Minutes_Park and Recreation Advisory Commission 10 11 11PRESENT:
OTHERS:
PUBLIC:
MINUTES
APPROVED;
VOTE:
DISCUSS
MEMORIAL
BENCHES:
DISCUSS
CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT
BUDGET;
PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
4:30 p.m., Snack Bar, Bunker Hill Golf Course
Bob Blocker, Chuck Harris, Paul Hoffmann, Ken Klinge, Karen Lyness, Evelyn
Nadeau and David Schlueter
Staff present: Marie Ware, Pat Prevenas and Eileen Trimble
Ernestine Moss
It was moved by Lyness, seconded by Nadeau, to approve the minutes of the
September 13, 2011, meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware told commissioners that the City
Manager requested staff to come up with a city -wide memorial bench policy
and fee scale that would be consistent and equalize the fees. After research, it
was recommended to City Council that memorial bench fee for mini parks,
neighborhood parks and trails be $1,600 and in the higher profile areas like
Bee Branch and Millwork District the fee would be $2,000. There are bench
locations along Bee Branch and throughout the Millwork District in addition to
parks and trails.
Commissioner Nadeau asked if some of the benches purchased in the future
could be made out of recycled materials. Manager Ware said that could be
looked at in the future, but anything made out of steel is recycled because steel
is just re- melted and used again.
Staff is currently working on C.I.P. budget. Projects are being re- submitted
from last year that were dropped out, plus some totally new projects. Manager
Ware asked if commissioners have any projects they would like to discuss or
move to a higher priority, they could discuss it now or let staff know.
• Commissioner Harris asked where Comiskey improvements fell. Manager
Ware said most of the projects are in this fiscal year and the rest are next year.
We hope to be ready in the spring to start on some of those projects.
• Commissioner Nadeau asked to make rest rooms in Jackson Park a priority;
the park is heavily used. • Commissioner Blocker asked if there were funds in
FY 2012 for additional pet park; Manager Ware said yes. He also asked about
paved campsites at Miller Riverview and raising the electric boxes at the camp
sites so they wouldn't have to be removed and re- installed with each flood.
Manager Ware said both are projects that are in the C.I.P. budget but they had
been backed up.
continued
October 11, 2011 meeting
page two
PARK DIVISION Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware informed commissioners:
REPORT:
• Interviewed nine individuals for Mechanic position (seven were city). The
unanimous decision of the interview committee was to offer the job to Charlie
Klein and he accepted. Charlie has been a mechanic for the department in the
Winter months. With Charlie accepting the Mechanic job, it opens a position.
The next position to hire is Assistant Horticulturalist. • Staff is busy with fall
projects and cleanup and maintaining areas including flowers and hanging
baskets. • We are working on an expansion of the greenhouse. There is an
area behind the current greenhouse where there are two smaller buildings with
a space in between. That is one possibility but we are also exploring the
possibility of building on the city -owned green space on Lincoln Avenue. We
have approval to explore that possibility so we are working with a consultant to
see if it is feasible and to get cost estimates. Basically the addition would be a
potting shed and it would be used only for hanging baskets.
RECREATION Recreation Division Manager Pat Prevenas informed commissioners:
DIVISION • A lot of programs started in September at Allison- Henderson and Comiskey.
REPORT: There are after school programs at Prescott and Marshall, both well attended.
The after school programs at Audubon, Fulton and Lincoln have lower
registrations. • The after school sports flag football program had 200 children
registered and the volleyball 274. • Fall adult softball leagues are completed
for the season. Winter basketball had 39 teams register and they begin play
next week; volleyball had 25 teams register and they begin play the first week
in November. • Golf rounds for September were average. The first nine days
of October were nice weather and we have already reached the number of
rounds for half of October last year. • Flora Pool painting project was
completed. • We are working with Loras College to do some re -sod the infield
at Petrakis Field and some repair work on the pitcher's mound. • Volleyball
courts at Flora Park are used four days a week in the summer for pickleball;
the group moved to the recreation center in Peosta for winter play.
BEE BRANCH • Manager Ware said there is continuous progress on the project and within
UPDATE: the next month a lot of things will be finalized. The project was awarded a
Trees Forever grant but staff is going to see if they will allow a spring planting
and put some trees in the recently acquired areas. We hope to have college
students to help with the planting. • The wooden sign at Kerper and 16th is to
be upgraded like the other two gateway welcome signs as a future C.I.P.
Commissioners asked if the bike path crossing could be improved at this spot
for better safety.
continued
October 11, 2011 meeting
page three
CATFISH Manager Ware has been working with the consultants on the study. Some
CREEK STUDY: alternate routes have been dropped and other changes made. It is a feasibility
study that will be brought to an upcoming Commission meeting and the public
will be notified.
ADJOURN; It was moved by Blocker, seconded by Lyness, that the meeting be adjourned
VOTE: at 5:28 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Chairperson
Attest