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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_PAREB_01.15.1998CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes January 15, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White Ms. Rochelle Hall Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Wesley Kidd Ms. Debbie McGarry Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Morrow, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Library Services Division Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant Kelli McMahan, Recreation Center Supervisor Mary Lee Dobi, Recreation Superintendent Carl Gattis, Creative Playscape Kay Patterson, Creative Playscape Ray Rayburn, Creative Playscape Tracy Carol, Williamson County Sun Shirley Johnson, Creative Playscape Marla Laura Beverly Kushar John Kushar Reese I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM November 13,1997 A motion was made by Ben White to accept the minutes from the November 13, 1997, meeting. Joyce Gadison seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. H. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD There were numerous representatives at the meeting to discuss the condition of the creative playscape. The main spokesperson was Kay Patterson, fund raising chairperson for the playscape. She expressed concerns that the playscape has not been maintained properly since it was built in November 1993. She said it should be sanded and sealed two times a year. Lights were requested to provide security around the playscape and restrooms were to be installed. There is also a big drainage problem around the playscape. These items need to be addressed. The playscape is a big attraction for the City and it should be maintained properly. The fibar is also too low and needs to be filled in. The playscape committee thought that Parks and Recreation would take over the maintenance of the playscape. Randy said that he thought the playscape committee would always be around to help once a year with maintenance. Ray Rayburn said he would call Leathers and Associates and tell them the situation with the wood and see what they recommend on how to get it back in the best possible shape. There is a Certificate of Deposit in the amount of $10,000 that is held by Sertoma. The interest drawn off of this money was to help with upkeep and maintenance of the playscape. Those funds were left over from the building of the playscape in 1993. The funds need to be transferred to Parks and Recreation so that the money can be used for maintenance. The project is too overwhelming for one Eagle Scout and his troop to take on. A large group of people are needed to do the work. Sun City has volunteered to do a work day in March or April when the weather is warmer to sand, seal, and finish the playscape. Randy said he would be the contact for the maintenance of the playscape and also try to manage the volunteers. III. DISCUSSION OVER BATTING CAGES IN SAN GABRIEL PARK Gene Lawhon presented a preliminary sketch of the proposed site and look of batting cages to be placed in San Gabriel Park. He wants to make arrangement with the City of Georgetown and Parks and Recreation to build a 6 station batting cage. The proposed site for the batting cages is at the comer of FM 971 and Austin Avenue. This would allow access from the softball and baseball fields. He feels this would be a good spot because it is a sloping area and close to the hike and bike trail. Gene has in mind several things that would be of interest to Parks and Recreation. First being, it would be an income source for the Parks and Recreation Department either through leasing the land or getting a percentage of the sales. It would add to the recreation facilities in Georgetown. Gene feels there is a great need for batting cages because the town is so involved in softball and baseball. The closest batting cages are in Round Rock, so kids are driving south to practice. It would keep them here in town. This proposal would have to go before Planning and Zoning and get approved. Landscaping and parking would be a major issue. The land involved is less than one acre. Approximately 100'x 130'. The batting cages would be a combination of hard ball and soft ball and slow and fast pitch. Gene is asking the board to consider this issue. In slow times, the batting cages could be used by the Parks and Recreation Department for programs. This issue will be on next months agenda for discussion and possible action. IV. DISCUSSION OVER VARIANCES IN INNWOOD CIRCLE City Council gave Rusty W. the variances that he was asking for on his lot on Innwood Circle. This would rule out any public access to the river or parkland in that immediate area. V. RECREATION STAFF PREVIEW OF PROGRAMS FOR 1998 Recreation Staff will give a presentation at the February meeting. VI. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Tom introduced Rochelle Hall as a new board member. She is owner of Hall of Hair on Williams Drive. She is the GISD representative. Joyce Gadison is the chair of the Martin Luther King March which will be on Monday, January 19, 1998. The march will start on the square around 11:30 am and end at the Macedonia Baptist Church. She invited everyone to attend. Southwestern is also coordinating events for MLK Day. Ben White will try to help with Connie Watson and Sun City in getting maintenance started on the playscape. Ben will also look into other civic groups in the city that may be interested in helping with the playscape. Joan Sukup said the 1998 Parks and Recreation Calender looked great. Kimberly Garrett said that the plaques for Winfred Bonner had been ordered and we are working on ordering the red wood signs. The plaques and signs should be ready by the end of February. Mary Lee Dobi said that the 3rd Annual Cupid's Chase is on February 14th and we are looking for sponsors for the race. Randy Morrow told the board that Parks and Recreation had received various awards and grants. We were awarded a $500,000 TPWD grant to begin work on Phase III of the San Gabriel River Park and athletic complex. We received a $10,000 USTA tennis grant, and the department won the TRAPS State Gold Medal which will be awarded at Corpus Christi in March. Randy said that we have received 1,060,000 in grants over the past 4 years. VII. ADJOURN Ben White made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes February 12, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Ms. Rochelle Hall Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Debbie McGarry OTHERS PRESENT: Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant Kelli McMahan, Recreation Center Supervisor Mary Lee Dobi, Recreation Superintendent Russel Dutkiewicz, Sertoma John Logan, Central Texas Treatment Center and Experiential Challenge Program Officer Brent Schacherl, Georgetown Police Department Officer Craig Murray, Georgetown Police Department Dan Brown, Georgetown Police Department I. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR A motion was made by Ben White to elect Tom Swift as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board. Thurman Holt seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. Wesley Kidd made a motion to elect Ben White as Vice Chair. Joyce Gadison seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. APPROVE MINUTES FROM January 15,1998 A motion was made by Thunman Holt to accept the minutes from the January 12, 1998, meeting. Joan Sukup seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. III. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None. IV. RECREATION STAFF PREVIEW OF PROGRAMS FOR 1998 Mary Lee Dobi, Recreation Superintendent gave an overview of Recreation Programs for 1998. She talked about athletic programs for youth and adult, aquatic programs, camps, special events, joint programs with the Library, and proposed new facilities. Athletics - adult softball, youth basketball, youth in -line hockey, t -ball and girls fast pitch softball. Aquatics - swimming lessons, water aerobics, family nights at the pool, pool repairs, and life guarding classes. Camps - Spring break camp and summer camp, new teen adventure camp for summer Special Events - 5K race in February, Symphony in the Park in late spring, Triathalon in September, Haunted Hayride and carnival in October. Library (Joint Programs) - summer mystery reading program, joint arts -n -crafts day during summer camp, and special presentations at the community center. Proposed new facilities - acquiring Berry Creek Tennis Center next year Kelli McMahan, Recreation Center Supervisor talked about a USTA Tennis Grant that was recently awarded to the Recreation Department. The grant would serve however many people would be interested. The program includes tennis lessons and a league. This program will last the entire summer and the purpose is to get the community involved in tennis. V. FOLLOW UP ON PLAYSCAPE - RUSSEL DUTKIEWICZ Russel Dutkiewicz spoke on behalf of Sertoma Club on the playscape. He asked, "Who owns the playscape ?" Tom Swift said that the City of Georgetown owns the playscape under the direction and offices of Parks and Recreation. Russel said a lot of maintenance needs to done on the playscape and Sertoma wants to help coordinate civic groups and provide man power to get the maintenance done. The City will provide pre -wash, fibar, sealant, and equipment to do the maintenance, but needs man power help. April 4th has been a tentative date set by a group from Sun City to work on the playscape. Need to get a representative from each group who wants to help and meet with the parks staff to focus on April 4th. Russel said he would contact Connie Watson and meet with Randy and other groups to see what to do next. John Logan said the Treatment Center would be willing to help out with the playscape in any way they can. Wesley Kidd asked Tom Swift what the original thoughts were on the upkeep of the playscape. Tom said maintenance was to be done a minimum of once a year and a volunteer group was going to form Friends of the Playscape to do the maintenance. VI. DISCUSSION OF PARK ISSUES Officer Brent Schacherl and Officer Craig Murray spoke about different issues that have come up in the City Parks. Problems that need to be addressed are vandalism, litter, lighting, alcohol and narcotics use and parking. The officers discussed possible solutions to these problems and are looking for support of the board. Some of the solutions discussed include a curfew in the parks, alcohol restrictions, barricades and road closures, numerous other alternatives. These include using 911 call boxes, park ranger program, police bike patrol, increase lighting, and place speed bumps in the park. The officers are asking the board for their input and to review the information and get back to them with any suggestions or comments. VII. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON BATTING CAGES IN SAN GABRIEL PARK This item was tabled until the next meeting. VIII. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Thurman Holt invited the board to help celebrate Williamson County's 150th Celebration on October 16 -18th. The event will be held at Settler's Park in Round Rock. There will be no admission charge. Don Brent asked about the lighting problems. The lack of lighting is due to the expense of installing them. Wesley Kidd told the board that he used the new Mike McMaster Fields for a high school soccer tournament and they were really nice. He also said that he enjoyed hearing about what is going on in parks and recreation. Joyce Gadison invited everyone to the Black History Banquet on Friday, February 13, 1998, at 7 pm at the Community Center. She also asked if the plaque for Mr. Bonner was ready and that she would like to be on the committee that puts together the presentation. Tom Swift told the board that he is on a committee with chairs of other boards. They meet quarterly to discuss what is going on in the City. IX. ADJOURN Ben White made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes March 12,1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Debbie McGarry Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Ms. Rochelle Hall OTHERS PRESENT: Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation Gene Lawhon Jerry Birkelbaeb I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM February 12, 1998 A motion was made by Joyce Gadison to accept the minutes from the February 12, 1998, meeting. Don Brent seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None. IH. FOLLOW UP ON PLAYSCAPE Randy has been working with Russel Dutkiewicz on organizing maintenance for the playscape. Two weekends have been planned for maintenance on the playscape. March 28th and April 4th. March 28th, the playscape will be sanded and power washed with bleach solution and on April 4th, the playscape will be sealed with linseed oil. Volunteer groups helping are Sertoma. Serteen, APO from Southwestern, and Sun City Employees. IV. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON BATTING CAGES IN SAN GABRIEL PARK Gene Lawhon and Jerry Birkelbach, private investors. are proposing_= to nut a batting cage in San Gabriel Park at the intersection of FM 971 and Austin Avenue and are asking for the board's approval. At the January meeting, Gene passed out drawings and information on the proposed facility. There will be no interference with the Hike and Bike Trail and a parking lot will have to be put in off of FM 971. Gene believes there is a great need for batting cages in Georgetown because there are a lot of baseball and softball players in the community. The batting cages would be a combination softball/baseball so the batter may choose. The plans would have to go through planning and zoning and City Council to work out landscaping and parking issues. If the concept is approved, then details regarding a lease, a percentage of fees, and programming possibilities can be worked out. Wesley's concern is the aesthetics and looks of the batting cages. He wants it to look first class and to make sure there are enough parking spaces available. Planning and Zoning will dictate the number of parking spaces needed. Don asked about liability. Randy said a contract would be signed saying that the batting cage owners will assume all liability. Wesley asked about alternate locations if FM 971 and Austin Avenue did n.,t pass City Council. Gene said that other locations will be considered if the first location is not available. Gene said he would work very closely with the board and staff on the final plans of the batting cages. Thum;an Holt made a motion to recommend to City Council the approval of the proposed batting cages by Gene Lawhon and Jerry Birkelbach withstanding major parking and detention pond requirements. Don Brent seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. Randy Morrow and Tom Swift will draft a letter as soon as possible to City Council with the recommendation. V. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Wesley Kidd had some possible ideas from the talk given by Officer Schacherl last month. He said that when he was growing up in Arlington there was a place in Mansfield called Cowbell and people could ride a bull for $5.00. He said it was just an idea. The youth today do not want dances unless it is after a football game. He said there are many diverse groups of students and maybe there could be some activities for each group. Randy mentioned giving all the high school students a free membership like the library gives a free libran card. Tom talked about sponsoring a task force targeting needs of high school age students. Tom said he would like to see one of the members from the parks board contact Barbara Pearce with the Georgetown Project to see about the possibility of creating a sub committee of the Georgetown Project to see if a survey instrument could be put together that could be distributed over a period of time. Also maybe get a town meeting together with students to have some brain storming on ideas. Wesley mentioned a group at High School that involves a yen wide cross section of students from 9th - 12th grade and Richarte students. They deal with what is going on in the school, but Wesley said it would be a great start. Linda Megs is the sponsor of that group. Tom asked Wesley to contact Linda and get together a rough plan so that the board could go to City Council and inform them of the interest. Tom asked if Wesley could have something by the April rneeting. Wesley said that GISD is in need of an intramural program. Many schools up north have this and it would be good to have in Georgetown. Don Brent said there is a problem with the lighting in the parks. Don said he would talk to LCRA and would approach them with the possibility of putting up some lighting in the park. He said he would also approach TU Electric. Randy said there is a need for lighting in the parks, but there has not been enough money to install them. Randy said that the parks department is looking at solar lighting in the park along the trail and would really like to have lights at the new athletic complex. Don said he would check into the lighting with LCRA and TU Electric and report back to the board. Thurman Holt told the board that he was on the 150th committee for the county's celebration. The event will be held at Settler's Park in Round Rock on October 15 - 18th in conjunction with the Cowboy Jubilee. He is looking for suggestions for free or cheap entertainment. Joan Sukup asked when the Easter Egg Hunt will be. Randy said this year Parks and Recreation is helping with the hunt in San Gabriel Park. Jiffy Mart and Marvin Waley are donating 16,000 eggs. The hunt will be on April 11 th at 9 am at the gazebo. Tom Swift said that Lucas Adams, President of the Williamson County Art Guild, is very interested in building a building to support the arts. It would be a multi - purpose center. They are looking at a location in the park and are interested in a joint facility with the City. He will be at the April meeting to talk to the Parks and Recreation Board. Randy Morrow passed out free guest passes to board members. A tentative date for the Botmer(McMaster dedication has been set for March 28, 1998. This could change if the signs are not ready and also depending on when Mr. Bonner's family can come to the dedication. At the next meeting, Susan Morgan. Director of Finance, will discuss the Annual Operating Plan with the Parks and Recreation Board. The Parks and Recreation department accepted the TRAPS State Gold Medal Award in Corpus Christi on March 6, 1998. The award is given to the best parks and recreation department of their size in Texas. The department also won the award in 1992. The Annual Boards and Commissions Banquet will be held at Sun Cit% on March 20. 1998. VI. ADJOURN Joyce Gadison made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF' GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes April 16, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt Ms. Rochelle Hall MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Debbie McGarry Ms. Joan Sukup OTHERS PRESENT: Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation Susan Morgan, Director of Finance and Administration Will Moore, Heritage Society Lucas Adams, Williamson County Art Guild Becky Lorraine, Williamson County Art Guild Larry Simpson, Williamson County Art Guild Dave Glanzer, Williamson County Art Guild I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM March 12,1998 A motion was made by Thurman Holt to accept the minutes from the March 12, 1998, meeting. Ben White seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. H. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD Will Moore spoke to the board on San Gabriel Cemetery. The Heritage Society is looking for a project and they want to revamp the cemetery because it is in bad condition. The fence around it needs to be replaced, the headstones are in bad shape, and the exact boundaries of the cemetery need to be marked. They want to get the neighborhood involved and keep them informed of what is going on. The Heritage Society would like to do this project in conjunction with the 150th Celebration. Once the cemetery is restored, the parks department would take care of the maintenance, as they do now. There is going to be a public meeting to get people involved in the cemetery. It will be at the Library on April 30th at 7:00 pm. The main goal of the meeting is to get people excited about restoring the cemetery. Will urged representatives from the Parks and Recreation Board to come to the meeting. HI. WILLIAMSON COUNTY ART GUILD Dave Glanzer gave a slide presentation on the Williamson County Art Guild. He talked about the organization's mission and goals. He spoke to the board on establishing a permanent art center. There are three phases involved in the art center. They are building the basic structure, a theater for performing arts, and a sculpture garden. The Art Guild is looking for grants and donations to build the center. They are asking the Parks and Recreation Board to recommend to City Council that the City donate 10 -15 acres of land to build the facility on. Tom Swift had some questions for the Art Guild members. He asked why the City should donate land to the Arts? They responded by saying it would attract people into the county and bring in money. Tom also asked them where else they have looked, private land versus city land? Who will own the building that is sitting on City land? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered and a lot of specifics are needed. The next step for the board will be to look at possible places for the art guild center and go out and look at them. Drawings of the building will also be good to give the council an idea of what the building will look like. Members of the Art Guild will make another presentation to the board at the next meeting. IV. DISCUSSION ON STONEWATER CONCEPTUAL PLAN This item was not discussed. V. DISCUSSION ON THE ANNUAL OPERATING PLAN - SUSAN MORGAN Susan Morgan asked for input from the board on what is of value to citizens. She asked them to look at the 14 policy areas and list factors that exceed their expectations and cause them to remain in Georgetown. She said this process was a way to get citizen input on how the City is doing and help with the budget process. VI. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Joyce asked about water fountains at Kelly Park. Randy said they would be installed before summer. There is a water line already there, a water fountain just needs to be installed. The Bonner/McMaster Dedication was discussed. A new date has been set for June 20, 1998. Joyce also asked about the policy on parks and recreation vehicles. Randy said employees are able to drive City vehicles around during the day for City business. Ben said the playscape looks good after all the maintenance. Don also commented on how good the playscape looks. He has talked to LCRA and TU electric about donating money or lights for the parks. He has not been very successful with TU electric. LCRA is giving a large donation to the City for the 150th celebration, so it may be a while before they can donate to the parks. He is still pursuing it. Thurman said he should have a schedule of events of the Williamson County 150th by May 1 st. They are still looking for entertainment. Tom distributed a memo that he has drafted to City Council on the batting cages. He read the memo to the board and they said it sounded good. Tom said he would get that memo to Council as soon as possible. VII. ADJOURN Joyce Gadison made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes May 14, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Thurman Holt Ms. Rochelle Hall MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Debbie McGarry Ms. Joan Sukup Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent OTHERS PRESENT: Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation Lucas Adams, Williamson County Art Guild Larry Simpson, Williamson County Art Guild Dave Glanzer, Williamson County Art Guild Doug Roush, Williamson County Art Guild I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM April 16,1998 A motion was made by Ben White to, accept the minutes from the April 16, 1998, meeting. Joyce Gadison seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None III. WILLIAMSON COUNTY ART GUILD Dave Glanzer spoke to the board on some issues that were brought up at the April meeting. He said the Art Guild would be developed in three phases. The first phase being the basic building. The second phase would be the performing arts studio and the last phase would be the sculpture garden. A basic design of the building was shown to the board. The main building would be about 8,000- 12,000 square feet and cost about $500,000. That figure includes donated materials and discounts. Tom Swift pointed out that the general layout did not show a studio. Dave said that most artists have their own studios. Tom said that if an area is available that people would come and use the space. Dave said these proposed drawings are minimum requirements and other features could be added. Dave also passed out alternatives to the first design. Information on the Waco facility was presented to the board. It is much smaller than what is proposed for the Williamson County facility. The Waco facility has a 25 year lease with an option to renew. The house sits on 2.5 acres. There is also a facility in Marble Falls that is staffed with volunteers. Dave said the organization is still seeking funds from the private sector. The only thing the organization lacks in terms of applying for the grant is a land donation. Tom Swift said that he wants a final packet of information from the Art Guild and then the next step for the board is to look at different sites. IV. FOLLOW UP ON PUBLIC MEETING ON SAN GABRIEL CEMETERY Rochelle Hall and Joyce Gadison attended the meeting on the San Gabriel Cemetery. The idea was for the groups to get together and work on the project as a team. There were others there that wanted to work on their own. The meeting became a political issue and not much was accomplished. V. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Randy Morrow told the board about different things that have been happening in Parks and Recreation: • A french drain was installed at the playscape. This should help the drainage problem. • Drinking fountain has been installed at Kelly Park. • Carver Elementary Playground has been installed. This was a joint park with the PTA, GISD and Parks and Recreation • Registration has begun for swimming lessons and camp. • The rock work on the Bonner signs and the parking lot sign is complete. We are waiting on the rock work to be finished at the Athletic Complex. • A drinking fountain is going to be installed at the switchback on the hike/bike trail. • We are taking bids on San Gabriel Park and Blue Hole Park restrooms. The bid opening is Monday. • In April and May the parks department has helped with the following special events: Easter Pageant, May Fair, Viking Fest, and currently working on project graduation. • An environmental impact study is being conducted along the river corridor and contact has been made with the Corp of Engineers for finalizing a contract with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Rochelle Hall asked about the tennis lessons being given through USTA. Berry Creek is doing a separate program from Parks and Recreation. Joyce Gadison wanted to thank Randy for installing a drinking fountain in Kelly Park. She also said that the plaque for Mr. Bonner looks good down in the park. Joyce mentioned that single parents need to be able to take their kids to camp. She said those kids need that kind of structure and the fee is too high for those kids to attend. Next year she wants to look at a way to get those kids involved in camp. Ben White asked about the status of the batting cages. A letter was sent to City Council and it is in Planning and Zoning's hands to recommend to City Council. Thurman Holt thanked the parks department for allowing Sertoma to store their dunking booth when it was not in use. Tom Swift said that the Urban Design Group gave City Council a draft of the document and they are waiting for them to review it. VI. ADJOURN Joyce Gadison made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes July 16, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Ms. Debbie McGarry Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent Mr, Thurman Holt Ms. Rochelle Hall MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair OTHERS PRESENT: Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant John Watson, Urban Forester I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM May 14,1998 A motion was made by Thurman Holt to accept the minutes from the May 14, 1998, meeting. Don Brent seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. H. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None III. PLAN FOR DEDICATION OF BONNER TRAIL AND MCMASTER FIELDS A dedication for both the Bonner Trail and McMaster Fields will be done on the same day. The guest list will include the Mayor, City Council, Mike McMaster and Family; Winfred Bonner Family, Parks and Recreation Board, and all City of Georgetown Divisions. The date set by the board is August 15, 1998, at 9:30 am. The dedication will start at the athletic fields and then proceed to the Bonner plaque in the park. The program will include speakers for both dedication, special music and refreshments after both dedications. The invitations will be sent out by August 1, 1998. Wesley Kidd was going to contact the high school choir and Joyce Gadison was going to contact the choir in District 2 about possibly singing at the dedication. Debbie McGarry will contact the paper about doing a feature on the dedication.. IV. UPDATE ON LCRA GRANT/RIVER CORRIDOR PROJECT LCRA donated $200,000 to Parks and Recreation to be used on park facilities. This money will go towards Phase III of the San Gabriel River Trails along the North San Gabriel River. Tom Swift said he was going to write a letter to the LCRA Board thanking them for this donation. V. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR John Watson, Urban Forester for the City of Georgetown, spoke to the board on his duties and plans for the Urban Forest. He was hired through a grant funded by the Texas Forest Service. His main focus is conducting an inventory of the urban forest, measuring the trees, and identifying the trees in good condition and bad condition. He is also going to work on a City- wide tree preservation ordinance. John is also organizing a tree committee. He would like that committee to be a subcommittee of the Parks and Recreation Board. He has contacted some people from the community to serve on the committee. Thurman Holt said that the July 4th Celebration in the park was very successful this year. The area between the Howry Fields and the soccei fields in the park is beginning to look better after being cleaned up. Wesley Kidd said he would try and reach Tricia Douglas with the High School Choir about singing at the dedication. Debbie McGarry asked if the granite trail in the park would be lighted. A few lights will be put up with the help of Community Owned Utilities. Joyce Gadison thanked Tom Swift for being a judge of Yester Years and thanked Joan Sukup for being a judge for the Juneteenth pageant. Joan Sukup asked John Watson about Oak Wilt in the Country Club area. He said you could trench around the trees or give alamo treatment injections to help boost the tree's immunity. Don Brent asked about touring the parks. A date of September 12th at 9 am has been set to go and tour the parks. Tom Swift said that Tom Moore with the Heritage Society asked him about restoring the cabin at Old Town Park. Tom Moore said this may be a project that the Heritage Society wants to get involved with. Randy Morrow said he was very happy about receiving the grant from LCRA. Construction has started on the restrooms at San Gabriel and Blue Hole Park and should be finished by mid September. VI. ADJOURN Debbie McGarry made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes August 13,1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mi. Tom Swift, Chair Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Wesley Kidd Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt Ms. Debbie McGarry MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Rochelle Hall Ms. Joan Sukup Mr. Ben•White, Vice Chair OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation John Watson, Urban Forester Yvette Rose, Secretary I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM July 16,1998 A motion was made by Debbie McGarry to accept the minutes from the July 16, 1998, meeting. Don Brent seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None III. PLAN FOR DEDICATION OF BONNER TRAIL AND MCMASTER FIELDS The dedication is set for August 15th at 9 a.m. It will start at the Mike McMaster Fields and then proceed to the switch back for the Bonner Dedication. Tom will start out at the McMaster Fields with the introduction of the Parks Board Members, Mayor Leo Wood, and the Council members, and once they proceeded to the Bonner Trail he would introduce Joyce Gadison who in turn would introduce Shelley Davis to do the speaking at the Bonner Trail. Wesley Kidd said that he had talked to Tricia Douglass and she said that she would have the choir there to perform, Joyce said that was good because she couldn't get the District 2 Choir to come out. It was decided that the Choir would sing one song at each location. Randy said that he would take care of the refreshments, van shuttle, and the tents for the event. IV. UPDATE ON LCRA GRANT/RIVER CORRIDOR PROJECT Tom Swift stated that he has not written the letter of thanks to the LCRA Board, but it was on his list of things to be done. V. UPDATE ON URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE John Watson, Urban Forester for the City of Georgetown, spoke to the board about the tree committee he has formed. He passed out a tentative tree schedule for 1998 -1999 and also iiformed the board of the new committee members. This committee will meet every third Thursday of the month at the Georgetown Public Library at 6:30 p.m. The first meeting is scheduled for August 20, 1998, and it is open to the public. The Parks Board was invited to attend the first meeting, Wesley suggested that all members attend the first meeting. Tom volunteered to be a liaison for the committee. He also suggested that John get a broad cross section on the community involved in the committee. Randy suggested that John do an agenda to be posted by Sandra Lee down at City Hall, and a copy be given to all the Tree Committee Members. A motion was made by Debbie McGarry and seconded by Wesley Kidd to resolve the tree committee into a sub committee of the Parks & Recreation Board. It passed by unanimous vote. VI. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Wesley Kidd asked about the status of the batting cages. He also inquired about a 14 year old Romanian child playing in our soccer league.. Don Brent ask if there was still a problem with gangs meeting in the park. Debbie McGarry ask if any one knew of any organizations that does a paper drive, she has newspapers that she would like to get rid of Joyce Gadison informed us of her new job, with Brazos Higher Education Service Center in Austin and she also gave us her new phone number. Thurman Holt invited everyone out to the 150th Celebration at the Old Settlers Park on October 17th & 18th and they are looking for any non -profit organization or group who would like to participate in the booth sales or activities. Tom Swift invited anyone interested to come out and audition for the Dan Moody Project on Sunday, August 16th. Randy Morrow passed out information on Parks & Wildlife Grant, and discussed the Wendell Taylor Property. VIL ADJOURN Debbie McGarry made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes October 15, 1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Mr. Wesley Kidd Ms. Rochelle Hall Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt Ms. Debbie McGarry OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM August 13,1998 A motion was made by Ben White to accept the minutes from the August 13, 1998, meeting. Joan Sukup seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None III. 11 ACRE REATA TRAILS PARK DISCUSSION About a year ago, parks staff met with the neighborhood surrounding Reata Trails and got input on the 11 acre piece of land that the City purchased. The consensus was to build a park. Different ideas were discussed and those ideas were incorporated into 3 different park designs. Randy presented three different options designed by Richardson Verdoorn for possible park design of the 11 acre Reata Trails Park. Each design featured a trail, multi - purpose field, play area, benches, BBQ pits, and a parking lot. Option A was chosen as the most feasible because of the parking lot located off of Wagon Wheel Trail. This way people who drive to the park will have easy access off of Wagon Wheel Trail. Also option A allows more trees to be saved. There are no restrooms planned on the park at the current time. Randy said the next step is to go back to the neighborhood association for feedback. Ben made a motion to recommend to the City Council approval of option A for Reata Trails Park. Wesley seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. IV. DISCUSS INTERVIEW PROCESS TO SELECT ARCHITECTS FOR SAN GABRIEL RIVER PARK III PROJECT The proposals are in from the architects interested in designing the San Gabriel River Park III project. Staff will choose the three with the best qualifications to interview. On November 19th, the Parks and Recreation Board will interview the top three candidates and make a recommendation to the City Council. The interviewing will take place in the Council Chambers on Main Street. The meeting will start at 6:30 pm and dinner will be provided. V. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Joyce Gadison showed the board some pictures she had taken at the Bonner Trail Dedication. Ben White asked about a letter he received requesting that he arrange an interview time with the City Council for the Parks Board. Randy said that is something new this year and the Council members just want to meet with all the applicants. Rochelle Hall thanked Joyce for bringing the pictures of the Bonner Dedication since she was unable to be there. Wesley Kidd said it felt good to see the signs for McMaster Fields and know that the Board made it happen. Joan Sukup took a drive down the new San Gabriel Boulevard and noticed that you can see Blue Hole from the new road. She also commented that the new restrooms look good. Tom Swift commented that the parks look good. Randy Morrow said the restrooms are almost complete in Blue Hole Park and San Gabriel Park. VI. ADJOURN Joyce Gadison made a motion to adjourn the meeting. S CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes November 13,1997 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White Mr. Thurman Holt Mr. Wesley Kidd Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison Ms. Debbie McGarry MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Sarah Ruth, Vice Chair Ms. Ronda Seagraves OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Morrow, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Library Services Division Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM October 16,1997 A motion was made by Ben White to accept the minutes from the October 16, 1997, meeting. Thurman Holt seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None III. SAN GABRIEL HEIGHTS UPDATE The City Council wants an appraisal of the five acres on Inwood Circle before they make any purchase. To do the appraisal, a map of the five acres is needed. Randy is trying to get this from Rusty. Wesley asked about the upkeep of the property once acquired. Randy said that the area is fairly accessible. Tom would like to see it left a natural area. IV. REPORT ON ACTIVITY BY CITY COUNCIL REGARDING PARK NAMING FACILITY City Council unanimously voted in favor of naming the pedestrian bridge and a portion of the Hike/Bike Trail after Winfred Boner and the athletic fields on College Street after Mike McMaster. Tom said the presentation went well. Council said it was good for all the members of the board to be at the Council Meeting. The next step is to get bids on the plaque for Mr. Boner and get signs made for the fields. Joyce suggested having a dedication on March 31, 1998, (Mr. Boner's Birthday) would be a good day. V. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Thurman Holt was impressed with what Council said about the Parks and Recreation Board. Joyce Gadison asked about the price of cemetery lots and the availability of lots. They are $325.00 per lot and there are many available. Debbie McGarry said clearing needed to be done by the new apartments on Leander Road for the pocket park. Randy said they will clear underbrush and leave the nice trees sometime this winter. She also asked about putting a restroom in pocket parks. The Century Plan states that a park must be a certain size to have a restroom. She also asked about a water fountain in that park. Randy said that could be done. Ben White apologized for not being at the council meeting. Joan Sukup talked to Susan Hoyt and told her how much the board appreciated Council's support. Susan told her Council was impressed at seeing the board at the meeting. Wesley Kidd commended Joyce Gadison on a great job of doing the background work on Mr. Bonner. He asked how the Blue Hole project with the restrooms and the parking lot were coming along. Randy said it is being re -bid in pieces to try and bring the cost down. Status of batting cages. Randy is getting his pictures from Colorado developed. Randy talked to Gene and right now they want to wait until the first of the year. Kimberly Garrett reminded board members whose terms are expiring that they will need to fill out a new application if they wish to remain on the board. Randy Morrow mentioned that there have been some good articles in the Williamson County Sun about outdoor education. We have also applied for a tennis grant for the new tennis center through USTA. Tom Swift said that the log cabin in Old Town Park needs some attention. Randy said an ornamental fence was going to be put around the log cabin to keep people away from it and help preserve it. Litter needs to picked up on Pickett Trail regularly. Status of fence around cemetery at Blue Hole. There was no money approved in the budget this year for a fence. The students at Richarte High School had mentioned at one time that they could possibly get a grant for improvements. VI. ADJOURN Ben White made a motion to adjourn the meeting. CITY OF GEORGETOWN Parks & Recreation Board Minutes November 19,1998 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Tom Swift, Chair Mr. Ben White, Vice Chair Mr. Wesley Kidd Ms. Rochelle Hall- Schwarz Ms. Joan Sukup Ms. Joyce Gadison Mr. Don Brent Mr. Thurman Holt Ms. Debbie McGarry MEMBERS ABSENT: none OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Morrow, Director of Parks and Recreation Kimberly Garrett, Administrative Assistant John Worrell, Richardson Verdoorn Mark Baker, Richardson Verdoorn Barbara Austin, Richardson Verdoom Robert Garcia, Garcia Design, Inc. Ed Frierson, Garcia Design, Inc Ernie Moore, Garcia Design, Inc Jeffrey Smith, Garcia Design, Inc Herman Crichton, Garcia Design, Inc Roy Mann, Garcia Design, Inc Keith Hickman, OPUS III Bob Belanger, OPUS III Bill Walsh, OPUS III Steve Rokovich, OPUS III Deborah Ebersole, OPUS III Brandi McDaniel, OPUS III I. APPROVE MINUTES FROM October 15,1998 A motion was made by Ben White to accept the minutes from the October 15, 1998, meeting. Joyce Gadison seconded the motion and it passed by unanimous vote. II. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD None M. SELECTION OF ARCHITECT FOR SAN GABRIEL RIVER PARK III PROJECT Architects from Richardson Verdoorn, Garcia Design, and Opus III each gave presentations on their qualifications to provide services for the San Gabriel River Park III Project. The board discussed the pros and cons of each organization. The discussion was mainly over Garcia Design and Richardson Verdoom, the top two candidates. Ben White made a motion to recommend to City Council that Garcia Design, Inc be the architect for the San Gabriel River Park III Project. Rochelle Schwarz seconded the motion. The vote was 7 for and 2 against. The two against were Debbie McGarry and Wesley Kidd. The motion passed. The item will be on the December 8, 1998, council meeting agenda. All board members are welcome to attend to support the recommendation. IV. INFORMATION FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR Wesley Kidd said he has enjoyed being on the board with Joyce, Tom and Debbie and will miss them. VI. ADJOURN Wesley Kidd made a motion to adjourn the meeting.