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07/25/2017 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 25, 2017 City of Clearwater City Hall 112 S. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33756 Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 25, 2017 6:30 PM Council Chambers Parks and Recreation Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 25, 2017 Roll Call Present 6 - Board Member Norene M. Marlow, Board Member Emilio Gonzalez, Board Member Lisa Tuttle, Board Member Kristin Langley, Board Member Michelle T. Ramirez, and Board Member Mark Rodriguez Also Present: Jim Halios — Planning & Project Manager, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board Reporter 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve minutes from April 25, 2017 meeting Member Langley moved to approve the minutes of the April 25, 2017 Parks & Recreation Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Introduction of new board member 4.2 Appointment of a chair and vice chair Member Gonzales moved to appoint Norene Marlow as Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member Langley moved to appoint Michelle Ramirez as Vice Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.3 Parks & Recreation Projects Update Planning & Project Manager Jim Halios provided an update of Parks & Recreation projects. The new prefab bridge for Ream Wilson Trail will be wide enough for small maintenance vehicles. All grants were on task. He will report in November re plans for the basketball court at Coachman Ridge Park. In response to questions, Mr. Helios discussed the Crest Lake Park project and planning process. The amphitheater will be actively Page 2 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 25, 2017 programmed with smaller community type events, talks were underway with Ruth Eckerd Hall for an acoustic series. Programming will not conflict with Coachman Park events produced to attract larger crowds. Based on concerns re vagrants, an increased police presence at Crest Lake Park was anticipated. Project designs, including a kayak launch, were conceptual and had not been finalized. 4.4 Review of Parks & Recreation Council Items Mr. Halios provided an update of recent Parks & Recreation Department items approved by the City Council. The Council discussed future locations for public art as the installation inside the main fire station was not easy to view, the Morningside Recreation Center's public art will feature inside and outside elements. 5. Old Business Item 5.1 Update on lights at Morningside tennis courts Mr. Halios said the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, based on NRPA (National Recreation & Park Association) standards, did not include Morningside tennis court lighting due its proximity to the McMullen Tennis Complex and lack of buffer between the courts and residences. The department determined adding 8 courts at the McMullen facility for tournament play was the best use of resources and replacing Morningside court lights would not be cost effective. Concerns were expressed that many residents had no other place to play tennis during winter evenings due to heavy use and high fees at the McMullen courts while early sunsets darkened Morningside Recreation Complex's free courts. Mr. Halios said the McMullen courts often were available after 7:30 p.m., fees applied. The FY(Fiscal Year) 2017118 budget was set. The City Council would have to approve a budget change to install lights at Morningside and a budgeted department expense would have to be eliminated to offset the cost. It was recommended the board send a letter to the City Council during next year's budget preparations in support of including Morningside court lights in next year's budget. It was stated Morningside tennis courts were lighted for many years without complaints from nearby residents, new lighting could be oriented away from residences. Mr. Halios said a cost benefit analysis would be necessary, the analysis would determine how often McMullen courts were at full capacity. The City will start preparing CIPs (Capital Improvement Projects) between January and March 2018. He will report on costs for lighting the 4 tennis courts. Page 3 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 25, 2017 5.2 Update on possibility of exploring sale of Landings Golf Club Mr. Halios said in July the City Council amended the lease for the Landings Golf Course for the remaining 12 years of the agreement. The property was zoned passive recreation; athletic fields required different zoning. He expressed concern a change of zoning could open up the property for industrial, commercial, or airpark uses and could be sold. It was suggested residents might not want children playing baseball close to airpark runways. 6. Director's Report Mr. Halios said the City Council planned a status quo budget for the August 2, 2017 budget meeting, with no millage increase. The Parks & Recreation Department budget will increase by 9.5 FTEs (Full -Time Equivalents) to operate the new Morningside Recreation Center. Only the Police Department budget was larger than the Parks & Recreation budget. 7. Board Members to be Heard: None. 8. Adjourn City of Clearwater Chair Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Page 4