Environment And Recreation Committee Meeting Rescheduled From 2/1/24

Environment and Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes Monday, February 5, 2024 5:00 PM Present: Committee Members Liz Wyckoff (Chairperson), Ben Bell, Joe Frederick, Dennis Livrone, Recreation and Special Event Coordinator Caitlin Hernandez, Borough Manager John Davis Ms. Wyckoff called the meeting to order at 5:02 pm. The Minutes from November 2, 2023, were approved as amended. Caitlin Hernandez gave an overview of the proposed Easter Egg Hunt. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2024. The Learning Experience of Doylestown and Class Harlan are sponsoring this event. Activities include an egg hunt, photos with the bunny, face painting, and potato sack races. Kona Ice will be coming back, too. We also ask for a food pantry donation to give back to our community. There will be a sensory-friendly event for children who need it. Age groups will split the children up; a sign-up genius may be created so we can gauge interest. We will ask the Key Club from CB West High School to help so that they can get community service hours and help keep our costs down. We are not worried about clearances since no one will be alone with children. We propose hosting the event in Broad Commons Park from 10:00 am until noon. Areas will be fenced off to help keep the various activities separate. The Committee agreed this would be a fun activity for the kids of the Borough and approved of the Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Egg Hunt will be on the Council agenda. Caitlin will give the Council an outline of the event. Caitlin and John shared Yoga in the Park with the committee. This program is still in the early stages of planning. This activity will be held in Broad Commons Park in partnership with Sundog Yoga. Caroline connected us with the Delaware Valley Health Trust for waivers. This will be a paid program, $75 for five weeks. Sundog would like to have it begin at 6:45 am. We can move inside if the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor yoga. John explained we would be handling the sign-ups ourselves. Sundog will be a contractor for the yoga instruction, but this will be a sanctioned Doylestown Park and Recreation event. John Davis suggested exploring the idea of sponsorship, which may help keep costs down. We are discussing the insurance company’s sample application and agreement with the solicitor's office. We hope to have more information in March and begin promoting this program in April. It was agreed this park is ideal for an activity like yoga and would not stop other activities from simultaneously going on in the park. Liz would like to introduce Bike Month Activities to the Borough. National Bike Month takes place annually in May. There are bike-to-school days, bike-to-work days, and other activities to promote biking during that month. Liz wants to develop promotional materials about biking in town and share how Doylestown is a bike-friendly community. She wanted the Committee to know that this will be coming in May. Caitlin provided the Recreation Director’s Report. Burpee Pavilion will be getting upgrades this spring, including new bathroom fixtures. The Borough Dam will be getting an aerator this spring, and Doylestown Fish will be hosting a day of service to clean up the East Street area of Chapman Park on April 20, 2024. At Neis Park, the tennis courts will be resurfaced between June 18 and July 5, 2024. Dave Burger is working on acquiring more drinking fountains and picnic tables for  Environment and Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes Monday, February 5, 2024 5:00 PM Broad Commons. Chess has had an increasing number of participants each month. This location is a lot more accessible. The feedback we have received has been very positive. Scenic Strolls will be returning with Sherry this spring. John gave the committee sketches of the picnic tables for Broad Commons. If everyone is on board, the tables can be ordered. There is not a lot of tree cover at the park right now, so there is a good reason for the covers over the tables. Phil, Dave, and Caitlin recommend these tables, creating an outdoor café feel. The tables are approximately $6,000 a piece, which puts us slightly over the budget. The proposal also includes installing a solar element for cell phone charging. One table will have three seats to make it accessible for people in wheelchairs. Ben asked if the covers could be angled or adjusted to block the sun throughout the day. Nothing on the spec sheet indicates this could be an option. The proposal is for a stone and red chip material in the green space where the tables will be placed. The trees on the proposal all currently exist and, eventually, will be able to provide shade. The Park and Recreation Board will see this proposal at their meeting later. John would like to make another push for donations in Broad Commons. The benches are all accounted for; some pillars and streetlights are still available. Old/New Business John gave the committee an overview of its responsibilities. This committee is a liaison between other boards and the Borough Council. It will recommend capital programs for the parks and be more involved in programming activities. It will also act as a hub for various committees and boards. Under New Business, Dennis Livrone would like to recognize Gary Harris’ service as Park and Recreation Director and applaud Jill Schweizer for her 25 years of service to the Park and Recreation Board. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:38 pm.