Parks Commission

Montpelier Parks Commission October 21, 2014 / Start Time: 7:02PM Present: Geoff, Alec, Kip, Bryan (taking notes), Emily, Lyn Visitors: members and supporters of Montpelier Area Mountain Bike Association (MAMBA) MAMBA KIDS EVENT The Commission first took testimony on the Take a Kid Mountain Biking event in Hubbard Park on October 4, 2014. Here’s a summary of comments. • Dan Voisin (co-president of MAMBA) presented written summary of Take a Kid Mountain Biking. “We had a lot of really happy kids out there on the trails,” he said. His handout has lots of great stats. The handout is included in these minutes. • Tim Flynn – He helped on signs. So much excitement and goodwill. We just need to have kids and adults riding this same loop any time they want to. No conflicts. It just makes sense to have our kids and our community members … to be able to go up to Hubbard Park and take a ride…. “There’s no reason we can’t have mountain biking in Hubbard Park right now,” Tim said. Open loop up immediately. • Brad Watson – Co-founder of MAMBA. We have a graying membership. “We cannot recruit families to MAMBA because we don’t have a trail to show them,” he said. Trail up to Sparrow Farm “is not a kid-friendly climb.” “We know there’s potential for user conflict,” he said, but MAMBA will do good job of education. • Chris Bean – Not an active biker but would like to see MAMBA proposal allowed. He uses the park a lot. Walk dogs there and skis there in winter. Interacted with snow-biker, “Whether legal or not – I didn’t know.” But he didn’t think they were mutually exclusive. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to let dogs and bike, grownups and kids, use a marked trial,” he said. • Mike Donofrio – Reports that he doesn’t have a place to take kids to get on trails. “I think it’s just something that’s time for our community,” he said. He’s spent time in Whistler in British Columbia last summer, with people using trails. • Andrew Stein – MAMBA member. Grew up outside of Pittsburgh where they have multi-use trails. “We don’t really have anything like that around here,” he said. Blueberry Lake is closest. He really think that making this a priority, especially since it’s a growing pursuit, in a state capital that’s trying to push for better values and lower-carbon use. • Ryan McCall – Kids from age 4-42. “We were all out having fun,” he said. “I was having as much fun as my daughters were.” Other communities doing this: Rutland, Stowe. We want to go ride with the kids. But he’s loading the bikes up, on the truck, out of my community. Allow biking in the park without a visioning process. • Nolan Langweil – He recognizes that a lot of people may be against idea. So we need an open, pragmatic approach and discussion. When you allow mountain bikes, you also create volunteer network that you never realized you had, he said. Commissioners took up the discussion. Lyn – I think when I’ve been reading letters and hearing people speak that the visioning process is a long-term plan. We’re being asked to address this sooner, rather than waiting. We didn’t want to take this up in isolation, but given this request that is what we need to do. We will need to hold a public meeting. Should we plan a public meeting on a certain mountain bike proposal or just on mountain bikes in Hubbard Park generally? Bryan – Asked MAMBA members for input. Tim – Open up loop that kids have been riding sooner than later. “I think we’re ready,” he said. “I think the community is ready.” If we have to have public meeting, it’s one thing to do. But he’d not like to see it stalled and delayed. Kip – We’re excluding a user group because we feel there may be issues. Just because we haven’t been there before, doesn't mean we can’t have multi-use now. “Times have changed and I think we need to look at this sooner rather than later,” Kip said. Lyn – No doubt there are mixed views on this, which doesn’t mean we shouldn’t review a MAMBA proposal. “For something this big, we need a meeting,” she said. “That’s always the way the parks commission has operated in the past. That would be the way I’d want to proceed with this.” Geoff – “I think there’s got to be a public meeting.” We can explore options such as: 1) a night a week and 2) having trails open all the time. If we have trails we need a family-friendly path. I lean toward a new trail. Emily – I’m in agreement that this is something we need to address. We can’t wait for visioning. So the question is how to do it. We definitely learned a lot through the public process concerning dogs in the park. I also have been approached by people who say, don’t open the park to bikes. There is certainly fear of change. So we need a public forum. Based on what we’ve experienced before, I’d like to see public process cover two steps: 1) ask people to frame a positive way, “What’s the experience they're looking for in Hubbard Park.” and 2) have the community working together to develop scenarios. Make it a positive conversation so people listen to other opinions on how to use the park. We would solicit professional help to run the meetings. Let’s inform the public that we want to hear from them, to make this a positive conversation. Lyn – In terms of timing, December is a tough time of year to have meetings. Start in January, after the budget process and holidays. Kip – I think winter is a great time to plan for mountain biking in the spring. Emily – Suggested three stage approach. 1. Invite MAMBA to submit proposal for winter biking event. 2. Take advantage of City’s page in the Bridge to inform public. 3. In January begin a process of deliberation on biking in the park leading to vote – a process that takes place before Town Meeting Day. Bryan – Based on Emily’s proposal and additional conversation, Bryan proposed a motion: 1. Invite MAMBA to submit in November proposal for winter biking. 2. Take advantage of City’s page in the Bridge to inform public about the process. 3. Begin the deliberative process in January, with professional assistance, leading to vote by the Commission on mountain biking in Hubbard Park before Town Meeting Day. Kip – We need to do a good job of public notice. Vote on Motion – Vote 4-0. BUDGET Geoff – It appears we’ll be limited to inflation. The budget overall calls for a 3% increase, with additional funds at this point due to the need for more money for an AmeriCorps worker. The Commission still has some items to consider in the budget, including: pond dig-out, Capital Improvement, Equipment Plan and certain non re-occurring expenses. Bill Fraser – When he delivers the budget in December, he’ll give the City Council a list of good ideas he couldn’t fund. It can include ideas from the Parks Commission. Bryan – So the Commission might want to dream. What would Geoff dream of? Geoff – Two things: More staff and a visioning process. What would really move the parks forward in a powerful way is a full-time person to do crew supervision and a part-time person for office and grant work two days a week. Given realities, he’d ask for $8,000 for visioning and he’d raise the rest. Bill – Considering of some sort of merger of Recreation and Parks administration work, perhaps to make better use of staff. It’s a long-term. “It’s not going to happen tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve got a long ways to go.” MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER MEETING Owing to a bit of confusion on whether the minutes have been edited, the Commission decided not to approve last month’s minutes at this meeting. The Commission plans to approve September’s minutes at the next meeting. SIGNS ON DOG WASTE STATION Geoff – He’d prefer smaller signs on the waste station thanking donors. Will create smaller signs to put up. Emily – Should our budget reflect costs of maintaining the dog waste station? If so, Parks budget also needs to reflect new revenue stream from increase in dog fees. There was discussion about if this had been voted on and implemented by the City. Geoff will follow-up. EXECUTIVE SESSION Bryan proposed a motion to move for a vote on the fact that we are about to discuss two items whose public disclosure would put the city or individuals at a compromised or disadvantaged position. The motion was seconded. The commission agreed on a unanimous vote – 4-0. Kip – Moves to go into executive session. Lyn seconds. Vote is 4-0. Bryan – Moves to go out of executive session. Kip seconds. Vote is 4-0. Kip – Moves to adjourn. Lyn seconds. Vote is 4-0. Meeting concluded at 9:23PM The commission discussed agenda items that were not covered in this meeting for future meetings. • Discussion of process and preparation for reviewing MAMBA proposal • Events: Music in the Park, “Doggy Day” in the Park • Budget for Dog Waste Station Maintenance. • Request for Disc Golf Course in Hubbard Park. • Priorities for Geoff in the coming year.