Public swimming facilities and an expansion of the city’s multi-use pathways are on the minds of residents who weighed in on Bowling Green Parks and Recreation’s proposed ten year master plan.

The plan was presented to city commissioners on Tuesday by Andy Knight, president of the urban design firm MKSK and Leon Younger, president of the Indianapolis-based firm Pros Consulting. No action was taken by the city on the plan that night.

“This is a plan for everyone in Bowling Green,” Knight told the city.

More than 2,500 residents were engaged in different outreach efforts done to build the plan between January and October 2025. Knight stated that a community survey held during that time netted 533 responses and over 5,500 comments were received during community engagement events.

Members of the public gave insight into what projects they would like to see BGPR take. Public swimming pools, especially indoor swimming facilities, ranked at the top of what respondents saw as unmet needs with multi-use hiking, biking and walking trails and nature education centers ranking highly as well.

Adult fitness and wellness was the top priority for program investment under the survey.

“As we’ve seen population age, those programs are really sought after and really well attended,” Knight said.

Other priorities for investment include outdoor nature camps and programs and programs for cultural enrichment. Priorities for investments in facilites and amenities were also listed, and include multi-use trails and swimming pools along with planting more trees for shade in public areas and an increase in the number of public restrooms.

Commissioners voted to bring MKSK on to develop the master plan for $193,600 in November 2024. A city memo from then states that the master plan was needed to keep BGPR “well prepared towards ensuring our community continues to enjoy the highest quality of life possible” as the city grows.

The proposed master plan lists ten “recommendation themes” for BGPR. These themes include initiatives like improving community connectivity to parks, raising awareness for events and programming and enhancing parks programming “to educate, delight and inspire residents of all ages.”

Another recommendation was investing in new facilities, and doing it in a way that fills gaps in services and develop standards for design for other BGPR amenities.

“People want more of what you have, especially when it comes to sports fields,” Younger said. “This is an economic tool for the city — people love the parks, and … part of that is how do we create the kind of spaces that people really want to continue to use.”

Nothing listed in the master plan has been budgeted and no action was taken by commissioners on Tuesday. Officials will take a deeper look into the plan later this month in their strategic planning meeting.

“We have some big dreams, and it’s just laying those dreams out through the parks department and the city,” BGPR head Brent Belcher told commissioners.

Personnel with the Bowling Green Fire Department will soon begin receiving cancer and cardiac health screenings after commissioners approved a $144,500 bid from Brooklyn, New York-based United Diagnostic Services to complete the services.

“This is a big program for our department,” Deputy Chief Bret Smith said. “Cancer is an occupational risk for our firefighters, 100%.”

Firefighters are 11% more likely to develop cancer and are 14% more likely to die from it than the public, Smith stated. The screenings will be provided to 170 current and active duty personnel, and screenings will be available to BGFD retirees.

Commissioners will meet next on Jan. 20.