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Minutes 03-22-99 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD IN CONFERENCE ROOM C, WEST WING CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1999 AT 7:00 P.M. PRESENT Betty Thomas, Chairperson Melody Green, Recreation Superintendent Mike Fitzpatrick Ed Harris James R. McMahon Bali Ramnarace Tom Williams ABSENT Dan Winters I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Thomas called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II. ATTENDANCE Chairperson Thomas called the roll. A quorum was declared present. Also present was Melody Green, Recreation Superintendent. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 1998 MEETING Chairperson Thomas inquired if there were any changes or additions to the minutes of the February 22, 1999 meeting. There were none. Chairperson Thomas stated that the minutes be approved as distributed. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (a) Boat Club/Intracoastal Parks Revised Master Plans City Club Replacement for Royal Palm Clubhouse (Melody Green) Ms. Green stated there is nothing new to report and the City Commission has accepted the revised Master Plan. Ms. Green said that the conceptual plans have been approved. Chairperson Thomas said she attended the Commission Meeting where they MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 accepted the third Plan favorably. Ms. Green said that this would become a signature park for Boynton Beach. b) Senior Center Project Team ( Ms. Green said that the Senior Center Project Team held another meeting since the last time this Board met to review the types of furniture that would be used at the Center and preliminary construction on the renovations has begun. There was a small set back in locating the proper air conditioning unit during the 60-day construction period called for in the contract. However, Bill DeBeck and the contractor worked this out. Therefore, completion of Phase 1 of the Senior Center is still on target for the end of June. (Mike Fitzpatrick arrived at 7:05 p.m.) Chairperson Thomas said the Senior Center received a great deal of publicity at G.A.L.A. and the Women’s Club Table was located next to the Senior Advisory Board table. Chairperson Thomas said that Ms. Betty Collins did a wonderful job getting people over to the table. Mr. McMahon said that Ms. Collins informed him that a tremendous amount of tote bags to benefit the Senior Center was sold at the G.A.L.A. (C) All America City 2001 Update Ms. Green said that 21 people have agreed to be on the steering committee for the initial planning team. In June at least two representatives will be going to Pittsburgh, which is the City where the awards will take place this year. The top 10 finalist will be present and the entire event can be observed, as well as determining the criteria used in making the selection of the winners. Also, it is anticipated that a great deal of the event would be videotaped for viewing by the planning team. Ms. Green said that Lula Butler from Delray Beach suggested that representatives from the City attend the event. Ms. Butler also furnished Ms. Green with their City’s three applications. Mr. McMahon inquired if the new Commission would become involved in the planning. Ms. Green said the Commission would be involved from an informational standpoint, but typically All America City Awards are given for community grass roots type efforts. Ms. Green said she has been told that if politics becomes involved, the City would not be selected. Ms. Green said if a Commissioner would like to be a member of the planning team, they would be welcomed, but they would not be a member as a Commissioner, but as a concerned Boynton resident. 2 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 (d) Architecture for Excellence Implementation Ms. Green said that all seven Recreation Business Area Teams have been scheduled for training, which includes all full time staff, and training will be completed by the first of June. Ms. Green said the first session begins next week with Carolyn Sims' Team. The sessions will encompass three full days. Some teams will be doing the program over six half-day sessions. (e) Greenways Network (Mike Fitzpatrick) th Mr. Fitzpatrick said that on April 17 a charrette would be held at the Library Program Room and Mr. Fitzpatrick distributed a tentative agenda. Mr. Fitzpatrick said everyone is invited and that Ms. Green would be facilitating. Mr. Fitzpatrick said he was going to consult with Hank Ackermann to obtain a list of his Neighborhood Associations. Ms. Green said a marketing and promotion meeting with staff has been scheduled and at the meeting it will be determined to whom the information should be furnished and how it would be marketed through the newspaper. Ms. Green said notices would be sent to the “People Boards” and also general media releases will be distributed to the Boynton Times, Palm Beach Post and the Sun Sentinel. Ms. Green said she would ask the Boynton Times to do a feature and will suggest that they contract Mr. Fitzpatrick. Mr. Fitzpatrick said that before the elections he took candidate Bill Sherman to the Seacrest Scrub and Mr. Fitzpatrick hopes that Mr. Sherman would be a supporter like Matt Bradley was with the playgrounds. Mr. Fitzpatrick said his meetings were small, but were going well and a lot has been accomplished in laying the groundwork. Mr. Fitzpatrick said that Jose Alfaro of staff would look at the selected properties and determine their cost. (f) Monthly Report Members reviewed the monthly report presented to them. Chairperson Thomas asked if any member had any questions or comments. Compliments on the format of the monthly report were made. Ms. Green pointed out that the printing in bold under comments is what is new. This makes it easier to see what has been added to the list and it can be determined what it took to complete a particular project. Ms. Green said this is the same format furnished to the City Manager’s Office. Mr. McMahon noted that 30,000 people visited the Beach, which is two to three times more people than in the past. Chairperson Thomas noted that the parking lot had been closed on different occasions because it was full. 3 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 Mr. McMahon asked if meter parking was still being considered. Ms. Green said staff is in the process of a study and the parking attendants are counting the number of vacant spaces, number of decal cars and other statistical details in order to examine the data over a six to eight week period. As soon as the data is received, it will be used to analyze whether the initial conclusion, which determined it was not cost effective to implement a meter system, holds true. Ms. Green said it is anticipated they would make a recommendation with the budget submittal in April. V. NEW BUSINESS (a) Advisory Board Open Forum Representation Ms. Green said that one or more representatives from this Board should plan to attend the next Open Forum and Ms. Green pointed out that no one from this Board attended the last Open Forum. Chairperson Thomas requested Ms. Green give an update of what takes place at the Forums. Ms. Green said normally each Board would share the types of projects they are working on and identify their successes and accomplishments. Also, Boards determine if there is a project that the Boards can work on as a team. Ms. Green said the Children and Youth Board would like to do another Butterfly Garden. Ms. Green said the Butterfly Garden at the Arts Center is beautiful. The Parks Division keeps it well maintained and there is a great deal of color and a great number of butterflies. Ms. Green said that typically the meetings are on Saturday and usually take place between 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. It was determined that no date for the next Open Forum has been set, but it is being hosted by the Education Advisory Board and would probably take place at the Library. Also, it is expected that the Open Forum would be held during a Commission orientation. Chairperson Thomas requested that if the Open Forum is set before this Board’s next meeting, someone should contact all the Board members to let them know when the Forum would take place. Mr. Fitzpatrick asked who would be facilitating the Forum and was informed that Ms. Dawn Russell, Chairperson of the Education Advisory Board would be the facilitator. Ms. Green said that the Chairperson of the Board that is responsible for the Forum is usually the facilitator of the meeting. 4 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 (b) New Teen Club at Civic Center Ms. Green said that the Library and the Recreation Department have been working closely to come up with a solution to a challenge at the Library. Ms. Green said there is a number of teens who have not been using the Library for library purposes, but using it as a place to socialize. Ms. Green said the Library is not intended to be a place to socialize. Therefore, some City resources have been reallocated to purchase indoor and outdoor game equipment for use in the East Room at the Civic Center to be used for that purpose. Also, the parking lot and the grounds area will be used for outdoor recreation. The children were asked for their input on what they would like to do and there were all kinds of ideas submitted. Some children wanted to play kickball and volleyball. Other children wanted to go on field trips; others wanted to learn to dance. Some wanted tutoring and some wanted to play video games. Ms. Green said that all the things requested by the teens, staff is doing their best to provide. Ms. Green said that A. D. Henehan of the Library staff has submitted a grant for ten computers at the Hester Center, ten computers for the Senior Center, five computers for the Wilson Center and five computers for the teen club facility at the Civic Center. The computers will have access to the Internet and the children will be taught how to use the Internet and how to use the computers. The Recreation Department and the Library are working together as a team to solve this challenge. In a few weeks the program will be handed entirely over to the youth and they will implement their own discipline and their own ideas and programming. Ms. Green said this should really be an asset for the City. The children will have two options. They can either be in Library doing their homework or using the computer, but if they want to socialize they would be asked to go over to the Teen Club. Ms. Green said the Club is open to teens and pre-teens. The children are being encouraged to make decisions on their own and that is the reason it is being called a club. Ms. Green said this is not a Teen Center; it will remain the Civic Center. However the East Room in the Civic Center will be utilized for the Teen Club. Ms. Green said there is still available a game room at the Hester Center and this will remain unchanged. Ms. Green said that Steve Lulkin and Carolyn Sims of staff will be responsible for supervising from a facilitation standpoint, and the children will run their own club. Also, the field trips will have adult supervision. Chairperson Thomas asked how many teens participated and Ms. Green said at the first meeting 27 teens attended. It is anticipated that when the Club is fully operational, it would have about 100 teens. The Club will be open from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays. The Club will not be open on Tuesdays. 5 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 Mr. McMahon suggested approaching IBM that offers many different programs that retirees participate in and also can provide computer equipment, both hardware and software. Mr. Williams asked why the east game room had been closed in the first place and Ms. Green did not know. Mr. Williams said there used to be a game room in the Civic Center. Ms. Green stated that the City is in need of a Civic Center that would be large enough to hold two floors that could also have a separate entrance and facility for a Teen Center. Ms. Green said that the game room was probably closed because participation dwindled. Ms. Green said the children have been using the Library as a safe place to go. Mr. Williams said the children on this side of the City need a place to go, because the Hester Center is too far away if the children don’t have transportation. Ms. Green stated this is not a long-term solution for a recreational facility in the southern part of the City. Mr. Williams said it wasn’t right to throw kids out of the Library. Ms. Green said that children are welcomed to use the Library for study and homework purposes. However, when the children begin to socialize, act up and eat in the Library, leaving trash and papers, the youth will be asked to leave. Ms. Green said no child would be asked to leave the Library simply because they said something to someone. Mr. Williams inquired if the Library had any black personnel and if so, they should be able to control the children. Ms. Green said the Library staff is not trained to handle children in a recreational setting. Mr. McMahon inquired if a Teen Center is being included in a future City master plan. Ms. Green said a Teen Center has not been identified as a separate facility. Ms. Green stated that the Advisory Board on Children and Youth has expressed interest in a Teen Center and this was discussed at the Community Forum. Ms. Green said that it would be much easier to staff one building that has several components, than to staff several different buildings. Ms. Green said that part of the Visions 20/20 Plan envisioned that the Senior Center would be located on the land where the condos are located next to the Civic Center. If the City decides to purchase those condos, that would be a good location for a two-story Civic Center. Ms. Green said this is all conceptual and only in the discussion stage. There has been no commitments for potential funding or even the location of a new Civic Center. Mr. Harris thought it was important to have a Teen Center when applying for All America City. 6 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 Chairperson Thomas noted that several years ago this Board was instrumental in laying out plans for a larger Civic Center, but there was no funding. Mr. Harris also said that the teens could assist the City by utilizing their computer skills. Also, Ms. Green said consideration would also be given for the youth to do some volunteer work at some of the City’s special events, as well as helping the community and giving something back to the community at a young age. Mr. Fitzpatrick asked how the children are selected and Ms. Green said the Club is open to all pre-teen and teens that want to join. Ms. Green said that approximately 60 flyers were distributed for the initial meeting, and 27 youth showed up, which Ms. Green said was a good turnout for the first meeting. (C) G.A.L.A. There was a consensus among the Board members that this was the best ever G.A.L.A. Ms. Green said she was very proud of her staff who did a sensational job and in putting hundreds of hours of work. Ms. Green said it was attended by the largest crowd ever, as well as the most vendors that ever participated. Ms. Green said the Bengal Tigers were a big hit and there was a tremendous variety of youth activities. Also, the food vendors did very well. Ms. Green said she was going to prepare written commendations to her staff. Ms. Green said that the location of the G.A.L.A. was much better than in previous years because it provided more room and a lot more shade trees. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated the Fire Rescue Department responded to five or six heat prostration calls. Mr. Ramnarace asked if there were plans to expand the G.A.L.A. even more. Ms. Green said that some of the expansion objectives were realized this year, which resulted from getting community members, businesses and other advisory board members together for strategic planning sessions. A lot was learned from those planning sessions and that the G.A.L.A. needed to be expanded to make the events more diverse to attract a more ethnically diverse crowd. Ms. Green said a great deal of these ideas was implemented. Ms. Green stated that at one point the Chamber of Commerce expressed an interest in taking over G.A.L.A. and Ms. Green is uncertain of the Chamber’s position at this time. Ms. Green said plans are going forward that the City would be putting on the event next year. The Chamber of Commerce has been asked to send a letter in writing by May 31, 1999 if they have any intention to take over the event. If the Chamber does decide they want to take over the G.A.L.A. it is being discussed that the fine arts section of G.A.L.A. would become a separate event. Some of the artists felt the event has grown into a large children and family event and the people in this market don’t have money to spend for artwork. The G.A.L.A. could continue to offer the craft type items, as well as all the children events and could expand upon that. 7 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 Mr. Harris asked if it was possible that the Chamber would work in conjunction with the City for a couple of years, rather than just let the Chamber take it over completely and that the City and the Chamber could work as co-partners. Ms. Green said the Chamber has previously indicated that if they take over the event, they want to take it over and do it their way. Ms. Green said the City would be agreeable to this and would still provide approximately $8,000 in police, security support and sanitation services. Ms. Green said it is important to make sure that the G.A.L.A. would succeed and the City would not walk completely away from it. It is intended the Chamber could use their resources to make it even bigger. Motion Chairperson Thomas recommended that this Board send a letter to the Recreation and Parks Department commending their staff members on the G.A.L.A. Chairperson Thomas made this a motion, which was seconded by Ed Harris and carried unanimously. Ms. Green said she would follow through on this request. Chairperson Thomas inquired on the status of the old Schoolhouse. Ms. Green stated there was nothing new to report and that there has been no funding identified for the building. Ms. Green stated that the Florida Stage Company was looking at the feasibility of turning the Schoolhouse into a theatre for children. However, the former Director of the Florida Stage Company secured a new job with the Kravis Center. Mr. McMahon inquired who owned the property and Ms. Green stated the City. Ms. Green said at the moment the City is trying to complete the Children’s Museum and has received some additional bond money to do this. Ms. Green said that Virginia Farace, Arlene Dennison and Bill DeBeck have done a wonderful job. (d) Other Mr. Ramnarace stated that his team plays cricket at Rolling Green and there are now four soccer teams that want to play soccer on the field. Mr. Ramnarace requested if the City could fix the field so that the soccer teams can be accommodated. Mr. Ramnarace said he is going to sponsor these teams. Mr. Ramnarace said that the field is not used for baseball. Also, Mr. Ramnarace said that cricket teams from all over the world will be coming to play at Rolling Green. 8 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 Ms. Green said she would pass this information on to John Wildner. Mr. Ramnarace stated presently they have Haitian, Jamaican, and Mexican teams that would like to play there and if there is no facility available, the teams have to travel to Ft. Lauderdale. Also, Mr. Ramnarace said that the City needs a place where people can go and hold meetings. Ms. Green stated that the City Club would be a replacement facility for Royal Palm Clubhouse, which is a small facility. The new City Club facility is 7,000 square feet and will be able to accommodate several meetings at the same time. The City Club will be available for meetings, as well as for rentals. Mr. Fitzpatrick wished to add further comments about the G.A.L.A. He said the Bengal Tigers were a big hit and would like to see them back next year. Also, Mr. Fitzpatrick liked having the kids’ rides available on Thursday night. Mr. Fitzpatrick said the only negative comments he heard was why Seacrest closed. Ms. Green said that it was not the City’s intent to close off Seacrest and the Police Department closed off Seacrest at nd Woolbright. The residents between 2 to Woolbright had to detour to get to their homes and this was not advertised. Ms. Green said that DOT required that the street be closed at Woolbright and staff did not receive this information until the day the street was actually closed. Ms. Green thought if people were notified in advance of the closing, it would not have been such an inconvenience. Ms. Green stated that the barricades were placed so that people could have access to their driveways. It was also noted that the Shopper Hopper buses contributed to the success of the G.A.L.A. and that the bus personnel were prompt and friendly. Ms. Green commended staff in recognizing that three places would be needed for parking and shuttling. Also, it was noted that many adults would have liked the artists’ booths to remain open in the evening. Ms. Green said that the artists arrive at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and by 6:00 p.m. are tired and have sat in a booth all day. Ms. Green said that the artists said they would not be interested in being open in the evening. Ms. Green said this is the reason consideration is being given to staging a separate fine arts event so that specific hours could be set that would include evening hours. Also, additional lighting would be necessary for evening viewing. Also, artists prefer to show their work in daylight as opposed to artificial light. Chairperson Thomas asked Mr. Harris to speak to the Board about his induction into the Palm Beach County Hall of Fame recently. Mr. Harris circulated a brochure from the event for members to review. Chairperson Thomas said she attended with Mr. and Mrs. Dan Winters and stated the event was a very impressive. Mr. Harris said it was very exciting and there were four inductees that evening. Mr. Harris said this was the largest crowd to ever attend the event. Mr. Harris requested 9 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION & PARK BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA MARCH 22, 1999 that the record reflect his appreciation for Ms. Green and the City’s Park and Recreation Board for providing the opportunity for everyone to attend and was pleased to see so many supporters from all over the State present. Chairperson Thomas noted that the outstanding amateur athlete that evening was a young girl who gave a wonderful speech. Also, there was recognition for the Special Olympics. Ms. Green announced that Ms. Meg Hooper has been hired as the new Special Events th Coordinator and will begin her position on April 6. Ms. Debbie Majors has requested to step down to a Supervisor II position in order to spend more time with her family. Ms. Green gave a brief background description on Ms. Hooper. VI. NEXT MEETING: APRIL 26, 1999 VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting properly adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _________________________________ Barbara M. Madden Recording Secretary (one tape) 10