Minutes 07-27-15
MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD IN
COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BLVD.,
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015, AT 6:30 P.M.
PRESENT:
Catherine Scantlan, Vice Chair Wally Majors, Recreation and Parks Director
Michael Byrd Glenda Hall, Forestry and Grounds Manager
Charles Kanter
Robert Lapin
Julie Mondello, Alternate
Renee Stern
ABSENT
:
Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Chair
Jeffrey Fromknecht
I. CALL TO ORDER
Acting Chair Scantlan called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
II. ATTENDANCE
Roll was called, and a quorum was present.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion
made by Ms. Stern, seconded by Mr. Kanter, to approve the minutes of the
04/27/15 meeting as written. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously.
IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Greater Boynton Beach Foundation
- deferred
B. Shade Sails
Mr. Majors reviewed that there was money in the budget for shade sails at
approximately $75,000 each for the Intracoastal and one other location. He preferred a
park that has poured-in-place rubber, since it will help protect it from sun exposure.
Mr. Majors presented images of several parks that have the poured-in-place rubber
ground surface. He said that the Barrier-Free Park has a small playground with no
shade. Another candidate for the shade sail would be the playground at Jaycee Park
Meeting Minutes
Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 27, 2015
on South Federal Highway. He said that park is very popular, but is odd-shaped. About
half the park is shaded from existing landscaping.
In addition, there is a large playground at Ezell Hester Park, but it has a different
playground surface.
Mr. Majors hoped they would be able to install more sails over time using the Park
Impact Fee fund.
Acting Chair Scantlan recalled that the Boynton Beach Coast Park had sails but had
problems with paint coming off the posts – it was an issue with the vendor. Mr. Majors
said that situation was not good, and a settlement has been made. He said some sails
at Oyer Park are doing well and also the existing ones at Barrier-Free Park. Mr. Majors
stated that the sails have to be taken down for any storm over a Category One; putting
them back up entails a cost.
Mr. Lapin thought pergolas with slatted roofs were more effective in producing shade
than the sails. Mr. Majors commented that those pergolas tended to lean in a storm and
said the wood for pergolas would be much more expensive than the sails. Mr. Kanter
wondered if the sails could be rolled up (such as is done on a sailboat) in the event of a
storm.
Mr. Majors thought the warranty for the sails was 10 years, but he expected to see them
last about twice that long.
Most members of the Board chose Barrier-Free Park for the next shade sail, but several
favored the Jaycee Park. However, Mr. Majors wanted a full Board to make the final
decision.
Motion
made by Ms. Stern, seconded by Mr. Kanter, to table the item until the next
meeting. Motion not brought to a vote.
C. System Master Plan
Mr. Majors reported that the Department wanted feedback from the Board regarding
items like provision of services, facilities, programs, etc. In particular, Mr. Majors
mentioned Quantum Park and Girl Scout Park as facilities the Department is interested
in.
Mr. Majors said the public will be invited to a meeting to provide feedback for the Master
Plan. He reminded the Board that the level of service is 2.5 acres per 1,000 residents,
and they currently have enough acreage to meet that level of service with current
population projections. He commented that the level of service is a line of defense
against development.
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Meeting Minutes
Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 27, 2015
V. NEW BUSINESS
A. REAP Program
Acting Chair Scantlan gave a PowerPoint presentation on Resident Education to Action
Program (REAP), noting that the material is on the REAP website. Highlights of her
presentation follow:
Five-week hands-on educational program
Goal to provide community revitalization and civic leadership development
training
Promotes legal formation of neighborhood associations
Empowers residents to seek a better quality of life
Solve neighborhood issues
o
Practice writing letter of intent for grants and grant-writing
Open to all communities in Palm Beach County
Program put on by the Office of Community Relations in Palm Beach County
(funded by a grant)
Sessions may feature lectures, group exercises, oral presentations
All course and materials are free
Only two people attended from Boynton Beach – Lake Worth applied and
received several neighborhood $5,000 grants
Examples of grants:
Neighborhood Watch program
o
Community gardens
o
Re-greening of greenways
o
Improvement of playground areas
o
Level of green space
o
Landscape improvements
o
Rules for projects:
Must be in Palm Beach County
o
If on private property, property owner’s consent is required
o
If public, appropriate governmental consent
o
Support of adjacent property owners
o
Involving neighborhood residents directly in all phases
o
Provide match directly related to the total project cost (cash, in-kind,
o
volunteer time, etc.)
Must be visible, accessible, and beneficial to the participating community
o
and general public
Completed within 12 months
o
Responsible person to head it
o
May supplement, but not conflict with, existing public improvement
o
programs
Inform City Commission of the program
Four major categories for grants:
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Meeting Minutes
Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 27, 2015
Neighborhood beautification
o
Neighborhood organization obtain 501(c)3
o
Neighborhood unification
o
Neighborhood identification
o
Grants that are not supported:
Projects with another source of County funding
o
Projects in conflict with existing County projects/policies
o
Maintenance
o
Health and Human services
o
Health fairs
o
By consensus, the Board agreed that Vice Chair Scantlan and Mr. Majors could work
together to draft a letter to the City Manager to see if the City is aware of the program
and to see if an announcement/presentation could be made at an upcoming City
Commission meeting.
Discussion ensued on ways to promote the program, such as flyers at the library,
Facebook, website, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
Mr. Majors suggested that the City may be able to match the grant through their special
project funds.
B. Crowdfunding
Mr. Kanter reported he had just met with Vice Mayor Casello and a representative from
the City’s legal department regarding Crowdfunding and other alternatives to funding of
Quantum Park. He wanted to ensure that everything that is done in that regard is legal
and not in conflict to whatever else is being done.
Mr. Kanter said there is a 15-member committee ready to get the park underway. He
said Crowdfunding is legal, as long as it is not done by the City and not connected to
the City in any way. Any money collected would be donated to construction of the park
in a certain way.
Mr. Kanter continued there will be a meeting with Vice Mayor Casello at the firehouse in
October, and asked the Board if they had any objections to proceeding with the funding.
Mr. Kanter spoke about the need for Quantum Park for the growing population.
Mr. Majors clarified that if Mr. Kanter were approaching the Board as an individual, there
would be no objection. If he were approaching it as a member of the RPB, then he
would need the support and vote of the Board. Mr. Kanter said it would be much easier
to do it with the support of the Board, especially when getting publicity.
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Meeting Minutes
Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida July 27, 2015
Mr. Kanter mentioned that the Board already has a draft plan, and the PBSO wants a
place there to train dogs.
Mr. Majors wished to hear Chair Pierce-Roe’s opinion before making a decision,
although he supported the concept. He recalled that, at a budget workshop, the City
Manager requested that Mr. Majors ask for Board feedback specifically on this topic.
He hoped to clear it up at the next meeting.
Mr. Lapin wondered if the City was going to donate the land and if the community was
going to fund the park. Mr. Kanter said it would be a regular City Park, and the
community is anxious to get it going.
Ms. Stern said the Board has to decide on their funding priorities. Mr. Majors advised
that the maintenance cost for the park also has to be considered in depth, and again
emphasized that he wanted the input of the whole Board.
Mr. Lapin did not see anything wrong with Mr. Kanter’s plan to lobby for the park, and
Mr. Majors agreed, noting that if he is going to go through the Board, then the Board
has to approve it.
Mr. Lapin asked where Quantum Park would fit in the Master Plan. Mr. Majors replied
that he hoped to have a large map showing the City’s parks to display at the next
meeting. He spoke of access concerns and other points of discussion about the site.
Mr. Kanter stated that a smaller version of the map had already been sent out showing
facility locations, functions, etc.
Acting Chair Scantlan brought up a prior discussion that the Board had about funding
for the site. She thought they meant to finish one park before starting another.
Mr. Kanter said the community has already spent money on items, such as the
engineering report, and wants to raise more money. Mr. Majors reiterated that the
Board would need to endorse the proposal.
VI. ITEMS FOR THE CITY MANAGER’S ATTENTION -
NONE
VII. NEXT MEETING – AUGUST 24, 2015
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at 7:34 p.m.
[Minutes transcribed by J. Rubin, Prototype, Inc.]
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