Coralville Civil Service

Coralville Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Call to Order Commission Chairperson Fred Fevold called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Present were Commission Members Laurie Goodrich, Mike Knudson , and Marty Mount, Council Member Bill Hoeft, and Parks and Recreation Director Sherri Proud. Citizen Comments Chris Larimer, Political Science Professor introduced himself and reviewed the purpose of his attendance at the meeting and the purpose of videotaping the session. The focus of the project is to capture decision making within local government bodies. The Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be one of twenty-three varied commissions and boards which will be visited and recorded. Approval of Minutes Commission Member Mount made the motion to approve the meeting minutes from June 21, 2010 noting the corrections targeting word usage; Commission Member Goodrich seconded the motion; unanimous approval. Parks and Recreation Commission By Laws Parks and Recreation Director Proud revisited the By Laws which were reviewed in April 2010 with the discussion points which more information was required and/or input was required to make a decision.  Number of Commission Members - City Administrator Hayworth recommended that the current number of five for the Commission is a good number. Since Coralville does not organize itself according to wards or territories, concern was not warranted regarding equal representation of members’ residences. Members are selected by recommendation of the Mayor and the Council depending on interest and availability. It was recognized that the Mayor ultimately has the power to assign or reassign Commission Members.  Assignment of Commission Officers – Terms will expire in December. After discussions, the Commission agreed that the officers will be nominated and assigned at the annual meeting in July. Parks and Recreation Director Proud will arrange this change in ordinance with Asst. City Attorney Kevin Olson.  Meetings – The Commission Members agreed that the wording regarding how many meetings per year will indicate a range given that meetings are not typically held in August and that there are occasional meetings that do not have quorums which need to be considered.  Other clarifications – Commission Members may not vote by proxy. It is recommended that meetings be held at facilities which are handicapped accessible. Depending on the need for video conferencing, an off site location may be utilized (i.e. county office or school district administration office). Commission Member Knudson added that terms may not to be formalized within the By Laws but opportunities including volunteer work could be initial steps to a role in the Commission.  Commission Voting – Commission Members discussed the issue of whether a voting is tied and how this would be resolved. The following could be factors: determining whether a moderator is needed who is a non-voting member, whether the Commission moves to a consensus decision and/or the Commission makes a recommendation to the Council, or the Commission delays a vote given that the Commission may not be in agreement. Members recognized that if the Commission reaches a status quo or does not have consensus, additional study of the issue may be required. Proud will inquire regarding recommendations from the Asst. City Attorney and other department heads regarding a tie, inability to secure consensus, and how this relates to the respective recommendations to Council. Director’s Report Parks and Recreation Director Proud revisited the current state of the Youth Sports Complex. Proud noted the current maintenance that has occurred. With the amount of rain, erosion warning tracks were identified and related actions taken. The older kids are scheduled to begin play at the complex beginning in August. Council Member Hoeft confirmed that competitive tournaments may begin in the fall. Proud reviewed what the punch list was and what items were included yet on the punch list. The contractors must complete the punch list before the City will assume the completed project.  Proud shared the plans for the front entry sign which has been planned about forty (40) yards within the complex on Dempster Drive. In addition, she shared mock ups with images and color schemes. The gauges and widths of the metal will include a mimic to the entrance into a large ballpark complex. Commission Members comments of the mock ups included: liked the sizing of the signage, liked the scorecard feature, recommendation to avoid the use of school colors, faces need to be revisited, avoid a cartoon motif, use of more ambiguous characters to avoid gender stereotyping, and focus with balls rather than overall sports themes. The coloring will be coordinated with the buildings and metal already being utilized in the complex. At this time, lighting is not considered within the current budget for the sign. . Election of Officers After nominations, voting, and acceptance, Commission Member Fred Fevold was elected Commission Chair with Commission Member Laurie Goodrich elected Vice Chair. Updates and Projects Parks and Recreation Director Proud confirmed that Commission Member Fevold’s inquiry about the GPS includes initial quadrants for trails and park locations. In using Google maps, there are bicycle icons, you can map your route, and there are varied routes which can be accessed via GPS systems and phone applications. When Proud inquired with JCCOG, updates will be occurring during the next several months. The Center for Performance Arts construction continues to take form. The support walls for the sub levels are now being completed. The Center is scheduled to open next summer. Due to high water, the trail behind the Heartland Inn mitigation work was delayed. Given the other projects at the same time, the trail from James Street has also been delayed given the triage of multiple projects. At the Auburn East Pond, additional buffer strips have been created by planting of prairie seed mix. The pond is also being maintained chemically for algae growth. It will take all of this warm season to reduce the amount of foliage underwater which makes it hard to get rid of the algae growth. Next year, the weedy plant material underwater should be less and the algae will be easier to control. The request for treatment came from the pond neighbors. This fall, ICOR will investigate some off road mountain bike trails between Clear Creek Green belt or Iowa Medical Classification Center. Commission Member Fevold inquired about off road trails near the Gay Farms; Proud noted that the Gay Farms are not viable due to their steep terrain and that there is no opposite loop to complete the trail. Locations should include low, medium, and high levels. Council Report Council Member Hoeft noted that he has pictures that he will forward from Council Member Mitch Gross that include pictures of the river and related mitigation projects. Commission Comments Commission Member Fred Fevold No additional comments. Commission Member Laurie Goodrich In response to the inquiry regarding the tennis courts, Parks and Recreation Director Proud noted that the tennis courts have not been completed. At this time, representatives from Iowa City Community School District have not yet replied to request regarding their role in the tennis court project. Additionally, the court usage for pickleball will be investigated by staff to see if future courts can serve a dual purpose. Commission Member Mike Knudson No additional comments. Commission Member Marti Mount No additional comments. Adjournment Commission Member Mount moved to adjourn at 8:20 p.m.; Commission Member Knudson seconded the motion; unanimous approval. Parks and Recreation Director Proud announced that the Iowa Lands and Legacy forum will be scheduled in late September or the first weekend in October. The next Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be held September 20.