Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Advisory Board Agenda Merriam Community Center, 6040 Slater St. February 25, 2025 - 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. The Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City Request 2025 Orchid Society of Greater KC Request 3. APPROVAL OF JANUARY 29, 2025 MINUTES a. January 29, 2025 Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Jan 29 2025 - Minutes 4. STAFF REPORTS a. Director's Report i. Community Center Update February Update ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report January Membership Report January Visit Report b. Assistant Director's Report i. Upcoming Events 1. Heartland Artist Exhibition Opening Reception Heartland Art Exhibition 2. Magical Kingdom Party Magical Kingdom Flyer 3. March 14 - Free Day Merriam Residents  Free Day-March 14 Flyer ii. Program Updates 1. Merriam Farmers' Market Update February Update 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Kansas University Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Request Cover Memo 2025 Merriam Fundraiser Request Cover Letter- KUSEA 6. OTHER BUSINESS 7. ADJOURNMENT February 4, 2025 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. Annually, we are having a fund-raising auction and an orchid show that attracts wide attention and brings 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 13, 2025 and our orchid show on October 23, 24, and 25, 2025 in the Founders Room. 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 next meeting for consideration. Thank you. Anh Rongish OSGKC President Anh.Rongish@gmail.com Susie Hanna Programs Director hannaorchids@gmail.com  MINUTES Advisory Board Meeting City of Merriam, Kansas Merriam Community Center Wednesday, January 29, 2025 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 6:03 by Chairperson George Vesel. Board members in attendance included: Tyson Boyer; Kathy Stull; Katie Leary; Christopher Leitch; David Zukley; George Vesel; Alex Supple; and Doug Murphy. Staff members in attendance were: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director and Abby Hall, Guest Services Coordinator. a. Introduction of new Youth Representative Tyson Boyer was introduced to the group as the new youth representative replacing Evan Quinley who resigned his position to attend college at Pittsburgh State. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no public comments. a. Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Swim-A-Thon Request A detailed letter outlining the request of KU Sensory Enhanced Aquatics was included in the packet.. The request is the donation of lap lane use for their fundraising event. The date that works for both entities would be Sunday, July 13th. This would be the fourth year the program has been held at this facility. KU would be responsible for the expense of guards, but other building staff would already be in the facility due to the church rental and additional staff would not be needed. Lisa Mische and Kayla Hamner provided an update to the Board regarding the program and the success of the fundraiser. Discussion:  Instructors for this program come mostly from the University of Kansas OT Department.  There are Merriam residents who participate in this program and KU staff will let the board know at the next meeting how many residents participate.  Staff keep a recreation report for every season. The Board is provided those numbers for every class and are able to see the attendance of the KUSEA program. Page 1 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 29, 2025 3. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 26, 2024 MINUTES a. November 26, 2024 Minutes Board Member Leitch made a motion to approve the November 26, 2024 minutes. Board Member Zukley 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:  The HDMI connectors have been replaced.  The Merriam Park, Recreation Community Center Foundation met and approved their annual donations. This year they are purchasing a squat rack platform with weights, sponsoring the coffee station, providing $9,000 in scholarship assistance, $1,000 sponsorship to Merriam Drive Live and up to $1,000 for the Heartland Purchase Award. In addition the Dolphin Fund, a sub-fund within the Foundation, will be providing all youth swim lesson participants a book entitled "Swim Team". The goal is to encourage more participants to explore joining the swim team. The Dolphin Fund will once again support scholarships for swim lessons and swim team for qualifying children.  On Tuesday, January 28 the Parks and Recreation Department received 2 state awards and Mayor Bob Pape received the Distinguished Elected Official Award. Discussion:  The $9000 in scholarship assistance is applied to the total cost of scholarships and helps offset the cost. Any Merriam resident that applies for scholarship and is deemed eligible receives assistance. Last year there was over $12,000 in scholarship assistance provided to residents for memberships.  It is noted that the Board is appreciative of the work that the staff at the center does. ii. Monthly Community Center Membership Report A detailed memo with supporting reports were included in the packet. Updates to the information included:  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City dropped the Medicare Advantage program ending Silver Sneakers. To keep this benefit, seniors enrolled in this program had to change their Medicare Advantage provider. Due to this, the January membership report will reflect a significant change in memberships. Page 2 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 29, 2025  Memberships for the year increased almost 1,000 units with cancellations less than 2023.  With the facility being closed for 2 days, membership and daily visits will likely not surpass visits of 2024. The average daily visits have increased (402/day in 2024 vs 394 in 2023) but the loss of the two days of operations was difficult to overcome. This will be the first time that membership visits have not exceeded the previous year's visits.  January revenue is anticipated to surpass 2024's revenue. iii. Fall 2024 Recreation Report A detailed report was included in the packet. Total participation increased 6,162 visits from 2023 a 8.9% increase. Staff is monitoring adult fitness classes to determine what changes are needed to meet the need of adult participants. It is a priority in 2025 to see significant growth in these programs as the fitness coordinator has now been on staff for 6 months. Staff will investigate the Youth Aquatics enrollment numbers. Upon further review in preparing for this meeting there seems to be an anomaly with some of the registration numbers compared to participation. Staff will report back with an update. Discussion:  Participation in general for classes has gone up from 2023 to 2024.  Enrollment in Adult Fitness compared to Participation is due to the Fit Class Pass. This is also seen in Water Fitness. These classes still allow for enrollment. Staff does track participation in class which determines popularity and lifecycle of the class. iv. 2024 Annual Recreation Report A detailed report was included in the packet. Discussion:  Annual participation has increased by 21,941 of the year! In the past the majority of memberships were those residents who lived in Merriam. Now, patrons are within a 20 minute drive radius. b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT i. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 1. 28th Annual High School Visual Art Competition Total number of schools that have participated have gone up from previous years even though the total number of works has decreased. Staff speculates this is due to teachers recognizing the smaller space and work required to submit the vast number of works submitted in the Page 3 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 29, 2025 past. 2. Christmas in the Courtyard It was noted that the library was not involved in the lighting of the Municipal Plaza. Staff did ask, and they do not participate in Christmas events. Logistics of Santa coming in will be reevaluated for next years event. Monitoring of the "last person" in balloon/face painting line will be reevaluated for next years event. 3. Breakfast with Santa This is an event that sells out annually. The boy scouts provided breakfast and it seemed to work out better than previous events. ii. UPCOMING EVENTS 1. "Three Artists" Opening Night Reception An event flyer was included in the packet. Discussion:  Roy Inman is a renowned photo journalist who worked for the KC Star. Jeff Berg is the husband of Ingrid Berg. 2. February 7 - Free Day Merriam Residents An event flyer was included in the packet. Discussion:  No increase in membership following a free day have been seen. 3. '80s Retro Party An event flyer was included in the packet. iii. PROGRAM UPDATES 1. 29th Heartland Artist Exhibition Update This year there were 63 artists that submitted 181 works. This is a decrease of 46 artists from 2024. Staff is not sure why such a dramatic decrease as the event was advertised in the same manner as 2024. There are 6 states represented in submission - Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Oklahoma. The Merriam Park, Recreation and Community Center Foundation is once again purchasing a work from the show to add to the permanent collection. The judge, Mike Flora will be onsite in the week of February 10 to select the winners of the event. Opening reception will be Saturday, March 1 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. If interested in volunteering please contact Ingrid. Page 4 of 5 Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Minutes – January 29, 2025 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. OTHER BUSINESS a. Updated Advisory Board Roster Board members were provided an updated roster. It was noted the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson had not been updated after the election. That will be corrected but a new list will not be distributed. 7. ADJOURNMENT Board Member Leary made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:55 p.m. Board Member Leitch seconded and the motion was unanimously APPROVED. Page 5 of 5 TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: Monthly Director’s Report DATE: February 25, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS Community Center Update • As noted in the January Park Board meeting, staff identified an error in the Fall Recreation Report regarding youth aquatics enrollment. Enrollment for SuperKids was recorded for only one level instead of all three, and the report for MJ’s Kids did not account for all punch pass variables. The reported numbers of 73 and 38 should have been 283 and 66, respectively. The report has been corrected for future comparison, and staff have implemented measures to prevent similar errors moving forward. • On Wednesday, February 5 the indoor pool had to be closed at 4 p.m. due to a mechanical failure with the Desert Aire unit. There are six motors within the unit, four have been replaced. One of the original motors failed. Facility staff was able to bypass the motor to reset the unit on Wednesday evening allowing the system time to recover, the pool remained closed until Thursday morning. In conversations with Facility staff, a decision was made to order 2 motors, in anticipation for the last original motor to fail. • Due to ongoing issues with the Desert Air unit, staff have been exploring ways to enhance the aesthetics of affected items. Recent improvements include replacing silver metal locker handles with black plastic ones and applying a wrap to the swimsuit dryers. • Due to the uncertainty surrounding the impending storm on Wednesday, February 12, the team made the proactive decision to close the community center on Tuesday evening. This allowed for clear communication of service changes, including notifying early staff in a timely manner. The decision was made with the utmost priority on the safety of both patrons and staff, especially in light of the challenges experienced during the previous storm. • Roy Inman, a retired photojournalist from the Kansas City Star, had a friend review the February opening receptions “Three Artists”. The review is available in the KC Studio Magazine. • On Thursday, February 13, the outside slider doors would not open. Staff was able to direct foot traffic to the side door entrance at the art gallery. The wheel assembly was preventing proper operation. Once repaired early afternoon on the 13th, the doors functioned properly.  • On Tuesday, February 18 the community center closed early at 7:30 p.m. due to the rapidly declining road conditions. • On Wednesday evening, February 19 a large leak in the fitness center locker area developed. Facility staff evaluated the issue that evening. The leak was similar to what was experienced in 2021 when a Dessert Aire pipe froze. Facility staff confirmed that was not the issue. The HVAC vendor arrived on Thursday to investigate. Due to the extreme conditions, they were unable to diagnosis the issue. Out of an abundance caution for the safety of patrons, one set of lockers was taken off line on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, the leak area expanded again. As of this report, the HVAC vendor was once again on site hoping to identify the issue and make the necessary repairs. Park Updates • The new chimney climber for Waterfall Park has been assembled at Public Works. Installation is delayed until spring to allow for necessary safety surface repairs. • Four new picnic tables and trash containers are scheduled to arrive in early March. Last year’s special event tables have replaced damaged ones in the parks, with the new tables designated for events. Staff will be evaluating existing trash containers to determine the best locations for replacement. • The dumpster gate at Chatlain Park has been damaged again by Waste Management. A contracted vendor is repairing the frame, while Public Works will replace the boards and install the gate. Staff is pursuing reimbursement for the repair. Monthly Community Center Membership Report Included in the packet are the comparison reports for annual membership and daily visits for January. January membership sales increased by 726 from January 2024 to January 2025. As noted in the January meeting, all Medicare Advantage memberships renew on January 1. Membership growth throughout 2024 is reflected in the increase across most insurance-based programs. Renew Active grew by 108%, driven by Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC eliminating a Medicare Advantage program. Standard fee-based memberships declined, with 48 fewer sold in January 2025 (114) compared to January 2024 (162). Membership cancellations decreased by 21, totaling 33 in January 2025 versus 54 in January 2024. Cancellation reasons: Medical – 1, Financial – 0, Non-Usage – 11, Relocation – 4, Other – 17. The February 5th installment payment exceeded the same period in 2024 by $8,122, reflecting growth that is $101 lower than the increase from 2023 to 2024. Compared to January 2025, the February 2025 installment bill increased by $2,038, with a month-to-month rise of $1,192. Year-to-date, installment revenue is up 15.8% over the same period in 2024. January 2025 member visitation fell short of January 2024 by 259 visits due to a two-day winter weather closure. However, average daily visitation increased to 413 visits/day from 394 visits/day in January 2024, though not enough to offset the lost days. The highest visitation day was Monday, January 20, with 590 visits, 32 more than January 2024’s peak. Daily visits also fell short year-over-year by 210 visits. Average daily day pass sales decreased slightly to 53/day from 56/day in 2024, with the highest day pass sales on January 2 (132). Insurance visits increased by 407 compared to January 2024, a growth of 107 more than the prior year. Silver Sneakers visits saw a slight decline, while Renew Active experienced significant growth. Recommendation: This memo was provided for your information. No action required. Membership Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 229 195 214 15 ACTIVE & FIT 52 95 130 206 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 340 305 327 34 CARETAKER PASS 2 2 4 2 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 3 22 6 3 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 118 105 49 3 FIT CLASS PASS 119 108 94 0 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 515 439 518 35 NANNY PASS 7 6 8 0 ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 28 33 TIVITY PRIME MEMBERSHIP 52 45 63 0 PEERFIT 7 52 30 18 RENEW ACTIVE 177 185 492 703 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 3 4 4 0 RETIRED SENIOR 1 11 2 0 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 14 14 27 2 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 79 81 78 17 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 140 140 143 10 SILVER & FIT 8 6 60 21 SILVER SNEAKERS 229 222 751 817 YOUTH MEMBERSHIP 54 44 47 3 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP SALES 2,149 2,081 3,075 1,922 CANCELLATIONS 516 547 516 33 SUSPENDED 0 0 0 EXPIRED** 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 2025 Membership Category 2022 2023 2024 2025 TWO PERSON CHARTER TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD 16 25 40 15 ACTIVE & FIT* 4 14 77 206 ADULT CHARTER ADULT MEMBERSHIP 14 40 41 34 CARETAKER PASS 1 1 2 COUNCIL - BOARD MEMBERSHIP 1 21 6 3 EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP 7 35 5 3 FIT CLASS PASS 22 15 15 HOUSEHOLD CHARTER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP 27 41 51 35 NANNY PASS 2 ONE PASS - HEALTH CONTRIBUTIONS 33 PRIME MEMBERSHIP 7 14 PEERFIT 1 10 4 18 RENEW ACTIVE* 26 22 337 703 RETIRED SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 2 RETIRED SENIOR 1 1 SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP 2 3 2 SENIOR CHARTER SENIOR CHARTER HOUSEHOLD SENIOR HOUSEHOLD 4 9 13 17 SENIOR MEMBERSHIP 12 16 14 10 SILVER & FIT* 2 1 17 21 SILVER SNEAKERS* 32 41 555 817 YOUTH MEMBERSHIPS 3 2 3 3 TOTAL MEMBERSHIPS SOLD 179 300 1,196 1,922 CANCELLATIONS 17 44 54 33 SUSPENDED EXPIRED 5 Insurance Memberships Renew Jan 1 Employee Memberships effective Jan 1 Membership Report January 2025 2025 TOTAL VISITS JAN* FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 11,964 11,964 DAILY VISITS 1,526 1,526 GUEST PASSES 81 81 TOURS 10 10 2024 TOTAL VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS MEMBERSHIP VISITS 12,223 10,797 11,081 10,971 11,930 17,214 17,269 13,763 10,075 9,660 9,833 10,367 145,183 DAILY VISITS 1,736 1,379 1,820 1,404 2,171 3,793 3,428 2,107 901 650 1,321 1,570 22,280 GUEST PASSES 10 0 0 0 0 4 44 0 0 2 0 1 61 TOURS 32 31 11 0 33 28 13 3 0 11 20 7 189 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 *January 2025 facility was closed 2 days due to significant snowfall Visit Comparison 2021-2025 2025 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 590 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Mon 20th) 132 DAILY VISITS (Thurs 2nd) 2024 Highest Attended Day JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 558 566 548 532 635 827 828 656 484 486 511 523 MEMBERSHIP VISITS (Wed 24th) (Mon 19th) (Mon 25th) (Mon 1st) (Wed 29th) (Mon 17th) (Mon 15th) (Fri 2nd) (Mon 16th) (Mon 21st) (Mon 4th) (Mon 30th) 122 124 151 133 166 (Wed 181 186 220 128 49 91 137 DAILY VISITS (Tues 2nd) (Sat 10th) (Thurs 14th) (Sat 13th) 29th) (Mon 24th) (Sat 13th) (Sat 31st) (Sun 1st) (Fri 11) (Sat 2nd) (Mon 30th) 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 51 DAILY VISITS (Sat 16th) (Thurs 25th) (Fri 19th) (Sat 10th) (Mon 31st) (Sun 13th) (Mon 5th) Wed 11th) (Mon 6th) (Fri 15th) (Sun 14th) (Tues 28th) Highest Attended Day Comparison 2021 - 2025 2025 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,357 1,357 Prime Fitness 202 202 Renew Active/OnePass 1,394 1,394 Silver & Fit 16 16 Active & Fit 336 336 PeerFit 109 109 2024 INSURANCE VISITS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL VISITS Silver Sneakers 1,391 1,438 1,459 1,459 1,493 1,506 1,687 1,723 1,551 1,559 1,501 1,457 18,224 Prime Fitness 157 179 187 190 166 191 204 179 155 125 147 165 2,045 Renew Active/One Pass 1,047 980 1,014 1,060 1,007 1,097 1,303 1,414 1,226 1,173 1,139 1,171 13,631 Silver & Fit 0 11 12 3 1 1 19 19 2 18 17 21 124 Active & Fit 305 318 315 305 315 308 316 293 315 299 316 307 3,712 PeerFit 107 96 125 85 78 84 107 86 96 89 65 89 1,107 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 Insurance Visit Comparison 2021-2025 HUGH GREER 29TH ANNUAL HEARTLAND ARTIST EXHIBITION MARCH 1 – 2 9 J U R I ED ARTIS TS FRO M AC ROS S TH E U N ITED S TATE S OPENING RECEPTION Saturday, March 1, 2025 5–7 p.m. ▶ 6:30 p.m. Award Ceremony GALLERY HOURS M-TH 5 a.m.– 9 p.m. F 5 a.m.– 8 p.m. SAT 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. SUN 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. 2024 BEST IN SHOW MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER “COLD MORNING” 6040 Slater St. // 913-322-5550 Merriam.org/artgallery  Magical Kingdom Day March 8 ‣ 10-11:30 a.m. MERRIAM COMMUNITY CENTER Join two beloved princesses for a magical day filled with royal games, a special storytime, and autographs. Dress in your royal best for an experience that’s pefect for children of all ages! $20 / child | $5 / adult | All Ages | Register by Feb. 28 Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/events  M C C F R E E DAY! Friday, March 14 Merriam residents are invited to enjoy a free day exploring the community center and its amenities. Proof of Merriam residency required. Classes not included. Merriam Parks & Recreation | 6040 Slater St. | 913-322-5550 | merriam.org/parks  Feb 2025 Update The deadline for vendors that wish to return for the 2025 season was March 10th. So far 20 (three that were daily vendors last year and are wanting a full season spot) have been received as well as 12 new ones. Staff will be placing vendors at the end of February. The pre-season meeting will be scheduled for mid-April Laura, our Market Attendant from the past three years is planning on returning. The other Market Attendant position was vacant, but since filled. She will be attending new hire orientation on February 18 and training at Merriam Marketplace will begin closer to market opening. Opening day for the 2025 market is Saturday, May 3 with our annual market tote give away to the first 200 shoppers plus live music from Brooke Mertz. TO: Merriam Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Anna Slocum, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: The University of Kansas Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Request DATE: February 25, 2025 HIGHLIGHTS At the January Park Board meeting, members of the University of Kansas Sensory Enhanced Aquatics (KUSEA) program made a request to have the outdoor pool, four lifeguards and support from the Welcome Desk staff fees waived on Sunday, July 13 from 8:30 a.m.-noon for a Swim-A-Thon fundraiser. KUSEA is a swimming and water- safety program offered at the community center for children and adults on the autism spectrum. 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 KUSEA since the fall of 2021 for youth lessons (age 4-18). In the summer of 2022, the program expanded to adult swimmers (18+). The two programs have assisted 300 swimmers since the beginning of the program. Three of the participants are Merriam residents. Participants come from as far west as Lawrence, as far north as Parkville and as far south as Grandview. The majority of students are from Johnson County, with Overland Park, Lenexa and Shawnee contributing the largest percentage of participants. This will be the fourth year that the event would be held at the community center. There have been no issues hosting the event. The event was a success for the community center and KUSEA. Hosting this event continues to provide exposure to center. The rate to rent the outdoor pool is $200/hr and includes 2 staff members. They are requesting an additional 2 staff members due to the nature of their event. Historically, hard costs such as staffing is not a fee that is waived. Staff is recommending that the outdoor pool rental rate be waived, with KUSEA being responsible for lifeguard staff costs. The lifeguards are on duty specifically for this event and the charge aligns with the precedent set with other requests. The Welcome Desk staff would already be on duty during this time to assist with a long-term rental. Since no additional staff are needed, there would be no additional charge for these staff members. The donation would be $600 ($200 x 3 hours). KUSEA would be responsible for $280 ($20/hour x 4 staff x 3.5 hours). The formal request made by KUSEA is attached detailing the event. Recommendation: Staff recommends Park Board approve the outdoor rental at no charge and KUSEA be responsible for staff costs directly associated with the proposed event. November 21, 2024 Anna Slocum Parks and Recreation Director City of Merriam 6040 Slater St Merriam, KS 66202 Dear Anna Slocum: We are grateful for our partnership with the Merriam Community Center (MCC) to provide Sensory Enhanced Aquatics (SEA), a swimming and water-safety program for autistic children. Our partnership with MCC began Fall of 2021 and we have since provided swim lessons to over 60 autistic swimmers ages 4-18 and MCC is our only partner offering SEA to autistic adults. MCC supported our National Institute of Health R21 research proposal titled “Testing the Effectiveness of Swim Instruction for Improving Swim Competence of Autistic Children.” We successfully completed our first year of the project which aims to better understand how to teach swimming to this population and proud to have provided financial support for our partners to do this work with us. Since 2022, MCC has provided resources to hold a swim-a-thon to raise funds to purchase equipment & supplies for the program, as well as provide scholarships to swimmers who are not eligible for Merriam’s Dolphin Scholarships. MCC’s support of our first three fundraisers has been critical to providing SEA to marginalized populations. We were pleased to share our success by providing an aquatic wheelchair (valued at~$2000) to MCC to support pool access for individuals with physical disabilities. We are requesting continued support. Our plan is to utilize the outdoor pools and surrounding deck space at MCC for a Swim-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, July 12th (1st choice) or August 2nd from 8-noon. Sensory Enhanced Aquatics swimmers will solicit pledges to swim laps and complete them with 1:1 support from SEA instructors and volunteers. We anticipate <30 people in the water at time (swimmers with 1:1 support) in increments of 20-30 minutes (~80 swimmers total with 20 volunteers/staff). We estimate swimmers will bring 1-2 family members and may stay 45 minutes total at the event so <50 people will be at the event at any given time. We request fees for use of the outdoor pool(s), deck space and locker rooms be waived to maximize benefit to autistic swimmers and families. We anticipate needing support from front desk staff and lifeguards during the 3 hours of the event and request this support at low or no cost. Sensory Enhanced Aquatics and University of Kansas Medical Center staff and students will support the event to reduce burden on MCC staff. Money raised through this fundraiser will directly benefit SEA program participants at MCC. We appreciate you considering our request to grow our collaboration and continue to make a difference in the Merriam community. Sincerely, Kayla Hamner, MOT, OTR/L Lisa Mische Lawson, PhD, CTRS, FDRT KU Sensory Enhanced Aquatics Program Manager Professor & KU SEA Director University of Kansas Medical Center University of Kansas Medical Center khamner@kumc.edu lmische-lawson@kumc.edu