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04/28/2009 PARKS & RECREATION BOARD MEETING MINUTES CITY OF CLEARWATER April 28, 2009 Present: Ray Shaw Chair Jonathan R. Wade Board Member Allen Weatherilt Board Member Ron Whitcomb Board Member Jane Williams Board Member Absent: Brooks Hammac Vice-Chair Thomas Fletcher Board Member Also Present: Kevin Dunbar Parks & Recreation Director Felicia Leonard Administrative Support Manager Patricia O. Sullivan Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. at the Long Center. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2 – Approval of Minutes – March 24, 2009 Member Wade moved to approve the minutes of the regular Parks & Recreation Board meeting of March 24, 2009, as recorded and submitted in written summation to each board member. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3 – Unfinished Business a. Capital Projects Update Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Dunbar distributed the Parks & Recreation capital projects update. b. Strategic Planning Mr. Dunbar reviewed Parks & Recreation Department reductions necessitated by the City’s contracting budget, which is due to lower property values, reduced State funding, and Amendment One restrictions. While department obligations have increased, its staff has been reduced by 45 FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents). Next year’s department budget will decrease another $1.5 million. These changes reverse goals established in the department’s 2001/02 Master Plan. Staff is considering a wide range of options. Playground equipment at five or six parks will not be replaced when it becomes unsafe. Winning Inning has proposed to operate Frank Tack Field. While camp fees finance direct program expenses, they do not recoup facility and administrative costs. Long Center annual operations cost $1.3 million and require a $400,000 offset. The North Greenwood Recreation Center offset is $750,000. Some recreation centers may have to be closed permanently Parks & Recreation 2009-04-28 1 The department also maintains City landscaping, which costs more than $11 million annually. Only enterprise funds are charged for these services. Efforts are underway to reduce the schedule, though landscaping must comply with Code standards. Six levels of maintenance have been established. Contracting these services would not save money. Dependence on neighborhood volunteers for park cleanup was unsuccessful; Achieva Credit Union employees have now committed to maintaining Ed C. Wright Park. In response to questions, Mr. Dunbar said the City contracts out the operations of its golf courses. Dog parks have higher costs than open space parks due to fencing, irrigation, water, and maintenance requirements. Beach lifeguard functions will be transferred to the Parks & Recreation Department beginning May 9, 2009. Parking revenues support lifeguards and daily maintenance of Clearwater Beach. Mr. Dunbar said the department is soliciting input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including residents, organizations, Councilmembers, and senior staff to determine how to preserve the best Parks & Recreation department possible during the next five years while local government is reshaped and the department’s $21.8 million annual budget is reduced by a total of $5.6 million. The department will shrink by 25%. Administrative Support Manager Felicia Leonard said staff compiled a list of department services, reviewed national standards and statistics, and used the GIS (Geographic Information System) to compare populations with nearby facilities. Duplicative services are being identified and partnerships considered. Survey methodology asks all stakeholders the same questions. In addition, a research team, specializing in parks and recreation, was hired to geographically target and mail 1,500 surveys. Survey findings will be presented to the board in July. The department will use the results as a guideline. Concern was expressed that residents in some neighborhoods lack transportation and cannot travel long distances to access Parks & Recreation programs. It was recommended that some parks be returned to their natural state. Reservations were expressed about making any reductions. Board members participated in the Parks & Recreation survey: 1) Top three core services - safe clean parks and public open space, sports facilities, recreation facilities; 2) Services that only City government can provide - free community events, affordable recreation programs for youth, playgrounds, open space, trails; 3) Programs that could be eliminated - fitness facilities, free concerts, swimming pools, dog parks, nature park amenities, remove park grass to reduce maintenance costs, sell parkland; 4) Are neighborhood or community parks more important? - in general, community parks are more important but the needs of transit dependent areas must be considered; 5) Most important community parks - Clearwater Beach, Crest Lake Park, Eddie C. Moore; 6) Should the quality of maintenance be reduced or amenities removed? - reduce maintenance, although it was felt that sterling parks must be well maintained; 7) On one to five scale, importance of landscaping mediums and public spaces, excluding Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard/ Memorial Causeway - consensus was “three”; 8) Three special events most important to the community - Jazz Holiday, Ironman, Sea Blues; 9) Should City continue to provide services for events that support non-profits? - Majority supported; 10) Most important recreation centers - Long Center, Countryside, North Greenwood (recommended closing Morningside): 11) Close one outdoor swimming pool – Clearwater Beach Pool; and 12) Re programs and services, is quantity or quality most important? – Quality. 4 – New Business Parks & Recreation 2009-04-28 2 a. Upcominq Recreation Events An update of upcoming recreation events was distributed. b. Advisory Board Appreciation Dinner The Advisory Board Appreciation Dinner is scheduled for April 29, 2009. Mr. Dunbar cannot attend; he will be at a CFY (Clearwater for Youth) event. Items Not on the Agenda Opposition was expressed to reducing the number of board meetings from monthly to quarterly. 5 - Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m. hair Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Parks & Recreation 2009-04-28 3