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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-04-07~E IDIZ IAN;¢- ~J PARKS Ft RECREATION COMMISSION COMMUNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE DOG PARK TASK FORCE PARKS AMENITIES Ft SIGNAGE COMMITTEE SPECIAL JOINT MEETING • AGENDA Meridian City Hall • 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Meridian, ID Conference Room A Wednesday, April 7, 2010 • 6:00 p.m. The Meridian Parks 8 Recreation Commission is a volunteer citizens' group that is created and empowered to advise the City on issues relating to park facilities and recreation programs of the City. Their mission is to gather input from staff and other qualified personnel on issues relating to the creation and design of public parks and open spaces; to listen to public input; and to provide advice and recommendations on parks and recreation related matters to the Mayor and City Council. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------,----- --- -.----APProximate---. ' Presenter Time : 1. Dog park site and financing proposals prepared ;Roundtable : 1 hour &t 15 • ~ minutes : 2. Other reports :Roundtable 15 minutes : MINUTES • Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Regular Meeting The joint meeting of the Community Liaison Committee, the Dog Park Task Force, and the Parks Amenities ft Signage Committee met on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, in the Public Works Training Room, at Meridian City Hall, 33 East Broadway Avenue. The meeting was called to order at approximately 6:10 p.m. by Community Liaison Committee Chairman Tom LeClaire. Parks & Recreation Commission Special Joint Committee Meeting - Page 1 of 5 April 7, 2010 Agenda & March 10, 2010 Joint Committee Meeting Minutes Persons desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings: Please contact the City Clerk's Office at 888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Attending: Community Liaison Committee: X Tom LeClaire, Chairman & Commissioner (Minutes Taker) X Steven Yearsley, Commissioner X Megan Murphy, Commissioner Dog Park Task Force: X Jeff Brown, Volunteer X Barbara Hatch, Volunteer X Brian Draper, Volunteer X Connie Petersen, Volunteer X Stephanie Griswold, Volunteer X Shannon Wood, Volunteer X Lisa Baird, Volunteer X Brenda Steinebach, Volunteer X Dennis Ray, Volunteer Parks Amenities >t Signage Committee: X Phillip Liddell, Commissioner X Michael Martin, Commissioner X Creg Steele, Chairman Et Commissioner X Matthew Schultz, Commissioner X Elroy Huff, MPR Dept. X Brad Hoaglun, City Council Liaison Other: X Steve Siddoway, MPR Dept. 1. Borup Property Conditional Use Permit Process Elroy Huff said Matt Shultz met with the county planning staff, and there is a process that can be followed to allow a dog park at this site. Matt Shultz explained that to begin the conditional use permit process, the Mayor and City Council will need to send a letter requesting a conditional use permit to the Ada County planning and zoning staff. He reported some other information that will be needed before a plan is presented to the Meridian City Council. Shultz said some improvements are already in place at the site that would be an expense at other sites. He said there is gravity irrigation on site, and there is a gradual south-to-north slope of about 5-7 feet. So irrigation would flow south to north and would make a pond or other water feature easy to develop on the north end of the property. This feature could be installed by volunteers at some later date. He said there is some wild grass on site, but some turf grass would need to be planted, and a rock entryway and rock pathways would be needed. He said there is no drinking water and no sewer connection on site; therefore, portable toilets and Parks Ft Recreation Commission Special Joint Committee Meeting - Page 2 of 5 April 7, 2010 Agenda & March 10, 2010 Joint Committee Meeting Minutes Persons desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings: Please contact the City C(erk's Office at 888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. trash services will be needed. He estimates 3,400 feet of 6-foot-high fencing would be needed to fence the perimeter of the dog park. Here are estimates Matt found for Turf grass seed $ Rock pathways and entrance area Portable toilets and trash Fencing Total $ these amenities: 5,000 12,000 1,000 50,000- 68,000 Director Siddoway noted that City Council will want the Dog Park Task Force (DPTF) to come up with a plan to pay for this. LeClaire asked about phasing in this project. He suggested doing a site plan for the whole park but build a portion of it the first year and finish it in 2-3 more years. This would allow a surcharge on dog licenses, for example, to build up a fund to pay for this. Once we have aCity-approved plan, we can also take to private sponsors that might want to fund trees or benches or other amenities. Matt agreed that would be a possibility. Our current park is .4 acres, and this site is 8.8 acres. It certainly would not see the wear-and-tear that we are seeing at the current park. Lisa Baird said she has seen research on how much space is needed for how many dogs at a time. She said the rule of thumb is 25 dogs per acre. So, we could handle 200+ dogs at a time with the new dog park. She also encouraged us to use tough grass turf, and she likes the idea of decomposed granite or river rock for all high-traffic areas and for creating paths being built before the park opens. LeClaire summarized by inquiring, If we just build a 4 acre area, could we handle 100 dogs at a time and would we save $25,000 on phase 1? Matt and Lisa agreed with that question. He asked Jeff Brown what the peak usage is at the current park. Officer Brown estimates 50-70 dogs is about the most he has seen there. Brian Draper says he seen at least that many dogs at the current park on the weekends. LeClaire asked the group if 4 acres would be acceptable to get the project started, and the task force agreed with this by consensus. LeClaire concluded that would mean we are faced with raising just $43,000 rather than $68,000 in the first year. Director Siddoway noted that our plan could be to have the City build the park completely and then pay the City back. As long as there was a funding mechanism in place, City Council would probably go for it. He asked the group, How can we pay for this dog park? The following ideas were proposed for financing the park from different members of the DPTF: 1. Ask for donations with a flyer in the City water bill. 2. Signage in the park could recognize donors or be sponsored by donors. Parks 8 Recreation Commission Special Joint Committee Meeting - Page 3 of 5 April 7, 2010 Agenda & March 10, 2010 Joint Committee Meeting Minutes Persons desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings: Please contact the City Clerk's Office at 888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. 3. Increase dog licenses or offer a dog park pass to licensees. 4. An increase in the release fee for dogs found by Meridian Animal Control. Brenda Steinebach noted that there are approximately 3,000 dog licenses in the budget that Council already approved. She also noted that the Meridian Animal Shelter caught and released 937 dogs last year. Barbara Hatch said that the release fee is really the best choice for providing a funding base for this park. A $10 release fee would generate a solid $9,000 per year for park maintenance. She thought the other fund-raising ideas depend on volunteerism, but people will pay a significant release fee to get their pet back. She was also concerned that a large increase in the dog license fee might discourage licensing too much. Chairman LeClaire asked Director Siddoway and Council Member Hoaglun, How soon could we get approval for a site and financing proposal from the Mayor and City Council? Direct Siddoway asked Councilman Hoaglun if we could be scheduled to present a plan at the April 13 City Council Workshop. Mr. Hoaglun said he would find out. Chairman LeClaire noted that this task force will need to meet before. the 13th to finalize a site plan and a financing plan to be presented to City Council. Brian Draper offered to help with a PowerPoint presentation. LeClaire thanked him for that. LeClaire suggested the Dog Park Task Force meet the Wednesday before, April 7, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Director Siddoway said that the Borup property site concept plan is actually being done this spring as well. This will be a professional concept plan to be done by Parametrix for the City. He estimates that they will be done with their work in about four months. He said he will make sure the planning done by this task force is incorporated into the official concept plan. LeClaire clarified the term "site plan." He did not intend that an official, professionally-engineered plan need be part of our conditional use application. He asked Director Siddoway if the site sketches by Commissioner Liddell and Commissioner Shultz wouldn't be more than adequate for the Ada County conditional use permit process. Director Siddoway responded yes; the sketches the task force has seen are definitely good enough for a conditional use permit. However, if Parametrix provides the City with a draft concept plan for the property, we could use it if it is useful. Action Items: • LeClaire summarized the next steps for the Dog Park Task Force. The next meeting will be April 7. Between now and April 7, LeClaire will prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the site proposal and the financing proposal for the Borup dog park. The Dog Park Task Force will approve and make final Parks 8 Recreation Commission Special Joint Committee Meeting - Page 4 of 5 April 7, 2010 Agenda & March 10, 2010 Joint Committee Meeting Minutes Persons desiring accommodation for disabilities re(oted to documents and/or hearings: Please contact the City Clerk's Office at 888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. recommendations at that meeting, which will then be presented at the April 13 City Council Workshop. • Chairman LeClaire will report the findings of this meeting to the MPR Commission later tonight. Committee Recommendations to Commission: • The Dog Park Task Force will meet on April 7 to prepare a presentation for City Council consideration on April 13. 2. Other Reports No reports were made. Action Items: • None at this time. Committee Recommendations to Commission: • None at this time. Chairman LeClaire adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. Parks & Recreation Commission Special Joint Committee Meeting - Page 5 of 5 April 7, 2010 Agenda 8 March 10, 2010 Joint Committee Meeting Minutes Persons desiring accommodation for disabilities related to documents and/or hearings: Please contact the City Clerk's Office at 888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.