1999-09-20
DEC - 9 1999
Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission
September 20 , 1999
The regular meeting of the Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission was
called to order by Chairman David Moe at 7:37 p.m.
Present were: David Moe, Keith Borup, Sherri Baker, Glenn Bentley, Wally
Lovan, Tammy deWeerd and Tom Kuntz.
Agenda: Tammy deWeerd made a motion to approve the agenda with the
Change of adding other business to the agenda. Sherri Baker seconded the
motion. All ayes, the motion carried.
August Minutes: Sherri Baker made a motion to approve the August minutes as
corrected. The correction the month of June is listed where August should be.
Tammy De Weerd seconded the motion. All ayes, the motion carried.
Public Introductions/Comments: No public at this meeting, however David
Moe introduced Tami Smith, the new Administrative Secretary to the Commission
Members.
Correspondence/Announcements: Tom Kuntz announced that the Parks and
Recreation department got a good press release from "The Statesman".
The Activity Guide that went out Monday, Tami informed the Council that the
registration is going great more so with the classes than the sports teams.
Old Business: The first item of business is Parks and Recreation Master Plan
update. Tom Kuntz discussed the printed color fliers for the Tully Park Grand
Opening along with the City Comprehensive Plan announcements to local media
and also to random recreation users. Tom also stated that he was going to the
local elementary schools to talk with specifically 4~" and 5~"graders to get them to
come to the "Master Plan" meetings.
Project Schedule from Landerman-Moore regarding the planning dates. Sherri
Baker asked how many people we needed to do this. Tom said that he was not
sure and if the numbers were low, we would fall back to the next meeting using
that as our first and get the word out better. A discussion of where to hang fliers
and who to speak with then ensued.
56 Acre Master Plan Update: The Council discussed the approval of
Landerman- Moore as the consultant for the 56 Acre Park. Tom stated that he
spoke to Landerman-Moore in July Tom voiced some concerns about what we
were getting for the $15,000 dollars and Council recommended that Tom go back
and do further research. Tom spoke with Landerman-Moore and Bob Droll the
landscape architect and said throw in Chateau with 56 acres for the same
$15,000 and he would recommend to the City Council that we go with him. Tom
then did that as well as recommended that we expand the Landerman-Moore
contract to include $15,000 for the master plan for 56 acre and Chateau and City
Council approved that. Sherry Baker then wanted clarification on if the total
amount $15,000. Tom informed her that the 15,000 was for the master plan for
56 acres and Chateau and $25,000 is for the entire Parks and Recreation
comprehensive plan for a total of $40,000.
Tom then informed the commission that there will be 2 public meetings for the
56-acre design and those will follow up the meetings of the master plan for Parks
and Recreation.
Donation Recognition
The Commission decided they would table this and it will be presented next
month.
Commission Positions
David Moe thanked Keith Borup and Wally Lovan for the time that they spent and
he was sorry to see them leave.
Tom spoke to the Mayors office and they asked Tom to put together information
and they would put the ad out referring to the Meridian Parks and Recreation
Commission advertisement that was in your packet which appeared in the paper
on Saturday the 18~h of September. The discussion was that we need to fast
track it because the applications are due the 1ST so they can go to the Council for
approval on the 5~h. David Moe added the week after the last meeting he
contacted the Mayors office to get this thing going and only got a machine and
Tammy and Tom were trying to get things moving, with little luck. Per the
ordinance, the Commission should be setting up a committee to review and
make a recommendation to the Mayor, and with this time frame he isn't sure we
will have enough time. Sherry was questioning if the committee should have a
say in who was picked, and Tom told her that it would only be a recommendation
and that the Mayor would still be able to pick whomever he wanted. David
reminded Sherry that the biggest concern with the Commission was that there
was some diversity and that they wanted the Commission more evenly dispersed
through the City. David Moe then stated that a sub committee of 3 individuals
from the Parks and Recreation Commission will review the application and
submit a recommendation to the Mayor. The location of applicants residence in
order to providing representation based upon geographic areas of population will
be given strong consideration. Since there are only 3 commissioners left, they
will be the sub committee.
Speedway Lease
Tom addressed the letters from Mark Brandt that say that the lease with Ken
Hamilton is in violation of the project agreement and we need to terminate that
agreement and move the fence so that the area is inviting and accessible to the
public. The follow up letter Tom sent to Mark Brandt asks to allow us to have the
lease expire in December of 1999, which it is going to anyway. Tom had already
talked to Mark about this and they don't have a problem granting this time period.
Tom stated that he and the City Attorney have a meeting with the Dairy Board
regarding this matter on Tuesday night at 7:00. Tammy De Weerd asked if the
Dairy Board was Ken Hamilton and David Moe informed her that they own the
property that the speedway is on. The area in question is the entire is from the
back of the speedway down to the softball fields. David Moe asked why didn't
this come up before since the speedway has been there for a very long time.
Sherry asked why that was not considered recreation, David said the reason was
that it was being used for profit. Sherry then asked what would happen if we did
not comply with the land and conservation fund? David Moe told her that we
would have to give back the money. Sherry asked how much that would be and
Tom told her that the amount in her packet showed $50,000 but there is also
agreements out there for development and purchasing land. Sherry then asked if
we could just sell the land, to which Tom informed her that Mark Brandt said that
the only option was to exchange property for property of same recreational value.
New Business
Tom reminded everyone of the Grand opening of Tully Park on Thursday
September 30th.
Directors Informational Items-
Tom stated regarding the land around Generation Plaza, the closing was set up
the end of August and then we found out that there was a lean on the property so
Mrs. Theirhaus and our Attorney are working diligently to get this matter
resolved. The lean is held by a company that doesn't operate in the state
anymore so they need to get a hold of them and get a conveyance of title from
them.
Tom discussed the "thank you" letters written to the scouts who did projects for
us this summer and they will be recognized at the October City Council meeting.
The bid opening for the tiling of Chateau ditch is September 29~h and it sounds
like there has been 3 or 4 companies interested in that.
Other Business
Keith Borup stated that he wanted to see what the property by Thousand Springs
and Surebrook was going to be a park or a school. Tom informed him that the
land belongs to the school district that has 5 years to build an Elementary school
on it. Keith then stated that at a meeting last week the school district made it
seem that they weren't interested in building a school there. Tom said they still
have 5 years to decide, and if the school doesn't use it in that time, the land will
revert back to the city, but part of the acreage is for parks.
Budget Update
Tom wanted the commission to look at a memorandum that states the
department budget is $550,000 and that is for operations and personnel, with
further consideration asked for one additional ground keeper at a cost of $5,000.
With all the seasonal people leaving, there has been a deflation of our staff so
Tom plans to go back to the Council and ask them again for a full time position
for Tully Park because we are way understaffed. In addition, City Council has
asked the Commission to prioritize our Capital Projects for this year. Tammy De
Weerd asked if we got all of our budget projects completed. Tom told her that we
had 90 percent that were either completed or in the process of being completed.
Tammy then asked if the funds would carry over. Tom said he met with the
accountant that does our audit and the attorney Rita from Finance and they said
the way the budget is set up, if we do not have a signed agreement and it is
capital, we cannot carry it over, do if it is capital and we want to carry it over, we
need a signed contract. Sherry Baker asked if the tennis courts had been carried
over and Tom said that he was working with the school district to get the signed
contract to us by the 30`h of September so we could get this moving. Tom then
went back to non-capital expenditures will go toward capital the following year
but the accountant is working with Bill Gigrei regarding an encumbrance or to get
a process in place so that next year items that are mid way done can be carried
.over.
Number 1 is 5 mile creek path was listed first because we have$240,000 in a
grant with our match being $60,000 that we have got to use this year because it
has been on the books for a number of years so if we don't use it next year we
lose it. That would be the pathway that goes from Linder Road to Meridian Road.
This project is in Gary Smith's hands and Tom will be meeting with him.
Number 2 Storey Park improvement- Most all of the money will go toward
automating the entire park with sprinklers. They will also be updating the pump
station.
Vehicles 28,000- 19 to 20 thousand is for anew'/< ton state bid vehicle. The rest
is to replace the half-ton to replace the 1966 ford that we have now.
Number 4 is a park office improvement they are retro fitting the shop area we
need space for parks superintendent and recreation superintendent to have an
office.
Number 5 -Generation Plaza phase 2 construction. Tom said that he thought it
was important that we get that finished so that we have something to take pride
in. Sherry Baker asked it included purchasing the land and Tom told her that
was carry over from last year.
Tully Park improvements $20,000 $10,000 of that is for an additional equipment
and storage shed, $4500 is fora 4 wheeler to drag the field at Storey Park.
Tom wants a master plan in place for 56 Acres and for Chateau as well as land
acquisition that is the time to go to the Council and ask them for the money.
Sherry Baker asked Glen Bentley what the time frame on the city saying "here's
how we are going to spend the capital dollars that we are holding on to". Glen
Bentley told Sherry that hopefully they would make a decision before tomorrow
night. Sherry voices her concern about park impact fees being used for things
other than parks. Glen Bentley told her that park impact fees cannot be used for
anything but parks and they are separate from the budget. That money is sitting
in a general fund which is a dedicated fund. The question was asked when were
the funds available and Tom said when we are ready to spend them but a plan
must be in place before we get them. Tammy De Weerd suggested that there be
an administrative committee over the funds and we should be approaching the
county to be collecting impact fees on some of the areas that are developing in
our area of impact that they aren't collection fees on.
Sherry Baker asked if this was where we should take a stand or make a motion
that we would like to see as much money as possible toward these projects.
Tom said that he thought it would be prudent to move Chateau development out
and put a large disclaimer that says, "consideration needs to be given to
development of Chateau park, 56 acres and land acquisition". Sherry asked
that what ever is said, the Parks and Recreation Commission be listed as well as
Tom so that the Council knows the request is coming from everyone.
Sherry Baker made a motion to accept the recommendation to the City Council
as follows: The Parks and Recreation Commission strongly recommends that
consideration be given in the 1999-2000 budget to setting money aside to
develop Chateau Park, 56 Acre Park and land acquisition. Tammy De Weerd
seconded the motion. All ayes motion carried.
Commission Meetinu Date
This issue was tabled by David Moe and will be reviewed again at the next
Commission meeting.
Adjournment:
Tammy De Weerd motioned to adjourn. Keith Borup seconded the motion. All
ayes, the motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.