Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-12-09 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING City Council Chambers, 33 East Broadway Avenue Meridian, Idaho Wednesday, December 09, 2020 at 5:30 PM Mission: The Meridian Parks & 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. All materials presented at public meetings become property of the City of Meridian. Anyone desiring accommodation for disabilities should contact the City Clerk's Office at 208-888-4433 at least 48 hours prior to the public meeting. Agenda VIRTUAL MEETING INSTRUCTIONS Limited seating is available at City Hall. Consider joining the meeting virtually: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85004323115 Or join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 Webinar ID: 850 0432 3115 ROLL-CALL ATTENDANCE ____ Dom Gelsomino, President ____ Jo Greer, Vice President ____ Autumn Short ____ John Nesmith ____ Keith Bevan ____ Albert Kang ____ Jennifer Bobo ____ Jessica West ____ Camden Hyde ____ Brad Hoaglun, City Council Ex-Officio ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES 1. November 18, 2020 Special Meeting Dom Gelsomino, MPRC President ~ 2 minutes ANNOUNCEMENTS Page 1 2. Christmas Presentation Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 5 minutes 3. Upcoming Events Shelly Houston, MPR Marketing Coordinator ~ 5 minutes OLD BUSINESS ~ NONE NEW BUSINESS 4. 2021 MPR Commissioner Elections [ACTON ITEM] Dom Gelsomino, MPRC President ~ 15 minutes 5. Brainstorm 2021 MPRC All-Commission Goals [ACTION ITEM] Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 1 hour WORKSHOP ~ NONE STAFF REPORTS 6. MPR Staff ~ 20 minutes ADJOURNMENT NEXT MEETING ~ January 13, 2021 at 5:30 PM 2020 All-Commission Goals: 1. Support development of a connected pathway system across the City of Meridian, with the Five Mile Creek Pathway and the Rail-With-Trail Pathway as the top priorities. 2. Encourage coordination with the City of Eagle to connect to the Boise River Greenbelt and with neighboring communities for additional regional connections of our pathway systems. 3. Support design and construction of Discovery Park Phase 2. 4. Participate in the design and programming of a new Community Center on the Civic Block. 5. Engage other task forces, commissions, entities, and agencies through workshops and other outreach for partnership opportunities. 6. Pursue improved tools and opportunities to engage citizens and stakeholders. 7. Continue to foster greater Commission involvement/presence in community events. 8. Discuss progress on Goals and Objectives in the MPR Master Plan. 9. Hold workshops during Commission meetings to address current issues. 10. Participate in the partnership with the Meridian Arts Commission to add theming and identity reinforcing art in Meridian parks and along pathways. 11. Participate in the design of a parking lot expansion at Heroes Park. Page 2 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 1 of 6 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. PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING  MINUTES City Hall Council Chambers, 33 East Broadway Avenue, Meridian, Idaho Wednesday, November 18, 2020  5:30 p.m. The Meridian Parks & 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. Roll‐Call Attendance Commission President Dom Gelsomino called the meeting to order at approximately 5:30 p.m. MPR Administrative Assistant II Rachel Myers took roll-call attendance as follows: X Dom Gelsomino, President X Albert Kang X Jo Greer, Vice President X John Nesmith X Keith Bevan X Autumn Short X Jennifer Bobo X Jessica West X Camden Hyde X Councilman Brad Hoaglun, ex officio Others present were: MPR Department staff—Parks & Recreation Director Steve Siddoway, Parks Superintendent Mike Barton, Recreation Manager Garrett White, Pathways Project Manager Kim Warren, Marketing Coordinator Shelly Houston, Parks Maintenance Manager Roger Norberg, & Volunteer Program Coordinator Chelsea Cantrell; & Deputy City Attorney Emily Kane. Adoption of the Agenda Commission President Dom Gelsomino entertained a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Commissioner Jessica West moved to adopt the agenda. Commission Vice President Jo Greer seconded. All were in favor of the motion. Approval of the Minutes 1. October 14, 2020 Regular Meeting – Dom Gelsomino Commission President Dom Gelsomino entertained a motion to adopt the minutes as presented. Commissioner Jessica West moved to approve the minutes. Commission Vice President Jo Greer seconded. All were in favor of the motion. Announcements 2. Welcome New Parks & Recreation Commissioner Albert Kang – Dom Gelsomino Page 3 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 2 of 6 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. Commission President Dom Gelsomino welcomed Albert Kang. Commissioner Kang introduced himself. He is a resident in South Meridian at Bear Creek. He has four children with his oldest being five and his youngest being two months old. He and his family are big fans of the parks and recreation activities in the city. He is looking forward to learning from Commissioners and staff alike and contributing. 3. Welcome New Parks & Recreation Commissioner Autumn Short – Dom Gelsomino Commission President Dom Gelsomino welcomed Autumn Short. Commissioner Short introduced herself. She has lived in Meridian for almost five years. She is a transplant from Canyon County. She is extremely excited to serve her community and the City of Meridian. She looks forward to working with everyone. 4. Welcome Returning Parks & Recreation Commissioner John Nesmith – Steve Siddoway At the November 17, 2020 City Council meeting, Commissioner Nesmith was reappointed to serve another 3 years with the Commission and has been serving since 2010. MPR Director Steve Siddoway extended his gratitude to John for being willing to continue with the Commission. John expressed his appreciation for the reappointment and the opportunity to serve. 5. Elections for 2021 MPR Commission Leadership at December Meeting – Dom Gelsomino Commission President Dom Gelsomino announced elections for 2021President and Vice President will be held at the December 9, 2020 meeting. Typically, the current Vice President has an automatic nomination for President. The Commission is always looking forward to having people step up, participate, and join in the leadership. 6. Brainstorm/Identify 2021 MPR All‐Commission Goals at December Meeting – Steve Siddoway MPR Director Steve Siddoway announced in December, it is the Commission’s tradition to set its goals for the coming year. As a reminder, the 11 current goals are listed on the meeting agendas. He encouraged the Commissioners to review them between now and December. Think about if there are any that are old and need to come off and any that are new to see added. They will go through a scoring and voting process where each Commissioner will individually rank their top list. MPR staff will propose a draft list of goals for 2021 for the sake of efficiency, which can still be amended at the meeting. 7. Upcoming Events – Shelly Houston MPR Marketing Coordinator Shelly Houston highlighted the following:  Leaf Recycling - Ten City parks have big leaf dumpsters as part of the Department’s ongoing fall program and in partnership with Republic Services. People are invited to bring their bagged leaves and dump them in these dumpsters which will be in position until November 28, 2020.  Rake Up Meridian – Rake Up Meridian is going very well. The raking by approximately 60 volunteer teams is already taking place in yards of about 170 seniors or people with physical challenges.  Veterans Day Ceremony – The annual Veterans Day Ceremony was held at the Rock of Honor in Kleiner Park on November 11, 2020, which was part online and part attended in person.  Charitable Tournaments – The Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament and Cornhole Tournament were held at the Meridian Homecourt on November 7-8, 2020. These are Page 4 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 3 of 6 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. the two activities that help raise money to buy Christmas gifts for the low-income preschoolers who take part in Meridian’s Head Start Program. There were 31 volleyball teams and 20 cornhole players. The team fees will go toward this charity project. MPR staff also sold approximately $560 of raffle tickets.  Christmas in Meridian – Various Christmas in Meridian activities are being planned: o Santa’s Mailbox – Santa’s Mailbox will go up at City Hall on November 25, 2020 through December 17, 2020. Any child who puts a letter to Santa in the mailbox with a clearly legible return address receives a personal reply in the mail. o Zoom with Santa – Parents and guardians will go online to make an appointment for their kids to have a Zoom with Santa 3-4 minute personalized chat (new this year). o Downtown Business Decorating Contest – The Downtown Business Decorating Contest will go on. Downtown businesses are encouraged to decorate. People are encouraged to view the decorations and lights and vote online for their favorite. Prizes will be awarded. o Christmas Tree – The City Christmas tree in Generations Plaza will be lit on December 4, 2020. o Winterland in a Bag – In lieu of the Children’s Winterland Festival, Winterland in the Bag will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2020 in partnership with Sparklight. Families can pay a visit in their vehicles to the Meridian Community Center where kids can pick up a free goodie bag full of crafts, game pieces, gifts, etc. o Ornament Drop – Like the Meridian Art Drop, the Meridian Ornament Drop (new this year) will be held where people will hide hand-made Christmas ornaments around town for others to find and are encouraged to post online with the hashtag #MeridianOrnamentDrop. o Angel Tree – The Salvation Army Angel Tree is going virtual this year. People can go online, pick out the toy they want to buy, who they want to buy for, or make a cash donation. They make the donation online. o Little Free Library – The Little Free Library will have Christmas books at the book exchange box. o All Christmas events around town can be found online: www.ChristmasInMeridian.org. New Business 8. MPR Department Park Maintenance Division Update – Roger Norberg MPR Parks Maintenance Manager Roger Norberg provided an update about the Parks Maintenance Division in the form of a PowerPoint. Copies of his slides are attached to these meeting minutes. Commission Feedback:  Jennifer Bobo – She complimented how great the Parks crew has taken care of the parks during this time. As many families have been stuck inside, it is nice to have a place to go to with the family and just be socially distant, enjoy the outdoors, and still have a beautiful place to play in when times are tough and recreation options are quite limited, due to Covid-19. It has been really nice to be a frequent user of the parks and have a wonderful time.  President Dom Gelsomino – He thanked the Parks crew for everything they do for the maintenance of the parks. Page 5 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 4 of 6 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. Regarding the yellow dog waste bags at the Storey Bark Park, will they be replaced with the original style with the two handles? He has observed many patrons end up not using the new bags because they are difficult to get open. MPR staff purchases 225,000 dog waste bags a year. They are looking for any price cut measure they can get. They went with the new style of bags to save money. If cost is not an issue, MPR staff can go back to the original style. Are goat-heads indigenous to Idaho? Is there an action item or plan to finally eradicate the goat-head plant out of Idaho completely? The goat‐head is native to the Mediterranean area. The plant is a weak plant and does not compete well with other plants. The goat‐head does not germinate until around mid‐June. To try and use pre‐ emergents to control it does not work because pre‐emergents need to stay wet to stay active. It will be difficult to eradicate them. 9. MPR Department Volunteer Program Update – Chelsea Cantrell MPR Volunteer Program Coordinator Chelsea Cantrell provided an update about the Volunteer program via a PowerPoint. Copies of her presentation slides are attached to these meeting minutes. Commission Feedback:  President Dom Gelsomino – He asked Chelsea to extend a warm thank you to all of Meridian’s volunteers. Old Business 10. Lakeview Golf Course Update – Mike Barton MPR Parks Superintendent Mike Barton presented a PowerPoint about the Lakeview Golf Course. Copies of his PowerPoint slides are attached to these meeting minutes. Commission Feedback:  Camden Hyde – He thanked Mike for his presentation and expressed he is an avid golfer. He is looking forward to playing on this course once it gets back up and running. (President Gelsomino concurred.)  Councilman Brad Hoaglun – He provided kudos to Steve Siddoway, Mike Barton, and Emily Kane/Legal Department. They have done an outstanding job in taking over the management of the course, which was not an easy task. The City and community appreciate this wonderful new asset. Workshop ~ NONE Staff Reports 11. MPR Staff Director Steve Siddoway reported on the following:  Covid-19 – With the recent spikes in numbers and the most recent Governor’s Order rolling back to Stage 2, MPR staff did take some further measures end-of-day last Friday going into the weekend. Beginning on Monday, November 16, 2020, City Hall is currently open to the public and conducting City business by appointment only. Many staff are working remotely. The Meridian Homecourt is currently closed until further notice. Parks remain open, however. Staff continue with the cleaning protocols in the restrooms, etc. Sports programs have been cancelled until further notice. Classes are a mix; there are some classes that are still being held because they can meet the protocols. Other Page 6 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 5 of 6 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. classes have been cancelled. Christmas events have been adapted to work in the current situation. Recreation Manager Garrett White reported on the following:  Covid-19 – The recreation staff working remotely are still very busy taking phone calls and responding to emails throughout the day. There are a lot of holiday projects happening. They are also running reports, gathering data, and tackling projects that were put on hold until the winter, due to the extremely busy summer season. The Homecourt has been closed where staff will get reassigned to parks and other projects to stay busy.  Arts & Culture – Audrey Belnap has been working to get RFPs for the mural projects. There is also much to do with the Arts Commission subcommittees.  Concessions – He has been working with Emily Kane on park concessions. RFPs will be going out soon.  Meridian Main Street Market – He is working to redo this contract since it expired. He hopes to have the contract finalized in the next month or so.  Field Applications – Many applications are being received for the 2021 season from all the different user groups interested in reserving field space for games and practices.  Sports – The Fall Volleyball and Flag Football programs have been cancelled. The Winter Volleyball and Basketball Leagues are being postponed. MPR staff is targeting a start time of January 2021, depending on the Governor’s Order and the stage they will be in. Pathways Project Manager Kim Warren reported on the following:  Five Mile Pathway Projects – MPR staff have been focused on several projects along the Five Mile Pathway, which runs from Eagle Road and the interstate potentially one day all the way out to The Oaks and the new high school. Along the way, there are some gaps in connectivity. o There are projects going construction-wise at Fairview Avenue to create a safer pedestrian space at Lakes Place. Crews are relocating power poles. o The contractor is out at the Ten Mile Trailhead. The parking lot is finished. The site is starting to take shape. Mike Barton assisted with getting a bid out for a landscape contractor. She is also coordinating with Audrey Belnap on some public art pieces to add at the trailhead.  Other Projects – MPR staff is up to 13 pathway projects to enhance connectivity along the system. They put an RFQ out to pathway design consultants who could offer a range of services from helping staff to acquire easements, to engineering the projects, to doing conceptual design. Three teams have been selected. MPR staff kicked off 13 projects amongst three teams. They are working on defining fees and scopes of work. Parks Superintendent Mike Barton reported on the following:  Heroes Park Parking Expansion – The Department is adding 125 parking spaces at Heroes Park and is going out to bid this week. Pending good bid results, this construction project will kick off next May, after the spring soccer season.  Discovery Park Phase 2 – Conversations will start up again regarding Phase 2 of Discovery Park, including road improvements that are planned in and around the park, pedestrian connectivity, and coordination with the new fire station that will be on the corner of the park. In addition, they will review the list of amenities to see if they are correct and to ensure that’s what people really want. Page 7 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2020 Page 6 of 6 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. Adjourn Commission President Dom Gelsomino entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Jessica West moved to adjourn. Commission Vice President Jo Greer seconded. The vote was unanimous and in favor of the motion. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at approximately 7:17 p.m. (AUDIO & VIDEO ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS) APPROVED: _________________________________________ ________/ ________/ ________ DOM GELSOMINO, PRESIDENT DATE _________________________________________ JO GREER, VICE PRESIDENT /rem Attachments: 1) PowerPoint Presentation: MPR Department Park Maintenance Division Update (11 pages) 2) PowerPoint Presentation: MPR Department Volunteer Program Update (6 pages) 3) PowerPoint Presentation: Lakeview Golf Course Update (4 pages) Page 8 Item 1. Page 9 Item 1. Page 10 Item 1. Page 11 Item 1. Page 12 Item 1. Page 13 Item 1. Page 14 Item 1. Page 15 Item 1. Page 16 Item 1. Page 17 Item 1. Page 18 Item 1. Page 19 Item 1. Page 20 Item 1. Page 21 Item 1. Page 22 Item 1. Page 23 Item 1. Page 24 Item 1. Page 25 Item 1. Page 26 Item 1. Page 27 Item 1. Page 28 Item 1. Page 29 Item 1. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 1 of 7 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. PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORTS December 9, 2020 Administration Division Director’s Report: STEVE SIDDOWAY (Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 9, 2020 MPR Commission Meeting.) Parks Division Parks Superintendent Report: MIKE BARTON (Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 9, 2020 MPR Commission Meeting.) Pathways Project Manager’s Report: KIM WARREN 1. James Court – East of Meridian Road across from Bud Porter Pathway – Concrete work at the east and west end of the James Court pathway segment is done. The project is complete, and closeout paperwork is pending. 2. Fairview Avenue Connection – Five Mile Pathway – Power poles and communications infrastructure have been relocated away from the pathway alignment. It was decided that the contractor, Bricon, would not begin work at this late date in the construction season, due to the possibility that work could not be Page 30 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 2 of 7 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. completed in a timely fashion (due to the likelihood of winter weather delays). The contractor is scheduled to begin as soon as the weather breaks in 2021. 3. South Slough – East of Locust Grove, South of Ustick – The scope of work was revised, and this project was re-bid to include only tiling and pathway construction north of E. Kamay Dr. to connect to the existing Verado pathway segment. The Bid opening is scheduled for December 2, 2020. 4. Local Rail With Trail – No movement on this project since my last report. 5. Whitestone Pedestrian Bridge Across Ten Mile Creek (SE of Franklin and Linder) – Fence installation began on December 1 and should be complete by the end of the week. The developer’s contractor who is supplying and installing the bridge has been notified that they may commence work the week of December 7th. Depending on weather, the pathway may not be paved until spring, but gravel base material will be prepped so the contractor will have access, and the pathway segment will be functional (if not paved) as soon as the bridge is in place. 6. Ten Mile Trailhub - The concrete flatwork portion of this project is now complete. Because landscape cannot be installed until next spring, staff will hire an erosion control contractor to install straw wattles and/or other means of protection so that winter run-off does not compromise the functionality of the newly installed permeable pavers. 7. Pathway Design Consultants – Staff received scopes of work and associated fees from each of the three consultant teams working on the 14 pathway projects. We have asked two of the teams to revise (tighten) and resubmit these proposals. The third fee proposal was acceptable, and a task order has been requested. We will meet with this consultant the week of December 7th to officially kick off these projects. 8. Ongoing Meetings and Other Duties – Includes Pathways review of incoming development applications and issuing conditions for development, Streetscape and Community Character committee meetings, and the fielding of various inquiries from pathway users. City Arborist’s Report: MATTHEW PERKINS 1. Contract Tree Work – I continue to work on building the work orders for all of the tree work (pruning, tree planting, tree and stump removal) that will be conducted this fiscal year. 2. Tree City USA & Growth Award - Applications are almost complete. Page 31 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 3 of 7 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. Urban Forest Management Plan – I continue to focus my attention on creating the Meridian City Urban Forest Management Plan. 4. Tree Inventory – As I continue to build on the tree inventory, the Tree Plotter Software has many more applications and uses that can be capitalized on to help improve the efficiency of my work and recordkeeping. Recreation Division Recreation Manager’s Report: GARRETT WHITE 1. Field/Event Scheduling – All 2021 field applications were due November 15. Skyler Cook and I have started the process of inputting them into the computer. We will continue to work with CDH in regards to gathering sizes and Covid-19 protocols. 2. Community Center RFP – I have attended by-weekly meetings in regards to the Community Center RFP. We have been compiling information on what we want in a new community center about room sizes and space. We hope to begin the design phase next week. The one hurdle we still have is moving the lateral. There are several options still being explored. 3. Meridian Youth Baseball Agreements – I have been trying to get in touch with MYB concerning the Fuller Park agreement as well as the Settlers Park Field agreements. I sent them the final adjustments that I have and am still waiting for a response. Note, I have reached out two or three times regarding this agreement. If I have not received a response by the end of the week, I will reach out to other MYB board members to get this resolved. 4. Covid-19 Protocols – This will be an ongoing item until there is a solution to Covid- 19. We continue to work with CDH for all programs. We have cancelled all sports leagues for now and the majority of community education classes. The few classes that are going can follow protocols and meet all CDH requirements. 5. Kleiner Park and Fuller Park Concessionaires - I have been working with Purchasing and Legal about the Fuller Park and Kleiner Park RFP. The RFP will be advertised next week with a due date of January 13, 2021. Page 32 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 4 of 7 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. 6. Main Street Market Contract – I am working with Legal to get a new contract for the Main Street Market in 2021. A draft has been submitted, and we hope to have this finalized by early December or sooner. The only item left to determine on this agreement is what equipment the City will provide. 7. Jabil Fields Agreement – The West Ada School District has begun phase one of a new school on the Jabil property. We are currently working with the School District to determine what field space will be available and what will be impacted. 8. Fee Data Collection – I have reached out to the surrounding cities asking them to provide us with all the fees they collect in regards to parks and recreation. Once all data is collected, we will evaluate our fees and adjust them where needed. Homecourt Facility Manager’s Report: JAKE GARRO 1. Community Athletic Group Practices – Community athletic group practices for basketball and volleyball have been paused, due to the Homecourt facility closure. 2. Meridian Homecourt Pickleball Play – Pickleball play has been paused, due to Homecourt facility closure. 3. Meridian Homecourt Facility Closure – Homecourt staff has been and will be doing the following tasks while our facility is closed: a. Scanning project for Clerk’s office b. Breakdown and storage of old pickleball frames c. Install volleyball storage poles, 7 net racks d. Painting – upstairs in mezzanine, office area, touch painting in other areas of facility e. Clean and dust glass vestibule inside facility f. Clean and dust rooftop of new office area in Bay 5 g. Clean, dust, and vacuum glass backboards h. Wash and donate lost and found items i. Removal of copper tubing upstairs 4. Volleyball Sleeve In-Sets – Hicks Brothers Flooring will be fixing and resetting raised volleyball sleeves in the basketball court area. Recreation Coordinators’ Report: RENEE WHITE 1. Winterland – In a Bag – Collaborating with local businesses, we are creating a grab bag of holiday crafts and activities to offer some holiday festiveness for families to do at home. This activity replaces our popular Children’s Winterland Festival. We Page 33 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 5 of 7 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. will make 500 bags to hand out at the Meridian Community Center – for free. Sparklight has stepped up to offer drawstring bags, and All-American Insurance has stepped up to sponsor the activity. We are accepting individually packaged crafts from local organizations. 2. Zoom with Santa – Our scheduling for Zoom with Santa opened on Thanksgiving Day. We are offering 3-4-minute private conversations for free. Our first Zoom meeting is Saturday, December 5 and runs through December 19. We have more than 200 reservations already! 3. Letters from Santa - The mailbox that delivers letters straight to Santa will once again be set up in front of City Hall. We’ve made some adjustments to the backside operations to replace the typical volunteer staff who help us send the replies. We typically get around 1,000 letters, with nearly 400 coming from the Winterland event. So, we are only expecting 600 or so this year. The recreation staff are all pitching in to make sure this program runs smoothly. Update: We got 154 letters opening weekend, that is 3x more than usual! 4. Community Light Display - Working with IT, we have created a map for the community to self-select their address as a location to come see Christmas lights. The community can view the map as a location finder! Additionally, the Meridian Parks & Recreation Christmas Committee is partnering with these organizations for Christmas In Meridian. JENNA FLETCHER 1. 2021 Winter Activity Guide – The release of the 2021 Winter/Spring Activity Guide has been postponed, due to the modified stage 2 order we are in. We have decided to advertise individual classes that can follow the protocol and polices of: less than 10 people, no shared equipment, not interactive, and maintain 6 feet of distance. Once we get the green light of either moving forward a stage, we will release the whole guide. Winter/spring classes are slated to run December 21 – May 30. 2. Fall Classes – Fall classes were postponed on November 13th. Any class that had over 10 people, were interactive, shared equipment, or could not maintain 6 feet of distance were given prorated refunds. We currently have a handful of classes running, such as; Jazzercise, line dancing, martial arts, and youth art. These classes can maintain the protocols that we are following, due to the modified stage 2 order. 3. Contracted Instructors – I am currently working with instructors to help them figure out how to continue to run their classes. Many of them have split their classes into two groups to abide by the protocols we have put in place. MAGGIE COMBS Page 34 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 6 of 7 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. 1. 2020 Fall Leagues –Fall Volleyball League play was cut short, due to the rollback to stage 2. We ended the season before end-of-season tournament play began. 2. 2020 Winter Leagues – Due to the rollback to stage 2, we have postponed registration at this time. 3. 2020 Holiday Classic – We will be shopping for the Head Start kids on December 3rd at the Ten Mile Walmart this year. We have a total of 60 kids that we will be able to help bring Christmas cheer to this year. Common items the kids ask for are clothes, shoes, blankets, and toys. Volunteer Program Coordinator’s Report: CHELSEA CANTRELL 1. Volunteer Hours – As of November 30, 2020, volunteers have provided the City with 1,216 hours of service. That’s a value of $33,075. 2. Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities – Upcoming volunteer opportunities for December include gift shopping and present wrapping for the children with the Head Start program, and the Christmas in Meridian Winterland In A Bag event. Recreation Coordinator 1 (Sports) Report: SKYLER COOK 1. Flag Football League – The Fall Flag Football League finished league play but had to cancel playoffs, due to the Governor’s Order. 2. Winter Basketball League – Winter Basketball League is postponed until further notice, due to the Governor’s Order. We are optimistic about hosting the league in January 2021. 3. Winter Cornhole League – Winter Cornhole League is postponed until further notice, due to the Governor’s Order. We are optimistic about hosting the league in January 2021. 4. Field Applications – Field applications for 2021 have been submitted and are being scheduled based on priority use. Online reservations will open to the public on February 1, 2021. Arts & Culture Coordinator’s Report: AUDREY BELNAP 1. Arts Commission Page 35 Item 6. Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 9, 2020 Page 7 of 7 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.  The Initial Point Gallery is currently closed until City Hall reopens. The upcoming exhibit by the Idaho Commission of the Arts has been postponed until January 2021.  Christmas in Meridian’s first Ornament Drop is happening on the weekend of December 12-13. The holiday spinoff of our annual Art Drop has been well received by the public, and we are hoping for a good turn out!  The Events & Outreach Subcommittee has brainstormed a list of activities that the Arts Commission can fund or help organize in conjunction with City events. The Subcommittee hopes to implement these activities in 2021. Some of these activities include hiring Dicken’s Singers during Christmas in Meridian, a pumpkin carving contest during Trunk or Treat, and face painting during Independence Day.  Several muralists have sent in applications to participate in the Meridian Mural Series. We will be accepting applications until December 7, and final artists will be selected on December 17.  The Public Art Subcommittee is moving forward with the creation of their Public Art Plan and anticipate finishing around March 2021.  A Diversity Subcommittee was created at the last Art Commission Meeting in an effort to be intentional about diversifying Meridian’s public art and including an equality statement in the Arts Strategic Plan. 2. Historic Preservation Commission  TAG Historical Research is wrapping up their intensive level survey of the Dairy Grounds/Meridian Speedway as part of the first step in listing the property on the National Register of Historic Places. Barbara Perry Bauer will present her research at the next Commission meeting. The Commission then plans to apply for a grant through the State Historic Preservation Office in order to complete the nomination form for the listing.  The Social Media Subcommittee has decided to join forces with Robert Mortensen of the History of Meridian Idaho Facebook group to further advance their social media presence. This partnership will increase the Subcommittee’s audience and will jump start our social media campaigns.  The Commission plans to do another student initiative with high school students in 2021. They are currently looking into opportunities in the schools and will create an action plan at the beginning of the year. Page 36 Item 6.