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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/26/1999 MEETING MINUTESATTENDANCE: McWhorter, City of Bremerton Parks & Recreation Department Parks & Recreation. Commission Meeting APPROVED MINUTES Tuesday, January 26, 1999 510 p.m. Sheridan Park Community Center 680 Lebo Blvd., Bremerton, WA 98310 Susan Bell, Barry Cook, Douglas Groneman, Carol Johnson, Charles ABSENT/EXCUSED: Wanda Butler, Lonnie Dawson, Nick Garguile Sr., Russ Johnson. AUDIENCE: None. STAFF: Jim Spencer, Interim Director, Jodi Wroblewski, Assistant Director, Charleen Burnette, Becky Lorber, Recreation Coordinators II, Lena D'Agostino, Office Asst. II. I. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Barry Cook called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Interim Director Jim Spencer welcomed Susan Bell to the Parks Commissioner. Introductions were made and everyone welcomed Commissioner Bell.. I1. ITEMS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Assistant Director Jodi Wroblewski distributed copies of the new Parks &Recreation brochures that Tina Dumichen helped put together. Tina was our foreign exchange intern from Germany. Becky Lorber announced she still has a few tickets left for the Broadway musical "Annie" at the Paramount Theater this weekend, if anyone is interested. III. AGENDA: Interim Director Jim Spencer added under IV. Old Business, Item 1. Blues Festival. The rest of the agenda remained the same. IV. OLD BUSINESS 1. Blues Festival Charleen Burnette informed the Commissioners that we will hold our first Blues Festival this summer (July 18) at Pendergast Regional Park. In conjunction with this 1 Page event, we want to pursue the possibility of selling alcohol. Exact location of the beer garden is yet to be determined, and it would need to be in a controlled area. This would be a one-time shot for us to see how it goes. We do not intend to open the floodgates for every event being held out at Pendergast or any other Park facility. Charleen added that we would like know the Commissioners' reaction to this issue. The festival is definitely going to happen regardless at how the alcohol issue gets resolved. Charleen is waiting for a response from the Liquor Control Board on rules and regulations pertaining to this matter. Jim Spencer added that there are fairly strong feelings on the appropriateness of this venue due to it being a City property. He met with the City Attorney today and discussed issues that need to be dealt with. The City Attorney indicated that the issue would have to be formally approved by City Council, since it deviates from the City Ordinance. At this time, Jim said he is looking for a discussion and a show of support to see if this is worth pursuing or not. We will keep the Commissioners informed as we get further into taking actions necessary to formalize the issue. Chairman Barry Cook said that he is in support of this venue. From his standpoint, if the right people involved are looking at it and collectively agree that this is the right thing to do and there's not going to be any ramifications from it, then he's all for it. Commissioner Douglas Groneman asked if this would be a shared revenue. Jim replied yes. Commissioner Carol Johnson said she also supports this venue, though she's aware that we're testing the waters on this. How would this work financially? Charleen said we will definitely get a portion of the revenue, or maybe a donation to the Pendergast Fund. We will have a non-profit organization run it and the revenue has to be negotiated. Commissioner Susan Bell said she is in support of this venue. Commissioner Charles McWhorter also supports this but worried about opening a can of worms. However, this would be a good testing ground if it works out. Are we doing concessions? Charleen said we will have souvenir items for sale as well as food booths. Portable toilets and first aid station will also be provided. Charleen further added that we are in search of sponsors who are willing to donate funds for this event. 2. Survey Results Chairman Cook reported that he was asked if he could present the telephone survey results to the City Council on Monday, February 1St, at 5PM. Jim and Chairman Cook met with the Mayor to get her input on this issue. The Mayor suggested we should eliminate the question, "Where do we go from here? but rather tell City Council what we think our next steps should be. One of the things the Mayor specified was she wants this on the September ballot. Which means a lot of work ahead for us without a whole lot of time. We need a consensus as to where we should go. Jim commented that it is significant to note that on the staff's standpoint, we cannot work on this during our regular hours and are prohibited from using any of the City -owned office equipment outside these hours. All of us need to have a better understanding of this project and tackle it as a group. Right now it's just an idea; we 2 Page have yet to develop a location, components, methodology, etc. It is really important that if we make a commitment, we have to really believe that we've got a chance to succeed. From the Mayor's perspective, she thinks we've got very positive survey numbers to go by and should "strike while the iron is hot". Commissioner C. Johnson said we need a lead person with a lot of campaign experience. Commissioner Cook suggested that we advise the City Council of our next step toward the process: form a committee, appoint a chairman and a co-chairman, and then set a date. Everyone agreed. Jim said the first step is to put together a committee which first job would be to identify all the milestones that need to be accomplished then put together a realistic timeline associated with the milestones. Jim said he thinks we can commit to that. It's impractical to us to say we can necessary get it on the September ballot unless we fully understand what it entails. Jim does not know if we understand it enough at this time to say we can accomplish that. The City Council's response is really critical and we need to hear what they have to say. Commissioner McWhorter asked doesn't the whole process involve around 24 months preparation as per handouts provided by Becky? Becky said we can fast track it if a committee can identify who the key participants are. We're looking at a pretty fast -paced campaign. Jim said he will speak to the Mayor on Friday to make sure she is aware that we are committed and we are willing to fast track this project, but we need to have a better understanding of the problem before we can commit to a specific date. 3. Haddon Update/Grand Opening/Parks Protection We have put in some picnic tables and have finally finished the playtoy installation that was done by our maintenance crew, who did a really nice job. There still remains some punch list items to work off by our contractor (Ace Paving) who agreed to get them this Spring as weather permits. In general, Jim had never heard more favorable comments about a park than Haddon. Jim read a nice letter from a Bremerton resident about Haddon Park. Grand opening was established for May 1, Saturday. We also need to have the Parks Protection Ordinance adjusted to include Haddon Park on the list. 4. Evergreen Update As far as Phase I/modification of existing park, funding of approximately $600,000 is in place this year. Request for Bids will be advertised this Friday with closing date of February 24`h. We think we can get a better price due to the timing. It will take a month or so to actually award bid for a 120 calendar day contract. We're looking at construction completion date of around end of July. Phase II/remediation component deal is eminent. Negotiations with Department of Ecology relative to the agreed order have gone very well. We have provided them with needed documentation, and they seemed pleased with that. Important thing to remember though is neither remediation nor Phase II has been budgeted this year. Anything we do will require a budget adjustment. It does not mean there isn't any 3 Page money to do budget adjustments to start the work, but the full funding package to accomplish that work is not in place. Jim further added that we're still waiting for the results of the ALEA grant request. 5. SR3 Encroachment Issue The car dealership owner agreed to pay the appraised amount of $5110008 It is up to us to find a replacement property to be purchased by the car dealership owner as a trade off. One of the sites we're looking at is the old Manette waste treatment plant, a waterfront location adjacent to Lions Field #2. We are trying to acquire more details on this property. Commissioner Groneman mentioned a property located on Ironsides and East 171" which may be worth looking into. Jim commented that piece of property certainly offers a good view opportunity and is worth pursuing. It was Jim's understanding that Public Works and Utilities Department at one time had looked at giving us that property. Jim thanked Commissioner Groneman for bringing this up to his attention. He will acquire more information on this particular property as well. 6. Kitsap Rifle &Revolver Club On December 41", Jim met with Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club (KRRC) representatives relative to prevailing issues on facility modification to ensure safe ingress/egress, lease agreement, and NRA audit back in July. The KRRC group offered some different views regarding building modifications. Jim had convened a meeting involving all the affected City organizations and came up with a new plan, which was forwarded to the KRRC group via a letter dated December 10t" So far we haven't received a response. Subsequent to this, Jim heard that there were concerns about KRRC group putting money into this facility because they are uncertain of its future. They were told in the meeting that they (KRRC) needed to be aware that we're looking at a new recreation center. Jim added we don't know where we stand at this stage, and we'll have to wait until we hear from them. 7. Use of Lions Boat Launch/Eastpark Housing Jim sent the Commissioners a letter a few weeks ago informing them of Mr. Pat O'Day's proposal to use Lions Dock for loading 160 housing units from Eastpark onto barges for transport to the City of Portland during the months of March and September this year. In exchange for use of the boat launch area, we will be receiving $1,000/day or $25,000, whichever is larger. The boat launch will not be available for public use, but the coal dock and parking lot area would remain open. The Commissioners were all in favor or this proposal based from their input. The proposal was presented at a City Council Study Session in late December and received favorable reaction. Jim heard it seemed like there are some concerns with the City of Portland relative to the housing component of the deal. Commissioner Groneman mentioned that he heard at a district meeting that the whole deal is off. Jim said it could be and at this point, he is waiting to hear from Pat O'Day. 4 Page 8. Kitsap Lake Water Level A number of meetings took place involving various state and city representatives, private citizens, and members of the Suquamish Tribe. Two issues were identified: (1) Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Suquamish Tribe wanted a fixed sill; (2) private citizens wanted to be able to adjust the height at least twice a year (Spring and Fall). Jim said this issue will likely require adjudication, which is probably better for us since we'll have some formal documentation to go by. We're making some progress, and Jim said he is optimistic that this situation will be solved eventually. The good thing is the Department of Fish & Wildlife will not pull out the existing structures until we're given time to resolve the problem. Regarding the weed management plan, this was due to be completed by the end of 1998. However, we had other "opportunities" that prevented us from its completion. We've received a CDBG funding extension, and our new goal is completion date of around middle of this year. We've made good progress on this issue; we've identified the types of weeds, their location, and possible solutions. Next weed meeting is scheduled for mid -February. 8. 1999 Budget We discussed the preliminary budget for 1999 at our November meeting. Jim said that budget has now been formally approved by the City Council. If anybody needs to go over the budget, Jim will be happy to discuss it. V. NEW BUSINESS -None VI. STAFF REPORT Manette Playfield: We have $125,000 appropriated this year to "re -do" this field. Our plan was to start work by first part of this calendar year with a goal to finish prior to start of our summer Playground Express program. We are planning on putting in irrigation, drainage, sand, and some sod. However, the timing on this project has been changed. We've found out that the sod will not be available until end of May. We do not want to impact our Playground Express program at this location, so our current plan is to do this renovation project the latter part of August and into September and have the field ready for the year 2000. We have notified the East Bremerton PeeWees on the change of schedule, and they were glad to be able to use the field for their play but not as thrilled that it was the same old field. We will put bid specifications together ourselves, then go to bid in April or May. Burwell Hill Climb Project: Public Works &Utilities Department received some grant funding to convert the area between Callow &Wycoff (very steep hill at end of Burwell) into a planting project/walkway. We've agreed to assist in planting, as well as installation and initial watering to make sure that the plants live. From the Parks Department standpoint, we're not anxious in volunteering long-term maintenance commitment due to lack of manpower and budget constraints. 5 Page Long -Range Golf Meeting: A meeting was held yesterday to look at our 20-year forecast for Gold Mountain Golf Complex. There were some really interesting ideas and discussions involving anywhere from adding a convention center to a third course, second clubhouse, amphitheater, executive course, etc. Bottom line is we're hopeful to get some long-range plans identified using the Department of Economic and Community Development, and maybe working through a consultant to figure out the ultimate plan around the complex. Chairman Cook inquired on the status of the encroachment issue with McCormick Woods. Jim said there is no new news. In the 1999 budget, we've designated $123,000 in the golf budget to help with that issue. We need to get resolution on this because it could seriously impacts two greens and a tee. Worst case scenario: we go for adverse possession on the property. Boardwalk Transportation Area: Kitsap Transit has built a small staging area to the north of the restroom for ferry commuters. It is aesthetically pleasing & will not impact our concerts in the park. Senior Center Addition: The renovation project has started at the Senior Center (expansion of the old storage/covered porch area) to create a new classroom space with the help from the Skills Center group, which is composed of high school students. They have done a remarkable work building walls, and they will build false floors, etc. We will have contractors do the heating and ventilation, sheet rocking, electrical work, etc. We're hoping this project will be completed soon. Becky added that we want to do dedication of the completed space in May to coincide with National Seniors' Month. Vandalism at Lions Field: We got hit with some very significant vandalism over the weekend at the restroom by Lions Field 2 where someone broke the padlock, destroyed the toilet, ripped the towel and soap dispensers off the wall, and set the towels on fire. Concessions: This year we put a bid out to see if anybody would be interested in running the concessions for us at Lions and Pendergast. Only one group responded. We've met with this group and are now working on a formal contract that would require City Council approval and budget adjustment. This needs to be finalized by March 1s` Our goal is to step back from the concession business for at least a year and let others give it a try. As far as revenue, we will receive $2,000 up -front and 5% of the gross for anything over $30,000. Lent Lane: Eastside Rotary has again looked for project and is looking to take on Lent Lane. The project will involve installation of an irrigation system, waterfront clean-up, steps to the beach, and installation of picnic tables. Their contribution is expected to exceed $10,000. 6 Page VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES — November 24, 1998 M/S/C/U (C.Johnson/D. Groneman) to approve the November 24th minutes. VIII. COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS & QUESTION Commissioner Carol Johnson commented that she had noticed her business phone number is wrong on the Parks Commissioners list. She also mentioned that she was at the swimming pool (Jarstad Aquatics Center) last week for the water - walking class and spoke to a lady who had started coming to our pool from Gig Harbor. The lady said she liked going to our pool because it is clean. Jim said he will make sure our Aquatics Supervisor, Jeff Elevado, hears about this compliment. Commissioner Susan Bell said she's glad to be here. She had a few questions about the Manette Playfield project and what it entails. Jim briefly explained to Commissioner Bell the extent of the project. Jim also mentioned that we need to schedule a tour of all our park facilities with Commissioner Bell as soon as it's convenient. Commissioner McWhorter had requested that his business phone number be changed. He also thanked the staff with their help in getting him a practice place for his soccer team. Commissioner Groneman commented that Haddon is a really beautiful park. Anything more on RV parking? Jim said he spoke with a gentleman from Seattle, who expressed interest in RV park. He wants to build an RV park close to Gold Mountain. This ties back into the long-range plans relative to the golf course. Four possible sites were looked at for an RV park, but we had to put this issue on hold until we figure out what the ultimate plan is. Commissioner Groneman also mentioned a newspaper article written by Kitty Campagna on lights (or the absence of) at Pendergast. He also inquired the status of the Clubhouse, and where's the money coming from to build it? Jim explained the golf course is an enterprise fund and not associated with the General Fund. We've backed off that project because our rounds and revenues were less than what we have forecast. We don't have any funding in the 1999 budget for the Clubhouse; we do in the year 2000. Additionally, there are some other creative ways we're looking at as far as starting the Clubhouse construction project, but in no way involve General Fund. The Clubhouse is the number one priority out there. Commissioner Groneman further commented that no doubt we need a new building here, but what happens to the old building? Jim said this needs to be worked out, but in his opinion, he thinks this building would be a perfect teen center. Chairman Cook said Haddon Park looks wonderful and he is glad he's part of how it was developed. He thinks it's a great idea to get a new center, and that it's necessary. He would like to be part of it and would like to pursue acquiring a new building. Lastly, Chairman Cook also commented that he's starting his 4t" year with the Parks Commission. 7 Page IX. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.