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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks And Recreation Board - Minutes - 06/27/2012Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – June 27, 2012 Page 1 of 5 BE A GOOD STEWARD: Protect & Respect your Parks, Trails & Recreation Facilities Call Meeting to Order: Rob Cagen called the meeting to order 5:37pm Agenda Review & Items of Note: None Citizen Participation: None Approval of Minutes: Discussion: None Todd Galbate made the motion to approve the Parks & Recreation Board minutes of May 23, 2012, seconded by Bruce Henderson – Minutes approved 5:0 Meeting Summary · PowerPoint Presentation given on the Gardens on Spring Creek by Michelle Provaznik, Horticulture Facility/Services Administrator. Talked about where the Gardens started, where they are and what they will look like in the future. · Review of Budgeting For Outcomes (BFO) offers, process and timeline. Marty Heffernan, Director of CS, asked the Board to consider supporting five specific offers: o Recreational Trail Impact Fee – Offer 125.1 Current o Southeast Community Park Design – Offer 124.2 Current o Southeast Recreation & Cultural Facility Study – Offer 51.6 KFCG o Disc Golf Course Improvements – Offer 109.1 Enhancement o Gardens on Spring Creek Capital Project (The Great Lawn) – Offer 103.1 Enhancement · Mayor Karen Weitkunat visited the Board and discussed her personal view of water and how the City Council works and the best process for the Board to communicate with Council. · Motion: Brian Carroll made a motion to support the building of the Great Lawn with the BCC Reserves. Dana Ortiz so moved Ragan Adams seconded VOTE: 6:0 · There was a request to participate in the Oil & Gas Committee meeting. They asked for two members from each Board so they would have a good cross-connection. Brian Carroll and Todd Galbate volunteered to attend. JR will pass along their contact information to Jenny Sawyer. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD Minutes of Regular Meeting Wednesday, June 27, 2012 5:30 p.m. Council Liaison: Kelly Ohlson Staff Liaisons: J.R. Schnelzer, 970-221-6301 Craig Foreman, 970-221-6618 Bob Adams, 970-221-6354 Chair: Rob Cagen Phone: 970-689-7559 (home) / 970-482-3971 (work) Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – June 27, 2012 Page 2 of 5 Full Minutes AGENDA ITEMS: Gardens on Spring Creek Presentation – Michelle Provaznik Who are we? We are the community’s botanic garden. We provide a variety of educational classes for youth and adults and host special community events. We partner with many community organizations and with each garden built we are, and will be, able to increase the programming we offer. We also enjoy an extensive volunteer base that donates thousands of hours of time to help us grow and prosper. The Gardens on Spring Creek is the only botanic garden in northern Colorado and is the 7th largest cultural facility based on attendance according to the Northern Colorado Business Report. In 2011, we were able to donate 4,500 pounds of produce to the local food bank. The Gardens on Spring Creek Master Plan for the future will include the Great Lawn, the Foothills demonstration site, Prairie Demonstration site, an Undaunted Garden and the final construction phase of the Visitor’s Center. It is time to nurture the seedling so it can continue take root, grow, and flourish. For more information please check us out at: http://www.fcgov.com/gardens/ Discussion: Board - When you are able to have events on the Great Lawn will they be free or ticketed? Staff - It would depend on the event, we will be able to do both, but it will be easier to charge and monitor attendance once we have the visitor’s center complete. Board – What is the timing for the Great Lawn? Staff – We have a BFO offer for $1.4M total for all the projects; the Great Lawn would be approximately $550,000, but it would be best if we could do the entire project as a whole. Board – Why is the Jazz Fest not at the Gardens this year? Staff – They weren’t going to hold it, so we booked the date with another event. Budgeting for Outcomes – Marty Heffernan Staff has put a lot of time and effort into our offers, and they were submitted to the Results Teams in May. The majority of our offers go to Culture and Recreation, but we do have a few offers in other Result Areas including Community & Neighborhood Livability, Economic Health, and Transportation. The Results Team reviewed the offers and our offers were well prepared and reflected a realistic budget necessary to do our jobs. We did need to answer a few questions, and one was why I had such a high priority on our Disc Golf offer. After giving them the background on this offer, they understood its importance. The remaining timeline for BFO is: · July - Result teams use public input to make adjustments to Offer rankings. Executive staff make final decisions of Offers to be included in the Recommended Budget · August - City Manager's Recommended Budget is developed and presented to City Council · September-October - City Council considers the Recommended Budget, holds public budget hearings, and makes revisions · November - City Council adopts the final 2013-2014 Budget · January 2013 - Budget goes into effect The Board is welcome to provide feedback to the Council on items of importance any time between now and November. We are hoping to use the Building Community Choices (BCC) money to help fund the Great Lawn and the Senior Center Expansion projects. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – June 27, 2012 Page 3 of 5 Some items for the Board to consider would be: · Recreational Trail Impact Fee – Offer 125.1 Current Natural Areas has helped to fund the trails, but this help will end in 2014 as they will need the funds for their own budget needs. We do get supplemented funding with the GOCO Grants and a KFCG to maintain neighborhood parks is used for trails until the parks are built. The impact fee would be a one time fee about $450.00 on new residential construction and we estimate this would provide the $250,000-$350,000 each year. If we don’t get the Trail Impact Fee the trail build out could take about 25 years to complete. · Southeast Community Park Design – Offer 124.2 Current If this is funded, we feel we are getting the “okay” for the money needed to maintain a community park which is about $3-$400,000; which is what we’ll need in about 2 years. · Southeast Recreation & Cultural Facility Study – Offer 51.6 KFCG This is important because if it gets funded we will have the information we need to compete well to have the project placed on the second cycle of Building On Basics (BOB) ballot in 2014. There is a huge need for a facility of this nature in the Southeast part of the City. It will be much more than a recreational facility. · Disc Golf Course Improvements – Offer 109.1 Enhancement Some funding will go to help improve Aggie Greens, but most of the funding will go to Edora Park. Funds at Edora will be used to adjust the holes on the park site that will be relocated to the area around the Light & Power Substation. Construction will involve new tee pads, baskets and signage. We are working with Light & Power to see how quickly the wall can be built so netting won’t be necessary. · Gardens on Spring Creek Capital Project (The Great Lawn) – Offer 103.1 Enhancement With the BCC reserves to help build the Great Lawn, the Gardens will be more successful and on their way to being self-sustainable. Discussion Board – When an item has KFCG next to it, does that mean it should be funded by that 11%? Staff –Yes, but remember that sometimes it’s one-time money. Board – What does the Senior Center funding do to the reserves? Staff – It will take reserves to about $600,000, which is still good. Board – What if the there’s a capital improvement project like the bulk head at EPIC that needs to be done? Staff – We do have an RFP in process to get an estimate on cost and when it may need to be replaced. If money for a bulkhead is needed in the near future, we would need to reduce the funding for the Senior Center expansion. Board – When should we get involved with the Council? Staff – Anytime through a memo; and during the Council Meetings in September and October when they’ll be discussing the budget items Board – How do you know that a southeast recreation facility is needed? Staff – We hear this from many of our constituents in the South part of town. They just don’t want to have to drive north to use a facility. Windsor and Loveland also report that many Fort Collins residents use their recreational facilities. Board – Did it help the Gardens for the Board to give Council our feedback on its importance? Staff – Sure. Board – Are there revenue projections for the Great Lawn? Staff – Yes. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – June 27, 2012 Page 4 of 5 Mayor Weitkunat The Board introduced themselves to the Mayor. She was thankful for the invitation to attend and appreciates the interaction with the Boards. Volunteers are what make Fort Collins work. The Mayor’s personal thoughts on water are that in the West it’s all about the people and being able to meet the needs of communities. Water is an important commodity and we need to work with resources like the Poudre River. It is a wonderful necessity and we need to be visionaries to help future generations, it’s for people to enjoy both recreationally and environmentally. Discussion Board – When are we going to have an active conservation program? Mayor – Conservation is good. In 2002 we were working on the Halligan Reservoir Expansion, and it would have been built by now for $14,000,000; and we would have the water reserves needed for times of drought for our communities. We had partnered with the City of Greeley and worked with the US Army Corp of Engineers; but the project stalled. However, partnerships are needed for these type projects or we’re defeated before we begin. Board – I had an expectation when I joined the Board that it would be fairly easy, but there is a lot more information and issues. Does the Council have a hard time understanding Parks & Recreation? Mayor – It’s probably different for every person. Board – Park Planning does neighborhood outreach so parks are unique to neighborhood, which is great. Soft Gold Park is highly used, and when they redesigned Soft Gold Park it really made a difference for the neighbors; it’s a gem. Mayor – This is the information that Council needs to hear, how important our Parks are to the community. Board – What about funding for maintenance? Mayor – We never put into the Plan how the parks were going to be maintained. This will need to be a serious discussion; the Board can help develop choices and possibilities for Council to consider because we don’t want to lose this asset. Board – We have talked about our place, do we need to be more active in bringing issues to staff and Council or are we a sounding board? Mayor – Ideas need to be given to the Liaison who can bring it to Council. There’s no need to initiate anything more than you need to. It’s important to look at budgetary items and policies. Create a memo that is bold and direct and dig into the “why”, give us something to discuss, plant the seed; but don’t overload us. Just keep in mind you’re an advisory board and your opinion is respected and valuable, but Council may not agree. Board – We are working with Poudre School District. When Bob Adams first came to the City he made the right contacts at PSD to get the Recreator into the schools. Danna Ortiz also has talked with Poudre High School to work with the kids about keeping the parks that they use clean. It’s a slow process. Board – When we want to do some outreach do you have any suggestions for avenues or ways to do this? Mayor – Your Board is breaking new ground with this outreach, but I would say as long as you’re within the legal parameters try it. Upcoming Newspaper Articles Dawn needs to know the idea and author for the August article. Brian Carroll will write an article about how the parks offer a place to escape and reflect. Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – June 27, 2012 Page 5 of 5 STAFF UPDATES Parks Updates · There is a ban on all charcoal grills in the Parks · Facing water issues and working on a drought plan · The median at Lemay & Harmony is one to review as it has followed the new design standard. Not sure why trees have not survived but will be working with Forestry to decide on other trees. · July 4th festivities are enhanced this year to celebrate 100 Years of City Park. There will be a dance on Friday, a first-ever parade on Mountain Avenue from Avery House to City Park the July 4th and expanded music and food vendors. Recreation Updates · July 3rd there is a Senior Center breakfast to fund raise for the expansion · Father’s Day 5K is postponed to September 30th · Club Tico Dance on Friday, June 29 Board: Are there any plans to work on sound abatement at Northside Aztlan Center? No, but Recreation will put that on the 10 year plan. Park Planning Updates · None BOARD WORK PLAN ITEMS UPDATE None Bicycle Advisory Board Liaison Update No recent meeting held. Bullet Points · Overview of Budget · Discuss Success of Gardens on Spring Creek which is the only botanic garden in northern Colorado and is the 7th largest cultural facility based on attendance according to the Northern Colorado Business Report and was able to donate 4,500 pounds of produce to the local food bank in 2011. · Mayor discussion on Council and Board interactions · July 4th Festivities Adjournment: Meeting adjourned 8:55pm. Respectfully submitted, VtÜÉÄ etÇ~|Ç Carol Rankin Administrative Support Supervisor Parks Department Minutes Approved July 25: 6:0 Board Attendance Board Members: Ragan Adams, Rob Cagen, Brian Carroll, Todd Galbate, Bruce Henderson, Danna Ortiz Staff: JR Schnelzer, Bob Adams, Carol Rankin, Marty Heffernan, Michelle Provaznik, Mike Calhoon, Wendy Williams Guest: Mayor, Karen Weitkunat