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HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 01 PRB MinutesWUP Parks and Recreation Board MINUTES JANUARY 6, 2016 6:30PM REC CENTER – CONFERENCE ROOM TYPE OF MEETING Monthly Meeting CHAIR Kevin Boyle SECRETARY David DeAnda ATTENDEES Kevin Boyle, David DeAnda, Melissa Pifko, Mark Prescott, Peter Billipp, Stephen Damiani, Sherry Harber, David Jennings and Donna Petrone Tim O’Connor (Staff) Mardi Turner (City Council) VISITORS West University resident: Alida Drewes I. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by chair Kevin Boyle. II. Approval of the October 7, 2015 Meeting Minutes : No minutes to approve. October board minutes not available due to mold issue. Defer to following month. III. Friends Overview: Everything is on track with Park’s Lovers Ball. Should know more later this week after they have their meeting. Still accepting auction items. Comment was made that instruction for RSVP are not included in invitation. Kevin st ated that tables can be purchased online. IV. Colonial Park Redevelopment Update: Tim discussed project. There is 90-day schedul e for completion. Funded by Friends. Added shade structure will add shade for approximately 60 individuals. Tim stated that project is going will. V. Board Member Updates and Committees: Park Ambassador Reports: Colonial Park: Tim and discussed possible installa tion of step-up sinks in certain Colonial Park pool restrooms. Tim has discussed with personnel at Houston zoo who has installed similar structures. Stephen Damiani discussed option of having exercise equipment at Colonial Pool that parents can use while kids are swimming. Potential location and type of equipment was discussed. Due to space, potential liability issues, safety, costs, a nd layout of development, proposal may not be possible/practical. Tim stated it has merit and is being reviewed. Kevin asked whether Colonial Pool users could be surveyed. Tim stated that we have all of their emails addresses so the question could be posed in a survey. Tim stated that outdoor fitness equipment is being evaluated for Recreation Center track. Scenarios were propose d whereby equipment could potentially be rented instead of purchased and whether it could be u sed year-round. Tim’s take away is to develop survey to obtain feedback from citizens and to inquire as to rental. Stated that likely too late to be included as part of redevelopment. Tim stated that he would do more work with respect to this Parks and Recreation Board Minutes page 2 proposal prior to the next board meeting. Mark Prescott asked whether there would be an ADA issues. Tim stated that likely no ADA issues as such is not required with Recreation Center gym equipment. Weir: Mark Prescott asked whether park’s have self-closing gates. Tim stated that all gates have it but they get worn quickly due to use of gates as play features. Huffington: Fence project at Huffington Park we nt well. Some neighbors asked why entire fence was not replaced. Not needed as vine sustains ce rtain portions of fence. Asked where whale is not located. Now at Colonial Park. Whittt Johnson: A comment was made that Whittt Johnson Park looks tire d. Asked whether we have a wish list for each Park. Melissa mentioned that as part of Park’s Master Planning, each park will be evaluated every other year. The period for review of Whittt Johnson was moved up so that it would happen earlier. Larger kid play stru cture was repainted a couple of years ago instead of being replace because new play structures will be subject to more onerous fall zones which would reduce the number of play features. VI. Staff and City Counc il Updates: Council Update: None Staff Update: Tim has nothing to update the group that is not in volved in weekly reports. Happy to answer any questions. No questions from committee and Tim asked Kevin to address acquisition task force. Kevin discussed potential recommendation to Council to appoint a citizen task fo rce committee to address park land acquisition. As a reminder, back in 2006, $2 million bond approved. Kevin stated that whether such funds could be used is a separate is sue that Council. Donna asked whether focus would be on under-served areas. Kevi n stated no, that other alternatives would also be evaluated. Tim stated that there has been some discussion about potential land acquisition near existing parks. Tim stated that with any park la nd acquisition, taxable property would then not be part of tax rolls. For any development, citizen inpu t is addressed at various points. Kevin asked that he wanted Park’s Board members’ to gestate the materials for discussion at February meeting or via email vote. Kevin stated that identi fication of property and f unding should be separate issues. Donna stated she is in support of making the recommendation but that she would want more time to review the materials for further di scussion at the February meeting. Kevin suggested that we digest the mate rials for further discussion at the February meeting. Kevin stated that role of citizen task force would be to identi fy properties and offer gene ral guidelines. It would not be role of task force to negotiate with prospective sellers. Mark asked whether costs would be evaluated. Kevin stated that in the past, it has not. VII. Citizen’s Comments: Alida Drewes addressed the Board. Kevin communicated to her that she was given 3 minutes. Ms. Drewes stated the following: No tax dollars should be used for private parties. No parks are designed for seniors. Her opinion is that reside nts want more open green space. She just got back from California and feels that compared to there we are failing. St aff shouldn’t tell committee things can’t be done, should figure out a way to do them. Overall, open green space is her Parks and Recreation Board Minutes page 3 priority. VIII. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:51 pm. The next meeting will be schedul ed for February 3. 2015 @ 6:30 pm.