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Park Board Minutes - 01/26/2023 Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting January 26, 2023 W.F. Recreation Center 600 11th Street Room 205 Time: 1:30pm Presiding: Jim Heiman Members Present: Alan Donaldson, Dorcas Chasteen, Sandy Fleming, Patrick Hearn, Jessica Traw, Thomas Taylor, Josh Phillips, Simeon Hendrix, Larri Jean Jacoby, Michael Battaglino Members Absent: City Council Representative: Absent: Steve Jackson Other: Scott McGee, Terry Points (Staff Liaison) Blake Jurecek I CALL TO ORDER: Jim Heiman called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from December 1, 2022 were put before the Board for approval. Alan Donaldon made the motion to approve the minutes and Dorcas Chasteen seconded the motion. 3. PRESENTATION: Chris Horgan with the City of Wichita Falls Public Information Office (PIO) Gave a brief senaro of what his office has done to inform the public of what is going on with our parks. Though video, public service announments, social media and TV spots. 4. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: A. Recreation: Scott McGee • See Attached Recreation Report B. Parks: Terry Points • See Attached Parks Report C. Lake Wichita Revitalization Committee: • Veterans memorial plaza, construction is underway • Memorial Day is tentatively the date for grand opening, hoping that Congressman Rodney Jackson will attend. • About 50 bricks have not been picked up and will be handed out at grand opening. D. Circle Trail Update: • See Attached E. Parks Review Update: • See Attached F. Other Business, Announcements, Comments: Meeting was adjourned at 2:45pm c Signature: l.rrt/ 1.7.E / Ji 2 eiman (First Chair) Recreation Report January 26, 2023 50 Plus Zone daily number at 216 per day. In December the Zone hosted Christmas with Elvis luncheon with 150 people attending. Zone hosted its Annual Winter Carnival in January. Cooking Class in cooperation with the Health Department resumed this month. Recreation hosted Christmas in the Park and Annual Trolley Tours during December. Over 600 people attended Christmas in the Park and all 8 Trolley Tours were sold out. Class numbers for this month are at 57 which is a good number for January. Athletic Basketball season played through most of December and has now resumed Registration for Spring Softball and Volleyball are underway now. Turf installation has contiued with few delays. Field #1 is complete with 4 and 3 not to far behind. As of today 10 tournaments have been booked and 6 are in the works. Last year the complex hosted 4 tournaments. Just an FYI, the dirt from the turf project is being used by the street department. Streets estimates the savings from having to buy dirt to be substantial. Tennis/Pickleball at Hamilton Park Tennis Center is going well Off and on problems with Phone and internet service. IT completed the fix for internet last week and received word that phone work should be done within the next week. Courts 1-4 and Hamilton Park have been resurfaced. Bid for resurfacing of tennis courts to pickleball courts at Weeks are in. Weather, numbers and revenue have been good. " , ' ,,;',._''',,,,,';',°,Xie,t•ili ', •" ' NIP' ', "„'*,,,pt,,,,.„i,,,,,',',;t,"-,'" 2 A,;-'4:,,c,ii,k,,;..,,--, L:k.,„,'.,z.,,,.,„, ,v'T''',L1‘4,,',, ''',,,,,,,,' ' , ,,,4, '' •^,,,,,','',,,',,,',..',4 k`''r:,'t,''''''''....:'..''''..''e, ,',tt.',= ,i''''144E4:',,..'": -`", •'''': . ',:, ": ','''' ' ' ' •: '' ' - ',."-,:,,r',,• '''`,,7,`,'- ',-'," ' ,',,„,`,,,','',,‘",,,,)-,',0`,',, ,' ' , Lit_ • . ' . / • ' ' :,. ,..; A i ,i '''..,— --.1,- *. Ilatilr. • , -• - .... 'Hi; _ : ' r • ':' . .':. - "."- -i ','. _ .- , - ' • 1 i . .. ._,.._,, _ ...0. , 1 1--------_. _ ', iH,jkl4 i C__ ___ — - --- # , ----- •• -.., .., .,. ,3..^. -,„ .'="-`'.‘",'.4,ir:':-..1: :."....,;.::.":.,.,,,', "'',-,s`41'''''.°4'"'.."- '''"Q; -,'"--..'-'''',''',',,-,--'..'.,'•,,,,,,,, .'','""C.,,,' ., . - , r . '-''',:t")'.'.'„3.4,',4',,."-'• • , ./': .':... ..' i .... ' t...".!7-„,'•'.,,,-" r.' "' 1 ":,7'...:ric 7-4..,:*'*::-.,-•-"' ',.„. ----.... • ' ' • • -• -7"." .,;;;,,,,,,•-r. ""'"!,'-''''''' ••;..q,,,,3S.,,,,sviv5r,*,"'. ..- ••',.,'''',4.,,..•,4•,t!''.'1 ,,,?,'•••:.,,,e;,•,•'",:•,..',.•,i ''"'• . ,•-•,.4,.',....',": "'•'''.',.k., 4 ',.',;.' AV,"',iV''..L,' ' -';'''''''''?"'' . '0001 , -...,..--,..— ,,,._•,,.. .-...., 1, -''' '"..:''.'.''''';>.,.,":' -"...:/;:''''''.'' •: '''':',,-- -'. ' .--- •t ''''. ' .: '''' : :'-'; . - '''' . • = -: .....1 ..,•:-.v' . ..,. 2022/23 Parks Department Parks Maintenance Department The Parks Maintenance Department consists of four divisions. 5550-Parks Maintenance, 5680 City Lot Division. 5750-Cemetery Division and 5560 MPEC Business Park/TXDOT ROW's. We are always looking at ways of making the City a better place to live. It is our goal to keep Wichita Falls beautiful. Park Maintenance Division 36 Employees when fully staffed. The Parks Maintenance division maintained 39 city parks (1,265 acres), 5 parks at Lake Arrowhead, 23 miles of Hike and Bike Trail, 50 miles of boulevards and medians with 150+ flower beds and hundreds of irrigation systems. They also maintain the landscapes at City facilities including Memorial Auditorium. Regional Airport. Public Safety Training Center, Animal Reclaim Center, Police Station, Central Services, Library, Health Department, the Travel Center, the new SAFB Travel Plaza along with the 12 ornamental median structures located throughout Wichita Falls. City Lot Division 4 Employees when fully staffed. The City Lot Division maintained the City-owned trustee lots and the mowing of Code Enforcement violations. The crew mowed a total of 4.612 lots and cleaned up 53 trustee lots. They also have removed several large trees on the lots that pose a threat to the public and private properties. MPEC Business Park/TXDOT ROW 16 Employees when fully staffed. This division maintained the landscapes around MPEC Facilities, the 500-acre Business Park property and 560 acres of State Highway Right-of-Ways along with over 3700 trees and irrigation. Working shorthanded this year due to Covid 19/Delta, they were able to complete 7 mowing cycles on their large areas of TXDOT ROW's and the Business Park. Cemetery Division 5 Employees when fully staffed. The Cemetery Division maintained the four City-owned cemeteries. Riverside, Rosemont, Lakeview and Hillcrest had 99 funerals combined and sold 106 burial spaces. The division completed the layout on infill areas that did not require heavy equipment in 2018. Riverside had around 400 available spaces that have been ready since early 2019. but have only sold 69 spaces total in Riverside since then. Consultants had predicted these spaces would have sold quickly because they were located in the historical part of Riverside. As sales pick up, this funding will be used to further the expansion project. More advertising may be necessary. Projects happening this year and the next few years. There are many projects happening in our department. Here are just a few that might interest you. We continue to work with CDBG and private donors to help improve our parks since general fund budget is limited to some improvements, but mostly maintenance. DISC GOLF Our Disc Golf courses have really come a long way. Lucy and Lake Wichita Parks Disc Golf courses both have a new look since Wichita Falls Disc Golf Association raised funds to replace all thirty-six baskets. New course maps were designed by a graphic artist and installed near the number one t-boxes. We repurposed some of the baskets and built a 9-hole course at Expressway Village Park. We also have 9 more to build another at a park TBD. We are very excited to be in contract with three-time Disc Golf World Champion Avery Jenkins. He will be doing the design and construction of another 18-hole course in Williams Park funded by CDBG. With this signature course being listed on the national circuit, our chances of hosting large tournaments will greatly improve. The WFDGA and CVB have been introduced and look forward to working together. 010, r , y„Y;, Belair Park We were approached by the Pickieball Association to convert the tennis court to pickle ball courts. We posted a notice for two months with no replies from tennis players. They have been raising funds for the equipment and surfacing. Belair also has the oldest playground in the parks, We are working on design and purchase, It will be replaced in 2023. Hamilton Park Wichita County Medical Alliance funded a new 45'X50' Basketball Practice Court with two goals and striped at Hamilton Park. It opened in January 2023. WCMA has been a huge partner turning this park into a destination with the Shaded Splash Pad, Shaded Playground, Benches and over 100 Live Oak trees bordering the Circle Trail. 2023 may have another surprise coming, but we will just have to wait and see. w. ,, c ,if ,:,''''' .' ' .-. N''N.....,:--tst!,-.,..r-A. 1 i.ii .. r*0• . e .. - "L 1f Lq. s' - r ^. y Y '46..."'"----,-. i‘ ''--.. ,.....o.:1*--''...e.. 11FA‘It::74's.i: '..',0, '"g;14.',1.i Fit, .. i .—r , , 4'7►Q, mil•it Pr E 'T� 00 i Lucy Park We replaced a 25-year-old playground from the general fund. Arts Alliance and WFSO funded the new Musical Garden located at the main shelter. Another grant in 2023 will fund additional instruments to be added soon. + ' t} - .,...,.",,,,,,,,,;„,:;a„,,;,.:"..,.....ei."0,-idev",'•ede-„...,',..,_!, f:,:l.r., .,,„1, ,iiiii,„'. ,v.1,,,, 1,,,,i f rim- , � : e.: IiL ! t as ■rr d::---' ago . ,I [ 1 -- � - : - `±� ,'''• - i`� poi - �.w a Rotary Park The Rotary Club made donations to add a new playground. It was a hit and they have added two new covered benches similar to Kiwanis Park. The club is now raising funds to add a zip line in the next year. • MS yy 4, . -µ mmaGSOdT[A r x CDBG Projects for 2022/23 2100 feet of guard railing is soon to start along Holiday Creek trail from MLK to Humphreys Professional designed Disc Golf Course at Williams Park New 14' shelter on Scotland Park Berm Electric service w/lights at the north shelter at Scotland New ornamental fountain Bridwell Park New Futsal/Basketball court Bridwell Park New baseball diamond Bridwell Park New playground at Morningside Park Circle Trail The Circle Trail started with a vision nearly 40 years ago. Starting back in the 80's with a short section in Lucy Park. The Trail has grown to 23 miles +-. There is just a little more than a mile left (shown in red) to complete the estimated 24/25-mile attraction. Lake Wichita park to Larry's Marine section opened 2022. Once the Circle Trail is finished, it will be a huge accomplishment and a dream come true. The Circle Trail offers a very diverse experience for the public from bike riding, walking, jogging and a lot of areas have a wide variety of wildlife can be seen. t•Y Y .1 `A ° ' Batt-- 'i r k• ♦ 4 P.,. i 4 .. ice: v 3 f "'4 , x,`tA Nb* * ,..� t .w ; { + d• 4• . Gooq'e f a•' rt, A , 1111111111111111111111111 . Lake Wichita Park Lake Wichita Park will see many changes this year. Construction has started on the next phase of the Veterans Memorial. It is estimated to be complete around June 2023, the construction of the road and parking lot will start after that. The ADA kayak/canoe launch and sidewalk will be installed by Parks Project Crew when we have more water in the lake. Viz.- .,./y , ', A cli . . 7, Y T �`. =_ j - .�4 i'� - U . Ai' Y 4 r . ., ,� , �yy u.:. 9 ,i .' } r'P , .