Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Burlington Parks & Recreation Advisory Board MEETING AGENDA Tuesday, 10/12/2021, 6:00PM Virtual Zoom Meeting Dial in: 1-253-215-8782 Log in: https://tinyurl.com/129eem5v Meeting ID: 859 9970 0682 Passcode: 241233 CALL TO ORDER Darla Chafe APPROVAL OF MINUTES (09/14/2021) Darla Chafe OPEN COMMENT Darla Chafe OLD BUSINESS Darla Chafe NEW BUSINESS Darla Chafe 1. November Meeting Date Sarah Ward 2. Parks Report Jim Rabenstein 3. Rec Report/Harvest Festival Sarah Ward ADJOURN Darla Chafe Next Scheduled Meeting: Monday, November 8 @ 6:00p.m. (tentative) Enclosures: : 09/14/2021 Meeting Minutes 10/12/2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 1 of 4 This page intentionally blank. 10/12/2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 2 of 4  CITY OF BURLINGTON PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD Tuesday, 09/14/2021 Meeting Minutes (The board meeting is conducted via Zoom due to COVID restrictions) Representatives in Attendance Board Members: Marylynn Baker, Bill Black, and Craig Bloodgood City Council Members: James Stavig City Staff: Parks & Recreation Director Sarah Ward, Parks Supervisor Jim Rabenstein, and Parks & Recreation Secretary Shelley Johnstone MEETING CALLED TO ORDER by Parks & Recreation Director Sarah Ward at 6:06PM. MINUTES: A motion to approve the minutes of the 08/10/2021 meeting as written is made by Craig Bloodgood/Bill Black. All in favor; motion is carried. OPEN COMMENT OLD BUSINESS Updates: Dog Park. Jim Rabenstein reports that a recent onsite meeting with City Administrator Greg Young and HBB Landscape Architects was very productive. They walked through all angles of Jack & Helen Doyle Memorial Park. Fencing, parking, restroom and dog wash locations, and possibly a gazebo were discussed. HBB will now work on drafting a concept plan based on the conversation. The anticipated budget for the dog park once complete will likely range between $200,000-$300,000. Sarah Ward explains that the expense will be paid from the City’s REET fund which is a restricted fund that can only be spent on parks. In response to questions raised by Bill Black, Jim responds that formal outreach has not yet been done to neighbors of the park, but that he will contact them once a concept plan is available to share. He did however discuss the change in the memorial park’s purpose with the Doyle family. With regard to the question of property values, Jim responds that parks & green space typically add value to properties. Sarah Ward shares that her general findings support the positive effect of dog parks on property values. She offers to research further and bring more specific data back to the board. Jim Stavig comments that he would have liked to have seen outreach performed sooner, although he feels the park improvements will be well received. Jim adds that the addition of the dog park is in response to feedback received during the PROS Plan’s development. While he feels the two other locations first considered may have been better suited, they were not options for a variety of reasons. He believes the plans at Doyle Memorial Park will produce a quality dog park. NEW BUSINESS Inclusive Playground. Sarah Ward continues to gather information regarding the State’s Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant application process. She is expecting the birth of her second child in early December, but believes preparing the application for its submittal in January is a task she can handle easily. She believes Burlington is a strong candidate for grant award since the need for an inclusive playground has been established and there are no others anywhere nearby. James Stavig asks what criteria establishes a playground as “inclusive”. Jim Rabenstein responds that it does not necessarily mean that all aspects of the playground will be inclusive, but it does 10/12/2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 3 of 4  that certain features of the playground will support use by those with disabilities. Also, basic functions such as appropriate surfacing for ease of access are considered. Concept drawings will be developed once funding has been established; those drawings will be shared with the board for input. Rec Report. Sarah Ward shares that the City’s first youth soccer league began on Saturday, September 11. She reports that all went extremely well. Weekly games for the 38 teams will continue through October 30. Burlington Chamber of Commerce will kick-off Harvest Festival with a variety of activities including a coloring contest, a Scarecrow Stroll, and zucchini car races. Zucchini car “kits” can be picked up at the Parks & Recreation office. The festival begins on Monday, September 20 and will culminate on Saturday, September 25 with the City’s fireworks show and live music at Skagit River Park. Masks will be required for those in attendance in accordance with the State’s most recent COVID guidance. Planning for the Veterans’ Day Parade is underway. There is a committee of approximately 15 persons that actively support the event which will take place on Saturday, November 13. Donation/Memorial Policy. Sarah Ward shares draft of a policy that would establish guidelines for memorial donations made to the City. The policy helps define what type of donations can be accepted by the City, and the City’s responsibilities for maintaining the donation. Bill Black asks whether this policy would give guidance to someone looking to contribute money on an ongoing basis to support park projects or services. Shelley Johnstone responds that that type of contribution would likely be setup as an endowment fund which would be coordinated with the City’s Finance Department; it is slightly different than what this new policy is intended to manage. Marylynn Baker asks how the City would handle reaching family members of a donor if the memorial is damaged or in need of refurbishment, and how it would handle a scenario where estimated maintenance costs did not cover actual expenses. Shelley responds that the City would contact those persons named on the donation agreement and make a concerted effort beyond that if those persons were no longer available. She imagines the City would use all means available and that the extent of the effort may be determined by the type of donation. Jim Rabenstein adds that due diligence would be taken in ascertaining accurate maintenance estimates at the time of donation. In extraordinary circumstances, such as those experienced during the pandemic, the City might choose to revisit the conversation with the donor. It is likely that there would be language included in the donation agreement that established guidance for extraordinary circumstances. NEXT MEETING: October 12, 2021, 6:00PM via Zoom. A change to the board’s November meeting date was discussed due to a conflict that has arisen. The board’s regular meeting date would fall on Tuesday, November 9. City Council’s meeting has now been moved to the 9th because the Veterans Day Holiday falls on their normal meeting date on the 11th. After some discussion by those present, Monday, November 8 is settled upon as potential alternate. Shelley Johnstone will email other board members to determine their availability on the 8th. ADJOURNMENT: Parks & Recreation Director Sarah Ward adjourns the board meeting at 6:55PM. Minutes transcribed by Shelley Johnstone, Parks & Recreation Secretary 10/12/2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 4 of 4