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Minutes 04-26-10 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD HELD ON APRIL 26, 2010 AT 6:30 P.M. AT THE SENIOR CENTER, BOYNTON BEACH, FL PRESENT: Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Chair Corey Cook Tom Gresh Bob Lapin Catherine Scantlan Janelle Sloan John McVey Wally Majors, Recreation and Parks Director Jody Rivers, Parks Superintendent I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Roe called the meeting to order at 6:29 p.m. II. ATTENDANCE New member, Catherine Scantlan was introduced. She gave a brief presentation of her background. Ms. Scantlan expressed she attended the City Services Institute and was proud to be on the Board. She is a registered nurse, working at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Self-introductions and brief presentations of each member's background were made. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM: March 22, 2010 It was noted the appointment of a Vice Chair was needed. There were no objections from the members to make the appointment later in the meeting. Motion Mr. Gresh moved to approve the minutes as written. Mr. McVey seconded the motion that unanimously passed. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Pence Park follow-up discussion (update "Events at Pence") 1 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 Wally Majors, Recreation and Parks Director, explained this was the first update since a meeting the Board hosted regarding Pence Park that was held three months ago. An unfortunate incident occurred on the basketball court at Pence Park which resulted in a youngster's death and residents were concerned about the use of the Park. The purpose of the meeting was to allow staff the opportunity to listen to the residents. The Mayor also attended the meeting. A cursory inspection of the Park took place to review what could be done and one outcome of the meeting was the residents wanted the timing of the automatic lights to be reviewed. The Police Chief noted the basketball court was not the catalyst to the incident. It was just happenstance the incident occurred there. The residents also felt when the basketball courts were used properly, they were a deterrent. Since there were mixed opinions regarding what time the lights would be on, staff felt they would take advantage of the greater amount of daylight during the spring and summer, and review the matter again in the fall. Currently, staff found things were working well. Staff was also excited about the reconfiguration of the Park. It was noted its use for softball was diminishing, but the use of the Park for more multi-type uses, and more specifically, for the use of soccer was increasing. Youth were climbing the fence to play soccer, so staff reconfigured the Park to accommodate the sport and staff was pleased with the outcome. The Park was still appropriate for softball because the backstop remained, but the Park was geared more towards multi-purpose uses. At one time there was an overuse of the Park and with the dry season and lack of water, the condition of the sod deteriorated. The City installed reclaimed water and between that and the rainy weather, the stress on the sod was minimized. The residents inquired how they could create more uses for the Park. In response to the inquiry, staff scheduled three monthly activities. The first one was held last week, which was a mini-sports clinic. The event was successful and the residents from the meeting recognized the Park's potential. Next month a rummage/garage sale would be held and the following month, a Slip and Slide and water balloons event would be held. Staff would provide more information at the next meeting. The sale would be a brand new activity, and it would bring people out of the neighborhood and into the Park. Once the details were worked out, staff would issue press releases and flyers, and the marketing efforts would be focused in the area. Janice Phillips would market the event and was putting together a plan. One of the best result of the meetings was the neighbors got to meet one another. The neighborhood became more of a network and it encouraged the residents to contact the Police if the Park was misused. It was noted the reports were tracked and it was important that any incidents be documented. Pence Park was a neighborhood Park located within a half-mile walking distance of the service area. Parks were broken down into classifications, which was part of how staff planned their Parks. It was also noted staff offers free tours of the Parks. In the past, 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 the Board agreed to meet earlier and set aside two meetings to tour them. The feedback from the Board about the parks, their projects, and more particularly about capital projects, was important to staff and the City Commission. It was one of the Board's tasks. Park patrons were also formerly surveyed, but the cost was currently prohibitive. It was noted the manual staff provided to Ms. Scantlan included the location of the parks. B. C.I.P Update Ms. Rivers reported the boardwalk was underway at Oceanfront Park. It was a fairly extensive job, but it was progressing ahead of schedule and was due to be completed by January of 2011. There were some change orders that were needed. Provided there was not too much rain, all should go well. The replacement of the restroom and picnic shelters at Boat Club Park was also underway. There were some issues that arose with the contractor; however, the contractor indicated the work would be completed by the end of May and on schedule. Ms. Rivers noted the restroom and picnic shelters would be replaced in more of a Florida Keys/Marina style. The project was paid for with funds from former County Commissioner Mary McCarty, originally allocated for a museum which did not occur. The funds did not require a City match. The Hester Center Energy Retrofit Block Grant was received. The project was funded with stimulus funds. The $475K grant did not require a City match and would be used to replace all the lights, both internally and externally. The Greenway bid opening would be on April 27, 2010. The project would be constructed with Florida Department of Transportation money. It was noted the project took a lot of time, but it was moving forward. The City was building two Greenways. One of them was an extension of an existing Greenway from the railroad tracks along the south easement of the C-16 Canal to Seacrest. The Greenway would then extend to the other side of Seacrest almost to 1-95 and then south to Galaxy Park. Doing so would connect Pioneer Canal Park, Palmetto Greens Park, Wilson Park, Barton and Galaxy Parks, as well as the school, so students could go to school without having to walk on the streets. C. Bi-monthly or quarterly meetings. The members discussed the meetings and noted with the upcoming tour, meeting four times a year was not sufficient. If there were only four meetings and a member missed one, it was a lot. There was agreement the Board could meet every other month and call a special meeting when needed. Mr. Majors would check the ordinance to see if it needed to be modified to reflect the change. There was also consensus the Board would meet next month for the tour. It was beneficial to the members that they view the work and changes made at the parks. The City Commission also notices that the Board actively visits the parks. 3 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 Mr. Majors pointed out there were 29 parks, seven facilities and a pool. About four parks were viewed per tour unless a drive-by tour was given. Jaycee Park, which would be included in the tour, was also discussed and was thought of as a jewel. There was discussion it was rewarding to see the community using the Park as it should be used. Ms. Rivers obtained three quotes for the sidewalk at Jaycee Park and was requesting permission from the Colonial Club Condominium Association to use their driveway for the cement trucks to pour the sidewalks. There was also an access area for kayaks. Art markers were being installed at the Park and were about 50% done. Eight markers were planned and it was hoped the installation would be completed by October. The Greenway project also included a public art component. It was recognized the City was very limited in what could be installed on the Greenway and there was further discussion public art markers could be appropriate for the project, due to the history of the area. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Sara Sims Park Master Plan Ms. Rivers explained the Community Redevelopment Agency approached the Recreation and Parks Department. Sara Sims Park was located off 9th Court, just south of Martin Luther King Boulevard and south of Seacrest. It was a four-acre Park that is presently in rough condition. The Park amenities included a restroom, and tennis and handball courts. It abuts historic Sara Sims Cemetery and Heritage Park. The Agency requested the Recreation and Parks Department review the entire piece of land and smooth out the edges of the Park. By doing so, it would help the Community Redevelopment Agency with eminent domain as there were vacant homes. Recreation and Parks worked with Glatting Jackson Consulting and teamed them up with REG Consulting. Rick Gonzales, a historic architect with REG, had developed three conceptual plans for the area. A public meeting was held last week to obtain the public's feedback and there would be a recap meeting held this week to give further direction for the final master plan. The Board would review and approve it, and it would then be forwarded to the City Commission for approval. This would provide the Community Redevelopment Agency with the legal authority to move forward on the project. It would also double the size of the Cemetery, which was important because the present cemetery, Boynton Beach Memorial Park, was nearly full. The City was currently re-platting Boynton Memorial to provide another 150 plots. After the additional plots were occupied, the Cemetery would be at full capacity B. Bi-monthly or quarterly Meetings This item was addressed under Unfinished Business 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 C. Cost Recovery Update. The Recreation and Parks staff reviewed what they were charging for the programs. Everything the department offered was reviewed to determine what the direct and indirect costs were and what was charged for the programs. The information was then broken down into categories, similar to a pyramid, with the bottom being subsidized 100% and the top being more specialized one-on-one programs that had zero subsidy that would provide an opportunity to make money. The process was a complicated approach to develop a cost recovery philosophy. Staff was at the point where they identified the programs, the charges for them and what category program they would be. The next step was to determine the direct and indirect costs and develop a strategy regarding the programs that were not cost effective. It was a long-term strategy to obtain revenue. A joint meeting with the Recreation and Parks Board, the Senior and Education and Youth Advisory Boards was held and staff obtained their feedback as well as the public's. The general consensus was people appreciated having affordable programs. Staff also used the information to develop their Value Statement and from that, staff would develop their department goals and objectives for next year so they could meet the needs identified. An example of a program that was subsidized was the beach. The Department tracked the usage and kept detailed records. Residents could purchase annual parking permits, or pay a daily fee. A non-resident could purchase a seasonal pass. That revenue totaled about half of the total expenses of the facilities there such as lifeguards, electric, maintenance, etc. Last year, staff conducted an analysis to consider raising the fee to cover all costs of the facility. The cost was about $110 per permit. The Senior Center and other recreation facilities were more complicated. Most of the services there were free. At the Senior Center, the City Commission thought it was appropriate to charge non-residents a fee to use the Center. Accordingly, there was a $40 annual participation fee for non-residents. The fees were very small in relation to the actual expenses, which were mainly due to staff. About 80% of the expense was needed for staff because they delivered the services. Summer camps were another program which subsidized almost 100% of the cost. The fee goes to pay for the supplies, instructors and program staff, but not the administration. Staff was following a model by Greenplay LLC, a consulting firm commonly used by Recreation and Parks Departments. The cost estimate for the firm to do the program for the City was prohibitive so staff used the model in-house. Many municipalities used the model which was thought to be the industry standard. Another method of funding park activities was used in Boca Raton who had established a taxing district for parks. Chair Roe noted the Board used to receive a monthly breakdown of volunteers, which was helpful to determine where the volunteers were and what was being used. Mr. 5 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 Majors noted the information was a valuable tool and it was provided quarterly since it covered every section of the department. There was brief discussion that Recreation and Parks facilities, such as the Senior Center, were rented to the public. The fees were nominal, and varied contingent on the group, the residency of the renter, the size of the room, if maintenance was needed and other factors. Mr. Majors gave examples of the fees and the factors that warranted the costs. D. Items for the City Manager's Attention None. Election of Vice Chair Ms. Scantlan nominated John McVey for the position of Vice Chair. There were no other nominations made. Mr. McVey accepted the position. A vote was taken and Mr. McVey was elected Vice Chair. There was a discussion of youth programs. Little League was a non-profit 501 (c)3 corporation that used park facilities and utilized volunteers. Football activities were through the Police Athletic League. Staff tries to complement what already exists in the community and work with providers. Soccer was offered through the American Youth Soccer Organization but it was noted there was a shortage of soccer fields in south Florida. Staff sought to balance the resources. There was some attrition, and the Department had to redirect resources to where the needs were. The Board was aware when the Sims Center was constructed, a tiny facility was expanded and the Department did not add additional staff. The Department utilized the staff they had. The School District did not want the fields in Rolling Green used. Intracoastal Park was used as a multi-use area. The fields were not regulation sized, and cities did not always have parks to accommodate all sports. Pick-up games were often played but it was noted there was room at the Hester Center for soccer and football. The City had a large program at Caloosa Park. The activities expanded and again, the resources stayed at the same level. At Caloosa Park there was access to a large multi- purpose field but the County anchored in their soccer goals, which restricted the use as a multi-purpose field. In other areas of the state, Miami was installing soccer fields on the tops of buildings and installing fences. Interest in soccer was growing. Delray Beach had spring soccer leagues. 6 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL April 26, 2010 Ms. Rivers announced Arbor Day at Jaycee Park. Twenty trees would be planted with eighth grade students from St. Mark School. The event was scheduled for Wednesday and would commence at 9:30 a.m. The Greater Boynton Beach Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 corporation, encompassed the area from Route 441 to the ocean. The initial board was set and they were looking for additional board members. The incorporation process should be completed by the end of May. Legal Aid prepared the documents. The first project was Congress Avenue Community Park. Ms. Sloan, a member of the Steering Committee, commented they met with the individual for the logo and information was forthcoming. VI. NEXT MEETING: May 24,2010 meet at the Civic Center at 6:00 p.m. for the Tour. If there was inclement weather the Board would meet at the Civic Center or the Library Room. Ms. Rivers would check to see if the rooms were available. If the tour was given, the members would travel to Oceanfront, Boat Club and Intracoastal Parks, drive-by Bicentennial Park, Mangrove Park to Jaycee Park, Pioneer, Canal and Palmetto Greens Park or as many of them as time allowed for. If the Hester Center, Sara Sims and Mangrove Park were visited, it was suggested the members use insect repellent. It was further noted the Veterans' monuments at Bicentennial Park should be publicized as a destination. VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, the meeting properly adjourned at 7:30 p.m. " (!ilt}J}Jj'P- UJwUj Catherine Cherry U Recording Secretary 050310 7