Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Advisory Board Agenda Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St. November 22, 2022 - 6:00 PM If you require any accommodation (i.e. qualified interpreter, large print, reader, hearing assistance) in order to attend this meeting, please notify the Community Center at 913-322-5550 no later than 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS 3. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 25, 2022 MINUTES a. October 25, 2022 Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Oct 25 2022 - Minutes - Pdf 4. STAFF REPORTS a. Director's Report i. Community Center Update Director Update November ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Annual Comparison Membership October Annual Visits Comparison October b. Assistant Director's Report i. Program Evaluations 1. Halloween Happenings 2022 Halloween Happenings Evaluation ii. Upcoming Events 1. High School Visual Arts Competition High School Visual Arts Invitation 2. Christmas in the Courtyard Christmas in the Courtyard  3. Breakfast with Santa Breakfast with Santa 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Girls Scout Council Facility Request Girl Scout Fee Reduction Memo Owl Prowl Letter Request for Reduced Fees b. Partnership with Big Brothers / Big Sisters Big Brother Big Sister Memo Big Brothers Big Sisiters Community Partner Policy - Draft c. Review of Annual Election Protocol Election Protocol Information d. Election of Chairperson e. Election of Vice-Chairperson 6. OTHER BUSINESS a. Acknowledgement of Service 7. ADJOURNMENT  MINUTES Advisory Board Meeting City of Merriam, Kansas Merriam Community Center Tuesday, October 25, 2022 6:00 PM 6040 Slater Street 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE The October meeting of the Merriam Parks & Recreation Advisory Board was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Vice-Chairperson LaVera Howard. Board members in attendance included: Evan Quinley; Kathy Stull; LaVera Howard; Katie Leary; Christopher Leitch; Billy Croan; and Laura Sagan. Staff members in attendance were: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director; Dave Smothers, Assistant Director; and Abby Hall, Customer Service Representative. Anthony "Tony" Scott notified staff and chairperson of their absence. Public in attendance included Scott Diebold, Jennifer Miller, Valarie Johnson. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS a. Girl Scout Council Facility Request: Girl Scouts of America, a not-for-profit organization, hosts an event each year called "Owl Prowl". The fees generated from registration are used to cover event costs. A reduced rental fee will help maximize the event activities that can be provided for the attendees as well as reduce the registration fee charged. In addition, lowering registration fees will allow more troops the opportunity to attend thus broadening the reach of this event. Historically, the event is hosted in the Northland. Relocating the event to a location that is easily accessible and more centrally located will encourage participation. In addition, the exposure of the Merriam Community Center, as a new facility, would be beneficial to the audience of patrons. Discussion: • The rental fees that are elibible for redcution are those associated to rooms and facility, not staff costs. • The activities planned by the older girls must adhere to the Girl Scout guidelines and approved materials provided by Parks and Recreation staff. • Older scouts will be organizing and hosting a variety of activities, which provide a learning opportunity for them to plan, organize, budget and implement an idea. • The activities and swimming component is geared to the younger scouts. Booths will run until 3 a.m. At that time the "kitchen and meeting room areas will close. The participants will spend the remaining time in the gymnasium. • There is a nurse in the facility the entire time. Page 1 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 25, 2022 • The event ends at 6 a.m. • This is a Council wide event. The area served is from Topeka to North of the River with about 40% of the girls residing in Johnson County. The number of these who reside in Merriam are unknown. • The exposure of guests to the Merriam Community center should be a wonderful opportunity. Staff can provide information regarding programs, events and activities to be included in the Troop Leader packets. 3. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 MINUTES a. September 27, 2022 Minutes Board Member Leary made a motion to approve the September minutes. Board Member Croan seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. 4. STAFF REPORTS a. DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. Community Center Update A detailed memo was included in the packet. Updates to the information included: • On Friday, October 21 there were 18 people that participated in the scheduled free day. • The Administrative Management team has received the proposed salary ranges as part of the salary study. There will be a review of the information with input from department heads regarding what is proposed. After feedback is received, the consultant will prepare a final proposed salary range that will be presented to City Council along with an action plan to implement. • The newly alarmed gymnasium double doors are now tied to the badge access system. If the alarm is triggered, staff can silence using their key card instead of a key. • The televisions in the fitness center are once again operational and receiving a signal. After the cable boxes were reset, they reset to a channel that is not part of the paid package. The error message from the cable box was not displaying on the television which caused confusion as to what the issue could be. In the future, this will be another item to confirm when the system looses connection. The two air television boxes that have been inoperable, limiting the number of air stations available to the televisions, are anticipated to arrive this week. Staff has requested these been installed immediately upon their arrival but are at the mercy of the vendor's schedule. • Staff discovered last week that the Lifeguard Office sensors are not functioning properly. Staff has emailed the vendor to add the room to the existing list of areas. This also provided an opportunity to inquire as to when the parts will be available. Page 2 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 25, 2022 • The HVAC programming in the locker rooms and Esther Brown has been addressed through the scheduling system and set points allowing the room to adjust to the proper temperature depending on the activity scheduled in the space. • On Monday, October 24, the community center lost power at 10:30 a.m. Staff asked patrons to evacuate the facility. The facility was closed until 3:30 p.m. A message was posted on social media, the website and a RecConnect email was sent. Once power came on, staff evaluated the systems which prevented the pool from re-opening immediately. Patrons were notified through the same process as before. Discussion: • Management will assess results of the salary assessment which will remain confidential until ranges are approved by City Council. At that point, meetings with staff will be scheduled to discuss the results and how each person will be impacted. • New lower lights in the parking are set to an appropriate height to ensure they will not be hit by vehicles. They do not suspend lower than the maximum height warning entering the structure. • If there were to ever be a flooding situation in the equipment room, the room is designed for water to flow out of the room. ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report A detailed report was included in the packet. No additional information was provided by staff. iii. Quarterly Financial Update The report included in the packet is completed by staff based on reports generated from the Finance Department. The goal of this update is to provide a snapshot look as to how the facility is operating year-to-date. The budgeted amounts were determined by the pro-forma as there was little history when the budget was requested. While the building has yet to reach the cost recovery projected in the pro-forma, significant strides were made this quarter. Revenue lines exceeding budget predictions greater than 75% are: Birthday Party Rentals, Daily Pass, Water Fitness Classes, Learn-to-Swim Program, and Small Group / Personal Fitness. Line items close to budget include: Gymnasium Rentals, Annual Memberships and Punch Pass. Although there are several lines under-performing, the new recreation coordinator has several new programs that will be introduced in the Winter/Spring highlights coupled with no COVID-19 restrictions for operations will help set a positive tone for 2023. Total revenue to-date is approximately 64% of the revenue budgeted. There are four expense lines that are surpassing the anticipated 75% expenditure projection through the third quarter. These include: Technical/Contracted Services, Other Contractual Services, Printing & Publication, and General Supplies. To-date, 62% of the expense budget has been expended. Staff will continue to monitor expenses Page 3 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 25, 2022 and conserve as much as possible to continue to improve the cost-recovery percentage. Discussion: • Processing fees for a credit card system are accrued for each transaction processed with a credit/debit card. Staff had no idea what these fees would be, so the budget estimate was extremely low. b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 1. Turkey Creek Car and Motorcycle Show A detailed evaluation was included in the packet. Discussion: • The billboard was difficult to read, consider less words. 2. Merriam Drive Live A detailed evaluation was included in the packet. Discussion: • Staff only received revenue share from the liquor vendor, not the food vendors. There is an agreement with the liquor vendor for minimum sales. If sales do not reach minimum, it is an expense of the City for the difference. Food vendors pay a small fee to be included but there is no revenue share. Due to increase in attendance this year, staff will consider the addition of another liquor vendor at future events. 3. National Night Out / Party in Your Park Evaluation A detailed evaluation was included in the packet. Discussion: • Historically, the month of August is "National Night Out". Due to the extreme heat the event was rescheduled to the weather date established by the National Organization. Moving forward, staff has decided to host the event, retaining its name, in October, moving it back one week due to the already scheduled events during that time frame. ii. UPCOMING EVENTS 1. "The Art of Friendship" Opening Reception • The invitation was included in the packet. Cathie Thompson is the sister-in-law of Sara Thompson, the former Recreation Supervisor. Page 4 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – October 25, 2022 iii. PROGRAM UPDATES 1. Farmers' Market Update Included in the packet was the season ending summary. There was no discussion of the memo. 2. High School Visual Arts Reception • Submission date has passed. Staff is organizing files and preparing the spreadsheets for the judge. Staff has decided that refreshments will return for this opening reception and likely have them return in 2023 to all receptions. 3. Christmas in the Courtyard • Volunteers are needed. Contact Renee Nagle if interested. 4. Breakfast with Santa • Volunteers are needed. Contact Ingrid Berg if interested. 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. OTHER BUSINESS LaVera Howard announced that November will be her last meeting. She has served for 14 years and at this time, due to the lack of respect and camaraderie shown by another board member, she will be resigning her position on the Park Board. 7. ADJOURNMENT Board Member Leary made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:55 p.m. Board Member Croan seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. Page 5 of 5 To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Director’s Report Date: November 22, 2022 Community Center Update  The library will hold the groundbreaking for the Merriam Plaza Library on Tuesday, November 29 at 9:30 a.m. They have reserved a room within the community center for remarks and refreshments and then will move outside for the official dirt and shovel photo. Park Board members should receive e-invite.  There have been a variety of struggles with Waste Management for several months. Currently, staff is working to identify if a second pick-up date needs to be added to the community center schedule. If the lid of the dumpster does not close, Waste Management is charging an overage fee, which is quite steep. In addition, there are concerns of illegal dumping, specifically at Chatlain Park. Staff is researching the possibility of placing a camera in that location with the hopes of deterring or catching those who are using the public dumpsters as their own.  The City is currently participating in an energy study. The engineers and contractors performing the service have started to gather information and pictures needed. The walk-through process is anticipated to take several weeks. At this time, it is uncertain as to when the final report will be available.  On Friday, October 28, all televisions in the fitness center were once again operational. The two air TV tuners that had been malfunctioning were replaced.  On Monday, November 14, City Council approved the salary ranges proposed by McGrath Human Resources Group as part of the 2022 salary study. It has been 10 years since a thorough study of this nature had been conducted. After approved, staff were notified in a personalized letter indicating relevant details to their position.  Mission Parks and Recreation has once again reached out requesting access to the indoor pool for a youth winter day camp on Tuesday, December 27 from 1-3:30 p.m. They are once again needing to close their pool for repair. Since this program is already scheduled, they need to fulfill the aquatic portion of the camp as promised. They are anticipating 40 youth will be in attendance. Staff will create day passes as before to be redeemed the day of the visit. After the visit, staff will create an invoice billing Mission for the day passes redeemed at a rate of $9/child. Camp staff will be admitted at no charge, but will be expected to help monitor the campers at all times.  In late October, staff identified an issue with one of the office desktops. A claim has been filed with the manufacturer for replacement as the equipment is still under warranty.  Finding and fixing leaks in the roof continues to be an ongoing struggle. The Recreation Supervisor’s office has had an ongoing leak. With the constant dripping, facility staff placed a small bucket to capture the drip. With the significant drought, the bucket had 1|Page  been forgotten, until the rain that occurred the beginning of November. When staff arrived on Thursday, November 10 they discovered the bucket had overflowed, and came crashing through the ceiling tiles. Thankfully, no one was in the office but two monitors, a CPU and a few personal items were damaged. The roof warranty vendor was out Monday, November 14 to survey the roof to identify and fix the issue. While the vendor believes the leak is fixed, at this time, staff is waiting for another weather event before the technology department installs new monitors. The replacement of items was not enough for an insurance claim and will be managed through the technology budget. In the meantime, staff has relocated to the extra workstation. Park Updates  On Wednesday, October 26, Public Works staff replaced the decking boards on the Chatlain Park bridge. The bridge remained open to pedestrians during the repair.  In cooperation with Johnson County Public Works and Friends of the Kaw, a non-profit organization, three events were held at Waterfall Park for Hocker Grove Middle School on Wednesday, November 2; Friday, November 4 and Monday, November 7. This education seminar is a requirement of the Clean Water Act, which is the law governing pollution control and water quality. Approximately 100 students participated in activities and education related to controlling water pollution.  On Saturday, November 19, members of the Hickory Hills Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and volunteers participated in their annual Streamway Trail clean-up. The volunteer group started their day at 9:30 a.m. at Chatlain Park Shelter.  Public Works installed a new sign cabinet at the Butterfly Garden through funds available in the Trail Maintenance line. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet are the comparison reports for annual membership and daily visits. In October, there were 156 new memberships added for the month compared to 198 in 2021. The significant difference, 42 memberships, is seen in adult, household, senior household and senior memberships. With only one year of data to compare to, it is difficult to determine if this will be an operational trend each year. The number of cancellations from 2021 to 2022 is consistent to other months. Over the last several months, cancellations have been around 50/month. With the new year quickly approaching, staff are working to create a promotional opportunity to entice new members to choose the facility over other options. Ideally, the opportunity will have a three-prong approach targeting those who pay-in full, monthly recurring memberships and referrals. October 2022 member visitation surpassed October 2021 visitation by 2,493 member visits. Day visits for October 2022 were 103 less than those sold in 2021. Wednesday, for only the second time this year, had the most visits in a day. Saturday, for the fourth time this year, held the record for the most day passes sold in one day. Total visits through October exceeded 104,750! Insurance visits in all six categories totaled 1,919 compared to 1,146 in October 2021 which is an increase of 67.5%. Recommendation: This memo was provided for your information. No action required. 2|Page Membership Category 2020* 2021 2022 TWO PERSON CHARTER 44 0 0 TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 26 164 191 ACTIVE & FIT 1 26 45 ADULT CHARTER 41 0 0 ADULT MEMBERSHIP 56 265 276 CARETAKER PASS 2 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 8 7 3 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 61 68 64 FIT CLASS PASS 104 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER 81 0 0 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 41 414 441 NANNY PASS 7 TIVITY PRIME MEMBERSHIP 30 29 43 PEERFIT 0 25 5 RENEW ACTIVE 44 118 162 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 5 8 2 RETIRED SENIOR 1 1 1 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 2 3 14 SENIOR CHARTER 54 0 0 SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD 44 0 0 SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 6 74 68 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 19 123 123 SILVER & FIT 2 18 6 SILVER SNEAKERS 105 359 199 YOUTH MEMBERSHIP 2 25 43 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SALES 671 1,727 1,799 CANCELLATIONS 66 287 422 SUSPENDED 30 0 0 EXPIRED** ***292 17 36 *Charter Sales for Grand Opening began in March **All Council and Employee related passes expire annually in December ***Includes 80 IBFCC memberships carried over due to COVID-19 closures Annual Membership Sales Comparison Year-to-Date 2022 Membership Category 2020 2021 2022 TWO PERSON CHARTER 3 TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 8 18 23 ACTIVE & FIT 3 3 ADULT CHARTER 4 ADULT MEMBERSHIP 17 33 30 CARETAKER COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 1 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 4 2 2 FIT CLASS PASS 7 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER 17 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 12 41 34 NANNY PASS PRIME MEMBERSHIP 5 3 1 PEERFIT 5 RENEW ACTIVE 15 14 8 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD RETIRED SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 1 1 SENIOR CHARTER 6 SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD 5 SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 1 23 11 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 9 35 15 SILVER & FIT 2 SILVER SNEAKERS 23 17 16 YOUTH MEMBERSHIPS 2 5 TOTAL MEMBERSHIPS SOLD 131 198 156 CANCELLATIONS 45 47 SUSPENDED EXPIRED 11 Membership Report October 2022 2022 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 7,382 7,349 9,141 8,150 8,463 13,498 13,421 12,181 8,735 8,292 96,612 DAILY VISITS 492 611 692 519 739 1,458 1,391 1,044 412 298 7,656 GUEST PASSES 10 21 48 2 0 0 0 24 0 0 105 TOURS 45 32 45 55 4 49 37 61 30 20 378 2021 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 3,318 3,169 4,924 4,769 4,775 10,607 11,284 9,662 6,138 5,799 6,006 6,097 76,548 DAILY VISITS 185 211 482 386 576 2,148 2,055 1,774 496 401 590 661 9,965 GUEST PASSES 3 2 24 20 7 24 18 19 10 2 3 0 132 TOURS 77 38 93 85 102 90 107 65 27 83 33 28 828 2020 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 388 1,765 1,862 3,159 2,833 2,490 12,497 DAILY VISITS 3 53 59 197 104 144 560 TOURS 366 378 149 133 56 31 1,113 Visit Comparison 2022 vs 2021 2022 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 410 339 413 415 (Mon 4th & 433 744 614 627 447 369 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 24th) (Mon 21st) (Mon 28th) 11th) (Mon 30th) (Mon 13th) (Wed 6th) (Tues 2nd) (Mon 19th) (Wed 19th) 42 44 46 37 69 130 81 77 33 20 DAILY VISITS (Sat 29th) (Sun 20th) (Sun 13th) (Sun 10th) (Mon 30th) (Sat 18th) (Mon 4th) (Sat 13th) (Fri 2nd) (Sat.1st) 2021 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 149 (Tues 159 (Tues 213 228 247 496 478 449 297 310 284 304 MEMBERSHIP VISITS 5th) 2nd) (Mon 15th) (Thurs 8th) (Wed 19th) (Wed 16th) (Tues 13th) (Mon 9th) (Mon 6th) (Mon 25th) (Tues, 2nd) (Mon 27th) 147 22 66 45 52 69 136 126 (Mon 9th / 78 29 81 (Sun 51 DAILY VISITS (Sat 16th) (Thurs 25th) (Fri 19th) (Sat 10th) (Mon 31st) (Sun 13th) (Mon 5th) Wed 11th) (Mon 6th) (Fri 15th) 14th) (Tues 28th) 2020 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 72 85 92 148 159 117 (Wed MEMBERSHIP VISITS ( Thurs 30th) (Mon 24th) (Thurs 10th) (Tues 27th) (Wed 11th) 30th) 19 2 6 11 (Sat 10th/ 16 16 (Mon DAILY VISITS (Tues 28th) (Mon 31st) (Sat 5th) Tues 27th) (Sat 14th) 28th) Highest Attended Day Comparison 2022 vs. 2021 2022 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 831 788 1,114 950 792 944 986 1,065 978 956 9,404 Prime Fitness 103 96 117 134 143 151 153 189 145 144 1,375 Renew Active 419 470 594 573 489 561 666 645 580 523 5,520 Silver & Fit 45 43 42 22 20 18 20 26 34 14 284 Active & Fit 88 64 88 98 121 128 173 208 200 188 1,356 PeerFit 55 57 87 90 86 113 81 87 76 94 826 2021 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 328 347 443 437 410 475 595 811 557 645 773 738 6,559 Prime Fitness 24 17 35 56 53 52 118 112 69 72 59 76 743 Renew Active 136 138 254 286 291 299 330 349 298 309 315 386 3,391 Silver & Fit 8 8 13 12 18 22 24 48 9 10 33 34 239 Active & Fit 3 2 0 3 24 51 42 62 58 56 45 61 407 PeerFit 3 46 39 27 53 44 62 49 54 68 64 509 2020 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 32 156 187 264 308 287 1,234 Prime Fitness 0 26 37 33 29 32 157 Renew Active 1 19 98 118 121 357 Silver & Fit 6 6 Active & Fit 0 0 PeerFit 0 Insurance Visit Comparison 2022 vs 2021 Special Event Evaluation Form Event Name: Halloween Happenings Date: Saturday: October 22, 2022 Location: Merriam Marketplace Number of Registrants: n/a Number of participants: 253 Ages: 2-9 Cost of Event: FREE Expenses: Amazon (goody bags) $47.97 Oriental Trading Co (prizes) $275.60 Sam’s Club (new décor + candy, snacks, etc) $526.48 InstafunKC (photo booth) $0 (credit from Valentine Ball) Creative Carnival & Events (game rental) $650.00 Total Expenses: $1,500.05 Special Items Needed: Sound equipment, Halloween décor, tent weights, candy, prizes, tables, game supplies, cones, trash cans, liners, tablecloth, “tool box” with misc supplies, first aid kit. Modes of Publicity: Fall Highlights, Fliers at parks, City Hall and Antioch Library, Outdoor sign, 4 x 4 sign at driveway of Merriam Marketplace, Lobby & MCC Brightsigns, Facebook®, MPRD website, Calendars on: Macaroni Kid, iFamily KC & Johnson County, KC Star calendar, KC Parent Volunteers: Chris Hands (City Council), LaVera Howard (Park Board), Christopher Leitch (Park Board), Evan Quinley (Park Board), Lisa Lemon, Gavin Montagne (SMN NHS), Carley Miller (SMN NHS) Staff: Ingrid, Renee, Emily Strengths: Unseasonably good weather and good volunteerism. New decorations were thoroughly enjoyed and made great picture backdrops. Staff was able to roam the event and got some awesome pictures of attendees as well as volunteers. Mid-way games and mini-hole golf game and photo booth continue to be popular. Saved some money by using candy and snacks leftover from MDL for some prizes. Weaknesses: Had a volunteer not show even with an email reminder. Had quite a bit candy/snacks leftover. Luckily were able to return unopened items. Opportunities: Switch up games offered (maybe go with another rental company). Thoughts: Try having 1-2 “extra” volunteers. That way there is back up in case of no shows and main staff can float/replenish prizes/take pictures. Use hay bales to block wind for bowling game (in the past Menards has had cheap hay bales), possibly switch to real bowling pins. Other game ideas: Candy walk (like a cake walk). Fishing game. Usually windy, so heavier games are best! Awards ceremony at 8 p.m.  CHRISTMAS in the COURTYARD Friday, Dec. 2 ▶ 6:30–8 p.m. ▶ Merriam Community Center SANTA & HOT COCOA! CAROLS BY MERRIAM PARK ELEMENTARY CHOIR STUDENTS FREE Bring a new toy, canned food item, or cash donation to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER | 6040 SLATER ST. | 913-322-5550 | MERRIAM.ORG/PARKS  Saturday, Dec. 3 9–10:30 a.m. Merriam Community Center SANTA ▶ PANCAKE BREAKFAST ▶ CRAFTS ▶ GAMES $5 /PERSON One child free with paying adult. Register at Merriam.org/parks or call 913-322-5550. Preregistration required by Nov. 28. MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER | 6040 SLATER ST. | 913-322-5550 | MERRIAM.ORG/PARKS To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Girl Scout Fee Reduction Request Date: November 22, 2022 At the October Park Board meeting, members of the local Girl Scout Council made a request to have a reduction in fees associated with their annual Owl Prowl Event. Whenever a request for reducing fees is requested, these items are brought to Park Board. The goal of the process is to determine if the group making the request is adequately prepared to host a successful event. Historically, the organization requesting the reduction is either a non-profit or holds a 501c3 distinction. The event that the Girl Scouts are proposing is entitled “Owl Prowl” and 2023 will be the 40th anniversary. The event is a non-sleeping event geared for girls in 4th-6th grade with girls in 7th-12th grade serving in leadership roles providing activities throughout the night. Volunteers are required from each troop participating. They serve in a variety of roles from keeping the girls moving through the activities of the evening to securing any possible exit points or areas within the facility that are off limits. At the October meeting, the group shared that 40% of the local council is from Johnson County, the percentage or number of members from Merriam was unknown. There is a registration fee for participants, which by definition requires a commercial rate to the rental. Since exact space and time frames are still uncertain, staff created an estimate outlining each space and the fees associated. The chart below provides the overall rental cost based in each category of fees. There are a few constant variables. Staff costs and aquatic fee rentals do not have fees established for non-resident and commercial rates. The formal request made by the Girl Scouts is attached. 1|Page  Non - Resident Resident Commercial Space Fees Fees Fees Founders Room 4pm-7:30am $ 1,472.50 $ 1,860.00 $ 2,247.50 Esther Brown 4 pm - 7:30 am $ 465.00 $ 542.50 $ 697.50 Conference Room 4 pm-7:30 am $ 387.50 $ 465.00 $ 620.00 Gymnasium 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 540.00 $ 675.00 $ 810.00 Group X* 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 472.50 $ 607.50 $ 742.50 Child Watch* 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 337.50 $ 405.00 $ 540.00 Aquatics** 9 pm - 3 am $ 1,920.00 $ 1,920.00 $ 1,920.00 Party Room #1 9 pm - 3 am $ 150.00 $ 150.00 $ 150.00 Party Room #2 9 pm - 3 am $ 150.00 $ 150.00 $ 150.00 Subtotal $ 5,895.00 $ 6,775.00 $ 7,877.50 Applicable Discount $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 4,395.00 $ 5,275.00 $ 6,377.50 Additional Staff ($20/hr.) 8 Lifeguards 8:30 pm - 3:30 am $ 1,120.00 $ 1,120.00 $ 1,120.00 1 Porter/Janitor 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 270.00 $ 270.00 $ 270.00 2 Facility Attendants 6 pm - 7:30 am $ 540.00 $ 540.00 $ 540.00 $ 1,930.00 $ 1,930.00 $ 1,930.00 Total Event Package $ 6,325.00 $ 7,205.00 $ 8,307.50 Staff recommends Park Board approve the resident rate for the Girl Scouts request for Owl Prowl 2023. 2|Page  October 19, 2022 Dear Park Board Members, This letter is a request for the reduction of fees for our Girl Scout event on January 14, 2023. The event is called Owl Prowl. Owl Prowl started as a volunteer led Girl Scout Northland troop lock—inover Martin Luther King Weekend in 1983, then over the years more and more troopsjoined, and the Owl Prowl event was officially formed. Born from this simple troop lock in, we have one ofthe most looked forward to events for our Girl Scouts. Girls cannot wait to be old enough to attend and then move on the leading it. Owl Prowl is a non—sleeping event for 4”‘ 12"‘ — grade girls. Girls 4”‘ 6”‘grade attend the — event, 7”‘ 12"‘girls lead activity booths and fill in other leader — roles. Ourteens work hard to come up with an activity that fits our theme and falls in the steps ofour badge programs or under our Girl Scout Pillars.They submit their activity for approval, and with the approval fully execute their booth at the event. This not only allows our younger girls to have an enriching and fun night, it also provides an opportunity for Teen girls to practice problem solving, budgeting, and how to be our leaders for tomorrow. Besides engaging and fun booths, they will have swimming, photo booth, food, movies, a dance party and more. This year is our 40”‘year anniversary, and we have opened this event for our entire council. Owl Prowl has attracted 400-600 girls on average each year, and for our 2023 year we are expecting 600 800 girls. The Merriam Community center is the perfect — location for us! Girl Scouts is an organization made up of volunteers! Our committee is made up of all volunteers who work very hard to create the memories our girls love. We work very closely with our council representative to make sure Owl Prowl is a success. We price our event off a budget that is not designed to have excess money left over. In the event that a cost is lower than expected, we have other areas to apply the funds so that the event is more enriching for our girls. Our goal in the end is to have an incredible event that our girls love and to use every resource we have to make this happen. The Owl Prowl Committee is asking that the Park Board reduce our rate from commercial to residential. This would allow us to keep the cost per girl down, directly allowing more girls to attend financially and opening it up to more troops. Thank you for your time and consideration in lowering our rate for this event. You are helping us build girls of courage and confidence that will make the world a better place. Yours In Scouting, Jennifer Miller Owl Prowl Director Proposal for Merriam Parks and Recreation Prepared by the volunteer committee for the Girl Scout event "Owl Prowl” Dated: 10/10/22 Mission Statement Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girls that participate in the Girl Scout program benefit in 5 important ways through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: strong sense of self, positive values, challenge seeking, healthy relationships and community problem solving. When girls exhibit these attitudes and skills, they become responsible,productive, caring, and engaged citizens. Event Plan see attachment A. — Sponsorship Plan not applicable for this event. — Marketing/Promotion Plan see attachment B. — Security Plan during the event, registered adult Girl Scout volunteers are posted at every — entrance to the venue and is covered during the entire event. All adults in attendance are required to have a verified background check. All adults in attendance area required to be pre- approved and wear a wrist band for the entirety ofthe event as proof of background verification. Volunteer Plan The Owl Prowl event is led by a tenured group ofGirl — Scout adult volunteers. Combined, the planning committee has over 100 years of Girl Scout volunteer leadership experience. The committee is currently comprised of7 full time members. Every troop that attends the event is required to have enough registered, Girl Scout adult volunteers in attendance in accordance with the safety ratio required by Girl Scouts of the USA. Troops will be required to have 2 adults volunteers in attendance for an average of every 18 girl members. These volunteers are given assignments throughout the event to ensure that all girl activities are supervised appropriately. Certificate of Insurance will be issued by Mutual of Omaha prior to the event for the coverage required. Weather Plan historically this event has not been canceled due to weather — conditions. Attendance during inclement weather has been at the discretion ofthe volunteer or caregiver. Teens arrive @ 6:30/dinnerat 6:45 Gym $et—up at 8:00 (or earlier ifit's open) Camper Check—inBegins @ 8:00 pm Event starts @ 9:00 pm Kitchen hours: 10 pm 3:00 am — Hospitality rooms: 10 pm 4:30 pm — ”AfterHours” events @ 3:00 Event ends/c/ean—up@ 5:30 Everyone needs to be gone at 6:00 am  Event Plan Owl Prowl, January 14-15, 2023 5:00 pm. Committee arrives at Merriam Community Center. Unload and organize. 6:00 p.m. Set up gym, check in table 6:30 p.m. Teens arrive and have dinner 7:00 pm. Teens set up stations 8:00 pm. 4"‘ 6"‘graders arrive! Girls go with the teens to the gym — while leaders checkin their troops. Leaders go to check in table and pick up packet with adult work schedule, map and swim schedule. 9:00 p.m. Event begins! 9:15 pm. First group starts swimming 1st session 9:15 A 10:15 p.m. Znd session 10:30 — 11:30 p.m. 3rd session 11:45 — 12:45 am. 4"’session 1:00— 2:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. Dark room and kitchen open 11:00 p.m. Photo booth opens 3:00 am. After Hours activities 4:00 a.m. All Stations close, clean up 4:30 a.m. Troops move to the gym 5:00 a.m. 4“‘ 6“ grade girls leave — 5:30 am. Teens leave 6:00 a.m. Committee leaves  Marketing Plan Owl Prowl, January 14-15, 2023 Owl Prowl is a Girl Scout sponsored all night lock—in for grades 4 12. A variety of activities — are offered — swimming, games, crafts, and a movie for 4"‘ 6”‘graders, all led — by the 7"‘— 12”‘grade Girl Scouts. This event encourages independence and leadership skills in a safe environment with adult supervision. Owl Prowl will be promoted in several ways. 0 Information meeting for SU Managers for key areas invited to the event - Owl Prowl Facebook group 0 Owl Prowl website — httpszg[gsowlprowl.weebly.com[ I Flyers at Girl Fest 0 Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri Facebook group. - Email blast to caregivers with details about Owl Prowl and registration info. 0 Zoom open house for all troop leaders and volunteers in service area 0 Service Unit meetings in November. Registration for Owl Prowl will open on October 22”“and close on November 19“, 2022. To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Partnership with Big Brothers / Big Sisters Date: November 22, 2022 Staff have been approached by a member requesting consideration that the Merriam Community Center partner with Big Brothers / Big Sisters for access to the community center. Since the community center offers so many options and activities, it is likely this could quickly become a favorite location. As members of the facility, they can purchase a guest pass for their “little” but at $7/visit, this is not a sustainable expense for all “bigs”. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City works to clear the path to a child’s biggest possible future by matching them with a caring, adult mentor in a one-to-one friendship. “Bigs” helps “Littles” ignite, empower and defend their potential. The program seeks Community Partners to provide opportunities for Bigs and Littles. In discussing the opportunity, each Big Brother / Big Sister is provided a match card, indicating they are actively involved in the program, along with the name and match date to their “little”. In an effort to encourage “bigs” that are not members to seek this opportunity, staff is proposing the following: When a Big Brother or Big Sister presents their match card along with a photo id confirming their identity at MCC one of the following scenarios will occur: • Members will receive a free day pass for their little. This can be done in advance of the visit to protect the identity of their “little”. • Non-Members will purchase a resident day pass for the “bigs” and receive a free day pass for their “little”. Since this proposal is a variance to the definition of residency coupled with a reduction of fees charged, this requires a discussion and approval of Park Board. In addition, staff has a developed a policy for this program which is attached. 1|Page  City of Merriam Parks and Recreation Big Brothers Big Sisters Community Partnership Policy The City of Merriam Parks and Recreation Department prides itself in providing first class recreational opportunities to the citizens of Merriam and being a good community partner. The Parks and Recreation Department is committed to helping members of the community improve health and wellness. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City works to clear the path to a child’s biggest possible future by matching them with a caring, adult mentor in a one-to-one friendship. “Bigs” helps “Littles” ignite, empower and defend their potential. The program seeks Community Partners to provide opportunities for Bigs and Littles. Procedure: Big Brother or Big Sister presents their match card along with a photo id confirming their identity at MCC • Members will receive a free day pass for their little. • Non-Members will purchase a resident day pass for the “bigs” and receive a free day pass for their “little”. Proposed August 2019 To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Review of Annual Election Protocol Date: November 22, 2022 In preparation for the election, it is important to review the protocol as outlined in the Meeting Procedures and Rules of Order document that was last revised in May 2021. The process of nominating and election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson is an important task that is completed annually in November. The newly elected Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson begin their year of service in January. Nomination Process: 1. Review of the process will occur at the November meeting prior to the nomination process. 2. The procedure for nomination of the position will be from the floor at the November meeting. Each position will have a separate nomination process. 3. Nominations can be brought forth from any member. A member should know beforehand if the person he or she wishes to nominate is eligible and willing to serve. 4. A person may nominate themselves. 5. A member cannot nominate more than one person for an office until everyone has had the opportunity to make nominations. 6. The presiding Chairperson can continue presiding, even if they are one of the nominees for the office. 7. A member can decline the nomination during the nominating process. 8. After each nomination, the Chairperson will repeat the name for the members and ask for further nominations. At the completion of the nominating process, the election of candidates will occur by voice vote for each position. Election Process: 1. If more than one person has been nominated, the Chairperson will take the vote on candidates in the order in which they were nominated. Members must remember to vote yes for the candidate they want and vote no for the other candidates. The first candidate to receive a majority of the vote wins. 2. In the event of a tie vote, members keep voting until someone is elected. 3. At the conclusion of the voting process, the Chairperson officially announces the results of the vote. 1|Page