Parks and Recreation Board

222 West Main Street City of Pensacola Pensacola, FL 32502 Meeting Minutes 3 - Final Parks and Recreation Board Thursday, November 19, 2020 8:00 AM Hagler-Mason Auditorium Members of the public may attend the meeting in person; however, there will be limited seating capacity. Consistent with CDC guidelines, attendees will be required to sit at least 6 feet apart and wear face coverings that cover their nose and mouth. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 8:01 am. Chairperson Hicks read the statement about how the general public can view and participate in the meeting. ROLL CALL Present 9- Chairperson Rand Hicks, Vice Chair Maranda Sword, Antonio Bruni, David Del Gallo, Alejandra Escobar-Ryan, Gabriela Garza, Leah Harrison, Jarah Jacquay, and Michael Wolf Chairperson Hicks would like to make some adjustments to the agenda - 1. First item to note is that Adam Cayton's name was misspelled (shown as Caton). 2. Move EPH Lions Park tree planting project right after the presentation about the Value of Trees in Parks. 3. Conclude with dedication request for Frank Cutrone. There was no opposition from Board members to these changes. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes for the Meeting of September 24, 2020 Attachments: Sept 24, 2020 Minutes Parks and Recreation Board Unapproved Soccer Presentation Approved Yes: 9- Chairperson Hicks, Vice Chair Sword, Bruni, Del Gallo, Escobar-Ryan, Garza, Harrison, Jacquay, and Wolf 2. Minutes for the Meeting of October 15, 2020 City of Pensacola Page 1 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes 3 - Final November 19, 2020 Attachments: Minutes for October 15, 2020 Approved Yes: 9- Chairperson Hicks, Vice Chair Sword, Bruni, Del Gallo, Escobar-Ryan, Garza, Harrison, Jacquay, and Wolf DIRECTOR'S REPORT There will not be a Director's report this month, it is postponed until next meeting, but the Board was asked if there were any questions-- *Member Harrison asked if the community centers are still open. Director Cooper (via Teams) mentioned that all of the centers are open. Bayview Senior Center's programs are being held outside. The other centers are offering after school programs and small groups and other small events. STAFF REPORTS 3. Sunshine Law Review - Vanessa Moore, Assistant City Attorney If any members have any in-depth questions about Sunshine Law, please feel free to contact the City Attorney's office. * She recommended Government in the Sunshine manual. It is available for purchase or free. [Following the meeting, the Board members were forwarded a link to the manual.] Sunshine Law consists of two main areas, meetings and public records. Meetings * Generally, there is no evil intent of Sunshine Law violations, it is inadvertent. If there is a topic for which the Board members may have a passion, and it is a possibility that it will be discussed at a Board meeting, best advice is to try to avoid voicing an opinion about the topic. * Sunshine Law requires reasonable notice to be given, minutes to be taken, and that the meeting is open to public. A meeting is any time or any place that two or more members are meeting to discuss business that may come before them. * Violations can occur in person, via phone, email, as well as if someone relays thoughts or intentions from Board members to another Board member about different issues. It also includes text messages. * An appearance of a Sunshine Law violation can occur if one is not occurring. Social conversations between Board members are permitted. * A conflict or potential conflict needs to be disclosed. * An unintentional violation is a non-criminal infraction, there is often a fine. If it was intentional, it will be a misdemeanor. This applies to all board members and City staff. * There is no violation if members of the same board attend the same meeting. Board members can listen and participate, but if more than one City of Pensacola Page 2 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes 3 - Final November 19, 2020 shares an opinion about a Board topic, it is a violation. Just be cautious that it does not end up in a Sunshine Law Violation. Public Records * Anything in regards to Parks and Recreation Board topics, whether in an email or text, is a public record. Member Bruni asked if talking to Director Cooper, City Council members, or the Mayor are Sunshine Law violations? Per Attorney Moore, discussions between Director Cooper, the Mayor, and City Council are generally not subject to public records. Member Jacquay asked in terms of public notice, if there is a workshop to gain opinions from Board and Council members, what is the proper way to notice the meeting? In particular how to notice a CNAPP meeting, which is a quasi governmental organization? If the meeting is not governmental, they do not need to follow Sunshine Laws, but Board members still need to do so. Member Escobar-Ryan asked about interactions on social media, do the members need to worry about that? If there issues that can come before the Board, they can be subject to public records, so please keep track. If two people from the same board comment on a topic, it can be a Sunshine Law violation. Completed 4. Value of Trees in Parks - Mark Jackson, Sustainability Coordinator * Following Hurricane Sally an Urban Forest Strike Team came in to assess the damages in the City Parks. Their objective is tree mitigation, retaining as much viable low-risk tree canopy as possible. Coordinator Jackson presented their findings. * They suggested several mitigation options, and identified which options could qualify to be reimbursed by FEMA, and which could not. * They inspected 128 miles of right of ways. * Three major mitigation efforts that they presented were stumps, remove, prune, and inspect. Inspect means to come back at a later date and inspect the tree again. Sometimes trees can twist during a storm, damaging the inside fibers of a tree. This type of damage will not be visible until a year or two later. * In regards to value, by living within a half-mile radius of a park that has trees, it adds 15% of value to the property (based on national average). * In July, the average home price in Pensacola was $240,000. * On average, 10% of the trees in parks were damaged. * There are about 23,500 properties within a half-mile radius of a park with tree damage. City of Pensacola Page 3 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes 3 - Final November 19, 2020 * On average about $3,600 was lost per home. He further calculated loss in revenue from property taxes, and it exceeded $660,000. This loss of tax revenue will not be realized until a property is sold or the property is reappraised by the tax assessor. * Member Garza asked about replacing the trees that were lost, what trees should be used in their place? Coordinator Jackson mentioned that the City will be working with a consultant to conduct site assessments for a reforestation plan. We will be using the Florida Right Plant, Right Place initiative put out by IFAS (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences). * Planting season is now through March, and in that time frame, Coordinator Jackson would like to plant trees in five parks, and the rest next year. The trees will come from native plant nurseries, which take time to grow what we will be purchasing. * Chairperson Hicks asked if Coordinator Jackson could name the five parks. No, it is outside of his purview. * Member Jacquay asked if street right of ways will be reforested? Not at this time, but Coordinator Jackson is looking at another project which will encompass those. * Member Wolf asked if they will be taking this opportunity to remove invasive species such as Chinese Tallow. If the tree was not hazardous, it was not included in the Urban Forestry suggestion for mitigation. * Member Escobar-Ryan asked if there are any programs to help citizens pay for replacing trees. Coordinator Jackson mentioned that once a year the City's Parks and Recreation department offers a free tree giveaway. There is also a grant available through the Environmental Advisory Board, if the tree is on "common ground". * Member Jacquay mentioned that since the storm, there is a lot of reluctancy to plant a tree that may fall on a house. Coordinator Jackson mentioned again that they need to contact IFAS to get the right tree in the right place. * Coordinator Jackson mentioned that a tree will add about $7,100 (based on national average) to the value of a piece of property. * Alan Gray, citizen, asked what value do we have in assessing street scapes? Per Coordinator Jackson, there has not been a study on home values at this time, but there has been a study that measured the value of a tree in a right of way at $7,000. * Mr. Gray also asked about the $7,500 grant would be available for an entryway into a subdivision. Coordinator Jackson mentioned as long as it is communal property. * Member Jacquay asked about using the grant for various beautifications in his neighborhood. The grant does not have any clearly defined boxes as to what will/will not be approved besides it has to be communal property. He mentioned that a well developed/presented plan would have an easier chance of getting funded. City of Pensacola Page 4 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes 3 - Final November 19, 2020 * Chairperson Hicks mentioned that the City's tree ordinance is being rewritten. It should be ready for Council to review and discussion soon. Completed NEW BUSINESS 6. Lions Park Tree Planting Project - Adam Caton Adam Cayton is the president of the East Pensacola Heights (EPH) Neighborhood Association. * The City Council member for that district was willing to use their discretionary tree funds to help with this project at Lions Park in EPH. The park had a lot of open space that could be used for reforestation without interfering with the ball playing activities at the park. There was demand for reforestation. * The three guiding principals were shade, beauty, and habitat. Lack of shade means people will spend less time in the park. * After discussions with Council Member Moore, Park Superintendent Bill Kimball, and Director Cooper, the decision was made to plant a mix of native species to create a large central shaded area. * The Neighborhood Association believes the trees will create higher home values, increasing the amount of tax revenue received, as well as the appeal of the neighborhood. * The cost of the trees will be about $4,000, not including labor, but the residents feel it will benefit them once the trees have matured. * Member Jacquay expressed his gratefulness for implementing this project, but would like to see more benches to enjoy the shade. Mr. Cayton responded that the tree trust fund does not cover benches, so they are saving that project for later. * Member Wolf suggested using some sort of social media campaign to show off plan and how it was implemented. Completed 5. Dedication Request - Frank Cutrone Attachments: Park Amenity Dedication Proposal Form - Frank Cutrone Gena Buchanan was not present to make her presentation. There was discussion on whether or not to approve without her being there. Several members are familiar with Frank Cutrone, and support the idea, but would still appreciate hearing from Ms. Buchanan. Postponed Yes: 9- Chairperson Hicks, Vice Chair Sword, Bruni, Del Gallo, Escobar-Ryan, Garza, Harrison, Jacquay, and Wolf OLD BUSINESS (None) City of Pensacola Page 5 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting Minutes 3 - Final November 19, 2020 OPEN FORUM Alan Gray is an urban planner by planning and trade, and he has started to work in the smart cities industry. He works for SESCO lighting. He was having a lighting expo that evening, showcasing lighting options for the urban environment. Quality and color of lights have an impact on a community. There will be food and atmosphere. There are many options available including solar, solar technology has caught up. Anthony Caldwell commended the Parks and Recreation staff for the wonderful job they are doing at Magee Field, and responding to his concerns. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:29 am. The City of Pensacola adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities. Please call 436-5682 (or TDD 435-1666) for further information. Request must be made at least 48 hours in advance of the event in order to allow the City time to provide the requested services. City of Pensacola Page 6