HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-25 KCPRC Regular Meeting OFFICIAL
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MINUTES
Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee Meeting
Hybrid Meeting
Town Council Chambers - 120 Civic Plaza Drive
Thursday, September 25, 2025
3:30 p.m.
1. Opening Items
A. Call to Order
The Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee Meeting was called to order by Committee Chair Oswald 3:44
p.m.
B. Roll Call
Deputy Town Clerk Miquela Mangum called roll, and a quorum was present.
Those present were:
Committee Chair Genevieve Oswald
Committee Member George "Fritz" Hahn
Committee Member Peggy Nelson
Committee Member Horacio Trujillo
Committee Member Sylvia Rodriguez
Also Present:
Town Clerk Denise Martinez
Deputy Town Clerk Miquela Mangum
Absent/Excused:
Committee Member Jesse Winters
Committee Intern Paxton Henry
C. Pledge of Allegiance
Committee Chair Oswald led the Pledge of Allegiance.
D.Approval of Agenda
Committee Member Nelson motioned to approve the agenda with the proposed changes to postpone 4.A.
and 5. C. to the October meeting. Committee Member Rodriguez seconded the motion. The motion passed.
The Committee members voted as follows: Ayes: Nelson, Rodriguez, Hahn, and Trujillo.
E. Introduction of Items for the Committee - None
2. Citizens Forum
A. Citizens wishing to speak shall limit their comments to 5 minutes. Citizens may submit comments to
Committee Chair Genevieve Oswald at goswald@taosnm.gov. No action may be taken.
None
3. Consent Agenda -The items in the Consent Agenda have been reviewed by the Committee Chair, and the
Chair has placed these items on the Consent Agenda for the purpose of voting on all items with one vote. The
items listed are for the Committee's consideration and approval.
A. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of August 28, 2025, Kit Carson Park Renaming
Committee Meeting Minutes. (Deputy Town Clerk Miquela Mangum)
Committee Member Nelson motioned to approve the August 28, 2025, Kit Carson Park Renaming
Committee Meeting Minutes. Committee Member Trujillo seconded the motion. The motion passed. The
Committee members voted as follows: Ayes: Nelson, Trujillo, and Hahn.Abstain: Rodriguez due to
absence from that meeting.
4. Updates
A. Update regarding public engagement events (Taos Mainstreet Community Engagement Coordinator
Arcenio Trujillo) Postponed to the October meeting during the approval of the agenda.
B. Discussion of final survey results (Committee Chair Genevieve Oswald)
Committee Chair Oswald presented final survey results and noted the survey closed Sunday with higher
participation after Taos News ran the link. She reported that respondents most often recalled family gatherings,
youth sports, and concerts and festivals; the ice-skating rink remained a cherished memory, and they mused that
the volleyball fields might accommodate a small rink. Not all feedback was positive: respondents cited drug activity,
assaults, dog attacks, and unsafe conditions, and many urged better lighting, security, and extended hours.A
notable share asked that the park's current name be retained, while others supported change paired with
education.
Survey participants called for removing fences when not in use, restoring clean permanent bathrooms, adding an
all-abilities playground, more courts, and additional picnic seating, and lowering cost barriers, including concern
about the $125 rental fee. They sought more free or affordable community events and stronger accessibility across
paths and play areas. Preservation priorities centered on the cemetery and historical interpretation, trees and open
landscapes, and restoring features such as the duck pond, acequias, bandstand, murals, ball fields, and
playgrounds. Chair Oswald summarized cross-cutting themes of belonging, safety, stewardship, accessibility and
equity, cultural representation, and creativity through arts and festivals, and concluded that the 53 total responses
(including in-room input)offered a clear foundation for the next phase.
Committee Member Trujillo thanked Chair Oswald, said the results reflected shared values and gave a solid basis
to solicit name suggestions, noted that about fifty responses were significant for Taos, and mentioned parallel
conversations, including at UNM Taos. He felt confident presenting the material to the community and had ideas for
how to frame the values going forward. Chair Oswald agreed the findings were validated by their repetition and
said the results positioned the committee for broader engagement and a public role in choosing a name; they
welcomed revising value labels and emphasized a collaborative process.
5. Matters from the Committee
A. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee values
statement.
Committee Chair Oswald explained that the draft summarized the previously discussed survey findings. Members
expressed general support; Committee Member Nelson called the statement inclusive, Committee Member
Rodriguez said it seemed fine, and Committee Member Trujillo appreciated the work while recommending
simplifications for clarity. He proposed separating "belonging"from "intergenerational connection," removing
"dialogue and democratic process" as a standalone value, reframing "safety and security" as"well-being,"
simplifying "ecological and historical stewardship" to"stewardship," reconsidering whether"equity" should remain
paired with "accessibility," and splitting "creativity and celebration" into "play" and "celebration,"with an emphasis
on including creativity.After Committee Member Nelson sought clarification, Committee Member Trujillo confirmed
that"stewardship" should stand alone, with historical elements addressed under cultural respect.
After Chair Oswald updated the values statement, Committee Member Trujillo suggested minor edits—"open to and
usable by all people" under Accessibility and explicit inclusion of creativity under Play—while Committee Members
Nelson and Rodriguez agreed that"cultural respect" could subsume"representation"to streamline the language.
Chair Oswald incorporated these edits, later broadening "youth activity"to "social activity"to reflect adult use of the
park and confirming that creativity remained in the Play section. The committee also discussed using interpretive
signage and other historical storytelling throughout the park, noting opportunities for partnerships beyond the Town,
potential involvement of a future Historical Preservation Commission and Planning &Zoning Commission
subcommittee, and youth engagement.
Committee Member Hahn motioned to approve the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee values statement
with recommended changes following the discussion. Committee Member Nelson seconded the motion.
The motion passed. The Committee members voted as follows: Ayes: Hahn, Nelson, Rodriguez, and
Trujillo.
B. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the timeline and content of a survey accepting park
name suggestions to be posted on the KCPRC web page.
Committee Chair Oswald explained that the survey content would be updated to align with the newly adopted
values and outlined a value-based prompt format for respondents. The committee refined that approach, asking
that"belonging"explicitly include reconciliation and community restoration, that"stewardship," "well-being,"
"accessibility," "cultural respect," "play," and "celebration" remain as distinct prompts, and that examples not be tied
to individual values.They agreed to place a short, alphabetized set of illustrative names at the end, to invite names
in any language, and to note that the committee may present bilingual or multilingual versions of any recommended
name.
The committee debated whether to include sample names at all and agreed to keep a small list to spark ideas while
minimizing anchoring. They further resolved to include a clear statement that representatives from Taos Pueblo had
shared that they and other Indigenous peoples do not name places after individuals, and that the committee would
heed this guidance by excluding personal names from consideration; members adjusted wording for precision,
capitalization, and placement immediately after the "how to recommend a name" instructions. On mechanics, the
committee agreed to provide a single open response field for name suggestions rather than separate boxes per
value.They discussed submission limits; while some favored caps to encourage thoughtfulness, the committee
accepted collecting all suggestions and deduplicating them upon export to a spreadsheet from the survey tool,
emphasizing that this was not a popularity vote but an idea-gathering step.
For outreach, the committee supported posting the survey on the KCPRC webpage and sharing it broadly via
social media to expand participation, particularly among younger residents. They favored using new committee
accounts managed with support from Committee Intern Paxton Henry, and avoiding X, opting instead for Threads
(with Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, and Snapchat, and recommended disabling comments on posts.
In discussing timing, members aimed to close the survey ahead of the late-October meeting to allow compilation
and review, and they recognized the goal of presenting a recommendation to the Town Council before year-end,
preferably at a special meeting in early November.The committee coalesced around closing the survey on October
21 to provide at least a day for data preparation before the October 23 meeting.
Committee Member Nelson motioned to approve the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee survey copy as
revised, authorizing posting to KCPRC webpage, authorizing distribution of survey link via
Threads/Facebook/Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, and closing survey date of October 21. Committee
Member Rodriguez seconded the motion. The motion passed. The Committee members voted as follows:
Ayes: Nelson, Rodriguez, Hahn, and Trujillo.
C. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of draft land acknowledgement language, including a
proposed call to action and consideration of publication on the KCPRC webpage. Postponed to the October
meeting during the agenda approval.
D. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee meeting
dates for October.
The committee agreed to meet on October 23rd and October 30th.
Committee Member Nelson motioned to approve the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee October
meeting dates of Thursday 10/23 and Thursday 10/30. Committee Member Trujillo seconded the motion.
The motion passed. The Committee members voted as follows: Ayes: Nelson, Trujillo, Hahn, and
Rodriguez.
6.Adjourn
Committee Member Trujillo motioned to adjourn the meeting. The motion was carried unanimously, and the
meeting adjourned at 5:28 p.m.
APPROVED:
-Genvieve Oswald, Committee Chair
ATTEST: y,
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k Miguel&Mange Deputy Town Clerk
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ATTENDANCE SIGN-IN SHEET
* Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee
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Meeting - Town Council Chambers
Thursday, September 25, 2025
3:30 p.m.
PRINT Name Clearly Residence (Not Mailing Address)
'' CITIZENS FORUM SIGN-IN SHEET
(5 MINUTE TIME LIMIT)
Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee Meeting
z:" 1934
Town Council Chambers
Thursday, September 25, 2025
3:30 p.m.
PRINT Name Clearly Residence (NOT mailing address) TOPIC
Possibility Gathering Name Suggestions.
Post in survey form on KCPRC Webpage.
How to Recommend a Name:
When recommending a name for the park, think about how it reflects the values the
community identified in the previous survey. Below are some prompts for each value below.
Representatives from Taos Pueblo have shared with the committee that they and other Native
peoples do not name places after individuals. The committee has decided to heed this wisdom
and will not be including personal names as possible suggestions for the name of the park.
1. Intergenerational Connection
Honor family gatherings, youth activities, or shared traditions.
2. Well-Being
Evoke peace, protection, or healing.
3. Stewardship
Tie the name to natural or cultural features— acequias, trees, mountains, or the
cemetery's history.
4. Belonging
Symbolize coming together and community restoration.
5. Accessibility
Express openness, accessibility, or inclusion for all people.
6. Cultural Respect
Recognize the cultural diversity of Taos— Indigenous, Hispanic, Anglo, and others
— or honors voices often left out of history.
7. Play
Recognize the delight of play and social activity at the park.
8. Celebration
Celebrate music, art, and the joy of gathering.
A empty suggestion box could be located with each of the seven values or there could be one
singular box.
Some name suggestions are as follows: "Acequia Madre Park", "Alamo Park","Festival
Grounds", "Generations Park", "Parque de las flores"
Names in any language can be suggested. The committee may recommend names be
included in multiple languages for any name proposed to the Town Council.
KCPRC Community Values Statement
Through community surveys and public engagement, Taosenos have expressed a clear vision
of what matters most in the future of our town's central park. These values guide the work of
the KCPRC and will shape the criteria for selecting a new name.
Community Values for the Park
1. Intergenerational Connection
The park is a place where families gather, children play, and traditions are passed
between generations. It should remain a shared commons where all feel welcome.
2. Well-Being
The community values a park that sustains well being, where people are cared for, and
experience healthy activity—with open access, lighting, and facilities that ensure
comfort for all.
3. Stewardship
The park's acequias, trees, cemetery, and natural landscapes connect us to our land and
culture.
4. Belonging
The park itself reflects a commitment to shared space and civic inclusion. Community
members from all walks of life find value in the shared community space.
5. Accessibility
The park should be open to and usable by all people —across ages, abilities, incomes,
and cultures. Removing barriers of cost, design, and perception is essential to equity.
6. Cultural Respect
Names, programs, and events should reflect the diversity of Taos— honoring the history
of Indigenous, Hispanic, Anglo, and other cultural traditions in Taos with respect and
equity.
7. Play
Historically the park has been a center for family fun, social activity, and creativity. Play
for all ages and delight in that play is essential to our community.
8. Celebration
The community cherishes music, art, festivals, and play. The park should continue to be a
stage for joyful expression and collective celebration.
Together, these values ensure that the park's new name and future reflect who we are as a
community— inclusive, rooted in history, and oriented toward a shared future.
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Thursday, September 25, 2025
Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee Meeting
The meeting will be held at the Town Council Chambers at 120 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos, NM
3:30 p.m.
1. Opening Items
A. Call to Order
B. Roll Call
C. Pledge of Allegiance
D. Approval of Agenda
E. Introduction of Items for the Committee
2. Citizens Forum
A. Citizens wishing to speak shall limit their comments to 5 minutes. Citizens may submit comments to Committee Chair Genevieve Oswald
at goswald@taosnm.gov. No action may be taken.
3. Consent Agenda -The items in the Consent Agenda have been reviewed by the Committee Chair, and the Chair has placed
these items on the Consent Agenda for the purpose of voting on all items with one vote. The items listed are for the
Committee's consideration and approval.
A. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of August 28, 2025 Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee Meeting Minutes. (Deputy
Town Clerk Miquela Mangum)
4. Updates
A. Update regarding public engagement events (Taos Mainstreet Community Engagement Coordinator Arcenio Trujillo)
B. Discussion of final survey results (Committee Chair Genevieve Oswald)
5. Matters from the Committee
A. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee values statement.
B. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the timeline and content of a survey accepting park name suggestions to be posted
on the KCPRC web page.
C. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of draft land acknowledgement language, including a proposed call to action and
consideration of publication on the KCPRC webpage.
D. Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of the Kit Carson Park Renaming Committee meeting dates for October.
6.Adjourn