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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-02-06 - Agendas - FinalCITY OF rteAtiglyle Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting February 6, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. City Administration Building Room 326 113 West Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR Members: Richie Lamb, Wade Colwell, JL Jennings, Chuck Maxwell, Kyle McHan, Phillip McKnight, David Profitt, Bill Putman, Dana Smith City Staff: Connie Edmonston, Director; Byron Humphry, Maintenance Superintendent; Alison Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent; John Crow, Recreation Superintendent; Chanel Pennington, Operations Assistant AGENDA AGENDA for 5:30 pm.: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of January 9, 2017 PRAB Meeting Minutes PRAB Motion: 4. 2016 Annual Parks and Recreation Report — Connie Edmonston, Parks and Recreation Director According to Article II, Chapter 33.018 (B) in the Fayetteville Code of Ordinances, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is to prepare an annual report to City Council. Upon approval of PRAB of the annual report, the document will be forwarded to the City Council. Staff Recommendation: PRAB to approve the 2016 Annual Report. Chairman, Richie Lamb will present the 2016 Annual Report to City Council at their March 21, 2017 meeting. PRAB Motion: 5. 5 -Year Capital Improvement Plan — Connie Edmonston, Parks and Recreation Director The City will be preparing our 5 -Year Capital Improvement Plan for capital projects that are over $10,000 for the years of 2018 — 2022. Staff is requesting for PRAB to give input on possible improvement at our March 6, 2017 meeting. We wanted to give you ample time in which to develop this list. We will be hosting public meetings as well as working with the list of projects our citizens have been requesting. Staff will come back to PRAB with a 5 -Year Plan proposal in April or May for your recommendation to the Mayor and City Council. Mailing Address: 113 W. Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR 72701 www.fayettevi I le -a r.gov 6. Park Land Dedication: Alison Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent Mountain Ranch Phase III This development was originally reviewed by PRAB in August of 2015. At that time the recommendation from PRAB to the Planning Commission was to accept money in lieu because adequate land to the west along Owl Creek associated with the Cross Keys development has been identified to be dedicated as a trail corridor and park area. At this time, the developer of Mountain Ranch Phase III would like to change their request to dedicate money in lieu to dedicate land along Owl Creek that was previously identified. The requirement for Mountain Ranch Phase three for 85 single family homes will be 1.96 acres of park land. The land must be owned by the developer of Mountain Ranch Phase III at the time of the land dedication. Staff Recommendation: Accepting land dedication along Owl Creek in the area identified to be park land/trail corridor as shown on the attached map to meet the requirements of Mountain Ranch Phase III. The land must be owned by the developer at time of final plat. PRAB Motion: 7. Other Business: 8. Announcements February 6th Registration Open: Fayetteville Adult Kickball Association 8th Registration Open: Spring Adult Softball 18th -19th Artic Classic Adult Softball Tournament 25th Spring Soccer Practices Begin 9. Adjourn Attachments 1. PRAB January 9, 2017 Meeting Minutes 2. Mountain Ranch Phase Ill Reports: 2016 Parks and Recreation Annual Report HMR Monthly Report 2 CITY OF Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting January 9, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. City Administration Building Room 326 113 West Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR MINUTES Members: Richie Lamb, Wade Colwell, JL Jennings, Chuck Maxwell, Kyle McHan, Phillip McKnight, David Proffitt, Bill Putman, Dana Smith City Staff: Connie Edmonston, Director; Byron Humphry, Maintenance Superintendent; Alison Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent; John Crow, Recreation Superintendent; Chanel Pennington, Operations Assistant AGENDA for 5:30 pm: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call Members Present: Lamb, Jennings, McHan, McKnight, Putman, and Smith. Colwell arrived at 5:32 pm. Proffitt arrived at 5:41 Pm. Members Absent: Maxwell 3. Welcome to new PRAB members: Dana Smith and Bill Putnam and the reappointment of Wade Colwell. 4. Election of Officers Nomination Committee Recommendation: Richie Lamb PRAB Chairman Nominee: McKnight nominated Richie Lamb for Chair PRAB Motion: McKnight motioned to nominate Lamb, Colwell seconded, motion passed, 7-0-0. PRAB Vice Chairman Nominee: Lamb nominated McKnight. PRAB Motion: Lamb motioned to nominate McKnight, Colwell seconded, motioned passed, 7-0-0. Appointment to Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks: Meets every other month on the third Tuesdays at 6 pm starting in January. PRAB Motion: Lamb nominated Jennings, McKnight seconded, motion passed, 7-0-0. Mailing Address: 113 W. Mountain Street Fayetteville, AR 72701 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Appointment to Active Transportation Advisory Committee: Meets the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30 pm. PRAB Motion: Lamb nominated Colwell, McKnight seconded, motion passed 7- 0-0. 5. Approval of December 5, 2016 PRAB Meeting Minutes PRAB Motion: McKnight motioned to accept the December 5th meeting notes as provided, Lamb seconded, motion passed 7-0-0. 6. Lake Fayetteville Trail Proposal- Alison Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent The Ozark Off Road Cyclists as well the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks are proposing to make the Lake Fayetteville natural surface trail uni-directional for cyclists. Staff recommended tabling this item for 30 days to solicit public input at the December 5th meeting. PRAB Motion December 5, 2016: Lamb motioned to accept staff's recommendation to table the item until the January meeting, during which time, staff will solicit public input. Also at the January meeting, if staff has determined that not enough input has been received, then the item will be pushed back to the February meeting. Priest seconded the motion, motion passed 6-0-0. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends designating the soft surface trail at Lake Fayetteville as unidirectional for cyclists only based on date of the month on a trial basis until the end of 2017, at which time staff will evaluate the result. Cyclists using the trail would be directed clockwise on even dates and counter clockwise on odd dates. OORC will commit $1,000 towards temporary signage as part of a public education campaign. Staff presented the temporary signage to the Board for review. The signage will be posted along 12 areas or access points along the trail. In addition, there will be banners placed at all vehicle parking and vehicular entrance locations. OORC has committed $1,000 for the cost. The quotes so far are just over $1,000. Brannon Pack added this will be temporary for 2017, and with a permanent adoption following the trial period. The OORC will discuss the concept with trail users on site. He added they do have $1,000 for temporary signage. McKnight asked if staff objected to advertising sponsors on the signs to help with the costs. Pack replied that it may be possible with the temporary signs. Lamb mentioned that a lot of the signage on the lake is on the concrete, he suggested the idea to staff. Pack said it may confuse the hard surface trail users as the signage would be for the soft surface trail users. Lamb asked if there were any feedback received from staff outside any conversations at the last meeting. 2 Edmonston noted that staff did receive feedback why staff choose adopt even / odd directions for all days of the week. Pack added that adoption the even / odd days would rotate by nature so riders experience would change every week. PRAB Motion: McKnight motioned to accept the proposal, Jennings seconded the motion. The motion passed, 8-0-0. 7. Skills Park Proposal at Gregory Park: Alison Jumper, Park Planning Superintendent The Ozark Off -Road Cyclists are proposing to seek funding to construct a bicycle skills park and pump track at Gregory Park in the northeast corner of the park. They are requesting the City contribute towards the project by improving the existing parking area. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the skills park and pump track. Final design and layout must minimize impact to the tree canopy and must be approved by Park Staff. Approximately $58,000 is available in parking improvements to contribute to the project. Staff will incorporate this into the project schedule as reasonably as possible. Final contract for parking improvements is subject to City Council approval. Jumper added this area would provide shade over the course and track in the warmer months. Pack added they will utilize the existing canopy. The highest feature will be around two feet high and will be focused on beginner to intermediate users. They hope to create a platform for children to develop riding skills that will correlate to mountain bike trail systems. This will be for all ages to use. Lamb asked if the $58,000 would be enough to pay for all of the parking. Edmonston noted this would be for any form of parking within any city park. Colwell asked if this would come from the Parks budget. Edmonston replied yes. She added staff would like to improve the parking to help accommodate the higher use in the addition of the Skills Park. She believes this will help the park and encourage positive use. Jumper added the OORC match would be for improving parking. McKnight asked if about the pricing. Pack replied it would be around $3,000.00 per parking space. The course and track would be around $115,000.00. Colwell asked if they had estimated how many parking spots they will need for the course and track. 3 Staff replied they had not at this point, but will shortly. Staff would like to encourage users to ride their bikes to the park. Smith asked about the maintenance. Pack replied there will be little maintenance on the skills track. The course will be installed on a flatter area, with minimal earth impact. The maintenance will be minimal around the course. Smith asked if there will be educational signage. Pack replied there will be signage requested in the grant application to encourage education and safety. Pack also mentioned the OORC held three volunteer events totaling 400 hours at Gregory Park for the month of December. They have had a lot of community assistance. They have another volunteer event scheduled for January 14, 2017 at 9:00 am in the morning. The OORC will supply the tools. PRAB Motion: Lamb motioned to accept the staff's recommendation, McKnight seconded, motion passed 7-0-0. 8. PRAB Orientation: Connie Edmonston, Parks & Recreation Director Parks and Recreation Staff will be conducting an Orientation for PRAB. Please bring your calendars so we can choose a date. Orientation will take approximately 2 hours. We will also have discussion on subjects you would like to have included in the orientation and if you would prefer a digital or paper copy of the orientation information. McKnight would like to see how many funds are available in each quadrant via money - in -lieu. Lamb asked if staff cold provide a digital copy of the orientation packet. Staff will upload it to a site and send the location to the Board, here they can download the information. Lamb suggested holding the orientation separate from a PRAB meeting, in the afternoon around 3:00 pm. Colwell proposed Wednesday, February 1, 2016. The Board agreed. Staff will update the Board on the location. 9. Recreation Programs Update: John Crow, Recreation Superintendent Update of the spring programs including girls' softball and startup of a youth ultimate Frisbee league and spring kickball league. Crow discussed the following changes to future Recreation Programming: The Youth Fast Pitch Softball league will no longer be offered by the department. The participation numbers have decreased over the past few years. Staff has also 4 observed a competing agency within the city that has seen an increase in their program numbers. Crow emphasized that staff feels as though the decrease of numbers takes away from the experience for everyone due to team numbers. Fayetteville Fast Pitch, appear to be meeting the needs of the participants and parents. They do have more of an emphasis on skills specific training. The department will offer a Youth Ultimate Frisbee League. The program will accept ages 6 to 19 utilizing volunteer coaches. The costs will remain low due to the low operational cost of the program. There will be minimal costs for officials. The games will be played at Lewis Soccer Complex and the Kessler Mountain Regional Park. In addition, the Kickball league will be expanded into the spring. The games will be held at Lake Fayetteville. The season will last 7-8 weeks. If space is possible, the adult softball league will be expanded as well. Staff will also work with Fayetteville Fast Pitch to accommodate extra field space if needed. Staff will notify all participants about the change in programming. Lamb asked if Fayetteville fast Pitch had turned anyone away. Crow replied they have not at this point in time. McKnight asked when staff will announce the Frisbee league. Crow said they will announce registration next week. Smith asked if the Lady Dawgs offer participation to the ages that Fayetteville Parks offered. Crow replied yes. Crow added that a Corporate World Softball Tournament is coming to NWA, staff is working to acquire the tournament. Gaulke added the Frozen Toes 15k will be held on January 14, 2017 at Kessler Mountain Regional Park. Staff is looking for volunteers to help hand out finisher medals. J.L. Jennings volunteered to help. Lamb asked if the series will be same as last year. Gaulke replied yes. Square to Square, Ladies Du Fayetteville, Splash and Dash, and Run for the Parks. Staff is looking to potentially add a Cyclocross race in December. Putman asked about the registration. Gaulke replied that it is available online or day of event. 10.Other Business: Edmonston noted that HMR is up 8.1% in 2016. 5 11.Announcements January 10th -12th 14th 1 6th 1 7th 12.Adiourn Adult Volleyball Tournament (YRCC) Frozen Toes 15K — Kessler Mountain Martin Luther King Jr. Day — City Offices Closed Adult Volleyball Winter League Starts McKnight motioned to adjourn the meeting at 6:22, Lamb adjourned the meeting. PRAB minutes provides the basic discussions and motions of the PRAB meeting. For more information, please refer to the PRAB meeting video provided on the city's website, www.fayetteville-ar.gov. 6 Land Identified for parks as development happens Mountain Ranch Phase III Cross Keys 11 previously approved r 1 Mountain Ranch Phase 111 0 220 440 880 1,320 1,760 Feet $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0 1.0 N 01 N 10 iris IR 01 IO IO 00 1/74/7 00 to m i. N O G N O N I4/3 tt M co up in m M aen N pN N N ffVN Ln c h N 4? 0 4n 1 cc 4 a arc 7 7 .1z m W LL Go CO11. h 0 h N Y5 O1 UI Go ▪ M Go 01 4/1 00 0 • m N Go 1 Fayetteville Parks and Recreation HMR Comparison 2013 - 2017 M 0 N 0 N M� O N Go opN N ,4140/1, ap m N ti' GN. 0 irk J y W J a i 4 0 Go 2013 • 2014 1 2015 • 2016 • 2017 Year to Date 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total Comparison $ 211,138 I $ 202,477 1 $ 236,849 $ 265,115 I $ 265,695 Go 77 SEPTEMBER M .. in g co Id1O NO til 1, H IA NN I0V. en hi11 •-1 Ntill U3 N In in dVI eN + N. Y sr In 4 U V1; N I N 07 0 O h N H MN F ce m 00 w YTD 2016-2017 0.2% 1 NOVEMBER 0 44 D 0 Ni DECEMBER 0 4n YTD 2016-2017 $580 2016 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS .••••••••••+l••••••• ••..• Park Planning 3-7 Urban Forestry 8-1 1 Park Maintenance 12-14 Horticulture 15-18 Volunteers 19-22 Recreation Programming 23-36 Yvonne Richardson Community Center 37-40 Parks and Recreation Awards 41 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board 42-47 City Council Motions 48-49 Parks and Recreation Department Staff 50-51 Park Land Summary 52-61 2016 Park Revenue 60 Parks and Recreation HMR Comparison 61 KESSLER MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK Crossland Construction completed the construction of the first phase of Kessler Mountain Regional Park. Construction began in March of 2015 and was largely complete in August of 2016 with a grand opening on August 20th. A large parking area was added to the contract in July and was completed in November. This first phase of the park includes parking, roads, utilities, six lit soccer fields, four lit baseball fields, two concession/restroom buildings and an onsite sewer treatment system. Total construction cost was $10,961,423. Design, engineering and testing costs totaled $1,145,114. The in- house costs were approximately $250,944 for a total of $12,465,167. The Rotary Club of Fayetteville has been raising funds for the playground at the park and has committed to raising $150,000 which will be match by $120,000 of park improvement funds. A 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 3 Request for Proposals has been drafted and is anticipated to be advertised in January of 2017. Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) completed their work on the former C and L landfill. Kessler Mountain TRAILS MASTER PLAN FINAL PLAN 12016 KESSLER MOUNTAIN TRAILS MASTER PLAN Park Staff worked with a professional consultant and local resident stakeholder group during the Kessler Mountain Master Trails Plan. The process began in August with frequent stakeholder and City staff meetings. Two public meetings were held to seek support and input from the greater public. The plan was then and approved by the Parks Recreation and Advisory Board for a final public input session. The plan was presented to the City Council on May 3rd for unanimous approval and adoption. Total cost of the master plan was $29,131. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 4 Subsequently, staff prepared and submitted a matching grant to Walton Family Foundation to begin work on the first phase of the trail plan which includes the construction of approximately 3.5 miles of new trail as well as re-routing and repairing sections of existing trails, and provides comprehensive signage for the trail. The estimated project cost of $420,000. BRYCE DAVIS PARK IMPROVEMENTS Parking lighting at Bryce Davis Park parking was completed in April. This project added needed lighting for the parking area to deter vandalism and increase safety. Total project cost was $17,300. WILSON PARK IMPROVEMENT Fayetteville was awarded a full 50-50 matching grant award of $150,000 for a total project of $300,000. This grant was awarded and is administered by the Arkansas State Parks Outdoor Recreation Grants Program. Staff created and submitted plans and specifications for parking and road improvements along with playground replacement for approval by Outdoor Grants. Additionally, Mr. Fadil Bayyari gave a generous $30,000 donation for a music playground. The parking improvements bid, music playground and playground replacement RFP were advertised in November and contracts were approved in December. Construction costs are estimated at $630,000 for the project including relocating the overhead power lines in the project boundary area. Construction will begin in January. Better playgrounds. Better world ` 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 5 TRAILS OF LAKE 5QiJOYAh c TRAIL MODEM •a^i sen T *In, • nwrx. •,.ems unt • Eas _ aWYrr�sgwr:ym • ma,. 1er1r 1.wiw.1. anw., rP ......016.....14•. rvw LEGEND SHORELIHFTRAIL 4uf m 191r11.1r111MIPO e, MONO. lloftwoff. - uiafntA dWtA. witir MrhdrrRr+l.:Iti rr»'+y+ww -h wUr�i9 fM11r vre ISLAND TRAIL el6T1F f= ri alliwilIMMION . PEE prT1-....EMU. lank WYY M.,.06•7 .irta.YY M-�+•ts+rai.Mwar �,.. 3,11,1 men SPILLWAY TRAIL hW mr —..d...L.,.•...rw raeowanoniana Jr W ▪ W rw W..wSr.Mr�aw..rvprk ▪ W miykrVnN:.[.ntaan Yr.:dd d.rd.e..�:w eW/r..ba�.ddM rtel .40w.:..d._:: RIYOR�fP TRAM o E^ t.Rw, 111100/10M1401.1110•11401.4.....9 0tat.d.re, w..nraaEo omo ....1ry.. w.d....ra,....sn..hryw..•Gel tOlte acks aid Reaeaem Voce 479.44.3471 wnw taVelle ie-ar.OM Far 479.5217714 LAKE SEQUOYAH Park staff worked with a local equestrian group to improve and designate certain trails at Lake Sequoyah for equestrian use. Trailhead maps and regulation signage were designed and trails were blazed with 2" x 6" painted aluminum markers to correspond to the color coding on the map. LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Fayetteville's first bicycle skills course was installed at Lake Fayetteville through a partnership with the Ozark Off -Road Cyclists (OORC). A contractor commissioned by OORC to build two age -designated skills courses as well as make trail improvements and re-route trails at Lake Fayetteville. Trail re-routes were constructed along the north property boundary, switchbacks reconstructed north of the Environmental Study Center, and two at the North Shore have been completed. Total cost of approximately $134,000 was paid for by a grant to the OORC from the Walton Family Foundation and in-kind contributions from OORC. Park planning staff prepared plans and specifications for construction of a boardwalk through a sensitive area adjacent to the southeast shoreline of Lake Fayetteville. The boardwalk is necessary due to segments of the natural surface trail being relocated in response to the revised lease -agreement area for the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks. A $56,000 Recreational Trails Grant was awarded by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to assist with these improvements. Planning staff coordinated with the Engineering Division to construct a new trailhead parking lot within the open field south of the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks at Lake Fayetteville. This lot includes 40 vehicular spaces and 2 motorcycle spaces, as well as bicycle parking. Construction was completed in April and cost $300,808. A ribbon cutting was held in June. A water fountain at the trailhead was donated by the Beaver Watershed District. GULLEY PARK A public meeting for the Gulley Park Master Plan was held March 10th. Comments and suggestions were taken at the meeting and a conceptual plan was created by Park Planning Staff. Concepts were presented to the public at the last Gulley Park Concert. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 6 Master Plan refinement will be completed in 2017 with final public input at a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. Staff coordinated with Appleseeds, Inc. to implement their garden masterplan on the leased area at Gulley Park. GORDON LONG PARK In coordination with the Engineering Department, Planning staff monitored the construction of a restroom at Gordon Long Park. JLA Construction was awarded the contract to expand parking, install a restroom facility, and perform associated work. The project was completed in November at a cost of $426,365. BRADEN PARK Planning staff worked with a Home Owner's Association representative at Braden Park to install swings and additional play equipment expanding play opportunities at the park. Staff coordinated the construction of the containment area, safety surfacing and equipment installation. Improvements by the HOA are valued at $20,000. Approximately $5,000 from the Park Land Dedication Fund was contributed for concrete curbing and playground safety surfacing. LAKE WILSON Planning staff worked with an Eagle Scout candidate who constructed a new trail segment and eliminated an existing, damaged trail segment as his Eagle service project at Lake Wilson. Two volunteer work days were held in April and the work was completed in May. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 7 Urban Forestry Staff reviewed 736 acres of development in 2016. Approximately 297 acres were canopy covered and 235 acres, or equivalent to 177.5 football fields, of that canopy were preserved. The remaining acreage was mitigated for with 1,606 trees. Additionally, 1,535 street trees were planted, 413 storm water trees and 187 parking lot trees were either planted in 2016 or will be planted in 2017. Urban forestry staff completed a draft of the Community Forest Storm Mitigation Plan (CFSMP) administered by the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The CFSMP aims at better preparing communities on • Assessment of community forest storm readiness; • Reducing tree canopy cover loss resulting from storm events; • Mitigating tree risk and reducing tree -related storm damage; and • Developing a community forest storm mitigation plan. The plan is a living document that will be updated as applicable. Fayetteville will be one of ten (10) Arkansas communities participating in the pilot program. Urban Forestry worked to organize an urban forestry workshop in Jonesboro. The workshop aimed to encourage City and campus participation in Tree City USA, as well as overall urban forestry education and outreach promotion throughout Arkansas. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 8 The Landscape Manual received a major update in 2016. The new manual is a more cohesive document for developers and aligns with Chapters 167 and 177 of the Unified Development Codes. A user friendly portion of the manual is dedicated to helping citizens with questions and problems concerning tree care, tree installation, and other inquiries. The Spring Escrow tree replacement planting project was completed. This project was funded by Tree Escrow Funds collected for tree canopy removal. Forty (40) trees were planted around the city to replace dead, diseased or dying trees at a cost of $9,641.54. A pilot project on Garland Avenue and College Avenue medians was completed. This project, based on a study completed by Forestry staff, used native plantings in the medians to reduce maintenance, increase the safety of city workers and improve pollinator habitat, specifically the Monarch Butterfly. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Urban and Community Forestry Program of the Arkansas Forestry Commission. Staff also developed a maintenance procedure manual detailing the maintenance requirements of the medians. Total project cost was $30,289, of which $14,105 was funded from the grant. Forestry staff coordinated with Engineering staff for the installation of street trees on Highway 265 from Joyce to Ivey and along Van Asche. The 2016 Sustainable Landscape Competition judging took place in June. Three volunteer judges reviewed sixteen sites. The sites were divided into three categories: restaurant, commercial, and residential. The theme of this year's competition was food production. Judges spent a week visiting the sites and talking with the owners. The restaurant winner is Thep Thai. The commercial winner is Tri Cycle Farms. The residential winner is Calvin Bey. The winning gardens were showcased in a walking tour of the gardens on July 16, 2016. The winners received engraved sundials, and will place a sign on their property for the following year. Mayor Jordan was on hand at Tri Cycle Farms to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. Tri Cycle Farms offered refreshing water infused with cucumbers, basil, or mint. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 9 Staff made great strides in community outreach in 2016. Presentation were given at various workshops and meetings including the Rotary Club, American Society of Civil Engineers, Northwest Arkansas Forests and Drinking Water Workshop/Regional Partnership Meeting, Modus Studios. Topics included invasive species removal, new Landscape Manual, symbiotic relationship of the urban forests to storm water management, and drinking water, the value of trees and importance of urban forests for long term environmental benefits. Urban Forestry staff attended the Forest Awareness Day at Lake Wedington, where 5th graders were educated about several aspects of forests in Arkansas. Staff talked with the students about development in Fayetteville and how saving trees in the urban environment can positively impact the whole community. Students participated in a hands on exercise to learn more about what the profession of urban forestry entails. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 10 The Annual Celebration of Trees took place on October 22 on the Arvest Plaza at the Downtown Fayetteville Square. The event was a huge success and started at 7 a.m. with a proclamation from Mayor Lioneld Jordan. Park Staff gave away the following trees and shrubs. • Arrowwood Viburnum • Black Walnut • Spice bush • River Birch • Parsley Hawthorn • Sycamore • Southern Catalpa • Bald Cypress • Pond Cypress • Corkscrew Willow • French Mulberry • Winterberry Urban Forester John Scott took the ISA Arborist exam and obtained his arborist certification. Lee Porter was hired as an Urban Forester. Lee holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arkansas. She has worked at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, and most recently in the Sustainability Department at the City of Fayetteville. The Tree City USA Application was completed. This will be the City of Fayetteville's 22nd year to participate in the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA project. Urban Forestry Staff coordinated a Tactical Urbanism workshop at the Nadine Baum studios. Street Plans organized the workshop to help members of the public, city officials, and local business owners understand `tactical urbanism'. There was a demonstration project held during the workshop as well. The demonstration created a bicycle and pedestrian connection from the Razorback Greenway to West Ave. It will be installed in January of 2017 by volunteers. A list of street trees to be used as reference in future City of Fayetteville and private development street projects was drafted. The list provides specific species recommendations for site specific locations. The list is currently under review. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 11 PARKS MAINTENANCE Staff attended a Project Management Workshop conducted by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department for a $56,000 Recreational Trails Grant that was awarded to Parks and Recreation for construction of a boardwalk at Lake Fayetteville on the natural surface trails. The Notice to Proceed was received on December 19 with construction planned for spring of 2017. Crews continued the removal of invasive privet and hazardous trees along the City of Fayetteville trail system. The focus was to improve sight lines and visibility along the trail. At Lake Fayetteville, invasive honeysuckle and privet were removed from the shore line east of the bait shop and marina. Invasive plants such as bush honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, and privet was removed from Gulley Park stream side along the Azalea Trail connection. Crews also worked on hazard trees along the Razorback Greenway along the Clear Creek Trail. A new contractor, Al Perea, was selected through a RFP process for the Marina Operator at Lake Fayetteville. In conjunction with the new contractor, the Lake Fayetteville marina bait shop was remodeled which included removal of all lighting, toilets, doors, and mop boards, etc. The interior was painted and concrete floor was buffed and polished. Repairs were made to electrical, plumbing and restrooms as needed. Crews also worked to prune and remove trees around the Lake Fayetteville Bait shop. Three years of hard work by park staff and the Fayetteville Chain Gang culminated in the 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 12 grand opening of the Waxhaws Disc Golf Course on November 16th. The construction of the course included grinding stumps and picking up brush and limbs from the fairways and hauling them from the work site. Fairways were seeded with fescue. Crews poured 18, 4'x8' concrete tee pads and installed tee signs at each hole. A course map was designed and installed at the entrance to the course. Staff also worked with an eagle scout to create raised walkways through low and wet areas of the fairways. The Northwest Arkansas Chain Gang acquired disc baskets with support from the Starr Foundation. Staff from multiple crews were involved in trenching and installing data conduit for the City of Fayetteville IT department. Approximately 1,800 feet of line was installed by parks staff at the new Regional Park site. Staff overhauled the sand filters at the Wilson Park Pool by removing and replacing approximately two tons of sand. The diving boards were also resurfaced. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 13 The parking along Block Ave in Walker Park was reconfigured to parallel parking on the west side only. This involved shifting the center line and painting designated parking spots. This work was performed to create safer parking and driving conditions through the park during high use time periods Staff worked with representatives from the Environmental Study Center to open the parking lot at the center for trail users during non -school hours. Staff installed signage and a fence to inform and direct park patrons where to park. Staff mulched and hauled in a large rock to control off street parking. Staff also installed new parking signage at the Botanical Gardens trail head parking lot on Crossover Road. aye Fayetteville r�*�rtal Study DOW e* as All maintenance supervisors, crew leaders and facility workers toured the regional park and had walk-throughs with electrical, HVAC, plumbing, irrigation, and landscaping. A training was also conducted for the on-site waste water treatment facility at the Kessler Mountain Regional Park. Adjustments were made to the baseball infields at the Regional Park to accommodate size requirements of the Fayetteville Youth Baseball league. Approximately 20,000 square feet of infield clay was removed and replaced with topsoil and sand mix which was prepped for sod. The irrigation system in the affected areas was also relocated. Sod was installed by Two -State Sod and fertilized, rolled, and watered by staff. Bases and home plates were installed and squared with the field. An annual agreement with the Lake Sequoyah Riding Club was finalized which permanently designated certain trails at Lake Sequoyah as equestrian trails. Staff worked with the club to make improvements to the trail and installed trailhead signs and a map kiosk. Staff completed a stream bank repair of a cut -bank on a tributary to the West Fork of the White River at White River Baseball Complex. This repair stabilized an area of the bank that was undercutting a portion of the parking lot. Lights of the Ozarks installation was completed ahead of schedule this year, thanks to good weather and management of time by our lighting crew. The lights were turned on November 18th. There were several maintenance staff present for the lighting on November 18th and Parks staff entered a float in the parade. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 14 Parks Garden Team In 2016, the Parks Garden team continued working toward primary goals of creating a more sustainable landscape management, to have a water -wise approach to maintenance, to engage and inspire the public, and to support native pollinators. One of the main tasks this year was to help fulfill the Mayors' Monarch Pledge. To help Fayetteville reach its goal the Parks Garden team: • Grew 400 milkweed plants from seed. • Conducted a "Milkweed Giveaway" at the Farmers' Market. Over 500 milkweeds and nectar -producing plants were given to citizens. • Donated 50 milkweed plants and 150 annuals to Fayetteville schools for their butterfly gardens. • Planted three Monarch waystations in conjunction with the Washington County Master Gardeners at Wilson Park, Gulley Park, and Mud Creek trailhead. These gardens are registered with MonarchWatch.org. • Additional milkweed was planted at Bryce Davis, Wilson, Gulley, Mud Creek, and Kessler Mountain. • Plant identification labels were made for the waystations with help from Master Gardeners. Agym inn ida vroitdw eraar.ted+, nectar ,arheti ane aufierneeded OWtiLnnO,+'thRrtt&l.yw as Ow INgrata through North Amer(/ (aetifred aa! rageitered be MAo w h Wateh as an official Monarcr Wa static . CREArt, COIrIER T I PROiECTIMGYYARcMARirA7s ,.PaCaasitaaAaato4.OG 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 15 The Parks Garden Team continued to plant and mulch the parks with the goal of increasing habitat as well as controlling erosion and providing beauty. Some totals for 2016: • 4,200 native grasses and 500 native perennials at Kessler Mountain. • 3,000 native grasses at the BGSO/Lake Fayetteville bioswale. • 92 evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees. • 950 perennials and ornamental grasses. • 1,150 annuals (seed grown). • 2,500 tulips for Spring 2017. • Specified and helped plant 200 native trees and shrubs at the Wilson Park Hillside Restoration. • Spread 350 cubic yards of city mulch and five truckloads of city compost. Many other maintenance tasks were completed at all the parks and sign entry areas. The removal of invasive plants is an ongoing task. Staff killed the large invasive vines that were growing in the oaks at Wilson Park. Staff also removed various shrubs and pre-existing invasive groundcovers like Vinca minor. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 16 A fulltime horticulturist assistant, Camille Montgomery, was hired to fill a vacant position and one temporary position, Rickie Hicks, was converted to fulltime. Square Gardens Team Trace Duncan was hired as the new full time horticulturist assistant. The troughs in the greenhouse were removed and replaced with new barrier cloth. Four new tables were added to the area allowing the greenhouse space to be utilized more efficiently. The barrier cloth on the floors of the outdoor lathe houses were replaced. A shade cloth was installed on the unheated greenhouse. The YRCC Kid Crops program continued for another year. Participants planted, harvested and cooked what they grew. They were taken on the yearly field trip to the Farmer's Market. The market vendors donate tokens which enable the children to purchase vegetables, fruits and flowers of their choice. An outdoor space with a kitchen is being designed with the help of the Park Planning staff. The space will be utilized for the Kid Crops program and other programs offered by YRCC. A plan was designed to add Monarch butterfly nectar and hosts plants to the pocket park at Spring Street. A couple different native asclepias and hosts plants were added. Monarch butterflies and caterpillars were spotted on the asclepias in late September. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 17 Multiple partnerships took place this year which included growing out Appleseed's early spring vegetable starts, assistance with mulching and the Kid Crop program by the AmeriCorps team and planting the medians on 71 B with the other horticulture team, maintenance crew and Urban Foresters. A garden tour of the Square was given to a group of Master gardeners from Mountain Home. Forty-eight hundred tulip and other spring bulbs were planted around town. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 18 OLU NTEER Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Seuss, The Lorax THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! Volunteer participation in 2016 increased by 30% over 2015 with 10,004 hours! Other pertinent 2016 volunteer stats include: • Linear feet of trail and stream cleaned: 76.3 miles • Hours spent cleaning litter: 4,937 • Hours spent removing invasive plants/replanting: 3,205 • Acres of invasive plants removed: 3.75 The volunteer program conducted many invasive plant removal and litter cleanup events with multiple community organizations including the Beaver Watershed Alliance, Illinois River Watershed Partnership, Washington County Extension Office, Watershed Conservation Resource Center, University of Arkansas and NWA Tobacco and Drug Free Coalition. Highlights include: . Wild About Earth Day: 72 volunteers cleaned nine miles of trail across the city, collecting 41 bags/960 pounds of litter. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 19 . Lake Sequoyah Fall Cleanup: 113 volunteers cleaned 3.8 miles of lake shores, slopes and trails removing 600 lbs. of trash and 520 lbs. of recyclables. . Make A Difference Day Trail Cleanup: 120 U of A volunteers cleaned 13 miles of trail, collecting 34 bags of litter and 100 pounds of recyclables. . Make A Difference Day Downtown Litter & Cigarette Butt Cleanup: 80 U of A volunteers cleaned 2.6 miles of downtown streets, sidewalks and planting islands, removing 11 lbs. of cigarette butts. . Rock Camp Downtown Litter and Cigarette Butt Cleanup: 180 incoming freshman volunteers cleaned downtown, collecting 11 lbs. of cigarette butts. . Rock Camp Trails Cleanup: 160 incoming freshman volunteers cleaned 6.75 miles of trail Parks hosted a 10 person AmeriCorps NCCC team for six weeks during early summer. Projects varied from invasive plant removal and habitat restoration to trail and stream cleanups and work in the community gardens and Kids Crops Garden. Accomplishments included the clearing of 12 tons of invasive plants from Scull Creek and replanting of 100 native trees and shrubs, and the removal of 11 pounds of cigarette butts from Dickson Street. Work has continued at the Wilson Park Hillside along Louise Avenue where the Greedy Goats initiated clearing in 2015 and have continued to volunteer. After year-round monitoring and hand clearing, volunteers replanted the area with 200 native trees and shrubs with funds received through a $2500 grant from the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. Many items were received through the Parks Donation Program including, 7 memorial benches, 17 trees to be planted at lams Dog Park, and one sculpture which was installed adjacent to the Mt. Sequoyah Woods Pavilion. 2016 PARKS AND RECREATION ANNUAL REPORT 20