Parks and Recreation Commission

MURFREESBORO PARKS AND RECREATON COMMISSION MINUTES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 12:00 NOON MPRC Members Present: Mr. Eddie Miller, Vice Chair Dr. Charlie Apigian, Dr. Gloria Bonner, Mr. Rick LaLance, Mr. Tim Roediger, Mr. Eddie Smotherman, Mr. Ricky Turner, and Mr. Don Turner (ex officio) MPRC Members Absent: Dr. Linda Gilbert and Mr. D. Edwin Jernigan MPRD Staff Present: Mr. Nate Williams, Director Mr. Thomas Laird and Ms. Rachel Singer (Asst. Directors) Mr. Gary Arbit, Ms. Lisa Browning, Mr. Eric Fann, Ms. Brittany Garrett, Ms. Kristin Hopkins, Ms. Mitzi Hughes, Ms. Deb Hunter, and Ms. Lauren May Others Present: Ms. Angela Jackson, Exec. Director of Community Services Ms. Kelley Baker, Asst. City Attorney Mr. Mike Browning, City Public Information Officer Mr. Steve Roediger, Guest of Tim Roediger After the meeting was called to order, Mr. Ricky Turner led the commission in a prayer and in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Miller next presented for approval the minutes of the September 4, 2019, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. Mr. Smotherman made a motion to approve the minutes as read. Dr. Bonner seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Ms. Rachel Singer introduced two new MPRD employees: Mr. Eric Fann (Program Coordinator for the Wilderness Station and outdoor programming) and Ms. Deb Hunter (Assistant Program Coordinator for Cultural Arts – Visual Arts in particular). Ms. Singer said that Mr. Fann came with a lot of experience after having worked with zoos and aquariums and as a STEAM teacher for the last 17 years. Mr. Fann said he appreciates the opportunity to work with the department and thanked Ms. Singer and Mr. Nate Williams for hiring him. Ms. Singer mentioned that Ms. Hunter was a key player in planning the Greenway Art Festival and that she is in charge of the Cultural Arts Laureates. Ms. Hunter said that she thoroughly enjoys working in Cultural Arts and with the department in general. Dr. Apigian gave a power point presentation on the Try Boro Kids, a kids’ athletic competition, held 2009-2018 as the result of a partnership involving volunteers and the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department (MPRD), with Dr. Apigian and Mr. Nate Williams being among the first volunteers to organize the event and staying with it until its end. The first Try Boro Kids Triathlon was held at Sports Com on August 22, 2009, with 161 kids participating. The number of participants increased annually and was held at Barfield Crescent Park and on the Gateway Island over the years, in addition to Sports Com (with Mr. Bart Fite serving as the announcer when the event was at Sports Com). Activities offered over the 10-year course were triathlons (where kids ran, biked, and swam – actually ran through sprinklers), 2.5K/5K runs, trail runs, and duathlons. The grand total of participants in the span of the Try Boro years was 4,348, with 2,490 unique participants (those signing up more than once). Dr. Apigian stated that his kids and kids of other founding volunteers aged out of the event. He added that there are numerous other events offered now in this area to encourage kids to exercise and stay healthy. He further mentioned that there were many sponsors throughout the 10 years as well, and all were very much appreciated. As a thank you to Parks and Recreation staff for their help with the event, Dr. Apigian presented a check for $1,500 to MPRD from event funds to assist with building maintenance at Sports Com, and a check for $500 will be presented to TOP Soccer (soccer program for special needs youth) representatives Mike and Becky Smith (both long-time Try Boro Kids volunteers too). Mr. Williams informed the commission that Dr. Apigian also deserved recognition for all of his work with Try Boro Kids, which he spearheaded and helped run with no compensation, which included many late night and early morning hours to prep each year. Mr. Miller commented that Try Boro Kids had been an awesome program with incredible participation numbers. Ms. Cayce Neal, Recreation Facility Coordinator at the Adams Tennis Complex, requested approval from the commission to accept sponsorships for this year’s City Tennis Tournament, since it will be the 75th anniversary of the event. Staff plans to hold a banquet and make this tournament extra special. They would like to also give the players commemorative gifts and not put costs for the extra celebration on the participants. Mr. Roediger asked if they had a backup plan in case they don’t receive the sponsorships they are expecting. Ms. Neal said that they would just cut back on the celebration plans if needed. Mr. Miller said that they probably already know of places that will sponsor the event. Dr. Bonner made a motion to approve the request to allow sponsors for the 75th City Tennis Tournament. Mr. Roediger seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mr. Gary Arbit presented for approval the concept of having beer sales at the Adams Tennis Complex during select times of adult usage after the youth have left the facility. He said that staff would also follow all federal, state, and local laws, along with adhering to the strict financial policies of the City. Mr. Roediger asked if the ATC staff had consulted with the Golf Course on the matter (since they sell beer) and asked if the Golf Course had had any problems regarding their sales. Mr. Arbit said ATC staff had talked with them and would follow in their footsteps in regard to beer sales. Mr. Roediger also asked what times the youth would not be at the facility. Mr. Arbit said that youth activities/classes are not scheduled after 6:00 p.m. on weeknights or during adult tournament weekends. Mr. Williams assured the commission that staff has done due diligence to this point on researching the potential sale of beer at the ATC. He mentioned that staff has also received the endorsement of Mr. Chris Massaro, MTSU’s Director of Athletics. Mr. Massaro does not believe the university’s tennis program would be negatively affected. Mr. Williams explained that staff would like to receive the commission’s blessing so the matter can be further considered and possibly offered. Mr. Williams also said that tennis patrons have asked for some time that beer be sold at the ATC, and beer sales at tennis facilities is an industry standard across the country. Mr. LaLance added that a lot of tennis patrons like to have beer after matches. Mr. Roediger 2 wanted to know if allowing beer at the ATC would set a new precedent for the MPRD facilities. Mr. Williams said that Parks and Recreation staff was not planning to request beer sales at other parks and recreation facilities. Mr. Turner was concerned that it might cause patrons of other MPRD facilities to also want beer after their events, like after soccer and softball games or at Patterson or Sports Com. Mr. Williams said that occasional beer gardens are already allowed at the soccer fields after various adult tournaments. He said that MPRD staff will not cross lines to allow beer at Patterson and Sports Com, which have so many youth participants. Mr. Williams explained that this request is specific to the tennis facility. Mr. Turner and Mr. Smotherman were also concerned that Kids’ Castle was so close to the ATC. Mr. Williams further stated that there has not appeared to be any carry-over between Kids’ Castle and the ATC. Mr. LaLance added that the ATC’s patrons are mostly people with memberships to the facility and that the facility operates similarly to a private facility. Mr. Smotherman said that there are country clubs for people to join where alcohol is sold. He further said that he thought MPRD was supposed to encourage good health and that drinking alcohol does not improve anyone’s health. Mr. Smotherman also mentioned that ATC patrons have the option to go somewhere else to drink after their time at the ATC. He stressed that allowing beer at the tennis facility would set a horrible precedent to kids who use the facility. Mr. Roediger made a motion to approve the concept of beer sales at the ATC, and his motion was seconded by Mr. Ricky Turner. The motion was passed by a majority vote, with Mr. Smotherman and Mr. Turner voting against the concept of beer sales at the ATC. Ms. Brittany Garrett with the MPRD Athletics Division requested implementation of the Murfreesboro Advantage League for youth and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. The league would offer sports such as basketball, bocce ball, track and field, volleyball, bowling and flag football. MPRD has already partnered with Special Olympics so that the Advantage League athletes will have a chance to compete at regional, state, national, and international athletic competitions. Staff would like to charge $45.00 per participant for all mentioned sports, except for bocce ball and track and field which would be $25.00 per athlete. Ms. Garrett mentioned that sponsorships will cover fee waiver requests. Dr. Apigian asked if soccer was not included as one of the sports due to Top Soccer already running a program for kids and adults with disabilities. Ms. Garrett agreed that was why. Dr. Apigian made a motion to approve the Murfreesboro Advantage League with said fees, and Dr. Bonner seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Ms. Garrett also showed a video of the successful Miracle League which has been offered since 2017. Mr. Williams invited the commission to attend a Miracle League game and see for themselves what a wonderful program it is. Ms. Deb Hunter, Assistant Cultural Arts Coordinator, explained her proposed program, Improve with Improv, that she would like to offer at the Gateway Island on January 7, 2020, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for ages 16-adult. She explained that the goal of the program is to help people enhance their communication skills (conversation and social) in a fun atmosphere. A fee of $10.00 will be requested per participant, with a maximum of 15 being accepted into the program. Dr. Bonner made a motion to approve the new program, Improve with Improv. Mr. LaLance seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 3 Another new program Ms. Hunter requested approval of was the Visualize Murfreesboro Pop-up Winter Art Camp to be held on December 23, 2019, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Breezeway Restorative Trail (on Gateway Island) for a fee of $30 per participant ($10 for supplies/$20 camp fee). An additional fee of $10 per child will be added for those who request after-hours care. Participants will get to stretch and play on the Breezeway Restorative Trail, visit the Little Libraries, learn about storytelling, and find out about the artist within. Mr. Roediger made a motion to approve the Pop-up Winter Art Camp. Dr. Bonner seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Ms. Melinda Tate, Marketing Coordinator, requested the commission’s approval for Sports Com and Patterson staff to give one free guest pass to patrons for every monthly pass they purchase during the annual Buy One, Get One (BOGO) Sale and four free guest passes to patrons for every yearly pass they purchase during said sale. Staff is confident that a proportion of the guests using free passes will return as paying patrons. The only extra cost for this offer will be for printing the passes. Dr. Apigian made a motion to approve the free passes during the BOGO Sale at Sports Com and Patterson as requested by Ms. Tate. Dr. Bonner seconded the motion, and motion passed by unanimous vote. MPRD upcoming events/activities were also announced by Ms. Tate. She said that Youth League Basketball signups would run through November 15th at Sports Com, Patterson, and the main MPRD office. The St. Clair Street Senior Center Vendor Fair is scheduled for November 7th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. The Fall Harvest Hayride sponsored by MPRD and Friends of the Greenway is set for November 8th from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the General Bragg Headquarters for $2.00 per person. A Teddy Bear Tea will be open to children ages 4-10 on November 10th at Cannonsburgh from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for $2.50 per child. Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center will host a Veterans Appreciation Dinner on November 11th. Veterans who are interested in attending should RSVP to Bradley on November 8th. Sports Com’s annual Customer Appreciation Day will be on December 6th from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Cultural Arts will be presenting the Music Man production November 15-17 and November 22-24 at Patterson’s Washington Theatre, with auditions for the Little Mermaid scheduled December 11th and 13th for ages 6-17. Ms. Tate invited anyone interested to enter the tree decorating contest at Bradley Academy beginning November 17th. Also, the yearly Santa Splash and Dash will be on December 13th at Patterson’s Pool from 6:00-9:00 p.m. for children ages 7-13, $5.00 if preregistered and $7.00 on the day of the event. Also, the New Year’s Day 5K will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Old Fort Park. Ms. Tate reminded the commission that additional information on the programs/activities mentioned today and lots of other MPRD information may be found in the department’s Rec Connection, on the City’s website, and on various Facebook pages. Meeting adjourned: 12:51 p.m. Minutes Approved: _______________________________ _________________________________ D. Edwin Jernigan, Jr., MPRC Chair Nate Williams, MPRD Director 4 01/06/2020 For Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission: RE: Tournament parameters and additional court rates at the Adams Tennis Complex Background The Adams Tennis Complex has been very successful in its efforts to deliver tennis to the public. In addition to providing an excellent option to local players, the facility is a regional destination for tournaments at various levels. Tournament directors historically overbook courts to maximize flexibility. However, overbooking courts has led to limiting or disrupting local play. To encourage better planning, staff is recommending parameters to tournament bookings. In addition, fees need to be set associated with additional tournament needs. Fiscal Impact The current fee structure offers fair and reasonable per player rates for tournaments yet lacks limits on the number of days a tournament can last. This ongoing usage creates a shortage of courts for members and daily users. In addition, the per player fee does not cover the costs associated with additional staff and services reaching beyond the standard tournament. Parameters on tournament duration must be established to ensure the current per player fee is valid. In addition, additional court rental fees should be in place for tournaments exceeding the standard limits. Recommendation It is recommended that the commission approve the following parameters for tournaments and additional court rental fees. 150 or less participants 151 or more participants 1-day usage of all 24 courts 3-day usage of all 24 courts 2-day usage of 16 courts Additional courts: 8 courts a day $50 16 courts a day $75 24 courts a day $125 Attachment: 2020 ATC Tournament Request Form Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department 697 Veterans Parkway * P.O. Box 748 * Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37133-0748 Phone 615 890 5333 * Fax 615 904 6507 * TDD 615 849 2689 * www.murfreesborotn.gov  2020 ATC Tournament Request Form ATC offers 2 tournament options. Please select which one you would like and give us some information about your event. This document is not a binding contract. If approved, the contract will be written using the information in this form. All tournaments have a $6 participant fee. *If you reserve for a large tournament and do not have the minimum 151 players sign up, you will be charged for the extra 8 courts for 2 days.* 150 or less participants 151 or more participants 1 day usage of all 24 courts 3 days usage of all 24 courts 2 day usage of 16 courts Additional courts: 8 courts a day $50 16 courts a day $75 24 courts a day $125 Indoor courts are $6 per court hour if booked before writing contract. Indoor courts booked after contract is written will be $12 per court hour if available when requested. Tournament Information Name of Tournament: Name of Host/Director: Contact Info: Date (and time if applicable): How many participants do you anticipate? Do you need additional outdoor courts? Do you need indoor courts? Will you need the mezzanine? Submit form to ATC Coordinator: Cayce Neal cneal@murfreesborotn.gov January 6, 2020 Chair and Members of the MPRC: RE: Adding Benefit-eligible Family Members to the Fit for Success-Murfreesboro City Schools Benefit Background In 2006 the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department (MPRD) created the Fit for Success pass, a facility pass, to Sports*Com and Patterson for full-time City of Murfreesboro employees. As a taxable benefit, the employee is only responsible for the taxes that would be due on the amount of the pass if purchased on their own. Currently there are 487 City employees who have passes. Shortly after implementation, staff had a request that we extend the benefit to the City Schools full-time employees. After tracking the impact of participation on our facilities with the original pass, staff determined we would be able to handle the addition, and in 2011, we extended the benefit to City Schools full-time employees, of which there are currently 399 participants. There have been many requests over the years for family members to be added to the benefit. Not only are people more likely to exercise if they have a partner, the health and well-being of a person is not limited to just themselves, but to their family members as well. In 2016 we added benefit-eligible family members to the City of Murfreesboro employee Fit for Success benefit. We currently have 212 families that are taking advantage of this benefit, equaling roughly 511 family members. MPRD has continued to have requests for the same addition for the City Schools. Once again, we studied the results of adding the requested participants to our facilities and have determined that we can add benefit-eligible family members to the City School’s Fit for Success passes with minimal impact to our operations. Recommendation Staff is requesting to add this benefit option to the current Fit for Success passes offered to the City Schools full-time employees. Allison Davidson Wellness/Fitness Coordinator Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department 697 Veterans Parkway * P.O. Box 748 * Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37133-0748 Phone 615 890 5333 * Fax 615 904 6507 * TDD 615 849 2689 * www.murfreesborotn.gov January 6, 2020 For Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission: RE: StarPlex Scoreboard Sponsorships As an item for the agenda of January 9, 2020, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department is seeking approval of the proposed sponsorship fees for the scoreboards at StarPlex. Background With the recent addition of five new scoreboards at StarPlex, there is now an opportunity to put sponsors on each side of the scoreboards. Having a couple of hundred people in and out of the ballpark each week, this would be great exposure for sponsors. The proposed fees would include cost of installation. Impact The sponsor would have two different options they could choose from. The first option is a one-year sponsorship for $1,500, and that price would cover installation. The second option is a two-year sponsorship for $2,500, and that price would cover installation also. With this additional revenue, it will help offset costs for the ballparks. Recommendation It is recommended that the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission approve the Scoreboard sponsorships and the fees associated with them, $1,500 for one year and $2,500 for two years. Attachments 1. Sponsorship Fee Proposal and Example of Scoreboard Sponsorship Brittany Garrett Athletics Facility Supervisor Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department 697 Veterans Parkway * P.O. Box 748 * Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37133-0748 Phone 615 890 5333 * Fax 615 904 6507 * TDD 615 849 2689 * www.murfreesborotn.gov  Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department Scoreboard Sponsorship Application Company Name Primary Contact Name Address City State Zip Day Phone Evening Phone Email Secondary Contact Name Address City State Zip Day Phone Evening Phone Sponsorship Levels Required Fee Diamond Level 2-year term includes installation $2,500 Gold Level 1-year term includes installation $1,500 Please email design to athletics@murfreesborotn.gov Thank you for your interest in sponsorship, and for your support of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. Please note that the submission of this application does not guarantee acceptance, and your sponsorship is subject to review. Please submit application to: Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department Mail to: P.O. Box 748, Murfreesboro, TN 37133 Hand Deliver to: 211 Bridge Avenue Phone 615 907-2251 * Fax 615-904-6507 * TDD 615-849-2689 * www.murfreesborotn.gov FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date Received: _____________________ Approved: _____ Denied: _____ By:____________________________________________ Check/MO#: ___________/$___________ Cash Amount: $______________ Receipt/RecTrac #: _____________/_______________ January 7, 2020 For Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission: RE: Tennessee Valley V.A. Healthcare System As an item for the agenda of the January 9, 2020, MPRC meeting, it is recommended that the Commission approve a partnership with the Tennessee Valley VA Healthcare System to provide swim therapy for residents of the Alvin C. York V.A. Campus. Background The Tennessee Valley V.A. Healthcare System provides physical therapy services to our veterans at the Alvin C. York V.A. Campus. They have requested the use of SportsCom’s pool to provide aquatic therapy to said veterans. By establishing a partnership between the City of Murfreesboro and Tennessee Valley VA Healthcare, veterans will be able to experience therapeutic benefits while increasing social wellness. Fiscal Impact Staff has identified nonpeak times during the day in which most pool lanes are idle and going unused. The partnership comes at no cost to the city as lifeguards are already on duty. The number of VA residents permitted usage will be limited to current staffing schedules. There will be no additional staff used during partnership usage, and usage will be limited to nonpeak times. There will not be a charge for veterans from the Alvin C. York V.A. Campus. Recommendation It is recommended that the commission support the partnership with the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System so U.S. veterans can utilize the SportsCom pool in order to receive therapeutic benefits. Respectfully, Kyle Goss Aquatics Coordinator