helped with park maintenance, serving a total of 4 work hours this month.
Recreation
Summer Fun ended on August 15th. Attendance was consistent throughout the end of camp with 50-55 campers per week.
Drop-In Volleyball and Basketball have been paused for summer months due to low attendance. It has been announced that they will resume in September. The Coed Adult Softball League continues.
Public Skate has resumed following the month of July. To encourage attendance, staff have been promoting theme nights every Saturday.
Year-Round Recreation Programs (Firemen’s Pavilion) Schedules:
o Drop-in Pickleball: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, 9:00am – 12:00pm and Sunday evening, 7:00pm-10pm
o Drop-in Basketball: Program paused for summer; Will resume in September. o Drop-in Volleyball: Program paused for summer; Will resume in September. o Public Skate: Fri/Sat 6:30pm – 9:30pm, Sun 1:30pm – 4:30pm o Private Parties: Fri afternoon, Sat morning/afternoon, Sun morning (Varies) Fortuna Transit
The Eureka Shopping Trip was cancelled for the month of August, due to only having one drive on Thursdays. However, Eureka Medical Trips were still prioritized. This month 10 new riders signed up for the transit service.
Fortuna
Transit
August
2024
August
2025
YTD August
2024-June
2025
YTD July
2025-June
2026
Total
Passengers 1100 420 2153 696
Total Miles 3049 1553 5941 2628
Service Miles 2853 1455 5561 2444
Total Hours
Worked 338.75 187.25 671.50 301.75
Service Hours
Worked 300.50 174.75 596.25 282
August
Year-Round
Recreation
Program Totals
Drop-in
Pickleball
Drop-in
Basketball
Drop-in
Volleyball
Public
Skate
Private
Skate
Parties
Total Sessions 16 0 0 14 9
Total Participants 346 0 0 255 178
Consent Item 4e
Fortuna Depot Museum
As of the beginning of June, the museum is open 7 days a week (Monday through Saturday 12:00 - 4:30 and Sunday 1:00 - 5:00). This is the first summer that the museum has been open 7 days a week since 2019. Starting in September, the museums hours will return to Thursday through Saturday 12:00pm – 4:30pm and Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00pm.
August’s visitation total at the Fortuna Depot Museum was 372 people. This is in the middle range for our recent years’ August visitation totals. (Prior to 2020, the museum was open 7 days a week in June, July and August; from 2020 through 2024 there have been various schedules of reduced opening hours during the summer months.) Recent years’ August visitor totals were: 2024: 239, 2023: 209, 2022: 250, 2021: 186, 2020:
closed, 2019: 485, 2018: 378, 2017: 477, 2016: 393, 2015: 419. In August 2025 we welcomed California visitors from Arcata, Bakersfield, Bayside, Blocksburg, Blue Lake, Blythe, Campbell, Carlotta, Chico, Clovis, Dogtown, Eureka, Ferndale, Folsom, Fort Bragg, Fortuna, Honeydew, Hydesville, Laguna Beach, Lakeport, Lucerne, Martinez, McKinleyville, Miranda, Mountain View, Oxnard, Petaluma, Rancho Cucamonga, Redding, Rio Dell, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Rosa, Turlock, Whitethorn, Willits and Yuba City. We also welcomed out-of-state visitors from Alabama, Hawaii, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, as well as overseas visitors from Berlin, Germany. Our August visitor total included 18 attendees at the California League of Cities meeting held August 22 in Fortuna, who attended a reception and tour of the Depot Museum as one of their meeting activities (which also included a visit and tour of Clendenen’s Apple Orchard).
Updates continue every 2-3 weeks to the exhibit “Now Playing! (100 Years Ago) at the Fortuna Theatre,” so that museum visitors can learn about the movies which were playing in Fortuna exactly 100 years ago to the day. A new exhibit installed in July highlights the July 19, 2025, visit to Fortuna by state representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who dedicated a plaque at the grave of Hester Snider (1797—1887), a daughter of an American soldier in the American Revolution.
Consent Item 4e
River Lodge
Notable events in August include:
o League of California Cities Meeting
o Two Private Weddings
o Hops in Humboldt/Wendt Chamber Mixer
Aug 2024 Aug 2025 Fiscal YTD
25 - 26
Total Events
8 12 20
Total Attendees 1215 705 1302
Total Days
Occupied 13 12 25
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive Parks and Recreation Department Monthly Report. Consent Agenda vote.