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Minutes 02-23-15 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BLVD., BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015, AT 6:30 P.M. PRESENT: Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Chair Wally Majors, Recreation and Parks Director Catherine Scantlan, Vice Chair Glenda Hall, staff Michael Byrd Robert Lapin Renee Stern ABSENT : Charles Kanter Jeffrey Fromknecht Julie Mondello, Alternate I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Pierce-Roe called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. II. ATTENDANCE Roll was called by Chair Pierce-Roe; a quorum was present. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION made by Ms. Stern, seconded by Mr. Byrd, to approve the minutes of the 01/26/15 meeting with the noted corrections. The board agreed by consensus to approve. The following corrections were noted: rd  p. 5, last paragraph, 3 line – “Mikel’s” should be “Nikel’s” st  p. 7, third paragraph, 1 sentence – change to “Discussion ensued about the possible link between artificial turf and illness. Mr. Majors stated there was a report about a link between granulated tires and cancer, and it warranted further analysis.” IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Lake Ida Property Mr. Majors reported that Chair Pierce-Roe and Mr. Byrd attended the Commission meeting, and Chair Pierce-Roe spoke in favor of the acquisition of the property. He said Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 23, 2015 the acquisition of the property is no longer on the table at this time. Chair Pierce-Roe thought the problem was that most people who were opposed to the acquisition were not well-informed on the matter, particularly the importance of the property with the blueways, greenways, and bike paths. Chair Pierce-Roe commented on the feeling of safety she has being adjacent to a park, and expressed her appreciation to the police and the employees of the Parks and Recreation Department for all they do. Mr. Majors stated he did not have the opportunity to talk to Commissioner Fitzpatrick about pursuing the project, but did say that the City of Delray has some interest in the connectivity aspect. Chair Pierce-Roe noted that, despite public perception, Girl Scout Park had no reported incidents of vandalism going back five years. Residents who complained of vandalism were citing events from 30 years ago. Chair Pierce-Roe reported that the Mayor indicated a desire to see Girl Scout Park progress. B. Priority List of Undeveloped Park Sites Mr. Majors advised that Mr. Kanter had requested that he bring to the Board’s attention the fact that the Quantum Park Overlay District is moving forward with creating a master plan for the Quantum Park site and the preservation area adjacent to the park site. Mr. Majors stated he did not know what the City’s stance was on that. He continued that the District may be creating a situation where they develop the site and the City maintains it. Mr. Kanter’s recommendations (per Mr. Kanter’s request) follow: 1. Quantum Park site 2. Girl Scout Park site 3. Barrier-Free Park site Vice Chair Scantlan shared a document that listed sites which may be future developments:  Winchester Park  Nikel’s Road Park  FP&L Park  Girl Scout Park  Meadows Nautica  Quantum Park  Woolbright Place Park site Vice Chair Scantlan asked which of these would be viable sites. Mr. Majors said that the Nikel’s Road site is not even within the City limits and would not be a contender - 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 23, 2015 there are a lot of issues with gopher tortoises. Another is Woolbright Place: Mr. Majors said it is a tiny L-shaped property within Leisureville surrounded by residential. At best it would serve three or four houses. He said the parks with the best potential as far as future development are Girl Scout Park, Quantum Park site, and Meadows Nautica. Vice Chair Scantlan verified they are just talking about the part of the Quantum property that is owned by the City. Mr. Majors commented removing the exotics would be a lot of work, as well as eliminating the dumped trash. He cited the best features of the park:  Within blueway bikeway plan  Access to the C16 canal  Access to bikeway  Identified along Quantum Boulevard  Naturally beautiful setting  Strong potential for eco park  Lends itself to grants Regarding Girl Scout Park, Mr. Majors cited the following outstanding features:  Proximity to water  Incredible serene canopy The FP&L site offers the following attributes:  Water access  Beautiful setting  (But a lot of work since it is densely vegetated) Finally, Mr. Majors noted the following regarding Meadows Nautica:  Better condition today than in past  Residents are anxious for the City to do something Mr. Majors said Oceanfront Park came up at the meeting because the boardwalk and pergolas were damaged by the hurricane. Chair Pierce-Roe suggested speaking to the community around Girl Scout Park about their feelings regarding the site. She said some of the residents there had asked her why the site was locked, and they wanted to use the site. Mr. Majors responded it would be good to find a neutral place to meet. Mr. Lapin commented that he lives next door to the Barrier-Free Park and said it was negative for him due to noise. However, he felt if the park were brought up to its “world- class” potential, it would provide special recognition and superior visibility for the City. Mr. Majors said they are applying for a grant from the State of Florida to help fund the last piece of playground equipment. He added there are a few items that would be good for the future there: a therapeutic recreation center, extension of the trail around 3 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 23, 2015 the pond area on the southern end, and construction of a dock-like structure at the pond for remote control boat users. Ms. Stern suggested connecting with a State department that deals with people with handicaps to promote the Barrier-Free Park. Ms. Stern also suggested bringing the park’s attention to the Education Department. Mr. Majors said a therapy organization was aware of the park. Ms. Stern mentioned the lack of statistics on the park’s use, and Mr. Majors said that was not uncommon due to staff resources. He added that the Quantum Foundation (which donated the money to help fund the Fit Zone) has requested an analysis to determine the frequency of the park use. Mr. Majors said he could have a letter prepared on the Board’s behalf to send to the Education Department (local and/or state). Mr. Majors reported they had installed enclosed bulletin boards at some of the parks, and they have an active dedicated marketing and promotion section within the Parks and Recreation Department. Chair Pierce-Roe brought up the possibility of grant money for parks like FP&L that have water access to allow canoes, boat ramps, etc. Mr. Majors stated they look for grants through agencies such as the Florida Inland Navigational District (have received in the past), and the Land and Conservation Fund. He added the City has a Grants Coordinator. Mr. Lapin wanted the Board to review what special features (such as audio for the blind) could be incorporated into the Barrier-Free Park. Mr. Majors said he could bring back the master plan, and again mentioned having a therapeutic center there. He added that they work with community agencies in providing services for those with disabilities. Vice Chair Scantlan recommended contacting the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to get information on group homes. She said the homes have email lists that might be utilized. Mr. Majors said the Parks and Recreation Department is one of the leaders in the community in accommodating people with special needs. Vice Chair Scantlan said Palm Beach County is offering a free five-week course on neighborhood revitalization that she will attend beginning March 10. Mr. Majors reminded the Board to let him know of any items they want on the agenda. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Synthetic Turf Grant – NFL Foundation Mr. Majors reported that the updated quote they got for installing turf at the Hester Football Field was over $650,000. He continued that he found a lot of information about 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida February 23, 2015 any potential relationship between the artificial turf and cancer from the City of Boca Raton. He referred to a study from the University of Connecticut that found no relation between the two. Mr. Majors said he would provide more detailed information if they reach a point where they have to decide on the turf. There was a brief discussion about the revenues from the cell tower at Hester Park. Mr. Majors advised that the City provided the money to install the press box there. Chair Pierce-Roe pointed out the importance of taking advantage of opportunities for land acquisition when they arise. B. Meetings at other facilities Mr. Majors offered to look into having some meetings at other sites to see what is new at the different parks and their facilities. Vice Chair Scantlan asked who does the maintenance for the parks; Mr. Majors replied it is handled by Public Works. If someone calls the Parks and Recreation Department with a maintenance request, he will help them. Mr. Majors said that maintaining the parks is a challenge for the City, being low on resources. There was a discussion on the differences between Delray and Boynton Beach. Mr. Majors allowed a discussion on getting shirts for the Board, explaining the parameters for adding items to the agenda. Vice Chair Scantlan said she wanted green shirts – green to represent parks. Mr. Majors said they must get permission to use the City seal, and they go through a process of obtaining quotes from vendors. Chair Pierce-Roe thought name tags would be helpful if they could not do the shirts. Mr. Majors will check on using the City seal, and the Board can look at shirt options. Mr. Majors said the Barrier-Free 5K Charity Walk/Run raised over $3,500. Ms. Stern wanted more publicity for the event and volunteered to help. VI. ITEMS FOR THE CITY MANAGER’S ATTENTION – None VII. NEXT MEETING – March 23, 2015 VII. ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further business, Chair Pierce-Roe adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Minutes transcribed by J. Rubin, Prototype, Inc.] 5