Recreation Advisory Commission

The City of Durham Parks and Recreation Department Recreation Advisory Commission Wednesday, March 11, 2020 DPR Training Room (1st Floor) 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Members Present: Rebecca Reyes, David Green, David Fellerath, Frank White, Marcella Scurlock Members Excused/Unexcused: Lesley Stracks-Mullem Eric Tullis Kokou Nayo City Council Liaison: Council Member Alston - present City Staff Present: Joy Guy, Jason Jones, Tom Dawson, Lynda Merritt Introduction/Call to Order: David G called the meeting to order at 7:37 a.m. and provided a welcome. Approval of Minutes: There was no quorum present at the beginning of this meeting. At 7:39 am Marcella arrived. Adjustments to the Agenda: There were no adjustments to the agenda. Interim Director’s Report - Joy Guy: ● Cyber malware attack - The City was well prepared for this attack and responded quickly to the threat, which fortunately resulted in minimal damage to our data and systems. Technology Solutions has been working around the clock to restore our network and systems as quickly as possible. The National Guard’s Cyber Security Response Force was called in to assist as well. Systems are being restored in priority order, and some systems are already back online. TS will continue to work on our mission-critical and public safety systems first. Phones are still down for most employees. At 7:41 am David F. arrived. Joy talked about the impact and how it affects our daily operations, especially with summer camp registration starting next week. Some delays are expected such as Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020  DPR's budget presentation to the budget office. Our computer labs located in recreation centers are connected through an external network which will allow us to access some of our external platforms and software to conduct some of our business. At this time, we don’t know the timeline for recovery and when we will be fully active for business. ● Coronavirus; the governor has declared a state of emergency, due to the health and well-being of our residents, staff will be looking at our programs and following the guidelines set from state department health officials. We will be monitoring closely and following guidelines as instructed, exercising caution as we determine the impact moving forward. Staff will be working closely with risk management and with guidance from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, who manages the delivery of health and human-related services for everyone. ● The LeadHERship planning committee is evaluating the logistics of the Workshop and the current situation with COVID-19 as they make an informed decision to cancel or reschedule the conference. Approval of Minutes: Rebecca made a motion to approve the February 12, 2020 minutes; seconded by David F. No further changes, whereupon motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the minutes were approved as presented. RAC Reporting Items - feedback or concerns: No items to report at this meeting. ● DPR event attended ● PAC meetings attended ● Community Engagement Activities RAC Action Items - Fee Waiver Requests: Rich Hahn – open for discussion or approved by consent agenda 1. United Health Care - pulled for discussion Event: member orientation education session Facility Request: space at Holton Career & Resource Center Date(s) of Event: March 30, 2020 Frank made a motion to deny this fee waiver request as this for-profit organization does not meet the non-profit status as required for RAC consideration and it may set the wrong precedent for groups requesting free space in the future. Motion failed. There was discussion on the purpose of the meeting and the minimal amount of fees to be paid, and whether this event is for the benefit of the members (residents) or for the benefit of United Health Care. Marcella made a motion to approve at 100%; motion failed. Additional comments were made. Rebecca made a motion to approve at 50%; seconded by David F. motion passed, all in favor. David G. made a motion to accept the remaining RAC fee waivers as recommended by staff; seconded David F.; motion passed, all in favor. Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020  2. Guardian ad Litem Event: volunteer appreciation dinner Facility Request: Forest Hills Neighborhood Clubhouse Date(s) of Event: April 3, 2020 Fee waiver request approved by consent at 25% 3. Durham County 4H Event: Farm Tour for NC Farm School Students Facility Request: Spruce Pine Lodge Date(s) of Event: April 28, 2020 Fee waiver request approved by consent at 50% 4. Maureen Joy Charter Event: 8th grade promotion Facility Request: Holton Career & Resource Center - Auditorium Date(s) of Event: June 10, 2020 Fee waiver request approved by consent at 50% Old Business: RAC Park Tour (April 8, 2020) 7:30 am -11:00 am • Lynda confirmed RAC attendance and members selected the slate blue RAC shirts to wear. • Lynda provided a review of the tour plans and will continue to communicate via text message until email service is restored. Council Member Alston arrived at the meeting. RAC Engagement in the Comprehensive Plan 2050 • David G. will be attending the next meeting. • Let David G. know if you are interested in attending any of the meetings. • David F. is willing to attend as well. Action item: Lynda will add this as a standing meeting agenda item. Project Updates: Tom provided a few updates • Drew Granby Park - (Participatory Budgeting Project) The community session on January 18th was conducted largely in Spanish. It was truly a community engagement event with games, activities and s’mores. Kudos to the Outreach staff for their assistance. • Belmont Park - (Participatory Budgeting Project) - was awarded a Participatory Budgeting project to develop a bicycle pump track. A community meeting was held on Saturday, February 29th, participants enjoyed hot dogs and games while working with staff to develop a plan for the park. • Park Lab - Tom reported on the progress of this new space. Staff are working with TROSA and coordinated with transportation to work on a compromise for use of any shared space. Jason provided an update on programming ideas that will allow staff to test new ideas and give us an opportunity to highlight new and exciting programs in high Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020  traffic areas. We plan to incorporate new playground equipment and utilize this space as a laboratory designed for parks and recreation. This will not be a rentable space. Go check it out! • Trails implementation study – we’re working with Alta, and with internal departments to evaluate and access the constructability of key priority trail projects and recommend possible alignments and implementation steps to advance the trail projects toward construction. For each of the nine priority trails the consultant will conduct a basic scoping assessment and comprehensive analysis and make recommendations. We’ve narrowed it down to nine trails and developed an internal alignment. • ATT trail head , not a DPR project, we are developing an all ages fitness station with NC State Design Build, the Durham Parks Foundation (DPF) will be raising funds with Miracle Field developers Build, DPF to raise approximately $30,000, much like EEP at West Point. More updates coming in the summer. DPR staff left the meeting (Joy, Tom, & Jason) Development Associates (Dr. Korrel Kanoy) - 8:15 am - 8:45 am • David F. videoed the session and will only be sharing with RAC members who are not in attendance. • Dr. Kanoy provided a welcome and overview of the hiring process. Five focus groups were held with a variety of stakeholders and internal staff to find out what their views are, challenges, responsibilities, critical priorities, etc. Step 1: Understanding the Position • Five focus groups were conducted with a variety of stakeholders and internal staff. • The sessions focused on collecting feedback on the challenges DPR is faced with, responsibilities and what the critical priorities are. Step 2: Multi Method Recruitment • Post ads • Target candidates • Candidates apply through NeoGov - o What is it? An online application system o The system is very widely used. We create an application to answer the same questions in order to establish an “apples to apples” comparison. o It automates the screening process o Assign weights for minimum criteria - applicants must meet o Go through - double check resume and verify the information Step 3: Initial Screening • Allows deeper analysis of minimum and preferred qualifications • Google name search - may trigger any suspicious activity • Concludes with a meeting with the DCM • Narrowing candidates to fifteen • Rank order of candidates Step 4: Secondary Screening • Provides transcripts, exact answers, and scores Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020  • Administration of EQ: 2.0 – emotional intelligence • Multi-method approach • Concludes with Deputy City Manager meeting, narrowing the number of candidates to no more than six Step 5: Assessment Center Process • Philosophy behind assessment centers • Interviews are not adequate to access the full range of skills necessary to be an effective manager. • Interviews only allow direct assessment of three competencies: 1) oral communication 2) knowledge 3) judgement (based on situational questions and scenarios) • Beyond these competencies, interviews are highly “fake-able” • This method is designed to create exercises that simulate the position • Identify objective and specific rating criteria At 8:39 - Vernetta left the meeting. • Results are reviewed by subject matter experts who are trained raters • This information will be shared with the City Managers team • Combine the findings on each candidate with their EQ: 2.0 profile Final Steps: • Board interviews with top 1-3 candidates (depending on the results) • Make a conditional offer of employment • Conduct intensive background investigation Q&A • RAC members shared their thoughts on the process. • There was some concern that the job analysis did not include bilingual as a requirement or preferred. • The Durham community deals with language barriers on a daily basis. • Will their feedback be included in the process? At 8:52 - Marcella left the meeting. Important competencies or skills shared by members. • Collaborative with staff and community partners • Someone who thinks outside the box • Listens and treats presenter equally, be respective of backgrounds • Continues interfacing and engaging with the community • Patience is a must • Someone with people skills • Ability to look for creative finance solutions, funding priorities • Who is transparent and won’t circle the wagons • Is approachable – open door policy, very assessable and engaged • Knows how to talk to the media • Attends events • Understands and is familiar with urban planning (walkable and bike-able) • Long term career path – not just a stepping stone, dedicated to long term commitment Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020  • Focuses on priorities in the first year • Develops an amicable working relationship with staff • Brings new ideas and experiences David G made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:07 a.m.; it was seconded by Rebecca. Next RAC Meeting: RAC Park Tour Wednesday, April 8, 2020 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Meet at: DPR Operations Center Return: Operations Center (301 Archdale Drive) Recreation Advisory Commission March Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 11, 2020