Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Burlington Parks & Recreation Advisory Board MEETING AGENDA Tuesday, 10/08/2024 | 6:00PM Meeting Location: Burlington Parks & Recreation Zoom Login: 900 E. Fairhaven Avenue https://tinyurl.com/48t33jnp North Entrance (off Fairhaven Avenue) ID: 822 6181 3901 Passcode: 376131 AGENDA ITEM PRESENTER TIME ALLOTTED ACTION CALL TO ORDER Marylynn Baker • Approval of Minutes 9/10/2024 Marylynn Baker 6:00-6:05PM Motion STAFF REPORTS • Recreation Report Christi Kinney 6:05-6:10PM Information • Parks Report Travis Schwetz 6:10-6:20PM Information OLD BUSINESS • RCO Grants Update Travis Schwetz 6:20-6:25PM Information • Rotary Park Inclusive Playground Travis Schwetz 6:25-6:30PM Information • Jason Boerner Park Travis Schwetz 6:30-6:35PM Information • Parks and Recreation CIP Travis Schwetz 6:35-6:40PM Discussion NEW BUSINESS • Pickleball: Subcommittee Report Elizabeth Turman-Bryant 6:40-6:50PM Information OPEN COMMENT Marylynn Baker 6:50-7:00PM ADJOURNMENT Marylynn Baker 7:00PM Next Scheduled Meeting: Tuesday, 11/12/2024 at 6:00PM ENCLOSURES: 09/10/2024 Meeting Minutes 10/08/2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 1 of 5 (This page left intentionally blank) 10/08/2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 2 of 5  CITY OF BURLINGTON PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD Tuesday, 9/10/2024 Meeting Minutes (The board meeting is conducted in-person and via Zoom) Attendees: Board Members: Marylynn Baker, Karly Gruendle, Chad Tripp, Kelsey Freeman, Orlando Macias, Mike Yeoman City Councilors: Elizabeth Turman-Bryant, Dr. Jesus Perez City Staff: Recreation Specialist Kati Klerekoper, Recreation Coordinator Christi Kinney, Library and Recreation Director Sarah Ward MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: by Chairperson Marylynn Baker at 6:00PM MINUTES: Chadd Tripp and Karly Gruendle make a motion to approve the minutes from the 8/13/2024 meeting. All in favor, motion carried. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Maiben Park Sewer Update- Sarah reports that she does not know the timeline status for this, but that Travis has more information and can update us at the next meeting (Travis was unable to attend this meeting to comment). Rotary Park Inclusive Playground- Sarah reports that equipment installation is underway at Rotary Park. Chadd comments that there is a flier that went to local residents in the mail which states that park will be open in October. Sarah confirms this timeline. $50K Pickleball Assessment- Sarah informs the group that a pickleball assessment is currently in the CIP (which makes it eligible for grant money), and the council would like to bring this the Parks and Rec Board to make a recommendation for keeping or removing it from the CIP. She suggests performing an assessment of all available park space for determination of best site, then drawing up plans based on that location. She notes that currently it is listed in the CIP as $50,000, but does not have to cost that much, and the budget will inform the final CIP. Elizabeth asks who would be doing the assessment, and Sarah responds that we could use an outside consultant, a subcommittee of Parks and Rec board members and citizens, and the City Planning Commission. Chadd suggests placing the pickleball court in an area near the new apartment complexes. Sarah replies that purchasing adjacent land could be a possibility in the next 2 years, but not likely sooner. Christi notes that pickleball will continue to be an in-demand activity, and suggests that once it is built, it will be well- utilized in the long term (which has been the case with other sport-specific recreation areas, such as the horseshoe area and RC car track) Sarah notes that considerations for location should include noise complaints, flood plain designation, and sufficient space available. Skagit River Park is suggested as a potential location, and Sarah informs the group that the house that is currently near the horseshoe/RC car area is going to be gifted to a local organization and will be moved off of the property to another location, although she does not recommend placing the pickleball court in this area to avoid crowding. Marylynn suggests putting the pickleball court in the Pea Patch area in Skagit River Park. Sarah notes that a large development plan for Skagit River Park is in the works, and it is uncertain if we could use the “Pea Patch” area for this purpose, or for extra parking as has also been suggested, but the group does agree that this could be a good area for the pickleball court. Sarah comments that she does not think that Maiben Park would be an appropriate location due to noise complaints. 10/08/2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 3 of 5 Karly notes that she has heard of previous lawsuits in other cities regarding pickleball courts, and Sarah confirms that our City Attorney is aware of these complaints and will offer input regarding legal precautions. Mike and Karly motion to keep pickleball in the CIP, all are in favor and the motion is carried. Marylynn suggests putting the Pickleball court in the park next to BEHS (which would require coordinating with the county because it is the only county owned park within city limits). Sarah, Michael, and Chadd all expressed interest in this idea, commenting that it is flat, spacious, and under-utilized. Sarah suggests coming up with 5 potential locations for the pickleball court and discussing these with the subcommittee. She suggests that if they select the location next to BEHS, the Parks and Rec Board can ask Greg to start initiating conversations with the County to collaborate on the project. Elizabeth suggests that we begin assembling the subcommittee immediately and recommends 1-2 Parks and Rec Board members and 5 or so community members who are experienced pickleballers. Chadd agrees to be part of this subcommittee, and Orlando agrees to help as well. NEW BUSINESS: GIS Parks Mapping/Ryan Spurrier- Sarah informs the board that Ryan Spurrier is responsible for drawing up schematics for parks projects, and that this takes a substantial amount time, which he believes could be reduced by having a basic GIS map made for all city parks. He can then use these maps as a basis for future projects, which would greatly improve efficiency in the planning process. Sarah notes that there is room for this in the budget. Chadd comments that he is surprised that this doesn’t yet exist, and there is a consensus that this would be a good use of funds. Chadd also asks if Ryan could re-evaluate the park spaces to determine flood risk. Sarah agrees that this would be worth investigating. Jason Boerner Park- Sarah reminds the board this park has been determined to be unsafe, and that the city has sought 3 bids for the removal of current play equipment. She notes that the bids will include 2 options: removal only, or removal with expansion/change to the park footprint. She confirms that the park is still closed with yellow caution tape. Elizabeth asks about a potential timeline for park renovation, and Sarah is not sure, but states that two quotes are in and we are waiting on a third. STAFF REPORTS: Recreation Report – Christi reports that the Friday outdoor concerts are going well, with good turnout each week. She announces that there is a “PupKin 5K Fun Run” on October 1, which is a dog friendly run. She shows the board that there are medals included for participating humans and dogs (a collar tag for the dogs). She shows an example of the printed race numbers. She announces that the B’town Fall Fest is on September 29, and shows a copy of the printed fliers, which are now posted around town. She mentions Luchamania taking place on November 3. She also mentions that Veterans Day Parade planning underway. She comments that we no longer have our seasonal summer workers. As a last report, Sarah informs the board that Burlington hosted the State Horseshoe Championship this year, and she reads an accolade from a state official which expresses appreciation for the well-maintained course. The championship brought several visitors to Burlington and was good for our hospitality industry and commerce. Burlington is planning to host the championship again next year. OPEN COMMENT: Chadd asks if we had opportunity to further discuss the natural play area plan for Maiben Park, since at the last meeting there was concern regarding sand being in the vicinity of the splash pad due to potential clogging issues. He reports that he looked for similar park features in neighboring cities, and he did not see examples 10/08/2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 4 of 5 which included both sandy areas and a nearby splash pad. Sarah agrees that she has not seen this either, but notes that this doesn’t mean that it cannot be done. Chadd agrees that there is likely a solution that could be engineered to prevent clogging, but he also expressed concern due after a recent visit to Maiben Park where he observed that children were bringing dirt from the tree area to the splash pad. He comments that sand will likely be an issue based on this observation. Elizabeth suggests that we could replace the splash pad with misters or another type of above ground water feature. Chadd comments that this may not be as enjoyable for children. Marylynn adds that the Splash Pad was purchased with donated funds, and she is concerned about removing it. Sarah suggests that we can address this issue at a later time, when we are closer to developing the Maiben playground area and determining the final budget. Elizabeth informs the board that the Burlington Bicycle Coalition hosted a community bike ride on Sunday 9/8, which had 30 participants, including 3 council members. The ride was planned for 4 miles, but due to the enthusiasm of the riders, they completed 7 miles. The Bicycle Coalition has submitted a plan for bike routes in Burlington, with the hope that funds will be available to begin implementing non-motorized transportation areas and installing bike lanes on smaller streets sometime next year. Installing a pump track was briefly discussed. Marylinn notes that there is a pump track nearby at Bakerview Park in Mount Vernon. Elizabeth asks if we could put a pump track into the CIP, and Sarah suggests that the plan at this time is still theoretical and does not have enough detail to make a CIP request at this time. Dr. Jesus Perez arrived at 6:40 and informed the board about conversations he has had with Carla Glassman at the Skagit Conservation District about the “Tree Equity” project. He explains that the premise of the project is to provide low-income areas with better access to green spaces/treed areas, with a focus on planting new trees, educating residents about caring for the trees in their neighborhoods, and potentially providing neighborhood greenhouses. He suggests that these goals could be supported by the city, particularly by the Parks and Rec department as the board decides how to proceed with upcoming development projects at Maiben and Skagit River Parks. efforts and funds as we develop such as installing planting native plants, especially edible plants. He suggests installing native plants and trees (especially edible plants and fruit trees), and including educational information about the plants and how to use them for food. Sarah affirms that we would have community volunteer support available for planting and potential landscape and greenhouse care, including teen volunteers from the library who need additional tasks, and the Skagit Gleaners. she suggests setting up a meeting with Sarah, Travis, and Carla to discuss how we could be supportive of the Tree Equity Project. ADJOURNMENT: Chairperson Marylynn Baker adjourns the board meeting at 6:55pm. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, 10/8/2024 at 6:00pm Minutes transcribed by Kelsey Freeman, Burlington Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Member 10/08/2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Agenda Packet - Page 5 of 5