FY2014 MPRC Annual ReportC�,WIEPIDIAN�--
MERIDIAN PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
ANNUAL REPORT
FISCAL YEAR 2014
(10/l/13-9/30/14)
A. All -Commission
1) Participate in updating the Comprehensive Park System Master Plan.
Commission President Matt Stoll participated in the interviewing
process on August 13, 2014 to select a consultant to begin working on
updating the Comprehensive Park System Master Plan. This will be a
project of focus throughout the latter part of FY2014 and moving into
FY2015.
2) Work on the design and construction of a new dog park in Storey Park
to replace the existing Bark Park which will be closed, due to the new
Police Training Facility.
The Commission has remained very engaged in providing valuable
feedback and support about the design and construction of a new dog
park in Storey Park at various Commission meetings held when an
update was provided. The project was sent out to bid in August 2014,
but bids came in too high. The project is currently being reviewed
and value engineered to reduce the cost to stay within budget.
3) Continue to pursue additional funding sources for future pathway
construction opportunities.
We applied for and received funding from the Federal Highways
Administration (FHWA) to study the arterial road crossings for the Rail
With Trail project, which kicked off in July and will be completed by
late November 2014.
The City constructed the Five Mile Creek Pathway, Segment E at
Bridgetower, which stretches from Ten Mile to Linder Roads.
Construction began in April and was completely finished in July 2014.
The additional ACHD section of pathway connecting Segment E to
Linder was paved in September.
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Jay Gibbons is currently in the process of securing easements and a
license agreement to begin finalizing the construction plans for the
next section of the Five Mile Creek Pathway from Badley to Fairview
(Segment 1-12), which will be a CDBG-funded project.
Distance mile markers were installed along the Bud Porter Pathway in
the spring of 2014. The MPR Commissioners got to view these
markers during their April 9, 2014 Pathways Tour. These markers will
be extended through the Five Mile Creek Pathway, Segment E at
Bridgetower later this fiscal year.
Pathway directional signs were installed along the Bud Porter, Diane &
Winston Moore, and Five Mile Creek Segment E Pathways late August
2014.
4) Continue to engage other task forces, commissions, entities, and
agencies through workshops and other outreach.
The Commission has engaged the Meridian Library District and the
Southwest Idaho Resource Conservation & Development Council this
calendar year. Presentations were made to the Commission on two
separate occasions.
Colleen Braga with the Boys & Girls Club joined the Commission for
their July 9, 2014 meeting and discussed their partnership with the
City to build a gym facility.
S) Investigate the feasibility of a mobile website or app.
Steve Siddoway and Commissioner Treg Bernt met with IT staff in
December to investigate the idea of a mobile website or app. They
settled on the mobile website as the best tool as compared to an app.
Director Siddoway provided an update/presentation to the
Commission on January 8, 2014 and stated the City has budgeted to
do a mobile website for the coming year. A consultant will be
involved. There is much excitement about this effort.
6) Continue to hold an annual team -building event and facilitate
communication among Commission members.
The Commission held a Team -Building Event at Kleiner Park on
Wednesday, June 11, 2014. There were food, games, and a scavenger
hunt. It was a great time spent together.
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7) Install the park dedication plaques at all parks.
The park dedication plaques information and layout was completed
last fiscal year with help from the Parks Amenities & Signage
Committee and were presented to the City Council in June 2013.
Since that time, Jay Gibbons had been coordinating the fabrication
and installation of the signs, which were completed in the summer of
2014 and were hung on restroom building walls at 12 Meridian parks.
8) Volunteer at one community event per quarter.
The Commission, with help from the Community Liaison Committee,
identified nine City events in which the Commissioners did or will
volunteer at as follows:
1. Unplug and Be Outside
2. Ignite Youth
3. Barn Sour Race
4. CableONE Movie Night
5. Meridian Community Block Party
6. Disc Golf Fall Classic
7. Winter Lights Parade
8. Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament
9. Rake Up Meridian
Table displays were set up and booths manned by assigned
Commissioners.
B. Recreation & Special Events Committee
1) Create a disc golf tournament in October 2014.
The 1st Annual Disc Golf Fall Classic will take place on October 11,
2014. The goal for the event is to get 25 doubles teams registered for
the event (50 total participants). Proceeds from the event will benefit
Meridian's parks and recreation programs. The specific project the
money will go toward will be voted on by the Commission.
2) Continue to improve Christmas in Meridian, including the Winter Lights
Parade, the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, followed with the
Children's Winterland Festival.
The Parks and Recreation Commission supported the 1st Annual
Meridian Winter Lights Parade in December of 2013 by entering the
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parade with a float. Also, Commissioner Borton served on the
Christmas in Meridian Committee as the Internal Entries Chair.
3) As a committee, support another City event.
The Commission had a presence at several community events through
the year. Commissioner Liddell and his wife volunteered at the
Meridian Barn Sour in June. Commissioner Liddell and his wife also
hosted a booth at one of the CableONE Movie Night in Meridian shows.
Finally, Commissioners Coleman and Goldthorpe helped host a booth
at the Meridian Community Block Party.
C. Parks Amenities & Signage Committee
1) Implement the master amenities plan for all parks.
Updating all Parks site plans to properly document existing conditions
with graphic consistency has been completed. These plans will help
identify where existing amenities are located. The next step will be to
use this documentation together with a needs assessment to plan for
additional amenities in parks.
2) Develop a prototype shade structure (to be adjusted for site specific
needs) and budget for 2015.
Although no prototype shade structure has been decided upon, shade
planning and design concepts for the playground splash pad and
concessions areas of Kleiner Park have begun. MPR staff members are
currently working with the vendor Recreation Today of Idaho in
Nampa to utilize shade sails in a unique fashion. The sails would be
integrated with the existing trees so as to salvage trees as much as
possible. The sails would add not only color and interesting
formation to the area, but also provide much needed immediate shade
during the hot summer months. Sails could be taken down during the
winter season. In addition, the Kleiner Park Trust has expressed
interest in assistance with project funding as they are informed and
updated on the progress of project design and related costs.
Assistance from the Trustees is encouraging news for Meridian's
signature park.
3) Provide input into the Parks Comprehensive Plan update.
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Commission President Matt Stoll participated in the interviewing
process on August 13, 2014 to select a consultant to begin working on
updating the Comprehensive Park System Master Plan. This will be a
project of focus throughout the latter part of FY2014 and moving into
FY2015.
4) Assist in the development of the master planning for Borup Park,
Aldape Park, and the South Meridian 77 -Acre Property.
The programming and development of the master planning for Borup
Park, Aldape Park, and the South Meridian 77 -Acre Property will be
rolled into the Parks Comprehensive Plan update, as noted in #3.
S) Develop specific recommendations for adult amenities.
No specific adult amenities have been recommended to the MPR
Commission thus far; however, several have been considered. Game
tables in park settings and physical workout stations periodically
positioned along main pathways, such as the Bud Porter Pathway,
have been discussed. Funding is a challenge going forward.
D. Community Liaison Committee
1) Become more involved in community events by establishing a calendar.
The primary goal for the Community Liaison Committee, this year, has
been to be more involved in community events. The belief is that
they—as a Commission—could be more proactive when it comes to
community outreach and actually listening to the people they
represent firsthand. While many commissioners take the time to be
out in the community and volunteer with a variety of the City's
efforts, the idea was to come up with a calendar so that
Commissioners could actually plan to be involved with events—as
opposed to being asked at the last minute.
This past year, Commissioners participated in the following pre -
scheduled events:
1. Winter Lights Parade
2. Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament
3. Hope Tree Christmas Shopping for Families in Need
4. Rake Up Meridian
5. Ignite Youth
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6. Barn Sour Race
7. CableONE Movie Night
8. Meridian Community Block Party
2) Explore more avenues to utilize technology—the interactive digital
guide, mobile apps, and mobile website.
The Committee's second major goal was to explore more avenues to
utilize technology—the interactive digital guide, mobile apps, and
mobile website. As previously stated in this report (on page 2), the
City has budgeted to do a mobile website for the coming year; moving
this item out of the Community Liaison Committee's goals.
MATT STOLL, PRESIDENT
TIFFANY CUi4A V, VICE PRESIDENT
DATE
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