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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-2009 Parks and Recreation Advisory Council Minutes PARK& RECREATION ADVISORY COUNCIL July 16,2009 In attendance: Duane Taber, Chairman Mike Mathews Curt Shaw Edmon Daniels, Tom Davenport Grace Adams Cheryl Smyth Rebecca Francik Staff. Stan Strebel,Deputy City Manager,Rick Terway,Administrative and Community Services Director, Dan Dotta, Facilities Services Manager and Carleen Hanscom,Recreation Services Manager. Rick Terway was introduced as the new Director of Administrative and Community Services and individual council members introduced themselves and welcomed Rick to the City. Minutes of the prior meeting of June 4 were read and approved on motion of Mike Mathews and seconded by Grace Adams. STAFF REPORTS Recreation Carleen reported that the pools are open and staff is working to keep them operational. Swim lessons are going well,very busy and most sessions are full. The wading pool at Kurtzman has been somewhat problematic as the YMCA,which usually takes care of this facility, experienced funding reductions and was unable to do that this year. We have had to use lifeguards to staff the wading pool and use has been light. We are continuing to monitor the situation. The Notice Swim team had their first meet this last week. There are about 150 kids participating on the team. At the Martin Luther King Center,the YMCA funding cuts have also resulted in some reduced staff time at that facility. We are monitoring the situation. July 4th activities were successful,with a very busy Pancake Breakfast(approximately 600 served)parade activities, entertainment and fireworks at GESA Stadium. Carleen is working with a CBC marketing class to have them develop Parks&Recreation marketing materials at no cost to the City. This will give the students training in their area of study. We are also monitoring senior health programs as the ALTC funding is about exhausted for the year. Some services will continue to be provided until allocated funds run out. Maintenance Dan reported that staff has been busy trying to keep the pools operational. So far things are holding together. The softball complex has continued to be busy with numerous tournaments baseball and softball. At the youth soccer facility the spring season ended with a busy tournament bringing in over 100 teams from out of the area. Staff presented the plaque award for the"best facility of 2008"presented by the National Softball Association for the road 68 complex. This is a credit to both the Recreation and Facilities staff for their fine work in keeping us one of the best venues in this part of the country. City Council will acknowledge the presentation at the next Council meeting. Stan reported on the Memorial Pool project,which will be going to bid on August 12. Assuming bids are within the budget,the Council is expected to consider an award of the contract for the remodeling on August 17. Construction is projected to start about mid- September with completion by mid May 2010. Construction should be finished well before the normal swim season. Staff is looking at the possibility of establishing another soccer facility in east Pasco owing to the heavy use of the facility at Road 36,where we have little flexibility in rotating the fields to better maintain the turf. A 10 acre facility would allow 4 fields to be developed and could accommodate the very busy Hispanic adult league. Progress is continuing on the permitting of the Chiawana Park restroom and playground replacement at the east end. Stan and Rick talked with the Corps of Engineers representatives today and some approvals have been received. They are awaiting others. It is anticipated that these improvements will be completed next year. Stan also reminded the Council that the Levee 12-2 lowering project is still moving forward slowly. This is from Road 54 to Road 72. The City is developing plans and intends to apply for a grant to complete the construction next year. Also,the Erwen property, a 7 acre parcel west of Road 54 and south of Sylvester Street at the levee,was purchased by Franklin County a number of years ago for park development. The County has not had funding to develop the park,therefore no development has occurred. Staff hopes to be doing some planning for the development of that property next year. Stan mentioned that the City's Park and Recreation Plan will need to be updated next year in time for certification in 2011 when the current certification expires. Certification is important to maintain the City's eligibility for grants through the Recreation Conservation Office of the state. Updating the plan will give the City the opportunity to review our facility and program goals and plans. Programs should present a fairly unique opportunity as we consider how the Senior Center might evolve and meeting the needs of our community which has grown so rapidly the past 10 years. Cheryl asked about the undeveloped portion of Chiawana Park, if it was part of the park property. Stan answered that indeed it was and might be considered as a part of an updated master plan for the park. This may also be good to consider as part of discussion the Park and Recreation Plan update. There may be some barriers to developing that property, including the neighbors who have enjoyed unobstructed views of the river for many years and the problems/costs associated with getting permits from the Corps of Engineers for development involving ground disturbance activities. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.