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Minutes_Park and Recreation Commission 7 8 14PRESENT: PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Tuesday, July 8, 2014 4:30 p.m., Steel Open Air pavilion, Flora Park Bob Blocker, Paul Hoffmann, Robin Kennicker, Ken Klinge, Kate Lydon, Karen Lyness and David Schlueter STAFF PRESENT: Marie Ware, Steve Fehsal, Dan Kroger, Jolene Rettenberger and Ryan Clancy (summer intern at Leisure Services) OTHERS PRESENT: MINUTES APPROVED; VOTE: RECOMMEND ORDINANCE CHANGES TO CHAPTER 7, SECTION 10-7-13 REGARDING BOATS, BOATING AND WATER STRUCTURE ACTIVITIES: Ben Jacobson, Telegraph Herald reporter It was moved la Klinge, seconded la Blocker to approve the minutes of the June 10 2014, meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware shared with the Commissioners that with the addition of ponds, detention basins and stormwater areas throughout the City, our current ordinance needed review to update the listing of areas where specific activities are prohibited. The ordinance was also reviewed to make sure no swimming is allowed in marina areas as electrocution in the water is a concern. In addition, prohibited activities were reviewed and it was determined that jet skiing should be prohibited. However, jet skis could enter the Harbor for the purpose of commercial use such as refueling and docking at the marina. Commissioner Blocker asked if the Dubuque Marina Harbor was among the list? Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware stated that the area is a leased space. Commissioner Lyness asked if this was going to be published for the general public in which Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware confirmed it would be. Commissioner Lyness also asked about the future of the Chaplain Schmitt Island Master Plan and if the beach areas would be listed as a prohibited location in which Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware stated that the ordinance can be changed at a later time and/or re-evaluated. It was noted by Commissioner Blocker that the words jet skis should be changed to PWC (personal water craft). Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware will make the terminology change saying motorized personal water craft. Commissioner Lyness asked if canoes and kayaks were allowed in the Bee Branch area in which Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware responded. Park Division Manager Steve Fehsal also shared with the commissioners that we are having an issue with people swimming in the channel area along the bike path trail of the Miller River Park and Campground. It was moved l Hoffmann, seconded l Lyness, to recommend the ordinance and make the following two changes to the terminology of Ordinance Section 10-7-3 to replace the word jet ski with motorized personal water craft and to add Heron Pond to the listing of prohibited areas. continued PARK DIVISION Park Division Manager Steve Fehsal told Commissioners: REPORT: RECREATION DIVISION REPORT: July 8, 2014 meeting page two ♦ Maintenance staff has been busy with grass mowing. ♦ Currently have four (4) vacancies in the Parks Division which includes two (2) maintenance workers; one (1) Assistant Horticulturist and one (1) Park Ranger. ♦ Civil Service tests for the maintenance worker positions will be held on July 9th. • The Civil Service test date has not been set for the Horticulturist position. • We are currently working on the Civil Service test for the Park Ranger position. ♦ With the start of a new budget year as of July 1st, we are currently working on our CIP projects and deciding which CIPs to rollover from last fiscal year. • We continue to wait for the Mississippi River levels to drop so we can begin our cleanup and establish the 2014 opening date for the Miller Riverview Park and Campground. Commissioner Blocker asked if the Miller Riverview Park and Campground will be open by the end of July and what the approximate costs of cleanup will be. Park Division Manage Steve Fehsal would like to see that happen and shared the following information regarding costs and cleanup. The costly items for cleanup include gravel (between $6,000 to $8,000), cost for the installation of the electrical pedestals, in which some were left in and some taken out, as well as the cost for playground mulch. Last year, we spent approximately $7,000 on gravel and $3,000 for electrical pedestals. The above amounts do not include the labor costs of maintenance workers on-site to help with the cleanup, as well as the replacement of barbecue grills/fire pits that might be damaged. Recreation Division Manager Dan Kroger told Commissioners: ♦ Introduced our summer intern, Ryan Clancy. Ryan will be with the Leisure Services Department until mid-August. ♦ We are hoping that the flood gates to the Port of Dubuque Marina will open next week. ♦ Our First Annual Port of Dubuque Boat Parade is scheduled for Saturday, August 2nd. To date, we have a total of 10 boats registered. Event begins at 6:00 p.m. ♦ The boat parade will take place along the Ice Harbor, across the river to the east side of the railroad bridge and then travel along the Riverwalk. We are currently looking for people to judge the Boat Parade. If you are interested, please contact Dan Kroger. Local businesses are awarding prizes and radio stations are helping with the advertising of our event. Within the first week of having this event being placed on Facebook by part-time employee Jantz Elliott who works at the Port of Dubuque Marina, it had over 200 friends. ♦ KLYV has announced that our pool attendance numbers are up 10% for the months of May and June. We had almost 40,000 people attend Flora and/or Sutton swimming pools. ♦ Leisure Services staff is currently working on our Fall 2014 brochure. Fall program information is due by Friday, July 25th, with brochures being delivered and mailed on Friday, August 22nd. Online registration will begin on Monday, August 25th and mail, drop-off, email and fax registration will begin on Tuesday, September 2nd. continued MANAGER REPORT: DISCUSSION ON PETS IN PARKS - REPORT ON COMMUNICATION WITH ALL VETERANS MEMORIAL REPRESENTATIVE AND THE ARBORETUM ASSOCIATION BOARD: July 8, 2014 meeting page three Commissioner Lydon asked about when our Doggie Dips are scheduled. The 2014 Doggie Dip at Sutton Pool will take place on Sunday, August 17th from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and the 2014 Doggie Dip at Flora Pool will take place on Sunday, August 24th from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Admission fee is $5. Commissioner Blocker asked how many days has the Port of Dubuque Marina operated prior to the closing of the flood gates? Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware told Commissioners: ♦ Dr. Paul Hoffmann, Ken Klinge and Robin Kennicker were reappointed to the Park and Recreation Commission. ♦ Commissioner Lyness attended the EB Lyons Mines of Spain groundbreaking. Commissioner Kennicker asked who she can talk with regarding some concerns and suggestions for the Annual Fireworks Display. Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware suggested contacting the Dubuque Jaycees as they are the permit holders for this annual event. All commissioners received a copy of the WebQA 69766-061114 from Carol Arling in support of advocating for pet owners needing more areas to exercise their dogs, as well as a copy from the Veterans Memorial Association's input on dogs saying that they would support a more simplified version of the law as long as the dog owners are responsible. At the meeting, Commissioner Lydon distributed copies of the notes taken from a meeting that Commissioners Lydon and Lyness attended on July 2nd to discuss dogs in Marshall Park and the Arboretum. Commissioner Lyness shared that there are no fences/lines of separation between the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and Marshall Park. The arboretum prefers no dogs due to no specific lines between the park and Arboretum. Both Commissioners Lydon and Lyness recommend adding Marshall Park back to the list of excluded parks. Commissioner Blocker stated that there is a reasonable amount of exceptions that would make sense, but why are we not allowing dogs in parks in Dubuque? Commissioner Lydon commented on how confusing the areas of the playgrounds are for dogs and having a one-year trial basis. Commissioner Blocker stated that we need to re -word the ordinance without a trial period because he didn't think that City Council will want to hear it. Park Division Manager Steve Fehsal has received no reports and/or no major incidents within the first year. Commissioner Schlueter also asked if more "pet freedom" is a good thing to attract visitors to Dubuque? Commissioner Kennicker stated that the Chamber of Commerce and/or the Visitor Center may continued ADJOURN; VOTE: July 8, 2014 meeting page four have some statistics on how people feel about Dubuque being pet friendly. Commissioner Hoffmann doesn't agree with dogs in the parks because people are terrified of dogs. Hoffmann shared that when other cities were interviewed, they wished that they didn't have an ordinance allowing pets in their parks. Commissioner Schlueter asked if there would be enough votes to make a motion to address this topic at next month's meeting. Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware asked commissioners if they are willing to consider to open this discussion again or wait? Commissioner Klinge shared with commissioners that he is a dog owner. He has taken a lot of telephone calls. Klinge has walked everywhere in Dubuque and has noticed a lot of dog waste in many places, dogs running free (unleashed), and just this past week while golfing at Bunker Hill Golf Course near hole #16, he saw two dogs running and mentioned something to the dog owner, in which the dog owner replied back to him in a not -so nice conversation/way. Commissioner Schlueter asked all commissioners how they feel on this subject. Enough commissioners were open to the idea of considering Commissioner Lydon's proposal to open more parks to pets that it will be placed as an agenda item for next month to discuss/changes to be added. The public will be informed of this continuing discussion. It was decided that we would need to hold a public meeting at the Federal Building Chambers for the public to address their concern(s), suggestions or affirmation. At the August meeting, commissioners will discuss a specific proposal by Commissioner Lydon. If an affirmative action is taken at the August meeting, a public meeting will be held in September. All members received a copy of the current Park and Recreation Ordinances for their review. It was moved by Blocker, seconded by Lydon, that the meeting be adjourned at 5:46 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Attest Chairperson