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Park Board Minutes - 01/27/2000RECEIVED IN 62- CITY CLERK'S OFFICE z� ' Date Wi i� Falls Pa" aflWeet' !�� I n Jant -11! 27 2Q9Q Memorial Auditorium 1:30 p.m. Presiding: Gary Patrick/Chairperson Members Present: Gary Patrick, Al Norris, Barbara Green, Clark Waters, Kenneth Haney, Bill Barnes and Kitty Wilson. Members Absent: Mark Howell and Bob McBee. Staff Present: Jack Murphy and Genice Wilson City Council Representative: Dan Shine, absent Visitors: Jim Berzina /City Manager Monica Wolfson/Times & Record News John Moler CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 1:37 p.m. Donald E. Graham a member of the Park Board from January 1998 to December 1999 passed away unexpectedly in December. Gary Patrick recommended we have some sort of resolution from the board issuing condolences to his wife in appreciation for Don's service to the board. Al Norris made the motion and Barbara Green seconded the motion. Approved unanimously. We now have two openings that need to be filled on the board. These positions need to be posted. Election of the officers was handled with an open election. Gary Patrick nominated Mark Howell for the position of Secretary of the Board. Barbara Green made the motion to elect Mark Howell and Bill Barnes seconded. None opposed. Kenneth Haney made the motion to nominate Al Norris to serve as Vice Chairperson again and Barbara Green seconded. None opposed. Clark Waters made the motion to reinstate Gary Patrick as Chairperson for the Park Board and Bill Barnes seconded. None opposed. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: The Recreation programs formerly at the Recreation Center above the library have been temporarily shifted to The Place (formerly the Women's Y) and Reagan Gym of WFISD until the renovated facilities are completed in June. Maureen Klein, Director of The Place, has generously permitted the City to share their facility in exchange for a percentage of our fees for classes. There have been 481 trees transplanted to replace those that have died. About ' /Z of these were planted at Weeks Park golf course, new irrigation emitters were also installed. We sold 46 trees to the City of Edmond, Oklahoma. We should hear about the receipt of a grant from TXDOT on Friday, January 29, 2000 for a TEA -21 trail. This trail would extend from the spillway at Lake Wichita three miles to the end of Fairway in Jaycee Park. We are working with Public Works to construct a' /4 mile trail on Holliday Creek under FM 2380 that will connect the ISTEA Trail to the TEA -21 Trail. Two trail coaches have been painted and roofs installed. Installation of a sound system is proceeding and decoration of the tug will be the next phase. We hope the tram is complete by this summer. Bids on the CDBG linear sidewalk from O'Reilly Park to Williams Park will be opened on February 3, 2000. We are buying mulch from a firm in Vernon and spreading it around our trees to increase survival. ISTEA Trail in Weeks Park is progressing with retaining walls under Midwestern Pkwy and going into Hamilton Park. We sent a driver and truck to Weatherford to pick up 115 steel barrels for use as litter barrels in our parks. There is a shortage of these barrels and we will try to treat the barrels to extend their life by replacing the bottom with expanded metal, coating the inside, and placing them on concrete pads instead of damp ground. We are asking each member of the board to supply us with an e-mail address if you have one in order to send agendas and minutes by e- mail. OLD BUSINESS: a. Status of Recreation Center improvements: This was touched on in the departmental report. The projected completion date is late May or June. The Senior Zone is trying to operate out of the Recreation Center even though much of it is now under construction. It was suggested that the board take a tour of the Recreation Center next meeting. b. Discussion of additional surplus park land to sell: We are going to have an election in May, which will include a proposition to sell a small portion of Weeks Park. The City Council, who had approved this, also suggested putting in any other pieces of land that seemed surplus for possible consideration in the same election. Jack Murphy suggested several parks, which could possibly be put on the surplus list for the election. Mr. Patrick stated that he has no interest in selling off our park system, but if some are underused, maybe we should sell them and use the money to fund and develop other parks. City Manager advised the board to keep the list short so that it could be bundled into the Weeks Park proposition. Board members plan to take tours of the parks and evaluate their usage before the election. c. Park Open Space, & Recreation plan. (Long term plan update) Copies of the Capital Improvement Priorities January 2000 were handed out to each member of the board. (Copy attached) Jack went over this with the board. Gary Patrick didn't see where the land that was to be acquired at Lake Wichita was listed on the improvements. Jack said that he would add this. Number 7, a water playground off central freeway — needs to be done away with since this idea has been tried and did not work. Mr. Murphy received a letter from Robert Seabury of the Lake Wellington Development Company. They have developed a small park with a gazebo by Lake Wellington and they are asking the city to take it over for maintenance. He requested that the board drive by and look at it and we can discuss it at the next meeting. a. Water rationing effect on trees, flowers and the tree - planting program: The Parks Department needs to move or sell 411 trees before next year. The board would prefer to see the trees planted here and take a chance on their survival rather than selling trees that we need to other cities. The Parks Department is looking for other ways of getting water to the trees but we're not having much luck. It all depends on nature and how much moisture we get. e. Status Lake Wichita Boat Ramp. The curbs are done and the base is in, basically this project is going well. They are almost ready to lay the asphalt. There will be some trees planted here. Mr. Patrick wanted to know when the boat ramp is estimated to being complete. Jack was not sure but he said that it would probably be within the month. NEW BUSINESS: a. Roller Hockey — the Parks and Recreation received a letter from a group of individuals that didn't like the way the city was running the league and said that they were going to form their own league. Mr. Patrick heard that some of the letter was complaining about one of Recreation's employees. Jack stated that since the letter was not signed and we have no one in particular to talk to, then the subject was dropped. The Department is no longer in the Roller Hockey business. b. Mr. Patrick introduced John Moler to the board. He asked if he could have a rain check and come back at a latter date. OTHER BUSINESS: THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 3:37 P.M. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2000 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM.