Park Board Minutes - 08/24/2006RECEIVED IN
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting Date "0(0
August 24, 2006 By Time x2' 501
Municipal Auditorium
City Council Conference Room
1:30 p.m.
Presiding: Elmer Emory/Chairperson
Members Present: Elmer Emory, Peg Marquardt, Mary Ward, Sharon
Roach, Penny Miller, Dennis Kays, Alan Donaldson and
Gene Strouth.
Members Absent: Brad Rodgers, Jan Herzog, and William Hinkle.
Staff Present: Jack Murphy and Genice Wilson
City Council Representative: Lanham Lyne (Absent)
CALL TO ORDER:
Meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. The minutes of June 22, 2006 were put
before the board. Peg Marquardt made the motion to accept the minutes as
written and Sharon Roach seconded the motion. Approved unanimously.
DEPARTMENTAL REPORT:
1. The City Council has taken action to issue new bonds that will generate 21
million dollars worth of funding for various City projects. One million of that
will be ear marked for four new softball fields at the Softball Complex, two of
which are replacements for the fields at TESCO Park that will be going away.
That is in addition to % million that has been appropriated from the 4B Sales
Tax.
Mr. Murphy stated that approximately half of the new property being acquired
for the softball fields is in the floodway. We are working with Public Works to
find a solution. The building and the south two fields will be outside the
floodway line, but the two north fields will be within the floodway. Scott Taylor
with Public Works feels that he can work with mitigation actions that will allow
us to build within the floodway.
Another % million dollars of the bonds will be used for the Skate Park. The City
will be making a decision on location, style, cost, and the construction method.
2. The Junior League chose to go with the Memorial Stadium site for the handicap
baseball field.
3. The University Kiwanis Club's project of building a concession /restroom
building in Lake Wichita Park for the YMCA baseball league is about 50%
complete. The Committee on Standardization of Park Leases is continuing to
gather information and will give their conclusion at a later date.
4. Park Maintenance is having a labor shortage. As of last week there were 13
positions short. We have hired some positions this week but we are still short.
5. Summer Programs for the Recreation department are over and went well. The
Fall Softball league has started and we will be able to use the TESCO fields
until October 30"'. Lucy Park concerts with our new stage will continue
through September. We have completed the new expansion of the exercise
room at the 50 + Zone.
6. South Weeks Park fishing pond is getting a new drainage pipe that will carry
additional rain water from the development south of Weeks Park to fill the
pond.
7. We are at the early stage of planning for a new landscape effort for the new
Flyover freeway. We will be working with TXDOT in this effort.
Alan Donaldson wanted to know if there is going to be a paved parking lot put in
for the new softball fields. Staff stated this will likely be the case.
Mary Ward wanted to know what is going on at the intersection of 5t' and Holliday.
Jack Murphy explained to her that the TXDOT is reconstructing the intersection for
safety improvement.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Discussion of Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan.
The main issue is that City Council wishes to meet with the Park Board as an
element of their Strategic Plan to discuss issues of importance. The budget for
next year will be adopted next month and will mainly be a status quo budget.
NEW BUSINESS:
The members of the board discussed adding new parks to subdivisions and what
needed to be done to present parks to increase usage.
OTHER BUSINESS:
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
Signature:
Elmer Emory/Chairperson