Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

PARK BOARD MINUTES Public Works Facility Conference Room 1400 NE 16th Avenue - Oak Harbor, WA 98277 Monday, June 14, 2021 11:30 AM  Tom Tveit, Chair  Judy Wagner  Vacant  Daisy Sapida, Vice Chair  Rosemary Morrison  Alexa Ochoa  Joel Servatius, City Council Ex-Officio Member (Alternate Member) 1. Call to Order Tom Tveit called the meeting to order. Members in attendance were Tom Tveit, Daisy Sapida, Rosemary Morrison, Judy Wagner and Alexa Ochoa. Joel Servatius, City Council Ex-Officio Member, was also in attendance. City staff members in attendance were Don Crawford, Lisa Felix, Cac Kamak, Sabrina Combs and Chris Sublet. Laura Renninger, CeCe Aguda, Padraic McGovern, Cynthia Mason, Therese Kingsbury and Emily Gilbert were also in attendance. 2. Approval of Minutes MOTION: Moved by Daisy Sapida, seconded by Judy Wagner the Park Board unanimously approved the minutes from the May 10, 2021 meeting, to include a clarification of the location of the monument with the corrosion issue at Windjammer Park rather than on Pioneer Way. 3. Public Comments Daisy thanked Tally and the parks staff for replacing the flag at Windjammer Park in time for the Memorial Day celebration. She also noted that it was noticed by a local group that there are many weeds growing in different parts of Windjammer Park. She asked if it was admissible for the group to pull the weeds and dispose of them properly. Don Crawford asked her to have the group contact him directly. He explained that the City has a contract with a company to weed Windjammer Park but that contract is expiring. Tom also noted areas where weeding needs to be conducted. Don added that once the Rotary Bridge project is complete, park maintenance will resume on schedule. Tom inquired about a 4th of July event. Lisa answered that there will be a parade and fireworks display. Don also informed the board that care of all city flags have been redirected to Tom Wade in the Public Works Department, moving forward. Tom asked if the lagoon will be cleaned in time for swimmers, as he is concerned about debris presenting an unsafe condition. Don will follow up with staff. PARK BOARD MINUTES Monday, June 14, 2021 Page 2 4. New Business a. Introduction of New Alternate Park Board Member Tom welcomed Alexa (Lexi) to the board. She gave a brief overview of her history with Oak Harbor. She is looking forward to working on the Board. b. Introduction of New Operations Manager - Parks Don Crawford introduced himself to the board. He gave a detailed history of his park experience. He is excited to be a member of the Oak Harbor team. The Park Board welcomed Don to the City. c. All About Garry Oaks Presentation – Laura Renninger Laura presented a slide show ‘All About Garry Oaks’ to the board. It highlighted the mission of the Garry Oak Society and the importance of education, preservation and outreach. She spoke of the history of the Garry oak and its relevance to the city. Garry oaks have been protected in the city since 1990. Tom asked if some of the trees planted by volunteers need to be watered more often. Laura answered that those trees are on their ‘care list’ and will be tended to. Daisy asked if the English ivy control project had been completed. Laura explained the Garry Oak Society has designed a brochure to help educate the public about the danger English ivy presents to the Garry oak. Lexi asked if saplings were available to purchase by the public. Laura cautioned to only purchase Garry oaks that have not been cross-pollenated and referred the board to the Garry oak website. d. Smith Park Electrical Pole and Power Line/Replacement Relocation Initiative Don explained he had received a request to trim the trees in Smith Park next to the power lines. He wanted to explore the possibility of relocating the power lines, possibly underground. Tom asked him to coordinate with Laura when trimming trees in Smith Park. Don agreed that both agendas are closely related and will be sure to organize with the Garry Oak Society. e. Rowing on Whidbey Proposal – ROW Padraic McGovern presented ROW’s proposal ‘Rowing on Whidbey’ to the board. This organization is dedicated to growing the sport as a means of promoting a healthy lifestyle for youth and adults. They are supportive of social community, affordable access to water/nature, recreation and competition. They feel Windjammer Park is an ideal location as it provides ease of access and visibility. CeCe Aguda added that several residents seem excited to have a rowing club in Oak Harbor and this program should be well received. They requested to build a storage structure to store their boats next to the boat ramp. Tom asked if the proposed storage site was originally meant to store City equipment. Don replied that City equipment can be stored at the Clean Water Facility for now. Tom asked who would maintain the boat ramp. Don stated that City staff would still be responsible for maintaining the boat ramp and ensuring accessibility for the club. He added that he would like to see another aquatic sport on the waterfront. Padraic also noted that the cost and maintenance of the storage shed would be the responsibility of ROW. PARK BOARD MINUTES Monday, June 14, 2021 Page 3 Joel Servatius stated that he will be proposing that same site for the Angel of Creativity sculpture to fellow City Council members, and also noted the tide tables and asked about a location closer to the Marina. CeCe explained that ROW is aware of tide tables and debris and those items are built into their program. Several alternative sites have been discussed, however CeCe felt the proposed Windjammer site was still the best location for their proposal. Chris Sublet added that the Marina site is not the safest place for rowers, noting the heavy boat traffic and the underwater hazards presented. Discussion continued regarding tide tables, launching and parking at the Marina. Daisy stated that Windjammer Park seems more practical. Tom agreed. MOTION: Moved by Tom Tveit, seconded by Daisy Sapida, to recommend to City Council the proposed site of Windjammer Park, close to the boat ramp and the use of the land adjacent for the building of a storage structure to be used by Rowing On Whidbey. Tom Tveit, Daisy Sapida and Judy Wagner voted in favor. Rosemary Morrison opposed. Motion passed. f. Rotary Bridge Update Don stated that the Rotary Bridge is scheduled for dedication on July 1st. Tom asked if the Rotary Club had contributed to the cost of the planks. Don responded that, to his knowledge, the Rotary Club did pay for the planks. g. Windjammer Park Phase II Update Don explained that staff is currently collecting data, because some items planned for other phases had been completed in Phase I. As soon as the data is collected, staff would like to send out a survey, possibly in September. Tom noted there were to be public meetings and hopes that a survey will not be the only form of public outreach. 5. Unfinished Business a. Naming Resolution Update Cac Kamak updated the board that the Naming Resolution update recommendation was forwarded to City Council. As they had no questions, the resolution was approved as recommended. b. Harbor Heights Update Cac explained the design of the first phase can proceed, with Gun Club Road as the access point. Staff will meet with Island County to discuss usage of the road. The design concept with 2 soccer fields and 50 parking spaces has been provided to the consultant to proceed with the design. 6. Announcements a. Tom asked if the splash park would be open this year, and if so, if there is a tentative date. Don explained per Governor Inslee’s opening of the state on July 1st, that was the target date. Tom asked to also be mindful of cold weather days and suggested and on/off switch. Don is already working on a solution. PARK BOARD MINUTES Monday, June 14, 2021 Page 4 b. Rosemary asked if Harbor Heights could keep that name. Cac explained the name is very informal and the City has to follow the guidance of the naming resolution. More discussion will need to be held as well as involvement with the community. 7. Adjournment MOTION: Moved by Daisy Sapida, seconded by Tom Tveit, the Park Board unanimously approved adjournment of the meeting.