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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 02/28/2018Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 1 of 9 BE A GOOD STEWARD: Protect & Respect your Parks, Trails & Recreation Facilities Call Meeting to Order: Scott Sinn called the meeting to order 5:34 PM. Agenda Review & Items of Note: Kurt Friesen – 10 Minute Presentation & Questions on Whitewater Park Citizen Participation: Approval of Minutes: Rob Cagen made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board minutes of January 24, 2018. Seconded by Catherine Carabetta – Minutes Approved: 8:0 Meeting Summary • The Board received a presentation from FoCo Roller Derby to learn about the sport of roller derby, the roller derby community goals, FoCo Junior Roller Derby and the organizations’ need for a practice and event space. • The Board provided their input to prioritize optional features for the Whitewater Park project, emphasizing the safety features. • Thank you, Coleen, for all your hard work with taking minutes, keeping us in the know and getting great, local food. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday, February 28, 2018 5:30 p.m. Board Chair: Scott Sinn – 2017 scott.sinn@ymail.com Council Liaison: Ken Summers - ksummers@fcgov.com Staff Liaisons: Mike Calhoon, 970-416-2079 – mcalhoon@fcgov.com Kurt Friesen, 970-221-6618 – kfriesen@fcgov.com Bob Adams, 970-221-6354 – badams@fcgov.com Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 2 of 9 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: FoCo Roller Derby – FoCo Roller Derby Board & FoCo Junior Roller Derby President • FoCo Roller Derby (FCRD) is a skater owned & operated 501(c)3 non-profit organization comprised of volunteers, skaters, & officials. FCRD promotes and fosters the sport of flat-track roller derby through athleticism, sportspersonship, inclusion, and empowerment of its members. FCRD is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association and is among 14 roller derby leagues within Colorado. • FoCo Junior Roller Derby (FCJRD) is also a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that develops character, confidence, leadership, healthy habits and positive social interaction in girls and boys ages 7 to 17 through the sport of Roller Derby. FCJRD has a ranking within the top 5 of Junior Roller Derby Association members globally. • FCRD does much more than just athletic & recreation programming; we also do event planning, fundraising, grant writing and community volunteering & outreach. We have an off-skates athletic training program to be the best athletes we can be. We are financed by league member dues, public donations, and grants. FCRD was awarded a grant from the Colorado Women’s Sports Fund from 2015-2017. • FCRD and FJRD have two venues we play & practice. We practice at Rollerland and play at The Events Center. We also do utilize the city trails and outdoor rinks in the summer. • We provide value to the community through volunteering and outreach with local nonprofit organizations and events. • Looking to develop a partnership that will allow us to become more stable and to grow the sport. This sport provides a confidence boost and support community in athleticism. The City of Fort Collins can help us to grow the way we want to. • We need practice space and potentially space to hold events. We’re looking at Northside Aztlan Community Center & the Senior Center to host practices & games, two days a week from 2-3-hour blocks & weekend evenings for 5-hour blocks. Discussion Board – Are these times on top of the time you practice at Rollerland and The Events Center or in place of? Presenter – This would be in place of our practice time at The Events Center, which is closing. Ideally, we would like to have one place to call home. We are growing and would like to continue to grow. Board – If you were to skate on a wood floor surface, what would happen to the floor? Presenters – Nothing would happen. A lot of roller rinks have wood floors. Board – Is there an age limit? Presenter – For our league age limit is 18 years old. Board – Are the lines on the floor permanent? Presenter – At Rollerland is painted on the floor. At the Events Center, we have tape on the floor along with all other sports such as hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, etc. Board – Have you reached out to the Poudre School District? Also, the Lincoln Center used to be Lincoln Jr High and may have some space. Presenter – We have, but we have not yet heard back from any of our contacts there. Board – What is your annual budget? What could you afford? Presenter – Our annual revenue and budget are roughly $50,000. Board – When you say travel, does that mean you travel for competition? Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 3 of 9 Presenter – Absolutely. The adult league will be competing in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Chicago. Juniors have upcoming trips to West Texas and Florida. Board – Are you guys as brutal as we used to see on television? Presenter – It’s not as bad. We have penalties for safety. You’re not allowed to punch or kick or to target the head or back. But you can get bruised. There are no alligators in the middle. Board – Have you talked to FC Bikes about joining Open Streets? Presenter – Junior Roller Derby did participate last Fall. Board – Can you go back to the slide that shows where other local leagues play? So, it looks like other leagues have relationships with cities & counties. Board – Have you talked to the Ranch? Presenter – Yes, and due to the cost, we were unable to use their space. Board – The Saturday 5-hour block, would that be for a bout? Will our facilities be able to handle a crowd that large? Presenter – On average we have 150 people attend. We’ve maxed out at 300. We charge admission. Staff – I would have to see the setup in the space to know. I’d also have to know if they’re chagrining at the door. Board – Would there be blocks of time this large available? Staff – That would be the challenge with the limited facilities we have and the many user-groups we serve. Board – You could go back to the Larimer County Fairgrounds as they’re expanding and may want to offer double-use in some of their expansion space. Staff – I’ll have to dig into the city ordinance regarding roller skating and the manufacturing recommendations for roller skating use on our floors. Board – There is a possibility that this space could be for practices rather than bouts too. Board – How much would it cost to build your own facility? Presenter – On the very low end, $2-3 Million. Board – I just want to say Thank you! It’s a cool sub-culture and supportive community. Rob Cagen mad a motion for staff to move forward with investigating feasible facility space, scheduling availability, legal city code, and facility maintenance to accommodate FoCo Roller Derby. Seconded by Kelly Smith. Passed 8:0 Whitewater Park – Kurt Friesen & Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager • This presentation was given to City Council last night during a work session to find out what it would take to get some additional funding to make this project what we want it to be. This is a legacy project for the City of Fort Collins that could change the face of our community. Additionally, this project will impact nearly every city department. The good news is we finally have the permits to go forward with this project. The costs estimates are coming in high which is limiting the scope of the project, $9 million for a base level project. This would mean we would have to remove additional features wanted. Last night Council approved our presentation regarding our additional funding sources but asked that we return to all the impacted boards to discuss our plan. With our current funding sources, we have $9,555,440 budget for the project. • We have acquired seven properties for this project; we’ll be improving these properties by moving them out of the floodplain by lowering the river. We’ll also be improving the river, such as enabling fish passage and recreational features. We will also improve bike access to northern communities and provide more access to Vine Drive. • Optional elements if more funding was provided for the project. $2,025,000 funding needed for these optional features: o Pedestrian Bridge – Integral role in trail connections Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 4 of 9 o South Bank Wall & Plaza enhancements – visible from the north side, so we’d like to make it more visually appealing. The current design would provide a shelter that mimics the curl of a rapid wave. o Landscape enhancements – this would expand landscape enhancements away from the river’s edge. o Concrete walks – The only ones currently provide ADA access to the water. This would be an upgrade from crusher fines to concrete. o Children’s Play Area – This would provide protected access for children to play in the river o Safety features – Site lighting, security cameras, emergency call station Discussion Board – Can funding for these optional features be requested in your BFO proposal? Staff – They can be, but we would like to get all of this done with one contractor and get locked into a price. It’s always harder to come back later and add things. Board – If you don’t get all your funding and just get half of it, how would you allocate that based on dependencies and features? Staff – We did talk to council about their prioritization. Some things we can’t come back and do later, such as the Bridge Abutment wall. It depends a lot on the sources. If we get stormwater dollars, it should go to stormwater features. Board – Are you going to talk with the Whitewater Group for the Philanthropic support? Staff – We are working in partnership with them, but we are taking the lead. Board – What is CCIP? Staff – It used to be called BOB 2. It stands for the Community Capital Improvement Plan. Board – How is Parks going to take care of this? Staff – Very carefully. We’ll put in a BFO offer to maintain this park & its features. Council also brought up this point last night. There are some Natural Area & Police concerns to consider with maintaining this park. This will also significantly improve the storm water and clearing out the floodplain/floodway. Board – I can see what this would provide with the nice job done at North Shields Ponds. Board – Should we be making this investment with the future of the river so hazy? Staff – We’re working with other water users, including the City of Fort Collins, to see if anyone would be willing to put water back into the water. It would be a complicated inter-governmental agreement, but my goal is to get someone up- river to put water back into the river. Even with all the current & projected use (including NISP), there is enough water to provide fishing, tubing, kayaking, etc. recreation. Board – Why would someone sell their water shares? Staff – Some users aren’t using the water, and it’s just going down the river. If there is a way for us to ensure it will stay in the river, we’d like to do that. They’re already storing NISP water up top; the project would just pipe it down I-25. Board – I have some of the same concerns about the water. But what has impressed me tonight is the park that is being built. That looks like a fantastic amenity to be added to downtown Fort Collins. It’s beautiful & unique. Board – What’s the impact going to be on traffic on College Ave? Will there be parking provided? Staff – Yes, there is an off-street parking lot. There will also be on-street parking on Vine Street. We’re also designing it so it can be expanded to almost double in the future. There is also parking at NACC & Old Heritage Park available that would service this park. There three parking garages within 1 mile of this park. Board – When you add a water feature to the park, is there any risk of liability to the city? Staff – We’ve been having those conversations with Poudre Fire & Rescue to discuss the risks of the whitewater park to make sure there is easy access, discussing how they can conduct a rescue, etc. Board – Have our Park Rangers also looked at this? Specifically, with the safety of having the lighting features. Staff – Yes, we have. We’ll be moving a lot of the excess foliage which will improve visibility. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 5 of 9 Staff – If council asks, is there anything you would like to state regarding the optional features? Are you okay with us asking for an additional $2 million? Board – I would prefer to provide our support as a motion. Not that council doesn’t read our minutes, but I’d like to show unanimous support. Board – The Pedestrian bridge does meet one of our goals to encourage trail connectivity. Additionally, the safety features are very important to the use of the space. I have concerns about the children’s play area during the high-water times of the year. Would it set a precedent to children to play in the water when it’s not safe? I would pull that one. It looks great a Twin Silos, but I would think it would be a risk on the Poudre River. It’s hard to provide guidance or a warning that will be heeded when it’s dangerous. This project has been going on for about 20 years. We would like to get ‘er done! Staff – We think no matter what we do, kids will want to get into the river. We would like to create a safe space for them to do so. We are going to sign it when it isn’t safe. We work with the PFA to do that currently. Board – Should we prioritize which features we would like most rather than say all? Based on the funding sources, we may not get that. Board – We would like to commend you for all the partnership you have established to see this project through. Scott Sinn made a motion to approve the all the additional funding aspects per the PPD presentation and to move the safety features up in priority within the list of optional features for the Whitewater Park Project. Second by Bruce Henderson. Passed 8:0 Transportation Liaison Q&A – Nathalie Rachline • Scott got an email from Eric, the chair of the Transportation Board, and one of their goals is to establish a liaison with other related boards. • We get updates on i25 expansion, transportation, Transfort, bicycle use, etc. There is the debate going on regarding electric bicycles that touches on trails that would overlap with discussions your board has. Discussion Board – Which City Departments come to your meetings? Presenter – FC Moves, Streets. We talk a lot about bicycles and trail connectivity. Board – How much input can you guys provide on the Transportation Plan? Are you actively involved in the process? Presenter – It’s not a 50/50 thing. I honestly haven’t seen that process happen yet, but it will be upcoming. We provide input on the plan they provide. Board – Is PPD involved in the Transportation Plan? Staff – We are, but we dovetail in our involvement with the City plan. I talk to FC Moves all the time. STAFF UPDATES: Park Planning Updates • Poudre River Whitewater Park - Based on a recent request from the Council Leadership Planning Team (LPT), Park Planning & Development presented an update to Council at a work session on Tuesday, Feb. 27 regarding the status of the whitewater park, and a proposal to fund currently unfunded elements of the project. The total cost of all unfunded elements is approximately $2M. Optional elements include the pedestrian bridge, south bank wall and plaza, lighting, safety features, and additional landscape enhancements. If funded in full, the total Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 6 of 9 cost of the project would be approximately $11.5M. City staff will provide a full presentation to the Board regarding this item. • Future Water Strategy - A consultant has been selected to investigate irrigation water supply options for future northeast parks including: Richards Lake, Lind, Crescent, Iron Horse, Interstate and the NE Community Park; as well as irrigation water supply for Sidehill Park and East Community Park on the south side of the Poudre River. The goal of the study is to identify potential irrigation water supply alternatives for each park site, as well as the costs associated with each alternative. This study is expected to be complete by summer, 2018. • City Park Refresh - A design consultant team, Construction Manager/General Contractor, and playground designer/manufacturer have been selected for the City Park Refresh. The Art in Public Places Board has approved the selection of an artist from a pre-approved list of local artists for this project. Field work for soils testing has been completed and a geo-technical report will be available in March to help direct design decisions and cost estimating efforts. The design team has completed preliminary schematic design and Hall Irwin (contractor) has prepared a high-level cost estimate from the schematic design plans. Construction of a first phase of City Park Refresh is still anticipated to begin in early 2019. o Coordination with the City Park Train project team continues as options for providing an accessible ride are explored. Continued close coordination will be needed to align the City Park Train project’s 18 month build time for the locomotive, and the installation of the tracks, with the City Park Refresh phase one improvements. o At the upcoming May 22 City Council Work Session, Park Planning and Development will provide an update to City Council on the status of the City Park Refresh project, including the City Park Train. • Streets Park - Design of Streets Park continues. Design features envisioned in the park include a pollinator garden, large “sugar beet” play sculpture, and architectural references to the nearby historic sugar beet processing facility. Park Planning & Development was recently notified by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) they were not successful in securing a GOCO Local Park and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) grant to provide additional funding for the project. Current funding sources for the park include contributions from Nature in the City, Noosa Yogurt, and neighborhood improvement funds associated with the Lincoln Corridor project. • Fossil Creek Trail – Shields to College - Additional Right-of-Way and one easement have been obtained from 4 property owners along Fossil Creek Drive, which will allow the trail to remain separated 5-10’ from the road, allowing a safer trail user experience. The flood retaining wall at the west tunnel entrance is being redesigned. Current floodplain modeling indicates an additional 3’ in height is necessary to prevent 100-year flood events from entering the railroad tunnel, as agreed upon with Burlington Northern Santa Fe during tunnel design. The projected date for bid advertisement is now mid to late April, with a construction start in May. Construction is projected to be complete Fall 2018. • Long View Trail - Construction of the Long View Trail is progressing on schedule, and is approximately 20% complete to-date. Bridge abutments for the two bridges on the Fort Collins portion of the trail are nearing completion, and the boulder walls are being constructed between Scenic Drive and Fossil Creek Drive. This portion of construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of March 2018. The contractor anticipates installing the concrete trail in early April, weather permitting. Construction is planned to be completed in June 2018. o Loveland Reporter Herald Article: http://www.reporterherald.com/news/loveland-local- news/ci_31676995/construction-underway-long-view-trail-from-loveland-fort This article can also be found on the Park Planning and Development website, on the Long View Trail page. Discussion Board – When you’re done with the Fossil Creek Trail segment, will there be a connection to Longview trail? Staff – Yes, there will be. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 7 of 9 Board – I noticed there was a delay in the Fossil Creek Trail completion due to trouble with property owners. Is there any risk of missing the grant? Staff – We’ve had some progress with the property owners. It’s looking positive, and I’m not worried about it. Board – Where are you at with the City Park Refresh? Staff – WE have a contractor on board that is putting together preliminary estimates. It’s looking about $6 Million for a total project cost, of which we have $1 million set. We’re going to be focusing on the train and the playground. Our goal is to stretch our money far enough to set the train, playground & pavilion. We will be moving the tennis courts, and they will not be included in the 1st phase. We will be coming to the community in late March, early April and will put in a BFO offer to fund the other aspects of the projects. Board – People still feel disconnected from the process since they provided input, then there was the design. They would still like to provide feedback on the design. Staff – I’ll acknowledge that in the meetings that they can provide feedback on the existing design. The only way I can accurately get a quote from a contractor is if I have a design. It’s about trying to get accurate costs to have the design process done. I feel like there has been citizen engagement with a delay in the result. Recreation Updates • Parks and Recreation Summer Job Fair - Summer Job Fair to be held at EPIC on Saturday, March 24 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm • Registration data for Spring 2018 - Includes Senior Members Early Registration and Mass Registration 2/6 thru 2/8/2018 o Total revenue from registrations = $231,610, comparison, last year’s Spring registration revenue was $192,469 o Total enrollments = 4,176; Spring 2017 = 3,563 • High record mark for Spring Registration! • 68% of all registrations used WebTrac o Includes a total of 372 Youth and Adult reduced fee enrollments with 40% registering online! o Top five enrollment areas: Youth Programs, Fitness, Trips & Travel, Youth Sports, Farm Discussion Board – We’re glad you’re tracking the revenue and social investment of the Reduced Fee program. Great job! Board – Are you still following up on the action plan for your staff? Has it been working well & been effective? Staff – We do have the action plan out there on share point. I’d be happy to share it with you. I can report more on the projects we’re working on this year next meeting. One is an equipment lifecycle replacement and inventory program & process. We’re also working on the CAPRA accreditation process. We’re working on a survey for the Plan, Do, Check, Act process. Board – What’s going on in Library Park? The playground has been ripped up. Staff – Park staff is doing ADA updates. The next Playground replacement will be Lee Martinez. Parks Updates • Holiday lights & decorations are coming down. It will take about three weeks to get everything down. • We’re actively finalizing our 4th of July contract for the fireworks. • We’re in the middle of replacing two ball fields & lighting at Rolland Moore. We’re putting in dark sky compliance LED lights. We could not get City Council to fund us with all four fields, so I’m worried about the feedback we’re going to get when comparing the new lights to the old traditional lights. I’m hoping I’ll be able to show council the difference in the light spillage. As an added feature, these lights are dimmable. • We’re in the middle of a 10-minutes’ walk to parks campaign. We’re working with marketing and grants on this project. It’s through NRPA for just parks. • Tim Buchanan’s replacement position will be posted in 2 weeks, and we anticipate hiring by the 1st of July. We do have some internal candidates we hope to see. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 8 of 9 Discussion Board – Can we get a demonstration from the fireworks contractors? Staff – Ha. I can see. Board – Do you know what the schedule volleyball court installation at Soft Gold park? Staff – I’ll check on that. Review City Council 6-Month Agenda • March 6th – I-25/Prospect Interchange – Could impact archery range. • March 20th – Whitewater Park Project URA • March 27th – Potential infrastructure financing. o West Nile update • May 15th – Employee Recognition • May 22nd – City Park Refresh work session Parks & Recreation Board Elections • Chair o Scott Sinn nominated. • Vice o Rob Cagen nominated. o Jessica MacMillan nominated. o Results 5:3 Rob Cagen elected. • Secretary o Kelly Smith nominated. Ragan Adams made a motion to approve the officers as elected. Seconded by Kelly Smith Passes All:0 • Bicycle Advisory Board Liaison – Kelly Smith nominated. o 4th Monday of the month from 6-8 PM • Natural Areas Board Liaison – Mary Carlson Bicycle Advisory Board Liaison Update • No report. The meeting is next week. • Electric Bicycles on Trails will be on the agenda. • A future topic of discussion for our board: Are trails for transportation or recreation? Schedule of Articles/Calendar • Mary Carlson is writing about the 40th Anniversary NACC for Summer Recreator. Jessica has volunteered for Fall. Topic to be determined. Bullet Points • FoCo Roller Derby • Optional Features recommendation on Whitewater Park • Thank you, Coleen, for all your hard work with taking minutes, keeping us in the know and getting great, local food. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned 7:56 PM Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – February 28, 2018 Page 9 of 9 Respectfully submitted, Coleen Elliott Board Attendance Board Members: Scott Sinn, Mary Carlson, Ragan Adams, Catherine Carabetta, Jessica MacMillan, Kelly Smith Staff: Mike Calhoon, Kurt Friesen, Bob Adams Guest: Bob Kingsbury, CSU Students (observing) Presenters: FoCo Roller Derby - Tracey Bjick, Jayne Niemann, Jesica Brown, Kayla Rexer, Fred Porter Transportation Board - Nathalie Rachline