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Park Board Minutes - 12/07/2000-b,�, P .v. RECEIVED IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE Date By Time ri1 Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting December 7, 2000 Municipal Auditorium City Council Conference Room 1:35 p.m. Presiding: Gary Patrick /Chairperson Members Present; Members Absent: Staff Present: City Council Representative: CALL TO ORDER: Gary Patrick, Al Norris, Mark Howell, Bob McBee, Ed Godsey and Kenneth Haney Barbara Green, Linda Bates, Matthew Bohlen, William Barnes and Clark Waters Jack Murphy, Glenn Jamison, Terry Points, Alan Whitmire, Genice Wilson and Bobby Hagerman Dan Shine The meeting was called to order and the minutes of October 26 were put before the board. Mark Howell made the motion to approve the minutes and Ed Godsey seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. Bobby Hagerman, the new Tennis Pro at Weeks Park Tennis Center was introduced to the Park Board. Mr. Hagerman told the board a little about himself and family. He seemed excited about taking over the Pro position at Weeks Tennis Center. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: Public Works is addressing the subsidence under the New CDBG linear sidewalk at River Road. There was a sewer break near River Road causing about five feet of sidewalk to fall in. The linear sidewalk is closed until this is taken care of. Parks has responded to three citizen requests during town hall meetings for additional median line -of -sight maintenance. The staff is reviewing the need for future additional resources to maintain our growing urban forest. Ernie Baker, operator of the Funland Amusement facility on Southwest Parkway has moved to San Angelo and has taken the amusement rides with him. The facility is now officially closed. This opens up new opportunities for the City concerning Weeks Park. Mr. McBee moved to put Funland facility improvements and property on the agenda for the next meeting to discuss different ideas of what can be done with this property. This was approved to put on the agenda in January. The Parks Department is working on a plan to expand Riverside Cemetery. We are hoping to achieve monetary self- sufficiency with our cemeteries. The plan is to buy several lots off of Cliff Street to the east of the cemetery. Damages that were sustained from the vandalism in Riverside Cemetery are the lot owners responsibility. There were some retired Marines here locally that helped with some of the clean up. The police have some leads such as fingerprints and we are hoping the persons who caused the damage will be apprehended. We are thinking of ways to change our park signs and maybe spill them up a little bit. We are talking to some businesses and trying to get them interested. Public Works has committed to place 40' diameter gravel circles at both ends of the Holliday Creek Trail for our P & R Trailways train and the public. This is where our trail has ended since we have not yet received funding to extend the trail. We have the supplies in hand to fix the ball field wiring at Jaycee Park. The Traffic Department will be installing the wiring shortly. We received $6,000 from University Kiwanis Club from their summer 2000 profits. $1,500 will be reserved for a bleacher sun shelter and the balance will be for playground additions. Purchasing is bidding out the Lucy Park Pond water well. We do not know the cost at this time but Terry Points is working to get that information to us. The first tryout of the P & R Trailways train was during the City Lights event and it was very successful. We are working on the fourth and last coach and will have it ready soon. We still need to have the portion of Weeks Park and East Lynwood Park platted. Soon after this is done we will be able to go forward with the sale of these previously voted on public properties. The money received from the sale will go into the general fund. TXDOT indicates the construction on the 2.57 -mile TEA 21 trail from the Lake Wichita spillway to the end of Fairway in Jaycee Park should begin in April. Mark Howell reminded the board that the lots directly north of the new boat ramp are now for sale by the property owner. The Park Board is interested in having the City purchase this land, possibly using funds from the sale of the previously mentioned Park property. Dan Shine suggested waiting a couple of months and then putting it before the City Council. Bob McBee made a motion, for Jack Murphy to research the two lots in question and find out what the asking price and appraisal values are. He also needs to determine the feasibility of acquiring the properties and whether there is anyone currently living or encroaching on the lots. Mark Howell seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. OLD BUSINESS: A. Discussion of Master Plan presentation by staff. The purpose of the master plan is to be able to submit the plan to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for approval so when we have future grant applications, we would have a master plan already approved. We would gain critical criteria points on these competitive grant applications if we have an approved plan in place. Glenn Jamison gave each member of the board a draft copy of the initial sections of the master plan. He asked that each member take it home, read it and become acquainted with it. The reason for this is because he needs feed back from the board in order to complete different aspects of the plan. Glenn went over the information that he received from different sources and how he put this information into the master plan. He again requested input from the board. The board assured him that input would be forthcoming. The Recreation Department is presenting a new event this year called Christmas in the Park with Santa, featuring Santa's Great Candy Cane Scramble. Different ways of advertising this event were discussed by Glenn, Dan Shine and the Board. B. Assignment of Parks to Board Members. A copy of the parks assigned to each member was handed out. If there is a park that you wish to have and it is not assigned to you please let Al Norris or Gary Patrick know. Alan Whitmire will give Genice an updated copy of the park addresses and they will be forwarded to each board member. NEW BUSINESS: A. Board appointments. Mark Howell, Al Norris, Bob McBee and Barbara Green were reappointed to the Park Board at the December 5, 2000 City Council meeting. The 2001 Wichita Falls Park Board list will be included with the minutes. OTHER BUSINESS: THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 3:30 P.M. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY JANUARY 25,200 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM, MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM.