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11/27/2000PARKS & RECREATION BOARD MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER November 27, 2000 Present: Kim Cashman Chair Steve Swanberg Vice Chair Larry Lindner Board Member Sarah Wiand Board Member Dick Ruben Board Member Geri Shriver Board Member Absent: Ric Ortega Board Member Also Present: Kevin Dunbar Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Moon Recreation Supervisor Debbie Reid Staff Assistant III To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. Chair Cashman called the meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. at the Morningside Recreation Center. ITEM #2 – Approval of Minutes of Parks and Recreation Board meeting of October 23, 2000 - Member Lindner moved to approve the minutes as read. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #3 – Approval of Revised Minutes of Parks and Recreation Board meeting of April 24, 2000 – Member Swanberg moved to approve the revised minutes as amended on page 2, Item 6, paragraph 2 which was added to read “Mr. Dunbar discussed with the board the upcoming referendum to swap Chesapeake Ballpark for property owned by Calvary Baptist Church. This would give the City the opportunity to construct two additional ballfields (E.C. Moore Fields 8 and 9)”. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #4 – Morningside Recreation Complex Presentation – Barbara Moon gave a short presentation on the recreation complex followed by a tour of the facility. ITEM #5 – Correspondence – None ITEM #6 – Old Business - a) Capital Project Update – Mr. Dunbar discussed highlights of the following: Ray Green Park Expansion – The purchase of an additional lot will be presented to the City Commission at the December 12, 2000 meeting for their approval. This will leave two outstanding lots on the west side of the site. These last two sites are not required for the project, but staff is still working forward to try to obtain these sites. Staff and a citizen committee are working on the components for the center. Skate Park – Staff is looking into surfaces to put on the tennis courts at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, to see what would be the best surface for the least amount of cost. Staff is trying to also include a roller hockey rink within the budgeted amount of money for the skate park. With just a four-year lease at this site, this project will be constructed as a temporary park with a life span of two years. City-wide P&R Master Plan – The Master Plan is continuing to move forward. Inventory for each facility is being compiled; staff is waiting on census data. Completion date for the Master Plan is the latter part of next year. McMullen Tennis Complex – Court Renovation – Grand Opening was held on November 9, 2000. Reaction has been very positive. The month of October’s revenue was almost $12,000 at this complex. Average revenue at this complex in the past has been $60,000 a year. Memberships went on sale starting November 1, 2000. Countryside Infrastructure Improvement – Work will commence December 1, 2000. The fitness facility may be open before Christmas; projected completion for total project is May 15, 2001. Irrigation System Memorial Causeway – This project is being transferred to the Public Works Department in conjunction with the bridge construction and Memorial Causeway improvements. Ruth Eckerd Hall – This is a Pennies for Pinellas project for $2,000,000 for an education wing. City Commission has approved the funds for this project and Parks and Recreation is in charge of administering the disbursement of the funds. Glen Oaks Golf Course Improvements – The City will be constructing a new clubhouse on the Glen Oaks site and in return will receive three percent of the gross revenue at the McMullen site. Construction will take place next summer. Upcoming Recreation Events – Mr. Dunbar pointed out the Pinellas Trail 10th Anniversary this Saturday, December 2, 2000; the Holiday Parade is Friday, December 8, 2000; the Sunset Caribbean Christmas is on Saturday, December 16, 2000. As there will not be a December meeting, Mr. Dunbar discussed some of the upcoming recreation events in January in conjunction with the Super Bowl. The Charlie Daniels concert will be held the weekend prior to Super Bowl weekend. On Super Bowl weekend there will be an oldies concert on Thursday; current headline entertainment on Friday; and the Jazz Bowl on Saturday. ITEM #5 – New Business - Election of Officers – Member Shriver moved to nominate Member Swanberg as Chair for next year. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member Swanberg moved to nominate Member Wiand as Vice-Chair for next year. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Not on the Agenda – Member Lindner expressed concern that the patrons of McMullen Tennis Complex who play tennis twice a week are not purchasing memberships and that they pay less or about the same for usage of the clay courts than they paid for the hard courts; this will probably affect memberships. The fees for the memberships are in line, but the fees for the individual times when you are not a member should be higher than they are. Mr. Dunbar stated that after the first two- or three-month figures are in, fees will be reviewed and adjusted accordingly. Corporate memberships are being looked into also. Member Lindner commended staff on the Frenchy’s Tournament. Member Wiand questioned whether there is an order to which parking lots and bicycle paths get resurfaced and improved. There is a long-term schedule for this and Mr. Dunbar will provide this to board members. Member Lindner questioned if the pool at the beach is still open. Mr. Dunbar stated that it closed as of November 1, 2000. There are some punch list items that still need to be taken care of and the contractor is working on those items now. Member Wiand questioned what it would take to have this pool heated. Mr. Dunbar stated that it is plumbed out to accept a pool heater. It would be a process of two things. One to determine what pool heater system to use and the second is the staffing issue and the expenses involved. Member Swanberg questioned if there was still a problem with night crowds at the Morningside Pavilion. Barbara Moon stated that they are not having as many problems as they had in the past; she has just put in an order for security lights with motion detectors to be placed around the basketball and racketball area. Member Wiand thanked Member Cashman for her fine service as Chair for the past year. ITEM #6 Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m.