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Park Board Minutes - 03/23/2000RECEIVED IN ru 'S , CITY C LERK OFFICE }� Date �J " -� " Wichita Falls Park Board Meeting By Time < March 23, 2000 Memorial Auditorium 1:30 p.m. Presiding: Gary Patrick /Chairperson Members Present: Gary Patrick, Al Norris, Mark Howell, Clark Waters, Bob McBee, Barbara Green, Kenneth Haney and Bill Barnes. Members Absent: Kitty Wilson. Staff Present: Jack Murphy, Glenn Jamison, Genice Wilson, and Steve Seese City Council Representative: Dan Shine, absent Visitors: Robert Seabury and Larry Sanner CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 1:37 p.m. The main purpose today is to try and finalize a Five Year Plan for the City Parks & Recreation Department. We also have some business items to discuss in today's meeting and with that in mind Mr. Patrick moved the New Business to the beginning of the agenda. NEW BUSINESS: A. Discussion of offer by Robert Seabury to accept Circle Park in the Lake Wellington subdivision. Mr. Robert Seabury was introduced to the board and he answered questions and gave handouts on the location of the Village Green Park in the Lake Wellington subdivision being offered to the City. The board discussed the acceptance of this park and some of the concerns were voiced. Bill Barnes if the Beach Park located across the street from Village Green would be kept private? Yes it would because it is the entrance to Lake Wellington, which is a private lake owned by the homeowners. If the City took over the Village Green Park what kind of conflict will result when people go to the Park and end up going to Beach Park when Village Green is full? Mr. Seabury stated that there are private property signs in Beach Park. Mr. Norris suggested the board go out and look at the property and see for themselves before further discussion. v Mr. Patrick stated that the Park Board would study this request and then get back to Mr. Seabury at a later date. B. Discussion of whether the new boat ramp area at Lake Wichita is a park. Larry Sanner wants to have an Open Catfish Tournament at Lake Wichita on Saturday May 6, 2000 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The new boat ramp would be used as the headquarters for the event and Mr. Sanner is requesting that the Park Board waive the percentage fees paid to Parks and Recreation if it is a park. Bob McBee made the motion to recommend that Larry Sanner have a Catfish Tournament at Lake Wichita and since this area is not a park, that the fees should not apply. Bill Barnes seconded this motion and none opposed. DEPARTMENTAL REPORT: We have started on the construction of the trail from O'Reilly Park to Williams Park. It should be completed sometime this summer. This will tie two trail systems together from Lucy Park all the way under Eastside Drive on the North and back to Eastside Drive on the South. Tommy Duke is the contractor for this project. We are working with the state for the grant that was awarded for the three -mile trail, which starts at the bottom of the dam by the spillway and ends at Jaycee Park at Fairway. Hopefully this project will begin soon. The State has a deadline of August. Bid letting is set for November, but we are trying to get that moved up. Softball Spring /Summer League has begun. The Recreation Center is about 2/3 finished. We need to have the Park Board there when it is finished to check it out. OLD BUSINESS: A. Park and Recreation Five Year Plan. Packets were handed out for the board's information. Mr. Patrick said that back in August the Park Board had formulated a rough draft of our five year plan and asked if everyone had a copy. Mr. McBee asked if Jack could build an inflation factor into the figures that he produced on the Five Year Capital Improvement Priorities for March 2000. Jack Murphy said that could be done. Steve Seese from the Planning Department was at the meeting to help with questions that the Board may have about formulating this plan. V Several different long term projects, such as a gymnasium, Lake Wichita shoreline improvements, improvements in Lucy and Jaycee parks, wildlife display and ponds, etc., were discussed and it comes down to actually putting the plan down on paper. Gary Patrick stated that there are three approaches to determine Parks & Recreation needs: 1. Man Base — information gathered from uses, rates and surveys. 2. Standard Base — information gathered from standards, such as number of acres of parkland, etc. 3. Resource Base — information gathered from resources, such as lakes, rivers, hills, forests, etc. Jack Murphy challenged the Park Board to study all information supplied and formulate a plan. What do you think the city would like to see in five years. Glenn Jamison was asked how well the Recreation facility above the library is doing? He stated that it was literally bursting at the seams. While the facility is under renovation the only thing we have going on is the Senior Zone. It has grown to over a thousand members and is continuing to grow. Once the dance and fitness classes move back in after the renovation, there is no telling how quick it will overflow. It will not be long before the demand for other facilities will be there. We are now in the process of building a new Disc Golf course at Jaycee Park. The main question the Park Board needs answered is how will the city get this plan prepared and written? The Park Board decided to meet again in two weeks to discuss what is needed to formulate the plan. OTHER BUSINESS: THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:45 P.M. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2000 AT THE RECREATION FACILITY AT 10T" AND INDIANA, ROOM 213.