City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING

MINUTES

June 25, 2007

ATTENDANCE

Present:    Commissioners Eggers, Gardiner, Noraas, Rosenthal; City Council Liaison Navickas; Director Robertson; Superintendents Gies and Teige

Absent:     Commissioner Lewis

CALL TO ORDER         

Eggers called the regular meeting to order at 7:15 PM at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Study Session – May 10, 2007

Under “Budget Review,” Eggers requested that the sentence referring to documentation be rephrased as: “Eggers requested clarification about whether documentation existed for that arrangement and Bennett stated that the City honored the agreement despite lack of documentation of a formal arrangement.”

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the minutes as amended. Noraas seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

Special Meeting – May 15, 2007

Under “Proposed Budget Recommendations,” Eggers requested that the sentence referring to her disclosure of meeting with public officials regarding the Parks budget read, “Eggers disclosed that she met with Mayor Morrison and spoke with Councilor Hartzell [who previously spoke with Hardesty].”

MOTION Gardiner moved to approve the minutes as amended. Rosenthal seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

Regular Meeting – May 21, 2007

Under “Subcommittee and Staff Reports,” Eggers requested that the sentence referring to commissioners attending state and national conferences more accurately reflect that: “Eggers expressed reservations about the value of the NRPA conference compared to the cost to Ashland taxpayers.” She also asked that the minutes reflect that she expressed support of training opportunities for staff and commissioners.

MOTION Gardiner moved to approve the minutes as amended. Noraas seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Open Forum

None

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA

None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

PROPOSED LAND SWAP, VERDE VILLAGE

Robertson reported that local property owners Greg and Valri Williams requested a land swap between the City of Ashland and the proposed housing development, Verde Village. He indicated that the developer proposed trading 2.59 acres of private land, appraised at $360,000, in exchange for 1.3 acres of City land, valued at $101,000. The City-owned land was identified as containing the entrance road to the Dog Park, a section of the Bear Creek Greenway, a grass-covered area, and the restroom adjacent to the property while the private land was reported to include a stream corridor for Ashland Creek, wetlands, and a new trail route for the Bear Creek Greenway. He said that a new entrance to the Dog Park would result from a new road system if the proposal were to be approved.

Robertson emphasized that the commission’s responsibility was to consider whether the proposed swap would benefit or hinder the Dog Park and/or the Bear Creek Greenway and to answer question number two contained in the staff memo: “Is the proposed land swap of equal or greater recreational value than the land originally purchased with the Land and Conservation funds?” Robertson said that the proposal required additional approval by both state and county representatives.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Noraas asked about maintenance requirements for the potentially swapped land and Robertson said it would be a low maintenance area but would require sensitivity in the riparian area as well as some non-native vegetation removal.

Eggers invited commissioners to ask questions of Kerry KenCairn, landscape architect for the project, who was in attendance and spoke briefly about the project.

Gardiner disclosed his friendship with landowner Williams and said he had reviewed the project many times. He stated that access to the Dog Park and the bike path through the creek/Greenway area would be an improvement over the current arrangement and would fit perfectly with the commission’s goal of providing continued access to the creek and serving as stewards of the land. Noraas said that the plan would provide better recreational opportunities than the current situation and that the land, some of which is located in a floodplain, did not appear to pose flooding problems. Rosenthal and Eggers spoke favorably of the proposal in terms of providing increased recreational value over the current arrangement.

Motion    Noraas moved to recommend approval of the proposed land swap to the Ashland City Council. Gardiner seconded the motion.

     The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

ULTIMATE FRISBEE REQUEST

Robertson reported that Derek Volkart requested the use of the North Mountain Park playing fields in May 2008 for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament called “Cramp Up.” He invited Volkart to speak to the commission.

Derek Volkart, P.O. Box 3384, stated that the tournament had been held on SOU fields in past years but a recent shift in the university’s fields policy required organizers to seek other options.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners asked Volkart a number of questions about the game and the tournament. Volkark provided an overview of the game and stated that the tournament typically draws up to 300 participants. Robertson said that if Volkart required both the softball and baseball fields in May, a fence would stand between them and pose an obstacle to tournament play. He reported that high school spring baseball was the commission’s first priority with field scheduling during that time. Rosenthal asked about the game’s impact to turf, especially in rainy weather, and Volkart stated that players wore turf shoes or soccer cleats and field impacts were similar to those of soccer games.

Commissioners directed staff to work out the scheduling details with Volkart for the North Mountain Park fields and to notify them of the outcome. Robertson volunteered to speak with the schools about their field availability.

RVTV CABLE TELEVISION CONTRACT RENEWAL

Robertson reported that the existing two-year contract with Rogue Valley Television was set to expire. He reminded the commission of the services provided under the $5,150 contract, including broadcasts and tapings of the regular commission meetings and archiving of meeting tapes, as well as 14 additional hours of programming, and said that the contract had not changed from previous years. He talked about highlighting various Parks Department recreational and trail maintenance activities and said that the new Promotions Coordinator would be able to work with RVTV to fully utilize their resources for the benefit of the department.

Motion    Gardiner moved to renew the contract with RVTV in the amount of $5,150 over the next two years. Noraas seconded the motion.

     The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

07-08 COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS

Robertson stated that in June of each year the commission typically reviewed Parks salaries and determined whether to provide cost-of-living increases for all regular Parks staff members. He said that COLAs were generally tied with West coast CPI figures and indicated that the figure in May was 2.8%. He reported that Parks staff requested that a portion of their COLA, if granted, be placed in an HRA VEBA program [long- or short-term pre-tax deferment for medical expenses].

Motion    Noraas moved to approve a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for the regular employees of the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission. Further, one-third of the adjustment to be deposited on behalf of the employees in a Health Reimbursement Arrangement / Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association Plan [HRA VEBA] account, effective July 1, 2007, and Don Robertson, Director of Ashland Parks and Recreation, to be given authorization, on behalf of the commission, to execute all documents of the HRA VEBA and cost-of-living increase. Rosenthal seconded the motion.

     The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no

SUBCOMMITTEE and STAFF REPORTS

Teige reported that all summer recreation programs were in full swing, including tennis and swimming lessons, and the first “Movie on the Range” of the season was scheduled for Friday, June 29.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Eggers asked that Parks staff reinforce to the Fourth of July Committee the parking / food and liquid waste requirements within Lithia Park.

UPCOMING MEETING DATE(S) and PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS

§         Study session set for July 16 at 7:00 PM—Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer. Topic to include:

§         Climate Change Presentation

§         Regular meeting set for July 23 at 7:00 PM—Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main. Topic to include:

§         Ashland City Band Fundraising Request

ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business, Eggers adjourned the meeting at 8:50 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation Department