Park & Recreation Board

AGENDA MINUTES OF PARKS & RECREATION BOARD MEETING Monday, September 11th, 2023 City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room– 7pm Present: Dian Christensen-Hills, Aaron Paden, Connie Giese, Wendy Eairleywine, Nick Hansen, and Jody Sanders. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chairman Giese. The agenda displayed at City Hall, 400 E Military and was distributed to the Park Board, Mayor and City Council on September 7th, 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, and Christensen-Hillis present. Absent: Moran and Washburn. Open Meeting Law posted for public review. Reading of the Parks & Recreation Board Minutes, August 7th, 2023. Christensen-Hillis moved to suspend the reading since the board has read them, seconded by Paden, to suspend the reading of August 7th minutes. Motion carried. Request by Alyssa Hooper for use of Johnson Park shelter and space for a wedding on June 22nd 2024. Hansen discussed that city staff of Streets, PD, City Clerk, and P&R will collaborate to make a special events application. Board discussed the request and see no issue moving forward with the wedding and highly recommend the collaboration of departments to make a special events packet to allow more people to use different areas of the community. Motion was made by Christensen-Hillis. Seconded by Earlywine. Motion carried Hansen presented the recreation report and discussed that Schwanke is currently working on getting things ready for the Zombie Run on October 14th and Men’s Flag Football in September. Hansen discussed projects of agrilime being delivered for CF field #1 and Ronin field. Recreation staff is getting quotes for fence topper, sunshades, and foul poles at Christensen Field. Hansen discussed activities that are planned for coming up in the Fall and Winter. Hansen mentioned recreation staff will be helping with the fire station open house by providing bounce houses. Hansen discussed P&R department will be adding winter activities for youth, pumpkin painting, fall décor baskets, and breakfast with Santa. Hansen discussed that the library construction has a minor setback and estimated exit from auditorium late December or early January. Hansen discussed LARMS will cover the vandalism to Buckridge playground and installation will occur in Spring. Hansen discussed a flower bed project is scheduled for Van Anda and Interstate Bank will provide volunteers for helping with the project. Hansen discussed the cornhole games will be delivered to Van Anda in September,  Hansen mentioned this was a donation that allowed these games to be installed and another donation has provided seating around the games and Van Anda park with table top check and checker boards. Hansen mentioned the P&R maintenance staff is continuing to water tech park and finishing installing the fence at Memorial Field. Hansen discussed parks and recreation staff will be attend the Nebraska P&R Conference in September and three park maintenance workers will be attending turf maintenance conference in January. Hansen discussed that veterans task force of Veteran park wanted to place a rock in the veterans park. Board discussed they would like to table this to next park board meeting and ask veteran’s task force to provide a project update. Hansen discussed that P&R department obtain bids for dumpster throughout the parks. Hansen mentioned they also went out for bid for trash can removals in parks and downtown but has decided that the trash cans removals will stay in house. Hansen mentioned contractors finished painting the overhead doors at the indoor arena. P&R maintenance crew removed the metal sign lettering at Johnson Park playground due to safety concerns of sharp edges and rust. Hansen discussed Ecoturf made repairs to Johnson playground at no cost, they also provided us with useful information on maintaining the pour surface. Hansen discussed a few Fall projects that P&R Department will be finishing up including Van Anda irrigation, Davenport Shelter, and memorial fence. Hansen mentioned keyless entry project for CF will start in September and take about 1 week to install. Hansen discussed the EDA grant was turned in for Hormel and Wildwood with follow up documents that were ask to be provided. We hope to hear about the grant soon. Forestry department is continuing to do removals and have 5 removals left on the summer list. Hansen mentioned that the Fall list has an estimated 50 removals. Forestry plans to remove some tree brush from boat ramp to bike trail into Oak trail in September or October for the Zombie Run. Hansen discussed public transportation went live September 7th and offered 18 rides the first day and 22nd rides the 2nd day. Hansen discussed they have a fulltime dispatcher, fulltime van driver, and a part-time van driver. Hansen discussed trip master software was onsite September 5-8th with assistance going live. Hansen discussed that FTP will be offering free rides until November 3rd and FTP will reassess the program for the future riders. Hansen discussed the capital improvements that the P&R department was trying to finish up before the end of the fiscal year. Hansen mentioned they have the foundation set for Ridge Cemetery office. Next Meeting – Monday, October 2nd, 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 8:02pm. 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 September 11th, 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 15th day of September, 2023. Nicholas Hansen, Director of Parks & Recreation September 11th, 2023