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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 02/25/2009Call Meeting to Order: Michael Chalona called the meeting to order at 5:33pm Agenda Review: Agenda was reviewed and Election of Officers was added to agenda for vote during meeting. Citizen Participation: Sarah Eschner, student at CSU in the Natural Resources History & Policy Class attended to observe how a Board conducts itself and items that are discussed. Approval of Minutes: Discussion: None. Motion to approve the minutes of January 28, 2009, by Fred Bitting, seconded by Jessica MacMillan — Minutes approved 7:0 Updates from Previous Minutes: January Meeting Question: - Bike Lane Standards: Arterials (2, 4 or 6 lanes) require an 8' bike lane Major Collectors (ex: Stuart St) have 8' bike lanes Local Commercial Streets (ex: Sharp Pointe Dr) have 6' bike lanes When a street project involves a state highway, the City discusses requirements with the State. Discussion/Questions: Is there a Bike Bill being discussed to require/allow drivers to give the biker a 3' leeway? There is a Bike Bill being discussed, but it currently it applies to all rural roads allowing drivers to cross the center line to give proper leeway to bikers. With the South College Corridor Plan not allowing for underpasses on College, the speed limit is a concern because it's very difficult to cross at the crosswalks now. Are they planning to reduce the speed limit? Craig will check into the speed limit concern. Policv Plan Update Council adopted the Policy Plan at the February 27, 2009, Council meeting. The Council discussion on the Policy Plan focused on the economic impacts a new recreation center might have on existing private sector businesses in the area; and environmental impacts. We have been charged with creating an Environmental Best Practices Use Manual which will involve Park Planning, Park Maintenance and Recreation. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 1 of 7 Agenda Items Indian Hills Park — This is a pocket park on East Stuart. There was a questions brought forth by one citizen, living in the area, regarding the non-existence of a walkway connecting Cherokee Dr. to the park. On the original Platt from 1957 there was an indication of a "crosswalk" between two homes that would lead to the park from Cherokee Dr. The walkway was never developed and has since been fenced in by one of the homeowners. This is about a 10' easement that contains various utilities. If the City were to pursue creating a walkway between the homes, the homeowner would have to remove the fence and some sheds. A utility electrical box behind the fence would have to be moved, fencing, new path and landscaping would need to be done; which would be at the City's expense of approximately $13,000; with on- going maintenance costs for snow removal and upkeep. If the City vacates the walkway, there are two routes which can be taken; either the owners are required to apply for the vacation in Engineering and pay an $800 fee, OR the City passes an ordinance and simply relinquishes ownership to the property to be divided between the 2 adjacent property owners equally. The property is not sold to the neighbors when it is vacated, it is transferred by the County Assessor's Office once the Ordinance authorizing the vacation is recorded at no charge to the neighbors. The City will vacate the space reserving the same as a utility easement. Either way, one half of the property would go to each owner and the one with the fence would then need to negotiate with the other neighbor to convey to him the other half already fenced in. Discussion/Questions: Since there has never been a walkway and it hasn't been an issue the past 50 years, it seems like a waste of resources to pursue creating a walkway at one person's request. In addition, having a narrow walkway is not particularly safe and when illicit behavior is taking place in the Park, it's an easier way for persons to "scatter" when the police have been called. A walkway might be a good idea; it would give neighbors easier access to their park. If the walkway was able to be wider, it would be a nice addition; but with the expense involved, and the safety concerns of a narrow walkway, it would be better to vacate. On a side note, there has been criminal activity in the Park and some of the problem may be with the overgrowth of trees and bramble in the Park. The Park's department did clear a lot of bramble, but it has grown back making areas to "hide"; perhaps Parks can take a look at this again. Would a light in the Park help? Carol will talk with Crew Chief about the concerns. Board Recommendation for Walkway Shirley Christian made a motion requesting the City Attorney to start Vacancy Proceedings, barring any legal issue to protect the City, leaving utility easement in place. Ann Hunt seconded the motion Board Approved Motion — 7:0 BFO Process Mike Freeman, Chief Financial Officer, sent memo on January 20 (Attachment A) asking for Board input on the 7 results areas. He wanted feedback on whether the 7 results should be expanded, eliminated or changed in scope. Discussion/Questions The 7 results seem to be working well, and changes don't appear to be necessary. There may be one recommendation to make on Number 2, Environmental Health. Since the statement includes water quality, air quality should be part of the statement as well. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 2 of 7 Board Recommendation Jessica MacMillan made a motion to add "and adheres to recommended air quality standards" to the end of Environmental Health statement. Fred Bitting seconded. Board Approved motion — 7:0 2 Environmental Health — Fort Collins creates, maintains and promotes a healthy and sustainable environment with an adequate, high quality water supply and adheres to recommended air quality standards. Election of Officers - Discussion: Jessica MacMillan shared that being an officer on the board enables members to gain a good understanding and buy -in on the Board. It offers an opportunity to see how the City works and interacts with City Council. - Nominations: Fred Bitting moved to keep Michael Chalona as Chair and Jessica MacMillan as Vice -Chair. Greg Miller seconded the motion. Approved by Board 7:0 Parks & Recreation Board Officers for 2009 Michael Chalona — Chair Jessica MacMillan — Vice -Chair Project Updates - New Fire Station: A new fire station will be built on the Donaldson farm located on the corner of Drake Road & South Taft Hill Road. It will replace the existing Fire Station #4 at 2030 Devonshire Road. The new fire station will allow Poudre Fire Authority better access in and out and more room. Since this land is no longer a working farm, Park Planning was able to remove the north fencing along the trail which allows the wildlife to move freely, as well as more room for bikers and walkers to maneuver along the trail. - Pickle Plant: The pickle plant was on the corner of Riverside and Mountain. The City purchased this land, and has been working with Art in Public Places to showcase this corner coming into the City of Fort Collins from Highway 14. The artist design plan for the area is to have a solar farm with 2x4 panels at varying heights to represent cucumber vines, with natural grasses and vegetation to the riverbank. This will be a working solar farm and tied to the Utilities department as a substation; therefore it will not be for public access; however, they may allow tours. The fencing around the facility is being discussed because it needs to be 8' high to meet Utility standards, but various esthetically pleasing possibilities are being considered. The project is not yet fully funded; Utilities will pay for the panels which is a large portion of the project cost. Art in Public Places pays for the artist and artwork. - Mountain Vista Plan: Pete Wray, Senior City Planner, will be introducing the Mountain Vista Plan next month. It is the area roughly between I-25, Vine Drive, Timberline & Mountain Vista. There is a site for a future high school and elementary school West of Timberline & North of Mountain Vista. The Community Park plan is a long way out, but negotiations with Anheuser-Busch have resulted in gaining 70 acres of their land just east of the new school. There have also been negotiations with the owner to the south of Mountain Vista which has gained an additional 40 acres of land. Both of these land acquisitions combine to create the site for the future Northeast Community Park. There have been extensive traffic studies on how current roads may be re-routed. There has been a concern that Mountain Vista would become a truck route. The City would like to have Mountain Vista as a gateway into Fort Collins. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 3 of 7 Additional Discussion Items - Soapstone Tour — If everyone is still interested we'll plan a tour of Soapstone in April for % day from 12:00- 5:00 on a Friday. J.R. will work with John to set up the tour and will work on a couple of dates in case of rain. - Trail at Nix — The test section of trail that has been restored seems to be working. We'll be bidding out for the remaining trail in March for construction. - Spring Creek Trail - On the Spring Creek Trail East of Stover there are 8 4x4 fence post without any fencing between the posts. It was assumed that they were put up to keep bikers from cutting across, but it seems strange since it doesn't seem complete... why are they there? Craig will check. Items of Note from Parks & Recreation Recreation Updates: Peggy Bowers, Recreation Manager, manages the Senior Center and the Farm at Lee Martinez - Senior Center staff finished the accreditation process for the National Council on Aging and we passed. We are now reaccredited which validates our programming and fiscal responsibility which in -turn helps us with seeking grants. - Spas and pools are under new standards which were passed in December, but no manufacturer had the new drain covers that are required by the law. Our spas have been drained of water and are waiting for the new drain covers to be installed. They should be here in mid -March. Our pools will also receive new drain covers when they are available. All other changes have been made or are being made to help us comply with the law. - Pathways publication from the Senior Center is changing its name to Enrich. We will be publishing about 23,000 copies (up from the current 8,600) and mail, March 18, to households with persons age 50 plus. - Staff has heard many times that passes should be available for use at all the recreation facilities. The platinum membership was converted to a Senior Annual Pass at the same cost of $300.00 but it will include the ability to be used at all the recreational facilities. After we evaluate this pass, we will be working on annual passes for Adult and Youth as well. - The Reduced Fee Scholarship Program allows people who qualify under Federal guidelines to apply for a 1/3 reduced or waived fee to classes and activities offered by Recreation. Without advertising this program we already exceed our budgeted dollars for this service. We will be putting in a BFO offer to help fund increased applications due to new advertising for this program. - The Recreator is a publication that comes out 3 times a year and lists all of our Recreation Classes. This is published through the Coloradoan. They sell advertising and print and distribute free, but this year they have to charge us for the first time. We will be encouraging the use of our website and are looking at alternatives to the Coloradoan as our publisher. We should have more information about this at the next meeting. - We are starting a branding campaign - What Moves You? — This campaign is to let people know Recreation is part of the City. Some people don't realize that the Senior Center or EPIC is City owned and operated by the City of Fort Collins. We will be using locale personalities to help promote Recreation. - Expansion Plan for the Senior Center is currently in the conceptual stage. There is a group of citizens who formed a 501C3 and hired a consultant, A -Train, to help develop a fund raising campaign for the expansion of the Senior Center. $4,000,000 will be raised through BOB (Building on Basics) which will fund an expansion south of the current gym to include a expanded fitness area. Additional money would expand the building to the west and provide a bridged walkway to classrooms,multi-use rooms, storage, office space and a lounge. New parking will have to be developed as well. The timeframe for the expansion to break ground is by 2014. Discussion/Questions What's the average age of folks who use the Senior Center? It's really a variable, there isn't an average age. How many square feet is the Senior Center? I don't know, but it's used so much we really need more space. It was built before seniors were such an active part of the community. They enjoy staying fit and socializing. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 4 of 7 Parks Updates: - Garden of Eatin' is underway. The Gardens are still short in revenue, but are way up in visitation. So, the new projects should help with revenue. - CSU Men's baseball has started playing at City Park South ball field. - We're gearing up for spring and preparing for low moisture. - We'll be working on our BFO offers. - Doug Perry was awarded the position of Golf Pro at City Park 9 Golf Course. He had been the Assistant Pro at Southridge. - Crown Pub was awarded the concessions at Collindale Golf Course. It will be called Crown Club, and we're working with Park Planning to expand the decking outside to accommodate larger tournaments. Correspondence - None Adjournment — Motion for meeting adjournment Jessica MacMillan, seconded Michael Chalona — Meeting Adjourned 7:40pm Respectfully submitted, 1 1 ut-C// �Q w Carol Rankin Administrative Support Supervisor Parks Department Board Attendance 'IVAoan.d Board Members: Fred Bitting, Brian Carroll, Michael Chalona, Shirley Christian, Ann Hunt, Jessica MacMillan, Greg Miller Staff: J.R. Schnelzer, Craig Foreman, Peggy Bowers, Carol Rankin Guest Speakers: None Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 5 of 7 ATTACHMENT A To: Board and Commission Liaisons From: Mike Freeman, Chief Financial Officer Date: March 25, 2009 Re: Board and Commission Involvement in 2020/2011 BFO Process The 2010 and 2011 Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) process begins in earnest this month! A critical component of the BFO process is public involvement. This year we are pursuing additional strategies to provide enhanced involvement for community members, including efforts to better engage and involve Board and Commission members. In the upcoming budget process, there will be three distinct opportunities for Boards and Commissions to provide input to the City Manager and City Council. I need your help to coordinate these opportunities with the Board or Commission with which you work. The following outlines the goals for Board and Commission input to the BFO process. 1. Input in Advance of the Spring City Council BFO Retreat Following the April City Council elections, the newly seated Council will meet to formulate their initial strategy for the 2010/2011 budget. One of the essential early inputs that staff can provide to the City Council is the priorities and recommendations of Boards and Commissions for Council consideration. Between now and mid -March, you will need to schedule as an agenda item a preliminary BFO discussion. There are two main issues for which you are being asked to solicit input: - Do the seven result areas (i.e. Economic Health, Transportation, Safer Community) still make sense as the priority areas through which to organize the BFO process or do they need to be modified? - Do the existing results statements adequately reflect the community's needs? You will be asked to complete the attached input forms and submit them to me by March 27, 2009. Please see the pages that follow for suggestions on how to facilitate this conversation. 2. Input Provided on the Draft Request for Results In May, following the development of the draft Request for Results (RFR) which outlines the priority programs and services being sought in the budget process, you will be asked to quickly solicit input from Board and Commission members on the RFR(s) that best relates to your Board or Commission. For example, the primary input from the Economic Advisory Commission will be on the Economic Health RFR. It will be important for the City Council to have the formal input of Board and Commission members prior to ratifying the RFR's. 3. Review Proposed Drilling Platforms from Results Teams Lastly, in August, you will be asked to solicit input from Board and Commissions on the recommended drilling platforms that outline priorities for funding. Information on how to solicit this input and the format for providing the summarized information will be provided later this year. Summary In summary, we hope to significantly improve the opportunities for Boards and Commissions to provide formal and more detailed input into the BFO process for Council's consideration and are asking your help as the Board or Commission liaison to assist in gathering this input. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 6 of 7 Board and Commission Input Regarding Overarching Results The following are the adopted Results that were used by the City staff and City Council to development 2008/2009 budget: 1. Economic Health 2. Environmental Health 3. Neighborhood Livability 4. Safer Community 5. Cultural, Recreational, and Educational Opportunities 6. Transportation 7. High -Performing Government Please provide feedback on whether that seven key results should be expanded, eliminated or changed in scope. Results Statements: 1. Economic Health — Fort Collins has a healthy economy reflecting the values of our unique community in a changing world. 2. Environmental Health — Fort Collins creates, maintains and promotes a healthy and sustainable environment with an adequate, high quality water supply. 3. Neighborhood Livability — Fort Collins improves the livability, choices, and affordability of our neighborhoods. 4. Safe Community— Fort Collins is a safe place to live, work, learn and play. 5. Cultural & Recreational Opportunities — Fort Collins provides diverse cultural and recreational opportunities that foster physical and mental well-being for community members. 6. Transportation — Fort Collins improves the safety and ease of traveling to, from and throughout the City of Fort Collins. 7. High -Performing Government — Fort Collins is a model for an entrepreneurial, high quality city government. Please review the Results Statement for the outcome(s) that most closely relates to your Board or Commission's mission. Summarize any recommended changes. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting - February 25, 2009 Page 7 of 7