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Minutes 01-27-14 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD O MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014, AT 6:30 P.., IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BOULEVARD, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA r PRESENT: Elizabeth Pierce -Roe, Chair Wally Majors, Director, Recreation & Parks John McVey, Vice Chair Charles Kanter Trevor Rosecrans Catherine Scantlan Renee Stern (arrived 6:36 p.m.) Robert Lapin I. Call to Order Chair Pierce -Roe called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Majors noted there were two alternates and one regular position available on the Board. Attendance Chair Pierce -Roe called the roll. A quorum was present. Mr. Majors commented Mr.. Lapin had indicated he could not attend the meeting. III. Approval of Minutes There was one clarification to the minutes on page 2, last paragraph that the City Attorney will review whether a trial dog park could be instituted for one year. The reference to the one year was the ability to allow people to take a dog to an existing park as long as it was on a leash as the current City Ordinance prohibits any dog, whether leashed or not, in City Parks. Motion Chair Pierce -Roe moved to approve the minutes with the clarification. Ms. Stern seconded the motion that unanimously passed. Unfinished Business A. Dog Parks I. Survey Results — Bark in the Park Event MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 Mr. Majors explained when the Board last met, there was interest in allowing leashed and licensed dogs into some parks. Mr. Majors obtained feedback from six other agencies and he had the survey results the Board members compiled at the Bark in the Park event held at Pence Park. He also had images of parks for the members to review to obtain a sense of their options. The County does not allow leased and licensed dogs in River Bend Park or in athletic parks. Other than those, dogs are allowed in the other parks and the County had no real issues to report. One difference was County parks are large, regional parks. The largest park in Boynton Beach was Hester Park, which was 23 acres. John Prince, Okeeheelee Park and SW Regional Park were several hundred acres. Mr. Majors contacted the Town of Palm Springs. Their ordinance reads, "No person in a park shall permit a dog or other domestic animal in areas where such animals are expressly prohibited. Nothing in this section shall be constructed as permitting the running of dogs at large. All dogs in the areas where animals are permitted are to be restrained at all times on adequate leashes not greater than 10 feet in length. Areas where dogs are prohibited include inside the gates of ball fields, unless they are service dogs, in areas where they have tennis or sand volley ball courts." Mr. McVey left the dais at 6:36 p.m. The Town of Greenacres allows leashed dogs in parks and had no major issues to report; however, they have no designated dog parks. The City of Delray Beach does not allow dogs in parks, but they do follow the County's leash law and allow dogs in the County parks located within Delray Beach. Mr. Majors advised there have been problems with individuals not cleaning up their pet waste. The City of Lake Worth allows dogs in parks when leashed. They do occasionally have problems with owners not picking up the pet waste, but they had no significant issues to report. The City of Boca Raton does not allow dogs in their parks with the exception of Dog Beach. Boca Raton has allocated a fairly large portion of their beach for dogs and he had an article about the park for the edification of the members. In Boca Raton, dog owners must have a permit for the dog, and licenses and vaccinations must be up -to- date. The City of West Palm Beach has several dog parks. Some are small and located within residential areas, and a large park more buffered from residential areas. Mr. McVey returned to the meeting at 6:39 p.m. 2 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 The County's dog parks are fairly large. The County budgeted about $100,000 for maintenance of the dog park in Lake Ida. Based research Mr. Majors conducted, three to five acres was the ideal size for a dog park, from the standpoint of segregating large dogs from small dogs. Since dogs tear up the sod, a portion of the park should be reserved for the sod to recover while rotating the dog areas. Mr. Majors distributed the survey conducted by the Board. He thanked the members for participating in the Bark at the Park event, and thought it was great to have the Board at department events. When surveys are done at the events, it yields much better results if compiled by non -staff as the Board represents the community. If staff conducts the survey, it can be construed as tainted. Mr. Majors acknowledged the recent event was a dog event and he pointed out the response to Item 6 of the survey revealed individuals were willing to pay a fee for this amenity. He noted Mr. Kanter's experience with a dog park in the Keys and Mr. Majors' research of a dog park in Paduca, Kentucky showed that those localities had successful money raising efforts to offset the expenses for the creation of a dog park. He pointed out the Board was dealing with two divergent arenas. One was allowing dogs into existing parks, and the other is does the Board want to create, or support the development of a stand -alone park. The survey indicated residents would be willing to support a stand -alone dog park and if individuals were allowed to bring their dogs to a park, more of them would. There was Board discussion about the dog parks that had no incidents reports and if they were supervised or if someone checked to ensure the dogs were licensed and properly vaccinated. Mr. Majors explained the parks operated on the honor system. The County and City of Boca Raton has a park ranger program. Delray Beach has one as well, but does not police the parks proactively. It enforces the rules reactively on a complaint basis. Mr. Majors explained there must be some degree of self - governance. He referred to Town of Jupiter as the best example of self - governance as there is a dedicated group which entered into an agreement with the Town. Part of the agreement is the group would police itself. The challenge Boynton Beach had was similar to complaints received about smoking at the beach. For several years, the Board was involved with the Sand Sifters and worked to create educational activities to promote the proper disposal of cigarettes or a total ban on them. The City could not ban smoking at the beach, but it does have an Ordinance about littering which could come into play. If complaints arise regarding dogs at the beach, Code Compliance or Police non - emergency personnel would enforce the matter. Mr. Majors pointed out the importance of proper pet waste disposal as it was the most common source of food for rats. 3 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 Discussion followed about the survey results regarding the best location to allow leashed dogs in existing parks and why Oyer Park, the Meadows, Barrier Free and Jaycee Park were mentioned. Chair Pierce -Roe explained they tried to identify parks in specific areas of the City. Many of the respondents were interested in bringing their dogs to a park that had a beach, the Intracoastal, a lake or canal. Mr. Majors suggested reviewing images of City Parks and suggested if the Board thinks they are at the point they can forward a recommendation, it would be up to the City Commission to change the ordinance. Mr. Majors' recommendation would be to have a one -year trial period. Ms. Scantlan inquired if this issue could be put on a referendum on the upcoming election. Mr. Majors responded there are timeframes involved and Commissioner Casello had already expressed an interest in the matter. Mr. Majors had heard indirectly that the CRA may be on a parallel course as they would like to see dogs at special events. This was different because CRA Special Events were not at parks. Chair Pierce -Roe noted the food trucks at Oyer Park were family events, and pets were part of the family. The survey indicated if pet owners can take their dogs to the Park, they would take their children to the Park. If there was a function at the Park, they would be more likely to start using the Park. She thought that was a great asset for the Board when they had events and there were leashed and licensed dogs permitted. Mr. Majors explained aside from the Holiday Parade, the next biggest event was the Fourth of July at Intracoastal Park. At a recent meeting he attended there, he saw over a dozen dogs. Some individuals were diligent about the pet waste and others were not. Along with other Board members, Mr. Kanter helped compile the survey and interviewed participants, police, vendors and others to determine what their interest was in paying to build a dog park. He requested being put on the next agenda and he would review photographs of a dog park he visited in Marathon. Marathon has 8,000 people and the dog park cost about .5 to $1 M to build it. There were 100's of bricks of different sizes and shapes in the walkway paid for by donors and signs indicating money was donated. He thought viewing the park would be beneficial and informative. He would also show two other major parks in the Town. Mr. Majors explained this would be a recurring item for a few months and pointed out park development can take years. The members reviewed the following Parks: ➢ Pioneer Canal Park was about four or five acres. It is a beautiful and popular Park with many rabbits that is often used for its fresh water fishing access and tennis courts. Glenda Hall, Forestry and Grounds Manager, was present and reviewed there are two or three lots adjacent to the park that are City owned. 4 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 The park is 3.5 acres that features boat ramps, sand volley ball and basketball courts. ➢ Oyer Park a /k/a Boat Club Park is primarily a boat launching park and is very busy. It features a small playground, restrooms, pavilions, a small fishing pier and a building used for summer camps and classes. The Florida Fishing Academy is there. The City collects fees on weekends and holidays for boat trailers. It does not have much green space as the County provided funds for parking and green space was paved to make that accommodation. The Park was discussed because of the Food Truck events. Attendees who brought their dogs and were asked to leave; however, boaters frequent the park with their dogs so it was thought it was important to have facilities there for dogs. ➢ Intracoastal Park has a playground, areas for overflow parking, pavilions, restrooms, a clubhouse, kayak launch and it is part of the Blueway plan. There is a seawall so there is a beach at low tide. The Park is popular for walking and jogging as it has a trail and the clubhouse is rented for parties, weddings and special events such as the Fourth of July. The Park is 10 acres including property at the water and 8.5 to 9 acres without the beach. ➢ Boynton Lakes was nearly 10 acres. It features a very small playground and has an extensive trail around it. It is a passive park. There is very little parking and much of the green space in the center of the park is submerged or wet during rainy season. Residents walk leashed dogs along the path on its perimeter and most residents do not leave the path. Chair Pierce -Roe inquired if residents drove or walked to the park. Mr. Majors would check and would check to see whether there were restrictions at the Park. He did not know how comfortable the City Commission would be moving forward using this site as a dog park without the community giving some degree of endorsement. ➢ Jaycee Park is approximately five acres. It features a playground, restrooms, pavilions and a path around the Park. The Park is an interpretive Park with protective mangroves and a pier. It is very popular. There are a lot of strollers and many nearby residents use the park. It is adjacent to Colonial Club and Hampshire Gardens. An active Bocce Ball League plays at the Park on a regular basis and it is used for impromptu sports such as Frisbee. Many young families enjoy the playground. When asked, Glenda Hall, Forestry and Grounds Manager, thought at least one of the adjacent communities allowed pets because pet owners were walking the dogs there. ➢ Meadows Park is a popular and active park featuring tennis courts, sand volley ball and basketball courts, a small playground and pavilions. There is limited parking. There is a privately owned and maintained dog park just to the north of this park. 5 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 ➢ Barrier Free Park was 13.5 acres with tennis courts, a pond, some equipment and buffered areas. Mr. Lapin was opposed to using parks with playgrounds as a dog park or as a trial dog park and believed it would be dangerous to children. Although the dogs would be leashed, Mr. Lapin pointed out that it was assumed dog owners would abide by the regulations. He was concerned with issues regarding insurance and rats. Vice Chair McVey explained there are very few parks in the City without playgrounds and parents frequent them with their children and their dogs on a leash. Chair Pierce - Roe also emphasized the consensus the Board obtained from the Bark at the Park event what attendees thought it was a great idea to bring their dogs on a leash. Discussion followed the Bark at the Park event was supervised and the individuals who attended the event care about their dogs. Mr. Majors pointed out Jupiter residents got together and decided they would do whatever they could do to bring their dogs to the beach. Some individuals view their dogs as family members and inquired if the City would hold pet parades or costume contests for them. Mr. Lapin was dubious about the matter as a good percentage of pet owners were not as careful. Vice Chair McVey noted Lake Worth has had a dog parade down the avenue for the last 25 years without incident. Mr. Lapin explained it was also a supervised event. Chair Pierce -Roe pointed out the Board was contemplating a specific park with facilities for dogs on a leash. She invited the Board to attend a Paws in the Park event on Sunday, February 9 th in West Palm Beach to see the facilities, how the event is handled and how the dogs behave around children. It is a huge event and hundreds of dog owners bring their pets. Mr. Majors reiterated the discussion was to identify one of the City's existing parks to allow leashed dogs for a one -year trial period, and to determine whether the park can be maintained and learn of the issues. Chair Pierce -Roe explained selecting a park for a trial period did not mean everyone in the City would frequent it. She also commented the Animal Control Officer favored the idea. The concept should be tested before the City expends funds. Ms. Stern thought the Board should pick an area where it would have the most success. Mr. Majors would approach the City Manager about moving forward and hosting a community meeting for residents near the parks or whether to bring it before the City Commission. Ms. Stern commented ground rules would have to be established and presented to the park users. Mr. Majors explained the Board would be making a recommendation to the City Commission and they would have to amend the Ordinance. Mr. Majors thought it would be beneficial for the Board to be heard by the Homeowner's Association to discuss the matter before it was brought to the City Commission to be aware of the feedback. Ms. Scantlan inquired if the local neighborhood newspaper would be invited to the meeting to share what was being considered. Mr. Majors 6 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 thought it they did so as a Board, it would be done via a formal letter through the Chair. If it was done before the City Commission, the local papers are already in attendance. Chair Pierce -Roe thought an endorsement from the CRA would be helpful, but Mr. Majors pointed out there are only a few parks located within the CRA District. However, it would make sense from a special event standpoint. Ms. Scantlan commented for the record, at the Bark at the Park event, there was a woman who insisted on having her dog off the leash. Ms. Scantlan reminded her of the leash law. There was also a couple who were not interested in following the regulations. Ms. Scantlan explained there are those with that mindset who would make her nervous. Mr. Majors explained he had socialized his dogs when they were young. Now that they were older, his veterinarian agreed dog parks were not appropriate for older dogs. Chair Pierce -Roe suggested continuing the discussion at the next meeting to allow the members to attend the Paws event in West Palm Beach. Mr. Majors was available to take members to various parks, and he agreed it would not take much for uncooperative pet owners to ruin the effort. V. New Business A. Forest Park Request for Consideration Mr. Majors was contacted by Doug Brueggermann and Nathaniel Sieber of the Forest Park community to see if the City would consider developing a Park in their area. He identified the location of the neighborhood and noted the community has over 1,000 homes. Both Mr. Sieber and Mr. Brueggermann were present at the meeting. Nathan Sieber explained his daughter uses the park system extensively and Boynton Beach has excellent parks. He thought they were essential for young children and the community to use, but noted the community is an older community with no common areas and not many play areas. Mr. Sieber requested the City establish a park in the community and offered to help work with the Board. He noted although not permitted, they have used the school's recreational area, or he drives his children to Jaycee Park or the Presbyterian Church parking lot. Vice Chair McVey noted he grew up in the area and when he was younger, the school playgrounds and parks were open year -round for residents. Now, the school district locks them. He inquired if the County could be approached about the matter. The school district just redid Forest Hill Elementary School and it has a beautiful park area. He inquired why the residents could not use the facilities. Mr. Majors explained much changed after 9 -11 and the school tightened its security. There had been recent discussion with the School District and if the City could provide 7 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board B OYNTON BEACH, FL JAN 27, 2014 staff to supervise the Park, the School District had no objection to allowing the Park to be used. Mr. Majors indicated they were able to separate Galaxy Elementary School from the Park. If there was a way to separate the Forest Hill Elementary School from the park, he thought the School District might consider discussing the matter. Previously, residents were allowed to use the facilities there, when school was not in session. Vice Chair McVey thought one way to gain cooperation with the School District was for Risk Management to review and endorse the effort. Mr. Majors thought the request may be better received if it came from the residents as opposed to City staff. He reviewed there are limited areas that qualified as green space. One parcel was identified as a possible location but it was learned it was corporately owned. There was one other lot identified off Woolbright Road which Mr. Majors would check into. Mr. Majors thought if there was a way to fence the school from the park area, both entities could have use of the park until sunset. He suggested they check to see if the School District would finance the installation of a fence to restrict access to the school when it is closed and allow public use of the area. If the Homeowner's Association approached the District, the Advisory Board could provide some type of endorsement indicating there is no parkland in that community. Mr. Majors would draft a letter from the Board indicating the residents approached the Board and they endorsed the allocation of property for recreational purposes. He suggested contacting the principal because if the principal did not agree, it was unlikely the School District would reverse the decision. There was already a best practice in use with Galaxy Elementary School. If positive feedback was received, the community could take things one step further and contemplate additional amenities. An agreement could be reached via a Memorandum of Understanding or Letter of Agreement. Mr. Majors noted there is a statute in place in Florida that implies School Districts and municipalities should share facilities. Mr. Majors commented it was possible the District may say the Park could be used, but the community must have supervision there. The first step was to see if the School District would allow a public use of the space if a solution could be found to maintain safety and restrict school access. If the proposal is favorably received, Mr. Majors would participate however he could as the Board was willing to support their efforts. Vice Chair McVey was unsure if the Homeowners' Association was a non - profit, but he suggested if they received approval, Lowes and Home Depot provide grants. He pointed out they replaced all the Little League fencing for free. On a different matter, the Board requested information on food trucks. Mr. Majors explained the Ordinance was recently enacted and some kinks were being ironed out. 8 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 If a food truck that is consistent with the size and the Ordinance wants to do business in Boynton Beach, they can do so anywhere within the Public Use and Recreational Districts, which includes parks. If there is only one truck, an application fee of $40 must be paid to obtain a Business Tax Receipt if their domicile is within the Corporate City limits. If the owner's domicile is outside City Limits, they have to obtain a Certificate of Use which was $92.16 per year to operate in Boynton Beach in addition to the $40 Business Tax Receipt one -time fee. If one unit wants to locate at a park, the fee is $250 per event. If the truck is affiliated with a City event and invited by the City, the event fee would not apply. Ordinance 13- 27 was promulgated by the Planning and Development Division and was available online. If a food truck was to locate in the City three times a year or more, it would require City Commission approval and the special event permit process requires several signatures. Chair Pierce -Roe noted two out of five establishments that received perfect Health Department reports were food trucks. City staff had compared fees to other areas. They were limited to times, days, and buffer requirements. Two cities they polled did not include Business Tax Receipt fees and five did. The same two did not charge event fees, and six others did. Mr. Majors was fairly confident the fees and standards were comparable with other areas. Ms. Scantlan noted a good food truck attracts crowds. She contacted a food truck via Facebook and was advised Boynton Beach priced them out of the City. The food truck operators wanted Boynton Beach to be a destination that was food truck friendly, and this vendor explained most food trucks were not interested in acquiring a City permit to do business. Her permit was in West Palm Beach and if they had to get a permit in every City, the business would not be profitable. They wanted to continue the event at Oyer Park, and the organizer, the Food Truck Connection, was no longer involved. The cost for parking, lighting, trash trucks and lighting was more than the organizer could afford without passing fees onto other vendors. Local food trucks were looking to gather at Oyer Park for five hours one night a week and they would not compete with local restaurants. The vendor corresponding with Ms. Scantlan would pay $50 per event to do so. As to her permit in West Palm Beach, she can park anywhere outside of the downtown areas to avoid competition with restaurants and that fee was $100 per year. Many customers were asking her when they would be returning and the City was losing by not bringing the food trucks back. Mr. Majors explained this could be brought to the City Manager's attention and thought the comments would be beneficial. Chair Pierce -Roe believed having to pay the $40 application fee and for the License Fee of $92 per year was reasonable. She did not favor the other fee. Mr. Majors agreed to confirm the fees and report back to the Board at the March meeting. It was suggested the Recreation and Parks Department sponsor a food truck event. 9 MEETING MINUTES RECREATION AND PARKS ADVISORY Board BOYNTON BEACH, FL JANUARY 27, 2014 B. Upcoming Events (Barrier Free 5, Play Outdoors ... Unplugged) The next event was Family Fun Day on the third Saturday of the month. Mr. Majors invited the members to attend and help with surveys. He agreed to email the event time, date and location to them. Mr. Majors requested the members encourage all to participate in the Barrier Free RunMalk with proceeds going to benefit the Park. Last year, around 150 people participated and they hoped to expand it to 300 people. Hunter's Run was most accommodating and participants loved the route. Staff received positive feedback from the event. C. Lake Ida Park Parcel Mr. Majors informed the members about a newspaper article regarding Commissioner Fitzpatrick's interest in land at Lake Ida. It is property that was land locked so whoever purchased property to the north would have to grant access to the parcel or there would have to be some type of bridge. The information was for the edification of the members. He noted lakefront property is always beautiful. The property still belonged to the County and its purchase was still under discussion. VI. Items for the City Manager's Attention Ms. Scantlan inquired if food trucks could be invited to the next Play Unplugged event. Mr. Rosecrans requested adding skate parks to the next agenda. VII. Next Meeting: February 24, 2014 Vlll. Adjournment Motion Mr. Rosecrans moved to adjourn. Mr. Kanter seconded the motion that unanimously passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 p.m. &V 1 4 1 Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 029894 10