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Minutes 08-24-15 MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BLVD., BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015, AT 6:30 P.M. PRESENT: Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Chair Wally Majors, Recreation and Parks Director Charles Kanter Glenda Hall, Forestry and Grounds Manager Robert Lapin Debby Coles-Dobay, Public Art Manager Julie Mondello, Alternate Daniel Schapiro, Alternate Renee Stern ABSENT : Catherine Scantlan, Vice Chair Michael Byrd Jeffrey Fromknecht I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Pierce-Roe called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. II. ATTENDANCE Roll was called, and a quorum was present. Daniel Schapiro introduced himself, noting he is very interested in parks and wanted to get involved. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion made by Ms. Stern, seconded by Mr. Kanter, to approve the minutes of the July 27, 2015, meeting as presented. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Kanter noted that on the agenda, the next meeting should be “September 21, not September 24, 2015.” IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Greater Boynton Beach Foundation Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 Lori Wilkinson, Chairperson of the Greater Boynton Beach Foundation, introduced herself and Steve Waldman, also a founding member of the Foundation. Ms. Wilkinson provided a brief history of the Foundation, noting they are completely separate from the City. Their goal is to promote recreation, education, and culture in the greater Boynton area. Ms. Wilkinson mentioned that their signature project is the Congress Avenue Barrier- Free Park. They wanted people of all abilities to be able to be there together at the same time. All playground equipment there is handicap-accessible and wheelchair friendly. She described some of the specialized equipment and amenities. Mr. Waldman stated they need funds to improve the park and facilities. Several of their fundraisers have been a 5k run/walk through Hunter’s Run and the Clematis Street Moonfest. They hope to have a tap takeover at a local brewery in early October. Ms. Wilkinson stated they are a 501(c)3 and have two separate accounts. One is specifically for the park, and one is for overhead (website, etc.). They are also soliciting new Board members; their meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 5:00 p.m. Ms. Wilkinson said that the 5k race was a collaborative project between the Foundation, the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, City of Boynton and Hunter’s Run. Ms. Wilkinson mentioned that Mr. Fromknecht had helped with a cleanup at Barrier- Free Park. Mr. Lapin confirmed that the Run has brought in about $5,000 every year for a total of $15,000. Ms. Wilkinson stated that they have about $22,000 to be spent on the Park, and money has already been spent. City Commissioner Bob Kanjian donated the land for the Park, and some of the equipment was purchased with grants. Mr. Kanter wondered if the Foundation would be interested in collaborating on development of Quantum Park; Ms. Wilkinson said it might have potential, but their focus at this time is on Barrier-Free Park. Mr. Waldman encouraged Mr. Kanter to share information with them. Mr. Waldman provided his email address - SRW41@bellsouth.net; Ms. Wilkinson’s email address is 1signer@bellsouth.net. Ms. Mondello was interested in what other fundraisers they might have, and Ms. Wilkinson said they are considering a “Pancakes in the Park” event with the Fire Fighters, and “April is for Alligators” – events that would get people out to the park. Ms. Mondello has observed that a lot of people use the park after work and suggested that as a good timeframe to draw people in for an event. Chair Pierce-Roe suggested a “food truck invasion” at the park. Such a function would draw families to the park. 2 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 Ms. Mondello confirmed that the money paid for the pavilion rental at the Park goes to the City. B. Shade Sails (deferred until later in the agenda) C. System Master Plan (deferred until later in the agenda) V. NEW BUSINESS A. “Picture Public Art Here” Presentation – Arts Commission Debby Coles-Dobay, Public Art Manager, introduced Arts Commission Board members who were present: Chair Deborah Bottorff and Cindy Edwards. Ms. Coles-Dobay said they have worked on their Strategic Plan update and want to share ideas with this Board. Ms. Coles-Dobay showed a PowerPoint presentation, and highlights follow:  Mission statement of the Board  Art is funded by 1% public art fee  Vision is to connect the cultural environment of Boynton Beach to the global community  Defined public art Commissioned by a public process o One-of-a-kind original artwork o Accessible to the public o Permanent or temporary o Enhance public environment and create place-making o Examples could be measurement markers on trails, pathways, o environmental art, gateway features  50 public art projects in the City to date  Public art parks are part of the City’s comprehensive planning Gives park character and attracts visitors o Eco-art place-making o  Examples in Boynton Beach were shown: Murals and sculptures at parks o Interpretative art markers at Jaycee Park o Greenway and Blueway Trailway o Old Dixie Eco Walk o Avenue of the Arts o Opening reception for new artwork September 25 from 5:30 p.m. to  7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center Waterworks Gardens (eco park) – eco art shows the transformation of o dirty water into clean water Having eco art helps obtain funding  3 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015  Public art opportunities Make a plan, get funds, hire an artist early on o  Sarah Sims Park  Edward Harmening Memorial Park Features education for the public on water treatment o Two artists selected – the art is called “Water: You and I” (a haiku poem) o Deborah Bottorff, Chair of the Arts Commission, recalled the tour of parks in the City last year. She said the Commission wants to be a part of developing art in the parks. Chair Pierce-Roe thanked the presenter and offered the Board’s help as needed. Mr. Kanter commented that the statue on Quantum Boulevard by the Literacy Coalition is very important to his neighborhood and was very nicely done. Ms. Coles-Dobay said they meet at Fire Station #2 on the second Thursday of every month and invited all to attend. Ms. Coles-Dobay remarked they have a website, BoyntonBeachArts.org, brochures and an e-newsletter. She added they have wonderful media coverage of new art. She distributed materials on eco-art. At this time, Chair Pierce-Roe returned to the agenda. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Greater Boynton Beach Foundation (addressed earlier) B. Shade Sails Mr. Majors reviewed the Board’s previous discussion on the shade sails, and reviewed that two good potential locations for the shade sails would be at Barrier-Free Park and Jaycee Park. Glenda Hall, Forestry and Grounds Manager, said that some of the original sails have proven costly to replace; she hoped that the newer ones would be better. At Boynton Beach Extension, she said there were nine shade sails – to purchase replacements for those would be $39,000, not counting installation. The trees there have now grown, and they may not need the sails for shade. Ms. Hall continued, noting that to replace the north end of the sail structure at Oceanfront Park would be $17,200 installed. She said they are now on the second set of sails, and are researching alternative options to provide shade other than large sails, such as a combination of trees and sails, artwork, etc. She commented on the new sail 4 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 at Sarah Sims Park, which has an area in the middle to allow trees to be planted. She distributed photos of some possible alternative solutions for shade. She emphasized the use of smaller sails, even if there are more of them. Ms. Hall said that the sails at Oceanfront Park only lasted 18 months. She explained it is a different system in the way they are attached, etc. In the event of a large storm, the sails have to be taken down. Winds and rust are a big problem there. She said that anything east of the railroad tracks will be subject to rust, and she is advocating that they do not put anything in that area that will rust. Mr. Kanter pointed out that sailboats have materials that do not rust for 20 to 30 years and can be rolled up on a wire. He offered to discuss something similar for the parks with a sail maker. Ms. Hall advised that they already have arrangements for taking down the sails. Mr. Majors commented that different manufacturers of the shade sails have different warranties. He said they are looking at sails that have a 10-year or longer warranty, providing the manufacturer does not go out of business. Discussion ensued on planting trees rather then installing shade sails, including that the layout of some playgrounds would prohibit that. Ms. Hall pointed out that is why they configured Sarah Sims Park the way they did, to allow trees near the playground to provide shade. Ms. Hall emphasized looking at the long-term goals for the parks in terms of shade. Mr. Majors advised they have until September to decide on the sails, and wondered if the Board would want to request staff to present alternative suggestions (design and cost) to them. Mr. Majors said he had based his cost estimate on the sail that the County had just purchased for John Prince Park. Mr. Majors will put the matter on the agenda for the next meeting. C. System Master Plan Mr. Majors reported they have created a digital map of the parks, and hoped to send a link to the web page that will display the parks, amenities of each, and their descriptions. He noted the undeveloped parks are not on the map yet. Mr. Majors stated that the System Master Plan is just a map that shows where they have their facilities now plus existing gaps or opportunities for growth. Mr. Majors explained that the map is made with GIS technology, which allows various layers, such as service areas for the bigger parks. He discussed some of the amenities at the larger parks. 5 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 Mr. Majors stated that he hopes to have public input on the System’s Master Plan at the Board’s meeting in November. That input could then be added to that of the Board and advanced to the City Commission. Mr. Majors pointed out Girl Scout Park on the map, showing where a footbridge could be built into the property for access. He said they had a public input meeting approximately 10 years ago, and the park was not well received at that time. However, he said some new residents seem interested in the concept. Mr. Majors noted this information was anecdotal. Chair Pierce-Roe commented that she knows people living in that community who have interest in a park where they can walk their dogs. She mentioned that she gave contact information for everyone in the community to Mr. Majors for possible use in the future. There was a public meeting some time back, but only about 12 people came. Chair Pierce-Roe hoped they would be able to get more of the residents interested in sharing what they would like to see in the developed park. Mr. Majors noted that every few years the Board discusses which undeveloped park they would like to see developed, or on rare occasions, which developed park they would like to improve. He advised that the two undeveloped sites now are Quantum Park and Girl Scout Park and thought that stating a preference for one of those would attract more attention to it. Mr. Kanter said that Girl Scout Park had some of the nicest trees in Palm Beach County, but the neighborhood is very different than the Quantum Park area, which has a larger population. Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned Quantum Park could be a good site for an eco park, and that would enhance funding possibilities. Mr. Lapin preferred Quantum Park, but was concerned about funding for it. Mr. Kanter mentioned that he met with Vice Mayor Casello regarding funding possibilities. Upon a question from Mr. Lapin, Mr. Majors said when working on developing a park, the first item that needs to be identified is what the community wants and what engineers and architects believe could be done. That general concept is then used to develop the first cost estimate. Mr. Majors said they could not determine a potential cost estimate yet. He said they have to create a vision for a park, and then find the money. At this time, the meeting returned to New Business. V. NEW BUSINESS (continued from earlier in the meeting) A. “Picture Public Art Here” Presentation – Arts Commission (previously addressed) 6 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 B. Oceanfront Park parking fees – Ordinance changes Mr. Majors said that many items in Section 16 of the Codes and Ordinances originated in the 1950s and are no longer relevant. He brought up two items:  The City Commission will be choosing the Chair and Vice-Chair of all boards  Fees at Oceanfront Park will be increased Mr. Majors advised that the parking lot at Oceanfront Park is full to capacity at some part of each day for 130 days per year. There used to be reduced rates in the off- season, April 1 through November 15; however, the lot will fill up no matter what time of year it is. On weekends and holidays, the daily parking fee will now be $10.00. The weekday parking fee from April 1 through November 15 will be $5.00. In addition, Mr. Majors said that the annual parking permit fee for residents will increase from $40 to $50. The seasonal non-resident parking permit used to be valid from April 1 through November 15 for $90; he said very few were sold. That fee will be raised to $200 annually. He emphasized that there are only 260 spaces at the beaches in Boynton Beach. Mr. Majors reported the parking fee change was approved on the first reading. C. Drones/Radio-controlled Helicopters Mr. Majors said he received a request from a person who wants to fly a radio-controlled helicopter at Nautica, an undeveloped park site. The individual was told he could not fly it at the park, and the Commission instructed Mr. Majors to ask the Board if an alternative site could allow that. He pointed out that this is an activity highly favored by young adults and teens. Mr. Majors reported there is an association called the Model Aeronautics Academy (MAA), who works with the FAA to determine appropriate regulations for model aircraft. The group referred Mr. Majors to a local club and, if the City allows them to use a park, the MAA will automatically provide a certificate of insurance. The local club liked the Ezell Hester, Jr., Community Park; it has open space, a buffer, and opportunity for partnerships with Boynton Beach High School. There would also be opportunities to host drone and radio-controlled model exhibitions and exhibits. Mr. Majors said they also considered Wilson Park and Congress Avenue. He will show a presentation to the City Commission in October, and hoped to show it to the Board in September. Mr. Majors said that the people who wanted to fly their models there would have to be a member of a club and carry a membership card. He said they would not allow airplanes, just battery-powered electrical motor drones and helicopters with size restrictions. 7 Meeting Minutes Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 24, 2015 Ms. Mondello expressed concern that they set rules so that videos will not be made of the children at the park. Mr. Majors said the key is to educate people; regulations will be established, but the City would not have the resources to monitor them. VI. ITEMS FOR THE CITY MANAGER’S ATTENTION - NONE VII. NEXT MEETING: September 21, 2015 Mr. Lapin asked what type of time frame is reasonable with respect to the start to completion of a park. Mr. Majors said it is difficult to estimate. He said Barrier-Free Park took approximately 10 years. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Hearing no further business, Chair Pierce-Roe adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m. [Minutes transcribed by J. Rubin, Prototype, Inc.] 8