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Home My WebLink AboutPARKS AND RECREATION BOARD - MINUTES - 03/27/2024 Park and Recreation Board Meeting March 27th, 2024 413 S Bryan 0 3/27/2024 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER Ken Christensen called the meeting to order at 5:31pm 2. ROLL CALL • List of Board Members Present Ken Christensen Nick Armstrong Mike Novell Marcia Richards Paul Baker Meghan Willis Josh Durand • List of Board Members Absent Bob Kingsbury • List of Staff Members Present Marc Rademacher – Sr Manager, Recreation Rob Crabb – Sr Manager, Parks/Cemeteries Jill Wuertz – Sr Manager, Park Planning & Development Scott Phelps – Sr Manager, Golf Rachel Eich – Business Support III 3. AGENDA REVIEW • Time added to the “Board Member Reports” section of the meeting for Marcia Richards and Nick Armstrong to present on Strategic Trails Plan (STP) and Super Issues meeting involvement 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION • No citizen participation 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES • Nick Armstrong moved to approve the February 2024 minutes as written at 5:33pm, Marcia Richards seconded, all in favor. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS • No unfinished business Parks and Recreation Board TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting 0 3/27/2024 – MINUTES Page 2 7. NEW BUSINESS • Conservation Group: RE Hughes (Ray Caraway, Carin Avila, Tammy VerCauteren) o Three partners proposing the Wildlife and Nature Campus concept for the former Hughes Stadium property. o Executive Directors  Carin Avila: Rocky Mountain Raptor Program  Tallon Nightwalker: Northern Colorado Wildlife Center  Tammy VerCauteren: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies o The proposal for a wildlife and nature campus:  Serve as a bridge to connect people to wildlife and nature  Provide educational opportunities  Inclusion of interpretive trails  Opportunity to connect with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts o Growing list of support form other groups (i.e., Audubon Rockies, Colorado Open Lands, Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources, etc.) o Working on a formal MOU with CSU regarding future collaboration for the project. o Hoping to share the overall idea with the Parks and Recreation Board to create familiarity with the project with the hope for future support from the board. o Group will be engaging indigenous leaders throughout the process to recognize their presence and honor the stewardship the indigenous nations have done for the land. o Bird Conservancy of the Rockies overview:  Founded in 1988, headquartered at Barr Lake State Park  Mission: Conserve birds and their habitats through science, education, and land stewardship  Work collaboratively with other City groups • Natural Areas (bird monitoring) • Community Science project (monitoring screech owls on Poudre River) • Spring and Fall banding station at Pineridge Natural Area o Rocky Mountain Raptor Program overview:  Began in 1987, originally as a vet student club with CSU  Mission: Inspire the protection and conservation of raptors and the environment through excellence in rehabilitation, education, and research o Concept overview:  Goal to build a gateway to nature in the community  Group sees strong alignment with the values of the City of Fort Parks and Recreation Board TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting 0 3/27/2024 – MINUTES Page 3 Collins and the voters  Facility would occupy 40-60 acres in the northeast corner of the property with a building footprint of 5 acres. The majority of the land will be focused on nature, land restoration, and connectivity to existing trails in the surrounding Natural Areas.  Campus will enhance engagement with nature and promote a better understanding of wildlife and conservation for people from all backgrounds  Activities will include habitat restoration to improve land and wildlife habitats, wildlife rescue and rehab services, and volunteer/education opportunities.  Group hopes to collaborate with the community to foster low impact recreation opportunities (walking, hiking, skiing, etc.) o Questions:  Board member asked if all groups would relocate to one site. • All groups would relocate to office out of one facility  Board member asked the group to expand on the collaboration with the indigenous/native groups. • Currently coordinating with Native groups to understand the sacred spaces • Reaching out to the City of Fort Collins DEI group and the First People’s organization (multi tribal group)  Board member asked if this facility will still happen if it is not located at the Hughes Stadium site • Group knows they have to coordinate and collaborate with other groups and the City to make it happen  Board member discussed the intentional development the City does by following multiple strategic plans (ReCreate Plan, Strategic Trails Plan, Natural Areas Strategic Framework, etc.)  Staff provided an update on Hughes site development • The City does not have a full scope of work identified • Re engagement likely to begin this year with a series of 5 to 6 potential concepts o Golf Update  Staff overview of Golf Division • Enterprise fund: does not get money from the general fund o Grew from $3.7 million in 2021 to $5.3 million • 3 golf courses o Collindale (1971) o South Ridge (1984) o City Park Nine (1940) Parks and Recreation Board TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting 0 3/27/2024 – MINUTES Page 4 • Staff Structure o Public/private model: Contracted golf professionals and food and beverage. Managed, maintained, and administered by the City. • Board member asked how they can best support the Golf Division. o Continue to support and push through plans for irrigation systems in the budgeting processes • Youth scholarship fund now run through a community group in partnership with CityGives 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS • Nick Armstrong and Marcia Richards attended the Strategic Trails Plan Community Working Group meeting and the Boards and Commissions Super Issues meeting. o Interest from board member chairs to gather to check on agendas o Air Quality Board expressed interest in the Urban Forest Strategic Plan o Human Relations Board would like to engage in a collaborative effort with the Hughes Stadium Site. 9. OTHER BUSINESS • Recreator Article o Josh Durand and Nick Armstrong to write article on the History of the Farm – due May 24th • Recreation Update – Marc Rademacher o SE Community Center  Under contract negotiations for the owners rep  Expecting to have a design team on board later this year with collaboration with PSD to come o Mulberry Pool Feasibility Study kicked off with preliminary findings coming in the next month o Registration software  Recreation team had to go back to the old system for the latest registration period o Applying for a Congressionally Directed grant to fund the childcare wing of the new SE facility • Parks Update – Rob Crabb o Moving into the Spring sports season o Hiring efforts are moving forward for multiple positions  15 new hourly staff on board  15% of technician workforce to turn over o Cemetery team engaged with landscape architect consultant to work on Parks and Recreation Board TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting 0 3/27/2024 – MINUTES Page 5 the future of Roselawn Cemetery  Grandview will likely be at capacity in 20-30 years o Continuing with Park Ranger hiring o February 2024 was one of the top three wettest and warmest months since keeping weather records. • Park Planning & Development Update – Jill Wuertz o In the middle of BFO process o Next public open house for the future schoolside park near Bacon Elementary school scheduled for Thursday, April 4th o First public open house for the Strategic Trails Plan scheduled for Monday, April 15th o Mail Creek Trail under construction o Nesting bald eagles discovered at Arapaho Bend Natural Area. Will likely impact the planned construction start date for the Poudre River Trail o 9/11 Memorial irrigation and landscape work to be completed by Parks Department o Westfield Tennis court replacement set to begin 10. ADJOURNMENT Ken Christensen adjourned the meeting at 7:55pm