City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING

MINUTES

June 22, 2009

ATTENDANCE

Present:    Commissioners Eggers, Gardiner, Lewis, Noraas, Rosenthal; Director Robertson; Superintendents Dials and Gies

Absent:     City Council Liaison Silbiger

CALL TO ORDER

Gardiner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Study Session – May 13, 2009

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

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no [Eggers abstained]

Regular Meeting – May 18, 2009

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the minutes as written. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Open Forum

None

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA

None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

GARFIELD PARK SPECIAL EVENT REQUEST

Dials said Passport2Ashland, in conjunction with the Stratford Inn, requested the use of Garfield Park on Saturday, August 1, from 1-4:00 p.m. for the Ashland Hullabaloo, an event featuring an inflatable bounce house, water safety instruction followed by a super soaker contest, face painting, a coordinated volleyball tournament, and free ice cream and popsicles. She said amplification was included in the request.

Dials said event organizer Josh Hamik was not on hand to present his request and answer questions.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners discussed the event and expressed discomfort with the lack of firm details. One commissioner said the amplification might disturb neighbors and others voiced concern that the event was a commercial venture rather than a fundraiser. Since the organizer was not available to answer questions, commissioners discussed tabling the request until the July regular meeting.

MOTION Rosenthal moved to table the Garfield Park special event request until the July regular meeting. Noraas seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Eggers, Lewis, Noraas, Rosenthal – yes

                                                                 Gardiner – no

FY 2009-2010 BENEFITS FOR PARKS EMPLOYEES

Robertson said city employees, with the exception of Parks, were offered two choices for deferred compensation—ING and ICMA—while Parks employees had just ING. He said providing an additional choice would bring Parks in line with other city employees and wouldn’t incur additional expense or staff time.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke in favor of adding ICMA as a deferred compensation option for Parks staff.

MOTION Eggers moved to approve ICMA as a deferred compensation provider for the employees of the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

NEW BUSINESS

internal finance controls

Robertson said the city’s auditors recommended, during the past two annual audits, that the city and Parks adopt a standard policy for internal finance controls. He said council adopted the proposed policy and Parks staff recommended the commission follow suit. He spoke of the importance of implementing documentation that matched cash handling practices, allowing staff to comfortably step forward to report irregularities.

Lee Tuneberg, Administrative Services and Finance Director, said all governmental agencies were firming up internal controls. He said the proposed policy provided a single document (with an associated reference document) for staff to use in standardizing accounting practices. He said the commission could adopt the proposed policy and make changes in future years as needed.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners questioned whether the documented steps would be cross-checked by auditors against actual practices and Tuneberg said staff was undergoing training to learn documented procedures and to demonstrate the steps to auditors.

MOTION Noraas moved to adopt the internal finance control policy as presented. Eggers seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

PARKING PERMITS ON CALLE GUANAJUATO

Robertson said several Plaza businesses regularly utilized private parking spaces along the Calle, including Websters and Tree House Books. He said Municipal Code 10.68.400 section B granted the commission authority to permit vehicle access during non-designated times “for property owners or lessees that have parking spaces on private land accessed through the Calle Guanajuato, or for other functions that are approved by the commission.” He said the rules recently had been violated, resulting in the gate being closed and locked during non-designated times. He said the owner of a new restaurant in the vicinity recently raised concerns about safety and ambience in terms of outdoor dining combined with vehicle traffic.

Public Input

Muriel Johnson and Dona Zimmerman of Tree House Books and Websters said they regularly parked in private parking spaces located behind their businesses on the Calle. They said they had never experienced problems with parking in their private spaces during designated or non-designated times and they requested ongoing approval of their parking permits.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners asked that shop owners only park in designated spaces. They spoke of conducting year-to-year evaluations of the Calle and considered renewing parking permits, with staff handling day-to-day concerns.

MOTION Noraas moved to approve a continuation of the private parking permits on Calle Guanajuato during non-designated times, per Municipal Code 10.68.400 section B. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

NAMING OF “MIKE uHTOFF TRAIL”

Robertson said a trail was developed in Siskiyou Mountain Park. It was suggested that the trail be named on behalf of Mike Uhtoff, a well-known local businessman and environmental advocate who was greatly involved in the development of the Siskiyou Mountain Park. He said the trail was developed cooperatively with the Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association and Southern Oregon Land Conservancy and both organizations felt that naming the trail in Uhtoff’s honor would serve as an appropriate tribute.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke favorably of Uhtoff’s efforts toward the creation of the Siskiyou Mountain Park and expressed strong support for naming the trail in his memory.

MOTION Lewis moved to name the new Siskiyou Mountain Park trail the “Mike Uhtoff Trail.” Noraas seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX DISCUSSION

Robertson said the existing tax, set to expire in 2010, was discussed at the June 15 Parks Commission study session. He reported attending the June 16 council meeting and learning that city staff was directed to prepare information for the inclusion of a November 2009 ballot measure for the renewal of the tax. He said council discussed extending the tax until 2024 (at the conclusion of the sewer treatment bond debt) or in perpetuity. He said council requested the commission’s input on proposed use of the funds should the measure pass.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners expressed interest in renewing the tax and possibly expanding use of the funds, beyond land acquisition, to include planning, development, major rehabilitation (per the city’s Capital Improvement Plan), and maintenance and operations. They spoke of the importance of educating the public about past successful use of the funds and potential future projects for which the money could be utilized. They suggested modeling, at a future meeting, potential use of the funds within the parks system for the benefit of taxpayers.

MOTION Gardiner moved to approve recommending to council that the Parks portion of the Food and Beverage Tax be no less than 20%; that the duration of the tax be indefinite; and that the Parks portion be used for acquisition of land, planning, development, and major rehabilitation per the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. Eggers seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

NAMING OF “NORTH MAIN / SCENIC PARK”

Robertson said construction of the new park located on the North Main / Scenic property was nearing completion and he showed the commission a series of slides documenting the progress of the park development project. He asked the commission whether they wished to name the park and said Ashland neighborhood parks were typically named in relation to the streets with which they were associated. He suggested possibly conducting a dedication ceremony upon completion of the project.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke favorably of naming the park “Scenic Park” or conducting a naming contest and allowing citizens to submit suggestions to the Parks portion of the City of Ashland Web site, drawing attention to the site.

MOTION Eggers moved to name the new park, located at North Main and Scenic, “Scenic Park.” Lewis seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Eggers, Gardiner, Lewis, Noraas – yes

                                                                 Rosenthal – no

RVTV CABLE TELEVISION CONTRACT RENEWAL

Robertson said the commission’s two-year contract with RVTV—for cable broadcasting of meetings conducted at council chambers—was due for renewal. He said the proposed contract of $5,150—for the period of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2011—was identical to the current contract except that RVTV offered to prorate the contract to allow for reimbursement of any unused broadcasts.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners spoke favorably of renewing the contract and asked staff to request a revised contract documenting RVTV’s offer to prorate their contract, charging the commission only for services provided.

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the two-year RVTV cable television contract as amended. Eggers seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

CROMAN MASTER PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Robertson asked the commission to appoint a representative to the Croman Master Plan Advisory Committee, per the Planning Department’s request. He said the former Croman Mill site contained elements designated within the Trail Master Plan, including proposed trail corridors and possible links with the Central Bike Path and the Bear Creek Greenway Trail.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Lewis expressed interest in serving on the committee and was duly designated as the Parks Commission representative. Eggers voiced interest in serving as an alternate commissioner as needed.

SUB-COMMITTEE and STAFF REPORTS

Dials reviewed the revised budget figures for golf course revenues over the previous two fiscal years. She also reported on a 75% increase in the number of “hits” on the Parks portion of the City of Ashland Web site, possibly resulting from increased golf course marketing efforts.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

When asked by the commission, Gies reported that the playground equipment at Scenic Park was out for bid. He said the two playground areas were small, which limited the choices for equipment.

UPCOMING MEETING DATES

• Study session set for July 20 at 7:00 p.m., Oak Knoll Golf Course, 3070 Highway 66
• Regular meeting set for July 27 at 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street

ADJOURNMENT– By consensus, with no further business, Gardiner adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation Department