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Home My WebLink About01/05/2010 10 City Swimming Pools Discount Rates for Military Personnel . . BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON 1 1 ) AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. /0 For Meeting of January 5, 2010 ITEM TITLE: Consideration of a request to add active duty military personnel to the Honored Citizen aquatic fee discount rate at City swimming pools. SUBMITTED BY: Chris Waarvick, Director of Public Works Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager CONTACT PERSON/TELEPHONE: Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager, 575-6020 SUMMARY EXPLANATION: . Staff respectfully asks the City Council to approve a request to include active duty military personnel to the Honored Citizen category in the Aquatic Fee Schedule. Currently, Honored Citizen is defined as a person with a disability or a person 62 years of age or older. At its November 18, 2009 meeting, members of the Parks and Recreation Commission discussed a letter of request from an individual that is on active military duty at the Yakima Training Center. The 41110 etter of request came from him personally and not as a formal request from the Yakima Training Center Administration. The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval to the full City Council to allow our active duty military men and women the Honored Citizen discount rate for swimming. If Council approves the request, active duty military men and women with a valid ID card will be given the current Honored Citizen discount rate of $2.25. The adult entrance fee is $3.75. - Resolution Ordinance Contract _ Other (Specify) Contract Mail to (name and address): Funding Source Parks and Recreation Budget APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: /,__ 4:■>, /1,- City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff respectfully requests the City Council to approve the request to include active military with a valid ID to the Honored Citizen aquatic fees category. BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The Parks Commission was briefed on this matter at the November 18, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting and unanimously approved the request to recommend approval to the full City Council to include active duty military with a valid ID to the Honored Citizen aquatic fees category. COUNCIL ACTION: ill . . . ' �� Matthew � �� ~�� P.O. Box 990 Yakima, WA 98907 (808) 741-8460 fv14rdai,aYahog October 15, 2009 , . Ken Wilkinson . Yakima Parks arid Recreation . 230IFruitvo|e'klvd. . Yakime,VyA9O9OZ • (508) 575 6020 (509) 575 6020 KVVUkns@[iYakima.WA.US HONORED CITIZEN STATUS FOR MILITARY AND PUBLIC SERVICE PERSONNEL 111) Mr. Wilkinson, • I am writing you this letter as an individual citizen, not as a representative of any military service or governnnen1agency. . Thank you for addressing the "honored citizen" status of military personnel in Yakima. This was first brought to my attention when I was at Lion's Pool last and noticed that "honored citizen" status was limited to senior citizens and the disabled. I am an active duty military member stationed at the Yakima Training Center. Many of us at YTC have served in combat and all of us are proud of our service to ournation, wherever we've been called. I personally have received much "thank you for your service" gratitude from individual Yakima citizens. I, my fellow service members in all branches, and our families, are very grateful that Yakima's Park and Recreation department is considering us for "honored citizen" status. I hope you will also extendthis privilege to our fellow public servant in the Fire Department and Police Department, as wd| as giving serious consideration to any other public service organizations I may have overlooked in this letter. . Thank you for your support. , . Respectfully, � /� -/,<- . 7 "`�� / �.� . matt *ew M. 4/daiz --------- • , ` . . . . YAKIMA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION 4111 November 18, 2009 Commissioners Present: Bob Busse, Rod Bryant, Paul Williams, Tom Hinman and Sam Karr Invited Guests Present: Michael Sheppard, Yakima Downtown Rotary; Rick Smith, Yakima Southwest Rotary, and Doug Bernd, Yakima Southwest Rotary Staff Present: Ken Wilkinson and Melynn Skovald Call to Order. Chairman Bob Busse called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Works Large Conference Room at the Kary Annex, 2301 Fruitvale Blvd., Yakima, Washington. The minutes of the September 30, 2009, meeting were approved as written. Ken Wilkinson requested that Agenda Item IV(B) be discussed out of sequence of the agenda to accommodate guest speakers. Information Item: Upper Kiwanis Development Update. Ken Wilkinson provided an informal update about Upper Kiwanis development, reporting that the SEPA Review process has finished; the matching funds requirement for the RCO grant has been met, and Phase 1 of the Kiwanis development project will proceed. Ken also noted that about 30 letters have been received from elementary students who had visited the pond during school field trips and do not want the pond filled in. However, a recent meeting was held and the group discussed the issue and then agreed that the cost of topsoil was prohibitive, so the Kiwanis Pond will not be filled in or eliminated. Also included in that discussion is that the City will maintain the features required by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant which are included in Phase 1 of the Upper Kiwanis Park Project. These features include a new playground, a basketball court, and demolition of the old restroom, additional improvements including a reconfigured K-2 ballfield, a large playground, and three new ballfields. Discussion of proposed donation for Kiwanis Park Ken Wilkinson reported two local service clubs have very generously proposed an offer to donate two amenities for Kiwanis Park— Downtown Rotary plans to purchase, install, and donate a significant playground structure and Southwest Rotary is developing a proposal to build and donate a new a basketball court. Michael Sheppard outlined Yakima Downtown Rotary's proposal and explained the principles of the service club's commitment and exceptional planning effort involved to raise funds to purchase a significant playground structure, install it, and then to 1 111) donate the playground equipment and provide volunteer labor to install it. They are hoping to ultimately raise about $150,000 to provide the significant playground structure. They are fortunate to be able to offer an upscale recreational activity that the new playground structure will provide for the young people to use while their relatives are playing ball nearby. Rick Smith and Doug Bernd outlined Yakima Southwest Rotary's proposal to build a high school sized basketball court which will also provide facilities for young people to use while their relatives are playing ball. Specific details and exact figures are still being developed, and documents are being drafted since this is still in the planning stages. Commission members strongly endorsed lighting the basketball area. Consideration of Honored Citizen Discount at Lions Pool to Include Active Military The Commission discussed a letter request by Captain Matt Ardaiz to include military and public safety personnel in the honored citizen rate for swimming. Currently, the honored citizen rate is earmarked for seniors. Members of the Park Commission discussed the request and unanimously voted to allow our "Active Duty Military" men and women the honored citizen discount rate for swimming. Active military men and women with an I.D. Card will be given the honored citizen discount rate at $2.25. This item will go to the City Council with the Parks Commission's recommendation endorsing approval. ID Franklin Pool Deck Lights Update and Waterslide Evaluation Update Ken summarized the process to replace the inoperative deck lights around Franklin Pool. The bid shows that this would expand the hours of operation every day the pool is open because we would have lights. The slide was evaluated by a structural engineering company and that report is expected to be available within a couple of weeks. It will be a certified recommendation. It was suggested that a grassy area or something along those lines be included at Franklin Park in the spring instead of having to be on the cement. For the Good of the Order Bob Busse asked about sledding at Gilbert Park on the south side. This area is a great place for sledding when it snows but there are three trees near the sledding area; he asked Ken to check into moving these trees. Ken described the RFP process for groups or individuals to operate Fisher Park. The proposals were due yesterday but none were received. The City Council will be informed. It was noted that we made $11 more at Fisher Park this year than we did last year which is awesome because a lot of other golf courses are 20-30% below last year. 0 2 In response to a request to reduce the Harman Center senior services budget for 2010, there were several suggestions submitted to the Parks Commission to help reduce costs; however it is the consensus of the Commission that none of the suggestions were feasible, except perhaps reducing the telephone budget might be an acceptable idea. Tom Hinman suggested maybe they should get circulation fans to circulate the heat. Bob Busse inquired as to what kind of accounting system that is used to keep track of classes at the Harman Center. A suggestion was made to request that Sonia Rodriguez be a liaison member of the Park Conunission. A member of the Parks Commission stated he would like to have every other meeting held at Public Works. Several members thought the December meeting should have holiday snacks and hors d'oeuvres. Tom Hinman said he would bring some. The meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m. • 4 1110 3