Board of Parks Commissioners Meeting

Norman Board of Parks Commissioners April 4, 2019 The Norman Board of Parks Commissioners of the City of Norman, Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma, met in Council Chambers on the 4th day of April, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. and notice and agenda of the meeting were posted at 201 West Gray Street, 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. ITEM 1, being: ROLL CALL Present: Chair Wright and Commissioners Cooper, Dolan, Favors, Moxley, Sallee, Salmond, and Starke Absent: Commissioner Isacksen City Officials Present: Jud Foster, Director of Parks and Recreation James Briggs, Park Planner Karla Sitton, Administrative Technician IV ITEM 2, being: APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 4, 2019 MINUTES Commissioner Dolan made the motion and Commissioner Salmond seconded to approve the minutes. The vote was taken with the following results: YEAH: Chair Wright and Commissioners Cooper, Dolan, Favors, Moxley, Sallee, Salmond, and Starke NAY: None ITEM 3, being: APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Commissioner Dolan made the motion and Commissioner Sallee seconded to approve the agenda. The vote was taken with the following results: YEAH: Chair Wright and Commissioners Cooper, Dolan, Favors, Moxley, Sallee, Salmond, and Starke NAY: None ____________________________________________________________________________________ ITEM 4, being ANNUAL PRESENTATION FROM THE FIREHOUSE ART CENTER Mr. Douglas Elder, Executive Director, said the mission of the Norman Firehouse Art Center (FAC) is to enrich our community by offering the highest quality visual arts education, experiences, and exhibition. He said support from the City of Norman is imperative in assisting us to achieve our mission, including the provision of accessible visual arts programming for underserved groups such as adults with disabilities, U.S. Armed Forces Veterans, and youth from disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances. Mr. Elder highlighted the annual activities at the FAC stating Park Board Regular Meeting Page 2 of 4 April 4, 2019 261 children enrolled in the creative classes offered during the past fiscal year. He the Youth & Teens programming are for adolescents ages 10 – 18 and includes ceramics and advanced drawing including special workshop opportunities. Adults are offered many opportunities to include painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, printmaking, fiber, and glass as well as a variety of workshop opportunities. Mr. Elder said every week over 200 students attend 30 to 40 classes offered for adults. Mr. Elder said last year, all 308 Lincoln Elementary School students directly received the benefit of 429 hours of art instruction through the FAC’s Kids Art is Smart program. He said FAC also partnered with local organizations to provide visual arts experiences at community events for almost 4,000 individuals and families. Mr. Elder said through special funding from a National Endowment for the Arts “Arts Engagement in American Communities” grant, the FAC began a new program that provided visual arts instruction to veterans that are full-time residents at the Norman Veterans Center. Mr. Elder highlighted the class fee structures for Children, Adults, Workshops, Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities, and the scholarships available. The class fees have an average cost of $117.50 per workshop for both local and national instructors. He said 55 scholarships are awarded to adults, teens and children. The FAC Gallery typically hosts seven exhibitions a year, each on display for approximately eight weeks and including one or more special receptions. Last year, the gallery hosted the works of artists Elizabeth Brown, Gayle Singer, Dusty Gilpin, and Kristen Vails, as well as exhibitions featuring work from the FAC’s students and faculty. A 2018 organization annual report was received prior to the meeting. Commissioner Moxley asked whether FAC would take over the recently cancelled May Fair event and Mr. Elder said they would need many volunteers to do so. Commissioner Moxley felt if FAC, and arts in general, are struggling in Norman, taking over and having the May Fair event would promote the arts in Norman and Mr. Elder agreed. Commissioner Cooper said he has heard the FAC Veterans program is one of the best and commended Mr. Elder. Commissioner Cooper asked if Lincoln Elementary is the only elementary school to receive art instruction from FAC and Mr. Elder said yes, at this time. Mr. Elder said some schools have hired FAC to come into classrooms to teach. Commissioner Salmond asked whether FAC was sending information to schools via Thursday Folders, and Mr. Elder said yes; however, the Thursday Folders have changed to an electronic version and not every school has the capability to get the information electronically. Commissioner Salmond asked about the increase in salaries and Mr. Elder said some restructuring has occurred, i.e., one full time position is now two part-time positions as well as full time employees are offered benefits such as insurance. Mr. Elder said the FAC Staff is outstanding and he tries to do his best to pay them reasonable rates because they generally work more than 40 hours per week. Chair Wright said she took a class at FAC and loved it. Mr. Elder said he would also like to thank City Staff for all their help removing the graffiti vandalism that occurred at the FAC on April 3rd. He said everyone moved swift and quickly to help and he appreciated it very much. The Board acknowledged the report. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Park Board Regular Meeting Page 3 of 4 April 4, 2019 ITEM 5, being MISCELLANEOUS Mr. Foster said the Legacy Park Parking Lot Plans are complete and will go out to bid later this month. He said the new parking should be complete this spring/summer. Mr. Foster highlighted the Norman Forward (NF) projects beginning with the Ruby Grant Park, stating the plan review is 60% complete and should be 95% complete in late April. He said the playground contractor will produce graphics that can be used for the fund raising campaign. The Construction Manager at Risk (CMaR) for Ruby Grant was awarded to Crossland Construction and will go out to bid this summer. Additionally, Flintco was awarded CMaR for the Reaves Park Project as well as Phase III of the Griffin Park construction. Those firms will work with the city and our project architects for each park to finalize the construction documents and cost estimates, in preparation for bidding the work this summer and begin construction based on a Guaranteed Maximum Price for each. Griffis Tree Farm was hired to install 49 trees of various species at the new park in the Cedar Lane/Monterey neighborhoods. Irrigation will be extended to the new trees prior to various contractors mobilizing on the site to begin installing the walking trails, basketball court, soccer goals, a gazebo, playground and all assorted site furnishings in the new park this spring and summer. The park was designed based on extensive input gathered from surveys distributed last year to the surrounding neighborhoods. We will start a similar process for the new park site in the Southlake/St. James neighborhoods this year to develop that site once we enter the 2020 Fiscal Year this July. Mr. James Briggs, Park Planner, suggested the Park Board sub-committee for Naming and Recognition of Parks and Recreational Facilities meet soon to talk about the name for this new park. The sub-committee members include Kristi Wright, Kristi Isacken, and Allison Starke. Mr. Briggs said the Bicycle Skill Park will also need to be named and he will gather name ideas for both parks and email to the subcommittee. The Westwood Tennis project continues and the contractor has been working this week to apply the court surface. Other trades are completing their work on the entry vestibule, exterior hardscape and landscape and the remaining mechanical closeout items. Work will continue on exterior concrete and drainage systems through the month, along with the final landscape and signage for the project as we head towards a grand opening in early May. Mr. Foster said the Senior Center Visioning Session (SCVS) was held March 15th with approximately 70 participants in attendance and valuable feedback was received. He said the Senior Center Ad Hoc Group held a meeting yesterday, April 3, 2019, and voted to recommend the Reaves Park site for the construction of a new Senior Citizen Center to Council with a couple of caveats to include not negatively affecting the annual Medieval Fair and the redesign of Jenkins Street, including the realignment of Constitution Street and Imhoff Road. Mr. Foster said Council will consider the recommendation and possible adoption at the April 30, 2019, Council Study Session. Commissioner Moxley asked what the budget for the Senior Citizen Center was and Mr. Foster said that will be determined by the Griffin Land Lease with the Department of Mental Health, i.e., if the City leases the land for two 15-year terms, versus buying the property, there could be approximately $7.8 to $8 million left over that can be used for the Senior Citizen Center. Commissioner Moxley asked how the annual operation amount of $1 million was determined for the Senior Citizen Center and Mr. Foster said that amount would include the existing Staff and the NF initiative would pay for another full time employee or hire a private operator. Mr. Foster said monthly membership fees would need to be collected if a private operator was hired; however, participants at the SCVS were in favor of monthly fees in the $25 per person range. He reminded the Board these are only concepts Park Board Regular Meeting Page 4 of 4 April 4, 2019 and far from being decided on. Commissioner Moxley said he likes the idea of a multi-generational concept for the Senior Citizen Center. Mr. Foster said there is a land option of approximately 40-50 acres on West Robinson Street, East of 60th Avenue S.W., for the Adult Softball Program, i.e., the old Travis property. He said information will be presented to Council in the near future. Land discussions regarding the NF Indoor Pool and Indoor Sports Facility at University North Park continue and Griffin land lease negotiations are near completion. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ITEM 9, being ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Salmond made the motion and Commissioner Moxley seconded to adjourn. The vote was taken with the following results: YEAH: Chair Wright and Commissioners Cooper, Dolan, Favors, Moxley, Sallee, Salmond, and Starke NAY: None Passed and approved this ____________of ________________________ 2019 Kristi Wright, Chair