City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

STUDY SESSION
MINUTES

June 12, 2006

ATTENDANCE

Present:   Commissioners D. Amarotico, Eggers, Gardiner, Rosenthal; Director Robertson; Superintendent Gies; Superintendent Teige

Absent:     Commissioner Eggers, City Council Liaison A. Amarotico

CALL TO ORDER

Rosenthal called the study session to order at 7:00 PM at the Parks Office, 340 S. Pioneer Street.

RVTD / VALLEY LIFT DISCUSSION

Teige reported that she and Sharon Laws, Senior Center Director, attended recent City Council meetings to learn about impending changes within the Rogue Valley Transportation District and the ways in which the changes could potentially affect Ashland’s seniors. At the meetings, they learned that a budget shortfall would soon require RVTD to terminate their free bus service in Ashland, which could pose staffing problems [if Senior Center staff members would need to begin issuing bus passes and vouchers to seniors and to perform recordkeeping duties]. Laws reported that the Valley Lift program [for seniors in wheelchairs or others] could cost as much as $4.00 per one-way trip and that some seniors living farther than ¾-mile from the Senior Center would not be eligible to use the service. She stated that approximately 10 seniors could be affected if their transportation to the center via Valley Lift were terminated or became too costly.

A commissioner asked about the senior bus given to the city in the past [paid for by the Soroptomist International organization and with cigarette tax funds] and Laws reported that it was phased out when Valley Lift began transporting seniors and local senior living facilities started providing their own transportation for seniors. Commissioners discussed the possibility of purchasing a senior bus and servicing it at the Oak Knoll maintenance shop.

Commissioners thanked Teige and Laws for their input and were told that they would be updated as information became available.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR BRISCOE / LINCOLN

Robertson stated that he met with the Ashland School District Finance Director and reported that they toured the Briscoe and Lincoln School grounds. He stated that, at the end of June 2005, when school ground maintenance was taken over by Jackson County Parks, the school grounds were in excellent condition but that, over the past year, the grounds had fallen into decay. Rosenthal reported that the School Board would meeting that evening and stated that the proposed MOU [allowing Parks to take over maintenance of Briscoe and Lincoln] would hopefully be discussed and approved during the session.

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK REVIEW

Robertson asked the commission to permit him to place the topic on the June 26 regular meeting agenda, with possible approval occurring at that time. He indicated that the issue of drug testing was still under debate and that staff hesitated, based on the commission’s past input, to include a drug testing policy in the handbook. He stated that, if approved, the issue of a drug testing policy could be included or not, and that the document would continue to be reviewed every 12 to 24 months for accuracy and potential updates. The commission agreed to allow him to include the topic in the June 26 regular meeting agenda.

ADJOURNMENT OUT OF STUDY SESSION

ADJOURNMENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION

§         Executive Session: Employee Negotiations ORS 192.660 (1)(D)

ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business, Rosenthal adjourned the meeting at 10:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation