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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_PAREB_04.11.2013Minutes of the Meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board City of Georgetown, Texas Thursday, April 11, 2013 The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Thursday , April 11, 2013. Members Present: Charles Brashear, Daniel Dance, John Hesser, Katherine Kainer, Keith Fruge, Robert Johnson Members Absent: Staff Present: Kimberly Garrett, Eric Nuner, Jill Kellum, Laurie Brewer Police Chief Wayne Nero, Assistant Chief of Police Cory Tchida Guests present: Hence Distal and Chris Whitworth Weir Ranch Development Bob Palko was a visitor who will replace Scott Finnell who has resigned from the Parks and Recreation Board. Minutes I Regular Meeting 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by John Hesser at 6:00 pm. 2. Roll Ca11 3. Consideration and possible approval of the parkland dedication for the Weir Ranch Tract. Kimberly Garrett stated staff has met with the developers for the Weir Ranch Tract. This development is adjacent to Riverview Estates on Leander Road. The proposed development has approximately 150 units and requires 3 acres of parkland. This subdivision is adjacent to the South San Gabriel River and per the UDC, Section 13.05, the river corridor is preferred. There is at least 200 ft. of street frontage and land that is out of the flood plain. This proposed parkland is adjacent to Lyndoch Park which is desirable for hike and bike trail expansion. This development also proposes to have private parks within the subdivision. Kimberly Garrett stated there will be connectivity to the River Ridge subdivision. The City's main concern is acquiring the river frontage. Hence Distal, with the Weir Ranch development, showed maps of the site and stated the14.8 acres is the proposed dedication. Kimberly Garrett states the vision is that this piece will connect Garey Park in the future. She stated it would be undeveloped for now and be open parkland. This is preserving the river corridor. Motion made by Katherine Kainer, second by Keith Fruge to approve the parkland dedication for the Weir Ranch tract for approximately 14.87 acres. Approve 6 - 0 4. Discussion with the Georgetown Police Department regarding policing in Georgetown City Parks including Blue Hole Park. Kimberly Garrett introduced Police Chief Wayne Nero and Assistant Chief of Police Cory Tchida. Police Chief Nero stated that with the large amounts of parkland we have responsibilities and there is a long term strategy and plan for a Parks Unit. He stated the challenge is to make people feel safe while they are in the parks and the volunteer Park Rangers are a direct link to the Police Department and they are the eyes and ears for the Police Department. He stated growth and money will drive the Parks Unit idea. It will cost a significant amount of money to add 5 officers and equipment to the police department. Parks are routinely patrolled by 5- 8 officers and intelligence is being used to compile data. There were issues with Blue Hole Park many years ago and there was a lot of data to substantiate and support all the actions that took place there. Since that time there is still that looming fear of crime and the perception that comes along with it. There is no data to show that Blue Hole Park is any safer or less safe than any other park in the city. Police Chief Nero stated every year when school lets out, there is an increased presence by the police department. Once their presence is known they step back and look at data to see how things are going if they need to increase a presence there. If there are specific issues such as graffiti issues and once they know about those they work hand and hand with the Parks and Recreation Department to get those issues resolved. Robert Johnson asked if the bikes are going to be used this summer. Police Chief Nero stated he would like to see that but currently there are only 4 bikes. There are two officers attending a conference next week that will be trained as instructors so they can start building that program. Eric Nuner stated the Parks and Recreation Department will be testing a system that will allow us to control access into the restrooms and the Blue Hole Park restroom will be one of the locations for this test. The restrooms can be closed while the park is closed. Currently, none of the restroom facilities are locked at night. He stated they project to have this in place by summer. Kimberly Garrett stated the department is trying to take some proactive steps to decrease vandalism. John Hesser stated it has been discussed to present to City Council to allow the director to post signs saying it is a non-alcoholic area. The thought being Blue Hole is water and water and alcohol don't mix and all the pools are posted non -alcohol. Police Chief Nero stated that is an option. He stated he would like the police department to give data to support that decision. Keith Fruge stated the perception of Blue Hole Park is that it is not considered a family friendly place and the Parks and Recreation Board were trying to think of a way to make it a more family friendly environment. Eric Nuner stated long term this can be addressed as we see Blue Hole Park as a Signature Destination and potential improvements to the park to make it more inviting. If funding becomes available in the future, the look and feel could be developed to be more inviting and less primitive. It is a Signature Destination downtown and will expand the downtown. Police Chief Nero stated a long term goal needs to be looked at to change the dynamics of the park. Keith Fruge suggested maybe installing a playground to attract a new group of people in the area. Laurie Brewer stated the city does not own the property directly across from El Monumento and there are long term plans to develop that area. There was discussion about clearing the area above the area of Blue Hole Park where you can see through that property and it is not so primitive. Eric Nuner stated there is a lot of dead cedar on the top side of the cliff side that can come down and it would open up the view from San Gabriel Boulevard. Kimberly Garrett stated there are some future developments on the north side of Blue Hole Park which will bring more foot traffic to the area. There will be more families and city residents in the area due to the new construction of homes and businesses. 5. Update on the Playscape project including process and timeline. Kimberly Garrett presented the following information to the board. The first part of the process to rebuild the playscape was to contract with a landscape architect firm that has an approved Master Service Agreement with the City. Staff has chosen Baker Aicklen with Tim Bargainer as the lead to help facilitate the public process and design the playscape. Mr. Bargainer has a proven track record with parks projects and is a Georgetown Resident who understands the sensitivity of the playscape. The preliminary design and public participation process should take approximately 6-8 weeks. The first public meeting is scheduled for May 13, 2013. The following is the public input and design process for the playscape project: • Conduct preliminary meeting(s) with City, Parks Board, members of Sertoma and other past participants of the original playscape to discuss purpose and goals and to outline the inclusive design process of the new playscape. • Site visit to develop design opportunities and constraints assessment. • Identify youth participants, advertise and host on -site youth playground design charrette to garner user input and responses to design related issues and concepts. • Preparation of preliminary concept plans with alternatives for the playground and supporting amenities. The plan will define the character and essentials of the project concept, including visual description of material and illustrative plans, sketches and/or details for presentation purposes. • Prepare an Opinion of Probable Construction Costs (OPCC) for proposed work including appropriate escalation factors and contingencies. • Meet with Staff to review preliminary concept plan(s) to discuss and gain direction. • Conduct second meeting(s) with City staff, Parks Board, members of Sertoma and other past participants of the original playscape and youth participants to present design responses and gain feedback and direction. • Revise and refine final design concept per staff direction and input from second meeting. • Present final design response to Parks Board and City Council for approval. Robert Johnson asked if we could get the community involved by having a contest to utilize the school district for input from the children. Kimberly Garrett stated with the timing of this project, the children from the Georgetown Parks and Recreation summer camp programs will be asked to give input on play elements they would like to see. Robert Johnson also asked about using high school students and/or Eagle Scouts on the engineering project. Robert Johnson stated to get the ideas from the user and have the older children get involved with the project. Kimberly Garrett stated Tim Bargainer, the architect, has ideas for presenting the children information on the playscape by showing them ideas and getting their feedback. John Hesser stated he would like to see the design criteria be that you don't have to replace the entire playscape at one time. Eric Nuner stated that most modular large manufacturing parts are repairable and replaceable, but over 20 years things change and standards and guidelines such as ADA compliant issues change. The standards change typically every 3 — 5 years. Keith Fruge stated he hopes not to lose some of the charm and look of the playscape. Laurie Brewer and Kimberly Garrett stated the playscape is a Signature Destination. 6. Consideration and possible approval on the recommendation of the Aquatics Subcommittee regarding future outdoor pool operations. nd The Aquatics Subcommittee met on April 2 to discuss the future outdoor pool operations at the Tennis Center, Williams Drive, River Ridge and Village Pools. The subcommittee discussed data presented by staff and had the following recommendations: Master Plan Priorities: • Retire Tennis Center Pool after Summer 2013 • Upgrade Williams Drive Facilities • River Ridge ADA Accessibility • Village Pool minor upgrades to existing facility Robert Johnson stated Stephanie Darimont and her aquatics team did a great job gathering data for this project. Robert Johnson stated they reviewed each one of the pool facilities and the Parks and Recreation Board have been having this discussion now for about a year. He stated last year the board postponed making a capital investment in River Ridge Pool because they were not sure if that was part of the master plan. So what they wanted to do was put together a master plan to make sure our investments were going in the right place. He stated the subcommittee came up with 4 key proposals. The first proposal is that they decided it is time to retire the Tennis Center Pool effective this year. Part of this would be a communications plan and the need to incorporate it in the plan so it is not a surprise at the end of the year. The second proposal is improvements and renovation to the Williams Drive Pool and the need for the work to be done all together and not piece milled. The third proposal is improvements to River Ridge Pool to address the ADA accessibility. The fourth proposal is the Village Pool and is in the current CIP budget and work is already underway. This is the strategy for the next 7 years; from 2013 — 2020. This will incorporate into a plan that will be taken to City Council. This will give the board direction to move forward on what to prioritize or deprioritize. Kimberly Garrett stated we are trying to allocate the park facilities in different years. For the Williams Drive pool we feel it could slide to 2014/2015 budget whereas the River Ridge pool will be in the 2013/2014 budget. The punch list has been prioritized. Kimberly Garrett stated it is a good idea to bring this forward now so the board can make an informed decision. Motion was made by Daniel Dance, second by Charles Brasher that the board approves the recommendation of the aquatic's subcommittee regarding future outdoor pool operations. Approved 6-0 7. Consideration and possible recommendation on input regarding the proposed Williamson County Bond Election. Williamson County is considering a transportation and park bond election in November 2013. The County Judge has asked for input from the cities in Williamson County by May 3, 2013. Staff has looked at the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan and would like the board to consider asking the county to plan for a space for a Rodeo Arena that has ample room for trailers and horses. Also to look at a trail expansion along Booty's Road which would connect the city's hike and bike trail to Williams Drive. A portion of the road is in the county and a portion in the city. This trail segment would be a partnership between the county and city. Both of these items are included as top priorities in the parks master plan. The board's recommendations will be presented to City Council on April 23rd for a final recommendation to the County by their deadline. Kimberly Garrett stated she met with Randy Beall, Williamson County Parks and Recreation Director, and he explained what the county was looking for in terms of trails. They weren't looking for a wish list; they were looking as trails being a priority. They are looking for trail connectivity county wide. They put all the Williamson County city's trails on a map and they looked where the gaps were that were county property to see where they could make a trail system in the future. Kimberly Garrett stated she would like to see on the wish list, consideration for a place for the rodeo arena. She stated the county was interested in building parks that were nature based that included camping, biking, hiking and horseback riding. She stated some partnership needs to be made with Williamson County and ask them to look at future opportunities for the correlation of horseback riding and the rodeo arena. She stated Randy Beall is on the same page about safety with the horses, trailers and people in the rodea arena area in San Gabriel Park. Williamson County does have 1,000 acres in Liberty Hill. Daniel Dance asked about the rodeo arena and the possibilities of bringing in money to the community. Kimberly Garrett stated the lease on the rodeo arena will be up in 2017 and the facility needs repair. The Sheriff's Posse, a non-profit, which runs the facility, does not have funds and they are not a part of Williamson County. Kimberly Garrett stated that people who own horses probably don't live in the city limits, so is the city paying and subsidizing something that is not for the people who live in the city limits. John Hesser asked if the city if maintaining the facility. Kimberly Garrett stated they are not but there is a perception that the city if responsible for the facility. In the 1970's the city entered a 100 year lease with Williamson County on the showbarn in San Gabriel Park. Robert Johnson asked if the Parks and Recreation Board are in the rodeo business. This would be an opening to see if the county would like to take this on. There was some discussion on the economic effects to Georgetown with the rodeo arena being taken out of Georgetown. Kimberly Garrett stated her interests are the parks. Kimberly Garrett stated there are two pieces that the county is interested in for linking the trails. One is the connectivity to the McCoy School through Serenada and the other priority would be down Booty's road. They are looking for participation and there is money in the 2008 bond for trail expansion and we are looking for our next phase of trails. Motion made by Robert Johnson, second by Daniel Dance to work in cooperation with Williamson County to jointly expand Booty's Trail and Serenada Trail and jointly review current rodeo facilities within Georgetown and Williamson County. Approved 6-0 8. Consideration and possible approval for staff to negotiate the renewal of the long term lease with the Corp of Engineers at Lake Georgetown. Kimberly Garrett stated we have a current lease, this is not a new lease, and the lease is done for 10 years. The City of Georgetown has a long term lease (10 Years) with the Corp of Engineers to operate the Georgetown Challenge Course and the hike and bike trail on Corp of Engineer property. The lease is set to expire on June 14, 2013. Staff is requesting approval to begin the lease renewal process including submitting a five year plan which is required by the Corp of Engineers. The five year plan will include continuing current operations of the challenge course, hike and bike trail maintenance, restroom maintenance, pavilion rental, and discussion regarding opening and closing of the park gate. Keith Fruge stated part of their trail is asphalt and is crumbling. Kimberly Garrett stated the US Army Corps of Engineer has no money for maintaining. Motion made by Katherine Kainer, second by Robert Johnson to negotiate the renewal of the long term lease with the Corp of Engineers at Lake Georgetown. Approved 6 - 0 Daniel Dance excused himself from the meeting; a quorum is present to conduct business. 9. Update on Recreation Center Memberships and Program Registrations including summer camps. Kimberly Garrett presented statistic information on camp registrations and memberships. 10. Update on the 2012/2013 Capital Projects Kimberly Garrett and Eric Nuner provided an update on the 2012/2013 capital projects. 11. Update from the Friends of Georgetown Parks and Recreation Kimberly Garrett stated it was a strategic meeting. There were some procedural items that filled the board member spots. They did get a grant for $2,700 for the Make a Splash program. The Friends are working toward increasing their memberships and fundraising. 12. Appoint Parks and Recreation board member as a liaison to the Friends of Georgetown Parks and Recreation Keith Fruge was appointed as the board liaison to the Friends of Georgetown Parks and Recreation. 13. Approve minutes from the March 14, 2013 meeting Motion made by Katherine Kainer second by Robert Johnson to approve the minutes. Approve 5-0 14. Adjourn John Hesser made motion to adjourn the meeting the adjourned at 8:34 pm. Johi FFesser Rob 17" Ja h ►tsm'I ce-e.AJ r ' Chair — Parks and'Recreation Board Ji11 Kellum Board Liaison — Parks and Recreation Board Katherine Kainer Secretary - Parks and Recreation Board