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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Commission minutes - 11-08-17.docx Yakima Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes for November 8, 2017 Commissioners Present: Chairman Rod Bryant, Vice Chairman Paul Williams, Matt Tweedy, Jo Miles, Roger Lewis, Rosana Bravo, Stacy Hackenmueller and Brynn Kloster Absent and Excused: Josette Gonzales and Dulce Gutiérrez, Yakima City Council Liaison Staff present: Ken Wilkinson, Parks & Recreation Manager and Jenise Sanders, Administrative Secretary for Parks & Recreation Call to Order Welcoming everyone in the audience and viewers watching on YPAC, Chairman Rod Bryant called the nd meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers, 129 North 2 Street, Yakima, Washington. Approval of the Meeting Minutes from October 11, 2017. It was Moved by Matt Tweedy, Seconded by Roger Lewis, to approve the Minutes as written from the October 11, 2017 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. The motion carried unanimously. Naches Parkway Discussion Ken gave an update on the discussion of converting Naches Parkway to a park distinction and being able to enforce the established park ordinances for this area. This discussion has been before this commission as well as the City Council and then back to the NCBC (Neighborhood and Community Building Committee). He stated that some recommendations were given at the NCBC meeting that he was bringing st back to them and then back to City Council on November 21. Ken proceeded to go over the handout in their packet explaining the one-time costs and the estimated yearly maintenance costs. Ken advised that he has been told that there is a potential donor to help cover some of the cost for the amenities if this proposal is approved by City Council. Ken stated that Park Maintenance already mows, irrigates, trims trees and cleans up vandalism and trash within this strip and with added amenities, maintenance will increase and an additional person will be needed or the workload will be added to current staff. Ken stated that additional funds would need to be allocated to add one temporary worker. Matt Tweedy asked if we had to do all fifteen blocks. Ken stated we do not. Matt stated that he felt like the core of this would be on about six or seven blocks. Ken agreed that three or four blocks on each side of Yakima Avenue. Matt asked how much the donation amount would be. Ken stated he does not have that information, it is second hand information that someone wants to donate toward this project. Jo Miles stated that the picnic tables should be revisited. He continued that this is a “greenway” which is a strip of decorative landscaping between the streets. He stated that by placing picnic tables in the islands, we are attracting people to pack up their belongings, cross the streets and have children going back and forth. He also stated that there is no parking there. Jo suggested that benches would be OK, but the picnic tables would be an attractive nuisance, unsafe and possible liability for the City. Ken stated that after speaking with staff they agree that picnic tables are not the best idea but that benches would probably be OK. Discussion followed regarding the need for trash cans and benches. Matt wanted to know what the driving force is for making these changes, so that the rules and regulations can be implemented on the strip. Ken stated that he thinks that is part of it, but also creating more welcoming green space for people. Ken advised that Council Member Avina Gutiérrez and some of the people that live along the parkway brought this forward. Jo stated that he we should not be creating a “play area” in the strip between two streets for safety reasons. Matt commented that he thought it was possibly brought up to help with a litter problem with the median also. Matt asked what City Council is looking for from this commission. Ken stated they are looking for more input and as an advisory committee what Park Commission thinks. Matt stated that he feels that since we only have $100,000 to spend on Parks Capital, this is not the right place to be spending it when there are some many more things in dire need. Matt reiterated that he felt that placing a few more benches and a few more garbage cans on four or six blocks would be sufficient. Discussion followed. Stacy Hackenmueller stated she would like to see Parks take over this property. Ken advised that Park Maintenance already mow and irrigate the parkway. Jo asked if Parks staff currently patrol this area for trash. Ken stated that while mowing, they may have to get off and pick up trash. He also stated that ONDS (Office of Neighborhood Development Services) has helped clean up the area and also from time to time individuals doing community service have also helped. Jo commented that he drives by there one a week and he does not see that there is a real issue with trash. Ken stated there have been complaints about the trash and peoples personal belongings being left in the parkway. Matt stated that he thinks it is more of a decorative greenway between two streets more than an actual park for activities. Jo suggested that the Park Commission make a recommendation to the City Council that if money is going to be spent for this project, that it be spent on benches and trash cans and not picnic tables. Brynn Kloster asked if the more expensive trash receptacles are purchased, is there a way to bolt them down or secure them from being taken. Ken advised that the two that are in the parkway are chained down. Discussion followed about putting the decorative receptacles and not the inexpensive ones. Ken stated that Sara Watkins, City Attorney has created a memo listing the options for amending the ordinance that she will be presenting to City Council. They will be discussing either changing the definition of “parks” in the beginning of the chapter in the ordinance to include “parks, parkways, pathways, all park maintained properties” or just including the terms, ”parks, parkways, pathways” within the ordinances in order to accomplish the goal of utilizing the ordinances that are already established. Matt voiced his concern about properties that are not currently in Park Maintenance’s budget being added if there is a change to the ordinance. Ken stated that Parks is already maintaining the parkways and pathways, but that is a good point for future developed planting strips or parkways throughout the City. Discussion followed. Criteria for Capital Improvements Discussion Ken advised that the City has been conducting an equity study over the past two years to help evaluate the amenities throughout the City. WSU has had a team evaluating the equity study and it was presented to NCBC a couple of weeks ago and is moving forward to City Council in December. Ken advised that one of the criticisms in the study was that Parks does not have established formal criteria of how we choose capital projects. He stated that in the past staff, Park Commission, surveys and community leaders have let us know what projects need to be considered. He stated the evaluation and selection of projects have been conducted in an informal way. Ken advised that he put together some criteria that will help make the decision process of how capital funds are spent more objective. Ken advised that the criteria sheet he drafted is in their packet for their review and come back with some input and suggestions. Discussion followed. Stacy suggested trying to find what other Parks Divisions in other cities use for their criteria. Ken stated that he was not able to find anything other than for vehicle and equipment replacement but will continue looking. Discussion followed. Jo suggested that the criteria be used as a tool not as a requirement of how the capital projects are chosen. Discussion followed. Stacy questioned the rating scale on the criteria sheet and that it may need to be something more direct to help decrease the risk of appearing bias. Randall Park Improvement Update Ken stated there is lots of activity at Randall Park. The pond was drained and was surprising even shallower than we had expected. Draining did not take long, a tremendous amount of sludge was removed and the contractor re-established the pond edge. The ducks stayed the whole time while the work was taking place. Ken stated the work is complete and the pond is currently being refilled, which may take a week or two. Some of the native plants will need to be replanted. Rod Bryant asked how deep the pond was and is now. Ken advised he is not exactly sure but it was probably only a foot deep in some places and is now about four or five feet deep. Roger Lewis asked how it was determined how deep to make it. Ken stated the project was bid to remove a set amount of sediment and he believes it was about 8,000 cubic yards of sediment removed. Discussion followed. Ken advised that it is a significant improvement and will not need to be done again for many years to come. Discussion followed. Roger asked about the th work being done on 48 Ave. Ken advised that is a Nob Hill Water project, not the City. He stated that the th 48 Ave. parking lot is almost complete, there is just some dirt work left to be done. Ken thanked the Streets Division for all the work they did to help save money. He also thanked the Park Maintenance staff th for all of their hard work along the way. Ken reported that the 44 Ave. parking lot will be done next spring and we will be starting on that this winter. The walkways will be the final piece next year. The original deadline for the RCO grant was June 2018, but we will ask for an extension and that should not be a th problem. Rod asked when the parking lot on 44 could be done. Ken stated he would like to have it done in April. Manager’s Report Ken advised this is the first meeting in over a year and a half that the Comprehensive Master Plan is not on the agenda. He advised that City Council did approve it at the last meeting and it will be submitted to the State for their review. Ken advised that the Gardner Park playground has been installed and should be ready to play on by the end of next week. Ken stated that with the addition of the new restroom and the new playground, Gardner Park received a much needed upgrade of about $300,000 in 2017. Discussion followed. Matt asked if there was a sponsor for this playground. Ken advised that it was Parks Capital that paid for these projects. Discussion followed. Ken advised that their packets include a letter from the Putnam Family that he would like them to read and will be discussed at the next meeting. He advised there are criteria already in place for requests of renaming park property. Ken advised there is a Veterans Day Social tomorrow at the Harman Center at 2:30 pm. For the Good of the Order Rod thanked staff for the Harman Center newsletter in their packet. Adjournment The next Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be December 13, 2017. The meeting adjourned at 6:23 p.m.