City of Ashland
PARKS
AND RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR
MEETING
MINUTES
Present:
Commissioners Amarotico, Eggers, Gardiner, and Lewis; Director
Robertson; Superintendent Gies; Superintendent Teige
Absent: Commissioner
Rosenthal; City Council Liaison Hartzell
Chair Gardiner called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at
Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.
Regular Meeting – November 22, 2004
MOTION
Commissioner Amarotico moved to approve the minutes. Vice Chair Eggers seconded
the motion.
The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no
Special Meeting – December 13, 2004
MOTION
Vice Chair Eggers moved to approve the minutes. Commissioner Lewis seconded the
motion.
The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no
Study Session – December 13, 2004
MOTION
Commissioner Amarotico moved to approve the minutes. Commissioner Lewis
seconded the motion.
The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Open
Forum -
None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
ARTS COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Director Roberston reminded the commission about the
presentation given by the Arts Commission in March of 2004. He introduced Mr.
Bruce Bayard, chair of that organization, and invited him to speak to the
commission.
Bruce Bayard, 621
A Street, reported that a subcommittee was formed to review potential art for
the upper portion of the Calle Guanajuato Stairway project [otherwise know as
Phase I]. The selection panel was comprised of seven members, including Paula
Brown, Kerry KenCairn, Marcus Scott, Diane Amarotico, members of the public,
and himself. The RFP went out on September 1 and proposals were due back by
October 31, giving artists two months to create proposals and submit them to
the Arts Commission. [Note: Numerous efforts were made to contact the cultural
liaison in Guanajuato, Mexico, as the intention was to limit the artists for
the initial phase of this sister city project to the areas of Jackson County,
Oregon, and Guanajuato, Mexico. Despite all efforts, no proposals were submitted
by or received from Guanajuato.]
The selection panel
received five artwork proposals. Subsequently, the group walked through the
area under discussion and spent several hours sorting through the proposals.
Three pieces of art quickly rose to the top, and the selection panel voted
unanimously for the piece proposed by artist Sue Springer. The theme for all
submitted proposals was “The Theme of Water.”
Sue Springer, whose
artwork was chosen for this phase of the project, talked about the specifics of
her design.
Discussion Among Commissioners
Commissioners asked
whether the Arts Commission solicited input from the public and were told that
the commission placed two notices in the paper encouraging local input. They
also mailed letters directly to organizations such as the Arts Council of
Southern Oregon. Other clarifying questions were asked about specific aspects
of the project, and appropriate answers were provided. In terms of financing
for the project, the approximately $25,000 project will be financed through
funds raised by the Arts Commission, with help from the Lithia Arts Guild and
others. The estimated completion date for the art project is June 1, 2005, with
the unveiling occurring near the high point of the Shakespeare season.
Commissioners asked that,
for Phase II, the Arts Commission provide the Parks Commission with the top
three designs for their review and consideration, to allow them to participate
in the selection of the finalist. Chair Gardiner called for a motion.
MOTION
Commissioner Amarotico moved to accept the artistic design for the first phase
of the Calle Guanajuato Stairway project overlook as chosen by an independent
selection panel. Vice Chair Eggers seconded the motion.
The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no
CORRESPONDENCE WITH JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Director Robertson reminded the commission that, at the December 13 study session, they discussed a proposal presented by a group of citizens and cooperative organizations with respect to the Bear Creek Greenway. At that time, they asked Vice Chair Eggers and staff to draft a letter to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners presenting their thoughts on the matter.
Vice Chair Eggers summarized the final letter for the commission. [Note: The letter concerned the use of the Bear Creek Greenway property as part of a golf operation by a private developer. The commission proposed applying the Greenway zoning to the property in question, citing the work of groups in the community – over the past 30 years – in establishing and maintaining the Greenway, developing the path, and the vision and work involved with that effort. The commission urged the Jackson County Commissioners to accept the proposal offered by the Greenway Stewardship Alliance, whose mission is to protect and restore this area, which acts as valuable bird and animal habitat.] Chair Gardiner called for a motion.
MOTION
Vice Chair Eggers moved to approve the letter as written and to send it to the
Jackson County Board of Commissioners the following day. Commissioner Amarotico
seconded the motion.
The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no
NEW
BUSINESS
TRAIL MASTER PLAN
PRESENTATION
Director Robertson provided background on the Trail Master Plan Committee, which was seated by the commission approximately one year ago for the purpose of developing a trail master plan for the City of Ashland [in conjunction with the work of the City’s Open Space Plan]. He invited the committee chair to speak to the commission.
Scott Kurtz, Chair of the Trail Master Plan Committee, gave an overview of the committee’s work and shared some highlights, including creation of subcommittees in the areas of:
§
Mapping: Created map of proposed trail master plan
§
Document: Solicited input from local experts on
trails, including specialists in: flora and fauna; trail maintenance,
specifications, and history; and other related topics
§
Public Process: Held four public meetings, all of
which were generally positive
§
Vision: Collected and collated public process input
for the purpose of creating goals and a roadmap for the implementation of
trails throughout Ashland.
Mr. Kurtz reported that
the committee does not possess the necessary volunteer resources to complete
the plan document and he asked the commission to consider partnering with them
to complete it, including partially funding a consulting position for the
purpose of writing the document. He informed the commission that a writer was
identified, and he listed the unique credentials of Mr. David Lewis, a
landscape architect / writer from the Portland area.
Along with a scope of
work for the project, Mr. Lewis provided committee members with an estimate for
the cost of the document, which came in at $6,000. Mr. Kurtz spoke of a
four-way partnership with: Planning Department (a commitment of $3,000 toward
the project has been offered); Parks Commission (he asked the Parks Commission
to match that amount); AWTA (has committed $1,000 toward the project); and NPS
(the National Park Service employee [who has been involved with the project
from its inception] has committed to providing staff support throughout the
entire project). He predicted that such a document could be rewarded amply in
the form of grant opportunities toward the implementation of a trails system in
Ashland. Finally, he gave the timeline for the completion of the document,
which, if funded, could commence in January and be finalized in April, to
coincide with Earth Day.
Discussion Among Commissioners
Commissioners asked how the additional $1,000 [from the AWTA] would be used and were told that it would be targeted for publishing costs as well as any unforeseen expenses relating to the document’s creation and completion. Other questions included why a non-local writer was chosen [his unique skills were ideal for this project]; whether travel expenses were included in the $6,000 budget total [yes – the two trips to Ashland were included in the budget total]; and whether the final document would need to be adopted or approved by the commission [yes – the document will be done in cooperation with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and may become a chapter in the City’s Transportation Plan, so it will also require approval by the City Council].
Director Robertson reported that Parks Department funds could be made available for this type of unforeseen expense, and Chair Gardiner indicated that this document could become an integral part of the City’s Open Space Plan; therefore, staff was directed to provide partial funding, in the amount of $3,000, for the creation of the Trail Master Plan document.
2005 MEETINGS CALENDAR
The proposed 2005 meetings calendar, which recommended conducting all regular commission meetings on the fourth Monday of each month [with the exception of the meetings in November and December – to be held on the third Mondays due to holidays] was approved.
SUB-COMMITTEE and
STAFF REPORTS
Recreation
Division Report (Shape Up Oregon)
Superintendent Teige gave an update on the proposed
program, stating that staff did not have sufficient time to implement it by
March of 2005. She suggested conducting a similar program in conjunction with
the Ashland YMCA or Southern Oregon University in late summer of early fall,
and she agreed to bring an updated progress report to the commission in the
future.
ITEMS FROM
COMMISSIONERS - None
UPCOMING
MEETING DATE(S) and PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS
· Study
session set for January 18 at 7:00 PM – Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer. Topics to
include 2005-2006 goals followed by an executive session in preparation for the
Director’s evaluation.
· Trail
Master Plan Committee regular meeting set for January 20 at 1:00 PM – Parks Office, 340 S. Pioneer.
·
Regular meeting set for January 24 at 7:00 PM –
Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main.
ADJOURNMENT – By consensus, with no further business,
Chair Gardiner adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland
Parks and Recreation