Minutes_Park and Recreation Commission 3 8 15 PARKAND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
4:30 p.m., Snack Bar, Bunker Hill Golf Course
PRESENT: Robin Kennicker, Ken Klinge, Kate Larson, Karen Lyness and Jennifer Tigges
ABSENT: Paul Hoffmann and David Schlueter
STAFF PRESENT: Marie Ware, Steve Fehsal, Dan Kroger and Eileen Trimble
MINUTES It was moved �y Lyness, seconded by Larson, to approve the minutes of the
APPROVED; February 9, 2016, meeting. The motionap ssed unanimously.
VOTE:
APPROVE LEASE Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware told commissioners that the lease is
WITH DUBUQUE the same as last year with current dates and updated insurance. Commiss-
WATER SPORTS ioner Lyness commented that the Club has maintained the property well.
CLUB; VOTE:
It was moved �y Larson, seconded by Klinge, to renew the lease with
Dubuque Water Sports Club for Mav 1 2016 through April 30' 2017. The
motionap ssed unanimously.
LEASES / Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware shared with Commissioners that the
AGREEMENTS lease and license agreements for Stone Cliff are completed and approved.
PROCESSED: The lease for the Storybook Hill Zoo and Tri-State Modelers was reviewed
and reapproved for a three-year timeframe. Renewal of lease with Dubuque
Jaycees for community garden at Veterans' Memorial Park is in progress.
PRESENTATION Cori Burbach, Sustainability Coordinator was present to discuss the Resilient
BY CORI Community Advisory Commission. She explained that one of the top five
BURBACH ON priorities of the City Council is to develop a resilient community advisory
RESILIENT commission. Cori and Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist are
COMMUNITY attending meetings of various city commissions and also going out to 25
ADVISORY community organizations. There will be a public meeting in April presenting a
COMMISSION: draft of all the information collected from these engagement sessions and then
a recommendation to the City Council in May.
Ms. Burbach asked for feedback on: what does resiliency mean to you; what
do you think responsibilities of resiliency commission should be; what
activities would the commission oversee and are they meeting city coals; what
qualifications should we require resiliency commissioners to have; what is the
role of commissioners in terms of planning / research / community
engagement; and any specific topics the commission should work on the first
year?
Discussion from commissioners: Resiliency: strong; overcomes difficulties;
cooperation / communication / collaboration; bouncing back after adversity
(financial setbacks or problems of some kind); attracting and retaining
residents. Responsibilities: make sure policies and things that are done
continued
March 8, 2016 meeting
page two
have some flexibility; work with other boards and commissions; connect
neighborhoods. Oversee: performance measures — what are the city's goals
and are they being met; start with city policy and break down from there; think
broader; don't include anything that other groups are already doing — don't
duplicate; bring all the information together in one spot; look at all the
sustainability principles and all the data collected and see where we need to
focus our time. Requirements for commissioners: diversified backgrounds
and different areas of expertise. Role: a way to hold City Council
accountable to make sure community needs are being met; be the voice of
some of the parts of the community that are not represented or are not coming
forward; good to give the City Council feedback. First year: budget and
spending; prosperity / living /job wages for all; increase number of people that
live and work in community; look at issues important to people that would
consider living here — things to do / environmental issues including good air
quality, good water, etc.
PARK DIVISION Park Division Manager Steve Fehsal informed Commissioners:
REPORT: m Facilities Supervisor Ben Alden worked with Kelli Buchenau in the Public
Information Office on a new campground brochure. It has the new map and
online reservation information. Claytons are coming back again this year to
manage. We hope to open April 15th. We are working on a news release for
when three holidays can be reserved and the reservation timeframes. ■ There
are three public skate park meetings scheduled to gather input on potential
locations for proposed new skate park — March 10th at Hempstead, March
16th at Comiskey and March 23rd at Irving Elementary School. Meeting
notification letters were sent to neighbors near potential sites. The information
to be discussed at meetings is the same so people can attend any one of the
three meetings. The proposed locations are Flora Park (5 potential locations);
Usha Park (one potential location); and Bee Branch (one potential location). A
public input form is online for people that can't attend a meeting. The skate
group is working with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
Commissioner Tigges said the group set a fundraising goal of$250,000
including in-kind donations. ■ Greenhouse is getting filled up; transplanting
and growing flowers. ■ Tree crew is taking down Ash street trees when they
can. They will start injecting when leaves come out because the best time to
inject is when trees fully leaf out — hopefully April. If treatment is injection, it is
done every three years; soil drench option is done every year. Commissioner
Kennicker said kudos to the tree crew because they take care of things and
clean up the area they work in. ■ Seasonal laborers will start about the end of
April. ■ Mr. Fehsal attended his second year of a two-year NRPA Manage-
ment School that centered on maintenance. It was a good learning and
networking experience with 120 to 130 students representing 37 states.
There was a lot of information about tracking data and best practices. ■ Bids
have been published for contract mowing at 11 smaller parks. A second bid
will be going out for most areas where we use push mowers.
continued
March 8, 2016 meeting
page three
RECREATION Recreation Division Manager Dan Kroger informed Commissioners:
DIVISION
REPORT: m Front nine holes of the golf course may open Friday. ■ This year Bunker
Hill, The Meadows, Lacoma and Timberline will partner to offer the PGA
Junior Tour. Each course will have a team and they go to the other courses
and compete. ■ The Boys' Club wants to expand the program they offered
last year where they provided funding for youth to receive golf lessons. ■ The
summer brochure comes out April 1st. ■ Our Easter egg hunt is 10:30 a.m.
Saturday at Mystique Community Ice Center with free ice skating after the
hunt. ■ The Community Engagement Plan for safe parks was approved by
the City Manager. Mr. Kroger will be meeting with eighteen different
community organizations. ■ The pool pass project with cameras and point of
sale system is moving forward. We hope to sell season memberships
beginning April 4th. Staff has a half-day training on March 9th.
MANAGER Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware informed Commissioners:
REPORT: m The final budget hearing is March 14th at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to
attend. Certified budget is due to state on March 15, 2016. Ms. Ware
thanked the commissioners that attended department budget hearing. ■ The
research was completed that compared Dubuque to other cities. ■ Ware is
spending time with orientation for new MFC Director and projects related to
Five Flags and Grand River Center. ■ The integrated pest management (IPM)
work group has met twice. Manager Fehsal came up with a list of nine areas
that we propose to make pesticide free. Once a plan is proposed, the IPM
work group will bring it to the Park and Recreation Commission.
COMMISSION As a possible way to draw business to the Marina, Commissioner Kennicker
COMMUNICA- suggested scheduling some events during the time the National River
TIONS OR Museum has the interactive dinosaur exhibit and/or have the lighted boat
QUESTIONS parade theme this year coincide with the exhibit.
Commissioner Larson asked if any signage is up at the Marina yet. Manager
Kroger said the Facilities Supervisor is putting together a proposal for
Planning Services. A flag pole with a windsock is planned.
ADJOURN; It was moved by Kennicker, seconded by Larson, that the meeting be
VOTE: adjourned at 6:30 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Chairperson
Attest