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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 03/28/2018Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 1 of 7 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: The Model Rocketry Demonstration was postponed due to the weather. Citizen Participation: Approval of Minutes: Jessica MacMillan made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board minutes of February 28, 2018. Seconded by Kelly Smith – Minutes Approved: 7:0 Meeting Summary • Staff provided the Board an update on their research, recommendations and other ideas regarding FoCo Roller Derby’s request to use City of Fort Collins Recreation facilities. • Parks staff presented information on the Technical Advisory Committee review of the West Nile Virus program, staff recommended changes and other proposed options to meet better it’s the program goals. The Board supported the staff’s recommendation to decrease the VI threshold to 0.50 and remove the human case requirement. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday, March 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 – March 28, 2018 Page 2 of 7 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: Roller Derby Staff Update – Marc Rademacher & Bob Adams • FoCo Roller Derby has requested the use of Northside Aztlan Community Center or Fort Collins Senior Center, two practices per week for 2 or 3 hours and Weekend evening one time per month for 5 hours. • Roller Derby track space requirements without spectators are 108’ x 78’. Senior Center could accommodate with no seating (its 120’x80’). Northside could accommodate the sizing for competitions (including bleachers) – it would require all three courts. • Recreation Facility Regulations: The following Unacceptable Behaviors are prohibited in all facilities covered by these regulations: 16) Use of bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, or skates, whether or not motorized, except as expressly authorized. o Rental Agreement prohibits the use of tape on wood gym floors • The City does not allow roller skating or rollerblading based on the recommendation from industry experts: o Maple Floor Manufacturers Association - does not recommend the use of roller skates/blades on a standard gymnasium floor. Nylon, plastic, and metal wheels can cause scuff marks and scratches on the gymnasium finish. Ongoing skating activities can shorten the life of the finish, and skating accidents have the potential to cause damage to the maple flooring itself. Maple is the preferred surface for use in roller rinks. However, the finish application for a roller rink differs from that of a gymnasium, and the maple is always laid in the direction of the skating (usually in a hexagonal or octagonal pattern.) These minor differences in installation procedures produce a surface much more geared to skating use than installation procedures typically employed for a recreational facility and gymnasium installations. o Wood Floor Care from the manufacturer - The wheels and repetition of rollerblades or scooter carts will wear floor finish within a short period. The static and wheel oil can make your floors slippery. The use of tape will wear floor finish and create uneven surfaces. • City of Fort Collins Operations Service Department - We do not support using our gym floors for roller derby for several reasons: o Our floors were not designed for this type of use o Damage created by skates could be severe o The cost to screen and re-coat the floor after this type of use would be $3,000 - $5,000 per the Colorado Parks & Recreation Association o If the floor subsurface or striping were damaged, we would have to sand the floor down to bare wood, re-line and seal the floor and this cost could be $15,000 - $20,000 Colorado Association of Recreational Athletics meeting last week o If our recommendation were overruled, we would have to perform a pre-inspection and post- inspection, and the roller derby group would have to be responsible for all costs to repair the floor. • We reached out via email to the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association email list and asked if anyone allows roller skates or roller blades on their gym floor. Not one agency responded stating that they would allow it on wood floors. • Staff attended a Colorado Association of Recreational Athletics meeting last week and discussed anyone allowing Roller Derby on Wood Floors. No one currently allows skating on gym wood floors. Greeley Fun Plex has sport court and said they would allow it if there was time available to rent. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 3 of 7 • Pike Peak City Auditorium - Multi-purpose auditorium with an old floor. Athletics is not the main use of this floor. They do get scratches on the floor, and the roller derby has caused damage to the finish. After competitions, he said they have to bring in extra buffers to get out the black scuff marks on the floor. • 2 Municipal agencies out of state o Ashland, Wisconsin – Does allow roller derby on their wood gym floor. However, they only have youth leagues. o Grand Traverse County, Michigan – Does not have wood gym floor. It is a sport court surface. • Poudre School District - They have taken a firm stance that the gyms are not set up for those activities, and there is too much risk of damage to the floors. • Colorado State University – Does not allow skating on any wood floor due to damage concerns to the finish. • Staff Recommendation - The City of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department is always looking at new programs to participate in facilities and parks. However, due to MFMA recommendations, Operation Services concerns and our concerns about damage to the floors and gym we recommend that the facility regulations not be changed. We do encourage the Roller Derby group to participate in our Park and Recreation Policy Plan when we start it in 2019 to 2020. • Other Ideas o The outdoor rink at Fossil Creek Park could be a possible place to practice, weather permitting. o Family FunPlex in Greeley o Island Grove Event Center in Greeley o 1st National Bank building on the Larimer County Fairgrounds Discussion Roller Derby – Would it be possible to paint lines on the Fossil Creek outdoor rink? Staff – Absolutely! We would be happy to accommodate the addition of roller derby lines painted on the rink. Roller Derby – We had considered the option of purchasing a sport court. Would that be possible as a temporary solution for events only? Staff – Operation Services would have to research to make sure it wouldn’t damage the floor. Also, the court would have reserved to lay the sport court, and it can take several hours to lay it out & remove. Also, I would recommend checking on the texture because there are two kinds: hard or soft. We may also recommend some subsurface. Roller Derby – The game doesn’t require a wood floor. We would play on concrete. If you can recommend any warehouses or vacant space available, please let us know. Staff – We did think about that and are checking with the city Real Estate staff to see if there any vacant warehouse. We are also going to be working on the Parks & Recreation Policy Plan for 2019-2020, and we would love you to provide your input. Board – What is in the old Fort Ram, that building next to New Belgium? Staff – It’s owned by the Bohemian Foundation, and as far as we know, it is vacant. West Nile Virus (WNV) Management Policy Review – Mike Calhoon • Update to City Council last evening regarding the West Nile Virus (WNV) project. o Does Council have any questions concerning the current WNV Program? o Would Council like to consider changes to the current WNV Program? • West Nile Virus (WNV) Management Policy began in 2003 as WNV became endemic to the region. Reduce the human impact of WNV while balancing costs and social and environmental impacts. Based on Center for Disease Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 4 of 7 Control’s (CDC) model of Integrated Mosquito Management: Public education, larval management, surveillance, adult mosquito control, continual improvement assessment. • Larimer County Department of Public Health and Environment (DPHE) recommends application and defines perimeter based on surveillance data: o Thresholds for action – Vector Index of 0.75 AND more than one human case per week OR more than 1 WNV+ blood donor a season. • Our Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was created in 2008 at the recommendation of the City Manager. The TAC consists of vector-borne disease experts (CDC, CSU,) Ex-officio members of Aire Quality and Natural Resources Boards, No Spray Fort Collins, an organic farming business owner, and Larimer County DPHE. o The TAC does an off-season review to review new publications regarding WNV control as well as our current policy. We have implemented their recommendations over the years, including enlarged larval control perimeter, modifications to surveillance season, public outreach enhancements. • 2017 Review Results o Research (2012 Epidemic – Houston Cohort) ▪ Increased prevalence of chronic kidney disease 4-9 years post-infection. Nolan, et al. ▪ Long-term neurological impacts of WNV observed. Evaluations are showing abnormalities 1-3 and 8-11 years post-infection. Weatherhead, et al. o Adult Mosquito Control Thresholds ▪ No consensus on appropriate Vector Index threshold levels – Vector Index thoughts range from 0.33 to 1.0 and higher ▪ No consensus on appropriate human case consideration – Including human cases accounts for personal responsibility. Inclusion creates a lagging indicator. • Staff Recommendation - Decrease the VI threshold to 0.50 and remove the human case requirement. o Rationale: When required, smaller, more targeted application areas may better reduce the implication of WNV. Requiring human cases extends the lagging nature of the indicator. Research has shown there are severe long-term impacts from WNV infection. • Council Feedback - Investigate a Mosquito District approach. Recruit a WNV victim for the TAC. Investigate One Health with CSU for a systems-based holistic approach to WNV management. Prepare a resolution for Council consideration with options. • Options o Option 1: Maintain Current Thresholds o Option 2: Staff Recommendation o Option 3: Vector Index of 0.75 and no human case consideration • Advisory Boards - Air Quality Advisory Board (4/16/18) & Natural Resources Advisory Board (4/18/18) Discussion Board – Can you remind me how our policy relates to Larimer County’s policy? Staff – Larimer County uses a 0.5 IV and no human cases, which is the same as our recommendation. Board – Does the City of Loveland have a similar program? Staff – It originally started as a nuisance program, not a disease prevention program. They now do a mixture of both. Our program is disease prevention. They also use the CSU testing results, and we both use the same testing contractor. Theirs is funded by their utility bill. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 5 of 7 Board – Spraying for mosquitos is an emotional topic. Some are very passionately opposed to spraying, but they don’t consider the science of an epidemic. We vaccinate horses twice a year for WNV, despite the once a year recommendation. Ragan Adams made a motion to strongly support Option 2 for the City of Fort Collins West Nile Virus policy. Seconded by Kelly Smith. Passes 7:0 STAFF UPDATES: Park Planning Updates • Poudre River Whitewater Park - As requested by City Council, city staff has met with multiple boards & commissions regarding the addition of optional features to the whitewater park. A summary of Board & Commission Updates follows: 1. Parks and Recreation Board, February 28, Unanimous Support 2. North College Citizen Advisory Group (CAG), March 1, Unanimous Support 3. Commission on Disabilities, March 8, Unanimous Support 4. Water Board, March 15, Support from 5 out of 7 board members 5. Natural Resources Advisory Board, March 21, Unanimous Support 6. Land Conservation and Stewardship Board, Meeting scheduled April 11 City staff is planning to present a recommendation to fully fund the optional features to City Council on April 17. • Long View Trail - Trail construction is progressing on schedule. City staff have been coordinating with a landowner with property adjacent to the trail and were unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with the resident regarding a fence located within the Right-of-Way (ROW.) The fence is planned to be removed later this week, with a temporary fence installed within the ROW, enabling trail construction to continue. City staff is optimistic the matter can ultimately be resolved in a matter satisfactory to the landowner. • Parks & Recreation Policy Plan Update - Preliminary efforts to develop the scope and schedule of the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan are underway. Staff development of a proposed Table of Contents for the document is planned over the next 3-4 months. This information will be used to develop a detailed Request for Proposals to allow selection of the most responsive and qualified consultant by late 2018. An update to City Plan, the communities comprehensive land use, transportation and transit plan is also underway. Park Planning and Development staff will participate to capture and record public input during the City Plan’s four “future visioning” events in April. Public input to the City Plan process is expected to include significant reference to the impact of our parks and recreation services on the current and future quality of life in Fort Collins. This information will be used to inform the scope and extent of the P&R Policy Plan next year. • City Park Refresh - The design team is working to complete 50% drawings and a preliminary cost estimate by the end of March. This cost estimate will be used to identify a phase one project, as well as the cost of future phase(s) to be potentially funded through the upcoming BFO cycle. Construction of the first phase of City Park Refresh is still anticipated to begin in early 2019. Park Planning and Development is currently working on organizing both a neighborhood meeting and a community meeting to gather input from citizens in May. After these dates have been confirmed, an invitation will be extended to P&R Board members. • Crescent Park - To the delight of the Maple Hill neighborhood, Crescent Park opened the core area of the park March 12. Fencing around the park allows entry to the shelter and playground only while the irrigation system, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 6 of 7 turf, and vegetation are installed and planted. Site furnishing decisions are being finalized, and the Art in Public Places component has been decided on. Park Planning and Development anticipates holding an opening celebration after the turf is established, in early summer. Discussion Board – What were the concerns of the Water Board considering they did not provide unanimous support? Staff – All boards were very interested in our presentation. The Water Board was supportive of our optional features. Their issue of those opposed on the Water Board was using stormwater funds for that purpose. That’s not necessarily what we’re doing. We’re allocating stormwater funds toward stormwater benefits to the project, which frees up CCIP funds that can be applied toward optional features. The amount of benefit is greater than the contribution. Our explanation changed the opinions of some Water Board members. Recreation Updates • We have been focused on BFO, so there isn’t a new report. Therapy & instructional pool have been open for three months now. Swimming and Hockey are going well. Discussion Board – Thank you for doing such a good job with the Roller Derby league. You provided a well-researched presentation! Parks Updates • The Park reservation system is open and has been since Saint Patrick’s Day. There are teams already practicing and clamoring for us to open bathrooms & turn on water fountains. We aim to do so by April 15th due to pipe freezing concerns. • Rolland Moore lights are installed and will be connected to electricity next week. This will be the first set of LED sports lighting that is dark-sky compliant in Northern Colorado. I was only able to fund 2 of the lights, one for 2017 and the other for 2018. We will be planning to do the same for the next two, but it will be interesting to see how people respond to the difference. The nice aspect is there is no need to heat up the lights so they’ll be on & off instantly. An additional feature allows the LED lights to be dimmed and can use less electricity. • We’re gearing up for spring, but are having a hard time with hiring. The Job Fair did go well. We scheduled 20 interviews this week. We need to hire about 130 people. Because we’re under 2% unemployment, it’s difficult to recruit. • We’ve been working hard on our CAPRA accreditation and will be meeting Friday to check in on the status of the requirements. After that, we’ll be pausing that effort to complete the BFO process. Discussion Board – Do you drug test everyone you hire? Staff – Yes, we do. We’ve lost many potential candidates due to this policy, but it’s a requirement. We do urine and breathalyzer tests. Board – There has been a definite increase of geese this year. Isn’t goose waste that a health hazard? Staff – Yes, with no snow cover geese poop is a big issue for us. We have a permit to haze the geese to scare them off using dogs. They are also eating all the new grass. For about 20 years we didn’t have to mow the grass around City Park lake. However we 15 years later had to dredge the lake because it wouldn’t accommodate the same amount of stormwater. We also added aeration at that time. Once we moved the trail closer to the lake, that changed and we haven’t had quite as much of the same problem. Now we’re wearing respirators and are sweeping fields to go into our compost operations. This moisture we received today is welcome to help decompose the poop, prevents as much dust, and the snow keeps them from landing as much in the area. Board – I love the geese. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – March 28, 2018 Page 7 of 7 Review City Council 6-Month Agenda • Last night – Capital Project Funding Process – Trying to minimize the chance that projects need to return to Council to ask for additional appropriations. • March 27th – West Nile Virus (WNV) Management Policy Review • April 17th – Whitewater Park Appropriation • May 20th – Work Session is no longer on the agenda • Keeping Fort Collins Great (KFCG) 2020 Sunset Bicycle Advisory Board Liaison Update • Letter for Transpiration Board regarding electric bicycles, following the white paper, recommending a one-year trial e-bike levels 1 and 2 on the trail system. The difficulty will be enforcement of speeds, but several studies reviewed by the board from other municipalities have shown that most concerns are unwarranted. The letter also did not include anything regarding trail capacity. o Loveland & Larimer county allow electric bicycles, which will have an impact once Long View Trail is connected. o Staff – The number one complaint we get on the trail system is speed complaints. However, that may also be related to capacity issues & trail design, and our rangers are not allowed to pursue violators. Our trail system was developed as a multi-modal transportation trail for a community of 80,000, not 160,000. Schedule of Articles/Calendar • Mary’s article about the 40th Anniversary of the Northside Aztlan Community Center for the Summer Recreator has been submitted and will be published April 24th. • Fall Recreator article due June 1st – Jessica MacMillan volunteered. Article topic to be determined. Bullet Points • Roller Derby Staff Update • West Nile Virus Update Adjournment: Meeting adjourned 7:19 PM Respectfully submitted, Coleen Elliott Board Attendance Board Members: Ragan Adams, Catherine Carabetta, Mary Carlson, Jessica MacMillan, Scott Sinn, Kelly Smith Staff: Bob Adams, Mike Calhoon, Kurt Friesen, Mark Rademacher Guest: Nathalie Rachline, Tracey Bjick, Emily Zaynard, Kayla Rexer, Jayne Neimann Presenters: Mark Rademacher