Park Commission

Minutes of a Regular Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting October 1, 2019 A regular meeting of the Blue Springs Parks Commission was held on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at the Fieldhouse. The Chairman called the meeting to order. George Deibert -- Present Parks Dept. Staff: Dennis Dovel Kathy Richardson – Absent Parks Dept. Staff: Justin Stuart Reid Hansen – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Matt Asikainen Keith Hannaman -- Present Parks Dept. Staff: Jen Talaski Maureen Johnson – Present Parks Dept. Staff: Jayla Coleman Megan Johnson – Present City Council Liaison: Jerry Kaylor -- Absent Dena Duhon – Present Richard Mitchem – Present Rachel Uptergrove – Present A motion was made by Dena Duhon and seconded by Keith Hannaman to accept the Consent Agenda. It passed unanimously. Visitors/Correspondence: None Program/Activity Spotlight: Jen Talaski presented on a new program Wild Miles Kids Run. The program was a 1.5-mile obstacle run held at Grounds Park. Different age groups ranging between 5-13 started the course at certain times. The fee was $20 early bird registration and $30 thereafter and parents ran for free. Jen explained that there were 73 participants, which is great for this being the 1st year. Based on the 16 surveys that were turned in, a rating of “good” or “excellent” for facility/equipment was 87.5%. Level of difficulty for the course, described as “About Right,” came to 93.75%. Due to the high start-up costs, a program like this was only feasible due to grant funding. Jen explained that in the future, we plan to reuse obstacles and may consider partnering with a sponsor to offset the cost of building new equipment. We got positive feedback from the participants that they could not wait to come back next. Some changes for next year would be to do a 1-mile course for youngest age group, have post-race festivities to encourage people to stick around, and place a map of the location on the flyer and not just he participant emails. Finances: Financials for the month of August were reviewed by Dennis. Staff Reports: Staff reviewed their reports. Dennis explained that a selection of staff will be placed on sub-committees for an aquatics study, parks study and art selection. He explained that we needed 3 park commission members for each of the studies and a member for the art selection for the Fieldhouse piece to help select something that represents our department. Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman’s Report: None City Council Liaison Report: None Old Business: Adams Dairy Parkway Trail from Ryan Rd to Moreland is complete. Wilbur Young Park Renovations are on the way and designs are being determined. The playground by the shelter house will have a non-traditional playground design. A potential structure was discussed with additional details in coming meetings. New Business: None Miscellaneous: None 1 As there was no further business, a motion for adjournment was made by Dena Duhon and seconded by Keith Hannaman. 2