Back to Homepage

Learn about the City's plan to construct and move the water treatment plant - Clean drinking water is an essential right

Agendas and Minutes

Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission (View All)

Parks Commission Regular Meeting

Agenda
Monday, February 22, 2016

City of Ashland
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
February 22, 2016

ATTENDANCE
Present: Commissioners Gardiner, Landt, Lewis, Miller, Shaw; Director Black; Superintendents Dickens and Dials; Administrative Supervisor Dyssegard

Absent: City Council Liaison, Mayor Stromberg; Assistant Manuel

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

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Regular Meeting – January 25, 2016
Motion: Landt moved to approve the Minutes for January 25, 2016, as presented. Lewis seconded.
The vote was all yes.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Ms. Kristina Lefever of 2359 Blue Sky Lane in Ashland was called forward.

Speaking on behalf of Pollinator Project of the Rogue Valley and Bee City USA of Ashland, Lefever said the two organizations were co-sponsoring a day-long conference entitled “Pesticides, People, Pollinators and the Planet.” The event – scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 2016, in the Rogue River Room at Southern Oregon University – would feature national and regional experts.

Lefever said the City of Ashland Bee City USA Subcommittee would formally request APRC financial support for the event.

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
There were none.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
There was none.

NEW BUSINESS

Calle Seating Agreements (Action)

Dials said five restaurants along the Calle Guanajuato, as well as the Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland (LAMA), requested outdoor seating for the 2016 season. Seating arrangements were under the management of APRC and fees were $7.00 per square foot for restaurants and $5.00 per square foot for artisans. Restaurants operated on the Calle seven days a week, with LAMA displaying their wares on weekends. The 2016 season was expected to span March 14 to November 13.

Dials reviewed each 2016 space request for the Calle Guanajuato:

Sesame 520 square feet
Louie’s 577 square feet
Salame 270 square feet.
Greenleaf 345.75 square feet
Mix Sweet Shop 98 square feet
Lithia Artisans Market Calle square footage and the Community Development parking lot

Commissioners and staff reviewed an aerial view of requested space and the required eight-foot clearance.

Discussion among Commissioners:
Landt indicated that restaurant seating often included tables placed at the edge of allotted square footage, at times causing chairs around the tables to encroach upon the eight-foot corridor. He highlighted the importance of a clear corridor and asked staff to convey that message to Calle renters. He suggested including compliance with Calle rules as part of decision-making criteria. Dials responded that she would discuss the concern with all parties.

Shaw asked whether LAMA would use the trail across the creek for their displays, a LAMA request from previous years. Dials reported that an agreement had been reached to use the Community Development Building parking lot rather than the chipped trail across from the Calle.

Motion: Shaw moved to approve the six requested space allocations for Sesame, Louie’s, Salame, Greenleaf, Mix Sweet Shop and LAMA along Calle Guanajuato as recommended by staff for the 2016 season. Landt seconded and the motion carried.

The roll call vote was all yes.

Motion: Landt moved to approve the Calle Guanajuato season as outlined by staff: March 14 through November 13, 2016. Shaw seconded and the motion carried.

The roll call vote was all yes.

SUBCOMMITTEE AND STAFF REPORTS
·        Update on Calle Subcommittee (Information)

Dials said two Calle Subcommittee meetings had been held. Both meetings focused on gaining clarity about Calle agreements / contracts. Once all the information was deemed clear or resolved, Calle agreements would be revised to include new language that identified all elements under discussion.

Work in progress included refining or defining the parameters of “adjacent to” the Calle Guanajuato when a restaurant or business was located on a second floor; quantifying the square footage permitted between the back door of a restaurant and the assigned outdoor space; defining seniority; and addressing the transferability of Calle spaces from one business owner to the next.

Discussion among Commissioners
Landt suggested a review of alternatives for determining seniority. There followed a brief discussion about various options.

Lewis voiced support for the work of the subcommittee. Gardiner commented that the proposed agreement would be reviewed by the Commission prior to its adoption for the 2017 season. Landt thanked the Calle Subcommittee for their valuable work.

Performance Audit Update (Information)

Black reported that three auditors from Matrix Consulting Group started the process of gathering information pertinent to APRC’s performance audit. The Matrix auditors interviewed APRC supervisors, the Performance Audit Subcommittee (also known as the Performance Audit Steering Committee), the Mayor and the City Administrator.

Black noted that time was spent discussing the difficulty of finding similar parks and recreation services for a city of Ashland’s size. When given a tour of Parks facilities, the auditors were impressed by APRC’s community outreach and program offerings.

Black explained that the next step would be an analysis of the collected data. Once completed, the Steering Committee and Parks Commission would be provided with a report that would include recommendations regarding the financial side of APRC such as the cost of programs and other facets of fiduciary responsibility. APRC would be provided with a list of recommendations about its programs and possible efficiencies. A draft report was expected within an eight-week timeframe. Once the report was reviewed and approved by the Commission, Black would present it to Ashland City Council.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Joint Meeting with Ashland City Council

Landt noted that a joint meeting with Council traditionally was scheduled in spring of each year. Black responded that he and Chair Gardiner would schedule a meeting within the next few weeks.

Bee City USA Sponsorship

Gardiner commented that the Bee City USA Subcommittee would be approaching APRC with a request for financial sponsorship of the “Pesticides, People, Pollinators and the Planet” conference. There followed a brief discussion about the possible level of support by APRC. Black agreed to converse with the subcommittee’s representative, Kristina Lefever, to ensure clarity regarding financial support from APRC versus general support for the program. Sponsorship of the event had yet to be determined.

Landt mentioned that the annual APRC Bike Swap was scheduled for the same day, April 16. It was noted that scheduling conflicts commonly occurred.

Theme for 2016 Fourth of July

Black reported sending a letter to the Ashland Chamber of Commerce regarding a suggested theme for the 2016 4th of July Parade: the 100-year anniversary of Lithia Park. Black said the request was well received and the Chamber’s parade committee chose it as the 2016 parade theme. Promotional events surrounding the parade would emphasize the Lithia Park’s history and future plans for the park. Black’s letter also suggested a parade Grand Marshall to be a collective group from APRC and the Ashland Parks Foundation. That detail had yet to be determined by the parade committee.

Briscoe Geology Park

Dials referred to a stack of thank you letters spanning 2011 to 2015 from school children and grateful adults participating in guided tours of Briscoe Geology Park on the Laurel Street sidewalk at the former Briscoe Elementary School. She emphasized the excellent contributions of volunteer Mr. Len Eisenberg, from whose inspirations and hard work the park was created.

Ashland Creek Park

Shaw reported that the Ashland Creek Park swing set was in place and the new pathway to the creek currently underway. A bench in the play area was being considered for placement. Dickens thanked Parks staff for their good work on the projects, noting that the pathway allowed for riparian viewing in the shade.

Black said the new amenities were made possible by actions of the Commission, who approved funding for many projects that were previously deemed “Unfunded.”

UPCOMING MEETING DATES
Study Session March 21, 2016 @ The Grove 1195 E. Main St—7:00 p.m.
Regular Meeting March 28, 2016 @ Council Chambers 1175 E. Main St—7:00 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Gardiner adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Betsy Manuel, Assistant

The Minutes are not a verbatim record. The narrative has been condensed and paraphrased to reflect the discussions and decisions made. Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission Study Sessions, Special Meetings and Regular Meetings are digitally recorded and available upon request.