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Minutes 03-25-02MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD AT THE SENIOR CENTER, 1021 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2002 AT 7:00 P.M. Present Betty Thomas, Chairperson James McMahon, Vice Chair Ed Harris Elizabeth Pierce Bali Ramnarace Dan Winters Bill Orlove, Alternate John Wildner, Parks Director Wally Majors, Recreation Director Absent Tom Williams Margaret Murphy, Alternate I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Thomas called the meeting to order and led the Board members on a tour of the rear section of the Senior Center. The members were impressed with the amount of room that would be available if this part of the Center were to be renovated. The Lattner Foundation has approved a grant for an exercise room in the amount of $45,000 but the rest of the facility is unfunded. Mr. Wildner thought that a total renovation would cost about $800K. The State is not funding capital projects at this time, only programs. Mr. Majors stated that a sprinkler system would be another requirement. The seniors at the Center started a STARS Program as a fundraiser for the Senior Center expansion, with each star representing a different amount of money. The seniors have collected $2,000 so far, with a line dance group bringing in $750. Chair Thomas reminded the Board that the Parks & Recreation Board had promised Ms. Betty Collins, Chair of the Senior Advisory Board, that it would be an advocate for senior interests. The Board was Unanimous in its desire to see the Senior Center expansion funded and completed by the end of 2002. Motion Mr. Harris moved to ask the City Commission to proceed with. developing the Senior Center building to its fullest utilization in 2002 and completing Phase 2. Mr. Winters seconded the motion that carried 7-0. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25,2002 II. ATTENDANCE Chair Thomas called the roll and a quorum was present. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 25, 2002 There were no changes to the minutes of February 25, 2002 and Chair Thomas accepted them as written. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS B. Barton Memorial Park Recreation Trail Expansion Palmetto Greens Park Expansion Mr. Wildner reported that the grant applications to the State of Florida's Recreational Trail Grant Program administered by the Department of EnVironmental Protection (DEP) both resulted in rejection letters. The DEP requires that the requesting entity either own the land or have a closed-end, twenty-five year lease, and this was a deal-breaker for both Barton and Palmetto Greens Park. The City is pursuing a grant with the Metropolitan Planning Organization, MPO, a different State agency, to fund these programs and will continue seeking funds and grants from other sources as well. Mr. Odove asked what the homeowners felt about something going in along their canal at the rear of their properties. Mr. Wildner .stated that the homeowners they had contacted had been agreeable to it. The neighborhood of the Palmetto Greens Park between Seacrest and the F.E.C. Railroad got a real boost once the park went in. The project put a gated fence behind their property and they now have an attractive, landscaped, linear park behind their property that gives them attractive waterfront and increased property values. The owners out west along Lake Worth Drainage District canals already have high property values and might not be influenced by this. C. Needs Assessment Mr. Majors reported that Dr. Mitra contacted the City about increasing the sample size. The final report will be presented to the City Commission on Apdl 16. The return rate was about 12%. It will help the Recreation & Parks Departments prepare their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. This document will be the first step in updating the Recreation and Parks portions of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Dr. Mitra will be in town on the morning of Apdl 15 and Mr. Majors invited participation by interested Board members. Dr. Mitra will be training three or four people on the software associated with this project so that its wealth of information can be accessed and used. D. Wilson Center Land Acquisition Mr. Wildner reported last month that they had gotten a $75,000 grant for the acquisition of two lots adjacent to Wilson Center. They are waiting for official notification but this will not take place until the Legislature is completely closed down. Chair Thomas inquired about the "holdout" among the property owners in the vicinity and Mr. Wildner confirmed that this was still the case. 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2002 E. Southeast Neighborhood Park Mr. Wildner mentioned that $200K was available to develop this 2.3 acre park, which they had obtained from a developer as part of a recreation dedication associated with the land. The project is in the planning stages and is being done in-house. Mr. Wildner showed the Board a Master Plan for the park. Phase one includes basketball courts, a picnic shelter, a children's play area, and an open play field. $200K will probably not cover the development of the entire site but it will probably cover the basketball court, the picnic shelter, a parking lot, and some playground apparatus. The open play area is multi-purpose but it is hoped that it will serve as an informal soccer field to meet the need for such a facility in the area. The second half of the plan is for an extension of the play and picnic areas and the installation of a restroom, but this will take place at a later date. The goal is to establish a neighborhood park, rather than a district park. Without restrooms, it is more likely to be used by the people from the surrounding neighborhoods. F. Nautica Park -- Mr. Wildner mentioned a three-acre park site in Nautica on the west side of Lawrence Road that is owned by the City. The Engineering Department at Palm Beach County approached the City with a need for a drainage facility and asked if the City would allow the County to develop this area for a lake, with the City handling the maintenance. Mr. Wildner displayed plans for plantings that would attract waterfowl to nest at the site, creating an attraction for bird enthusiasts. There would also be a sinai amount of parking. The Nautica neighborhood seems to be in favor of this project,and the Parks Department will pursue funding for it. G. Senior Center Mr. Majors noted that someone had run into the sign in front of the Senior Center and damaged it. It will be replaced with a sign that carries the Recreation Department nametag instead of Leisure Services. Debbie Majors initiated the STARS (Seniors That are Really Sedous)i program so the seniors could demonstrate their commitment to raise funds to finish the Senior Center. Mr. Majors was impressed with the $2,000 the seniors had raised so far. H. Special Events Mr. Majors reported on the recent GALA event. Mr. Winters asked about the deletion of Friday and Mr. Majors stated that this had been in deference to the working artists who found it difficult to come to a Friday show and the expense of overtime and secudty provided by the Police. GALA was originally conceived as an art show and it is going back to that concept. Mr. Winters wanted to be able to come in the evening, get some food, and listen to the bands. Mr. MajOrs stated that the City was thinking of having a separate, "carnival type" event, separate from GALA. He explained that GALA is a self- sustaining event, funded by 'a Trust Fund and the revenue generated from the artists or the concessions must cover its expenses. If night hours were to continue, the program would have been run into the red. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 200? The Board discussed the cost of vadous programs in the City and Mr. Winters expressed the opinion that the City should act as one body instead of funding programs for different interest groups. Mr. Majors reported that the Florida Philharmonic would perform at next year's GALA and would do so for years to come. They have some grant obligations to do public concerts and this Will help them fulfill that obligation and provide a great attraction for GALA. Considering future GALA events, Mr. Winters suggested dosing the arts portion down at the end of the dayl and having a separate event for the public that would include food vendors and listening to music in the evening. Mr. Majors stated that the expense for Police overtime alone would come to approximately $10,000. Mr. Ramnarace compared GALA to Sunfest and thought the event Should: be moved to Boat Club Park and that the aid of a large company could be enlisted to help the City financially. I. Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday - Mr. Wildner reported that this event would be held at Oceanfront Park on A-1-A and would begin at 6:30 a.m. J. Spring Egg Hunt - Mr. Majors mentioned that this event would take place at the Ezell Hester Center at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 30. Ms. Pierce asked about Family Day and Mr. Majors stated it would be rescheduled to July of this year. It will be held at the Hester Center and will be named after Carolyn Sims, a community leader and City employee who passed away recently. K. Greenways Network Mr. Wildner reported that the City has funds in the Capital Improvement Projects budget to hire a consultant for Greenways. Mr. Fitzpatrick, a former Board member, initiated this project whose goal was to identify areas for preservation within the City, with connection points between them. Federal money for transportation might be available if theGreenways are joined to the Bikeways. A Request for Qualifications has been sent out for a consultant for this project. Chair Thomas asked how much this study would cost and Mr. Wildaer replied, $60K. Consultant firms from all over the country have been inquiring aboUt this project. The consultant selection will be made in the summer and the project will; get underway. This will allow the City to apply for a great number of grants to acquire land for preservation and the construction of a Bikeways and Greenways network throughOut the City. These networks would then be connected to Palm Beach County land and possibly on to a Special Taxing District, a project proposed by Commissioner Ferguson - the South Central Palm Beach County Greenways Special Taxing District. There was not a lot of interest in the State Legislature about this but it did not get any negative publicity either. L. Items for the City Manager's Attention Chair Thomas will call Mr. Wildner or Mr. Majors to dictate a letter to Mr. Bressner on the subject of the Board's desire to complete Phase 2 of the Senior Center this year. A motion was made to this effect earlier in the meeting. Meeting Minutes ", Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2002 M. Boynton Woman's Club Mr. Majors put this on the agenda because the City is exploring whether it would be feasible for the City to have the Recreation Department take over the operation of the Woman's Club facility. Mr. Odove inquired why the City was considering this. Mr. Majors replied that the City was weighing the potential benefits of having this building versus the costs of maintenance, insurance, and related costs. Mr. Majors brought it up 'so the Board would be aware of it. One benefit would be more space for the seniors but the laCk of parking would be a liability. N. Monthly Report Already given under Unfinished Business. V. New Business Mr. Wildner reminded the Board members of the annual Board Dinner at Benvenuto Restaurant on April 3, 2002. VI. Next Meeting The next meeting will be at the Senior Center on April 22, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. VII, Adjournment Since there was no further business on the agenda, the Board meeting was duly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Recording Secretary (one tape) (04/0'1/02) 5