Recreation Commission

FREDERICKSBURG RECREATION COMMISSION Minutes of April 16, 2015 The April meeting of the Fredericksburg Recreation Commission was held on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at Maury Commons. The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:05 p.m. Present: Commissioners Gary Olsen, Dr. Timothy Duffy, Dr. George Foster, Dr. John Gordon III, Sharon Null and Susan Tyler. Absent: Dr. Marcus Tepaske, James Bailey, and Ken Kroko. Also in attendance: Dr. Robert Antozzi and Patricia Sparks. I. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of March 19, 2015 were unanimously approved. II. Public Comment: None III. Communications from the Director: The Commissioners reviewed the following reports: Financial Report – March 2015 Sports Report – April 2015 Leisure/Special Events Report – April/May 2015 IV. Noteworthy Dates: The Commissioners reviewed upcoming programs and trips. V. Old Business: A. Pathways – Dr. Antozzi reported that the estimated completion date of the VCR trail would now be after April 2015 due to the installation of the signalization light. B. Riverfront Park – Commissioner Duffy stated that City Council is currently discussing the City’s budget cycle and reassessing the CIP list. City Council would like to continue to move forward developing the park in phases. Dr. Antozzi reported that the Riverfront Task Force will be interviewing four design firms and hopes to hire a firm soon. Dr. Antozzi stated that there are some complications in developing the park in phases. First, the momentum of the Riverfront Task Force is a concern. Members of the Riverfront Task Force have been working for more than seven years but the City wants to phase the project. Several of the Riverfront Task Force members are getting discouraged. Second, the master plan shows the Riverfront Park land has a significant amount of utility work. It would be costly for the City to drop utility lines underground in front of the Park and not provide the conduit from the utility to the park. If this happens, the City will endure a large expense when they are ready to continue developing the park. Mark Whitley 1  proposed that the City fund the schematic for the park, which takes approximately three months. Dr. Antozzi suggested that we further the proposal to include the 35% construction detail which will include the utility design for the park. . C. Park Signs – Commissioner Gordon requested that Tiffany Capehart present the Commissioners with actual dates regarding the process of developing a Parks and Recreation logo. Last month, the Commissioners agreed to continue developing a park logo for the City’s parks. September/October was a suggested end date. D. Bridge at Alum Spring Park – Commissioner Duffy stated that City Council would not be able to consider the bridge at Alum Spring Park as a “high priority” item for the 2016 CIP budget. Commissioner Duffy suggested Parks, Recreation, and Public Facilities continue to advocate for it. E. Recreation Commission Volunteer Awards Sub-Committee – Commissioner Foster stated that there is no update. Commissioner Gordon and Commissioner Foster would like to meet with staff in May to discuss their suggestions. VI. New Business: None VII. Commission Concerns and Topics: Commissioner Gordon stated he met with Chief Nye and Councilman Frye about developing a program called “Midnight Madness.” The program, currently in the preliminary stages, will be two 5-week sessions with 75 participants in each session. The program will be held on Friday nights during the summer. More information on this program will follow. Commissioner Foster stated he had received comments from Stafford and Caroline County residents and that Fredericksburg still has the best field hockey and soccer programs. The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. ________________________ ______________ Dr. Robert K. Antozzi Date Next Regular Meeting May 21, 2015 7:00 p.m. at Maury Commons, Suite 111. 2