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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 04/25/2018Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 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 5:32 PM. Agenda Review & Items of Note: Kenneth Layton has resigned his position on the Parks & Recreation Board. Citizen Participation: None Approval of Minutes: Jessica MacMillan made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board minutes of March 28, 2018. Seconded by Catherine Carabetta – Minutes Approved: 7:0 Meeting Summary • The Board received a presentation and demonstration by Robert Kacsanowski of Cub Scouts Troop 116 regarding types of model rockets, model rocketry launch safety and their work with the Parks Department and City Attorney to develop a permitting process for model rocketry use in public parks. • The Board received updates from Parks, Park Planning & Development and Recreation on the development of their ongoing and enhancement offers for the Budgeting for Outcomes process. • The Board welcomed Colleen Bannon, Administrative Assistant for Park Planning & Development. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday, April 25, 2018 5:30 p.m. Board Chair: Scott Sinn – 2018 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 – April 25, 2018 Page 2 of 7 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: Model Rocketry Demonstration – Robert Kacsanowski, Cub Scouts Troop 116 • Currently, there is no park in the City of Fort Collins that allows the launching of model rocketry. The local cub scouts would like to demonstrate how safe model rockets are and work with the city to provide a safe, approved space for them. • The US Postal Service has not classified model rocket motors as dangerous. The company that makes model rocket motors is located in Pueblo, Colorado. They have a $10 million insurance policy, and in over 3 million launches there has not been a reported incident. • Two large model rocketry organizations provide safety rules & regulations, the National Association of Rocketry & Tripoli Organization. • Mike has reviewed the recommended rules & regulations with the City Attorney and suggested the addition of an insurance policy which the presenter has acquired. Additionally, the rocket motors should be limited to C’s & D’s. Discussion Board – What is the purpose of teaching this in Boy Scouts? Presenter – This is provided as an elective option for Boy Scouts. Board – Were people launching these in their backyard? Presenter – You can launch on private property, but we don’t have private property that accommodates the space required. Board – Do they fly straight up or in an arc? Presenter – That depends on the wind and launch conditions. There are streamers and parachutes that slow the descent, but they can get stuck in trees, on roofs, etc. We also follow the rules & regulations that limit the materials that can be used to paper, plastic, cardboard, etc. and prevent the launching of hazardous materials. Board – Have you approached the school district? Presenter – That’s the first thing we did. They want to promote STEM and Model Rocketry; however, the Poudre School District follows the policies of the City of Fort Collins so they also won’t allow it. Board – When I was an 8th-grade teacher we would launch them on concrete behind a fence in case they did fall horizontally before launch, which I did see happen at one point. Presenter – There are safety protocols we follow to prevent any issues such as that. Safety is an important issue. We would request a permit for launching rockets. Board – I used to ride my horse by Spring Canyon Park, and a father & son launched a rocket which started my horse and I’ve also seen launches during high fire danger. Presenter – Providing a safe location, permitting process and park signage regarding model rocketry regulations will help to give hobbyists an option. Whereas now, without a safe place or process, there is no legal and regulated option. Board – Does the motor spew flame out the back? It looks similar to a firecracker. Presenter – It does spew a hot gas. We do not launch from a flammable surface. They do come with a metal launch pad. Board – Is there a specific area or space recommended for model rocketry launches? Presenter – It depends on the engine size. For A, you would need a 100x100 space, B would be 200x200, etc. Board – Are you looking for a permit? Presenter – Yes, we’re looking to work with the Parks Department to establish a permitting process. Board – I would recommend, as this moves forward, I would like to keep the Park Rangers involved and find out what they say. Considering that there will be people that will not have permits, insurance, safety protocol, etc. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 2018 Page 3 of 7 Presenter – Some municipalities that include a QR code on signs to provide more details information to rules, permits, etc so to encourage safe use of model rockets. Board – I think we should be limit model rocket launches to the type of parks in the City, such as not in smaller, neighborhood parks. Perhaps even parks without fewer trees, like Twin Silo Park. Or restrict to just concrete, such as tennis courts. Fossil Creek Park would also have space. Staff – Yes, I believe Mike Calhoon was already recommending Community Parks. Scott Sinn made a motion to support the use of model rocketry based on the Parks Department and City Attorney’s recommendations for safety rules, a permitting process requiring insurance. Seconded by Bruce Henderson – 6:1 Budgeting for Outcomes Update – Ralph, Bob, Kurt • The first round of BFO drafts are due Friday • Parks o On-going positions: ▪ 2 Parks Technicians - One Downtown and a Playground Inspector. o Enhancement positions: ▪ Lead Warehouse Manager. ▪ Forestry Maintenance Worker (lower pay scale than the Forestry Technician.) ▪ Horticulture Crew Chief ▪ A new Park Ranger by 2020 to provide 7-coverage. ▪ Life-cycle Planting Technician, there are a lot of perennials on Mulberry Bridge alone. ▪ Whitewater Park Technician towards 2019 ▪ 2 Park Technicians ▪ Forestry Specialist to handle Emerald Ash Borer logistics, such as tree removal, replacement, contracting, etc. If we make it to 2021 without EAB, we’ll be in a great position. ▪ Lincoln Corridor Maintenance Worker o Life-cycle Projects ▪ Continuing the conversion of the Rolland Moore ballfield lights to LED ▪ Rolland Moore tennis complex upgrade from asphalt to post-tension concrete. Also, upgrade the lighting to LED. The estimated cost is $1,222,000. The post-tension concrete is cheaper than replacing with asphalt. The condition of the current courts has caused us to lose some tournament opportunities. ▪ Streetscape renovations- parkways & median renovations ▪ Encampment Clean-up - $30,000 for Parks. This would be a multi-department project • Recreation o On-going ▪ Ice & Aquatics Facilities, Recreation Activities & Programs, Recreation Administration & Communication o Enhancement ▪ Contribution to the Parks & Recreation Master Plan & Recreational Operational Plan ▪ Recreation Facility Improvements & Equipment Replacement – An example would be the locker rooms in the Senior Center, Men’s at EPIC, electric basketball hoops to make for faster & safer storage. Exercise equipment replacement at Senior Center and Northside, new vans for safety, new storage at EPIC to replace the city sheds, lobby enclosure for the Green Rink at EPIC. We Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 2018 Page 4 of 7 should contribute to the City Park Refresh since the train is a major focus of this train. Upgrade the sound system on the Ice Rinks in EPIC. ▪ Mulberry Pool Play Structure & Equipment Enhancement – It’s old and starting to rust out. It’s almost become a safety issue. We would like to replace it to encourage kid attendance at that facility. ▪ Relocation of the Proving House at Lee Martinez Park – Currently in the process of being restored. We’d like to move it to near the Farm playground to be used for educational purposes. ▪ Increase Adaptive Recreation Coordinator by 0.25 to allow the 3rd position to be full-time. ▪ Rolland Moore Racquet Center to remodel and repair the pro-shop as there are leaks and damage. ▪ Hourly Community Engagement Specialist to help Marketing & Publicity which serves Parks, Recreation & Park Planning. ▪ Poudre School District After-School Programs for Title 1 Schools. Currently, 600 kids participating at the six schools involved in the program. o Position Conversion ▪ Farm Hand to be converted from full-time hourly position with benefits to a full-time job. • Park Planning & Development o Ongoing – Impact Fee Revenues & Reserves ▪ Neighborhood Parks Development – Trailhead Park & design of Sidehill Park. Wholistic look at the raw water. ▪ Community Park Development – Northeast Community Park in the Montava development. Maintenance Facility planning and site improvements at East Community Park. ▪ Paved Recreational Trail Development – Poudre Trail connection under I-25. Power Trail & Spring Creek trail merger with a Harmony underpass to be funded by Engineering. Lincoln Middle School trail spur. Poudre Trail repairs east of Lincoln Bridge. o Enhancement – General Fund ▪ Pickleball Courts at Spring Canyon Park – This would offer four new lighted pickleball courts next to the tennis courts, but separate. The City Park tennis courts will be going away in the City Park Refresh, but in a future offer will be re-built in another location. ▪ City Park Refresh – Phase II includes the new train & trolley pavilion, new picnic shelters, new playground & tennis courts. Future phases will be required to complete the effort. ▪ Poudre River Downtown Master Plan ▪ Poudre River Whitewater Park Restroom – This came up in City Council and in The Coloradoan. The issue is a restroom wasn’t included initially was due to the floodplain. ▪ New Positions - Community Engagement Specialist & Community Services Finance Manager Discussion Board – Will Mike share the offers with the board? Staff – Yes. The public engagement process will begin at the end of May. It will be coming up here at the next meeting to get public support and priorities for offers. We also need to sit down together to prioritize our offers out between Parks, Recreation, Natural Areas, Culture, etc. Board – What does Phase I of the City Park Refresh do? Staff – That get the train back in and whole again. Board – Are you working with Ragan’s neighborhood group? Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 2018 Page 5 of 7 Staff – Yes, we are working hard with them and providing them images of our plans. Our goal was to get some resources together with costs to take it to them to get feedback so we can plan accordingly. Our schedule is driven through by this process. Board – I heard there is a community trying to put a Dog Park in by Magnolia and Lemay, between the river and Lemay. What is up with that? Staff – They want the city to take ownership and maintenance of the park. I’m not recommending that. STAFF UPDATES: Park Planning Updates • Whitewater Park – First Reading at City Council for the additional features passed. Because it did not pass unanimously (there was one no vote), it goes to the second reading for discussion. Seconded reading is this Tuesday. The permit has been acquired from the Army Corps of Engineers, and we can move forward with construction. We got a verbal commitment of more funds toward the project as well. • Fossil Creek Trail - Contractor onboard to complete the Fossil Creek Trail connection. • Streets Park – The project is also ramping up. We have a contractor for that project and will have another update soon. • Introduce Colleen Bannon, Administrative Assistant for Park Planning and Development Discussion Board – Would you like the Board to be present this Tuesday? Staff – I would appreciate the support during public comments. However, the public won’t be able to participate in the discussion. I don’t feel it’s necessary. Recreation Updates • Summer Recreator is out. The Directors Message has details on Kites in the Park at Spring Canyon Park, which is also Kids in the Park Day. Father’s Day 5k. July 4th Parade. Pooch Plunge. 40th Anniversary of Northside. Volunteer Opportunities. • Accomplishments this Quarter o Coleen Elliott’s RecTrac clean-up & fees restructure of the Facility Rental system. o Joint Parks & Recreation Job Fair o Revenue – Downtown Rink brought in $5,000 which covered costs. Areas revenues up! Mulberry pool is up 12% this year. Our Wellness partnership with Columbine Health has seen revenues up 5%. Senior Center Fitness is up 62% this year! Considering last year was already a record year for Fitness, that’s great! Northside already passed projected revenue for the year in April, due to a restructure of our Day Camps program with Camp FunQuest. We will be expanding the Day Camp program next year by relocating the Ancianos to the Senior Center. o CAPRA process is moving forward smoothly, and deadlines are being met. o Marketing has improved our Facility Rental section of the City of Fort Collins website to provide virtual tours and increase facility rental inquiries. o Reduced Fee Program process improvements have been implemented that allowed for participant registration online, automated discounts to be applied, and unlimited participation in our programs with the purchase of a special pass. We also created a Reduced Fee Program awareness communication plan for public outreach. Last year we had ~5,000 applications and, ~3,000 facility passes sold, ~2,000 youth participants, and 827 adult participants. City Council General Funds supported $190,000 of that program, and the Recreation Department absorbed $228,000. So far this year, 958 of the new Reduced Fee Family passes have sold, 398 Youth, 101 Senior and finally 310 Adult. There have been over 1800 Reduced Fee enrollments under the new program. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 2018 Page 6 of 7 o PSD Partnership Improvements for the After School & Summer Programs to host activities at the school, reducing transportation time & expenses, so kids can enjoy the benefits of the program for longer. The Summer program last year had 100 participants, this Fall had 560 students and 624 in the Winter. Last year, we only had 40 participants. Discussion Board – Are you going to expand the Day Camp programs? Staff – We will be expanding the Day Camp program next year by relocating the Ancianos to the Senior Center. Board – How do people qualify for Reduced Fee? Staff – Applicants will qualify if they make under 235% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is the same standard the Poudre School District uses, or provide verification of a qualifying assistance program such as PSD Reduced or Free Lunch, Social Security Disability Income, Food Assistance, etc. Board – Is the afterschool program a certain age bracket? Staff – It’s focused on elementary aged children. Board – I’ve been working out at the Foothills Activity Center. I’ve noticed that people there don’t like to wipe down the machines after they use them. I would like to suggest a change to the signs to stress “please disinfect.” Staff – We may consider some educational resources there also. Parks Updates • Spring is here! A lot is going on with planting, re-seeding, installing memorial benches placed along trails, etc. • Downtown Ice Rink setup & take down went smoothly. • 18 new recycling receptacles in the downtown area • Dam repair on the Dickson Dam • Recovery from the light pole placement at Rolland Moore. • Ralph Zentz is the interim forester for right now. The application is closed with eight applicants. Interviews will begin in May, and the plan is to bring someone on in June or July. • Pruning with a contractor near the Lincoln Center and Library Park. • Great Arbor Day at Cruz Elementary with planting with Wade Troxell and Wendy Williams in attendance. • A lot happening is in the lifecycle program. Martinez Park playground equipment demolition is scheduled for April. • Re-vegetation project at Timberline Recycling Center. • John Litel has been great at unifying efforts between our departments. He’s been working on an EAB website for the community. Discussion Board – Community Garden Program, is that a part of the Parks department? I’m asking because I was approached by my neighbor who has a non-profit called “Sproutin’ Up” and she grows fresh veggies for those who live in food deserts. She asked me how they could get sponsorship for a garden at Lincoln Middle School on the City land that is adjacent to PSD land. That area currently doesn’t have a community garden. Board – I would recommend speaking to Michelle with the Gardens on Spring Creek. She would need to get buy-in in the form of petition signatures from people in the neighborhood for us to pursue the project. Staff – I don’t think there is city land there. I believe Larry Walker field is where the city built facilities on PSD land. To my knowledge, there isn’t city-owned land there. Review City Council 6-Month Agenda • May 1st – Second Reading for Whitewater Park Project • May 15th – West Nile Virus Program • June 5th – Abandoned Campsite & Encampment Cleanup • August 7th – Neighborhood Night Out Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – April 25, 2018 Page 7 of 7 Bicycle Advisory Board Liaison Update • Meeting Monday was a Transportation BFO update. In general, there was nothing specifically related to trails. Most enhancements were bikeway projects. Paul Sizemore gave us an excellent overview of the BFO process. • The City Plan process is kicking off, including the Bicycle Master Plan which was last updated in 2014. Schedule of Articles/Calendar • Jessica MacMillan will be writing an article for the Fall Recreator, which is due June 1st. Bullet Points • Model Rocketry Demonstration • BFO Updates • Welcome Colleen Bannon Adjournment: Meeting adjourned 7:50 PM Respectfully submitted, Coleen Elliott Board Attendance Board Members: Mary Carlson, Bruce Henderson, Jessica MacMillan, Scott Sinn, Catherine Carabetta, Rob Cagen, Kelly Smith Staff: Ralph Zentz, Coleen Elliott, Colleen Bannon, Bob Adams, Bud Bredehoft Guest: Presenters: