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Home My WebLink About2000-12-04 - MinutesTO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board 4 • FROM: Connie Edmonston, Parks SL Recreation Supenntendent • • DATE: November 29, 2000 RE: PRAB Meeting Monday, December 4, 2000 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Room 326 FAYETTEVI LLE PARKS 8 RECREATION • AGENDA 1. Approval of PRAB meeting minutes November 6, 2000: PRAB MOTION: 2. Approval of Special PRAB meeting minutes November 17, 2000: PRAB MOTION: 3. Approval of Special PRAB meeting minutes November 28, 2000: PRAB MOTION: 4. Red Oak Park Development Discussion: A public meeting was held at Red Oak Park by the Willow Springs subdivision on October 17, 2000 to gather input from over twenty citizens attending. The first priority requested by the citizens was a hard surface trail looping from the north to the south side of the park. The second priority determined was playground equipment followed by picnic facilities. The current budget for the project is $45,000. Park staff informed the citizens present at the meeting that staff would calculate estimates for their request and the project would be presented to PRAB in December. The citizens were notified and invited to attend this meeting to discuss the development of Red Oak Park. Park staff estimated the cost as follows: Hard surface trail - 3,500 linear feet: $22,000 Playground: $23,000 Soft surface trail - 1,000 linear feet and picnic facilities: $10,000 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $55,000 Staff recommends after evaluating and walking the wooded area behind Fieldstone subdivision to make this portion of the trail a soft surface to blend with the natural environment. Parks and Recreation Staff Recommendation: Expend up to $10,000 from the Park Land Ordinance Fund in the Northwest Park District for the development of Red Oak Park. PRAB MOTION: 5. Rocketry Proposal: Mark Morley See attached proposal. 6. Discussion of Park Safety: Fayetteville Police Department 7. Wilson Park Swimming Pool Renovation Update: Connie Edmonston 8. PRAB Nominating Committee for 2001 Officers: 9. Other Business: 9. Adjournment: 10. Holiday Treats!! Let's celebrate a great year at the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division and for all your hard work!! Attachments: PRAB Meeting Minutes - November 6, 17, and 28, 2000 Rocketry Proposal CIP Update Park Land Dedication Ordinance Fund Monthly Report HMR Monthly Report 2 • • • • • MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD DECEMBER 4, 2000 A meeting of the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was held on December 4, 2000 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 326 of the City Administration Building located at 113 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas. PRESENT: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members Ackerman, Thiel, Eads, Shoulders, Hill, Colwell, and Stockland; City staff Edmonton, Schuldt, Nelson, Gulley; Press, and Audience. ABSENT: Nickell AGENDA I. Approval of PRAB November 6, 2000 meeting minutes. MOTION: Mr. Shoulders moved to approve the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board November 6, 2000 meeting minutes. Ms. Eads seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5-0-0. (Mr. Colwell arrived later). II. Approval of PRAB November 17, 2000 special meeting minutes. Mr. Hill moved to approve the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board November 17, 2000 special meeting minutes. Mr. Ackerman seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0-0. (Mr. Stockland arrived later). III. Approval of PRAB November 28, 2000 special meeting minutes. Mr. Ackerman moved to approve the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board November 28, 2000 special meeting minutes. December 4, 2000 / Page 1 • • PRAB Regular Meeting Ms. seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0-0. Ms. Thiel corrected an earlier statement in which the Fayetteville Youth Center was referred to as a for-profit organization. The Fayetteville Youth Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. IV. Red Oak Park Development Discussion: A public meeting was held at Red Oak Park by the Willow Springs subdivision on October 17, 2000 to gather input from over twenty citizens attending. The first priority requested by the citizens was a hard surface trail looping from the north to the south side of the park. The second priority determined was playground equipment followed by picnic facilities. The current budget for the project is $45,000. Park staff informed the citizens present at the meeting that staff would calculate estimates for their request and the project would be presented to PRAB in December. Park staff estimated the cost as follows: Hard surface trail - 3,500 linear feet: $22,000 Playground: $23,000 Soft surface trail - 1,000 linear feet and picnic facilities: $10,000 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $55,000 Staff recommends after evaluating and walking the wooded area behind Fieldstone subdivision to make this portion of the trail a soft surface to blend with the natural environment. Ms. Edmonston presented a map of the park outlining the proposed course of the walking trail. A playground design was also presented. Ms. June Lewis expressed concerns that installing a hard surface trail would damage existing trees in the park. She stated she was against a hard surface trail and preferred a natural path. Ms. Thiel stated trees would not be cut down to make way for a trail. She said the intention was to do what the neighbors wanted. Ms. Edmonston said the proposal was based on the information obtained from the public meeting. Ms. Edmonston explained the evolution of drainage problems in the Bridgeport subdivision, and Mr. Gulley described corrective action which included constructing a retaining wall and backfilling for erosion control. Ms. Edmonston said the goal was to meet the needs of the people in the neighborhood. MOTION: Mr. Colwell moved to accept staff recommendation to expend up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) from the Northwest Park District Park Land Dedication Fund for the development of Red Oak Park. December 4, 2000 / Page 2 • • • PRAB Regular Meeting Upon roll call, the motion was approved 7-0-0. V. Discussion of Park Safety: Fayetteville Police Department Assistant Police Chief Rick Hoyt, Lieutenant Frank Johnson, and Officer Shannan Gabbard appeared to address public safety concerns of illegal activities occuring in parks. Ms. Edmonston said citizen inquiries had been received following recent media coverage. Mr. Hoyt stated he thought the parks were safe. He said it was no secret that illegal activities were taking place, and the police had been dealing with them for several years. Decoy operations with undercover officers have been employed. The officers merely walked down the trails or around the restrooms at Veterans Memorial Park and were approached by males who basically solicited them for sex or exposed themselves. Mr. Hoyt said the park is listed on several websites as a cruising place. He said he did not know how to completely stop the unwanted activity. An article from the National Institute of Justice was distributed to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members illustrating various initiatives communities across the nation have taken for various crime problems. Mr. Hoyt said Fayetteville is not alone in dealing with this problem; we need to do everything we can to dissuade people. Mr. Hoyt offered several ideas to ponder including surveillance, admission standards, and banning offenders from parks. He also suggested forming a committee to address problems and possibly contacting local representatives of gay and lesbian alliances. Mr. Colwell suggested increasing park traffic, clearing some undergrowth, and publicly naming offenders in the newspapers as possible deterrant methods. Mr. Hoyt stated he did not have a problem with names appearing in the newspaper. The names are available to anyone who asks for them and are not protected. He said it was an editorial decision of the news media to stop printing names. Mr. Hoyt further suggested the city air digitized mug shots on the govemment channel and cited Little Rock taking a similar initiative to combat its prostitution problem. Wayne Gates, Assistant News Director for Arkansas NBC, said the station chose not to air names primarily because of litigious concems. He said if public exposure would help stop this activity, cooperative efforts with the police could allow news coverage. Ms. Edmonston asked what a person should do if approached in the park. Mr. Hoyt recommended calling the police immediately. Ms. Sandra Deal, a Zion Road resident, said her children have been approached and people have been coming onto her property. She said her children have been chased, and she feels they are not safe. She stated she often tumed out her dog to prevent people from coming into her back yard. Mr. Jimmy Moler, a Zion Road resident, said the problem needs to be nipped in the bud. He said a few people were causing many people to lose some of their rights to enjoy the park. Mr. Hoyt said one community posted signs around the parking lot which read `Public Sex Is Illegal And All Of This Park Is Considered Public'. Lieutenant Johnson said several years ago language had been drafted for some signs, but there was no way to articulate it without being offensive. December 4, 2000 / Page 3 PRAB Regular Meeting Mr. Hoyt said every time a sting operation is conducted it curbs the activity for awhile, but he said these people have a good network to warn of police activities. Ms. Thiel said she did not oppose using video cameras. Mr. Colwell favored publishing names of offenders. Ms. Deal suggested relocating parking to force people to walk into the park as opposed to driving into it. She expressed displeasure in having to explain to her children what activities were occurring because of where they lived. She also asked about closing the park until the spring. Mr. Colwell said that was not a viable option because it would deprive the entire community. Lieutenant Johnson said there was no easy remedy for the problem. Fines and charges for offenses were briefly discussed, and Lt. Johnson relayed other issues associated with the crimes being committed. Both Ms. Deal and Mr. Moler commended the police for their patrol efforts. A committee will be formed to further address the problems occurring at the park and to discuss possible solutions. Mr. Moler suggested increasing fence heights. Mr. Ackerman said similar problems with fencing were occurring on the north side of Lake Fayetteville. Mr. Gulley stated he would look into the issue. VI. Rocketry Proposal: Mark Morley Mark Morley, President of the Northwest Arkansas Rocket Society gave a presentation on a newly formed educational hobby club seeking launch sites for model rocket launches. He said most Fayetteville parks were unsuited for rocket launches. Mr. Morley explained model rocketry, construction materials, motors, and safety compliances. He said all federal and state legal codes recognize model rockets as different from fireworks. Rockets are prohibited from carrying any form of pyrotechnic payload; the purpose is to demonstrate flight principles, not blow up, make noise, or emit a shower of sparks. Mr. Morley has visited Babe Ruth Park, Finger Park, Greathouse Park, Combs Park, and the hobby use area of Lake Fayetteville as potential model rocket launch sites. Overhead power lines and launch space were issues of concern. He said the group was interested in reaching out to the community through educational programs and establishing regular contact with the Parks and Recreation Division so that organized launches can be arranged. VII Wilson Park Swimming Pool Renovation Update: Connie Edmonston Ms. Edmonston reported the project had come in over budget and rebids were due December 6, 2000. She anticipated the costs to be over $200,000 and expects the item to be on the December 19, 2000 City Council agenda. VIII. PRAB Nominating Committee for 2001 Officers: Mr. Ackerman, Ms. Nickell, and Mr. Colwell were appointed Nominating Committee members. The committee will nominate a slate of officers for 2001 at the January meeting. December 4, 2000 / Page 4 • • • PRAB Regular Meeting IX. Other Business: The next regular Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting was scheduled for January 8, 2001 at 5:30 p.m. Ms. Thiel said she has enjoyed serving on the board and for the experience it has given. She said she was proud of the board's accomplishments and commended the Parks and Recreation staff. X. Adjournment Ms. Thiel adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. MINUTES APPROVED: MINUTES TAKEN BY: JAN B 20s1 December 4, 2000 / Page 5 • • • MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2000 REGULAR PRAB MEETING NAME (Please Print) GROUP REPRESENTING b A R\). S - L,EIRJ.(s• VD IIl FCSwNFae-S •-S:erDGetoe-T -L( &)F M. I-FcR)1S t i 't slimmY//�� ( Side. HoiredroL. &1El2 Ve-R7 4i.)S ?RRK All //�MoLEP AirAaC1 ktiA /IMPS ma%% VVt%6ow onN Vele r/j la .? K e_ctj reti-ML,--it p<,NrZ,41- , B n� w 000l4 C(455 reel" \NVm(f'M— 000ISS vreQI%h G I as s 2_P o rt IJia_1Yi r(4--{ v1 111415-1/41— tiT?iAAA ;Ll,rS