2021-12-08
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Meridian City Hall, City Council Chambers, 33 East Broadway Avenue Meridian, Idaho
Wednesday, December 08, 2021 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
To join the meeting online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85671538055
Webinar ID: 856 7153 8055
ROLL-CALL ATTENDANCE
____ Jo Greer, President ____ Keith Bevan, Vice President
____ Dom Gelsomino ____ John Nesmith
____ Jennifer Bobo ____ Mandi Roberts
____ Camden Hyde ____ Jessica Perreault, City Council Ex-Officio
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
1. November 10, 2021 Regular Meeting
Jo Greer, MPRC President ~ 2 minutes
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2. Upcoming Events
Shelly Houston, MPR Marketing Coordinator ~ 5 minutes
3. Christmas Presentation & Commission Group Photo
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 5 minutes
OLD BUSINESS ~ NONE
NEW BUSINESS
4. MPR Department Forestry Update
Matthew Perkins, City Arborist ~ 20 minutes
5. MPR Department Master Plan Update
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 10 minutes
6. 2022 MPR Commission Leadership Elections [Action Item]
Jo Greer, MPRC President ~ 10 minutes
7. Brainstorm & Identify 2022 All-Commission Goals [Action Item]
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 30 minutes
WORKSHOP ~ NONE
STAFF REPORTS
8. MPR Staff ~ 20 minutes
ADJOURNMENT
NEXT MEETING ~ JANUARY 12, 2022 AT 5:30 PM
2021 All-Commission Goals:
1. Support development of a connected pathway system across the City of Meridian, with a
focus on developing projects for future construction.
2. Support design and construction of Discovery Park Phase 2.
3. Participate in the design and programming of a new Community Center on the Civic Block.
4. Participate in the development of the Lakeview Golf Course Master Plan.
5. Pursue improved tools and opportunities to engage citizens and stakeholders.
6. Engage other task forces, commissions, entities, and agencies through workshops and other
outreach for partnership opportunities.
7. Participate in the partnership with the Meridian Arts Commission to add theming and
identity reinforcing art in Meridian parks and along pathways.
8. Continue to foster greater Commission involvement/presence in community events
whenever appropriate.
9. Discuss progress on Goals and Objectives in the MPR Master Plan.
10. Hold workshops during Commission meetings to address current issues.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Meridian City Hall, City Council Chambers, 33 East Broadway Avenue Meridian, Idaho
Wednesday, December 08, 2021 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
To join the meeting online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85671538055
Webinar ID: 856 7153 8055
ROLL-CALL ATTENDANCE
____ Jo Greer, President ____ Keith Bevan, Vice President
____ Dom Gelsomino ____ John Nesmith
____ Jennifer Bobo ____ Mandi Roberts
____ Camden Hyde ____ Jessica Perreault, City Council Ex-Officio
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
1. November 10, 2021 Regular Meeting
Jo Greer, MPRC President ~ 2 minutes
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2. Upcoming Events
Shelly Houston, MPR Marketing Coordinator ~ 5 minutes
3. Christmas Presentation & Commission Group Photo
Page 1
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 5 minutes
OLD BUSINESS ~ NONE
NEW BUSINESS
4. MPR Department Forestry Update
Matthew Perkins, City Arborist ~ 20 minutes
5. MPR Department Master Plan Update
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 10 minutes
6. 2022 MPR Commission Leadership Elections [Action Item]
Jo Greer, MPRC President ~ 10 minutes
7. Brainstorm & Identify 2022 All-Commission Goals [Action Item]
Steve Siddoway, MPR Director ~ 30 minutes
WORKSHOP ~ NONE
STAFF REPORTS
8. MPR Staff ~ 20 minutes
ADJOURNMENT
NEXT MEETING ~ JANUARY 12, 2022 AT 5:30 PM
2021 All-Commission Goals:
1. Support development of a connected pathway system across the City of Meridian, with a
focus on developing projects for future construction.
2. Support design and construction of Discovery Park Phase 2.
3. Participate in the design and programming of a new Community Center on the Civic Block.
4. Participate in the development of the Lakeview Golf Course Master Plan.
5. Pursue improved tools and opportunities to engage citizens and stakeholders.
6. Engage other task forces, commissions, entities, and agencies through workshops and other
outreach for partnership opportunities.
7. Participate in the partnership with the Meridian Arts Commission to add theming and
identity reinforcing art in Meridian parks and along pathways.
8. Continue to foster greater Commission involvement/presence in community events
whenever appropriate.
9. Discuss progress on Goals and Objectives in the MPR Master Plan.
10. Hold workshops during Commission meetings to address current issues.
Page 2
Page 3Item 1.
Page 4Item 1.
Page 5Item 1.
Page 6Item 1.
Page 7Item 1.
Page 8Item 1.
Page 9Item 1.
Page 10Item 1.
Page 11Item 1.
Page 12Item 1.
Page 13Item 1.
Page 14Item 1.
Page 15Item 1.
Page 16Item 1.
Page 17Item 1.
Page 18Item 1.
Page 19Item 1.
Page 20Item 1.
Page 21Item 1.
Page 22Item 1.
Page 23Item 1.
Page 24Item 1.
Page 25Item 1.
Page 26Item 1.
Page 27Item 1.
Page 28Item 1.
Page 29Item 1.
Page 30Item 1.
Page 31Item 1.
Page 32Item 1.
Page 33Item 1.
Page 34Item 1.
Page 35Item 1.
Page 36Item 1.
Page 37Item 1.
Page 38Item 1.
Page 39Item 1.
Page 40Item 1.
Page 41Item 1.
Page 42Item 1.
Page 43Item 1.
Page 44Item 1.
Page 45Item 1.
Page 46Item 1.
Page 47Item 1.
Page 48Item 1.
Page 49Item 1.
Page 50Item 1.
Page 51Item 1.
Page 52Item 1.
Page 53Item 1.
Page 54Item 1.
Page 55Item 1.
Page 56Item 1.
Page 57Item 1.
Page 58Item 1.
Page 59Item 1.
Page 60Item 1.
Page 61Item 1.
Page 62Item 1.
Page 63Item 1.
Page 64Item 1.
Page 65Item 1.
Page 66Item 1.
Page 67Item 1.
Page 68Item 1.
Page 69Item 1.
Page 70Item 1.
Page 71Item 1.
Page 72Item 1.
Page 73Item 1.
Page 74Item 1.
Page 75Item 1.
Page 76Item 1.
Page 77Item 1.
Page 78Item 1.
Page 79Item 1.
Page 80Item 1.
Page 81Item 1.
Page 82Item 1.
Page 83Item 1.
Page 84Item 1.
Page 85Item 1.
Page 86Item 1.
Page 87Item 1.
Page 88Item 1.
Page 89Item 1.
Page 90Item 1.
Page 91Item 1.
Page 92Item 1.
Page 93Item 1.
Page 94Item 1.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 8, 2021 Page 1 of 5
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 8, 2021
Administration Division
Director’s Report:
STEVE SIDDOWAY
(Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 8, 2021 MPR
Commission Meeting.)
Parks Division
Parks Superintendent Report:
MIKE BARTON
(Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 8, 2021 MPR
Commission Meeting.)
Pathways Project Manager’s Report:
KIM WARREN
(Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 8, 2021 MPR
Commission Meeting.)
City Arborist’s Report:
MATTHEW PERKINS
(Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 8, 2021 MPR
Commission Meeting.)
Page 95
Item 8.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 8, 2021 Page 2 of 5
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.
Recreation Division
Recreation Manager’s Report:
GARRETT WHITE
(Please note, a verbal report will be provided at the December 8, 2021 MPR
Commission Meeting.)
Homecourt Facility Manager’s Report:
JAKE GARRO
1. Facility Operations – Hours are Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; weekend
hours, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Facility re-opened for the weekends on Saturday,
October 30.
Holiday Hours
December 24 – 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
December 25 – CLOSED
December 31 – 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
January 1 – 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Community athletic group practices and MPR adult basketball will
not take place during Christmas Break – December 18 – January 2.
MPR adult Basketball will begin Monday December 6. Basketball games
will be played at Homecourt Monday through Thursday. The season will
conclude mid-March.
MPR Fall Coed Volleyball concluded play at Homecourt on Thursday,
December 2. Winter Coed Volleyball will begin in January.
2. Facility Rentals –
Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament was held at Meridian Homecourt on
Saturday, November 6.
Future Special Events:
Flash Basketball Tournament – January 21 & 22
Flash Basketball Tournament – February 11 & 12
ICONIC Volleyball Tournament – March 5 NOT CONFIRMED
Legacy Martial Arts Tournament – March 11 & 12
USA Wrestling Tournament – March 25 & 26
College Coaches Skills Camp – April 9
3. Community Education/Court 5 – Court 5 is consistently scheduled throughout the
week each day for community education classes. Classes include gymnastics,
tumbling, cheerleading, pickleball, and martials arts. Classes do take place during
Page 96
Item 8.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 8, 2021 Page 3 of 5
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 weekend hours in Court 5 as well, typically during the afternoon hours on
Sunday.
4. Private & Small Group Instruction – I am moving forward with implementing our
individualized and small group instruction policy and procedure. Please read the
statement of purpose below for this policy.
This policy and procedure is established to allow individual and small group
instruction at Meridian Homecourt while ensuring the facility will continue to
serve as a Community Center to the citizens of the City of Meridian and the
Treasure Valley community as a whole. It is the goal of Meridian Parks and
Recreation to provide a fair and equal opportunity for all user groups to maximize
opportunity for facility usage.
5. Community Athletic Groups – I am scheduling practice times for local AAU groups
for the months of January, February, and March. Practices typically take place each
evening Monday – Friday, from 4:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. It is our goal to keep all
practices on 3 courts.
Recreation Coordinators’ Report:
RENEE WHITE
1. Winterland – In a Bag – I am 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 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 – By request of the City Council, we are once again offering
scheduling for Zoom with Santa. We are offering 3-4 minute private conversations
for free. The private meetings offered a personal touch, and they were well received
in 2020.
3. Letters from Santa – The mailbox that delivers letters straight to Santa will once
again be set up in front of City Hall. We typically get around 1,200 letters and are
happy to have the volunteers back to help with this project.
4. Community Light Display – I am 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!
Page 97
Item 8.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 8, 2021 Page 4 of 5
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.
5. Ornament Drop – The Meridian Arts Commission has stepped up to offer one more
no-contact activity for Christmas in Meridian. This is modeled after the successful
art drop – with a holiday twist.
6. Downtown Decorating – The Downtown Meridian Association is once again
producing their decorating contest. Voting for the People’s Choice is offered as a
downloadable app.
7. Shop Meridian Downtown Night – The Meridian Chamber Downtown Committee
is hosting a shopping evening with pop-up vendors. The event was created to help
fill the hole left by the cancellation of the annual Christmas Bazaar in City Hall.
8. Winter Lights Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting – These events have returned
after the year off, due to the global pandemic. The parade entries are about half the
number as the previous years (25). But, the entry descriptions look festive. The
Encore Carolers and Treasure Valley Children’s Theater will be walking the parade
route before its start to entertain and delight. The Ugly Sweater Fun Run is back.
Shelly Houston will join Mayor Simison and radio personality Ken Bass as our
parade emcee.
For these, and other Christmas in Meridian activities visit: christmasinmeridian.org.
JENNA FLETCHER
1. 2021 Fall Classes – Fall classes will wrap up the end of December. Numbers have
looked great and have been picking up.
2. 2022 Winter/Spring Guide – Final edits are happening currently. The guide will be
released on December 8th, with registration opening on December 10th.
Winter/Spring classes will start January 2nd and run until the end of May.
3. Summer 2022 – We are already looking ahead into summer 2022. I am mapping
out schedules, facility space, camper numbers, and staff numbers.
MAGGIE COMBS
1. 2021 Fall Volleyball League – Play is wrapping up this week for the season.
2. 2022 Winter Volleyball League – League registration is open and will close on
December 8, 2021. Play will begin after the beginning of January 2022.
3. 2021 11th Annual Holiday Classic Volleyball Tournament – The Holiday Classic
Volleyball Tournament took place on Saturday, November 6th where we were able to
Page 98
Item 8.
Parks & Recreation Department Staff Reports ~ December 8, 2021 Page 5 of 5
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.
raise funds to buy Christmas gifts for the children at the Meridian Head Start
Program. We will be shopping on December 7th for 51 kids this season.
Recreation Coordinator 1 (Sports) Report:
SKYLER COOK
1. Field Reservations – 2022 field reservation applications have been submitted. I am
working through allocating equitable space to all groups and organizations for the
upcoming year.
2. Leagues, Tournaments, & Camps – Off-season; no reservations.
3. Sports Leagues & Tournaments –
Flag Football League finished their season on 11/24.
5v5 Winter Basketball League had 46 teams register (+15). First week of play is
12/6 at Homecourt and Meridian Middle School.
Volunteer Program Coordinator’s Report:
CHELSEA CANTRELL
1. Christmas in Meridian - December is our busiest time of the year. We have
volunteers that help with the Letters to Santa, responding to over 1,000 letters each
year. They also help shop for the kids at the Head Start Program. Volunteers shop
for 54 kids for Christmas buying close to 500 presents. We then have a wrapping
party to wrap each present! We also use volunteers to help with the Winterland in
the Bag, stuffing 500 bags. This season volunteers have helped with tree fluffing and
hanging Christmas lights around town. Lastly, our largest event of the year, the
Meridian Winter Lights Parade is happening and it draws out over 100 volunteers
for that event. For it is the happiest time of the year! Merry Christmas.
Page 99
Item 8.