Park & Recreation Board

MINUTES OF PARKS & RECREATION BOARD MEETING Tuesday, May 5, 2020 Zoom Meeting & Christensen Field Meeting Room – 7:00pm Present: Dian Christensen Hillis, Don Cunningham, Connie Giese, Kim Koski, Dan Moran, Nate Schwanke, Ashley Washburn. 1. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:02pm by Chairman Moran. The agenda displayed at City Hall, 400 E Military and was distributed to the Park Board, Mayor and City Council on May 1, 2020 and is open to the public. The open meeting law is posted continually for public inspection. 2. Roll Call: Roll Call showed members Giese, Hillis, Moran and Washburn present; Eairleywine and Prince absent. 3. Open meeting law posted for public review. 4. Reading of the Parks & Recreation Board Minutes, Motion was made by Hillis, seconded by Giese to dispense with reading of the minutes of April 7, 2020 meeting and approve as sent. Motion carried 4-0. 5. Request by John C. Fremont Days for use of City Property for JCF Days Annual Festival, July 10-12, 2020. Don Cunningham, President of JCF Days, is hopeful to have the festival. His next Board meeting is May 18. He explained the it’s crunch time for the festival with regards to schedules, contracts and insurance. Motion was made by Washburn, seconded by Giese to approve the request and forward to the City Council for final approval with the stipulation that all Directed Health Measures have been lifted during this time frame. Motion carried 4-0. 6. Request by Don Cunningham to explore the possibility of adding a floating fountain to Johnson Lake. Don Cunningham explained how adding a floating 3-tiered fountain with LED lights in Johnson Lake would enhance the entrance to Fremont. He is researching with various vendors. His estimate ranges from $5,000-$7,000. He is confident he can raise the money for this project. Motion was made by Giese, seconded by Hillis to approve supporting this project and forward to City Council for final approval once Don has a design, plan, funds and plan for perpetual upkeep. Motion carried 4-0. 7. Director’s Report – Koski *City Auditorium Renovation Update – Work is steadily moving forward. Walls are being defined and it continues to change daily. The project is still on schedule for a completion date of September of 2020. Progress meetings have been held with zoom lately so it’s tough to actually see updates. Project Manager will be sending me photos that I will share on the City of Fremont Facebook page for viewing. *Senior Center Awning Project – Plans and drawings have been approved. Materials have been ordered. Work will begin approximately May 10 or whenever the contractor can move in behind the concrete work. *Senior Center Concrete Project – This project began April 30. All concrete has been removed. Some deteriorating asphalt at the edge of the parking lot needs replaced so the concrete has a solid surface to butt up against. Concrete forms are being placed. *Senior Center Radiant Heat Project – Piping will be installed under the sidewalk. Radiant heat prevents snow and ice from building up on surface. When temperatures drop, heated water and antifreeze are pumped through tubing underneath the sidewalk which melts any snow or ice that collects on the sidewalk. This work will coincide with the concrete project. *Hormel Park and Ridge Road Trail Clean-Up Projects – One volunteer group worked to clean- up the area from the bridge at Hormel Park to Big Island Road. They did a tremendous job while following social distancing. In a short amount of time, this group pulled debris such as mattresses, tires, swing set out of the trees along this stretch of road/trails. Rowan Mitchell of Americorp organized two separate clean-ups of the trail inside Hormel Park. He too observed social distancing rules. His volunteers used loppers to cut back branched and pushed logs back off of the trail. The City’s responsibility was to provide 15 yard dumpsters for debris. The work provided by all of these volunteers is greatly appreciated and the area looks much better! *Senior Office Associate; Maintenance II Worker Positions – we did interview for both positions the last week in April. Had some very candidates interview and HR will continue to work with them through the hiring process. *Covid 19 Effects on Parks and Recreation Department – Playgrounds in the parks remain closed. Athletic fields are “use at your own risk” as long as social distancing is taking place. Discussion continues with regards to playgrounds, tiny tots, baseball and swimming pools. If social distancing continues throughout the summer, it will be next to impossible to have summer programs. We are in a holding pattern, along with everyone across the state, as we wait for updated DHM’s and regulations. 8. Recreation Report – Schwanke *Summer Hiring, 2020 – we have extended registration deadlines for summer programs. Registration numbers are extremely low. Parents who have already registered are now requesting refunds due to the uncertainty of effects of Covid 19. 9. Adjournment – Motion was made by Giese, seconded by Washburn to adjourn. Motion carried 4-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:40pm. 10. Next Meeting, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 7pm, Christensen Field Meeting Room/Zoom. Respectfully submitted, Kim Koski, Secretary I, the undersigned, the Secretary for the Parks and Recreation Board, Fremont, Nebraska, hereby certify that all of the subjects included in the attached proceedings were contained in the notice of said meeting of May 5, 2020 kept continually current and available for public inspection at the Parks & Recreation Office; that such subjects were contained in said notice for at least twenty-four hours prior to said meeting; that the minutes of the Park Board of the Parks and Recreation Department, Fremont, Nebraska were in written form and available for public inspection prior to the next convened meeting of said body. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of May, 2020. Kim Koski, Director of Parks & Recreation May 5, 2020