Recreation Commission

FREDERICKSBURG RECREATION COMMISSION Minutes of January 26, 2017 The January meeting of the Fredericksburg Recreation Commission was held on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at the Dorothy Hart Community Center. The meeting was called to order at approximately 6:50p.m. Commissioners Present: Mrs. Sharon Null, Mr. Brandon McVade, Mr. Ken Kroko, Mr. James Bailey, Dr. John Gordon, III, and Mrs. Susan Tyler. Absent: Dr. Marcus Tepaske, Mr. David Dorsey and Dr. Timothy Duffy. Also in attendance: Director Jane Shelhorse, Mrs. Patricia Sparks and Mrs. Janice Lasker. Director Shelhorse thanked everyone for their support during this past year and particularly during the past month while she dealt with her husband. I. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of October 15, 2016 were unanimously approved. II. Public Comment: None III. Communications from the Director: The Commissioners reviewed the following reports: Financial Report –December 2016 – Commissioner McVade pointed out that the biggest difference seemed to be in revenue from grants. Director Shelhorse concurred and stated it was because we had received an EDA grant and some sponsorships to help with the Downtown 31 event. Downtown 31 was a new event for Parks and Recreation this year and has replaced the former First Night event. Leisure/Special – January/February 2017 Special Events and Marketing Report – February/March 2017 Chairman Null shared an editorial letter from the Free Lance-Star written by a very pleased resident who referred to the Downtown 31 finale as a “magical event”. Director Shelhorse stated that her staff deserved kudos for putting on the entire event as she had committed to it and then realized that instead she would be caring for her husband. Sonja Wise took over the coordination of events, and many people on staff helped. It was great teamwork. The committee has met and some changes will be made to next year’s event, but it will still cater to families. Sports/Parks Report – January 2017 – Director Shelhorse noted that Justin Bullock has left our department and has accepted a job with Louisa. Dr. Gordon stated that he would like to meet Justin Bullock’s replacement once the person is on board as it is much easier to work with someone when you can put a face with a name. Director Shelhorse stated that we hope to have the new person in place by the end of February. She also stated that she would like to have a different staff person attend each Commission meeting so that the members could 1  meet our staff and our staff could get to know the Commission members. Commissioner McVade stated that he thinks it was a great decision to move the Lil’ Hoopsters basketball program to LUES this year rather than holding it at Walker-Grant as in the past. It makes for much easier coordination of practices and games and allows everyone to learn the game and have more fun when the teams are not all crowded into one facility. IV. Noteworthy Dates: Director Shelhorse stated that soccer and field hockey registration is underway. Baseball registration will begin February 14th. The Daddy/Daughter Dance is February 3rd at the DHCC. The Polar Bear Plunge is February 4th. V. Old Business: A . Riverfront Park – Director Shelhorse stated that while the taskforce has not made any progress, Doug Fawcett is now the project manager for Riverfront Park. Rhodeside/Harwell is working on a proposal for the design and the mound is currently being excavated. B . Public Sculpture Project –The sculpture on Princess Anne and Rte 1 was damaged by recent winds and is being repaired by the artist. The commissioners are particularly pleased with the sculpture along the Heritage Trail and feel that placement is most noticed by the public. C . Commission Ordinance – The amendment to the commission ordinance was approved by council. D . CIP Projects – Director Shelhorse presented a copy of the projects that were submitted with the budget packet. She asked the commissioners to prioritize the list now that the costs are included. Commissioner Kroko and other commissioners questioned the cost/benefit to replacing the Alum Spring bridge and adding an ADA bathroom to be accessible from the VCR trail. Dr. Gordon stated that the cost of lights at the Memorial Park tennis courts looks high. He recommended Rennolds Tennis of Tappahannock (804-513-9866) as a better alternative to Herb Osburn. Commissioner McVade suggested that a support bar on the bottom of the tennis court fence might solve the problem with the fence rather than replacing the entire fence. Commissioner McVade also questioned the need for lighting along the Dixon Park path since the parks close at dark. After discussion, the commissioners agreed that the playgrounds at OMP and Maury Park, and the tennis court resurfacing and lining at Memorial Park would be their priority as they are the most used by and the most noticeable to the public. We will try to have Public Works complete the ADA restroom at OMP. 2  E . Hurkamp Park and Memorial Park – Commissioner Shelhorse stated that we hope to have bids go out in the next couple of weeks for the restrooms. They will have locks and timers for safety purposes, and shrubbery will be planted that will focus on aesthetics and public safety. VI. New Business: None VII. Commission Concerns and Topics: Commissioner Gordon wondered about the timeline for the new logo now that we have a new City Manager in place. Commissioner Tyler questioned the Great Lives banner that is on William Street as she was under the impression that all banners placed there had to be for non-profit organizations. Commissioners McVade stated that Loudoun County has recently added three inline hockey rinks. The rinks were fully funded by the Washington Capitals, so Commissioner McVade is pursuing the Capitals to see if they would consider developing in the Fredericksburg area. He asked to use Director Shelhorse as a point of contact. Commissioner Bailey passed along appreciation from the Mayfield Community for the help that Parks and Recreation, and particularly Director Shelhorse, has been with the maintenance of the W. L. Harris playground and the Mayfield area. Chairman Null mentioned that we have been given two donations totaling $2000 to be used toward scholarships for nature camps this summer. She would like the commission to look into setting up an endorsement or charity fund so that individuals/groups can donate to Parks and Recreation and specify what they would like the money to go toward funding. Commissioner McVade will research setting up a 501(c) (3) charity fund for parks. Director Shelhorse stated that she had several informational items to discuss with the Commissioners: A resident asked about the possibility of having a memorial plaque put on a pathway bench in dedication to his late wife. The commissioners agreed that there is a system in place for memorial benches and that the resident can follow the procedure if he would like a memorial bench. 3  Director Shelhorse reminded the commissioners that they have city email addresses they should be checking for updates regarding the parks. The commissioners agreed they would like their city email connected to their other email addresses for ease of use. Dr. Gordon suggested Zapier as a free system that will link all accounts. Commissioner Tyler asked that she be unsubscribed from the NRPA newsletter. Commissioner Null and Dr. Gordon also would like to be removed from the electronic mailing. The Department plans to start charging a deposit for reserving the Dixon Park fields. The fields will continue to be reserved only for tournament play. The change, however, will be that a $200 per field deposit will be required up front. If a group cancels 2 weeks or more in advance, they will receive a full refund of their deposit refund. If they provide one week notice, they will receive a 50% refund of their deposit. If they give less than one week notice, they will forfeit their deposit. Director Shelhorse stated that Facilities has become part of the Public Works Department, and they will be moving out of the DHCC in the next couple of weeks. Parks and Recreation will now handle events and Kimberly Herbert has moved over to the DHCC to facilitate the coordination of events. At our next meeting, we will be discussing fee comparisons and rental prices as related to Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. We will also be looking at how to handle groups of 20 or more that are using our parks without reservations. Basketball courts are back at Snowden Park, however, the hoops will not be up until the construction is completed around April 20th. There will also be an upgraded playground and a softball field. Tree Fredericksburg is trying to get a grant for planting trees as VDOT does not have plans for planting trees at Snowden Park. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. ______________________________________ Jane C. Shelhorse Date Director The February 16, 2017 meeting will be at Maury Commons at 6:30pm. 4