Health, Recreation & Events Committee

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA RECREATION COMMITTEE Monday, October 2, 2017 Municipal Complex, Committee Meeting Room, 3rd Floor 100 Ann Edwards Lane Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Minutes Members Present: Elton Carrier, Chair; Paul Gawrych, Will Haynie Staff Present: Eric DeMoura, Steve Gergick Mr. Carrier called the meeting to order at 11:54 a.m. He asked for a Moment of Silence for what happened the previous evening in Las Vegas. 1. Approval of Minutes from the July 31, 2017 meeting Mr. Gawrych made a motion to approve the July 31, 2017 minutes. Mr. Haynie seconded the motion. All were in favor. 2. Public Comments None 3. Introduction of new staff Mr. Gergick introduced Mr. Garrett Heatherington and Ms. Shelli Davis. He said Ms. Davis had been a Recreation and FUNdamental Coordinator and had moved over to the Tennis Center replacing Mr. Matt Hansen who became the Athletic Division Chief. Mr. Gergick said that Mr. Heatherington has been a Specialist in many sports and is now the FUNdamental Coordinator. 4. Report of extended hour trial periods for Senior Center and pools Mr. Gergick said that several months ago they were asked to research extended hours for the Senior Center and the pools. He said they looked at a 90-day trial period. He said they opened the Senior Center at 6 a.m.  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 2 of 9 on Saturdays. He said they added lap swimming from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m. at the Jones Center Pool. He said they tested early morning swim hours at the Park West Pool. Mr. Gergick said the hours at the Senior Center turned out to be very well received. He said they had an average of 16.25 people attend during those hours. He said that the Jones Center Pool had low participation. He said they measured an entire week for attendance. He said it was .5 people per half hour utilizing the pool. He said the Park West Pool had early morning hours in July and they averaged one to one and a half per half hour. Mr. Gergick said that completed the 90-day trial period and they were presenting it to see if the Committee wanted them to continue. Mr. Gergick said the staffing requirements for the Senior Center was having a person come in to cover those hours. He said at the Jones Center Pool they had to provide two lifeguards at approximately $10 to $12 per hour to monitor the pool. He said the Park West Pool’s early morning hours had been a challenge in staffing the area with a person coming in at 5 a.m. Mr. Haynie asked about the cost for the Senior Center. Mr. Gergick said it was one additional person to be at the facility during that time. Mr. Haynie asked if it was a good cost for the benefit. Mr. Gergick said he thought it was working very well and is at a higher participation rate than some of the afternoon and evening hour programs. Mr. Carrier asked if they adjust hours and people are on staff. Mr. Gergick answered in the affirmative. He said a person on staff is working additional hours. Mr. Haynie said he would recommend continuing the additional hours at the Senior Center. Mr. Gergick said they are serving the patrons very well at the Senior Center with that. Mr. Haynie asked if they need a motion or a recommendation.  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 3 of 9 Mr. DeMoura said they do not need a vote as the direction is clear and if things change, as they continue to monitor, they can bring it back before Committee. The Committee Members agreed continuing the additional hours at the Senior Center. Mr. Haynie said the demand was not there at the Jones Center pool and would not be something to continue if staff concurs. Mr. Gawrych added the same for the Park West Pool. All Committee Members concurred. 5. Consideration of extending the agreement for use of Trident Academy Gym Mr. Gergick said that approximately a year ago they requested to rent the Trident Academy Gym from Cainhoy Athletic Soccer Club. He said the Town had put in a bid for the rental of that facility and was outbid. He said Cainhoy leased the field and the gym and the Town subleased the gym from them for the hours needed. He said it was $13,600 a year/$3,400 a month which Recreation needed during basketball season. He said this was done for two years primarily to get through gap period while the Town Hall Gym was being torn down and the new gym constructed. He said now Trident does not want to have a lease agreement with someone that subleases it. He said Trident is terminating the agreement with Cainhoy Athletic Soccer Club and establishing it directly with the Town. He said Recreation thought of extending the agreement. He said there have been very large numbers in summer basketball and they would like to extend the agreement to include June and July of 2018 at the same rate of $3,400 a month. He said they also want to extend the agreement for one more year during the winter time even though they are not sure they are going to need it. He said the new gym construction should begin in January and it is a 335 days’ timeline to complete the job with another 35 days to complete the job. He said it may not be completed before basketball season starts. He said if it is not completed they will be short a gym. He said it would be a good safeguard to secure another gym for that amount of time. He said he was suggesting they end the agreement with Cainhoy and make it with Trident directly and proposing they have extended  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 4 of 9 months of usage in the summertime and one more basketball season during the winter. Mr. Carrier asked about the summer time frame. Mr. Gergick said now they currently have December, January, February, and March and are looking for June and July and December through March of the next year. Mr. Gawrych made a motion to staff to proceed with extending the agreement for use of the Trident Academy Gym as specified. Mr. Haynie seconded the motion. All were in favor. Mr. Gergick said Trident is going to verify the availability of those times and he will work with them to make sure they are. He said given the approval he will move forward. 6. Special Events Office recognition for winning the Bronze Pinnacle Award for Best Promotional Brochure for Blessing of the Fleet Mr. Gergick recognized Ms. Nicole Harvey and Ms. Tracy Richter for winning the Bronze Pinnacle Award at the International Festivals and Events Conference in Arizona. The Committee congratulated Ms. Harvey and Ms. Richter. Mr. Carrier asked if they would be recognized at the Council Meeting. Mr. DeMoura answered in the affirmative that they could be. 7. Request for use of Carolina Park Recreation Center for the temporary parking of school buses Mr. DeMoura said the Charleston County School District (CCSD) needs a place to park school buses. He said they approached Town officials about locating it at Carolina Park. He said it could be an opportunity if it could be designed and constructed properly with their dollars to support parking there for approximately two years. Mr. DeMoura said that if it was to work out they would pay for it and the Town could turn around and use the parking place for our next space. He said that the parking lot is expensive especially if they are completed right and to the Town’s standard and they could take the money that they would normally put in the parking lot and  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 5 of 9 put it into other things at the recreation complex. He said these preliminary discussions have started to materialize and it was appropriate for them as Recreation Committee members to be aware of this and what may be in the works with one of the recreation complexes. He said they would bring it back to the Committee for consideration if it proceeded. Mr. Haynie asked if the buses were for the new Carolina Park Elementary. Mr. DeMoura said the buses would serve the north end of town. He said it must include several different schools in that area. Mr. Gergick said they are looking to have parking for approximately 100 buses. He said they are looking for immediate parking as early as April for 60 buses. Mr. Haynie asked if there would be 60 buses parked there when there are Saturday recreational activities. Mr. DeMoura answered in the affirmative. Mr. Gergick said it was undeveloped land that would be made into a parking lot. He said they met with Seamon Whiteside, CCSD, and Public Services to see how feasible this would be and if it would be a mutual benefit in building a parking lot. He said it was determined that the only portion that would be mutually beneficial would be the first half because it would be future parking for the Town. He said everything else would need to be torn up for Town to complete the design of the facility. He said one area would accommodate 35 buses and their immediate need is for 60 spaces. He said it may be beneficial for them to get 35 spaces and have a smaller parking lot somewhere else. He said they need it by April and estimates for design and permits were approximately six months and five to six months for construction. He said the timeline would not work for them as early as they need it. He said they would check to see if there is a requirement to have it built with asphalt but could potentially do something temporary and quicker with ROC. He said they could still bring in some fill and we would have a benefit of that building up the area. Mr. Gergick said there is a concern as there could be three projects that could be going at the same time. He said they are now in Phase II of building the  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 6 of 9 restroom facility and the water line so the shared laid down areas would need to be coordinated and the Town will also be putting field drainage on the fields later in the year. Mr. Carrier asked if there was concern about contamination from working on the buses. Mr. Gergick said that would be a part of the permit process. He said the Department is looking at several things such as the possibility of it being utilized, if the space available, and if the work they would put into the space would benefit the Town later by not having to put the same dollars into the area. Mr. Carrier said that only one third of the proposed parking could be used in the future. He asked how much parking was used at the site now. Mr. Gergick said the Town uses every bit of it and sometimes there is overflow. Mr. Haynie asked about the buses being brought back daily after running their routes. He asked if in the afternoon when then come back would Recreation patrons be coming in for their activities. Mr. Gergick said there should not be a problem timewise. He said Recreation participants would be coming in 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. He said they talked with Transportation. He said there was some concern of the wear and tear on the road. He said that anything agreed upon would have to be returned to good condition once they were through. He said they are looking at a two-year period. Mr. Carrier asked if they would leave cars there while they are driving the buses. Mr. Gergick answered in the affirmative and said that should not be a problem because it would be in the day time. Mr. Gawrych asked how we were contacted about this and if it was a letter. Mr. DeMoura said CCSD staff were in search of parking for school buses given the amount of school activity in that area of town, came to us, and the idea was suggested by them.  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 7 of 9 Mr. Gergick said they just met with CCSD. Mr. Gawrych said when the schools were built at Park West they wanted to be able to park buses next to Cario. He said parking turned into working and refueling buses and it did not go over well. He said that no one in Park West concurred with the idea. He said as much as the Town of Mount Pleasant tries to work with the school district, that partnership did not work out. Mr. Gawrych said even though they are not going into a neighborhood like Park West, he is not in support of the Town working with school district to park buses at this facility. He said he continually wants to do anything they can with the Charleston County School District but said he was not on board with this. Mr. Carrier asked about the site the Town acquired past White Hall. Mr. DeMoura said it was brought up but it is not that large and the police department is utilizing and it would not be the best site to have school buses. Mr. Bob Brimmer, 2380 Parsonage Woods Lane, said this was reminisce of 15 years ago with Park West. He said they said they are talking about 60 buses and anything else on this road in addition to the present traffic will be horrendous. He asked where the buses are presently located. Mr. Gergick said they are currently being parked at the Old Wando High School but due to the construction they need a new home. Mr. Brimmer said they would be traveling on many roads. He said they need to find smaller lots close to the schools. Mr. Gary Santos, 1690 Greystone Boulevard, said Mr. Gawrych asked how this conversation started. He said in meetings regarding the Lucy Beckham facility and football field, things are going well for recreation. He said they are studying it and said at those meetings they brought up the school buses. He said they had talked about being close to the airport because it is secluded and away from developments. He said if they could build the parking it would save the Town a tremendous amount of money. He said if they are willing to build the Town a first-class parking facility it would save the Town money. He said there are no houses there.  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 8 of 9 Mr. Haynie asked if there was a payment for this project. Mr. DeMoura said what has been discussed was the work. He said to build a parking lot of that size would be a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Haynie asked with CCSD completing the work if the Town would have any sort of veto power for trees or drainage due to the wetlands. He said his concern is though he likes working with the school district, if they are going to be working on and fueling buses he wonders if there will be any mission creep. He asked when there was a decision point on this. Mr. Gergick said it was in the hands of CCSD to see if the Town is even interested in it. He said CCSD are not sure right now that they want to pursue it since it was looking like they could only get 35 spaces. He said they want to have it in one location. He said they would need to build to a higher standard than a current parking lot due to asphalt thickness due to the weight of the buses. He said they would be building a more expensive parking lot than one normally builds. Ms. G. M. Whitley, 809 Post Oak Drive, said the savings that would come from the 35 parking lots spaces could be destroyed in taking down the remainder. She said unless the plan is altered to where it all becomes parking that is preserved, there needs to be environmental remediation. She said there is two-year potential to allow some money to be saved for a splash pad or water play area at a place like Carolina Park or Rifle Range Road. She said it would be good if money could be shifted to allow for something such as that to be built since they are bringing in a water line in there with a large lawn and a playground. She said she liked the idea of saving money and moving toward public benefit. She said she was concerned about the cost of tearing down the unwanted parking to fit within the plan as it is currently designed. Mr. Carrier said he does not like location of the parking area. He said to let them act and the Town can respond. Mr. DeMoura said at some point they would have to produce a formal proposal to be considered. 8. Program report  Recreation Committee October 2, 2017 Page 9 of 9 Mr. Gergick reviewed participation numbers. He said he will change the reporting format because the numbers are misleading due teams not being completed. Mr. Carrier said he liked the way summer camps were reported. Mr. Gergick said the summer camps were great with more people and camps. He said the Culture, Arts and Pride Commission had a Take Pride e-newsletter that came out with the Traffic Box Art, Tree Bank and Raining Art programs. He said the Special Events staff had been busy with Party in Parks, two splash events, Waterfront Park movies, and the Farmer’s Market. 9. Adjourn There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 12:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Karen Bedenbaugh, 10/2/17