Park & Recreation Board

AGENDA MINUTES OF PARKS & RECREATION BOARD MEETING Monday, August 7th, 2023 City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room– 7pm Present: Dian Christensen-Hills, Aaron Paden, Connie Giese, Wendy Eairleywine, Dan Moran, Ashley Washburn, Nate Schwanke, Nick Hansen, Ron Giesselmann, Chief Bernt, Jody Sanders, and Jeff Forward. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chairman Moran. The agenda displayed at City Hall, 400 E Military and was distributed to the Park Board, Mayor and City Council on August 2nd, 2023 and is open to the public. The open meeting law is posted continually for public inspection. Roll Call: Roll Call showed members Giese, Paden, Eairleywine, Washburn, Moran and Christensen-Hillis present. Open Meeting Law posted for public review. Reading of the Parks & Recreation Board Minutes, May 1st, 2023. Christensen-Hillis moved to suspend the reading since the board has read them, seconded by Washburn, to suspend the reading of May 1st minutes. Motion carried. Discussion was brought forth the possible future location Fire Facility East portion of Masonic Park (between C &M). Mr. Giesselmann for Masonic Home provided the board and guests with a document from an annual repot from 1936. Mr. Giesselman mentioned that the Masonic board would probably a no for the station location. The parks board discussed and mention that they need to look at the location as open green space but also public safety. City administrator discussed and passed out the document they showed location analysis to show why Masonic could be a point of interest. Masonic and P&R board expressed concerns of the locations and asked if other could be looked at. Request by Wholestone for use of city property Johnson field August 27th, 2023. Wholestone will pay a fee for usage and provide insurance. Board discussed the request and see no issues with asking for usage of field. Motion was made by Eairleywine. Seconded by Paden. Motion carried Request by Eric Castillo Fremont Youth Wresting Tournament for fee reduction at Christensen Field Arena February 9th-11th. Board discussed the request and see no issues with asking for a fee reduction. Board discussed waiving the set-up fee but accessing the event fee for other days. Motion was made by Christensen-Hillis. Seconded by Eairleywine. Motion carried Request by Alyssa Hooper for use of Johnson Park shelter and space for a wedding on June 22nd 2024. Board discussed and had some concerns and asked for this to be table to allow P&R staff more time to address this request for possible policies, damages, or other costs related to the request. Board did discuss they are very excited to have a request in parks for events. Motion was made by Paden. Seconded by Giese. Motion carried Request by City Wide Worship Pastor JJ for use of city property Johnson Park Shelter and space September 21st, 2023. The church will provide insurance. Board discussed the request and see no issues with asking for usage of Johnson Park. Motion carried Request by Penecostal Church of God for use of city property John C. Fremont Park Shelter and space October 13th & 14th, 2023. The church will provide insurance. Board discussed the request and see no issues with asking for usage of John C Fremont park. Motion carried Schwanke discussed the playground pals program wrapped up and saw a nice increase in participation than last year. Schwanke discussed the pools will be closing down for the year August 12th and a dog pool day scheduled for August 13th. Schwanke discussed the Fall programs upcoming and preparing for the first Zombie run in October. Schwanke discussed the agri-lime project for Christensen Field 1 and Ronin Field. He discussed that quotes were received and product she be here by September to finish the project. Hansen discussed that the library construction is on track to be finished by November of 2023. Hansen discussed the progress on Buckridge playground and waiting for insurance to finish up. Hansen discussed the parks maintenance will be cleaning up the bump outs and park lot areas downtown. Hansen discussed that P&R crews will help establish tech park by watering the area. Hansen discussed P&R crews installed benches in JCF park and pads are set for cornhole for Van Anda park. Hansen discussed Rev. Christensen asked for permission to investigation paranormal activities in Barnard park. Hansen discussed the P&R department helped with set-up and take down of JCF days and 4-H fair and will be assisting with setup of DQ days. Hansen discussed that P&R was acquiring quotes for trash services throughout the city parks and locations. Hansen discussed turf maintenance was needed at Johnson fields and installing a fence line at Memorial fields. Hansen mentioned that the EDA grant for Hormel and Wildwood park was scheduled for notice in March but was pushed back to June for infrastructure and P&R was asked for follow up information and still waiting for the outcome. Hansen discussed forestry crew has been trying to play catch up with a few storms that have come through. Hansen discussed the removal of tree brush from Hormel trails for an event in October. Hansen discussed that 8 free trees will be awarded to P&R department from NE arboretum grant. Hansen discussed public transportation is about to go live for rides. Hansen discussed a few training protocols they need to be taken before public transportation can go live. Board discussed of future plans for public transportation and if it will stay in the P&R department. Hansen discussed it’s been a quite the process to get it started and for future plans the goal is to remove it from P&R department and make it it’s one department but he discussed that until we get the program up and running and see the interest it will need to stay in P&R department.  Hansen discussed the capital improvements that the P&R department was trying to finish up before the end of the fiscal year. Hansen discussed that CIP improvements for the future have been discussed with the City. Next Meeting – Monday, September 11th, 2023, 7pm, City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room. Adjournment- Motion was made by Eairleywine, seconded by Christensen-Hillis to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:34pm. Respectfully submitted, Nicholas Hansen, 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 August 7th, 2023 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 11th day of August, 2023. Nicholas Hansen, Director of Parks & Recreation May August 7th, 2023