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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/15/1994 MEETING MINUTES S City of Bremerton Parks & Recreation Department Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting MINUTES (unapproved edition) Tuesday, November 15 , 1994 5 : 30 P.M. Sheridan Recreation Center Conference Room 680 Lebo ATTENDANCE: Craig Smith, Larry Sampson, Larry Hall , Carol Johnson. ABSENT/EXCUSED: Mariwyn Tinsley, Frank Bratonia, John Gillespie, Vernon Simmons , Michael Vaughn, Pat Carey. STAFF: Pat Harris, Director of Parks & Recreation, Jodi Wroblewski, Assistant Director, Lena D'Agostino, Office Asst. II . AUDIENCE: R.K. Smith I. CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Craig Smith called the meeting to order at 5: 40 p.m. Page 1 II. ITEMS FROM THE AUDIENCE: None III. AGENDA There were no additions or revisions to the agenda. IV. OLD BUSINESS 1. INTERLOCAL BUSINESS AGREEMENT Jodi Wroblewski informed the Commission that she and Pat Harris met recently with Ron Carpenter and Walt Draper of Bremerton School District, and presented them with Parks & Recreation Department's version (draft) of Interlocal Agreement. Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Draper informed Pat and Jodi that they (Bremerton School District) will pass on the document to their legal staff for review. Pat and Jodi will get back with them after Thanksgiving and discuss specifics and formulate a list. Commissioner Craig Smith asked how the levy failures affected the school district use of the swimming pool and if the school district at present utilizes Parks & Recreation Department facilities or vice versa. Jodi informed the Commission that the Parks & Recreation Department uses school district facilities for basketball and indoor soccer programs and have also used their playgrounds at several elementary schools during summertime and had access to their restrooms. They discontinued use of swimming pool for 3rd and 4th grade programs a year ago because of transportation. The school district uses Lions Playfield for their girls' slowpitch. So far the school district has not been assessed Page 1 111 • . any fees for field use by Parks & Recreation Department. The school district pay a fee for swimming lesson program. Commissioner Larry Hall suggested that it might be a productive idea to "trade time" with school district. Commissioner Smith asked if the Parks & Recreation Department has any timeframe envisioned as to when this could take place and Jodi informed him that the goal is to have it in place by the end of 1994-1995 school year. 2. PARKS & RECREATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Pat informed the Commission that he appreciated some of the Commissioners'comments on the goal section ( i.e. Commissioner Hall had some suggestions about incorporating these and dedicating them towards operations and maintenance) . Pat asked the Commissioners if they have any comments they wanted to add from last week's handouts. He also added that one of the things he feels this community needs is cultural enrichment and the Parks Department can play role in that; not strictly towards children but families and adults as well. The staff had discussed that there is a City-owned facility available across the street (community theater) and is leased out for special events. Pat said he had asked Charleen Burnette, Community Recreation Coordinator, to start investigating the possibility of having concerts possibly the first one to be held in February. This is something long-range to think about and the staff can be involved in with the intention of maybe breaking-even on these events. Charleen will also solicit assistance from other interested park groups in the community. From his discussions with Charleen and Jodi, Pat said that it seems like there are a number of different groups interested in the arts but there is not one allied arts group or commission. During last meeting, Pat said there were comments made by the Commissioners about adding amenities for proposed level of service. Those comments have been sent back to the Parks & Recreation Department consultant and Pat will be sending out what the highlights of the monetary implications would be with the additions included such as adding the two basketball courts . Pat spoke with the consultant and he was informed that the cost would be well over $500 , 000 . 00 . **In lieu of having a regular Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on December 6th, Pat said he would like to have a City-wide meeting to show different groups what we have been working on and it will not be necessary for Commissioners to attend unless they prefer to. Pat will also be sending out survey results in the mail to all Commissioners between now and December 20th. This is the phone survey that was done randomnly around the city where a hundred people were interviewed and it will be a compilation of their responses to the same questions that were asked on what was called an "intercept survey results" . The Commissioners will be receiving the finished analysis in a week or two. Outside of reviewing a draft document which the Commissioners will get in mid- December, the next step would be for Planning Commission to review the document and then based on their recommendations, Pat and Jodi Page 2 • i i will go to Council probably by early January. Pat continued that the Park Foreman is implementing a development of maintenance management which consists of a detail involving the frequency of activities in the parks. The foreman is defining all of the parks into three levels: Class A, B, and C. Class A would be Lions Field and Pendergast (the highest maintenance and so forth) . Pat encouraged the foreman to utilize staff so that Parks & Recreation Department would be spending the bulk of resources at the parks with the parks that have the biggest impact to the community and less so as to parks with less importance in terms of maintenance (relevantly speaking) . If anyone has any comments, Pat said he will make sure they get incorporated. V. NEW BUSINESS 1. PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION VACANCIES Jodi informed the Commission that Commissioners Frank Bratonia and John Gillespie contacted her and Pat Harris and both Commissioners said they are no longer interested in joining the Commission. Pat and Jodi have not heard from Commissioner Vernon Simmons as of this time and she and/or Pat will need to contact him to find out if he is still interested or not. Jodi will check on applications we have on file and in the meantime she requested the Commissioners to encourage anyone who is interested to get the application to Elaine at the Mayor's Office. Commissioner Hall suggested that the Commission should submit Catherine Gillette's name as a replacement for Commissioner Frank Bratonia since his term expired in September. Ms . Gillette has already been interviewed by Vicky Vanneman , former Director of Parks & Recreation Department. The Commissioners entered into a discussion involving another individual from a running club who also had expressed interest in becoming a member of the Commission. At this point, Pat mentioned that the Mayor is interested in getting a student from a local high school as replacement. VI. STAFF REPORTS 1. CHANGE OF MEETING ON DECEMBER 6TH As discussed by Pat Harris on Page 2 (see **) . 2. PARRS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT 1995 BUDGET The budget that has not been approved but has been submitted by the Mayor for all Parks & Recreation services was $1, 409, 815 .00 . The budget for 1994 was $1, 434 , 402 .00 and we are looking at an increase of $65, 413 .00 for 1995. The projected cost in operating Pendergast Regional Park is around $70 ,000.00 . In this year's budget, we are running a deficit of about $35 , 000.00 . This would leave us about $5 , 000 .00 short compounded. We also need to add in last year's shortage and we are looking at a budget this year of about $40 ,000 .00 short. From our initial request in our budget, we cut out $141,665 .00 which included base increases for inflation and for a few new programs. We worked out this amount to get down to our base line budget which will be more than likely Page 3 • i this number. In terms of operations, we will be eliminating seasonal and recreational positions. There will be some challenges and this is kind of a wish list and what we would like to see didn't happen - the increase we're looking at somewhere about $80 , 000 . 00 shy. It will be a really interesting year; not to impact the public in a significant way, but still living within our budget. Commissioner Hall asked Pat how much in that budget has reflected in terms of revenue out of the golf course. Pat said Parks & Recreation Department has a separate fund called Park Capital 112 Plan and there is approximately anywhere from $90 , 000 . 00 to $120 , 000 . 00 that comes out of that fund each year (not for operations of maintenance) . Pat and Jodi came up with a list of tentative projects depending on the needs that come up such as: fencing at Kiwanis Park (priority) ; minor tennis courts improvements at Kiwanis Park and other areas; playground equipment at Manette which needs to be removed and upgraded; and some operational items for the Swimming Pool that had been on the Pool Manager's Wish List for a couple of years. The IAC Construction funded part of the golf course and puts some restrictions on how we can spend this money. The fund, which is all the fund the department had for Capital Improvement, can only be used for improvements outside of maintenance, i.e. putting in a new playground. Pat also mentioned that he spoke with Shelly Farber of Department of Natural Resources. Representative Norman Dicks wrote a legislation that made an exemption for Bremerton in a federal program for urban forestry which started in 1991 wherein we are guaranteed $50 , 000 . 00 a year. This is the fund that allows us to hire Kathy Van Pelt, Tree Program Coordinator, and allowing us to plant trees downtown. All this is financed through the Department of Natural Resources. Since Pendergast Park is soon to be completed and there was not a stitch of landscaping out there, acording to Ms. Farber, the department can use/allocate part of the fund ( $10 ,000 .00 ) for Pendergast Park landscaping. For the Commissioners information, Pat mentioned that as far as the budget is concerned, Parks & Recreation Department is not alone in terms of a tight budget. It is a situation where the City's revenues is not keeping up with inflation. Out of about $400 ,000 .00 worth requests from all the City departments applying for Capital Improvements, only the Police Department was granted the fund for two vehicles. 3. BACHMAN PARK Parks & Recreation Department received funding from the East Rotary Club. The department has given East Rotary Club a supply/price list and this project should be starting next month. Pat said the Mayor has expressed interest in developing a neighborhood park. There is a piece of property adjacent to the cemetery which has a potential for development. The Mayor informed Pat that the department can take the $50,000 .00 amount earmarked for that and we can go elsewhere if we find something better, so the money has not been tied up yet. At the same time, the Page 4 410 4 } department do not have too long to wait because we need to start looking at planning and development. Pat will let the Mayor know about this since everybody is hearing a different figure thrown out. He will also be presenting the Park Commission with the slides of the property sequel being done. In addition, Pat was contacted two weeks ago by an attorney from Tacoma regarding a lot on Arvon St. (small narrow one-way street) which is being donated to the City by a private individual . The neighbors around the area desperately wanted a neighborhood park. Pat wrote to the Mayor and informed her that the department does not have enough money to develop that area and it would be best to concentrate on one area and he would, however, recommend accepting this property now and we can always downscale development like maybe putting a basketball court on the property. Pat will be bringing some slides in probably early next year and would get input from the Commissioners on developments on one of those two areas . The group then went on a general discussion about the size of the property on Arvon St. as well as the possible impact to the community/neighborhood. VII. COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS Commissioner Carol Johnson informed the group about a gentleman, an owner of a landscaping business , who expressed interest in donating $1 , 500 . 00 worth of landscaping to Pendergast Park. She will try to bring him in and introduce him to the Commissioners on the next meeting. Commissioner Johnson also suggested the next meeting to be held on December 13 instead of the 20th. She felt that an earlier date is a better for everyone. In lieu of this suggestion, the Commissioners agreed and the meeting set for Tuesday, December 13 . Commissioner Smith said he felt that working on getting a bond issue for the Parks & Recreation Department is something to be pursued and asked how the Commissioners can work together to have this task accomplished. At this point, the Commissioners entered into a general discussion about bond issue and how the economic environment should be right in order for this project to be successful . Pat suggested to the Commissioners to bring up this topic at the Council Meeting. VIII. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - November 15, 1994. M/S/C/U (Hall/Johnson) to approve the minutes as presented. IX. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7 : 40 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Lena D'Agostino Pat Harris, Director Office Assistant II Parks & Recreation Department