Loading...
08-03-1989 (Parks & Recreation) Minutes PARK BOARD MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 3, 1989 The City of Wylie Park and Recreation Board met in regular session Thursday, August 3rd, 1989 at 7: 15 P. M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex. Those present were Chairman Jill Tomek, Vice Chairman Joanie Zeeb, Board Members Cheri Albin and Mike Miller, Public Works Superintendent Don White, and Secretary Lisa Keith. Board Members Bill Burge, Bill Emsoff , and Bryan Glenn were absent. Chairman Tomek called the meeting to order . OATH OF OFFICE TO MIKE MILLER: City Secretary Carolyn Jones gave the oath of office to Mike Miller . APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 6TH MEETING: Jill Tomek corrected Page 2, last paragraph, second to last sentence to say - Chairman Tomek said we have the $3, 000 from W. S. A. Omitting the words - money to give back to the City from the Women ' s League and. A motion was made by Joanie Zeeb to approve the minutes with the above stated correction. Seconded by Cheri Albin. This motion was carried with all in favor. DISCUSSION OF CITIZENS AWARENESS COMMITTEE AND PROGRAM: Roberta Stevens, Chairman Wylie High School P. T. A. , was present at the meeting and volunteered to be a part of this program. Chairman Tomek stated she had spoken to Charles Norwood about the importance of establishing this program to raise money for the park system and to increase public awareness of the existence of the park facilities. Chairman Tomek said public awareness can be increased by having various types of contests with an award system. The schools involvement is very important in a public awareness program. Roberta Stevens asked if any help was needed putting things together, physical labor. Chairman Tomek answered yes that high school age children possibly could be used for painting, weed eating, watering, adopt a highway, etc. It would be great to involve this age group in the program. Roberta Stevens said they used to have an arbor day project which included buying a tree and going to the park and planting it. Roberta Stevens asked if the park needs trees. Chairman Tomek said yes flowering trees would add needed color. There was some discussion on the "Big W" of installing annuals in the color bed that would come up every year, rather than spending the kind of money it takes to change out perennials three times per year. Cheri Albin asked if anyone had approached Nortex Nursery for donations. Joanie Zeeb said they donated fifty crepe myrtles to plant at the Municipal Complex . Chairman Tomek said a marquis on the highway would be a good way to give thanks for donations. One that has changeable lettering. Cheri Albin shared an idea of finding out if the football sign on SH78 could be used. Chairman Tomek said a marquis is very costly. Chairman Tomek asked Don White if he could get prices on a marquis sign. We could post messages to get the community spirit going. Cheri Albin said not enough information is shared with the public. Joanie Zeeb said the newspapers could be used since there are now two and they are in competition with each other. Jill Tomek had another idea for public awareness to put questionaire and information inserts in with the water bill mailings. Roberta Stevens suggested having a "Park Day" to increase public awareness. Jill Tomek said we should invite everyone to the Park for a back to school get together type thing and have little games. Nothing to raise money. I think everyone is getting tired of being asked for money. Don White, when asked, told Jill Tomek that there were no barbecue grills at Community Park. Jill Tomek said we need to add some to the master plan. Roberta Stevens said the park is a good place for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to meet. Jill Tomek said that Charles Norwood suggested using radio stations, and asked if anyone had any suggestions on what stations to use. Roberta Stevens said 91 . 4 KCVI , which is a christian station. Don White suggested the cable television station. Mike Miller agreed to call the cable television station and get some information on it. Jill Tomek said that the public utility companies are usually pretty willing to help. I think the city should, on their stationary, put out a letter stating that the playground has just been completed, let people know what we have, invite them to the park, and also slip it in the letter that we are accepting donations. Mike Miller suggested having a softball tournament fund raiser, but felt that this may cause a conflict with WSA. Jill Tomek said the manager at McDonalds is a baseball fanatic and said if we ever want to have a softball type fund raiser that he would support it. Jill Tomek said that we can get free soft drinks from the soft drink companies. All we have to do is mention the brand name and that they were donated on the banners, etc. , and send them a letter of thank you. Roberta Stevens asked if a copy of the Community Park master plan could be put in the newspaper so everyone can see it. There was some discussion of putting a reduced copy of the plan in the newspaper. Joanie Zeeb said she thought that the Park Board should put Mike Miller in charge of the softball tournament. Mike Miller said it should be a co-ed tournament. Mr. Miller also said that it is too hot this time of year for softball . Don White said he thought a softball tournament in early spring would be a good idea. Don White said that the WSA agreement is suppose to be redone this month. Jill Tomek said the $3, 000 revenue from WSA should be in the account. Mr. White said yes, by the end of the fiscal year. There was some discussion of WSA having to go through the Park Board on scheduling and that they are under the Park Board. They do not have total control . Roberta Stevens asked what the Park Boards vision is for the park. Jill Tomek stated that we are now setting month by month and yearly goals. The Community Park master plan is a five year plan. Don White said the cities vision is for the employment of a Parks & Recreation Director to help in utilizing the activities of all entities involved with Parks & Recreation with the Park Board being the key, setting the example and making recommendations to City Council . Jill Tomek said right now it' s real hard on the Park Board Members. The Park Board has been planning and organizing. The Board really isn' t suppose to do this we are just suppose to suggest and direct, and the Park Director is to do the organizing. Don White and Roberta Stevens went over a list of things that high school kids could do at the park in the month of August. After Roberta Stevens requested a copy of the Community Park Master Plan Don White told her that she was welcome to stop by the engineers office and request whatever she needed. DISCUSSION OF PARK MASTER PLAN COST ESTIMATE: Jill Tomek said that Charles Norwood informed her that the State is going to send a representative from the parks and wildlife department to tour the park and further discuss the master plan. Mr. Norwood would like all the Park Board Members to join in the meeting. However, the representative will be here during the week on a regular work day, sometime between August 12 thru 15. We are not sure which day he will be here. After reviewing the cost estimate from the Texas Parks & Wildlife department there was some discussion of items priced that already existed at the park and that the overall cost would decrease because of this. Don White explained how the City would meet 50% of funds, and that we will set the specifications that will go out to bidders. Jill Tomek said she thought we had a pretty good chance of getting this grant for the park. Chairman Tomek informed new board members of the Highway Beautification grant. Don White updated the Board on the status of the Highway Beautification grant stating that the deal is not completed, it is still in the making. Chairman Tomek brought up discussion of the swimming pool stating that it would have to be self supportive. We can' t put any financial burden on the city. Revenues from the pool were discussed such as swimming lessons and concessions. Jill Tomek said she thought a pool was an excellent idea and that we have to get the school and city working together. Maybe eventually the pool could be enclosed and WISD could have a high school swim team. Jill Tomek informed Don White that the city needs to send G. T. E. a letter of thanks for digging the holes at the playground in Community Park. Chairman Tomek was unsure of exactly who the letter needed to be addressed to but that Bud Naish had that information. REPORT FROM DON WHITE ON JOBS COMPLETED OR STARTED IN PARKS, & RECREATION DEPARTMENT: A list of jobs completed in the month of July was included in the packet and Don White distributed a list of items to be done in the month of August. Don White and Roberta Stevens discussed what items to be done, on the August list, could be done by high school students. Jill Tomek and Don White discussed moving the picnic tables in Valentine Park to Community Park. But pour concrete pads first. Or maybe move them to Kirby Park and take the old ones that are at Kirby Park now and rebuild them next year. After reviewing the July list of work completed, Jill Tomek stated that when she presented the park master plan to City Council she was told by City Council that the park employee was assigned to the parks only that the mowing of all city properties ( right-of-ways, municipal complex, etc. ) was not his responsibility. Don White informed Jill Tomek that if this was true that City Council needed to inform Charles Norwood, and that Mr. Norwood would instruct him of this change. Don White said that the park employee is not the only one who does work in the parks. Other city personnel from the Public Works Departments do work every month in the parks. I am forced to use other people, one employee is not enough. This list of jobs completed is for the entire Parks & Recreation department not just the parks and not just what the Parks Maintenance Foreman has done, but what several people have done. DISCUSSION OF SUB-DIVISION ORDINANCE - PARK LAND SECTION: Chairman Tomek said she was really pleased to see this. She said that she felt it would really help out in parks. Chairman Tomek said that when new sub-divisions come in to the city that the Park Board needs to be informed. Don White said that the Park Board needs to push to see sub- division plans before they are approved. REPORT FROM DON WHITE ON APPROXIMATE COST OF ENTRANCE TO VALENTINE__PARK: Don White explained what all it would take to construct an entrance to Valentine Park at the location that Bill Emsoff had inquired about at the previous meeting. Approximate cost would be $60, 000 to $100, 000 depending on the engineering design. Don White said the only thing he could suggest for Valentine Park is to put in a playground. All it would ever be is a neighborhood park for the kids in the general area to play at. It might help in keeping some of the kids from playing in the alleyways. Jill Tomek said that it bothers her that kids have to cross an alleyway to get to the park. If a playground was put in kids would want to go to the park to play and we would be asking them to cross an alleyway to get to it. Don White said that was just a suggestion and that if the Park Board had a plat of Valentine Park they could do a master plan just like they did for Community Park. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: There being no citizens participation the Chairman moved on to the next order of business. GENERAL DISCUSSION: Jill Tomek said she was worried about the vandalism problem at the parks and that she was unaware of how bad the problem was until she became a member of the Park Board. Cheri Albin said that we do have a real had problem and that the kids need to be addressed, children are destructive. Roberta Stevens said that she wanted to start a positive motivation program at the schools . There being no other business or discussion the meeting adjourned with all in favor. Jill mek, Chairman Respectfully Submitted, Lisa Keith, Secretary