HomeMy WebLinkAboutPARKS AND RECREATION BOARD - MINUTES - 04/24/2024
Park and Recreation Board Meeting
April 24th, 2024
413 S Bryan
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1. CALL TO ORDER
Ken Christensen called the meeting to order at 5:36pm
2. ROLL CALL
• List of Board Members Present
Ken Christensen
Nick Armstrong
Marcia Richards
Meghan Willis
Josh Durand
Lorena Falcon
John Mola
• List of Board Members Absent
Mike Novell
Paul Baker
• List of Staff Members Present
LeAnn Williams – Director, Recreation
Mike Calhoon – Director, Parks
Jill Wuertz – Sr Manager, Park Planning & Development
Rachel Eich – Business Support III
Dave Kemp – Sr Trails Planner, Park Planning & Development
Jen Torrey – Sr Landscape Architect, Park Planning & Development
Amanda Castelli – Landscape Architect, Park Planning & Development
3. AGENDA REVIEW
• Introduction of new board members
o John Mola: Assistant professor at CSU teaching Forest Ecology and
collaborating with Denver Parks and Rec
o Lorena Falcon: Landscape Architect at private firm in Fort Collins
• “Board Elections” moved to end of the meeting
4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
• No citizen participation
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Parks and Recreation Board
TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting
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• Meghan Willis moved to approve the March 2024 minutes as written at 5:51pm, Nick
Armstrong seconded, all in favor
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
• 2050 Tax Update – LeAnn Williams / Mike Calhoon (5 min.)
o Half of the $11 million to be allocated at this point
o Team is submitting 3 different offers based on feedback from City Council
▪ Building capacity and data to expand Parks Infrastructure
Replacement (staffing) – Manager, Park Planner, Sr Analyst for
Finance, & Communications Specialist
▪ Accelerated Parks & Recreation Infrastructure Replacement
• Focused on projects that can be completed this year
▪ Top 40 project list delivery
o First reading of 2024 mini BFO offers is May 7th – on consent
o Will be working on creating a dashboard in the future to document
infrastructure replacement projects
o Tax totals can be found at fcgov.com/salestax/salesreport
7. NEW BUSINESS
• Strategic Trails Plan Update – Dave Kemp (10 min.)
o Currently in phase 1 of project
▪ Phase I: Vision & Needs (March – May)
▪ Phase II: Proposed Connections & Policies (June – October)
▪ Phase III: Draft Plan & Recommendations (October – March ’25)
o Plan Leadership
▪ Community Working Group: At-large representation
▪ City Boards: PRAB, AMAB, DAB, LCSB
▪ City Council
o Our City Project Webpage
▪ Links to questionnaire, interactive map, & “History of Trails” Story
Map
o Northern Colorado Trails Summit (Sept. 26th, 4:30 – 8)
▪ “Exhibit” hall and networking event with regional presentations and
keynote speaker
o Next steps: Synthesizing public input and sharing proposed new
connections and trail experiences.
o Josh Durand asked if linear bike park facilities are being considered to
help address some of the community desire for a bike park.
▪ Plan will look to identify potential areas where linear and adjacent
bike park facilities could be implemented
• Schoolside Park Near Bacon Elementary School – Jen Torrey & Amanda Castelli
Parks and Recreation Board
TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting
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o Discussed typical park amenities for the different parks in Fort Collins
(Community Parks, Neighborhood Parks, and Schoolside Parks)
o Site constraints
▪ Adjacency to Timberline Road, no on-street parking, Mail Creek
ditch, existing house deconstruction, and lack of sanitary sewer
connection
o Hosted two public open house meetings to gather input and present initial
potential concepts
o Project schedule
▪ Concept design – Spring 2024
▪ Design plan and construction documents finalized – Summer 2024
▪ Construction begins – Spring 2025
▪ Anticipated park open – Fall 2025
8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
• Marcia Richards attended the STP Public Open House
• Meghan Willis gave kudos to the Parks and Recreation staff
o EPIC hosted Fossil Ridge High School after prom
o Ladies golf
o Event at the Senior Center
• Nick Armstrong presented on a feasibility study Visit Fort Collins is conducting
examine a potential conference center in north Fort Collins (Tuesday, April 30th)
9. OTHER BUSINESS
• Recreator Article
o Josh Durand and Nick Armstrong met with Bridget (The Farm @ Lee
Martinez) to work on the next article for the Recreator.
o Rachel to add “Pickleball Feasibility Study” to the list of article topics
• Recreation Update – LeAnn Williams
o Mulberry Pool replacement feasibility study in progress
▪ Rebuilding at the current site likely not an option based on existing
challenges
▪ Looking for other locations in the same geographic area
o SE Community Center kickoff with owners rep (Wember)
▪ Working on project charter before RFP is released for design team
o DaySmart
▪ Contract cancelled with Day Smart recreation software
▪ Department going through a LEAN process to identify pain points
with current software system
o Kids in the Park on Sunday
o Upcoming Ops Services projects that will contribute to 2050 money)
Parks and Recreation Board
TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting
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▪ EPIC ice chiller system replacement ($4.4 million)
▪ EPIC flooring and dasher boards
▪ EPIC shell of 50 meter pool ($2.2 million)
▪ EPIC lesson pool ($300k)
▪ EPIC and Senior Center HVAC system
o SE Community Center put forward for congressionally directed spending
for the childcare wing ($5 million)
• Park Planning & Development Update – Jill Wuertz
o Mail Creek Trail construction underway
o Paused on the Poudre River Trail Arapaho Bend to Timnath section due
to nesting bald eagles
▪ Still working through PUC negotiations
o Purchase of land for the future park near the Mosaic Neighborhood set to
be finalized on April 29th
o Pickleball Feasibility Study webpage to be launched
o Westfield tennis courts being replaced
• Parks Update – Mike Calhoon
o Event season has started
o Anticipated to be fully staffed by Memorial Day
o Rolland Moore ball field renovations, working with Triple Crown
o Work underway on the Pleasant Valley Lake Canal
o Arbor Day event to take place at Johnson Elementary School
o Shoutout to the marketing team for all the work they are doing for the
Parks and Recreation Departments
o Informational QR codes will launch with the downtown flowers
• 6-month Planning Calendar
o 2050 tax appropriation (5/7 Council Meeting)
o SE Community Center grant funding (5/7 Council Meeting)
o Council Priorities workplan discussion (5/14 Work Session)
o CCIP discussion (6/11 Work Session)
o 2025-2026 Recommended Budget Preview (6/26 Work Session)
o 2025 – 2026 Budget Public Hearings set (9/3 Council Meeting)
• Board Elections
o Marcia Richards nominated Nick Armstrong for Board Chair at 8:23pm
▪ Josh Durand seconded the nomination
o Nick Armstrong nominated Meghan Willis for Board Co-Chair at 8:24pm
▪ Marcia Richards seconded the nomination
o Nick Armstrong nominated Josh Durand for Board Secretary at 8:25pm
▪ John Mola seconded the nomination
o Ken Christensen made a motion at 8:26pm to accept the ballot as
presented, John Mola seconded, all in favor
Parks and Recreation Board
TYPE OF MEETING – Hybrid Meeting
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10. ADJOURNMENT
Ken Christensen adjourned the meeting at 8:32pm