4. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PARAB)

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 6:00pm Location: Main Street Station – 2nd Floor, Suite 221-A Meeting Agenda: 1. Introduction – Determination of Quorum a. Board Attendees: Ryan Ford (Chair), Linda Sheppard, Bridgett Perry, Malica Evans, Josh Rudy b. Staff Attendees: Maura Reed (Recreation Coordinator) 2. Approval of Meeting Minutes a. Ryan proposed that the August meeting notes be approved at the October meeting when more of members from the previous meeting will be attending. 3. Roll Call 4. Public Input 5. Board Updates Josh provided information that the pop-up park will be created downtown, in approximately three to five months, in the location that the new town hall will eventually be built. The pop-up park will be created with shipping containers and include a stage, bathrooms, and concessions. It will be paid for by a required annual "gift" to the town from Chatham Park. Josh and Linda suggested that someone could ask Chatham Park to earmark next year's gift to Parks and Rec. Linda asked if the group could adopt a project for the group to be able to complete a project. This prompted the group to discuss Lewis Freeman Park and where we stand with the benches, signs, trash, and recycling containers. Josh proposed the idea of looking at the bylaws to see what the qualifications and requirements are on subcommittees and if this is something that we want to pursue or prioritize right now. Linda, who was absent from previous meetings, was wondering if there could be a place where they could catch up on previous meetings. This would also be beneficial for new members so they can catch up on previous discussions and the status of various projects. This prompted the group to discuss a previous SharePoint group which was switched to Google Drive. The group decided to make more of an effort to keep the Google Drive up to date with meeting minutes and notes on project status. Josh mentioned perhaps getting a voice recording to transcribe the meetings so not one person is consistently being asked to write everything down. This would provide a more accurate accounting of each meeting. Maura provided information about the filled positions in Parks and Recreation. Carter is the Park Superintendent, Robert is full-time park maintenance, Travis is full-time downtown maintenance, and Jeff is part-time maintenance. a. Special Events Website Maura provided a more in-depth look at the updates she created on the Parks and Recreation website, the new fall program guide, and the CivicRec/registration website, and the Board expressed that they were impressed with the design. b. Fall/Winter Programming & Events Maura recapped the September programming/events and discussed what's planned for the rest of the year. i. September 1. Recap of Grandparent’s Day Ice Cream Social a. The Parks Department decided to celebrate Grandparent’s Day with a sweet treat from Maple View and fun craft. This program was well attended even with the rainy weather with 28 attendees total. 2. National Take a Child Outside Week – upcoming week long programs. a. Take A Child Outside week was founded to help connect children with nature. By celebrating opportunities for children to have free play outside, highlighting locations offering places to explore the outdoors, and providing simple activities anyone can do, the hope is to increase the number of children experiencing the natural world. ii. October 1. Trail & Treats Registration is open for local businesses, groups, clubs, etc. to sign us to host a free booth to hand out candy, promo items, or anything related to their business or organization. Maura asked for the board members to provide assistance with spreading the word to local groups and to recruit potential interested groups. Josh asked for the Board to be notified as vendors sign up for Trail & Treats and recommended that a QR code to the signup page be printed on slips of paper that can be handed out to local vendors. 2. Hallo-week / Halloween Happenings a. An upcoming, weeklong programs available to the public iii. November 1. Day of the Dead a. Maura explained that this is an idea of a potential program but not yet confirmed 2. America Recycles Day  a. Maura explained that this would be a small program to teach children about the importance of recycling with a small educational game and craft. iv. December 1. Christmas Parade a. Josh suggested the parade be renamed the Holly Day Parade Ryan suggested that the December meeting be a meeting to wrap up loose ends of the year. Josh recommended that community feedback be shared with the Board, perhaps every two weeks. Maura asked for members to come to the October Board meeting with ideas for programming/events for next spring (Jan-May) 6. Questions & Comments 7. Adjournment a. Next Meeting Scheduled: October 11, 2023 b. Josh motioned for the meeting to adjourn. Linda seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned.