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Minutes 09-26-22 CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH RECREATION&PARKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING 100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach September 26, 2022, 6:30 p.m. PRESENT- STAFF- Julie Mondello, Chair Kacy Young, Recreation & Parks Director Elizabeth Pierce-Roe, Vice Chair Franky Lazo, Recreation & Parks Asst. Director Sean Conklin Rebecca Harvey, Sustainability and Resiliency Eugene Administrator Frando Patterson Justin Johnson, Marketing Manager Jennifer Oh, Prototype, Inc. ABSENT- James Jenkins Dan Winters, Sr., Alternate Geoffrey Campbell, Alternate GUESTS — None. I. Call to Order Chair Mondello called the meeting to order at 6.31 p.m. 11. Pledge of Allegiance 111. Roll Call Roll was called and a quorum was present. IV. Agenda Approval — September 26, 2022 Chair Mondello mentioned the next meeting date needs to be changed to October 24, 2022, at 6.30 p.m. Motion was made by Mr. Fagan, and seconded by Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, for the September 26, 2022, agenda approval. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously. (5-0) V. Approval of Minutes —August 22, 2022 Mr. Conklin indicated every other page is missing from the printed minutes. Motion made by Mr. Fagan, and seconded by Vice Chair Pierce-Roe, to approve Minutes for the August 22, 2022 meeting. In a voice vote, the motion passed unanimously (5-0). VI. Unfinished Business Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 a. Results from Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Surveys Vice Chair Pierce-Roe visited the Hester Center after they did the floors for Pickleball. She also went into the weight room and to the pool. She mentioned the clubhouse at Sterling Village caught on fire last year, which was shut down in March after St. Patrick's Day, so residents are not allowed to use their pool or gym; they are trying to rebuild the clubhouse. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned if the City could work something out, so those residents could use some of the Hester Center facilities. There is a large influx of people at Sterling Village because they are very active; they use the pool and attend classes. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe visited the Senior Center last Wednesday and there were about 32 people in class. The Center recently started chair yoga,which is a huge success. Perhaps they might think about having another class or doing something in a larger area. Franky Lazo, Assistant Recreation and Parks Director, indicated he was at the Senior Center this morning because Open House started this week, and they were already in contact with Sterling Village. Mr. Lazo is working with the Aquatics Team to start offering some programming to the Sterling Village residents and opening some classes. The Center has Tai Chi and chair yoga and next month, on Wednesdays, there will be a Wellness Wednesday movement with outdoor activities for all ages. This will be advertised to seniors who want to be more active. Mr. Lazo thinks Wellness Wednesday will be on October 26, 2022, at Intracoastal Park, but there have been discussions about having it at Centennial Park or Kapok Park. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe suggested having a Wednesday lunch and have the City provide a bus to bring seniors to the beach. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe visited the Carolyn Sims Center, which looked very nice. It was mentioned that the Carolyn Sims Center is used more for parties. Kacy Young, Recreation and Parks Director, advised there are a lot of rentals, but they also have afternoon programming, a teen program, and some internship programs; evenings are more programs. They currently have a preschool program during the day, called the Alphabet Tree, on Wednesdays. Mr. Young commented that if Vice Chair Pierce-Roe is doing a loop around the parks, he mentioned Heritage Park, which is in the area off MLK. Heritage Park was recently pressure cleaned and mulched; and the beautification and landscaping was just upgraded. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned if there is an update regarding the Boat Club Park and how everything is going with their dock. Mr. Young stated that conversation can be added after New Business. Chair Mondello visited Forest Hills Park, which is a small neighborhood park. It was clean and there is a basketball hoop and little things. Chair Mondello also went to Hibiscus Park, which is also small, but it looks like it could use some sprucing up. 2 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Mr. Young indicated Hibiscus Park is another park that has recently been mulched as well. Mr. Fagan mentioned Oceanfront Park and noted that the grills are used all the time. He suggested adding a few more grills to accommodate the citizens. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned if a permit is required to charge cars. Rebecca Harvey, Sustainability and Resilience Administrator, advised a permit is not required other than a regular parking payment. To use the charger, citizens need to register with FP&L's Evolution Program. There are instructions on gogreenboynton.com; and there is a section called Green Your Ride, which has charging instructions. An account has to be set up with Charge Point, which is the company that made the charging stations, and then a text is sent to FP&L, and they provide a link to register for their program. Once that is done, it is free; the City pays for the cost of the electricity and it is a partnership with FP&L. b. Parks System Master Plan Mr. Young announced an upcoming Steering Committee meeting. He thanked all the Advisory Boards that participated in the Focus Group meetings with the consultants. The online survey closed on September 12, 2022, and they are doing everything possible to reach as many people as possible to obtain information. Mr. Young asked everyone to continue promoting them on the reimaginerecreationboynton.com website, which provides an up to date status of the plan. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned discussion at the last meeting regarding what the Board's input would be to help make the City a better place. A suggestion for a bus stop or bench where there might be a park was made. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe noticed a lot of Boynton Beach garbage cans near some of the benches, which is keeping the area cleaner. She asked if they are going to try to make Boynton Beach a golf cart City. Mr. Young did not have an update regarding golf cars, but noted there has been some discussion. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe thought it might be nice and hopes they might be able to go there at some point. The golf carts must be registered and have a license plate, so they are street legal. Boynton Beach has a small green area for bicycles, and she is curious if they might be doing more of that. Mr. Young indicated that might be something they can ask the Development Department to bring for the Mobility Study. He will request they to come to a meeting to provide an update on the City's Mobility Plan. 3 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 VII. New Business a. Dog Friendly Parks Chair Mondello went through the parks and put "no" down for the ones she thinks they should not have. She did not know about Little League Park. Mr. Young advised Wesley Norwood, Park Superintendent, is going to provide an update on some of the parks designated as dog friendly parks, which are being promoted on the City's website as well as the new Parks Edition, then there can be a discussion about possible locations. Wesley Norwood, Park Superintendent, advised they are sprucing up parks; mulching was done at Hibiscus Park, Harbor Park, Heritage Park, Pioneer Canal, and Laurel Hills. Regarding additional grills, they are working with site furnishings. They have a construction services team, and they are doing a total revamp of the site furnishings at Oceanfront next fiscal year, which grills are a part of. They are also sprucing up Intracoastal Park and the material was ordered. As soon as the material is received, there will be a triple grill at the very back pavilion closest to the waterfront and double grills for the rest of the pavilions, as well as tables and trashcans. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned that they stated changing out the yellow benches. She noticed because the phone number for Suicide Prevention was changed to 988. Mr. Norwood stated that staff replaced the wooden benches; two were at Barrier Free Park, and one was at Intracoastal Park. Regarding dog-friendly parks, Mr. Norwood advised dogs are allowed on a leash at Boynton Lakes Park, Centennial Park, Dewey Park, Forest Hills Park, Intracoastal Park, Jaycee Park, and Kapok Park. Dogs are allowed to be off leash at Officer Joseph Crowder Park. Mr. Young stated part of this agenda item is to discuss parks that have not been identified as dog friendly, so they can make those recommendations. There have been discussions about Oyer Park and adding a station to assist with that. If there are any other recommendations, they will go through them as well. He noted there is a doggie station with bags at Oyer Park in the back area off the boat ramp on the east side, but it is not a dog-friendly park. Two doggie stations were added at Jaycee Park, two at Intracoastal Park, and one at Forest Hills Park. The plan by the end of this year is to add one more at Boynton Lakes Park. Some of the discussions they have had internally for dog-friendly parks are to add them to all neighborhood parks, but he wanted to have a discussion with the Board before moving forward. For a park to be considered a dog-friendly park, they must be in compliance with a doggie cleaning station and signage. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked if there is a cost associated. 4 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Mr. Young advised if the Board felt it would be a good recommendation for residents, they will be given resources to keep the park as clean as possible. Mr. Fagan questioned what the signage would say and if there will be anything about being on a leash or off leash. Mr. Young stated it would identify that there is a dog cleaning station. The ordinance signs state that dogs must be on a leash, but he believes the rules of a dog friendly park can be added. That is a good recommendation that might need to be added. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned the Board's discussion on how to make a better Boynton and how to fund some of these things. An impact fee was suggested, to be charged to communities that want dogs and to help put in a dog park or help with things for the dogs. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe does not think this should be put onto the City or onto someone else. Mr. Fagan agreed.When Ocean 500 was first built, they said it was a dog-friendly building and they were supposed to have their own dog park on the roof, but it was never built. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe stated when research was done on parks years ago, they did not only say what Boynton Beach needed, but what Boynton Beach has. They went into what was provided by the City and what was provided by each individual community. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe thinks the dog issue needs to be addressed. Mr. Young indicated that they are currently looking at their park impact fees as developers move in. That is a conversation they will have with developers as they conduct a Park Impact Fee Study. Mr. Fagan mentioned the Arts Committee requires all new projects to pay a percentage of the fee. It would be the same for a dog-friendly building. Mr. Conklin stated maintenance at Crowder Park in the large dog section is an issue because people are not happy with how the dog park is maintained and there is always a lot of back and forth about who is responsible for what. He submitted a ticket because there have been holes in the dog park for months that have not been filled and are ignored. Mr. Young advised he had a meeting with the Master's Association at Cacao and they walked all the grounds. This is the week they are going to switch over to do the large dog section. They identified the holes mentioned by Mr. Conklin, and they are being addressed. Mr. Conklin commented that the park seems like it is not officially changing as often as it is changing. 5 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Mr. Young stated he will investigate and noted that is what the app is for. Mr. Patterson mentioned that they need to make sure there is proper signage. Mr. Young indicated that will be made as a part of the compliance plan for the dog-friendly project. Park Rangers monitor if anyone in the park is not following park rules and those patrons will be addressed. b. Ezell Hester Center Solar Panel Project Rebecca Harvey, Sustainability and Resilience Administrator, presented a brief Power Point Presentation. A presentation was given to the Commission on September 8, 2022, regarding the feasibility of solar panels and Mr. Young requested she share those slides with this Board. Ms. Harvey highlighted the following: • Solar energy aligns with City plans. • The Climate Action Plan was passed in 2020 and has a specific goal related to renewable energy on government buildings. • The Strategic Goal of Environmental Sustainability has one objective to increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in government facilities and private properties throughout the City. • City progress: they are designated as a Solar Smart Gold Community, they have one small solar installation on Fire Station #5 that was installed in 2010, they participated in the FP&L Solar Now Program, in the Energy Edge Rebate Program, and in the Palm Beach County Co-op, which just launched for the third time last week. • Benefits of Solar Energy. • Leader in Clean Energy. • Savings on electric bills. • More Federal funding available even for municipalities with the Inflation Reduction Act. • Levelized cost of energy. • Increase of FP&L rates. • Solar Co-op site to note there are two different kinds of solar pv systems; grid tied or off grid. They would be doing a grid tied system that is net metered with FP&L. • The Hester Center was picked as the top choice to move forward because it meets the criteria. • The type of roof is one the facilities signed off on for solar. • New roof with a 25-year warranty on solar panels. 6 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Vice Chair Pierce Roe questioned how that coincides with insurance. Mr. Fagan stated the modified bit is good for 20 years. He asked if they received clarification from the roof manufacturer that the warranty would still be in effect. Ms. Harvey indicated they have not moved forward yet, but once a contractor is selected, it is in the scope they will do to work with the roofing manufacturer and get a letter of assurance that the roof will still be maintained after the panels are installed. Mr. Fagan asked if there is a white topcoat. Ms. Harvey replied yes. All their facilities have white flat roofs and there are codes in the Sustainable Development codes requiring white roofs for private developments. She will check into the insurance more as the landscape is changing. Mr. Fagan commented that a TPO lasts 40 years and it does not have any seams and does not leak, but the cost is slightly higher. Chair Mondello would like to see solar on their TPO roofs as well, but they need more discussion. Ms. Harvey advised that a proposal was received, which is an independent cost estimate, from AGT, Advanced Green Technologies. They will not be able to bid on the bid itself since they provided the up-front cost estimate, so these numbers are estimates. On August 16, 2022, at the Commission meeting, the $255,000 was approved as part of the fiscal year 2022 City's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds. The Commission discussed ways to spend those funds, and this was one of the projects chosen. The project is funded and is out for a 30-day comment through October 9, 2022, at which point they can put it out to bid. In addition to the rooftop system, it would be about 250+ panels and 100 KW of energy. They also looked at a parking canopy for future possibilities and the cost of the parking canopy is higher per watt of energy because the structure is being built. An estimate would be about $400,000 for a 90 KW system and it would cover 24 parking spaces. Ms. Harvey continued with the following highlights: • Numbers for the example of the rooftop system were shown. • The annual production would be 152,000 KW hours. • The savings in the first year would be $12,000 in utility bills, which is going to go up each year as energy costs increase, leading to a lifetime savings of approximately $456,000 or $250,000 net savings for the City. • The payback period is around 16.16 years, but with the upcoming 30% Federal Investment Tax Credits that are allowed through the IRA, that will lower the time to about a four-year payback, but they also have grant funding to pay for it. 7 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 • As far as the cost savings, the Commission understands it and is very supportive of moving forward. • A few other buildings were considered, and they all had new roofs, some different like the TPO roof and a metal roof on the Carolyn Sims Center, which has a 50+ year life span. This would add up to about one megawatt if all these buildings were done in the future. • Greenhouse Gas Reduction Impact of the Hester Center project - Installing the rooftop solar and parking canopy would be equivalent to removing 44 gas powered cars for one year, and planting about 3,400 tree seedlings that grow for ten years. • The contractor gave an example of a maintenance proposal, which is $2,000 per year. Solar panels are fixed and do not have a lot of moving parts, so there is little maintenance; therefore, they would ask for this with any contract they move forward with. That is for one visit per year, which is what is done for a standard. • Roof warranty assurance - they would ask them to align the roof warranty and get a letter from the manufacturer stating that they would maintain the roof warranty with the solar. • Financing options recently changed because with the Inflation Reduction Act, owner direct purchase is the best financial model because of the 30% tax credit. Chair Mondello questioned the timeline. Ms. Harvey replied it would probably be a year; once the project is contracted it should take three to six months. Mr. Young thanked Ms. Harvey for the presentation. Chair Mondello commented there are many advantages. If there is no power due to a hurricane there would be power. Ms. Harvey advised that solar panels cannot be run after a storm because they are still connected to the grid, and they would be feeding power back into the grid while electrical workers are fixing the grid. Battery storage systems are expensive, but that will come down. In a few years they could put in the batteries. Chair Mondello stated the solar panel would charge the battery and then the battery would be the backup. Mr. Fagan mentioned water conversation and stated a lot of water is thrown on plants because they do not zeroscape. One example would be St. Augustine grass that is put in all the parks. Bahia is a natural form of grass, and it does not require much water. There are many plants in the parks that need water, but there are a lot of natives that get by without water. He questioned if they could start talking about water use. Ms. Harvey advised she is in the Utilities Department, so she works on water conversation education programs and the ordinance they have. They have Florida friendly codes in the 8 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Landscape Development Codes, which the City follows. She knows the issue of the grass has come up in prior years and she is not sure how that has been resolved, but it is something they can start discussing. Mr. Fagan indicated the easiest solution is to let the roof collect the rainwater in underground storage and during the dry months turn the sprinklers on. Mr. Patterson questioned if any of the buildings are LEED certified. Ms. Harvey stated this building, City Hall, and the new Police Headquarters are Green Globe Certified, which is another Nationally Recognized Green Building rating system. It is not as expensive as LEED. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked if they ever think about changing the grass to artificial turf instead of grass where the amphitheater is Wesley Norwood, Park Superintendent, advised there has been discussion about switching the grass over, but they have to conduct research. If there is any progress, he will bring it back to the Board to discuss. Ms. Harvey commented that artificial turf has its own environmental issues, so they would need to look at both sides. It is not recyclable, it is plastic, so it can get into the environment, and it is not always permeable and sometimes there is flooding, and infiltration needs. Mr. Norwood stated that artificial turf is not the best for some of the events they have because certain things cannot be done to it. Mr. Lazo indicated that they did get a quote on the artificial turf just to see what the number was. One of the concerns is that the turf stays hot. c. Fall Festival Justin Johnson, Marketing and Outreach Manager, announced the Fall Festival will be on October 15, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it is free. Traditionally, it has been held at Intracoastal Park and this year it will be at Centennial Park Amphitheater. Community Greens is doing a tree giveaway and they will be giving away 200 trees with a maximum of two per household in addition to a petting zoo, hayrides, food trucks, and other similar activities they had in the past. Final approval was received for printed materials this afternoon and they hope to have them by the end of the week, so they can be distributed to the public. He mentioned the 4' x 8" sign in front of City Hall will be replaced with the Fall Festival information as well. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked if any large events will be held at Intracoastal Park anymore. 9 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 Mr. Young advised the only large event is July 4t" as of now. He noted the Intracoastal Park Club falls under the Cultural Arts program, which they are looking at while moving into the future. As additional staff is added to their department, one of the primary goals will be for programming at Intracoastal Park. Mr. Patterson questioned who the contact is if a fraternity or sorority wants to set up a booth. Mr. Johnson stated the contact is Frank Ireland at 561-742-6640. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe questioned the cut-off date if someone wanted to set up a table. Mr. Young indicated he was not sure of the cut-off date, but he will contact Mr. Ireland. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe mentioned that the INCA Board is interested in setting up a tent. Mr. Young commented they are welcome. He wants to get the information to the Board, so everyone understands the event is moving to Centennial Park. The event is Fun Family Time Family. If the Board is interested in hosting a table to pass out information, that might be something to discuss. Mr. Young advised it might be a good opportunity to pass out surveys to get community input. If the Board is interested, they will add the Recreation and Parks Board as a vendor for the Fall Festival. Chair Mondello stated "Let's do it". d. Boynton Beach Senior Center Open House Justin Johnson, Marketing and Outreach Manager, announced the Senior Center is hosting their Open House this week, and opening their doors to all community members to see the different types of activities and programs they offer. This is a free event to non- members to attract community interest. A variety of services are offered such as line dancing, Tai Chi, Bingo, Mom's Meals, and chair yoga. Free water aerobics has been arranged a few days this week at Denson Pool. They are hosting a Health Fair at the Hester Center on October 18, 2022, which is free to seniors and caregivers of seniors, and a shuttle will be offered from the Senior Center to the Hester Center. Vice Chair Pierce-Roe asked when the Senior Center will have the sign in program, or their computers fixed for check in. Mr. Young advised new touch screens were ordered and installed last week. They are connected to the new Rec Trac system, so hopefully they are up and running for Open House, so people can register and get the full experience of being a part of the Senior Center. VIII. Public Audience — None. 10 Meeting Minutes - Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 26, 2022 IX. Items for the City Manager's Attention — None. X. Future Agenda Items a. Pickleball Courts — October 24, 2022 Mr. Young announced all Pickleball members will be invited to the meeting. The budget was approved, and that project will move forward next fiscal year, so he will provide an update at that meeting. XI. Next Meeting — October 24, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. VII. Adjournment Motion With no further business to discuss, upon motion duly made and seconded, Chair Mondello adjourned the meeting at 7:42 p.m. [Minutes transcribed by C. Guifarro, Prototype, Inc.] 11