Sep 09, 2026 Parks and Recreation Board

[1. Call to Order]

[00:00:11]

SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2026. I HAVE 1:30 SO. AND WE ARE NEED TO MOVE THIS MEETING ON ALONG.

SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A PUBLIC ADDRESS.

THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RENAMING THE PARK.

SO IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO ADDRESS THE PARK AND REC BOARD WITH MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OR SERVICES OR WHATEVER, NOW'S THE TIME. AND BOB, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS IF WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE SPEAKING FOR THE RENAMING TO JUST DO THAT DURING THAT ITEM.

OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ANYWAY, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 3 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

[3. Approval of Minutes This item is for the Board to discuss and consider the approval of the minutes of the meeting held August 12, 2026.]

OKAY. SECOND. FIRST. SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 4 ON THE

[4. Resolution - Public Hearing This resolution conducts a public hearing on and considers the renaming of East Park to Gabriel Chavez Park.]

I'M GOING TO, WE HAVE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE 3 MINUTES TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS.

THIS IS OUR TIME TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, TO GATHER SOME INPUT.

AND SO THE 1ST ONE I'M GOING TO CALL THAT I ONLY HAVE 2 RIGHT NOW.

MAKE THAT 3. RUDY. I'M GOING TO BUTCHER YOUR LAST NAME, SO I'M GOING TO LET YOU SAY IT.

TELL US WHO YOU ARE. AND IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY AND SUCH. MY NAME IS RUDY PRECIADO.

I DO LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF AMARILLO. AND GABRIEL CHAVEZ WAS MY UNCLE.

AND I JUST HAVE A. IT'S NOT LIKE LAST TIME. IT'S A SMALLER SPEECH.

THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AS YOU CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY.

I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH 1 SIMPLE TRUTH. GABRIEL CHAVEZ GAVE EVERYTHING FOR THIS COUNTRY, EARNED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS POSTHUMOUSLY.

BUT BEFORE HE WAS WAS A NATIONAL HERO. HE WAS A BOY BORN AND RAISED RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN OF EAST PARK.

RENAMING THE PARK ISN'T JUST ABOUT HISTORY. IT'S ABOUT SHOWING THE CHILDREN PLAYING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY THAT HEROES COME FROM THEIR OWN STREETS.

I URGE YOU TO VOTE YES TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ MEMORIAL PARK.

BUT THE NAME COULD BE DIFFERENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

NOW I'M GOING TO CALL ON THERESA KENNEDY. GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M THERESA KENNEDY. I DO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO.

I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE. WE ARE VERY EXCITED.

AND ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD AND OUR COMMUNITY.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING THIS VOTE FOR CHANGING THE NAME OF EAST PARK TO LA PLACITA.

I'M SORRY TO NOT. LA PLACITA PARK. EXCUSE ME.

TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ PARK. WHAT A HERO HE WAS AT AGE 22.

CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING IN OKINAWA, JAPAN, FIGHTING AGAINST WHAT WE WANTED TO HAVE, WHICH WAS THIS FREEDOM? AND SO WE WANTED TO SUPPORT RUDY PRECIADO AND HIS FAMILY AND HIS RELATIVES, BUT MOSTLY GABRIEL CHAVEZ, BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE VERY FIRST PARK IN THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE NAMED AFTER A HISPANIC HERO, GABRIEL CHAVEZ. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THIS OPPORTUNITY IS JUST VERY TIMELY.

IT'S 137 YEARS IN THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE ABOUT 950 ACRES OF LAND IN POTTER COUNTY.

AND THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OF OVER 44,000 RESIDENTS CAN TRULY KNOW THAT WHEN THEY GO TO EAST PARK, WHICH WE HOPE WILL CHANGE TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ PARK, THAT THEY WILL TRULY HONOR A WONDERFUL HERO.

SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALL VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS NAME CHANGE TODAY.

[00:05:04]

[INAUDIBLE] DAVID ROSE. GENTLEMEN. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HOSTING US. I'M A RESIDENT OF EAST AMARILLO ALONG WITH THERESA KENNEDY.

I'M ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE. IT IT IS, AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, IT'S MY BACKYARD. IT IS PART OF TOWN WHERE I GREW UP IN.

AND I SEE A LOT OF FRIENDS HERE, AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THEM.

A LOT OF US ARE ARE NOT EXACTLY BLOOD RELATIVES, BUT WE WE SHARE RELATIVES.

I HAVE AN AUNT. MY AUNT, ANA LOPEZ WAS A IT CHAVEZ? I SEE MANY MEMBERS OF THE CHAVEZ FAMILY HERE.

AND I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.

MAYBE FOR A MINUTE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE SPOTLIGHT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I KNOW THAT THE CHAVEZ FAMILY, I KNOW THEM PERSONALLY.

THEY'VE LIVED IN THE AREA SURROUNDING EAST PARK OFF OF ROSS AND 6TH, 7TH, 8TH THEY'VE ALL BEEN STRONG MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T BORN. I AM THE SON OF A WORLD WAR 2 VETERAN.

I STUDIED THE WAR ON BOTH SIDES. AND THESE YOUNG MEN THAT WENT GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.

AND I WOULD I WOULD PERSONALLY BE HONORED TO SEE THIS GO THROUGH.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, MY FRIENDS, MY NEIGHBORS, MY FAMILY. AND I THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION.[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. EDWARD BUSTOS.

MY NAME IS EDWARD. I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON 6TH STREET.

RIGHT DOWN HALF A BLOCK AWAY FROM FROM EAST PARK.

I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A VILLAIN HERE, BUT FIRST, I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK, BUT EAST PARK HAS BEEN LIKE A SECOND HOME TO SOME AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AS WE GREW UP.

I GREW UP IN A FAMILY OF 15 AND WE WERE ALL UP THERE ALL THE TIME.

I MEAN, THEY WOULD BRING LUNCH AT 11:30 AND EVERYBODY WOULD SIT THERE.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE STREET FROM PARK WOULD SIT THERE AND EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE LUNCH THERE.

SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT AT THIS PARK. I'M NOT TRYING TO GO AGAINST THE FAMILY.

I HAVE RESPECT FOR [INAUIDBLE]. I LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FOR THEM.

I WAS WE WERE RAISED TOGETHER PRETTY MUCH. I JUST WITH THE THOUGHT CAME ACROSS MY HEAD, MAYBE WE ARE IN THE BARRIO.

MAYBE WE CAN NAME FROM ROSS STREET TO ARTHUR STREET GABRIEL CHAVEZ BOULEVARD OR STREET.

IT IS IN THE BARRIO OR EVEN A LITTLE PLACITA THAT'S GOING TO COME UP THAT NEW ONE.

I THANK YOU FOR MY TIME AND FOR THE TIME THAT Y'ALL GAVE ME TO SPEAK.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ALL THE NAMES WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED.

IS ANYONE ELSE WANT TO COME UP AND SPEAK? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

TELL US YOUR NAME AND IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY.

MY NAME IS CHRISTA CHAVEZ, GLASGOW. I LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS.

GABRIEL WAS MY GREAT UNCLE. I NEVER MET HIM. I WAS BORN WAY AFTER HE PASSED AWAY.

BUT I GREW UP HEARING ALL THE STORIES OF HIM.

MY DAD TOLD ME ABOUT HIM. MY GRANDPA TOLD HIM ABOUT TOLD ME ABOUT HIM.

AND ONE THING WE'VE ALWAYS NOTICED WAS THE LACK OF RECOGNITION HE GOT.

HE WAS IN A BOOK. HE GAVE AN ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.

AND I THINK NOT ONLY THE AREA THAT THE CHAVEZ'S GREW UP IN.

WE WERE THERE EVERY SUNDAY. MY GRANDPARENTS, HIS BROTHER, BOTH OF HIS BROTHERS, TWO OF HIS BROTHERS LIVED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PARK. WE WERE THERE EVERY SUNDAY VISITING OUR GRANDPARENTS.

THE COUSINS ALL WENT OUT THERE AND PLAYED, AND WE HEARD STORIES ABOUT THEM PLAYING THERE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER,

[00:10:07]

AND, AND KIND OF A REBUTTAL, I GUESS, TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD.

AND LIKE RUDY HAD SAID, IT'S A DIRECTIONAL NAME.

IT'S EAST PARK, PEOPLE STILL CAN CALL IT EAST PARK.

BUT ONE LITTLE THING IS MY SON IS 17. HE'S A SENIOR.

THIS YEAR, HE CARRIES ON A CHAVEZ NAME THAT'S BEEN THROUGH GENERATIONS.

HE'S VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WAS HOW HE SAID, DO YOU THINK THEY'LL IF THEY DO IT, THEY'LL HAVE THE SIGN SAY HIS NAME BEFORE I GRADUATE BECAUSE I WANT TO GET MY GRADUATION PICTURES TAKEN IN FRONT OF THAT.

SO THIS MANY GENERATIONS REMOVED. THAT'S HIS GREAT GREAT UNCLE.

HE'S STILL SO PROUD OF WHAT HE DID, THE SACRIFICE HE MADE THAT HE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO GET ONE OF HIS SENIOR PICTURES TAKEN IN FRONT OF A POSSIBLE SIGN THAT SAYS THAT NAME ON IT, BECAUSE OTHER THAN THAT, THE ONLY RECOGNITION WE GET IS WHEN VARIOUS MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY GET TO GO OUT TO LLANO AND PLACE OUR FLOWERS OUT THERE. THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY OTHER WAY TO REALLY SHOW OUR SUPPORT AND RESPECT FOR HIM.

AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT A CHAVEZ AND YOU DON'T REALLY CARE TO HAVE THE NAME ON THERE, NOBODY'S FORCING YOU TO NOT CALL IT EAST PARK.

WHENEVER YOU WANT TO GO MEET UP WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THERE.

BUT IT WOULD BE A VERY BIG HONOR TO SOMEBODY THAT GAVE AN AMAZING SACRIFICE.[APPLAUSE] ANYONE ELSE? TELL US YOUR NAME. AND IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, PLEASE.

MY NAME IS QUINTON MARQUEZ AND I DO LIVE IN THE CITY.

I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND I THINK I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE THE REST OF THE BNPC THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE NAME CHANGE OF EAST PARK TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ PARK.

WE ARE INVOLVED IN REVITALIZING THE BARRIO, AND I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN REVITALIZE WITHOUT LOOKING TO THE HISTORY AND TO THE TRADITIONS AND HERITAGE OF WHAT BROUGHT UP THE BARRIO AND WHAT MAKES THE BARRIO, THE BARRIO. I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A FAMILY THAT IS EVEN GENERATIONS AWAY FROM A PERSON THAT PASSED AWAY IN WORLD WAR 2, TO STILL WANT TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR THEM BY HAVING A PIECE OF THE VIDEO BEING NAMED AFTER THE GREAT SACRIFICE THAT THEY MADE. AND ON BEHALF OF THE BNPC, WE SUPPORT THAT AND WE THINK WOULD BE NOTHING BETTER TO REMEMBER THE HISTORY BY RENAMING THE PARK HERE IN NEVADA.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M MARTHA CHAVEZ COLLINS. HE WAS MY UNCLE, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE FAMILY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT.

THAT SOMEONE KNEW THAT. HOW MUCH OF AN INFLUENCE HE WAS TO MY DAD.

UNCLE GABRIEL WENT INTO THE SERVICE IN 1942. HE WAS 5 YEARS OLDER THAN MY FATHER, BUT MY FATHER LOOKED UP TO HIM.

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A PICTURE FROM MY COUSIN WHERE IT SHOWS BOTH OF THEM, MY UNCLE AND MY DAD.

AND HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIS BROTHER AND HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO JOIN THE SERVICE TOO.

AT 17, HE JOINS THE NAVY. MY GRANDMOTHER HAD TO SIGN AND TO GET HIM IN, BUT HE WAS AWAY IN BASIC TRAINING IN SAN DIEGO WHEN MY UNCLE. HIS BROTHER PASSED. SO I DON'T THINK HE MADE IT HOME FOR THE FUNERAL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS TO EVERYONE AND KNOW HOW MUCH DEDICATION ON BOTH OF THEIR PARTS.

THEY LOVED THE COUNTRY, THEY LOVED THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY WANTED TO DO WHAT WAS BEST FOR THEM AND FOR OUR COUNTRY.

SO OF COURSE, MY UNCLE GABRIEL LOST HIS LIFE, BUT I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN INFLUENCE HE WAS ON.

MY FATHER THINKING, I'M GOING TO GO AT 17, I NEED PERMISSION, BUT I WANT TO GO.

AND SO HE DID. AND I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW.

OH, ONE MORE THING. IN LLANO, THEY'RE BOTH LAID TO REST RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN POPPY FIELD.

I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? GENTLEMEN AND WOMEN I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU ALL AS A MEMBER OF THE BARRIO NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE TO TAKE A DRIVE FROM HERE UNDER THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

[00:15:02]

IT IS SOMETHING I'M VERY PROUD OF. YOU CAN GO FROM THE RAILROAD TRACK TO ROSS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO INVITE PEOPLE TO TAKE A LEFT AND GO DOWN AND SEE OUR NEW PARK. PLEASE COME BY AND SEE THE WORK THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED.

AND I INVITE ALL OF YOU. AND TO BE THERE WHEN WE CHANGE THE SIGNS.

I KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND I KNOW MR. FROST AND CHURCH ARE MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, AND I'D LIKE TO OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE MILITARY TO STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED RIGHT NOW.

ANYONE ELSE? NOT SEEING ANYONE COME FORWARD. I'M GOING TO CLOSE THIS.

IF THERE'S NO OTHER FURTHER SPEAKERS, I'M GOING TO NOW CLOSE CALL TO CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

AND I WANT TO PERSONALLY, ON BEHALF OF THIS BOARD, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE SPEAKING UP.

IT MATTERS A LOT TO GET THAT INPUT FROM FROM AMARILLO CITIZENS.

SO NOW IT'S TIME TO DISCUSS. MR. KASZUBA HAS TOLD ME ALL THE PAPERWORK IS APPROPRIATE.

IF WE, AS OUR DISCUSSION GOES WE EITHER RECOMMEND OR DON'T RECOMMEND THAT RENAMING THE PARK AND THEN IT GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THEY ULTIMATELY MAKE THE DECISION.

BUT IT'S OUR, THIS BOARD'S DUTY TO EITHER RECOMMEND OR NOT RECOMMEND RENAMING EAST PARK TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ PARK. AND I'LL OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. BOB, I'LL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE APPROVE THIS.

AND I OKAY, YOU GET A SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING.

I'M. I'M ONE OF THE PRIVILEGED ONES BEING OVER AT THE WAR MEMORIAL EVERY EVERY MORNING WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS ON IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, I GET TO LOOK AT THIS. AND IT'S THE FRAMED PICTURE OF WHO WE'RE GOING TO HONOR HERE WITH HIS PURPLE HEART AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. AND IT'S ALWAYS A REMINDER FOR ME EACH MORNING, THE SACRIFICE FROM WHAT WE HAVE TERMED THE GREATEST GENERATION.

AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO HERE SYMBOLICALLY, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY OF AMARILLO, BUT FOR THE BARRIO, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF YOUR OWN AND THAT'S WHO WE SHOULD HONOR.

AND I'M GOING TO BE GLAD TO TO PUT MY VOTE IN FOR THIS ONE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'M GOING TO CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF RENAMING EAST PARK TO GABRIEL CHAVEZ PARK, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? UNANIMOUS DECISION.[APPLAUSE]

[5. Discuss Items for Future Agendas]

SURE. MAKE SURE IF THIS GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE NEXT MEETING, MAKE SURE YOU SIGN UP TO SPEAK BECAUSE THEY'LL WANT TO HEAR YOU.

OKAY, THANKS. WILL THAT BE ON THE AGENDA AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? WE'VE GOT IT ON THE AGENDA. AND WE'VE ALSO HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING SIGN THAT WAS PUT OUT IN THE PARK REFERENCE BOTH THE PARK BOARD AND ALSO THE COUNCIL MEETING.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE THE SIGN? I'LL GET WITH PARK MAINTENANCE AND FIGURE IT OUT.

IT SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO TERRIBLY LONG. YOU'VE GOT A DEADLINE FOR THIS LADY BACK HERE.

[LAUGHTER] ANYONE? ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT TIME? I GUESS I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

YOU CAN JUST END IT. WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

[APPLAUSE] SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.