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Park Board Minutes - 08/28/2003Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting June 26, 2003 Municipal Auditorium City Council Conference Room 1:48 p.m. Presiding: Gary Patrick/Chairperson RECEIVED IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE Date By Time Members Present: Gary Patrick, Al Norris, Mark Howell, William Barnes, Kenny Haney, Elmer Emory, Steve Chaney and Kenny Catney. Members Absent: Staff Present: City Council Representative: Brett Lee and Walter Tyndale. Jack Murphy and Genice Wilson Johnny Burns (absent) CALL TO ORDER: Meeting was called to order at 1:34 p.m. The minutes of June 26' were put before the board. Mark Howell made the motion to accept the minutes and Steve Chaney seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. NEW BUSINESS: C. Request by Howmet for waiver of Sec. 82 -58 and Sec. 82 -63 of the Code of Ordinances to allow Howmet to drive upon the grass and post signs and for waiver of the park curfew for property security during their company employee picnic in Lake Wichita Park September 13, 2003 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Motion was made by Williams Barnes to approve the request by Linda Gibbons for Howmet and it was seconded by Elmer Emory. Approved unanimously. The new Board Member Kenny Catney was introduced to the board and he told a little about himself. Welcome Mr. Catney. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: • Holliday Creek Trail Connection is about 99% finished. This will allow the walkers and bicyclers to go under the bridge on Old Lake Road. • Lake Wichita Park playground was a general fund budgeted playground. We do one playground a year. This year it will be the East Lynwood playground. • The Lake Wichita Park hill is now a little over 50 feet high. We have more dirt coming in and then we will landscape it and get it ready for a possible observation structure and theater. • After the hill is landscaped we hopefully will build a Theater for the Recreation Department's concerts. This will be placed on the other side of the hill near the lake. Some other possibilities would be a dinner boat to use on the lake and a picnic shelter maybe at the top of the hill. • Lake Wichita Pier: The original pier was built in 1910 and our hope is to build another pier at this site. • Wood Memorial Park Pond edging is now complete. We now want to install a trail that will tie in to the MSU trail that is being constructed. ■ McGrath Creek Urban Waterway: This project was in our five -year plan. ■ Regional Park Site, Burns Property. This 80 -acre site off Seymour Highway would be an excellent place to put a regional park. It would be an all natural landscape and small wildlife park. The board needs to keep this in mind in hopes to be able to obtain the property. ■ Holliday Creek Linear Sidewalk Gazebo. This new structure is located at River Road and Holliday Creek. • Coliseum and Parking Lot Landscaping. This project has been in progress for about three months or so. Our crews have been locating water lines for the sprinkler system. The sod and seeding will be placed as soon as the sprinklers have been put in. ■ New stainless steel restrooms will be put in at Williams Park and Lamar Parks. We are hoping that these new restrooms will cut down on vandalism and provide adequate facilities for these parks. ■ Lucy Park Pond Edging: This project is complete. We are still trying to get the water level to come up. ■ The Parks Department is having problems with the irrigation of our trees. We do not have enough people to make sure all irrigation sprinklers are working and some of our trees are not getting enough water. There are no plans for new trees to be planted. • Relocation of Williams Park shelters has begun. The old Williams Park shelters were located way off the road and were rarely used. The new slabs are closer to the trails and can be seen. • Williams Park playground was put up last winter with CDBG funds. It is a nice colorful playground and we are hoping it will get lots of use. • Tex -Dot will open bids in October for the landscaping of US 82 east pond. The project to construct three concrete block retaining walls will be managed by Tex -Dot. The city will be responsible for attaching the letters and the landscaping. • TRAPS: This is the event scheduled in March 7 -12, 2004. The City of Wichita Falls Parks & Recreation Department will be host of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society Annual Meeting & Trade Show. Glen Jamison is the program manager for the event. We will be having 56 sessions that will take place. Each Park Board member will be asked to help along with the Parks & Recreation staff. We are hoping everything will go well. OLD BUSINESS: A. Reconsideration of a request by Wild Bird Rescue for amendment to their lease that would expand the boundary to include the balance of land to the east, which is currently available to the public for use of the old boat ramp. Mark Howell and Walter Tyndale along with John Hirschi went out and looked at the property both by land and by boat. Mr. Hirschi thought that the Wild Bird Rescue people could be happy and satisfied with the western 2/3 of the property as was originally proposed. One issue he did bring up was the fence that would be required between the properties. This would be a major cost item for them. A much shorter more direct fence line would work and save them money. Mr. Murphy said that this would be fine with him as long as maintenance was kept up. Recommendation is to leave things as we originally approved at the first meeting in December 2002. It was John's desire to withdraw the request made at the June meeting. B. Proposal by Jane Spears to donate an ornamental bridge over the pond in Martin Plaza Park. Jane Spears was out of town and unable to make the meeting. C. Discussion of a pier on Lake Wichita by the spillway. Gary Patrick visited with Mr. Berzina and he thought it was a good idea. There was a discussion on possibly getting a TPWD grant to help fund this project. Kenny Haney expressed his concern about always talking about a grant but never taking any action on it. He would like to see us take some action and fill out a application and go forward with this. Jack is putting a sign up on the entrance trail at Hamilton Park giving some history of the park and how it came about. Mr. Patrick wanted to know what happen to the Jaycee sign that was to go up at Lake Wichita Park. Mr. Murphy stated that the sign is in the process and there were a few issues to resolve before it could be put up. He felt that the cost of the sign was a big issue. If Mr. Patrick could get the Jaycees to pay for part of the sign could likely proceed. Jack will check with City Manager and Mr. Patrick with some of the former Jaycees. D. Discussion of acquisition of property off US 277 east of Tanglewood Dr. The Park Board discussed keeping this property in mind and not letting it be forgotten. This would make a great Regional Park. NEW BUSINESS: B. Upgraded Parks & Recreation web site. Jack Murphy showed the Park Board the new web site and all the different things the Parks and Recreation has put on it to help the community learn about this department. D. Request by the Falls Fest Steering Committee for waiver of Sec. 14 -384, Sec. 82 -62, Sec. 82 -68, Sec. 82 -63, Sec. 82 -58, and 82 -62 of the Code of ordinances, and Resolution 2509 as amended to permit giving away of goldfish, sales, alcoholic beverages, posting of signs, vehicles and animals on the grass and sales without payment of the percentage of gross to the City during the annual event in Lucy Park September 26 and 27, 2003. Staff recommends approval. Kenny Haney made to motion to approve and William Barnes seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. A. Discussion of establishment of a park foundation to encourage private gifts for park improvements. Set up a trust fund for different projects and then see if there is anyone who might like to donate to the project that interests them. Jack suggested getting in touch with the Community Foundation and see if we could possibly go through them. ADJOURNMENT: THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:15 p.m.