Park Commission

Minutes of a Regular Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting September 6, 2016 A regular meeting of the Blue Springs Parks Commission was held on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at the Fieldhouse. The Chairman called the meeting to order. Richard Mitchem – Absent Parks Dept. Staff: Dennis Dovel George Deibert – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Steve Willman Kathy Richardson – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Justin Stuart Keith Hannaman – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Pam Buck Dena McLean - Absent Parks Dept. Staff: Randy Cooper Jack Gilliland – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Heather Reynolds Maureen Johnson – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Carol Reed Brandon Jackley – Present City Council Liaison: Dale Carter Jennifer Splittorff – Present City Attorney: Nancy Yendes A motion was made and seconded to accept the Consent Agenda; it passed unanimously. Visitors/Correspondence: Former Commission member, Jennifer Splittorff, attended the meeting. Dennis Dovel distributed a copy of a letter from Blue Springs Baseball regarding the fields they are using, and said staff has met with them concerning the issue. Program/Activity Spotlight: Heather Reynolds discussed the changes to the day camp program, including moving the location of camp to the Fieldhouse. She said this year campers were divided into groups based on their age. The overall camp theme was “The Future of YOU”. Fields trips included Grounds Park, the World War II Museum, Powell Gardens, Kansas City Zoo, and others. Number of campers increased overall and was up to 70 campers for two of the weeks. Finances: Dennis Dovel said the figures were just received but that the department is well under its allocated funds. Staff Reports: Staff reviewed their reports. Pam Buck reviewed activities and special events held at Vesper Hall last month. These included a health fair on August 11 and a fish fry August 26, which was attended by over 130 patrons. A pickle ball tournament was held at Rotary Park with 46 participants. Pam also outlined activities coming up in September, and discussed the re-branding of Vesper Hall as a community center. Dennis said this is a trend and discussed how to attract active older adults to the facility. Justin Stuart said staff has been preparing for the 1st anniversary celebration of the Fieldhouse, September 30 and October 1. 1 Fall softball leagues have begun with 76 teams participating for fall. This is the highest number of teams that have participated. Youth Sports Associations are all in full swing and are holding games at Hidden Valley Sports Complex. Randy Cooper reported that the basketball courts at Young Park have been renovated, and the water fountains at Rotary Park were painted by volunteers from the Youth Advisory Council from Blue Springs High School. They also mulched planters and beds at Rotary Park, and their help was greatly appreciated. Staff will be busy in September with the Fall Fun Fest, tournaments at Hidden Valley Park and weddings at Rotary Park. Steve Willman reported that the community gardeners had a good season overall though two have given up on maintaining their plots. He said improvements have been slow to the Depot all summer. Steve reported Dennis and Randy met with the Codes Department regarding the trash dumped at Ward Park by the nearby storage facility. Most of the larger pieces have been removed but our staff still has some minor clean up to do. Steve is meeting with Vesper Hall staff to discuss and develop policies regarding alcohol use and clean up procedures for rentals at Vesper Hall. The Public Art Commission will restore the Bluesprings.net piece located at the Adams Pointe Conference Center. They will also purchase one piece of art from the current exhibit. Dennis Dovel said the Fieldhouse will receive the Missouri Municipal League Innovation Award at the annual conference in St Louis on September 13th. Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman’s Report: None City Council Liaison Report: None Old Business: Dennis discussed the Parks Master Plan and implementation of the recommendations. In the future the Commission will be asked to recommend adoption of the plan. The department goals were reviewed and there was discussion of funding methods to reach the goals. New Business: City Attorney Nancy Yendes distributed information regarding public liability for Commission members. She reviewed state statutes and the Sunshine Law. Park Report: None Activity Report: None Miscellaneous: None 2 As there was no further business, a motion for adjournment was made and seconded. ___________________________________ Brandon Jackley, Chairman 3