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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Board Minutes March_6_2024 1 MINUTES WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING, March 6, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Loca�on: Recrea�on Center Chair: Stephanie Magers Secretary: Richard Cunningham Board members present: Stephanie Magers, Richard Cunningham, Sarah Barret, Rebecca Brownlie, Ryan Firth, Stephen Damiani, Laura (Lulu) Lopez, Maryann Grahmann, Lauren Griffith, Arlene Wells. Board members absent: Sami Morrison Staff: Susan White Council members: Shannon Carroll Visitors: (none) Call to Order: Stephanie Magers called the mee�ng to order at 6:44 p.m. (another mee�ng ran over�me in the same room) Ci�zen Comments: (None) Approval of the minutes from February 7 mee�ng: Maryann Grahmann moved to approve, and Lauren Griffith seconded. Unanimous approval. All board members signed a “thank you” card for the Friends of West U Parks. Council Update: Council member Shannon Carroll noted that there have been two City Council mee�ngs since the last Parks Board mee�ng. Ongoing priority items for Council include a number of water-related improvements, especially to reduce the risk of flooding. One of several projects is to improve the Wakeforest north to south drainage line and the Milton Water Plant upgrade. She added that West U has received a grant of about $2.5 million from Representa�ve Lizzie Fletcher’s office to help pay for the work. Council approved an alcohol variance for Maximo, a Mexican restaurant that is going into the former El Topo loca�on between Tiny’s and Litle Mat’s. The variance is necessary because the restaurant is within 300 yards of a school. Tiny’s has begun the process to acquire an alcohol variance as well. Friends Update: Sami Morrison was not present, but Susan White noted that total neted in the Park Lovers’ Ball was over $400,000, and thanked Friends for their amazing efforts. 2 Parks & Recrea�on Update: Work on the Wier Park upgrade has begun. The ground is being prepared for the new ar�ficial turf. Susan White brought several turf samples and said that the original turf selected by the architect was too scratchy, so the architect found an alternate product. There should not be a big price difference. (Photos are from Saturday, March 16.) This por�on of the park will be closed for about four months, but the tennis courts will remain open. Another change from the original plan is to eliminate the ar�ficial walkway (dark green loops in this conceptual drawing below) and instead use ar�ficial turf for the en�re area. Susan added that the contractor is paying par�cular aten�on to drainage underneath the new ar�ficial turf to make sure that it is adequate. Public Works is also involved, making sure that the drains are free and clear of debris. Another change to the conceptual design is that a proposed shade structure over the swing sets will be eliminated due to technical and safety issues. There will s�ll be a can�levered shade structure over the two picnic tables at the northwest corner of the park. Susan is working with Donna LaMond, Friends of West U Parks execu�ve director, on the idea of a paver area inside the park. The pavers will include the names of people who have contributed to improvements in the park. One issue is the life of the pavers themselves. Some that were 3 replaced on the Sunset side of the park five years ago are already worn down. Op�ons are to put new pavers in a less-trafficked area, or to use instead a “Donor Wall” that would include the names of park fund donors. Susan is working with Friends to come up with a plan for the pavers. Susan discussed the city’s Capital Improvement plans for 2025. A�er City Manager Dave Beach said that plans to build a water deten�on unit at the Recrea�on Center have been shelved in favor of a different loca�on, Susan submited a 2025 Capital Improvement request for an upgrade to the exis�ng jogging track around the athle�c fields. Susan asked PRB members for sugges�ons to improve the Recrea�on Center’s playground area. The playground equipment, for example, needs to be repainted or powder coated. She added that a donor has come forward who wants to add a bench outside of the playground area. Phase Two of the Facili�es Master Plan includes upgrades to the Community Center, Public Works, the library, and other city buildings. We should get a �meline soon. Council has approved the design work with the same company that designed the Recrea�on Center and the Colonial Park pools. Susan will send board members a link to the Facili�es Master Plan. Fee Commitee Update: Ryan Firth, Rebecca Brownlie, Susan White and Laura Turley (Senior Board representa�ve) met earlier today (March 6). We are now able to look at fees differently from in the past, thanks to the 2022 analysis done by the consultant group, 110%. The Parks and Recrea�on Department has a cost-recovery model in place that considers both direct and indirect costs. With this tool, P&R will be able to make more informed decisions about membership fees. Susan will be sending all of our 2023 data to 110% . City Council has agreed to fund another year with the consul�ng group. Susan added that the improved analy�c tools provided by 110% are allowing P&R to be more systema�c in the review of fees. Senior fees, for example, are reflec�ng a changing demographic within West U. Approximately 30 percent of our membership are seniors who get at least 50 percent off their membership or pay no fees at all. The Fee Commitee will meet again next month to review new input from the consultant and to make recommenda�ons. Susan talked about her experience at the 2024 Texas Recrea�on and Park Society (TRAPS) Expo, which ran from February 26 to March 1 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conven�on Center in Galveston. This is the premier educa�on and networking event in Texas for the Park and Recrea�on community. West U’s Parks and Recrea�on Department received top honors in its category (Texas ci�es under 25,000) by winning the 2024 Gold Medal Award for excellence in parks and recrea�on management. West U is the only Texas city in this category to have won this award three �mes. 4 There was brief discussion about the use of credit cards, debit cards and electronic fund transfers when residents pay their fees. The concern is that the merchant fees when customers pay with credit cards can add up. Susan noted that credit card fees increased some $30,000 in 2023. Programming and membership fees may need to increase to recover this expense. Park Ambassador Reports: Colonial Park West playground and decks – Lauren Griffith brought a catalogue to show outdoor furniture we might consider to create comfortable gathering areas within Colonial Park. Discussion followed about the benefits of crea�ng such areas and encouraging people to use them. There was also some discussion of food trucks and other vendors who might want to operate in or near the parks. Edloe Street Pathway – Richard Cunningham Huffington Park – Ryan Firth Friends Park – Sami Morrison Judson Park – Stephanie Magers Recrea�on Center – Rebecca Brownlie Colonial Park East – Maryann Grahmann Colonial Park Pool – Stephen Damiani Wier Park – Lulu Lopez Jennie Hughes Park – Sarah Barret Whit Johnson Park – Arlene Wells Old Business: (none) New Business: (none) Adjourned: 8:02 p.m. Unanimous.