Minutes 06-27-22 CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH
RECREATION&PARKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach
June 27, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
PRESENT: STAFF:
Julie Mondello, Chair Kacy Young, Recreation & Parks Director
Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Vice-Chair Jennifer Oh, Recording Secretary, Prototype
Sean Conklin
Charles Kanter
James Jenkins
Eugene Fagan
Frando Patterson
ABSENT:
Dan Winters, Sr., Alternate
Geoffrey Campbell, Alternate
GUESTS: None.
I. Call to Order
Chair Mondello called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m.
11. Pledge of Allegiance
111. Roll Call
Roll was called and a quorum was present.
IV. Agenda Approval — June 27, 2022
Chair Mondello added the Senior Center as Item D under New Business, and Leashed
Dogs as Item E under New Business.
Motion was made by Mr. Fagan, and seconded by Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, for the June
27, 2022, agenda approval with two items added to New Business In a voice vote, the
motion passed unanimously. (7-0)
V. Approval of Minutes — May 23, 2022
Motion made by Mr. Fagan, and seconded by Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, to approve Minutes
for the May 23, 2022 meeting. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously (7-0).
Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
VI. Unfinished Business
a. Park Survey
Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, thinks this item should be continued on the
agenda for the next few meetings until the Board wishes to remove it. Once the Park
Survey is developed, the Board can make updates if they choose.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned if that would follow under any of the Board members
visits to the parks and having comments. She mentioned the Senior Center, dogs, and
parks, and had some questions.
Mr. Young replied yes. It is up to the Board to decide whether to keep it under Park Survey
or Unfinished Business as a different item, so everyone is aware when to discuss items
from the Park Survey.
Mr. Fagan asked if it could be made Results from Park Visits instead of Park Survey.
Chair Mondello liked that. She stated she would put a sheet together, so all feedback is
in one place.
Mr. Young clarified the agenda item will be Results from Park Visits under Unfinished
Business moving forward. He asked if anyone had any comments or revisions to the Park
Survey.
Chair Mondello thought the only thing Board members would have is comments regarding
things seen at one park that are not seen in other parks. She did not think there was
anything to add that did not cover the basics.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe suggested Additional Comments be added.
Mr. Young stated he would bring that back to the Board next month.
b. Parks System Master Plan
Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, added this item to the agenda and will keep
it on there as they go through the process of the Parks System Master Plan, as it will be
an opportunity to provide updates to the Board.
In response to Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, Mr. Young stated tomorrow's Public Input Meeting
is online only.
Mr. Fagan provided an update of the June 6, 2022 Community Input Meeting. He stated
different boards were set up, so notes could be taken, and they got to see people, talk to
them in person, and get feedback from those who use the park. One lady who lives in the
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
northern area near Martin Luther King Boulevard likes the Sara Simms Park, but noted
the playground is run down and asked if anything could be done about that. There is a
scientific system to gage different uses and times, what they need, expect, and see, and
how the budget would be allocated. Toy coins were put into cups so they could see where
they would like the money to be spent.
Chair Mondello commented it was nice that the meeting was interactive. She asked what
some of the big comments were besides Sara Simms Park.
Mr. Fagan was surprised to see how many people were willing to spend more money on
taxes and a breakdown was given on how much. A lot of people are willing to pay for
more and better parks.
Mr. Young stated that question is to gage the community's outlook on whether they would
be willing to vote for a Parks Bond in the future. That is part of what the Consultants are
doing, and they took the attendees through those exercises. They also had aerials of all
the developed parks and allowed the public to take a pen or marker to draw in the park
and write comments. The Consultants are currently compiling the information. There is
one Community Input Meeting left, which is via Zoom tomorrow, June 28, 2022, at 6:30
p.m. The information is available on the City's website and at the project website, which
is reimaginerecreationboynton.com. There will be live updates on the website, information
on the meetings, presentations, and step by step updates on the process for the Parks
System Master Plan.
Mr. Fagan mentioned the public had their own meeting on Tuesday night, and
Wednesday, the next day, City staff members had their point of view. The Consultants
will come back with recommendations and ideas, which they will develop after that.
VII. New Business
a. Sunshine Law
Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, distributed a copy of the Statute. They had
conversations with Legal regarding the Statute, how it works, and how the meetings must
be recorded. He asked about the history of the Statute, and it has not changed, but the
way it is viewed by the public has changed, which opens them up to the possibility of
being sued if meetings are not conducted the right way. He will continue to work with
Legal to see if there is a way to have those meetings in the realm where the Board takes
a tour, but at this point, visiting the parks and bringing information back to the Board is
probably the best way.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe commented that Mayors came with the Board in the past.
Mr. Young stated they did some additional history and searching to see the meetings
conducted in the past and again, advice from Legal is not to conduct the meetings that
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
way until they determine a different way to do so. With the Parks System Master Plan,
the Consultants will meet with this Board and take them through some of the exercises
and get input, so there will be an opportunity to provide input on the parks. An online
survey will go out along with a Needs Assessment Survey to randomly selected residents.
He advised the Needs Assessment will tentatively go out in early to mid-August, and
somewhere close to the end of August or early September, the online survey will be
available to any and everyone.
Chair Mondello commented that the Needs Assessment was started prior to the
pandemic. Surveys were going to be sent to randomly selected people and once received,
they were going to be open to the entire community. Everyone has an opportunity, but
there is a group in the beginning that is pulled out from different areas to make sure there
is a good group of everyone for the first set of data. After that there is selected data and
an entire response set of data.
Mr. Young stated they take both sets of data and compare it to see how closely in
comparison the information received is. He indicated residents will be randomly selected
from Boynton, but they are going to do another Needs Assessment with the Parks System
Master Plan.
b. Funfare Summer 2022
Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, advised the Summer Edition of Funfare is
available at all recreation centers and it is online at wemakelifefun.com under Program
Registration. He will bring a copy to the next meeting for everyone.
c. Parks and Recreation Month
Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, announced July is considered Nationally
Parks and Recreation Month. They are on the July 5, 2022 City Commission agenda to
receive a Proclamation from the Mayor to recognize the month of July as Parks and
Recreation Month. There is a list of events that will take place during Parks and
Recreation Month, and they are encouraging residents to visit parks and engage in
recreation activities during July.
d. Senior Center
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe visited the Senior Center and was surprised how many people
regularly attend. She spoke to a 90-year-old woman who visits the Senior Center every
day to walk, use the computer room, play Solitaire, and then go to lunch; Bingo is on
Fridays. Gifts are provided to whoever wins the games, which are things from people's
homes. She asked if the City might have some things to donate as gifts and if they could
be a little more involved with the Senior Center. Seniors are an important group of people
the City of Boynton should pay attention to because many of them live alone. She
compared the Hester Center and gym to the weight room at the Senior Center, which is
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
a small room. Seniors are in so much need of being out and getting with the community,
and she thinks the City can offer more. She questioned when the last time the Senior
Center was painted or when a thorough cleaning was done, and she does not know if the
buses work anymore. She noted they are working on the system, so everyone can punch
in for the last two weeks.
Mr. Young indicated they migrated to Rec Trac 3.1 from 2.3, and there is a system glitch,
which they are currently working on to get back up. They are in the process of ordering
two new touch screens for the Seniors and plans are being made to clean up the Senior
Center.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe noticed a television in the workout room, but it is not plugged in.
Perhaps something could be installed for patrons to watch while they are walking on the
treadmills. She heard the Senior Advisory Board spends some time at the Senior Center
and they donated dinners during Thanksgiving. Perhaps this Board can meet with the
Senior Advisory Board, but they only meet every other month.
Mr. Young stated the Senior Advisory Board has almost all new Board members and they
have decided to meet monthly at 2:00 p.m. He asked if anyone had any suggestions for
the type of gifts or prizes to give away.
Chair Mondello suggested using things left over from Marketing and in Recreation and
Parks such as water bottles, backpacks, etc. She noted the Sustainability Department is
always giving things away.
Mr. Patterson stated the Recreation and Parks Department recently sent out a survey to
see what Departments give away at events and perhaps those could be given to the
Senior Center.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned the Senior Center has their own little library, so if there
are any extra DVD's, books, games, or puzzles, they like things like that. She noted Publix
delivers to them frequently, but it would be nice if the City could see if there are any other
places that can do things for them especially around certain holidays.
e. Leashed Dogs
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe stated there was a Statute that needed to be changed, so Board
members got into the bus and drove to Boynton Lakes Parks where they walked through
the park and where the community wanted to have dogs on leashes, but the City of
Boynton had a Statute that did not allow dogs on leashes in any parks. Once they got
over the hurdle as to which parks to put signs in with doggie bags, they had to make sure
there were signs that said dogs must be on leashes and that poop bags were on the
property. She noticed that Intracoastal Park is used a lot as a walkabout; it is a great area
and people are always waking and doing laps. Many times, people are single and have
their dogs on a leash. There are no doggie bags or signs, but in their new magazine, it
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
says the dog park is friendly. There is also Centennial Park, Dewy Park, Kapok Park,
Jaycee Park, and Intracoastal Park.
Mr. Young indicated the sign at Intracoastal Park was vandalized and that is why it was
removed. He asked if the Board voted on the Dog Fairy signage for the parks designated
as dog friendly parks, or if it was designed.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe stated that a previous Board member saw the sign and thought it
was a cute idea to tell people to pick up the poop. She did not know these were dog
friendly parks until she looked at the magazine. If they are going to encourage this, maybe
they should make sure there are signs. She asked if the Board could suggest other parks
such as Boat Club Park. She thought Intracoastal Park was added and where the ramp
area is at Boat Club Park.
Mr. Young mentioned Harvey Oyer Park and noted the Intracoastal Park is dog friendly
and should be on the list. He asked if there were any other suggestions for designations
of dog friendly parks
Chair Mondello mentioned one time they were asked about Jaycee Park and Barrier Free
Park and said no because one of the parks had too many kids; this was done as a
precautionary measure.
Mr. Conklin thinks the bigger concern is if people are cleaning up after the dogs in areas
where kids are playing.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe commented they finally got an actual dog park, which took a long
time to get together, and that was working with another entity.
Chair Mondello stated that was prior to having the workout area at Barrier Free Park.
Now, people might be working out at the park, and they might have their dogs with them.
She thinks parks have become more popular and important since the pandemic.
Everyone started a new habit frequenting parks because that was the only place they
could go and feel comfortable, and it is has been in their routine.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned the survey was conducted the last week of February
and everything closed in March, so they never got to get into all the information. Her first
question was if the world is shutting down, perhaps they need to pay more attention when
parks reopen because people will want to go out and not be isolated inside. Maybe three
or four workout stations can be placed at Intracoastal Park, which is a hidden jewel.
Mr. Conklin assumed dog family parks are more appealing to families, younger people,
and single people. If the City wants to attract more people like that, having more dog
friendly parks will probably be a benefit.
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
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Chair Mondello thinks many people bring their dogs to parks on a leash and do not know
they are not supposed to be there. The parks with no dogs allowed will have to be on the
list and those parks will just have a playground. They need to come up with a list and
think about it.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe commented that signage is important.
Chair Mondello mentioned signage and stated if something more in line with City
standards is needed, to make something new.
Mr. Young indicated they would look at signage. If anyone comes across a sign they like
that can be customized for Boynton, he is open to that as well. He asked the Board to
bring any additional parks they would like to have on the list to the next meeting.
VIII. Public Audience
Ernest Mignoli, resident, 710 NE 7t" Street, Unit 407, Boynton Beach, also known as
Harbor Hall Inlet Club 1, on the Intracoastal, was present. He mentioned Commissioner
Ty Penserga, who ran for Mayor with a non-legal name and address, which is required
by law to be the street name and number. He provided a copy of the papers. Along with
this, he has all the political contributions from developers, etc., and all the people who
want to have businesses in the parks; it is a horrible conflict relative to parks. He stated
he is a member of the Oceanfront in Boynton Beach, and it is a disgrace. No matter what
is reported to the parks, they do not want to hear it. For the last five days, the City did the
Pride intersection; roads were closed in all four directions, handicap sidewalks/crosswalks
were cordoned off, and two neighbors put up blockages so no one could walk around.
This morning everything was removed, and all the vehicles are doing what they always
do, they speed and do not stop, and now they are revving their cars and making skid
marks. He mentioned the Delray Beach law, that was also passed in Boynton Beach,
which was made a memorial, meaning the City is forever responsible to maintain the
intersection and it is a Federal crime for anyone who defaces it. He called the police and
provided film of the cars and people on the two corners, but they did not care.
IX. Items for the City Manager's Attention
In response to Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, Mr. Young advised Jim Stables is the current
Interim City Manager.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned giving something to the Senior Center such as
donations, updating equipment, or giving money for instructors.
Mr. Conklin finds it odd and abnormal that Caico Lawn Maintenance has a 20-year
contract, and he does not think they do a good job; they make a lot of mistakes, overlook
a lot of things, and are not consistent. Things like asking for the maintenance report are
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Boynton Beach, Florida June 27, 2022
not happening and he does not think a 20-year contract is encouraging them to be on top
of their game.
Chair Mondello asked where Mr. Conklin sees this mostly because she wants to look.
Mr. Conklin replied that he visits the dog park almost every day, which is where he sees
a lot of this. He has not started going to the other parks, but he is going to be paying
attention because if they are doing it at one, they are probably doing it at the others.
Mr. Patterson asked how many years they are into the contract.
Mr. Young indicated he can bring that information to the Board. Maintenance of the parks
is handled by Public Works, and they would have the contract information.
Mr. Conklin suggested there be some attention and conversation around this because he
does not think it is going the way they want the parks to be represented.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned if Caico Lawn Maintenance maintains all their parks.
Mr. Young stated they maintain certain parks. He did not have the exact list, but noted
they take care of Sara Simms Park and the dog park.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked if City workers maintain Intracoastal Park or others.
Mr. Young did not know which parks are maintained by the City. He stated this park is
maintained by ADM, Caico Lawn Maintenance has some parks, and City staff maintains
some parks. There is a list of who does what, which he will bring to the next meeting.
Chair Mondello commented in this case they are looking at the sensitivity of the dogs, so
maybe they need to be more sensitive when maintenance is being conducted.
Mr. Patterson questioned who, from the City, is following up on the work. If no one is
doing the accountability, that is the kind of work they are going to get. They need to know
how long the contract is and who is responsible to follow up to make sure they are getting
the quality of work expected.
Mr. Young advised there have been many changes with the City. They recently hired a
Park Superintendent and a Park Compliance Manager started today along with a Cultural
Art Program Manager. On July 5, 2022, they will have a Marketing Manager start with the
Recreation and Parks Department, so he will bring those new staff members to a meeting
to introduce them and give the Board an opportunity to talk to them. He stated the overall
branding of the City will be the same; their position with be a liaison between Recreation
and Parks and Marketing, but they will handle the responsibility of the Recreation and
Parks Department Marketing tasks.
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Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
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Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned closure of the ramp to boaters for festivity parking at
Intracoastal Park. She commented that people pay $200 to have a permit to put their boat
in there and one of the largest boating days is the 4t" of July. In the past, there was parking
in another area and buses shuttled people from the Downtown or from the Boynton Beach
Mall to the park. Last year was the first time the ramps were shut down in 25 years and
the only other time was during the pandemic. She thought they could look into that.
Chair Mondello believed there should be no blackout dates; if people have a pass, they
should be able to use the ramps.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe stated the ramps are closed on July 3, 2022, so no one can put in
or take out their boats.
Mr. Young was aware of a security concern with the fireworks last year. He thought the
ramp was open until a certain time last year, and then it was closed to allow the fireworks
to be set up.
Vice Chair Pierce mentioned fireworks used to be on a barge directly off the boat ramp
and the ramp was never closed.
Mr. Young advised there will be shuttle services from City Hall from Town Square for the
4t" of July.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked if shuttles from the Boynton Beach Mall could be
considered, so there is plenty of parking.
X. Future Agenda Items
• Pickleball —August 22, 2022
XI. Next Meeting — July 25, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.
Chair Mondello reminded everyone tomorrow evening, June 28, 2022, is the Public Input
Meeting, the concert on Friday, July 1, 2022, and the 4t" of July on Monday.
Vice Chair Pierce-Roe advised she would not be at the July 25, 2022 meeting.
VII. Adjournment
With no further business to discuss, upon motion duly made and seconded, Chair
Mondello adjourned the meeting at 7:32 p.m.
[Minutes transcribed by C. Guifarro, Prototype, Inc.]
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