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Minutes 11-27-00 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD IN CONFERENCE ROOM C, WEST WING, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2000 AT 7:00 P.M. PRESENT ALSO PRESENT Betty Thomas, Chairperson Wally Majors, Recreation Director James McMahon, Vice Chair John Wildner, Parks Director Ed Harris Tom Williams Dan Winters Elizabeth Pierce, Alternate ABSENT Mike Fitzpatrick Bali Ramnarace I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Thomas called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I1. ATTENDANCE Chairperson Thomas called the roll and declared that a quorum was present. II1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 23, 2000 There being no comments or changes to the minutes, Chairperson Thomas declared that the minutes of the October 23, 2000 meeting would be accepted as written. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Hester Center Breezeway Enclosure Mr. Majors stated that there was no update on the breezeway enclosure but that he had information on a related topic. Mr. Majors reported that he and Mr. Wildner met with Commissioner Black who expressed an interest in being involved in the construction of the new pavilion that the City wants to erect at Hester Center near the football field, which they would like completed by February 2001. A donation has been received from the Optimist Club and a pledge from Commissioner Black. The pavilion would be designed to complement not only [he football activities, but also the entire outdoor facility. It will also be available to the general public and would become a major addition to the facility. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 B. Boat Club/Intracoastal Parks Mr. Wildner reported that Boat Club Park was proceeding along very well. Fifty- percent construction drawings were submitted to the City and have been reviewed. Comments have been completed and the drawings have been returned to the consultant. Construction is expected to start on the parking lots by February or March 2001. The ramps and waterfront construction will probably start later due to the permitting process with DEP and SFWM District. Staff is working with the consult'ants on the Intracoastal Park to start the Master Plan process and staff would like to have the construction finished as rapidly as possible. Mr. Winters asked Mr. Wildner if the Parks Department planned to solicit citizen input in the Master Plan process? Mr. Wildner said there would be some input from the citizens and that he would include some of the input Mr. Winters had given him. He said they would seek some advice from the City Commission as to the plans for public input as well. Mr. Wildner said there was a good chance of the City procuring the land to the north of the Intracoastal Park Site but that the use of the property was not specifically slated for recreation at the moment. C. Senior Center Mr. Majors reported that Mrs. Debbie Majors had been able to contact the new Director for the Area Agency on Aging for the five-county area, Katia Howers. She told Ms. Majors that there might be some legislative re-authorization in terms of money from the Older Americans Act and some of the money might be funneled towards construction or capital projects. Ms. Howers was quite impressed with the programs and activities being offered at the Senior Center and indicated that she would like to visit the Center to interview staff to determine the Center's needs, which should occur within the next two weeks, The plans still call for placing the mare entrance on the north side of the building, which would result in lost parking space. Mr. Majors said he would be addressing this issue over the next several weeks. Chairperson Thomas inquired if a date has been determined for construction of Phase 2 of the Center. Mr. Majors said that this is included in the City's Capital Improvement Program and is in the top 12 of the list. Mr. Winters inquired what sources of revenue were being considered and Mr. Majors replied that they are looking at the Florida League of Cities' Municipal Bonds. Mr. Wildner noted if this method were chosen, it would not require a voter referendum, which is similar to a revenue bond. Mr. Winters questioned the wisdom of having the handicap parking at the Senior Center in the parking lot across the street. Mr. Majors agreed that parking is an issue in this area and that the members of the Woman's Club have been using the Senior Center's parking lot when they have an overflow. Mr. Majors did not consider this very wise, since you have to cross a very busy highway with a median. Mr. Majors said that he and Chief Gage have also been looking at the parking issue. Chairperson Thomas pointed 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 out that when the Woman's Club has a large crowd, they utilize valet parking. Mr. Majors said that with valet parking, some of the vehicles were parking on the swale at the Senior Center. Chairperson Thomas reported that she attended three Senior Advisory Board meetings representing the Recreation and Parks Board and noted that the Senior Advisory Board has worked very hard in getting the Center open. At their last meeting on November 13th, the Chairperson of the Senior Advisory Board suggested that what they started out to do has been accomplished, which was transportation for seniors, a nutrition program, activities for seniors, and a volunteer bank. The Senior Board would still like to have social services offered at the Center. Mr. Majors complimented Chairperson Collins on the wonderful job that she has done with the Senior Advisory Board. Chairperson Thomas also noted that Chairperson Collins would like to see senior citizens on the Parks and Recreation Board as well, and Mr. Winters felt that this goal has already been attained. Mr. Majors also felt that this was an acceptance or approval on how Recreation has been running the Senior Center. Mr. Majors also pointed out that the City has retained the services of a lobbyist and included in a list of items to be addressed by the lobbyist is Phase 2 of the Senior Center. Mr. Winters pointed out that sometime down the road with the growth of seniors in the City, another Senior Center might be needed and further that completion of the Senior Center should be a City priority. Ms. Pierce suggested utilizing Paradise Bay for a senior center and Mr. Wildner said he was not certain of the fate of that building and whether it would be kept or razed. D. Special Events (TNT Concerts, Holiday events) Holiday Tree Lighting The tree lighting will take place on Friday, December 1, 2000 beginning at 6:30 at the Children's Museum. Mr. Majors announced that Holiday lights have been hung at the Children's Museum, Civic Center and City Hall, through a joint effort with the Parks Department and Public Works. Snow is being brought in and the Choir from the First Presbyterian Church will be participating, as well as the Galaxy Elementary School choir. It is expected to be a great family event. Holiday Parade The parade will be on Sunday, December 3, 2000 and this year's grand master will be Ms. Shanna St. John, Chairperson of the Advisory Board on Children and Youth. Mr. Winters wanted to nominate Charlie Petty and Mr. Majors said he would definitely make a note of it and support it. TNT Concert The TNT Concert will be on December 8, 2000 on the beach at 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. A special drumming group will be there called NDAKHTE, a very lively west African 3 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 Performing group. He believed that this would be very entedaining. Mr. Majors recommended coming early because parking was at a premium at these events at the beach. Home Decoration Contest Mr. Majors announced a new event for Boynton Beach, a home decoration contest. Anyone in City limits can nominate themselves for a home decoration award. They can also nominate their friends or their neighbors. They will contact the City to fill out an application until the deadline of December 14, 2000 or until 50 applications are received. He thought it would be nice to take the Recreation school bus around to see the various applicant's homes. There will be one or two plaques for the best decorated houses in Boynton Beach. Mr. Winters suggested doing "lunches for two" instead of plaques. Mr. Majors said the judges would probably be one of the Commissioners, someone from the Art Department, and hopefully someone from the Parks & Recreation Board. The marketing people did a wonderful job in putting together a package on the event and the Sun Sentinel interviewed Mr. Majors. We'll recognize people at a Commission meeting in January. E) Greenways Network Mr. Wildner said that Mike Fitzpatrick had been unable to report on this project but that he would fill in what he could. They are continuing to pursue a Greenways Network and a special taxing district and are researching it on a staff level. The City Manager has been very encouraging. F) Black Awareness Mr. Majors reported that on December 19, Michael Brady and Bruce Lewis, who are the consultants who helped develop the five-year plan for this event, are going to make a formal presentation at the Commission meeting. They have been really fantastic in their planning and Mr. Majors was excited about the potential the event has. They think that incorporating some of their suggestions and ideas can help make this one of the major special events offered by the City. They are seeking some really special entertainment for this year's event, Mr. Majors said that these people were involved with the Visions 20/20 Plan as well, so they have a good track record. G) Items for City Manager's Attention Mr. Winters said he called the City Manager regarding the establishment of a taxing district. He mentioned a meeting and invited interested parties to contact him, as this was something that, in his opinion, needed immediate attention. He said that Bill Andrews had expressed interest in this. Golf Cart for Hester Center Tom Williams spoke to the City Manager about his promise of a golf cart for the Hester Center. Mr. Majors said he talked to Mr. Sciortino at the Golf course about this and the 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 main thing is finding someplace to park it. When such a place is found we will meet with Mr. Sciortino, who suggested something that could carry coolers or ice or supply the concession stands - more of a mule than a golf cart. This could also run around checking the perimeters'of the field. Mr. Sciortino also thought gas would be better than electric and once a place was found to park it, he would help secure one. Bus for Bulldogs Mr. Williams said he also talked to the City Manager about another bus for the Bulldogs and he said he would talk to Mr. Wildner or Mr. Majors about it. Additional Playground Equipment & Parking for Ezell Hester Center Mr. Williams also spoke to Mr. Bressner about additional playground equipment at the Hester Center. Mr, Wildner said he would look into his budget for this but that it would be tight where the existing playground equipment is. Mr. Williams did not think space would be a problem, especially if they used the area set aside for the scrub jay which, he said, had not been seen in the area for years, probably due to the high activity of the children in the area.. Mr. Wildner agreed, he had not seen any jays there and that they had probably further declined when the used car dealership was constructed nearby. Mr. Williams remarked that WalMart had recently torn down all kinds of Florida pines and he wondered how they were able to avoid State' intervention? He said it did not make sense that WalMart would be allowed to do that when the playground could not be expanded due to a few pine trees. Mr. Wildner said he would find a spot for extra playground equipment that did not interfere with the scrub area. Mr. Williams said this was not what he had in mind. He was talking about the need for more parking. He said that when there were football games there, people parked all along Seacrest on the Sidewalk on both the north and east sides. There is scrub behind the gymnasium. They need to put more parking out there. Mr. Winters asked if it was an environmental issue and Mr, Wildner said it was the weighing of the interest in leaving undeveloped a certain · amount of environmentally sensitive land versus the needs of Ezell Hester for parking and playground area. Mr. Harris said the lack of parking at Ezell Hester was a safety issue and that it created a major problem, even just driving through. Mr. Wildner said that the City was required by Ordinance to preserve a certain amount of the area. He said there was other land that was not required to be saved by Ordinance because they saved the 25% required by law. There are some other areas in between the center and the football field and that area is not in the preserve area but it is a rather small area. Mr. Williams said it should be used for parking. New High School Concerns Mr. Winters asked if the City had talked to the new high school about being able to let the kids play out there for free and Mr. Majors said they had not talked to them yet but he thought it was important that it be done. Mr. Wildner said that in all the planning 5 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 sessions, the School Board and the City both said there would be joint use of the facilities. Mr. Williams asked if a big wall or fence would be put up along the canal near the school? Mr. Wildner thought there was going to be a fence but not a wall. Mr. Harris thought the new high school facility should be utilized to the maximum extent possible and that the understanding should be in writing. Mr. Wildner said that one way to do this would be to formalize the interlocal agreement With the School Board. Mr. Harris said there could be large companies near the school who may want to use the facilities also and that they may have lots of money. He did not want the needs of the City to take a back seat to this kind of activity and reiterated the need for a formal, written agreement that covered the City's needs and rights. He said that lease agreements could be very tricky if not done correctly. Gold Medal Award Mr. Winters believed that the City should take part in the program next year. He said that now was the time to set the game plan for next year. Boynton Beach has some great projects going on such as GALA, Black Awareness, TNT, and so on. He said he would be glad to help the person who kicked it off. Mr. Majors said that they were undertaking a major needs assessment this year and that would lend itself very well to the Gold Medal program, which they would look into for the future. Mr. Harris said that in contrast to Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, the City of Boynton Beach was more advanced in many ways and that this needed to be captured. He thought it was important to put a really good short video together about the City and its projects and offerings. Mr. Winters said that the kids in the school system could actually edit the videos. H) Monthly Report The Board reviewed the written monthly report provided by staff. There was no discussion on this item. V. NEW BUSINESS 1) Dog Park Mr. Debbie Barnes, a nurse at Bethesda, spoke to the Board about the idea of establishing a Dog Park in Boynton Beach. She said she takes her dog to Delray Beach to a place where you can let your dog off the leash and had been doing so for the past five years. She said the kind of people who frequent the park are animal lovers and are usually civic minded and super-careful about picking up after their dogs and taking care of the park in general. Ms. Barnes envisioned the dog park as more than just a place to let your dogs run off the leash. She suggested activities that could be held once a month there and offered to head up a committee in charge of activities to help it get started. She said there could be question/answer sessions, dog trainer demonstrations, dog shows, obedience trials, 6 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November27,2000 frisbee competitions, costume contests, obstacle courses, police canine demonstrations, and lots of things of public interest. She said there were web sites on the subject of dog parkSthat were growing by the day. Also, she said people were actually traveling to places as destinations that have dog parks and that dog parks could become a tourist attraction for the City. She said she had a petition with almost 1,000 signatures already · in support of the dog park idea. She said all the firefighters and policeman had signed it, Bethesda Hospital had signed it, all the mail carriers have signed it. More and more people are living in apartments now and have no place to run their dogs and she believed it was an idea whose time had come. Ms. Barnes said that the only dog park in the vicinity of Boynton Beach was the one in Delray Beach and that people go there from North Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. The kids love it. They play soccer with the dogs. She wanted to make a very progressive, people-friendly dog park in Boynton Beach. It could bring business to Boynton Beach and be great public relations. Lots of elderly people are unable to walk their pets and would love to have a place to go to do it. The one in Delray Beach is handicapped friendly also. She said that the elderly people who cannot walk their dogs on the sidewalk in a wheel chair can go to the dog park and let their dog run and that this meant the world to them to be able to do this. Mr. Winters said that the first one he knew of was in Coral Springs, Florida. He said the park would have to have adequate parking. He said the park would have to have its rules and regulations. She said that the people who frequent the dog park in Delray Beach are super-responsible and appreciative of that park. They take really good care of it on their own. Mr. Wildner said that during the capital improvement program process there were three or four possible sites for a dog park and that he spoke up for it regularly but had not yet been successful. Ms. Pierce said that this had been one of her suggestions for the ten- acre park. Mr. Wildner said there had to be two parks because there has to be a division between small dogs and large dogs. There has to be fencing. The areas have to be fairly large also because the dogs have to have room to run. A fenced-in acre could suffice, not counting the parking. The one in Delray Beach is about an acre and a half according to Mr. Wildner. Caloosa Park was suggested and Mr. Wilshire spoke to Ms. Barnes and told her it would be easier to incorporate it into a new park rather than incorporate it into an existing park. There did not seem to be an opportunity for it in Caloosa. She also checked into the West Boynton District Park and she was told that every inch of that is already designated for other purposes. Mr. Wildner said that interim use of some public areas was an idea that was growing in popularity on the City Commission. Mr. Winters asked about Jaycee Park and Mr. Wildner said that there would be resistance from the neighbors. There were senior citizen condominiums on each side. Mr. Winters said there was parking there and it 7 Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 would be good. Mr. Wildner there were some sites in the western side of the City but the largest growing areas are in the County, not the City of Boynton Beach. There are a couple of sites, 4-5 acres, and the City is under quite a bit of pressure to keep them relatively passive. As soon as there are neighbors surrounding parks, the resistance problems begin. Mr. Wildner said he was thinking about using some interim locations. Congress Community Park was a possibility, which is next to WXEL. park site next to Nautica Sound that might have some possibilities. property near Golfview Harbor is a possibility. The back end of There is a future The Girl Scout Chairperson Thomas asked Mr. Wildner to put this item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Recreation and Parks Board so it could be pursued further. B. Art Area on Industrial Avenue Mr. Rick Beaulieu, business owner on Industrial Avenue, spoke to the Board about the sign he had asked for at an earlier meeting. He asked how the sign was coming? Mr. Wildner said that the first sign they did was too small. In discussions with Heather in the City sign shop, Mr. Beaulieu said they agreed that it needed to be brighter and larger and that 3' x 3' would be about the right size. Mr. Wildner said the timing of delivery of the sign had to do with the ordering of the blank for it. Mr. Beaulieu asked if another sign could be put on to let the eastbound traffic know about the Art area? Mr. Wildner said they would look into it but said that the issue was that there was no southbound road close to there that could have a sign located on City right-of-way rather than the DOT right-of-way. He said they might have to ask a private property owner or some vacant property site. The sign in question (the existing sign) is 30 feet off Boynton Beach Boulevard on the west side of West Industrial Avenue. You have to be sitting at the light or on West Industrial Avenue to see it. Mr. Wildner said the reason it was moVed that far was that it had to be removed from Boynton Beach Boulevard since DOT was not going to give the City a permit to put a sign on DOT right-of-way in Boynton Beach. Boynton Beach Boulevard is a State Road and that is one of the constricting factors. He thought it could be moved a little closer to Boynton Beach Boulevard. Ms. Pierce suggested a triangular sign that could be tall and seen from several different directions, vertically lettered in the same location as the existing one. Mr. Beaulieu said the existing location provided a view of a sign if a person were sitting in a vehicle going westbound on Boynton Beach Boulevard but behind the sign there are trees, phone books, and a Southern Bell box and that it was pretty hard to see anything from the eastbound direction. Mr. Majors said he would discuss 'the matter with the Sign Shop. VI. NEXT MEETING The Board decided to cancel the December meeting because it fell on Christmas Day. The Board will use the Board Dinner at Benvenutos on January 25, 2001 as their January meeting and will meet for a regular meeting in February, 2001. Meeting Minutes Recreation & Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida November 27, 2000 VII. COMMENTS BY MEMBERS Mr. Wildner and Mr. Majors discussed the two people they had invited to come meet with the Board, Ms. Virginia Varacci and the representative from the YMCA, and said they would invite them to a subsequent meeting. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting was dUly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Recording Secretary (two tapes) 9