Agendas and Minutes

Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission (View All)

Regular Meeting

Agenda
Monday, December 18, 2006

City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

 

REGULAR MEETING

ACTION MINUTES

 

December 18, 2006

 

ATTENDANCE

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

Absent:     City Council Liaison A. Amarotico

CALL TO ORDER         

Rosenthal called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Study Session – November 13, 2006  By consensus, the minutes were approved with an amendment.

Regular Meeting – November 20, 2006  By consensus, the minutes were approved with amendments.

DONATION AND AWARD PRESENTATION

OSF DONATION

Robertson welcomed Paul Nicholson, Executive Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and invited him to speak to the commission.

Paul Nicholson gave a brief history of OSF and its relationship with the Parks Department. He stated that, fifteen years ago, a program was started in which OSF contributed money to Parks at the conclusion of profitable years to honor the special relationship between the Festival and Lithia Park. He reported that 2006 was the second best season in the Festival’s history and presented a check in the amount of $25,000 to the Ashland Parks Foundation to be used in supporting and sustaining Lithia Park.

RECOGNITION OF COMMISSIONER SERVICE        

Robertson reminded the commission that D. Amarotico’s term of service ends at the end of December and thanked her for four years of dedicated service to the community.

Rosenthal expressed appreciation for her efforts and, on behalf of the Parks Commission, presented her with a plaque.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Open Forum

None

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA

None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT PRESENTATION

Robertson reminded the commission that the State of Oregon requires an independent annual audit of all government agencies and welcomed Lee Tuneberg, Administrative Services and Finance Director for the City.

Lee Tuneberg outlined the process used for the 2005-2006 audit, which was conducted by Pauly, Rogers, and Co., reporting that it ran smoothly and the auditors were impressed by the commission’s full disclosure of financial records. He guided the commission through the audit book, emphasizing various points of interest, and stated that the Parks Department’s fund balances are stable. He thanked the commission for their assistance with the successful audit and commended them on receiving the Government Finance Officers’ Association award for excellence in financial reporting for the 18h consecutive year.

Commissioners thanked Tuneberg and his staff for their assistance and gratefully accepted the financial report.

JOINT STUDY SESSION CALENDAR DISCUSSION

Robertson reminded the commission about the joint meetings between Parks, Schools, and City Council for the past one-and-one-half years, stating that staff sent out a survey requesting input about the frequency with which future meetings should occur, with six responses received.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke of the necessity of identifying goals of the joint group prior to scheduling a series of additional meetings. The need for more City Council participation was also requested. A commissioner suggested meeting on an as-needed basis to discuss specific issues rather than scheduling meetings without clear goals. Another commissioner stated that, if the groups were to meet to discuss anything related to Parks, a Parks presence would be mandatory. Concerns were expressed about making best use of staff time and about forming subcommittees that never actually met.

The commission agreed to send out a notice to the three groups establishing a meeting date of either February 15 or 22 and requesting a well-defined mission and set of goals at the next meeting.

2007 COMMISSION MEETING CALENDAR

Robertson discussed the 2007 calendar and requested that the November and December meetings be moved forward by one week to accommodate the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. He pointed out that Memorial Day falls on the May 2007 regular meeting date and requested that it be moved up by one week as well.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners agreed to the calendar changes.

SUB-COMMITTEE and STAFF REPORTS

Lincoln Statue Update

Robertson reported that a plaster mould of Lincoln’s head appeared on the statue and was removed. He stated that he checked with the donors and learned that the project was moving forward but was not finished and he asked for direction in revising the sign at the base of the statue indicating the project’s completion in the fall timeframe.

Staff was directed to change the sign at the base of the statue to read “Coming Soon” or “Coming This Winter” and to make note of the delay in the project’s completion.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Eggers expressed interest in better understanding the Parks budget and ending fund balances so as to effectively communicate with the community about how taxpayer money was spent. She suggested soliciting input from community members throughout the budget process.

UPCOMING MEETING DATES and PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS

§         Study session set for January 11, 2007, at 7:00 PM, Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer. Topics to include:

§         Facility Policies and Fees Review

§         Update on Lincoln Statue

§         Regular meeting set for January 22, 2007, at 7:00 PM, Council Chambers – 1175 E. Main Street.

ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business, Rosenthal adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks & Recreation Department

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