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Minutes 06-24-02MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD AT THE SENIOR CENTER, 1021 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2002 AT 7:00 P.M. Present Elizabeth Pierce, Chairperson Ed Harris (arrived at 7:15 p.m.) Jim McMahon Margaret Murphy Bali Ramnarace Tom Williams Dan Winters William Orlove, Alternate Betty Thomas, alternate Wally Majors, Recreation Director I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Pierce called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I1. ATTENDANCE The roll was called and a quorum was declared present II1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MAY 13, 2002 MEETING Motion Mr. Orlove moved to approve the minutes, which was seconded by Ms. Murphy and unanimously carried. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Recreation and Open Space Element of Comprehensive Master Plan Mr. Majors requested that the item be tabled until the next meeting since Mr. Wildner was not present to report on the update of the Comprehensive Plan. B. Boat Club Park Improvements Mr. Majors announced that the ramps and channel have been completed. The dredging of the basin is now being done. It is anticipated that by the middle of July the improvements would be completed. Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL June 24, 2002 Ms. Murphy asked about the requirement that trailers must now have a sticker. Mr. Majors responded that this arrangement has generated additional revenue of approximately $2,000 per month. When the improvements are completed, there will be additional parking for 75 trailers to bring the total parking to 125 spaces Chairperson Pierce inquired when the lights would be turned on at night. Mr. Majors stated that there have been problems with the electricity and a work order has been submitted to Facilities to correct the problems. Chairperson Pierce pointed out that there was no area set aside for people that use the fishing pier to clean their fish. Currently people are cleaning their fish on the railing and the railings are in poor shape. She and Mr. Majors will be viewing the area on Wednesday to determine if there is a place that could be set aside for this purpose. Chairperson Pierce also noted that the Park is not being kept clean and there is a great deal of trash lying around. Mr. Majors said that this is attributable to the construction going on and has been brought to the attention of Public Works. Once the Park is complete, he anticipates that this would be corrected. Chairperson Pierce would like to see more receptacles for trash. Chairperson Pierce requested that the record show that Mr. Ed Harris arrived at 7:15 p.m. C. Intracoastal Park Development Mr. Majors reported that the bids received came in under the projected cost, which was $2.3 million. The Iow bid was $1.9 million. The possibility now exists that the aquatic playground for the children that was included in the original plans may now be put back into the plans. Mr. Wildner is looking into this. It would be a no-depth pool and would not require lifeguards, similar to the water play area on Clematis Street. It is anticipated that the project, as currently designed, could be completed by next July. However, if the water area is added, it might take a little longer. Ms. Thomas inquired if the Intracoastal Park would be built in stages, and Mr. Majors responded that the current design encompasses the first phase. There is a phase 2 that would be the City Club, which is not being funded at this time. It was anticipated that the City Club would replace the Royal Palm Clubhouse that was torn down a few years ago. Chairperson Pierce requested that Mr. Majors bring the original drawings of Intracoastal Park to the next meeting, which he agreed to do. The Park will also include a corporate picnic shelter that could hold approximately 100 people and would include restrooms. Also, there will be other pavilions available and 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL June 24, 2002 approximately 64 spaces for parking. Members agreed that the City was in need of additional meeting space and that the City Club would be able to fill this need. D. Southeast Neighborhood Park Mr. Majors announced that two community meetings have taken place regarding the park and staff will be requesting an additional $175,000 from the CIP budget next year. Currently $200,000 has been earmarked for the project that will cover the basketball court, a children's playground, picnic shelter and bathrooms. The original plans were downsized due to the decrease in funding. The park will be located at the south end of the Zill property off Federal High and should fill a need in that area of the City, which includes many young families. E. Senior Center Mr. Majors reported that "Camp Wrinkle Ranch" is a groat success and both sessions are filled. Mr. Winters asked about the status of Phase 2 for the Senior Center and Mr. Majors said that this is on hold. Mr. Majors pointed out that the costs for phase 2 are up to $800,000 and could be even higher. This sum does not address the lack of parking. Mr. Winters suggested building a small parking garage that could accommodate both the Senior Center and the Woman's Club. Ms. Murphy announced that 118 meals were served today at the Senior Center. Mr. Odove inquired about the status of the letter that the members had agreed to write to the City Manager regarding phase 2 of the Senior Center. Mr. Majors will follow through on this. Mr. Odove suggested that the members address the City Commission on this issue. Mr. Winters would like the Board to speak at one or two Commission meetings each year to keep the Commission updated on the Board's projects and priorities. He also suggested that the Board invite Mr. Bressner to a Board meeting. Chairperson Pierce will invite Mr. Bressner to the July Board meeting. Mr. Majors noted that some of the projects that the Board would like to move forward on could be put to vote by referendum. This would afford all residents an opportunity to express what they want to see in the City. Vice Chair McMahon would like the Senior Center to be the priority of this Board. F. Special Events With regard to the Fourth of July celebration at the High School, Mr. Majors announced that the City will be providing free shuttle service from the Mall to the High School. The High School will also provide parking for a small fee to raise 3 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL June 24, 2002 additional money for their programs. The festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. with fire works at 9:00 p.m, Mr. Majors announced that the Truck Rally will take place on Saturday, July 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Art Center. Various City truCks will be on display, including fire and Police vehicles. G. Rolling Green Cricket Field Mr. Ramnarace reported that seeds were planted on the field, but because they were planted on bare sand and left for three weeks in the hot sun, they did not germinate. The mulch is still sitting on the side of the field and was never spread out. As a result, the grass will have to be reseeded. Mr. Ramnarace said that it would not be possible to have the field ready for use this year. He reported that weeds have been growing on the cricket pitch for over a year and need to be removed. He is having difficulty working with a certain staff member and feels that she is not in favor of the cricket field. Mr. Harris felt that this issue should be dealt with at the departmental level. He noted that the City has always had a customer friendly attitude and situations such as this need to be addressed. He noted that Mr. Ramnarace, as a Boynton Beach resident, has given a great deal of time and effort to put in a cricket field and that he should be given some cooperation by staff. Mr. Ramnarace said that one of his primary purposes in building the cricket field is to teach the children how to play the game. He also noted that he is building a state-of-the-art field that would attract world-class teams to the City. Ms. Pierce inquired about the status of the volunteer park ranger position and Mr. Majors said that it has not yet been filled. Mr. Ramnarace volunteered for the position. Chairperson Pierce thought that the COP volunteers, who already patrol the City with City-owned vehicles, could also patrol the parks. Members thought this was a good idea that should be recommended to Officer Huntington, who is in charge of the COP Program. Chairperson Pierce will follow through with this. Mr. Orlove suggested that a letter be sent to Mr. Livergood requesting that he meet with Mr. Ramnarace to discuss the cricket field and to straighten out his working relationship with staff. Mr. Ramnarace said that he fixed the irrigation system and all that remains is the planting of the Bermuda grass. H. Woman's Club The lease agreement is being finalized and Mr. Majors will be meeting with the City Attorney and the City Manager on July 3rd to review the agreement. After it is finalized, it will be presented to the Woman's Club for their review. It is anticipated that the building will provide additional meeting space for the City and could provide additional revenue to the City in rental fees. 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL June 24, 2002 Mr. Williams suggested that the building be inspected and Mr. Majors acknowledged that an architectural analysis of the building would be performed. The parking situation was discussed and Mr. Majors noted that the Senior Center parking lot could be utilized. I. Tennis Center Mr. Majors reported that consideration is being given to making the Tennis Center an Enterprise Operation, which means that the Center would become self-sustaining. He reported that last fiscal year the Tennis Center generated over $225,000 in revenue. Since the Tennis Center serves 80% non-residents, this would be a worthwhile move. The current cost for a yearly membership is $165 for City residents. It is anticipated that the fees would be increased and they would go into a trust fund to recover the capital costs for improvements. Consideration of changing to daily fees is also being discussed with the premise being that a person who uses the facilities more would pay more. Mr. Winters suggested selling food and drinks as an additional means of revenue and Mr. Majors said this is also being looked at. J. Items;for City Managers Attention Mr. Winters would like the City to request that the State Legislature establish a Taxing District within a certain area so that everyone using the City facilities would be paying their fair share. He pointed out that Boca Raton raises so much money that they cannot spend it all. If a Taxing District were established, the second phase of the Senior Center could come to fruition. Mr. Majors pointed out that it is important for the City to have the amenities to support a Taxing District. Ms. Thomas remembered that a Taxing District was suggested to the City Manager a few years ago. Mr. Orlove noted that the Needs Assessment reported that people would be willing to pay for amenities. Mr. Winters requested that the Board contact the City Manager to determine if he would be amenable to creating a Taxing District. K. Monthly Report Mr. Majors reported that for the past two years $15,000 in scholarships have been awarded so that children in need could attend summer camp. He announced that 1,300 people attended the Concert on the Green. Mr. Odove inquired what the MTV Program comprised. Mr. Majors explained that this was a grant-funded program for teens, in which 18 teens participated. The teens were provided various training necessary to become assistants to the camp counselors. The Program was a great success and will be offered again next year. 5 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, FL June 24, 2002 V. NEW BUSINESS Ms. Murphy reported that she received an application for nominations from the National Recreation and Parks Association and would like to have the City's Parks and Recreation Department receive recognition. Chairperson Pierce thought that this was something that the Board could follow through on. Mr. Winters announced that the National Parks and Recreation Convention is scheduled for Tampa and he would like the Board members to attend. He suggested that members could pay their own expenses, if the City could provide a vehicle for transportation. VI. NEXT MEETING: July 22, 2002, Senior Center Mr. Ramnarace said that he would not be present for the July meeting. He would be participating in a cricket tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia. VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting properly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara M, Madden Recording Secretary (two tapes) (June 25, 2002) 6