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Minutes 02-27-12 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2012, AT 6:30 P.M., IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BLVD. BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Elizabeth Pierce -Roe, Chair Wally Majors, Recreation & Parks Director John McVey, Vice Chair Charles Kanter Robert Lapin Catherine Scantlan Janelle Sloan I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Pierce -Roe called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. II. ATTENDANCE Chair Pierce -Roe called the roll. A quorum was present. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion Ms. Scantlan moved to approve the minutes as presented. Mr. Kanter seconded the motion which passed unanimously. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Veterans Park, (Ocean Avenue) — follow up Wally Majors, Director of Recreation and Parks, informed the Board the Commission decided not to accept the recommendation from this Board and the Veterans Advisory Commission regarding the request to rename the Park on Ocean Avenue to Dewey Park. There were two dissenting voters on the Commission who preferred a more contemporary name be used in keeping with the City's Branding efforts. B. Recreation & Open space Element of the City's Comp Plan — Policy 5.1.1. "The City shall continue to assess park adequacy, future facility needs, and user preferences and willingness to pay through, at minimum, the following methods: Input from the City's Recreation & Parks Advisory Board, special interest groups, and public meetings." 1 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 27, 2012 At the last meeting, the Recreation and Open Space Element was discussed and feedback from the Board regarding the City's parks was requested. Mr. Majors explained part of the reason the Board takes the tour each year was to provide a sense of what exists. He noted the tour also included parks that were not developed. The members were encouraged to share any comments they had. V. New Business A. Schedule Parks Tour Ms. Scantlan explained she lives in the Meadows and she has an interest in the park there. She was unsure where her role as a resident and her role as a Board member began and ended. She considered the vacant park at the Meadows to be blighted, and did not want the park to fall by the wayside. She inquired if the land the City was selling was park land, as she preferred the undeveloped park in the Meadows not be sold. Mr. Majors responded he was fairly confident it would not be offered for sale. Additionally, Mr. Kanter suggested it was not in the City's best interest to sell any land. He thought leasing it to increase cash flow and have greater control and flexibility over its use would be more appropriate. Mr. Majors pointed out there had been significant improvements made at the beach, the park on Congress Avenue, and there was discussion about moving forward with the Blueway /Bikeway Plan. The latter plan raised interest regarding sites along the Intracoastal Waterway and Quantum Park. In two meetings, the Board will have toured more than half the parks and in May or June, while he was working on the budget, Mr. Majors would include the Board's recommendations for parks to be developed in the future. Lengthy discussion followed that a Needs Assessment would be conducted in October /November; part of which includes an analysis of the parks and park facilities. Staff had created a list of park facilities. Maps would depict where parks were located and what areas were lacking. Ms. Scantlan had several questions regarding park costs, expenses and usage, which Mr. Majors agreed to try to provide. Much of the information requested was already contained in the budget. Chair Pierce -Roe recalled the last Needs Assessments covered many aspects of the community and amenities. She thought a form given to the members to jot down their comments while visiting the parks should be used, as it was used in the past. Seven thousand postcards had been mailed and email blasts were also used in prior surveys as the responses had to be quantifiable. She liked the way the system and activities were studied. Maintenance, operational and ADA issues also had to be considered. Mr. Majors agreed to put a schedule together for the next agenda and explained that the parks were usually toured by City quadrant. He would point out the more active 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 27, 2012 facilities and noted the smaller areas were difficult to assess, as estimates of their uses were speculative. A handout of available information would be provided. B. Adopt -a -Park (Jaycee, Oceanfront, Oyer, Intracoastal, Meadows, Knollwood and Forest Hill parks are currently adopted (bags and gloves are provided.) Chair Pierce -Roe noted the Adopt -a -Park program was now available as the Recreation and Parks Department welcomed assistance. The Sand Sifters had been consistently cleaning Oceanfront Park, and other parks could be cleaned and "adopted" as well. Discussion turned to Quantum Park, which Mr. Kanter was told was a priority. He noted there were residential subdivisions as well as commercial establishments and warehouses in the District, and he inquired if the population influenced the decision to make that park a priority. Mr. Majors responded many factors were taken into consideration including the availability of grants and funding, but a Needs Assessment and Board input was the most effective method of gathering information and determining priorities. The Board should be representative of life, experience, ethnicity and need. There could be several priorities. C. Department Annual Report Mr. Majors distributed a draft of the Annual Report to the members for their review. D. Youth Empowerment Center Gang Prevention Grant Extension (March 31, 2012 through September 30, 2012) Mr. Majors explained the Recreation and Parks Department has an important role in the County's efforts as it related to gang activity. One of the City's facilities has become a fairly distinguished Center in terms of their program and had received various grants for a Youth Empowerment Center at the Carolyn Sims Center. The program was primarily dedicated to teens who avail themselves to programs in digital music, theater, and mentoring, to name a few, all of which are managed by instructors He noted of the five Youth Empowerment Centers, the Boynton Beach Center was the only Center with a case manager. Additionally, the grant which subsidizes the program was approved on the Federal and County level to extend the program to the end of September. The City would continue to seek grant opportunities after September and would make every effort to fund the program. The Florida Fishing Academy was not in the program during the last year, although it was a past provider and is used for some of the City's summer programs. More recently a lease agreement was entered into allowing the Florida Fishing Academy to use the building on the western edge of Harvey Oyer, Jr. Park. It was noted the provider received national recognition. 3 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 27, 2012 The Wedding at Oceanfront Park, which had been postponed because the groom was in Haiti, would be held in May. The City would provide all of the elements of a wedding for the young couple on the improved Boardwalk. He noted the bride was an accountant at the Convention Center. VI. ITEMS FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S ATTENTION None. VII. NEXT MEETING: APRIL 23, 2012 The members would meet at 6 p.m. by the Civic Center. A quorum was needed to meet and Mr. Majors would put together an agenda to tour the parks on the east side of the City first. The cost for the parks would be provided, as well as the form used in evaluating the parks that was previously used, and a list of amenities at the parks. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p m. OttaQ ILL�C.l_ Na ky, Catherine Cherry Recording Secretary 032912 4