Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Advisory Board Agenda Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St. February 27, 2024 - 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 a. Girl Scout Owl Prowl Request 2025 Girl Scout Owl Prowl Request 3. APPROVAL OF JANUARY 23, 2024 MINUTES a. January 23, 2024 Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Jan 23 2024 - Minutes - Pdf 4. STAFF REPORTS a. Director's Report i. Community Center Update February Update ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Annual Comparison Membership January Annual Visits Comparison January b. Assistant Director's Report i. Program Evaluations 1. Sweetheart Ball 2024 Sweetheart Ball eval 2. Swiftie Super Bash Pop-Up Swiftie Bash Eval 2.9.24 ii. Upcoming Events  1. Heartland Artist Exhibition Opening Reception Heartland Exhibition 2. Free Day at MCC for Merriam residents 3. Brunch with the Bunny Brunch with Bunny iii. Program Updates 1. 2024 Merriam Farmers' Market Update Farmers' Market Update 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Orchid Society Rental Rate Request Orchid Society Cover Memo Orchid Society Request b. SilverSneakers Amendment Tivity Health Services Memo c. IKEA Friends and Family Promotion IKEA Friends and Family Memo d. Flag Usage Policy and Procedure Flags 4 Freedom 6. OTHER BUSINESS a. Art Committee Update b. Year End Video 2023 c. KRPA Distiguished Board and Commission Member Video 7. ADJOURNMENT  MINUTES Advisory Board Meeting City of Merriam, Kansas Merriam Community Center Tuesday, January 23, 2024 6:00 PM 6040 Slater Street 1. ROLL CALL/ATTENDANCE The January meeting of the Merriam Parks & Recreation Advisory Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. by Chairperson Christopher Leitch. Board members in attendance included: Evan Quinley; Kathy Stull; Christopher Leitch; Laura Sagan; David Zukley; George Vesel; and Scott Diebold. Staff members in attendance were: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director; Dave Smothers, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director; and Abby Hall, Guest Services Coordinator. Katie Leary notified staff and chairperson of their absence. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS a. Orchid Society Rental Rate Request  Included in the packet was the proposal letter from the Orchid Society. Members of the Orchid Society that spoke about their request were: Jean Rogers, Anh Rongish, and Mike Raffordy.  The Orchid Society is requesting the commercial rate to be waived for their main fundraiser event. This will be the third year the event would be held at the community center and this request has been made in previous years.  The society, a 501C3 organization, uses their funds for education and conservation. There are 10 native orchid species within the Kansas city area. The organization also helps provide funding for the protection of these plants. Native orchids typically grow in tall grass prairie and a few species can be found in Kill Creek park, at Shawnee Mission Park and areas around Wyandotte County park.  The request will be decided as new business in February. 3. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 28, 2023 MINUTES a. November 28, 2023 Minutes Board Member Stull made a motion to approve the November minutes. Board Member Diebold seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. 4. STAFF REPORTS Page 1 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 23, 2024 a. DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. Community Center Update A detailed memo was included in the packet. Updates to the information included:  On Thursday, January 25 staff will erect a portion of the temporary art wall. A vendor has been identified to help manufacture pieces to better stabilize the walls. The goal is to have the system in place by the Heartland Artist Exhibition.  The pool repair has officially been scheduled for Thursday, January 25. Staff should know by mid-afternoon if the closure will need to extend to Friday. At that time, additional communication regarding the closure will occur. Discussion:  Parents of the child who damaged wall art, did not receive have their refundable damage deposit for the rental returned.  When the library opens, there will be no identified spots in the parking structure for any patrons. Parking will be first-come first-served. Staff will be encouraged to park on the southern end of the top deck.  A public thank you was extended to staff for helping to keep the outdoor walking area safe for visitors when the roads and walk ways were iced over.  Billy Croan made a public comment asking if the changes to policy and procedure mentioned in the Director's Report would be presented to the Board for review. The documents reviewed were personnel policies updating administrative changes such as addresses and logos. There were no changes to operational policies that would require advisory board recommendation. ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet were the comparison reports for annual memberships and visitation for November and December. Additional information discussed included:  As of the January 22 there have been 8,371 membership visits, an average of 381/day. With 9 days remaining, staff is anticipating that visitation in January 2024 will surpass membership visitation of January 2023.  As of January 22 there have been 1,393 daily visits, an average of 63/day. With 9 days remaining, staff is anticipating that daily visitation in January 2024 will surpass daily visitation of January 2023.  There was no discussion. iii. Fall Recreation Report Included in the packet is a recap of participation and enrollment of Fall 2023 (September-December). With the exception of Yoga (all Iyengar Levels), and The Ki Society there was significant growth in all program areas. These Page 2 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 23, 2024 programs will be closely monitored for additional decline. There were 6,485 more visits that the same time frame of 2022.  There was no discussion. iv. Annual Recreation Report Included in the packet is the Annual Comparison Report. This report takes each category and compares seasonal totals year over year. In reviewing the report, staff is going to further investigate Summer Adult Fitness/Yoga/Martial Arts for Summer 2022. Staff will report back if there is a change in that number. With the exception of that category, all others experienced growth in 2023. It is impressive to see the growth of the facility and programs compared to previous years.  There was no discussion. v. 2023 Preliminary Year-End Financial Update Included in the packet is a preliminary financial update for 2023. As with other financial update, this was prepared based upon unaudited reports provided by the Finance Department. Revenues exceeded budget by ~$400,000. Expenditures were under budget ~$270,000. This equates to a cost recovery of approximately 63.8%, a subsidy of $856,000. Subsidy is the amount that the general fund, through personal property and sales tax, supports the operation of the facility. Discussion included:  In reviewing the budget, staff works to control expenditures that are deemed within their control, such as commodities. Utilities are not easy to control but staff works to make sure thermostats and temperatures are programmed for occupancy and vacancy.  While there has been an issue with the mil levy and its impact to the budget, those budget restraints will be managed in the Capital Improvement Fund not the operating fund. For Parks and Recreation, the purchase of the generator is a project on hold.  Membership fees will be discussed during the budget cycle for 2025. Staff is investigating the fees of neighboring facilities as it is important not to price ourselves out of the market. If a decision to increase fees is determined, Park Board will review the fee schedule at the end of 2024. The 2025 budget would not include the price increase in revenue projections in case the fee increase is not approved. b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 1. Christmas in the Courtyard Evaluation The evaluation was included in the packet. Overall the event was well received with 350 participants in attendance. Scott Diebold once again outdid himself with "The Grinch" ornaments. Staff would like to find other Page 3 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 23, 2024 local businesses to be involved in the event with an activity station or sponsorship support. There was no discussion. 2. 27th Annual High School Visual Art Competition Recap The evaluation was included in the packet. There were 592 works submitted by 332 students representing 26 high schools. The show featured 102 works by 81 students representing 21 high schools. This year staff tried to get a photo of the student next to their art work as well as a group photo in front of the art gallery entrance sign. There was no discussion. 3. Breakfast with Santa Evaluation The evaluation was included in the packet. While the goal of this event is not to make money, it should cover expenses. Unfortunately, the cost of the pancakes increased over 2022. Staff will be looking at expenses more carefully and adjusting the cost of the event to ensure expenses are covered with minimum registration numbers. Discussion:  With pancakes cooked in the kitchen there was an element of the event that Park Board members felt was missing. The grill last year caused the room to fill with smoke, so staff made the decision to move them into the kitchen. This can be evaluated for future events as well as possibly identifying a new vendor. ii. UPCOMING EVENTS 1. "African Americans & the Arts" Opening Reception The promotion of the event was included in the packet. This is the first time the department is hosting an event in celebration of Black History month. 2. Sweetheart Ball The promotion of the event was included in the packet. iii. PROGRAM UPDATES 1. 28th Annual Heartland Artist Exhibition Update This year there were 109 artists that submitted 310 works. This is an increase of 21 artists from last year and a new record for the event. There were 11 states represented in submission - Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Oklahoma. Artists wanting to submit an application, complete the process digitally via the website. Staff receive notification via email and then calls the artist to collect payment. That is then sent into staff Page 4 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 23, 2024 who enters everything and staff calls to collect payment. Discussion:  Looking at the growth of the program and accepting more work, if the program continues to grows, it will continue to become a more elite event. From a labor stand point, if the number of submissions grew substantially in one year there are concerns that staff would not be able to handle the work load. 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. OTHER BUSINESS a. Art Committee Update Discussion:  A draft report was discussed and final draft will be ready for committee input within the next few weeks. Phil Lammers has stepped down as chairperson. At this time, the committee continues to work on the Art Master Plan and there have been no works of art purchased or formally discussed. 7. ADJOURNMENT Board Member Vesel made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:02 p.m. Board Member Zukley 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: February 27, 2024 Community Center Update • The Desert Aire Unit, that controls the natatorium, has been operating at 50 percent due to a bearing issue in the motor. The repair that was slated to occur on Wednesday, January 24 was delayed until Tuesday, January 30th. The repair has been completed and the unit is operating normally. • When presenting the Annual Recreation Report, staff mentioned a concern with the Adult Fitness/Yoga/Martial Arts number from Summer 2022. Summer of 2022 was the start of Cardio Chair Drumming, initially categorized as an adult program. It was recategorized to 50+ after the first season. The numbers were correct. • Staff is working with Merriam Plaza Library staff to plan the “move” of books forming a human chain from the Antioch Branch to the new building. The date for this is Saturday, March 2. Board members should have received an email regarding this event and should be receiving an invitation to the ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for March 20. • Due to the increase in visitation occurring Monday-Thursday and Saturday, there has been an 15-18 hours of staff time per week scheduled for the Welcome Desk. Staff has discovered that several guests have been taking advantage of the Welcome Desk being busy and by-passing the sign-in requirement. In addition, there have been a few concerns about behavior on the basketball court. The addition of this shift allows for this staff member to serve as a greeter and overall building monitor and not be stationed behind the desk. They direct patrons to the complete the sign-in process and monitor the basketball court. They are not to put themselves in challenging positions. If patrons do not want to follow directions or rules, they are to call for a business check and let police officers manage the situation. This additional staff time has already proven to be beneficial in curbing concerns. • The postcard promotion wrapped up on January 31. Unfortunately, tracking was not as consistent with this promotion as in the past. The postcard did not state you had to redeem the postcard so some people mentioned they received one and staff extended the offer. Staff estimates that there were about 30 people that took advantage of the membership opportunity. Reviewing the data available, staff estimates the promotion netted $12,000. • The Merriam Community Center will host Certified Park Playground Inspector Certification March 5-7. This is a national certification that will draw students from across the Midwest to our facility for certification and re-certification. 1|Page • Staff is in the process of interviewing students for a summer internship program. Applicants are college students pursing a degree in Parks and Recreation. As a requirement of graduation, they must have a qualifying internship of 420 -480 hours. In addition, this semester, staff are hosting a master’s student needing 100 hours of observation. • Hardware to stabilize the portable art gallery wall was installed on Tuesday, February 20. • On Monday, February 19 staff discovered that the south side of the Merriam Marketplace digital sign board has a block of diodes that are not working properly. Due to the age of the sign, there are no longer parts available for repair. The sign is slated for replacement as part of the Merriam Drive Street project. With that project on delay, staff is working with the vendor to determine ways to rearrange diodes to keep the sign functional as long as possible. Park Updates • The Merriam Drainage District is contracting with Catch-It Wildlife and Pest Control to set traps along the Turkey Creek Streamway Trail between Shawnee Mission Parkway and Merriam Drive. The purpose of the traps is to remove burrowing animals which have been digging behind and damaging the limestone rock retaining wall along the creek. The length of time for the traps to be out is weather dependent. They will be positioned in a way to be obscured from the public and will be checked daily to remove / release animals caught. • Staff received an update of the drainage issue along the trail south of Campbell Park that has been discussed previously and is the responsibility of Merriam Gardens. A vendor, Rieke Bros, has been hired to repair the pipe. There is no defined timeframe for the work to be completed, as much of it is weather dependent. Staff is hopeful it is completed by the end of March. Once completed, Public Works will repair the trail. • February playground inspections have been completed. There were no changes in safety surface areas previously identified at Brown Park and Waterfall Park. These are still slated for repair when the weather is warm enough. At Brown Park, staff is investigating the possibility of installing a landing pad to reduce the damage at the exit of the slide that is occurring. There were also some annual preventative measures completed at all parks that includes things such as tightening ropes and replacing bushings. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet are the comparison reports for annual membership and daily visits for January. January membership sales are skewed due to the insurance membership renewal. Every December, insurance memberships expire. They are then “sold” as new memberships even though many are renewals. In previous years, the reporting was slightly different but with various system updates the reporting options have changed. Taking the insurance memberships out of the total, there were 162 memberships sold in the residents and non- 2|Page residents categories. This is an increase of 29 memberships over 2023. Significant growth in membership sales include the following membership categories: two-person household, household, and senior household. Out of the paid membership options only senior membership did not improve in sales over 2023. Cancellation for January were 10 higher than 2023 with 54. The reasons provided included: Medical-2; Financial-3; Non-Usage-20; Relocation-10; Other-19. The installment payment that occurred on February 5th surpassed the monthly installment from February 2023 by $4,287. January 2024 visitation increased 4.4% higher than January 2023 and set a record as the highest non-summer month beating March 2023 by almost 600 visits. The highest member visit day was a Wednesday, which only occurred once in 2023. January 2024 daily visits surpassed the same time frame of 2023 by 271 visits and missed setting a record by 54 visits. The day with the most day passes was Tuesday, January 2. Tuesday was recorded as the highest attended day of the week only one time during 2023. Insurance visits for January continue to improve month over month. The only visitation that is not producing well is Silver & Fit. This is a very selective benefit that is part of the Active and Fit family. When compared to January 2023, only Prime Fitness and Silver & Fit did not outperform in January 2024. In total, there were 3,007 insurance visits in January 2024 compared to 2,707 visits in January 2023. With all 2023 revenue reported from insurance visits, this program generated $74,523 in 2023 compared to $56,248 in 2022; an increase of 32.5% Recommendation: This memo was provided for your information. No action required. 3|Page Membership Category 2020* 2021 2022 2023 2024 TWO PERSON CHARTER 44 TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 26 164 229 195 40 ACTIVE & FIT 1 26 52 95 77 ADULT CHARTER 41 ADULT MEMBERSHIP 56 265 340 305 41 CARETAKER PASS 2 2 0 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 8 7 3 22 6 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 61 68 118 105 5 FIT CLASS PASS 119 108 15 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER 81 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 41 414 515 439 51 NANNY PASS 7 6 0 TIVITY PRIME MEMBERSHIP 30 29 52 45 14 PEERFIT 0 25 7 52 4 RENEW ACTIVE 44 118 177 185 337 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 5 8 3 4 0 RETIRED SENIOR 1 1 1 11 1 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 2 3 14 14 3 SENIOR CHARTER 54 SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD 44 SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 6 74 79 81 13 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 19 123 140 140 14 SILVER & FIT 2 18 8 6 17 SILVER SNEAKERS 105 359 229 222 555 YOUTH MEMBERSHIP 2 25 54 44 3 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SALES 671 1,727 2,149 2,081 1,196 CANCELLATIONS 66 287 516 547 100 SUSPENDED 30 0 0 0 0 EXPIRED** ***292 17 36 9 0 *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 2024 Membership Category 2021 2022 2023 2024 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 8 16 25 40 ACTIVE & FIT* 1 4 14 77 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 13 14 40 41 CARETAKER PASS 1 1 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 6 1 21 6 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 10 7 35 5 FIT CLASS PASS 22 15 15 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 11 27 41 51 NANNY PASS 2 PRIME MEMBERSHIP 7 14 PEERFIT 1 10 4 RENEW ACTIVE* 7 26 22 337 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 3 2 RETIRED SENIOR 1 1 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 2 3 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 4 9 13 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 2 12 16 14 SILVER & FIT* 1 2 1 17 SILVER SNEAKERS* 119 32 41 555 YOUTH MEMBERSHIPS 1 3 2 3 TOTAL MEMBERSHIPS SOLD 182 179 300 1,196 CANCELLATIONS 44 17 44 54 SUSPENDED 0 EXPIRED 0 5 Insurance Memberships Renew Jan 1 Employee Memberships effective Jan 1 Membership Report January 2024 2024 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 12,223 12,223 DAILY VISITS 1,736 1,736 GUEST PASSES 10 10 TOURS 32 32 2023 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 11,709 9,991 11,632 9,049 10,112 15,567 13,858 12,976 8,972 9,105 8,704 9,441 131,116 DAILY VISITS 1,465 1,241 1,790 1,122 2,037 3,478 2,814 2,116 1,052 751 957 1,511 20,334 GUEST PASSES 3 8 1 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 TOURS 35 18 10 10 26 43 26 28 18 8 3 5 230 2022 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 7,282 7,419 9,127 8,142 8,202 11,668 11,816 11,214 8,502 7,739 8,521 9,558 109,190 DAILY VISITS 739 1,067 1,449 1,045 1,649 3,051 3,079 1,836 750 569 906 1,137 17,277 GUEST PASSES 10 21 48 2 0 0 0 24 0 0 1 4 110 TOURS 45 32 45 55 4 49 37 61 30 20 12 0 390 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 2020-2024 2024 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 558 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Wed 24th) 122 DAILY VISITS (Tues 2nd) 2023 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 581 512 548 434 561 892 707 588 462 463 460 525 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 23rd) (Mon 20th) (Mon 13th) (Mon 10th) (Wed 31st) (Mon 19th) (Mon 3rd) (Mon 21st) (Mon 4th) (Mon 30th) (Mon 27th) (Mon 18th) 95 113 178 73 182 252 224 174 140 46 65 119 DAILY VISITS (Sat 14th) (Sat 25th) (Tues 14th) (Sat 1st) (Mon 29th) (Mon 19th) (Sat 29th) (Sat 19th) (Sat 2nd) (Sat 21st) (Thurs 11th) (Thurs 28th) 2022 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 339 412 412 409 420 641 531 568 425 346 427 439 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 24th) (Mon 21st) (Mon 28th) (Mon 11th) (Wed 25th) (Mon 13th) (Wed 6th) (Mon 1st) (Mon 19th) (Wed 26th) (Mon 14th) (Mon 12th) 62 90 91 79 159 261 174 152 72 40 84 83 DAILY VISITS (Sat 29th) (Sat 26th) (Fri 18th) (Sun 3rd) (Mon 30th) (Sat 18th) (Sat 9th) (Sat 13th) (Mon 5th) (Fri 14th ) (Sun 20th) (Fri 30th) 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 MEMBERSHIP VISITS ( Thurs 30th) (Mon 24th) (Thurs 10th) (Tues 27th) (Wed 11th) (Wed 30th) 19 2 6 11 (Sat 10th/ 16 16 DAILY VISITS (Tues 28th) (Mon 31st) (Sat 5th) Tues 27th) (Sat 14th) (Mon 28th) Highest Attended Day Comparison 2020 - 2024 2024 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,391 1,391 Prime Fitness 157 157 Renew Active 1,047 1,047 Silver & Fit 0 0 Active & Fit 305 305 PeerFit 107 107 2023 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,364 1,262 1,497 1,178 1,189 1,259 1,237 1,464 1,302 1,275 1,148 1,277 15,452 Prime Fitness 173 150 134 128 130 188 161 180 112 116 111 132 1,715 Renew Active 787 683 891 726 743 710 816 917 735 884 859 1,001 9,752 Silver & Fit 17 15 10 4 11 8 16 11 7 6 8 1 114 Active & Fit 276 319 310 283 293 352 331 331 314 309 271 255 3,644 PeerFit 90 69 73 93 83 88 69 57 63 50 64 68 867 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 1,065 978 956 956 1,048 11,408 Prime Fitness 103 96 117 134 143 151 153 189 145 144 140 129 1,644 Renew Active 419 470 594 573 489 561 666 645 580 523 622 654 6,796 Silver & Fit 45 43 42 22 20 18 20 26 34 14 16 13 313 Active & Fit 88 64 88 98 121 128 173 208 200 188 177 217 1,750 PeerFit 55 57 87 90 86 113 81 87 76 94 76 61 963 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 2020-2024 Special Event Evaluation Form Event Name: Sweetheart Ball Date: Saturday February 3, 2024 6 – 8 pm Location: MCC Kessler/Loomis Number of Registrants: _47 _ Number in attendance: 44 Ages: 4-11 Cost of Event: $25 / person Revenue: $1,175 Expenses InstafunKC - photobooth $350.00 DJ Phil $300.00 Food (Target, Hy Vee, Sam’s, Dollar Tree) $267.43 Decorations (Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree) $38.58 Amy Giesken (cookie take away) $190.00 Oriental Trading Co (craft) $27.92 Total Expenses $1,173.93 Net: $1.07 Special Items Needed: list of registrants, chafing dish, drink dispensers, tables, chairs, trash cans with covers, decorations. Each girl left with a photo booth picture, balloon and hedgehog Valentine craft/magnet and everyone got a Valentine cookie. Modes of Publicity: Winter Highlights, flier e-mailed to: Breakfast with Santa registrants, iFamily, Macaroni Kid, Star Calendar, KC Parent, poster at Community Center, Brightsigns, Face book, website, outdoor electric sign. Committees/Volunteer/Staff: Staff: Ingrid Berg, Margo Allen, Cecilia Walther Volunteer: Melissa Johnson Strengths: The Kessler-Loomis Room looked glamorous with Valentine themed decorations and balloons. The photo booth is always a nice addition and attendees were able to go back as many times as they wanted. DJ Phil had a really nice set up with lights and did a wonderful job spinning tunes for the evening. The hedgehog Valentine craft magnet was a popular activity. MENU: Chicken bites, hummus and pita chips, veggies and dip, cheese cubes, strawberries and a sweets board. Water, pink lemonade. Weaknesses: Low registration numbers. Opportunities: Looking at changing things up and doing a different type of family event for 2025. Silent Disco, Glow Jam… Event Evaluation Form Event Name: Swiftie Super Bash Date: Friday February 9, 2024 Location: MCC – Founders Room Number of Registrants: 137 Number of participants: 124 Ages: all Cost of Event: $5/ person Revenues: Total Revenues: Registration fee: 137 X $5 $685 Sticker Stand: 2 for $1 $50 $735 Expenses: Dollar Tree (food and décor) $51.00 Hyvee (food) $22.43 Sam’s Club $20.92 Amazon(beads and décor) $151.84 Hobby Lobby $7.48 Eras Tour Movie $19.89 Total Expenses: $273.56 Net Gain $461.44 Special Items Needed: Chiefs and Taylor Swift stickers, door fringe, Taylor Swift decor, poster of Travis Kelce and easel, Instagram frame cutout and photo props, popcorn machine, popcorn, popcorn toppings, cups, bowls, napkins and tablecloths. Bowls for beads and bracelet string, colored accent lighting and beverage dispensers. Modes of Publicity: KC Star, City Hall, BrightSign, Facebook®, Instagram, MPRD website, Kansas City Adventure (Facebook page) Staff: Ingrid, Margo, Cecilia, Renee and Melissa (Volunteer) Strengths: This event was extremely well received. The event was featured in the Kansas City Star and Staff received high praise from the Roeland Park City Administrator. Since this event was a pop-up, pre-promotion spanned a duration of 10 days. Participants enjoyed a popcorn bar, hummus and sliced vegetables. A sticker station was available where stickers were offered for purchase. Staff ran a special promotion that included a sticker swag bag for the first 20 registrants. This was successful as 57 people registered within the first 24 hours. Several attendees marked how successful they thought the event was. Weaknesses: Add more seating/tables for guests that potentially register day-of. The string was difficult for a few people to tie, next time purchase thinner string.  9 - 1 0 : 3 0 a . m . March 23 // m u n i t y C e n t e r Merr i a m C o m Join us and the Easter Bunny for a special pancake breakfast! Make great memories as you meet the Easter Bunny, enjoy breakfast with your family, and hunt for eggs. $6/person | Ages 2-9 | Register by March 15 Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/events  Feb 2024 Update Vendors that wish to return for the 2024 season have been submitting applications. So far 13 have been received as well as five new ones. Staff will be placing vendors at the end of February. The pre- season meeting will be scheduled for mid-April Full season vendor fees were increased from $370 to $400 as they had not been adjusted for 10 years. Laura, our Market Attendant from the past two years is planning on returning. The other Market Attendant position is open and posted. Staff has gotten one application. Interview to be set by the end of February. Opening day for the 2024 market is Saturday, May 4 with our annual market tote give away to the first 200 shoppers plus live music from Nick Nave To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City Request Date: February 27, 2024 At the January Park Board meeting, members of The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City (OSGKC) made a request that for their annual fundraising auction of live orchids on April 14 and the orchid show the weekend of October 24-26, 2024 held in the Founders Room be considered exempt from commercial rate. The goal of this process to request a reduction in fees is to determine if the group making the request is adequately prepared to host a successful event. In addition, the event meets the mission not only of the City of Merriam but also the Parks and Recreation Department. Historically, the organization requesting the reduction is either a non-profit or holds a 501c3 distinction. The community center has partnered with OSGKC since December 2021 when they started hosting regular meetings in the Kessler/Loomis rooms. In 2022 and 2023 they hosted the fundraising auction and the orchid show at the community center, bringing many new people to the campus. This will be the third year that the event would be held at the community center. There were no issues in previous years. Since this event is a fundraising event, the commercial rate would traditionally apply at $145/hr. Staff is recommending that the rate be reduced to the resident rate of $95/hour. Due to the nature of the event, OSGKC would be responsible for paying for all hours that the rooms are occupied during normal hours of operation. This is the same policy applied to all rentals. The formal request made by OSGKC is attached. Recommendation: Staff recommends Park Board approve the rental rate reduction from commercial to residential for OSGKC annual auction and orchid show events. 1|Page January 9, 2024 Attention: Anna Slocum, Director of the Merriam Community Center The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City (OSGKC) has been using the Kessler/Loomis rooms on a monthly basis since December 2021 for our regular meetings and other events. In 2022 and 2023, we held a fund- raising auction, and two orchid shows that attracted wide attention and brought many new people to the Merriam Community Center. We feel we are really contributing to the center being a community gathering place. We are now planning our annual fundraising auction of live orchids on April 14 and our orchid show on October 24, 25 and 26, 2024 in the Founders Room. As we did for 2023, we would again like to request your consideration of an exemption to the commercial rate, and allow us to pay the resident rate, as specified for non-commercial use. OSGKC is a non-profit, 501C3 educational organization that was formed in 1950. Our Charter is as follows: “The Society’s objectives shall be to operate on a non-profit basis solely for benevolent, charitable, scientific, and educational purposes useful to the public, and to promote interest in and to disseminate information in the culture, development, and hybridization of orchids through lectures, exhibition, publication or otherwise.” Our mission has expanded in recent years to include promotion of conservation of natural habitat for orchids. All of the proceeds from our fundraising auction are used to continue this effort. Our annual auction is the major fundraising event that provides the funds for our society to be viable, and it provides the public with an opportunity to see and acquire plants that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Revenue that comes in from the show from the admission fee ($5) and plant sales help to defray the cost of the room and other expenses involved in putting on the show. We don’t profit financially from the show. Our goal is just to help to cover our expenses. More information about our society is also available at www.osgkc.org. Please take this request before the Parks Board at the January meeting for consideration. Thank you. Jean Rogers Auction Chair and President jeanierogerswarren@gmail.com Susie Hanna Programs Director hannaorchids@gmail.com To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Tivity Health Partner First Amendment to Agreement Date: February 27, 2024 In February 2020, staff sought approval to join the Tivity network to provide SilverSneakers® and Prime® Fitness memberships to patrons of Merriam Community Center. When the original agreement was signed, Merriam Community Center was an amenity only facility meaning the facility was not considered a full- service participating Facility providing Tivity Health Proprietary Classes. Since the approval, these insurance-based memberships have proven to be a successful option for patrons. Recently, there have been several inquiries from patrons that participate in SilverSneakers® program to provide SilverSneaker Proprietary classes. Staff began researching the opportunity to change status of Merriam Community Center to a full-service Facility. Tivity reviewed the visitation data of the last four years: Year Annual Visits 2020 1,234 2021 6,559 2022 11,408 2023 15,452 Total Visits 34,653 With the success of the SilverSneakers® program, Tivity has extended an amendment to the agreement to change the status from an amenity only location to a full-service participating Facility providing Tivity Health Proprietary Classes. Under the terms of the agreement, the Merriam Community Center would be responsible for maintaining and replenishing equipment and comply with the exact specifications for the equipment as defined in the Reference Guide. Staff has reviewed this document and the equipment required is equipment already available to members and is currently maintained by the department. The last change to the agreement is the reimbursement rate for SilverSneakers® Fitness Program Including Tivity Health Proprietary Classes. Currently, as an amenity only facility the reimbursement rate is $2.50/visit up to $20/month/member. As a full-service participating Facility providing Tivity Health Propriety Classes the reimbursement rate changes to $2.75/visit up to $20/month/member. To be prepared to offer classes, staff have been identified that qualify to complete the Tivity training. Currently, staff is reviewing the classes offered and determining when will be the best time to expand class offerings. Recommendation: Staff is seeking Park Board recommendation to sign the amendment to the agreement to become a considered a full-service participating Facility providing Tivity Health Proprietary Classes To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: IKEA Friends and Family Promotion Agreement Date: February 27, 2024 In an effort to extend awareness of the services that the Merriam Community Center offers to the community, staff look for ways to cross-promote services with Merriam businesses. Recently, conversations have occurred with IKEA to determine if there is a way to join efforts to promote services. The term of the promotion will be one year, terminating on February 28, 2025. Mutual commitments of both parties include: IKEA will: • IKEA will promote the Merriam Community Center on the IKEA Merriam local store webpage in the Family Partners Page. • IKEA shall promote the Merriam Community Center as an IKEA Family Partner in the IKEA family newsletter distributed in the Kansas City market area twice during the promotional period of the agreement. • IKEA is allowed to promote Merriam Community Center during events and activities throughout the promotional period of this agreement. Merriam Community Center will: • IKEA Friends and Family Members will receive the resident rate for daily pass membership by showing proof of IKEA Friends and Family Member is presented at the time of registration. • Will allow IKEA Merriam to provide printed material to promote IKEA in the entrance lobby of the Merriam Community Center, provided by IKEA, throughout the promotional period of the agreement. Recommendation: Staff is seeking Park Board recommendation for staff to continue with the agreement with IKEA. To: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board From: Anna Slocum, Director of Parks and Recreation Subject: Flags 4 Freedom Flag Usage Policy and Procedure Date: February 27, 2024 City Council approved the transition of Flags 4 Freedom to move from a committee driven event to a city event in late 2023. One of the requirements stated in the Memorandum of Understanding was the established flag usage partnerships would continue to have access to utilize the flags. These groups were identified as the Liberty Memorial, Heart of American Patriot Foundation, American Royal and the LDS Youth Group. Prior to the first request to utilize the flags, it is imperative to have established policy and procedures. The committee had an outdated procedure. Staff utilized this document as a starting point for drafting the document. The procedure includes: 1. Notification of request to utilize flags. 2. Coordination of pick-up and return of flags. 3. Donation process. 4. Defining responsibility for permitting and Dig Safe. 5. Definition of flag kits and proper storage / return of equipment. The complete policy and procedure document is attached. Recommendation: Staff is seeking Park Board recommendation to approve Flags 4 Freedom Policy and Procedure as proposed.  City of Merriam Parks and Recreation Flag Usage Policy and Procedure 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. In November 2023, The City of Merriam entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Merriam Parks, Recreation and Community Center Foundation to carry on the tradition of the Flags 4 Freedom event. In doing so, the MOU stated that “established flag usage partnerships will continue to have access to utilize the flags, honoring the existing agreement.” The groups include: Liberty Memorial, Heart of America Patriot Group, American Royal and LDS Youth Group. Procedure: 1. A member of one of the organizations will contact a volunteer of the Flags 4 Freedom committee to initiate the request. 2. The volunteer will notify staff in Public Works and Parks and Recreation of the request. 3. The committee volunteer will coordinate with the organization pick-up and return times of the equipment. 4. A donation for usage will be made payable to the City of Merriam to offset replacement costs of flags. 5. The organization is responsible for securing any necessary permits and contacting Dig Safe to locate underground utility lines. 6. Flag kits include: a. Rebar (36” length) for posting the flag in the ground i. Rebar is bundled in groups of 5 with yellow wire b. White PVC Pole (8’ length) which slips over the rebar with a 3’x5’ flag i. Flags must be dry, rolled and secured with 2 rubber bands. Flags are bundled in groups of 5 and secured with 2 black Velcro straps, the longer strap at the top and the shorter strap about 2 feet from the bottom of the PVC pole. c. 1 pounder per every 100 flags used. 7. Suggested Donations: a. 1-50 flags $75 b. 51-100 flags $150 c. 101-300 flags $225 d. 301-500 flags $300 e. 501-1,000 flags $700 f. 1000+ flags $1,050 Approved November 2022