Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

PARK BOARD MEETING MINUTES APRIL 11, 2022 Members Present: Judy Wagner; Alexa Ochoa; Kristina Mayhew; Rosemary Morrison; Nancy Diamond; Jim Woessner Others Present: Don Crawford, Operations Manager-Parks; Rajesh “Cac” Kamak, Principal Planner; Sabrina Combs, Communications/IT Manager; Chris Sublet, Harbormaster; and Samantha Horrobin 1. CALL TO ORDER Judy Wagner called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. 3. ACTION ITEMS a) Approval of Minutes (March 14, 2022) Nancy Diamond MOVED to approve the March 14, 2022 meeting minutes, SECONDED by Alexa Ochoa. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. b) SEEK Grant Manager Crawford presented information on the Washington Recreation & Parks Association (WRPA) SEEK Grant administered by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and funded by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Parks applied for $35,000 in November 2021 which was awarded in January 2022. If City Council accepts the funds, Parks will have $15,000 to coordinate with local youth leagues for scholarships or materials for field upkeep. Parks would identify the needs, enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each participating league, expend the funds, and then request reimbursement from the grant. Nancy Diamond inquired if this would be a ‘first come first served’ basis, or whether the leagues would compete for the funding. Manager Crawford responded that each league which held a 501c tax exemption could request funding. Board Member Ochoa asked if it was for facility use only or could it be for anything. Manger Crawford responded it would be best if funding was tied to improving facilities; however, if it benefitted the youth program that could be addressed in the MOU. He noted that historically the costs were split between the leagues and the Parks Division. He stated there would be a scholarship report showing how many additional youths were served with money that would have otherwise been spent on program. He further 1  mentioned that this was not for low-income families but could be used for middle- income families which may have more than one child in youth sports. Manager Crawford explained that there was also $20,000 awarded for an accessible beach program to enhance Windjammer Park for children with mobility challenges by providing up to three wheelchairs that can be used in the splash pad, on the lawn, or along the beach. He stated the City would setup a program to loan, store and maintain the wheelchairs as well as purchase an ADA compliant beach mat that would provide personal wheelchairs to have access to the beach. Councilmember Jim Woessner inquired as to why three wheelchairs were proposed. Manager Crawford responded that each wheelchair would provide a different level of mobility noting that although this was intended for youth, the wheelchairs could also be able to be utilized by adults. Councilmember Woessner inquired whether the high tides will affect the proposed mat locations. Manager Crawford replied that typically it was fairly simple to just clean the area each time the mat gets laid out adding however it would be learning process. Councilmember Woessner sought verification that this was a non-matching grant. Manager Crawford responded that it is a reimbursement grant. Councilmember Woessner MOVED to recommend to City Council to move forward on the SEEK Grant, SECONDED by Board Member Nancy Diamond. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. c) Pickleball Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Manager Crawford presented the Board with information regarding a MOU requested for new pickleball courts. He advised that the City had a plan to build new courts in Neil Park for $50,000. He announced that no donations were received, so staff looked for other ways to get additional courts built within the city’s budget. He indicated that he worked with the Oak Harbor School District and local pickleball clubs and developed a strategy to refurbish existing pickleball courts at Rotary Park, reorient the position, and add two additional courts on the same footprint. Councilmember Woessner asked how many pickleball players engaged Parks about the courts. Manager Crawford responded about two dozen or so not that the club was very active and very interested in having additional courts in the City. 4. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a) Park Board Members and Ex Officio Pictures for Website Board Member Kristina Mayhew and Councilmember Jim Woessner indicated they will provide pictures for the website. b) Student Alternate Position 2  There have been questions raised regarding whether the student position should be the Alternate seat or a new position on the Board. In addition, the Oak Harbor Municipal Code (OHMC) provisions which govern the Board will need to be amended to reflect the change. The proposal to Council has been put on hold until the Fall 2022. Board Member Diamond stated she has discussed the proposal with the School District which supports the student position on the Board. c) Update on Arbor Day Event (April 29, 2022) Manager Crawford stated he would send out the Arbor Day schedule to include the event summary, activity plan and timeline to board members. d) Shipwreck Shores Splash Pad Update Manager Crawford explained that staff was in the process of installing a submeter so the City can track water usage at the splash pad. An isolation valve will separate the splash pad from everything else. Staff is also working with technical support to address some other issues. The goal is to have everything finished before Memorial Day. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chair Wagner announced she would not be at the May 2022 meeting. She further commented on the Windjammer Park potential future improvements survey requesting the link be drawn to the forefront a little more on the website. Sabrina thanked Chair Wagner for the great feedback. Board Member Diamond asked if Sabrina could send out invites to the members who she wants to attend the open houses. Sabrina will take care of it. 6. ADJOURNMENT Chair Wagner MOVED to adjourn, SECONDED by Board Member Mayhew. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3