City Council

The City of Columbia City In Columbia County on the Columbia River PARKS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES MARCH 24, 2015 - 5:00 P.M. CITY HALL, 1840 SECOND STREET, COLUMBIA CITY, OR 97018 Present: Sally Ann Marson, Chair Nell Harrison, Committee Member Debra Hebard, Committee Member Ted Burns, Committee Member Kathleen Devlin, Committee Member Leahnette Rivers, City Administrator/Recorder Lyle RP King, Commander - American Legion Post 42 Doug Peal, Adjutant/Finance Officer - American Legion Post 42 Mike Carroll, Citizen Jack Yoes, Citizen Dave Killens, Citizen Curtis LeMont, Citizen Katrina Clift, Citizen Ray Clift, Citizen Dog Park: Nell suggested the new dog park sign at the corner of I and Second Streets be lowered a bit because it distracts from the new Caples House sign. Datis Park: Sally Ann said Jack took a look at the picnic table at Datis Park after our last meeting, and it needs a new bolt and a good power washing, but is otherwise sound. Ruth Rose Richards/Pixie Parks: Kathleen suggested the hedge in Pixie Park be either removed or cut to a lower level to expose the nautical fencing, which is currently completely hidden by the hedge. Harvard Park: Kathleen reported that the swing set needs repairs. Leahnette will have Public Works take a look at it. Committee Members selected the color green for the handles on the see saw. Citizens said lots of people are now driving to the park, and vehicular parking is becoming an issue. The Parks Committee will investigate options during the coming months. 1 Public Works Wall: Kathleen and Leahnette, with much assistance from Randall, planted orange trumpet vines along the wall behind the Public Works shop last week, and the Columbia County Community Corrections Crew weeded the area. A few more plants will be added once Nell purchases them, and Debra will provide some red trumpet vines to add to the mix. Veterans Memorial Park:  Recent donations include printing services for the invitations and programs, valued at $606, from DocuMart, a $350 cash donation from Columbia River Pilots, a $1,000 cash donation from Dyno Nobel, a $400 cash donation from an anonymous citizen, and a commitment for a $1,000 cash donation from the Port of St. Helens.  The flag poles are set, and Leahnette is checking on the status of the monuments.  The second Eagle Scout project, involving Phase II landscaping and lawn seeding, started on Monday. They planted trees and shrubs and spread bark dust, and they plan to return to continue work this Saturday.  The Garden Club recently planted 92 more roses. Five peach and 5 yellow rose bushes were planted behind the split rail fence along the picnic table/Veteran wall area, and 82 red and white roses were added to the rose garden on the hillside. They have ordered 55 red and white groundcover roses to finish off the rose garden.  The Garden Club planted red, white and blue annuals in the raised planting bed, and purple annuals in a heart-shape near the Blue Star Byway Marker.  Chief McGlothlin cannot attend the Dedication Ceremony, so he cannot serve as Master of Ceremonies. Members discussed options, and it was the consensus of the Committee to ask retired Coast Guard Captain Patrick Trapp to serve as the Master of Ceremonies.  Leahnette met with CC Rider representatives to tour the site and the route. She said it was determined that parking along the bike path would hinder bus access to the site. Therefore, access to the site along the bike path will be limited to the bus service only. Leahnette said detailed transportation and parking instructions will be included in the event invitations. Travelers coming from the Portland area will be encouraged to park at the Park n Ride in St. Helens and take the bus to the event, then to the lunch and/or back to their cars, while travelers coming from the Longview area will be encouraged to park around the Caples House Museum and City Hall area, and ride the bus to and from the event site. She said an effort will be made to discourage parking within the neighborhood near the park on event day.  Committee Members considered flags and other patriotic decorations for event day. Members liked the idea of having the Girl Scouts hand out 4”x6” flags to attendees, lining the bike path with 12”x18” flags, draping a full fan flag on the podium, and draping full fan flags along the split rail fence. Commander King said the American Legion will donate 144 small flags for the Girl Scouts to distribute on event day. Leahnette will check on pricing and report back at the next meeting. McBride Creek Trial System: Several citizens that live along McBride Creek to the west of Sixth Street between A and Pacific Streets questioned the status of the McBride Creek Trail System, and expressed concerns about the proposal to extend the trail system along McBride Creek to the west of their properties. Concerns raised included issues with mud, landslides, tree density, steep slopes, potential for vandalism, privacy issues, etc. Committee Members thanked them for their input, and will keep these things in mind. 2 Leahnette noted that the City is not actively working on this portion of the project at this time. Schedule Next Meeting/Adjournment: The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at 5:00 p.m. Meeting adjourned 6:10 p.m. 3