Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission

Bristol Tennessee Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes March 4th, 2021 6:00 P.M. Zoom / Electronic Present: Susi Chandler, Amy Shi, Clyde Downs, Margaret Feierabend, Ronda Baker, Justin Hutchinson Staff: Terry Napier, Angie Rutherford, Cody Widner Absent: Kate White, Caden Myers, Sherry Willinger, Bennett Cowan, David Akard, Curt Rutherford, I. Called to order at 6:05 PM II. Minutes of January 7th, 2021 meeting approved. III. Old Business  Steele Creek Park Comprehensive Plan: COVID-19 has unfortunately delayed community input as well as communications with the public. Terry agreed with doing focus groups, as well as getting input from the Friends of Steele Creek Park, as well as chatting with local mountain bikers.  Nature Center Expansion Progress Report: Improvements continue to be made. The wildflower exhibit has been successfully installed. The carpet and bookshelves are in the process of being installed in the library.  Beaver Creek South Greenway Progress Report: Meetings have occurred with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to ensure that tunnels would not cause interference with the planned greenway. Terry was told the grading plan will need approval, but our engineers have finished their survey. He looks to present the plan to the council with opposition in mind, knowing they may need further convincing.  Food City Dog Park Update: An increase in rain and mud has made it difficult to make further progress. Terry commented that he is still considering other additions to the dog park, such as a dog washing station. He may look into the possibility of installations and report back on this possibility at a later date. IV. New Business  COVID-19: o Many of the decisions being made regarding opening are based on the Whitehouse Task Force Map. Sullivan County is still in the “red” zone, meaning test results and new cases are still very high. o Field Usage: Whether many of the fields will be available to use is dependent on the task force map. They could soon become available if the map improves. o Activities: Group activity possibilities are also determined by this map. Activities such as the Slater Center reopening, shelter reservations, and other gatherings will become more of a possibility once Sullivan County descends out of the “red” area.  TCA 39-17-1551: This proposed ordinance would allow local governments to prohibit smoking on playgrounds that they own or operate. Margaret commented on how this could help prevent children from being exposed to habits that could lead to a lifetime of smoking. Justin noted that this could help with litter as well. The group had a brief discussion on whether this would  Bristol Tennessee Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes March 4th, 2021 6:00 P.M. Zoom / Electronic include electronic cigarettes, to which Terry responded that he believed it would, though smokeless tobacco would likely be excluded from the ordinance. Susi Chandler made a motion for the commission group to voice their approval, and it was approved unanimously.  Art Project: A “pole art” project will be announced in the coming weeks. Participants will register on-line, and the fee will be $20 or $25. Options will include the purchase of a 4 x 4 post, a 4 x 6 post, and a few 6 x 6 posts, and perhaps a round post. Heights will vary to provide a non-uniform look. After registration, poles may be picked up at the Slater Center. The section to be placed in the ground will be marked and a QR code will be affixed, allowing scanning and linking to the Pole Art website. Finished poles will be returned to the Slater Center and maintenance staff will install them in most of the major parks, and possibly a few other locations.  Maintenance projects: o Concessions/Restrooms: Major ballfield renovations have been ongoing. All buildings and fences have been recently renovated. Major changes have been made to dated light fixtures as well. o Scoreboards: Refurbishing and rewiring is being done to the scoreboards as needed. They are put back together with new LED bulbs. Control boxes are sent back to the manufacturer for repairs regularly. Wrapping stickers are applied to the boards instead of paint to increase durability. o Signs: The majority of the signs for the city’s park areas have been replaced or renovated. The Jerry Goodpasture Plaza sign has been taken down and rebuilt with fiberglass poles to be more durable. The sign at the Steele Creek Park golf course should be replaced in the next few weeks. The Steele Creek park entrance sign has been replaced, as well as the Slater Park sign. All others such as George Spinks and Patterson, are expected to be done by the end of the summer. o Crew Report: Remodels and repairs continue in several areas. The shooting gallery in the police training area of Slater is continuing to be redesigned. Slater’s gym floor has now been refinished. Tree trimming and removal have occurred at Charlie Robinette, Mark Vance, and the recycling area. There has also been work done to make the softball fields usable, as well as mulching both on the parkway and downtown. V. Reopening preparations: Many preparations are occurring, and others are still in the planning phase. Areas such as city hall that have been in a state of lockdown for several months, will need to reevaluate how to be more open to the public. The Slater Center will have to undergo a variety of changes to prepare for the seniors to return safely. VI. Board Comments:  Bristol Tennessee Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes March 4th, 2021 6:00 P.M. Zoom / Electronic  Margaret Feierabend – Margaret questioned Terry regarding meeting locations in the park areas. Terry responded about the locations usually changing, and the previous use of a bus route to visit the smaller parks.  Susi Chandler – Commented on wildlife and the usage of nesting tubes for mallards incubating and hatching eggs. These comments about wildlife prompted Terry to speak briefly about the city’s efforts to reduce the number of geese. Susi also inquired about the golf course, to which Terry responded that the course will operate “as is” for now.  Clyde Downs – Questioned Terry about the installation of bike repair stations. Terry mentioned that a third will be installed soon. Clyde also commented on Haynesfield pool, to which Terry responded that the repairs will be undergone, but believes the real challenge will be finding lifeguards. Clyde and Terry also briefly discussed the costs and likelihood of the ongoing pickleball court renovations and installations.  Amy Shi – Gave her approval for the upcoming “Pole Art” program.  Justin Hutchinson – Spoke about how he is ready to visit several of our park areas now that warm weather is approaching. He also noted how the pickleball court continues to stay packed, regardless of the weather.  Ronda Baker – Asked about farmer’s market locations. Terry Napier responded that we are operating under the assumption that it will be in the city hall parking lot, but that this information is subject to change. VII. Next Meeting Date – May 6th, 2021. VIII. Adjourned 7:12 PM