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Park Board Minutes - 10/25/2001Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting CITY CLERK'S OFFICE October 25, 2001 Date 10- d 1 Municipal Auditorium By City Council Conference Room 1:45 p.m. Presiding: Gary Patrick/Chairperson Members Present: Gary Patrick, Al Norris, Mark Howell, Kenneth Haney and William Barnes. Members Absent: Barbara Green, Bob McBee, Ed Godsey, Clark Waters, Matthew Bohlen and Linda Bates. Staff Present: Jack Murphy and Genice Wilson City Council Representative: Johnny Burns (absent) CALL TO ORDER: The minutes from September 27, 2001 were put before the board. William Barnes made the motion to accept the minutes and Mark Howell seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: The Jaycee Park earthen berm is progressing and there is a possible new source of 70,000 cubic yards of dirt available from the new secondary reservoir project. We are over one half the way there, with 63,000 cubic yards deposited on site. Hopefully we will be finished in another month or so if the good weather continues. It is hoped that his will eventually be shaped into an outdoor theater. The CDBG linear park on Holliday Creek is complete except for the fencing. The contractor is having trouble with a supplier. This will extend the trail from Eastside Drive to East Scott. The bridge over the Kingston- Jamaica canal should be set today, October 25 on the TEA 21 trail extending across the Lake Wichita dam. This should complete the trail from the Lake Wichita spillway for three miles to the end of Fairway at Jaycee Park. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department funded recreation trail in Jaycee Park is ready to go out for bid. This will complete a circle around Jaycee Park and connect with the TEA 21 trail, completing a loop of about 3.5 miles. Jack talked about the Above Current items requested in the budget for this year but which were not funded. Flowers for the fall are 98% installed and should be completed this week. We will be planting over 800 trees from the nursery with about 400 at the Golf course and the rest in medians and as replacements for trees that have died. We will be installing a clock structure somewhere on Kell at an intersection west of the overhead. The intersection has not been chosen yet. We have installed new signs for safety purpose at Weeks Tennis Center warning golfers not to hit balls into the tennis center. The Parks department is working with the Visions group for the City to plant street trees for businesses downtown. The businesses agree to maintain the trees after they are planted. The Recreation's Adult Basketball season begins on Monday, November the 19tH We anticipate another good season. Everyone is invited to come out Saturday, October 27 to the Halloween event in Lucy Park. This event will replace the former Haunted Train event. OLD BUSINESS: A. Presentation by Assistant City Attorney on City liability for an off leash dog facility and results of opinions of other park departments having them. R. Kinley Hegglund, Jr., Assistant City Attorney was introduced to the board and ask to discuss the liability factor if the City of Wichita Falls opens a Dog Park, will the City be subject to additional liability? He stated that the City would not incur additional liability should it decide to open a dog park. As in all of the City's parks, Wichita Falls is liable for personal injury or death caused by a condition or use of real property only if it can be proven that the City was guilty of committing willful or wanton acts or of gross negligence. Jack Murphy stated that he talked to the director in Dallas and Austin about their facilities. Mr. Murphy found that there is an odor problem, no grass and the people do not keep these facilities clean. Mr. Murphy's recommendation is not to have a Dog Park facility in a public park at this time. He is recommending that the former yacht club facility, which is now used as a boat ramp and for angler access off of Shoreline Drive, be used as an off -leash dog facility for the public. Mark Howell and Al Norris were concerned because this area is still being used for wildlife viewing, fishing and also as an active boat ramp. They are concerned that if there were a dog park there that it would become a problem for current users of the facility. Mr. Riley was concerned that the off leash dogs would chase the wildlife and get infections from the water in the lake. It was suggested that Mr. Riley go out and look at the facility and see if it could accommodate his needs for a dog park and still be used by others to enjoy the lake. Once he has surveyed the area he was to come back to the board for an agenda item at the next meeting. B. Recommendation on request by the WF Radio Control Club for permits and insurance to fly model aircraft in Jaycee Park. Jack's recommendation is that the city consider expanding its ordinance on use at the Jaycee Park flying field to include all the rules that have been posted but are not yet ordinances, so if there are future violations, people can simply can call a policeman to enforce the ordinances. The club has indicated that there may be an issue of liability but the Legal Department feels that there is any particular city liability there. The WF Radio Club still wants a permit process because even if there is an ordinance the police cannot issue a citation unless the act was actually witnessed by the police officer. With the permit process, if the individual violated the rules a certain number of times then the permit could be revoked and they would not be allowed to use the facility. Gary Patrick suggested that Jack Murphy and the board members read over the information that was handed out to the board and come back to the next meeting with some recommendations. This matter will be placed on the next board meeting agenda. C. Open space needs in new residential developments: Jack Murphy handed out the preliminary plat for the new Trophy Park subdivision. This is a large subdivision area and the board was concerned with open space for new parks. Our Master Plan calls for larger park areas with a goal of acquiring a regional park by 2003. Current policy is that the city has a right to negotiate with the landowner for open space but that the city has to buy such land. D. Recommendation on proposal prohibiting prepared food from being brought on the premises and cooking food on the premises of the parking lot and grounds of the Softball Complex when games are being played. Requested that Park Board review by City Council on July 17, 2001. It has been noted this summer that there have been a few tailgate parties in the parking lot of the Complex. The Council said they saw nothing wrong with having tailgate parties at the Complex. The board did not see a pressing need to change current policies. William Barnes made the motion to reject the proposal prohibiting prepared food from being brought on the premises and cooking food on the premises of the parking lot and grounds of the Softball Complex when games are being played. Kenny Haney seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. E. Discussion on request by Southside Girls Club for additional land in Southern Hills Park. The board discussed this and it was agreed that Jack Murphy would meet with the Southside Girls Club to see if the facility could be placed a little further off of the street frontage. NEW BUSINESS: A. Because the fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving we will not have a board meeting until the first Thursday in December, which will take care of November and December meetings. OTHER BUSINESS: ADJOURNMENT: THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:00 P.M.