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07/23/2019 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 m ap Meeting Minutes Tuesday, July 23, 2019 6:30 PM Main Library - Council Chambers Parks and Recreation Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 Roll Call Present 5 - Chair Mark Rodriguez, Board Member Norene M. Marlow, Board Member Kristin Langley, Vice Chair Jennifer Wood, and Board Member Lisa Tuttle Absent 2 - Board Member Michelle Ramirez, and Board Member Jason Hood Also Present — Kevin Dunbar— Parks & Recreation Director, Michael Lavery — Parks Planning & Project Manager, Patricia O. Sullivan - Board Reporter 1. Call To Order The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. at the Main Library. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approval Of Minutes Member Langley moved to approve the minutes of the April 23, 2019 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 Discuss Imagine Clearwater Parks Planning & Project Manager Michael Lavery said Assistant City Manager Michael Delk presented the Imagine Clearwater plan to the City Council last Monday but was out of town and could not present tonight. He was available for a future meeting. Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Dunbar thanked Board members for their service. Imagine Clearwater drawings were 15% completed and should be 100% completed by 1st quarter 2020. The phased, 18-month construction project was expected to begin next summer. The City wanted scheduled entertainment programming to continue throughout construction. The amphitheater was one component of Imagine Clearwater, stage details needed to be finalized. The $62 million project will be funded by Penny for Pinellas 3 and 4, sale of the City Hall and Harborview Center buildable sites, and $25 million in general debt. Mr. Dunbar said it had not been determined if the Parks & Recreation Department, a new department, or a conservancy would operate the Page 2 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 Imagine Clearwater site. Trash removal methods will be determined. All asphalt waterfront parking will be removed, Coachman Park attendees will park downtown and walk to the waterfront past downtown businesses. It was stated the City Council presentation focused on design and it was questioned when discussions would occur re project impacts to transportation and trash. Concern was expressed that trash removal was not part of planning the $62 million development designed to attract massive crowds. It was stated onsite trash compactors would assist cleanup and prevent trash from migrating into the Intracoastal. Concern was expressed that downtown parking was insufficient to accommodate a 4,500 seat amphitheater, especially when most attendees were unfamiliar with downtown. It was felt frustration re parking shortages would discourage future turnout, reducing attendance and resulting in underutilization of the amphitheater. Concern was expressed that Coachman Park had no natural barriers to muffle sound and amphitheater event music would disturb a significant number of residents, especially if condos are built on the Harborview Center and City Hall sites. Mr. Dunbar said the City limited noise levels at Coachman Park to 95 decibels, for 15 years an operator has measured decibels at the house mix and lowered speaker volume when necessary. Sound spikes did occur. The park will be designed to capture and retain noise although atmospheric conditions sometimes caused noise to travel farther. Performances must end by 9:00 p.m. on week nights and by 10:00 p.m. on weekends. Mr. Dunbar said development plans for the Harborview Center and City Hall sites were unknown. The City was looking to add parking to the downtown core but underused parking garages would cost taxpayers money. The City had successfully added beach parking through public/private partnerships. In response to a comment re resident opposition to bluff and Coachman Park development, Mr. Dunbar said construction west of Osceola Avenue and selling or leasing the Harborview Center and City Hall required voter approval. The City needed to generate money for the project. The public process included outreach to Save the Bayfront supporters. The last Coachman Park referendum was successful. Mr. Dunbar said the City could partner with PSTA (Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority) to shuttle concert goers from the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex parking lot to Coachman Park. Shuttles had been used to transport participants to Coachman Park events and fans to ESPN games at Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex. Page 3 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 4.2 Solicitation On North Beach It was stated that neighbors had concerns when a large number of solicitors in orange vests with MyClearwater identification tags knocked on North Clearwater Beach residents'doors. Mr. Lavery said he had sent the complaint to the Code Compliance Manager, the issue was not under the purview of the Parks & Recreation Board. Mr. Dunbar said solicitors were required to obtain permits, exhibit City issued identification badges and could not solicit in non-solicitation neighborhoods. He recommended concerned residents contact the Police Department which was trained to deal with this type of occurrence. 4.3 Public Transportation To And From Clearwater Beach It was stated a conversation with the community was necessary re impacts of Imagine Clearwater on transportation. It was stated alternative transportation between Clearwater Beach and downtown would be necessary, traffic congestion was a regional problem. Mr. Dunbar said the Parks & Recreation Department was not involved in transportation issues. He recommended concerned citizens contact Traffic Operations Manager Paul Bertels. 5. Old Business Item Member Langley expressed concerns that she never heard back re issues she had brought up at 3 meetings, beginning last October, many neighbors had contacted her multiple times, some with hateful calls, that swales in Del Oro Park made the park difficult to use and were breeding mosquitos. She said she finally met with the Mayor who said the Parks & Recreation Department had a 10-year Master Plan, members were ambassadors for the department, and the Council was not interested in member opinions, which indicated to her that the board had no purpose. She said the Mayor said the homeowner association's president should write him a letter. She said she later met Parks Planning & Project Manager Brian DeWitt and Mike from Public Utilities at the park who indicated it was a Public Utilities matter, within days the swales were dug out. Member Langley expressed disappointment that she had come to the Board's liaisons 3 times with a problem in a City park yet no one had the courtesy to call her even though she is a board member, and nothing was done until she contacted the Mayor. She said Mr. DeWitt and Mike told her they were positive they had not been contacted re the problem. Mr. Dunbar said the information had been sent to Stormwater but the Page 4 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 department did not react. Member Langley said had the Parks & Recreation Department advised her it was a Stormwater issue, she would have contacted them. Mr. Dunbar said residents who have issues typically contact the City electronically so the concern is routed to the correct person to resolve. He said quarterly meetings did not allow timely interaction. He said when he learned about the issue he told Mr. DeWitt to solve it with the right person from Stormwater. Mr. Lavery apologized for not following up with Stormwater and not contacting Member Langley. 6. Director's Report Parks & Recreation Project List Mr. Dunbar reviewed the project list. Since the City-owned Spectrum Field was built 16 years ago, the game of baseball had changed. The Spectrum Field and Carpenter Complex facilities now were used for player development, rehabilitation, and processing, and year round Phillies minor league operations. Mr. Dunbar said Clearwater's 20-year contract with the Phillies expired in 4 years. The Phillies were the biggest contributor to Spectrum Field. A 20-year commitment was necessary to qualify for State funding. The $79.7 million dollar project will be phased in over 4 or 5 years. The City was requesting funding from City Penny for Pinellas funds and the Pinellas County Tourist Development Tax, fans fill up local hotel rooms. The Phillies'contribution will be $10 million plus overruns. A Parks & Recreation Board tour of the facility and its needed improvements was requested. Mr. Dunbar said the City was committed to investing in its facilities and had done a good job maintaining Spectrum Field. In 73 years of Phillies Spring Training in Clearwater, the City requested funding from Pinellas County only once before and the State had only contributed $8.2 million previously. The Atlanta Braves Spring Training facility in North Port was considered a model. Mr. Dunbar reviewed planned upgrades including improved ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access, seat replacement, enlarged fan capacity, housing and food services for players, expanded and improved fitness facilities, replacement and upgrade of the stadium's outfield berm, etc. Mr. Dunbar said since CFY(Clearwater for Youth) moved their practices from the Long Center to Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Long Center fields were not used. A grass area will remain for CAT(Clearwater Aquatic Team) Page 5 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 agility exercises. The remainder of the site will be used for parking and a slab for a street hockey facility to be donated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mr. Dunbar discussed changes at Coachman Ridge Park designed to meet mitigation requirements related to upgrades at the nearby Solid Waste facility, which was financing park changes. The basketball court was removed and will be replaced with a half court. A canopy will shade the playground. Trails and wetlands added to the park will be an added amenity to the abutting Long Center property, signage will be adjusted to direct trail users to the park. Mr. Dunbar said the women's beach bathroom facility previously was upgraded and expanded to 15 stalls. The bathrooms'location west of the CCCL (Coastal Construction Control Line) limited the amount of money spent on annual upgrades. Work this fall on the men's bathroom facility will repair the roof and add a urinal. Vendors were responsible for cleaning beach bathroom facilities. Upgrading bathrooms near BeachWalk was important for tourism. Mr. Dunbar reviewed development of a Master Plan to flush out the bayou that was filling with silt at Cooper's Point and protect Old Tampa Bay mangroves and sea grass. Project funding was anticipated to come from government agency projects around Tampa Bay that required mitigation credits. Code Section re Parks & Recreation Board Mr. Dunbar said when the Parks & Recreation Board was created in 1962 the City was developing, the department was acquiring properties for parks, and modern technology did not exist. The Board met monthly then. The City now was built out. The list of 30 projects covered repair and replacement, not new facilities. It was stated at the last meeting, Mr. Lavery said the City Clerk indicated the board must have a reason to meet or should not have a meeting. It was recommended the board and liaison work together. It was felt it was disrespectful to board members for staff to hold 15 minute meetings that only review department projects and skip member concerns. A member reported visiting all 109 City parks, which encapsulated what made Clearwater special. Frustration was expressed that the board was treated dismissably, with a lack of courtesy and respect, that staff was not interested in board comments, gave little feedback, and acted as if the board was not valuable. It was recommended the board be active and tour parks and park facilities. Mr. Dunbar said staff wanted information from the board. He said Mr. Page 6 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 Lavery's role was not to guide the Parks & Recreation Board but to facilitate what members felt was important and what they wanted to see. He said Board powers and duties were out of date. He suggested a task board would be effective in making recommendations to City Council. Discussion ensued with comments that the Board could take a role in updating the Master Plan, the department's guiding document now in its 6th year, 24 Master Plan projects were not funded. It was indicated the department needed advocates in the community and it was questioned how the board moves forward. It was felt the Board was out of touch, needed to be more interactive, have more communication, and should not have to wait 90 days to discuss issues of interest. It was commented the Board needed regular communication in this day of instant information. It was noted the board had to meet to hold conversations. Mr. Lavery said the City Clerk had recommended the Board closely review its role and discuss it at the next meeting. The Board no longer needed to bring forward information about a broken bench, for example, or discuss development of City property for parks. The City Council had to approve all changes to the Code. Mr. Dunbar said one concept would be for the Board to review the Master Plan every 2 years to refresh it. As the City has evolved, Board input may be needed less often. He wanted to maximize Board members'time. He recommended the next meeting agenda a report from Mr. Delk on Imagine Clearwater and a review of Board powers and duties. He requested member input re what its role should be and which Code defined powers and duties remained relevant. Sharing member input with Mr. Lavery prior to the meeting would allow more time for staff research. Concern was expressed the Board did nothing but listen to presentations. It was indicated that members should be able to add items of concern to the agenda for discussion. It was stated the Board was supposed to think ahead to take care of things that affect the public. Mr. Dunbar said the Parks & Recreation Department had a budget greater than $30 million and more than 400 employees. It was commented that the Board was available to make recommendations and share them with the Mayor and City Council via letter. It was stated the Board did not need every detail on the project list unless members asked. A member reported joining the Environmental Advisory Board's field trip to Cooper's Point and learning a great deal about the environmental project from that board's liaison. It was stated that field trips to City parks would enhance members'ability to provide input and a field trip to Page 7 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 Spectrum Field would help members understand issues that required a $70 million expenditure and allow informed members to respond to community concerns. It was felt staff did not want members to know anything, however educated member input would be valuable. Mr. Dunbar said member comments were helpful. He said the Board previously went on field trips but members indicated they did not want to participate anymore. He noted all other boards met during the day and did not require staff overtime. A member said it was her 3rd term serving on the Board and she had never heard sentiments opposing field trips. It was stated that member input between meetings could be done via email. It was suggested that the Board should be more interactive to be able to address issues as a group. 7. Board Members to be Heard Member Langley said she had requested an item be placed on this agenda re the fraud case but it did not appear. Mr. Lavery apologized. Member Langley questioned what actions were taken to correct cash controls so fraud did not occur again. Mr. Dunbar said once the fraud was discovered the police became involved and the perpetrator, a 19-year City employee, was in jail. The employee who participated in the coverup also was fired. The City Manager, Deputy City Manager, and he did not receive salary increases that year and his perfect record was sullied by a letter of admonishment in his file. He reviewed circumstances of the department theft of$150,000 over 5 years. Mr. Dunbar said departmental changes had been made. Cash no longer was accepted in the field, credit cards now were scanned. The department hired a Controller in addition to its Senior Accountant to verify that processes and procedures were followed. Member Christou-Wood said beach residents thought current City trash removal on the beach was inadequate as trash cans were packed full, with garbage strewn around them at 9:00 a.m. She requested a conversation with staff and community members as the City had not communicated with north beach neighborhoods. Mr. Dunbar reviewed City beach trash removal practices, noting turtle nesting season limited when trashcan pickup vehicles were permitted on the sand. Trash compacters could not operate in a sandy environment. The beach was raked daily. Many back injuries occurred when staff emptied trashcans manually. Volunteers also assisted with beach cleanup. He recommended residents email Mr. DeWitt if trash removal fell Page 8 City of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board 8. Adjourn Attes oard Re Meeting Minutes July 23, 2019 short. In response to a recommendation that the department budget a sufficient number of staff for trash removal, Mr. Dunbar said next year's budget had already been submitted. The beach was the department's biggest cost center. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. 4J) Ab- Chair Parks & Recreation Advisory Board City of Clearwater Page 9