Park & Recreation Commission January 8, 1982 Meeting - Joint Work Session with City CouncilWORK SESSION - SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1982
JOINT SESSION - CITY COUNCIL AND PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION
Meeting was held at 9:00 A.M. Council Chambers, City Hall
PRESENT -Mayor Brady, Council Members Beurskens, Deich, Hammel,
Klauer.
Commissioners - Bueiow, Murray, Thompson, Willoughby, Kucera.
Also Present- City Manager W. Kenneth Gearhart, Corporation Counsel
Harley F. Stark, Jr., Park & Recreation Director Terry Trueblood,
Assistant Directors, Gill Spence John Hail.
Also Loretta Meyer, Mark Willging, Leo Heitzman, Steve Pregler,
representatives of KDTH, WDBQ and T-H.
Mayor Brady called the Work Session to order and stated prime reason
for seesion was not necessarily to determine whether to accept or
not but basically as what to do with the Burder Property referred
to as the "Four Mounds" which was a provisions contained in the
Elizabeth Burden will.
MIKE Park & Recreation public hearing session was held on December 11, 1982.
approx. 40-45 were present - ideas were given by those attending No negatism was presented - Recommended Commercial Use - Park &
Recreation facility- Artoritum interested - Just throwing out ideas -
Requested input - Monies not available - Maintain vs. improvements -
What it could be - Lots of unanswered questions - Need access road -
IN and out - What is cost of improvements - No commercial questions -
Development, think of the area - May be used as a seminar, place for
receiptions, only mansion - Not main house - Exterior need renovation
Costs monies - none available - What do you do if accepted - Let
for set for number of years - consultants available - Decide before
acceptance or rejection. Utility costs are available No estimate to bring back to proper condition - Recreation Dept.
wonder where money to come from if we accept.
DAVE No doubt we should accept - Find monies until it is able to pay own
way - Funds are there to maintain - This is valuable property - Big
mistake if we pass offer up.
CHIP Questioned how can we take property at these economic time - All
he has talked to agree - To take property - We will find some
accept maintenance - Part may be self-supporting - Mainly keep
ground in good condition - Do Not turn down - Ideas to develop -
Dollars & Cents - How - Most difficult.
DAVE May use form of volunterism to maintain.
JOINT WORK SESSION COUNCIL & PARK & REC. COMM. 1-8-83 Page #2
MIKE Utility expenses
OIL
Burden resident $2457.38
Barn 1098.55
Power House 236.78
Mansion 3591.31
TOTAL 7382.02
POWER
Burden resident $1585.14
Barn 77.71
Power House 172.63
Mansion 386.75
TOTAL 2221.23
Water Heating Bill 1179.18
TOTAL for all utilites $10794.33 at present style.
BILL What does maintenance consist of? Building - Grass - Keeping road
open? and cost to do same.
MIKE Per Tom Luksetich letter on insepction for fail rental.
2 bedroom house - $200.00 - other 2 bedroom house $200.00 - White House
$800.00 and Stucco House - $600.00 monthly.
The location is remote - Gray house contains 6 bedrooms - If able
to rent, monies are there to maintain.
GENE This is beautiful property - Obligation to take and maintain properly.
Should check for clarification as to what did Mrs. Burden mean by
"Park".
CHIP Arboretum possibly - Helping City to develop such as at Marshall Park.
GENE Dick Kramer spoke to the possibly of an arborietum - Do not have
forces - We have stated needs - Couls use as requested - where is
responsibility.
DAVE Consider the possibly of may be some day joining Eagle Point Park.
MIKE We must realize gray mansion is very large - Burden Homse and 2
buidling saetting in middle of park - Make building to coincide with
rest of property - Take time and make future plans - Receptions could
be held - Mansion has many rooms - Could be considered for various
meetings.
Who ever would live in white house would be living inside City owned
park.
JOINT SESSION - COUNCIL & PARK & REC. COMM. 1-8-83 Page #3
DAVE If properties are rented - hold onto park.
DON Consider using mansion as exclusive restaurant
GENE Chamber of Commerce proposed the restaurant - Not able to afford
24 hour service to man - This is a great expense.
DON Consider leasing whole thing - operation and maintenance.
CHIP Recommend to try and make self-supporting - Develop restaurant.
DON In Los Angeles (Burbank) beautiful restaurant Environment and
atmosphere offered - Quite expensive.
BILL Subjects we may be overlooking - What is considered park - Commercial
Development - Clarify Mrs. Burden meant by "Park" - How much
monies to fix road -Widen or another road to be added - First find
her intention on definition of "Park" May be best interest to
accept and prepare long range development
DON Plans to call for a "Park"
BILL Take the park - But we still need money - Must maintain road -
Decide whether to accept or reject.
CHIP Commission confused also - Commitment for park problems - Are your
ideas along same line - Good Park - No chance to get figures at this
time for maintenance.
DON Is is enough to hold for green space
GENE $15.000 roughly $15,000 needed for mainenance.
CHIP Could we exchange
DON Make offer - cut rent in half - You maintain
DAVE - What goes on now - Caretaker here - may wish to say few words
JIM How much to maintain road in winter and buildings
LEO Equipment - Snow plows & blowers - salt by ahnd - Cost 60 to 8 tons
salt in heavy winter - Jeep pick-up truck also sknow ploy
Must salt with small snowfall.
JIM What is cost to operate and maintain road - Collars amount - Gas
and time.
TOM Maybe we could make provisions to provide equipment.
DON Figure hourly basis - Norman snow 4 inches - 3 hour job to clear road.
CHIP Agree with Tom - Make part of agreement
DON $25 per hour - $75 per snow fall.
JIM Give costs and time involved
LEO 1/2 inch to 1 inch - not able to get up hill - have to salt every time
Much need for protection - Salted heavy.
JOINT SESSION - COUNCIL & PARK & REC. COMM. 1-8-83 Page #4
JIM Talks of possibly shifting manpower from FDR park and changing
University to revert back to original owner. What are costs for
FDR Park.
RWEEY Maintenace of FDR excluding zoo - 200 to 300 manhours required.
Only costs are zoo - saves 1 part time individual by this I mean
1 full time part time all summer and provides equipment.
JIM Disappointed with FDR - Turn back into wilderness - Hiking -
exploring.- camping with tents - Make a go of this property - Let it go
except for ground around home.
TERRY Zoo Committee is taking on more responsibility for this.
MIKE Still have questions to be answered by Staff - Bad time to get proper
figures . Need Road Costs, Maintenance Costs - Recommending to go
back to executor - get 90 day extension - Get budget out and then
firm facts and figures - Do we know have approval - Cannot at this time
decide to accept or reject - Estate should be willing to accept
conditions. We really need more figures - Get 90 day extension.
DAVE Accept on 2, 3, 4 or 5 years basis - Wait for economy to turn
around.
JOHN Who has read will - if we do not develop does it go back to heirs
Rent with understanding you maintain - ACCEPT
CHIP Can we explore and wait 90 days
JIM Discuss possibilities - Request 90 days extension - If rejected,
are we able to accept
MARK If the City goes retroactive on costs to January 1st - Would spread
costs for the City
Just hard to make decision may not make final decision until 1 year
from now
Someone to bear expenses waiting for decision.
TOM Verify if ableto hold own for next 5 years.
CHIP As it exists - Problem with accepting without knowing costs
JIM When offered were conditions same as Marshall Park - Is it because
of buildings - Closed issue if buldings are part of wil - not or
never to accept - Forget buildings or tear down.
GENE Do not let houses detoriate - White house is beautiful - Inside
mansion gorgeous - Would not put into museum.
JOINT SESSION - COUNCIL & PARK & REC. COMM. 1-8-83 Page ##5
BILL Not addressing - Do we wish to continue to develop and maintain
parks - If yes, accept - If no, reject.
JIM Development means to extend.
DON Valuable property - If turned down, no more offer
Chances are joining Eagle Point Park - undoubtful 4 buildings
availabe for rental - Should take - Put in holding pattern.
Use barn to store egipment - Lots of plusses - Ask for 90 or 45
day extension or whatever available.
JOHN FDR Park is not in City - Burden property is farthest northly point
of City. This area substitute for FDR - Can make self-supporting
Must install roads.
JIM Not wild about request for extension - Concur - Take - will pay
for itself. If extension granted with ease - try for 15 to 20 days.
TERRY Chamber of Commerce recommended to accept conditional - possible
9 months - rental vs. maintenance - Do not make hasy decision.
JIM Give you 15 to 20 days - Do what you can in that time.
No further discussion, Work Session adjourned at 10:25 A.M.
Mary A. Davis
City Clerk