City of Ashland
PARKS
AND RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR
MEETING
MINUTES
Present:
Commissioners Amarotico, Eggers, Gardiner, Lewis, and Rosenthal;
Director Robertson; Superintendent Gies; Superintendent Teige; City Council
Liaison Hartzell
Absent: None
Chair Gardiner called the meeting to order
at 7:00 PM at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.
Regular Meeting –
September 27, 2004 Under Approval of Minutes [for the
August 23 meeting], regarding the New
Business item “Request from Ashland Pop Warner Football,” Vice Chair Eggers asked that the
sentence be changed to read that “the Commission would discuss the matter and
consider all such requests during the budget process.” Under Unfinished
Business item “Baseball Field Lights,” in the paragraph entitled
“Additional Discussion Among Commissioners,” Vice Chair Eggers asked that the
statement “signing to direct people to the existing parking lot” be added to
the sentence referring to ways in which parking problems could be ameliorated
at the North Mountain Park sports fields.
MOTION
Vice Chair Eggers moved to approve the minutes as amended. Commissioner
Rosenthal seconded the motion.
The vote was: 5
yes – 0 no
Special Meeting – October
18, 2004
MOTION
Commissioner Rosenthal moved to approve the minutes. Commissioner Amarotico
seconded the motion.
The vote was: 5
yes – 0 no
Study Session – October
18, 2004 Vice Chair
Eggers asked that the paragraph referring to Public Meetings / Records / Ethics
be changed to read that “City Recorder Barbara Christiansen and Assistant City
Attorney Mike Reeder made a presentation to staff and the commission about ‘legal
requirements for noticing and conducting meetings and for recording minutes.’”
MOTION
Commissioner Rosenthal moved to approve the minutes as amended. Commissioner
Lewis seconded the motion.
The vote was: 5
yes – 0 no
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Open Forum
Paul
Kay, 1234 Strawberry Lane, thanked the commission for
allowing him to work on improving the water quality in Lithia Park’s lower duck
pond for the past three years, stating that he learned a great deal while
working on the project. He reported on what was found in the pond during the
clean-up process. The commission thanked him for his efforts, and especially
for the volunteer time he spent after the official contract ended.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
BASEBALL FIELD LIGHTS
Director Robertson referenced the packet memo outlining a proposed three-step process to evaluate the effects of sports field lighting on the natural area at North Mountain Park, assuring the commission that it would be completed by January 1, 2005.
Public Comment
Don Senestraro,
2017 Wine Street, expressed confusion about why field light studies [to
determine the effects of ball field lights on the natural areas] were not
conducted prior to installing lights at the North Mountain Park soccer field
and stated that he did not understand why the approved policy from the year
2000 [regarding lighting additional fields at North Mountain Park] was not
being upheld by the commission.
Discussion Among
Commissioners
Commissioners clarified that funds for
lighting an additional field were not incorporated into the 2003-2004 budget
and that, receiving the request as they did [i.e., out of the normal budget
cycle] prevented them from seriously considering the request until the next
fiscal year. The commission assured Mr. Senestraro that the matter [of lighting
an additional field at North Mountain Park] would come under review during the
2005 budget process and invited him to attend the upcoming budget meetings.
NEW BUSINESS
GOAL SETTING AND EVALUATION PROCESS
Director Robertson referenced the memo outlining his proposed goal setting and budget preparation process, including one-on-one commissioner/staff meetings in November to gather input and propose new goals for the coming fiscal year; a draft goals document to be presented, discussed, and refined during the December study session; and promotion for a public hearing of goals, with goals adoption scheduled for the January regular meeting.
Discussion Among
Commissioners
Commissioners expressed
their desire to solicit and promote public input early in the goal setting
process. Staff responded that they would work with the commission to create a
public service announcement inviting the public to attend a special goal
setting study session in December.
SUB-COMMITTEE and
STAFF REPORTS
Trail Master Plan Committee Report
Commissioner Lewis reported on the October 11 public meeting of the Tolman, Clay, and Hamilton Creek Trail corridors, at which approximately 40 people attended. A follow-up meeting was held on October 14. The public meeting to discuss the Roca and Ashland Creek Trail corridors will be held on Monday, December 6, at The Grove, 1195 East Main Street, at 6:30 PM. Preparatory to that meeting, a preliminary tour of the Roca Creek area was conducted and several Trails Committee members attended.
Commissioners asked to be notified directly about future public meetings.
Quarterly Project Update
Superintendent Gies
referenced the memo outlining the status of current departmental projects. With
regard to the Bike Park project, a commissioner requested information on the
impact the park would have on neighbors. In terms of the Greenway Park node
project, a commissioner indicated that a citizen reported that the sign
instructing owners to keep dogs on short leashes [i.e., six feet or less] was
no longer in place. The citizen asked that the sign be reinstalled.
ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS
· Commissioner Rosenthal referenced the packet letter from Mr. Tom Foster summarizing the results from the May through September guided Lithia Park tours. He suggested writing a note to Mr. Foster and his crew of volunteer Lithia Park tour guides thanking them for their contribution of time and effort. Staff agreed to draft a letter for Chair Gardiner’s signature.
· Chair Gardiner referred to an email written by Mr. Dan Thorndike concerning inadequate signage on the Greenway Bike Path [instructing users about bike path etiquette]. Staff assured him that the Greenway Committee is in the process of standardizing signage throughout the Greenway.
· Commissioners welcomed the Parks Department’s new Recreation Superintendent, Rachel Teige.
· Vice Chair Eggers asked staff to review the topic of dogs in City parks [and other natural areas within City limits] in the near future. Staff assured her that the matter would be brought forward for review in an upcoming study session.
UPCOMING
MEETING DATE(S) and PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS
·
Tour of Meadowbrook Park
II Development set for November 3 at 4:00 PM -- to meet at the North Mountain
Park Nature Center parking lot. Staff agreed to invite the Bear Creek Watershed
Council to attend the tour.
·
Joint study session with the Ashland School Board
set for November 15 at 7:00 PM – Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer. Topic will be
the future of the Briscoe and Lincoln School playgrounds.
·
Trail Master Plan Committee regular meeting set for
November 18 at 1:00 PM – Parks Office,
340 S. Pioneer. Topic will be the December 6 public meeting regarding
the Roca and Ashland Creek Trail corridors.
·
Regular meeting set for November 22 at 7:00 PM,
Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main. Topic to include:
·
Dogs in Ashland’s parks
and other natural areas within the City limits.
ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business,
Chair Gardiner adjourned the meeting at 8:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland
Parks and Recreation