City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

STUDY SESSION
MINUTES

June 21, 2010

ATTENDANCE

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

Absent:       City Council Liaison Jackson; Director Robertson

CALL TO ORDER

Gardiner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer Street.

ASSIGN FY 2010-2011 GOALS AS STUDY SESSION TOPICS

Gies distributed a list of FY 2010-11 goals that staff preliminarily assigned as monthly study session topics. He asked the commission for their feedback.

Gardiner reported talking to Robertson about scheduling a site visit at the proposed lower Clay Street park location. Commissioners agreed about the need for the tour and suggested inviting Planning staff. They asked Parks staff to send an email requesting best dates and times.

Topics and goals were discussed and the schedule finalized as follows:

§         July 19 – Nature Center (held at Nature Center)

o       Tour the center and grounds; discuss programs and offerings

§         August 16 – Non-Native Vegetation Control / Lithia Park Master Plan

§         September 20 – Dogs (facilitated public meeting)

§         October 18 – Oak Knoll Golf Course (facilitated public meeting held at Oak Knoll club house)

o       Discuss proposed disc golf course and walking path

§         November 15 – Fees and Charges / Financial and Business Plan

§         December 13 - Fees and Charges / Calle

o       Discuss the possibility of designating square footage for artisans (same method used for restaurateurs)

§         January 2011 – Goals

§         February 2011 - Budget

PROPOSED CIP BONDING PLAN

Gies distributed a list of capital improvement projects with estimated costs slotted into potential funding sources. Funding sources included current Food and Beverage Tax funds, SDCs, grant funds, and bond funds. He said the lower Clay Street project would affect all other projects due to its high cost. He distributed minutes from previous city council meetings in which the lower Clay Street property purchase was discussed and said the park property would require a master plan if the commission chose to purchase the acreage. For the golf course, he said the commission would need a cost analysis for replacing the irrigation system, which staff estimated at $750,000. For the Calle resurfacing, he said pavers versus concrete would be factored into the estimate and it might be appropriate to include parking lot resurfacing within that category. Other projects discussed included ice rink improvements, Bluebird Park stairs, upper Clay Street Park development, and Hunter Park tennis court lighting improvements.

With regard to the tennis court lights, Gardiner said a segment of the community hoped the commission would do for tennis what was done for baseball and soccer with the installation of ballfield lights at North Mountain Park. Gies suggested installing better lighting in the front courts first, the most popular courts at Hunter Park, and later improving the lighting on the other courts. He said a citizen was planning to attend the regular meeting on Monday evening to ask about improved tennis lights. He said staff received a local bid for the lights and a Musco Lighting quote was expected soon.

Commissioners discussed the golf course irrigation system and one commissioner questioned spending so many resources at a golf course that might or might not be used in that capacity in the future while other commissioners said any park or recreational activity on the property would require a well-functioning irrigation system.

In terms of bonding for capital improvements, Gies said the package would need to be properly prepared and the commission might want to consider hiring a consultant to assist in assessing project costs. He asked the commission to further consider projects for inclusion within the bonding process.

MOU REVIEW FOR CITY / PARKS SERVICES

Administrative Services and Finance Director Lee Tuneberg said the commission had before them copies of Memoranda of Understanding for FY 2009-2010 and FY 2010-2011. He said MOUs were useful when government agencies traded services, as the arrangements were then put into writing. He said the only change between FY 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 was that the Parks fleet mechanics moved to the City shop at the beginning of FY 2010-2011. He said the elected boards needed to sign off on the MOUs, signaling their direction to staff to move forward with the documented arrangements.

Gies said the MOUs would appear on the June 28 regular meeting agenda.

With regard to the CIP bonding plan, Tuneberg asked if the commission planned to submit their project funding recommendations to council. Gies said the commission would do that when they were ready but they were not at that point in the process. Tuneberg said once the commission identified projects to be funded, it would take approximately 90 days to procure financing. Once the money was received, he said the projects would need to be completed at the conclusion of two years, but a supplemental budget could be created for the balance of the funds if projects ran over two years. He said SDC funding could be used for master plans and it was best to master plan before bonding for projects. He suggested compiling a list of projects with accurate estimated costs. He said associated costs could include bond counsel, underwriting, and contractors. If situations changed and projects utilizing bond funding could not be completed as originally planned, he said a similar alternative project could be completed using those funds but the commission would need to provide rationale for not using the funds as originally designated.

ADJOURNMENT OUT OF STUDY SESSION – By consensus, Gardiner adjourned the study session at 8:27 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION – By consensus, Gardiner adjourned into executive session at 8:27 p.m.

§         Employee Negotiations ORS 192.660 (1)(D)

ADJOURNMENT OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION – By consensus, Gardiner adjourned out of executive session at 8:45 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, Gardiner adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation