The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department kicked off a series of public forums Monday night to discuss current and future projects.

Ernie Shaw, the interim director of the department, said Monday’s meeting was the first of three to gather public input on facility needs.

Held at Lawrence High School, the forum began with a presentation about what the Parks and Rec staff seeks to improve in Lawrence. The presentation mainly focused on the need for more youth sports facilities, a wellness center, and more development of neighborhood parks and trails.

“We kind of know as a staff where we need some large facilities,” Shaw said. “But we want to hear from the public, too, and make sure that their radar and our radars are connected.”

Another problem is the absence of a recreational center in northwest Lawrence — an important issue as the city continues to grow in that area.

“You show a 2-mile radius around the current (recreational) centers and the way the city has grown,” Shaw said, “we need a center someplace out in the west, north, northwest. … There’s a lot of population and a lot of people, and there’s really not an indoor facility for them.”

The Parks and Recreation department has two more forums planned. The next will be Nov. 5 at Free State High School, and the final one will be Nov. 10 at the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St.