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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Board Minutes June_5_2024 1 MINUTES WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING, JUNE 5, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Location: Recreation Center Vice Chair: Lulu Lopez Secretary: Richard Cunningham Board members present: Richard Cunningham, Rebecca Brownlie, Ryan Firth, Stephen Damiani, Laura (Lulu) Lopez, Maryann Grahmann, Sami Morrison, Lauren Griffith, Arlene Wells and Sarah Barrett Board members absent: Stephanie Magers Staff: Susan White Council members: (none) Visitors: Alida Drews and Mackie Tschoepe Call to Order: Lulu Lopez called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. Citizen Comments: Mackie Tschoepe, representing about 150 West U families, asked for the city to please consider building an indoor playground. She suggested the new Community Center (Master Plan Phase II) or the Recreation Center as a possible locations. A third suggestion was to add an indoor playground to the Scout House. Her group is hoping the idea will be considered and volunteered to personally do whatever she could do to help. Alida Drews commented on the fee change proposals. She noted that citizens have approached City Council, asking the city to exempt seniors and disabled people from fees to go to the pool and other recreational facilities. Seniors should not have their fees raised when they fought to have them eliminated, she noted. Many seniors are on fixed income or just Social Security. It is not fair to keep raising the fees. She added that all of the ambulance fees were recently raised. She added that seniors have no representation with the City. She, for example, is not allowed to shower in the Recreation Center, even if her power is out at her home. She is not allowed to exercise in the Recreation Center. She asked, “What does that say about the city when you refuse the health of seniors? That is really wrong! These fees should not be raised for seniors and disabled.” Drewes added that there is no park within walking distance (from her house). She has talked about it for years, and nothing has been done about it. There is no planning to build a park near her. Also, there is no dog park in the city, even though she has been complaining about it for years. She and her neighbors agree that the city needs a dog park. Seniors should not have to go outside West U, where it is not safe, to a dog park where there may be vagrants in the park or poor lighting. Seniors need a safe place to walk their dogs. The city is not looking after their seniors. She knows that from personal experience because she has a lifetime ban from the Recreation Center (and the Community Center). 2 Approval of the minutes from the May 1 meeting: Sarah Barrett moved to approve and Maryann Grahmann seconded. Unanimous approval. Council Update: Council member Shannon Carroll noted that the city has broken ground on the East Side drainage project, along Duke St. Work has begun. She added that University St. should be open in both directions soon between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway. Shannon thanked visitor Mackie Tschoepe for her interest in the indoor playground. Friends Update: Sami Morrison reported that once again, Children’s Memorial Hermann will be the camp founder for Father’s & Flashlights, this time with a donation of $20,000. She noted that Children’s Memorial has historically been supportive of Friends and of West U parks. Total donations from the hospital over the years is approaching $200,000. The first Party on the Patio will be Friday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m. Mary Frances DuMay, an agent with Compass Realty who is also on the Friends of West U Parks board, is sponsoring the series of events. She has committed her support for the next three years. Groups scheduled for the 2024 series include: June 7 – Moondance Jazz June 14 – Silver Segar June 21 – The Fab 5 June 28 – The Big Blue 3 Parks & Recreation Update: Susan White said that there is still no ribbon-cutting date, but that work is progressing well in the park even though weather has caused some delays. Fencing, for example, is going up. The park is looking amazing. The big swing is up and the tennis courts will be resurfaced soon if the weather holds. Resurfacing the courts will take about two weeks. We are trying to set a date for the ribbon cutting, hopefully around June 24. (Wier Park opened on June 29. This photo was made after the ribbon cutting.) Susan has been meeting with the consultant group, 110%, which is finalizing its analysis of the Parks & Recreation Department data from 2023. The preliminary numbers are great. We are in line with last year, which is impressive because we have had a number of operational cost increases. We are in good shape. Last year we were at 66 percent cost recovery and this year it is 67 percent for the entire department. The Parks & Recreation Fee Committee is recommending that the daily walk-in fee for residents and non-residents should be raised by $2. She added that changes to the overall fee structure will be considered later. Some general discussion followed about various fees and policies for families, individuals, couples, and seniors. Susan noted that one goal is to simplify the fee schedule. The Fee Committee’s recommendations will go to City Council on Thursday, June 13. West U’s Colonial Park fees are currently lower than Bellaire’s aquatic center fees. Reservation policies were also discussed. Susan noted that the facility reservation system will be improved along with current and planned upgrades to the accounting software. Facility Master Plan, Phase II – Susan reported on the June 4 City Council meeting, where members considered current and potential new programs for the Community Building. The current space is limited, which constrains what the center can offer. Council wants to know what the needs and desires are, so the new facility can be planned accordingly. More storage space, for example, is needed for sewing machines, pottery supplies and possibly a kiln room. Susan reported on a recent trip that she, staff members and several other interested parties took to the Dallas / Ft. Worth area to gather ideas for West U’s new senior center. They visited top-notch facilities, including centers in Lewisville and Frisco (just north of Dallas), Keller (north 4 of Ft. Worth), and Grand Prairie (between Dallas and Ft. Worth). All of them had kilns, she added. The idea was to bring back the best ideas to incorporate here. It was time well spent. We are just gathering ideas, though, nothing definite. Lauren Griffith has also shared with Susan some examples of what could be done in the space that has been allocated for a Senior Center in the Facilities Master Plan. More general conversation about libraries followed. Stephen Damiani asked if the new buildings, the library, fire station, senior center and renovations to City Hall, were going to require a bond issue. Lauren Griffith explained that there is currently money available for the buildings without a bond issue, but that could change over time. She noted that our tax rates have not kept up with inflation. Rates have actually dropped. Taxes, she said, need to get back to what they were 20 years ago. Susan noted that the next City Council Urban Planning Workshop will be June 18. She encouraged everyone on the board to give feedback if there were something they would like to be considered. Susan added that July is Parks & Recreation Month. City Council will make a proclamation at the June 24 meeting. Activities are planned throughout July. Park Ambassador Reports: Colonial Park West playground and decks – Lauren Griffith Edloe Street Pathway – Richard Cunningham Huffington Park – Ryan Firth Friends Park – Sami Morrison Judson Park – Stephanie Magers Recreation Center – Steve Damiani reported that the treadmill on the far left has a faulty volume control for the headphones. He added that the Rec Center is getting good use. Colonial Park East – Maryann Grahmann Colonial Park Pool – Sarah asked about the diving board. Susan explained that it is broken. Not sure when it will be fixed. Stephen Damiani Wier Park – Lulu Lopez Jennie Hughes Park – Sarah Barrett asked about the curve by Tiny’s, which is potentially dangerous for pedestrians. Perhaps we need signs or a crosswalk. She also asked about the water fountain on the Edloe Street Pathway. Whitt Johnson Park – Arlene Wells Old Business: (none) New Business: (none) Adjourned: 8:09 p.m. Unanimous. Next meeting is September 4.