Loading...
2022-05-12 PEARLAND PARKS, RECREATION AND BEAUTIFICATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTESMINUTES — REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND PARKS, RECREATION & BEAUTIFICATION BOARD, HELD ON THURSDAY MAY 12TH, 2022 AT 8:30 A.M., AT PEARLAND RECREATION CENTER & NATATORIUM. I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Dennis Jackson called the meeting to order at 8:37am. II. BOARD ROLL CALL N ancy Bankson S amira Areshia Zachary Boyer Heather Baker S ydawnie Douglass Carry Capers Dennis Allen Dennis Jackson Ryan Dixon Kevin Carter (virtually) Board Member Executive Assistant, Parks & Recreation Vice-chairman Board Member Recreation Program Manager, Parks & Recreation Director Parks & Recreation Board Member Chairman Board Member Assistant Director, Parks & Recreation 11I. CITIZEN REMARKS Charles, a citizen of Pearland, stopped by the meeting to provide his opinion. He wanted to make sure that the Parks Board understood as an advisory board, he would like for the P arks Board to advocate more heavily for the Parks & Recreation Department. He provided insight as to why Parks are so important especially after seeing its importance surge during covid. He would like the Parks Board to communicate publicly and privately with City Council to communicate the importance and needs of the City and Parks. Chairman Jackson thanked Charles for stopping by and providing his insights. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes were presented to the board for review. A motion was made by Boyer to approve the March minutes. Baker seconded the motion. Chairman Jackson asked if there was any discussion on the Minutes to which no one replied. The motion was approved. BOARD REPORT Allen — Went to the library's opening; thought it was done well. Tried to attend one of the Concerts in the Parks but was unable to due to weather, but he is looking forward to future events. He is trying to be more active in the Parks community Baker — Agreed the library opening was great. Heard good things about the library and how excited everyone about the space and using it Excited about the social media post about Parks Etiquette signs being put up. Heard some citizen complaints about off -leash and aggressive dogs at Shadow Creek Trails, so she is happy that it is being addressed through the signs. Citizen s Academy had the Pear Run this past weekend with good participation. Talked about City Council Meeting where the Natatorium was mentioned by a councilmember regarding the money being dumped into natatorium and PISD being behind on payments Would like to change council's opinion and bring up positive things and believes it is something that needs to be worked on when advocating with council. Boyer — Thought library opening was fantastic. Thanked Baker's organization for their work with the Pear Run. Called attention to one item on the agenda regarding Skate P ark/BMX Park and mentioned there is a petition floating around with over 1,000 signatures on it and is looking forward to bringing that to the Board. Bankson — Went to the West Pearland Library's opening. Mentioned she was also present for the ribbon -cutting when the Westside Library's had opened Excited to see the progress and amazing facilities. Mentioned there were a lot of people at ribbon cutting. Jackson — Wasn t able to make it to the ribbon cutting but was able to visit the library and said it was amazing. City Council passed the remaining amount for the all-inclusive playground to finish it and at the same meeting, the playground was named after our state representative Ed Thompson Was able to advocate for the inclusive playground parks department and shadow creek development. Mentioned the board is trying to advocate for the parks department. Talked about Forever Parks Foundation and the upcoming golf tournament to support the Parks in Pearland. Capers brought attention to the new board member Ryan Dixon who recently started and asked him to introduce himself to the board and provide anything to report. He has been living in Pearland for 6 years, does environmental work around the Houston area, and steps a lot of time at Centennial and sometimes Independence Park. He enjoys the Parks system and believes it is very important for the community. He looks forward to participating in our Board and help where needed VI. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION — SKATE PARK/BMX PARK Capers discussed the Skate Park/BMX Park. Mentioned Boyer reached out to her and asked about the status and background of the Skate Park. Neither her nor Carter had a lot of information/records. Happy that it was brought back up to her. Talked about Sk8 Pearland raising about $1600 for the skate park and how the Forever Parks Foundation is hanging onto that money for them. Capers presented rendings to the Board. Mentioned it is difficult to go out and start fundraising when the location of where this park would go is undetermined. Mentioned one of the things identified in the 2020 Parks Master Plan was the need for a few things including BMX Racetrack, skate park, pump track, etc. Capers mentioned the land next to the Rec Center/Natatorium owned by Pearland ISD and how there will be a Fire Department across the park and a facility that has long operating hours with a lot of activity in area. Asked if the board wants to take action on this. Jackson asked Boyer to give more background on the petition that has been started. Baker mentioned if Pearland ISD is behind on payments is doing a land swap in exchange for money they owe an option. Capers said yes, there have been conversations with Pearland ISD about whether they want to continue with the interlocal agreement so if they do then land swapped can be considered. Jackson asked if this would be a part of the interlocal agreement. Capers said it would be separate and has been done before. Boyer mentioned the petition has thousands of signatures It shows that citizens do have an interest in this He mentioned there has been an update to the petition. City Council seems to be for moving towards a skate park and the mayor believes it is a great idea for the kids. Reached out to some non -profits such as the Tony Hawk Foundation has mentioned they are interested but need plans and location Boyer suggested locations such as middle of town by the Rec Center or Centennial. Mentioned drainage and infrastructure is something to consider. Jackson asked if the organization is just hoping for the City to donate the land and they will fundraise to build the park or are they hoping the City will also help fund the park. Boyer said they are hoping the City can donate the land or give the land to the Parks department and the nonprofit can build the park Capers mentioned finding the right location is important for the skate park and then the extreme park can be considered with the development being done in phases. There are elements that would need to look at, cost recovery type of location and after all of that is done, then we can start a strategic fundraising effort and look at grants - it would be a community effort. Allen asked if amount of acreage needed has been determined yet. Carter said 2 acres and Capers said for the extreme park and skate park, it would be about 3 acres. Baker asked if anything similar to these nearby. Boyer and Capers provided a few locations and examples Baker said the reason why she asked this was because she recalls that Council was looking for a major event that would put Pearland on the map. Capers mentioned talking with the developers and they mentioned National or Regional Tournament and statistics will be provided. The CVB might be able to provide funds for this project and there would be lots of groups involved. Baker mentioned that she likes the idea of the location next to the P arks & Recreation building because of the close proximity to Independence Park. Jackson said it feels like they are talking about two different things. One is the extreme park and the other is the skate/bmx park and if it can just be one thing together and is the location big enough for this. Jackson was wondering If they were still willing to fund those other things. Jackson also asked if the organizers behind the petition and fundraising of the skate park be willing to allocate their funds for this extreme park. Boyer said he can check but thinks they would only be willing to pay for the skate park. Baker mentioned that this was going to be phased out — phase 1, 2, 3. She also said she would be willing to support the idea of the extreme park along with the skate and bmx park as part of the master plan. Capers said the next step would be for herself and Kevin to talk to Capital P rojects and City Manager's Office about this project. Bankson mentioned that if this is going to be a big event, then access to 288 might be important to consider so some area near Shadow Creek or might be a better idea. Allen mentioned the area across from S hadow Creek to possibly consider. Capers said that land can't be used because it is designated coastal prairie area. Baker mentioned area near Ivy Park as an alternative but also mentioned that with something like this you want both East & West to be able to meet in a central area and Shadow Creek is not central. Baker said we need a second choice in case choice one doesn't work. Allen said there should be a couple of locations to consider in case plan A, doesn't work. Capers said they will consider a list of locations. Boyer suggested the area behind Bass Pro Shop. Baker made the motion to have staff start exploring the opportunity and put together a plan with extreme park to include skate/bmx park in conjunction with community groups. Allen seconded the motion. Allen made a recommendation to have a presentation made to the Board by the active members of the organizations who are advocating for these parks. Capers said she could try to get them here for the July Board Meeting. VII. DISCUSSION — SUMMER PARKS & RECREATION PROGRAMMING Capers introduced Sydawnie Douglass and her role in the department. Douglass talked about the summer programming and how huge it is for the community. S he asked the Board to reference the summer programming flyer that was given to them. S he talked about Camp Kaia and Camp Mahalo which runs for 10 weeks and they are both 100% full. This would be the second summer camp since Covid began Additionally, DFNC is doing Camp Pelican for the first time which is education -based and nature -based where they learn about the environment, animals, nature, and the outdoors. There are two sessions each month — one for the younger ones and one for the older ones. She mentioned that they offer a lot of things like art and basketball camp throughout the summer in partnership with an organization. Swim lessons are offered throughout the summer and are always full. It's great to have water safety for our community-- majority are almost full and most are 100% during the summer. Dive -in Movies have been a hit and they are bringing it back once in June and once in July She mentioned that there are open lifeguards positions and encouraged the board to tell those interested or looking for a summer job to apply. Jackson asked what the qualifications were for being a lifeguard to which Douglass mentioned that they don t have requirements or certifications when it comes to CPR, lifeguard or additional trainings or certifications — those are offered as an incentive to entice people to apply. Mentioned Miracle League wrapped up last Saturday and it was a success located at Shadow Creek. They had about 80 participants and the community is very happy that those services are offered. It will be opening back up in Fall. Aside from Camp Pelican the Nature Center will be doing night hikes, kayaking, tours, etc. She mentioned that they are now on Instagram and edu Katie is on there to provide environmental education and encouraged the board to follow them. Mentioned registration is now open for cornhole league, men's & co-ed softball leagues, men's basketball league and runs throughout the year Mentioned adult softball has moved back to Centennial Park from Shadow Creek. Also offer rugby and cricket at Shadow Creek Sports Complex and has been very successful. They have tennis and basketball camps throughout the summer. Mentioned the Senior Center, Knapp Activity Center, and they are always having fun and doing many activities. Bankson mentioned that the Rec Center used to have a birthday bash every August. Capers said it stopped when Covid happened and she doesn't know if they will be able to bring it back the way it used to be. Douglass mentioned that NRPA celebrates Parks and Recreation Month in July with lots of events, programs and celebrations spread out through the year for the community. This year s theme is We Rise Up and be on the lookout for the calendar. Capers mentioned that the Parks Board is on NRPA and they will have access to it. Baker asked for dates to be provided in advance to help block off calendar. Splashpad Days are coming together where snow cones and other things are brought out. VIII. DISCUSSION — PARK PROJECT UPDATES Carter discussed Park Project Updates. Shadow Creek Phase 2 — even though the location is operating and utilizing, some FF&E are still a few things coming in. A fence will be going around the turf field to deter any illegal access and traffic to the field to control access. Waiting for final cooperative agreement prices from contractor and projects team is working closely with them. 4 baseball fields are still in the process of final design and there is a meeting next week with the cooperative contractor and A&E firm. Looking forward to the next steps and updates for the conversations of the natural grass and dirt area inside the baseball fields to be converted to synthetic/hybrid field which will allow for greater playable options on there. Irrigation Updates — throughout the entire parks system. Upgrades of water management system to conserve our resources and monitor needs for repairs or challenges that are seen on the field in terms of daily operations. Price came back a little higher than expected for year 3. Parks recapitalization year 4 — met with Buyboard contractor to look at shade structures that were identified in Parks Master Plan around bleachers and play features at some parks. Working on determining the cost of those. Once those prices come in, then prioritization will happen between irrigation updates versus recapitalization. Some areas identified include Centennial Park — splashpads fields 1-6, playground, spectator seating and Cypress Village, South Gate, and Pasternak Park. Some may not be directly over the playground but will be close by. Woodcreek Bridge — 30% design stage for the replacing of the bridge that connects the subdivision to Woodcreek Park With all the guidelines, they have to consider a lot of things. Independence Park Access Road — met with team and they are getting the bid packet ready to have a concrete road put in from John Lizer to the stage. Carter asked if anyone had any questions. Jackson asked how long the access road has been going on for because it felt like it's been years. Capers explained that this was not initially where the road was going to be but trucks started using it to load/unload — it was originally going to be coming from Liberty. The reason why it's taking a while is because they are trying to save cost on this driveway by doing it inhouse but make sure it is compliant. Jackson said Carter mentioned the irrigation upgrades are being taken from year 4 and asked how it is affecting budgeting for year 4. Capers said that is what they are looking at right now through recapitalization priorities. Carter and the Parks team are doing a full audit to prioritize those projects. Jackson asked if anyone had any additional questions to which no one replied. IX. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION — FY23 BUDGET Capers mentioned that FY23 Budget. The early budget input session did not happen due to council not having quorum. FY22 Projections includes increase for contracting park maintenance services for 6 months and full year costs are in FY23 Base Budget. Additional increases in the FY23 base prices because there was an increase in contract prices due to inflation Also includes CAPRA reaccreditation fee and process that happens every 5 years Supplemental Rankings were presented to the Board and updates were provided. Capers mentioned that the Directors get a chance to go and prioritize supplementals so she can explain and help rank them. Capers presented updated fee changes to the Board Jackson asked if these fees were in a new ordinance to go before council? Capers said these fees are approved. Capers talked about the White Paper Memo and said she has no additional information on it because the council did not have the first discussion. Capers gave a brief summary of the budget and how it works She mentioned that this is a lot of information but if anyone has any questions, herself and Carter are more than happy to answer them via phone call or email — and Capers will provide them with updates regarding budget as things come up. Boyer asked what membership fee was being increased? Capers replied that it is for International Events & Festivals Association. Jackson asked if anyone had any additional questions or comments to which no one replied and moved on to the next agenda item. Jackson said they would like more time to review the budget before taking action but said the department has done great with the budget and shouldn't have an issue with supporting the recommendations X. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION — POLITICAL CAMPAIGN POLICY Capers discussed the new Political Campaign Policy and the purpose of it and why it came about. Capers mentioned that the Christmas Parade does not allow any political campaigns and current elected officials are the only ones allowed to participate. Boyer mentioned that there was someone who wanted to ride a horse and have their position number on there. Capers said that situation was fine because they were an elected official and was asked to fill out the necessary paperwork. Allen brought attention to the last paragraph of the policy and brought up current social issues and asked if `controversial issues' include nativity scene at a Christmas parades. Capers said no, they would be allowed to as long as they keep in check with the guidelines. Jackson asked if there were a set of guidelines that they had to follow. Capers said yes, there are guidelines and criteria established. Jackson asked if, for example, the open space in Independence Park would be permissible for assembly and speech Capers said yes, but they would not rent for those purposes and/or if they closed off the park, that would not be allowed Jackson asked if there were any other discussions or questions for this policy or any other recommendations or edits. Boyer made a motion to recommend the adoption of this policy. Allen seconded the motion. XI. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION — EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT POLICY Capers discussed the Employee Discount Policy Employees receive free membership with the Rec Center and discounted rates for the family and talked about how league registration works for city employees. Jackson asked if there were further discussions or questions. Allen asked if there is a specific number of employees to determine what is large scale? Capers said it was left vague to evaluate each case because it is hard to define. Boyer made a motion to adopt the policy Baker seconded the motion. XII. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Capers reported on the following: Annual Parks Tour is on June 9th. The Board discussed dates/times and confirmed it. Concerts in the Park went well but then there was a storm, but still had a lot of people come out. There are a lot of other concerts coming up and they are convenient. Special Events and Development Manager has been selected and will be starting with the department on the 16th but will be going on vacation and will officially onboard with the department mid -June but will invite her to a Parks Board Meeting so they can meet each other. Capers had a good meeting with Harris County Precinct 1 and went out to the Tom Bass Park where they have a really nice amphitheater, and they are looking forward to having partnerships with the department on programs and classes. Capers thanked everyone who provided input to the Westside Event Center name. Council allocated funding for the digital marque with the stipulation to change the name. Recommended Pearland Community Center but they wanted to have a geographic location tied to it so they approved West Pearland Community Center. Capers mentioned that they are working on compiling all of the places that mentioned Westside Event Center and work a plan to update all of those to the new name. For Inclusive Playground, Council did award the contract for the purchase and installation of the equipment. Formal bid process is happening for the servicing of the playground and will be taken back to Council for approval in July. Capers mentioned the contract for landscaping and future work Boyer talked about the Knapp Activity Center and the hot meals that are provided at the facility and asked if anyone is free to volunteer hand out meals on Friday 9am to 11am to give out frozen meals that they can drive through Baker talked about the signs at the Parks and a few businesses mentioned that they are willing to pay and sponsor our signs. Capers said there is no reason why this shouldn't be at all of the parks. Baker said this could be something that other parks can learn from and we can be leaders in the trend. XIII. ADJOURNMENT Boyer made a motion to adjourn. Allen seconded the motion. Motion passed. Chairman Jackson adjourned the meeting at 10:37am. These minutes respectfully submitted by: Carry Cap- s, •irector— (transcribed initially by Samira Areshia) Minutes apprgv d as submitted and/or corrected this 14th day of April 2022 Dent pckson, Chairman