Parks and Recreation Commission

Inger Hiller, Chair Brian Glotzbach, Vice Chair Parks and Recreation Commission Sarah Grider Meeting Minutes Shawn L'Esperance Michael Smith Wednesday, September 16, 2020 5:00 PM The Millhouse at Philip S. Miller Park 1381 W. Plum Creek Pkwy. Castle Rock, CO 80109 NOTE: THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY ALSO ATTEND THIS MEETING, DURING WHICH THE ITEMS LISTED HEREIN WILL BE DISCUSSED. TIMES SHOWN ARE APPROXIMATE AND MAY BE ADJUSTED DUE TO CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at approximately 5 p.m. Michael Smith attended virtually, as did Council Liaison Caryn Johnson. Present Town staff included Jeff Brauer, Jeff Smullen, Mike Kilman and Maia Aman. Brian Glotzbach arrived at approximately 5:10 p.m. Present 4 - Vice Chair Brian Glotzbach, Commissioner Michael Smith, Chair Inger Hiller, and Commissioner Shawn L'Esperance ADDITIONS/DELETIONS/MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGENDA None. PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THIS TIME, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AND STAFF ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. COMMENTS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) MINUTES. None. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING PRAC Approval of the Minutes of July 15, 2020 2020-016 It was motioned by Shawn L’Esperance and seconded by Inger Hiller to approve the minutes of the July 15, 2020 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. "I move to approve the minutes of the July 15, 2020 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting." Yes: 3 - Commissioner Smith, Chair Hiller, and Commissioner L'Esperance Not Present: 1 - Vice Chair Glotzbach AGENDA TOPICS Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes September 16, 2020 PRAC Recreation Division Updates 2020-017 Recreation Manager Mike Kilman provided Commission members with a general update on the Recreation Division: - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of the Community Center Fund’s fund balance remains strong, largely due to the reduced need to pay staff given facility closures and limited hours. - A new HVAC unit was successfully installed in the leisure pool area of the Recreation Center in August. - The Town’s outdoor pools will remain open through September to provide residents with a longer swim season since they opened later than usual. - Compared to 2019, Recreation Center attendance was down by 73% in June, 57% in July and 43% in August. The facility’s racquetball courts will reopen, along with open gym opportunities. The Miller Activity Complex remains closed, but is scheduled to reopen in early October. - Throughout the pandemic, the Fitness and Wellness Division successfully pivoted group fitness class offerings, many of which were offered outdoors and virtually. While approximately half of the in-person, group fitness classes have resumed at the Recreation Center, the active and aging population continues to attend Silver Sneakers programming virtually. - The Athletics Division also successfully transitioned many of their youth programs typically offered in the spring to the fall, putting them ahead of fall 2019 by approximately 500 registrations. Participation in adult sports has continued to outpace previous years, demonstrating a trend to recreate safely outdoors during the pandemic. - Participation in summer camps also increased; 2020 hosted 1,437 campers compared to 2019’s 1,290. - Many special events were successfully offered with capacity restrictions and safety precautions in place, including the Summer Concert Series, the Tunes for Trails free concerts, Downtown After 5 and Pedal the Moon. Tri the Rock was rescheduled to September, and the Castle Rock Trail Festival will still be held in early October, demonstrating good registration to date. PRAC Recreation Facility Feasibility Study Introduction 2020-018 Assistant Director Jeff Smullen provided an update that the Town has hired Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture to complete an indoor recreation center feasibility study. The purpose of the study will be to determine the capital cost, operational needs and programming potential for a new indoor recreation facility. The study will include a community engagement process through online meetings and surveys and will launch in September 2020. The study will also evaluate potential phasing options to allow for future incremental expansion and will determine space, utility and parking requirements to aid in future site selection. Jeff also noted that funding for new indoor recreation facilities comes from impact fees paid through building permits on new single and multi-family residential units. A portion of the fee is applied to new park development and a portion is dedicated for the development of indoor recreation facilities. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes September 16, 2020 Staff will continue to provide Commission members with updates on this feasibility study at future meetings. PRAC Park Renovation Project Update 2020-019 Assistant Director Jeff Smullen provided an update on the designs of several future park improvement projects at Butterfield Crossing, Mitchell Gulch and Plum Creek area parks. After obtaining public feedback on future maintenance needs and potential enhancements at each site, the contracted design firms completed draft renovation concept plans. These draft plans were reviewed by the Commission and will soon be posted to CRgov.com to obtain additional public input. Shawn L’Esperance asked how the prioritization of the available funding would be distributed between the park sites in the Plum Creek area. Jeff responded by explaining that the additional public input will help determine the area’s future priorities. Caryn Johnson asked whether a new parking lot would be constructed for Mitchell Gulch Park, and Jeff explained that staff are still considering completing a new parking lot, but noted that it could add a significant project costs. Staff will continue to assess these options as final design plans are completed. PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT COMMENTS Staff provided Commission members with the following updates: - Korby Smith recently resigned from the Parks and Recreation Commission due to having accepted an employment opportunity within the department. - Staff will continue to evaluate how to best host Commission meetings in future months and are researching the ability to hold joint in-person and virtual meetings. - The department hosted its presentation in the annual Your Town Academy program on Monday with nearly 20 participants. Staff provided a tour of the Central Service Center and Philip S. Miller Park. - The last free concert of the season will be held tomorrow with a limited capacity at the Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park featuring FACE, an all-vocal rock band. - Councilmember Caryn Johnson will be hosting a virtual public open house next Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 6-7 p.m. For event details visit CRgov.com/events. - The farmers market will continue to be offered at Festival Park on Sundays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. through the end of September. - A National Public Lands Day Event will be hosted at Gateway Mesa Open Space on Saturday, Sept. 26 where volunteers will continue the maintenance and construction of Legacy Trail. Volunteer trail development will continue in October on select weekends in partnership with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. - The flag pole at Red Hawk will be installed in time for a dedication event near Veterans Day in November. COMMISSION COMMENTS None. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:15 p.m.