Minutes_Park and Recreation Advisory Commission 4 17 12PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
4 30 p m , in the snack bar, Bunker Hill Golf Course
PRESENT: Bob Blocker, Chuck Harris, Paul Hoffmann, Ken Klinge, Karen Lyness, Evelyn
Nadeau and David Schlueter
STAFF: Marie Ware, Pat Prevenas and Eileen Trimble
MINUTES
APPROVED; VOTE:
DISCUSS STATUS
OF SECOND PET
PARK:
3RD GRADE
REEADING
INITIATIVE:
It was moved by Lyness, seconded by Nadeau, to approve the minutes of the
March 13, 2012 meeting with one change — third paragraph, second line on
page 3 should say "served golf" signup process (not softball). The motion
passed unanimously.
Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware told Commissioners that the area
selected for a second pet park is an area owned by IDOT at the southeast
corner of Locust and Highway 20. IIW Engineers was hired to do preliminary
work and they recommended doing soil tests on the site since we were
looking at having people and pets there. IIW has a proposal for a company to
do the testing. IDOT has to grant permission to do the test since it is their
property. The city's environmental attorney is reviewing the information. After
testing IIW will begin conceptual design.
Ware reminded commissioners that this location is only a temporary solution
because when the new Highway 20 bridge is constructed in the future, this
piece of property would be needed for the bridge. It could be years before
funds are available for that project.
This year the All America City competition is for a third grade reading initiative.
A group of partners forms a plan and if chosen, the All America City program
potentially brings resources to your community to help implement the plan.
Research has proven that if you can't ready by the time you are in third grade,
you are behind and just keep getting farther and farther behind.
Dubuque has many partners working on this project, including the Community
Foundation, Dubuque Community School District, Leisure Services,
Multicultural Family Center, St. Mark Community Center, the universities, day
cares, people that work with children from age 0 to 5, etc. They have come up
with a Community Solutions Action Plan with three major components —
improve school attendance, improve third grade reading levels and cut down
on summer reading loss. The application has been submitted and it is in the
review process right now. Leisure Services is involved because we have a lot
of summer recreation classes, along with programs at Multicultural Family
Center.
Commissioner Hoffmann isn't sure why we should be involved in a program
trying to improve reading. Leisure Services Department has a responsibility to
promote physical activity and exercise and provide recreational opportunities
for kids. He doesn't want us to get away from our core purpose.
Commissioner Nadeau said Hoffmann has a good point but maybe we can
incorporate the reading into some of the more active classes, turn kids on to
CAMPGROUND
HOLIDAY
RESERVATION
LOTTERY:
PARK DIVISION
REPORT:
reading. Commissioner Schlueter said it sounds like things are in the
formative stage right now, no cost estimates yet. We can see what the
possibilities are and maybe enhance the physical activities and it could be a
positive thing. Commissioner Lyness agreed with Schlueter and said it could
be another good cooperative effort like others that have worked well for the
department.
Manager Ware said it takes many different groups to work through all the
different issues and every group brings their strengths to the table.
Manager Ware told commissioners that everyone present at the lottery got
campsites and after everyone left, there were still sites available for all three
holidays. Ware did the drawing — she dumped all slips out of a particular box,
turned them all upside down and started drawing from all over the pile.
Commissioner Blocker said there were winners and losers. He heard from a
lot of people that the process took too long; would like to be able to reserve at
least 2 spots per person; would prefer online reservation to the lottery
process. He asked why we couldn't do it like pavilions — reserve it over phone
or in person at the office. The waiting was too long. Some people with kids
had to leave. Commissioner Harris thinks the lottery is the closest to fair you
can get but wondered if you could do similar to pavilion process, 13 months in
advance, i.e. you could reserve the 4th of July holiday in June the year before
and Labor Day in August the year before, etc. Commissioner Klinge received
numerous calls and talked to a lot of people. He thought the lottery was the
fairest way. He said as far as people waiting in line, people had to wait in line
the old way too. The lottery was more of a problem for nonresidents that had
to drive to Dubuque if they wanted to be included in the lottery. Commissioner
Nadeau said she read the letters to the editor but did not see anything that
would change her feeling the lottery was the fairest process.
♦ Due to the weather, seasonal laborers have started working early to try and
catch up on grass cutting and weed control. ♦ Gil's time as Acting Park Division
Manager ended last Wednesday and Mike Horsfall is back to work. He started
out with four -hour days and will be switching over to eight -hour days starting next
week. ♦ Application deadline for Park Division Manager position is Tuesday; 49
individuals have applied so far. ♦ Civil Service test for the Natural Resources
and Sustainable Practices Specialist is May 1st.
RECREATION ♦ Winter report was distributed to commissioners. Recreation Division Manager
DIVISION REPORT: Pat Prevenas noted that the big gap in numbers from previous year for
Hempstead swimming lessons was due to canceling all the lessons due to a
problem at the pool. Adult athletics shows teen basketball in previous years
because our department operated the program, but this year it was incorporated
into the LEAP program. Neighborhood Recreation open gym participation at
Prescott was down because people were outside more due to nice winter. Golf
course opened March 14th and had the third most rounds in the last thirty years.
That was really good but now have a concern for the greens — they need
moisture. ♦ The water slide at Sutton Pool is being renovated; replacing metal
lockers at both pools; adding ADA pool lifts at both pools. ♦ Softball registration
declined from 162 teams to 136 in the last three years. In the last ten years the
MANAGER'S
REPORT:
national trend has been a decrease in teams because of less baby boomers.
We have seen less competitive men's teams and more coed teams.
Brochures for summer programs were distributed at City Expo. The booklet is
56 pages this year with the Neighborhood Recreation programs as an insert in
the middle of the book. There are some unique classes offered this year. One
of the programs is a cooperative effort to incorporate a 90- minute boat ride with
some of the nature type programs offered. ♦ Registration began Wednesday,
April 11th. Eighty percent of the registrations processed that first day were done
online by individuals. ♦ Online pavilion rental will be coming soon — have a few
kinks to work out first.
♦ Department applied for the Urban Youth Corps grant through IDOT. We will be
able to hire three young people that need employment skills. The program gives
them a leg up to build skills and experience. They will work on Highway 20
roses again and other projects outlined in the application.
♦ Manager Ware told commissioners that June 11th and 12th is scheduled for
department managers to give input to City Council for goals and priorities.
Commissioners asked at the last meeting about presenting some Commission
goals to the Council for consideration when they are goal setting. If the
commission wants to get their priorities to the Council for this year's goal setting
session, it would need to be done at the May meeting. Ware asked if
commissioners wanted to set up a special meeting to work on priorities or just
use the regular May meeting. Commissioners Blocker, Lyness and Nadeau
thought a tour of facilities would be helpful; Schlueter, Klinge and Hoffmann
thought the regular May 8th meeting would work.
The following sites were suggested by commissioners as possible stops on the
tour: Miller Riverview, Usha, Comiskey, Bee Branch, new marina operation and
FDR. It was decided to use the regular May meeting for the tour. The May
agenda will list where to meet. After the tour, commissioners will have
discussion and set list of priorities for Manager Ware to recommend to City
Council; box meal will be provided.
OTHER BUSINESS: • Commissioner Blocker thanked Manager Prevenas for meeting a group of
former ski club members at the old building at Veterans' Memorial Park. The
building was a cooperative effort of the club and the city at the time it was
built. Stopping at the building brought back a lot of memories for the
members.
ADJOURN;
VOTE:
It was moved by Blocker, seconded by Schlueter, that the meeting be adjourned
at 5:35 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Attest
Chairperson