Parks & Recreation Commission

MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Parks Administration Office 1101 W. 4th St. March 21, 2022 5:30 PM A. CALL TO ORDER Chair Jane Ann Oldrup called the March 21, 2022 meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. B. ROLL CALL The following Members were present: Jane Ann Oldrup, Barry Mathison, James Edwards, Becky Joyce, and Becky Robertson with Member Maegan Sanders being absent. Staff present: Jim Burress, Special Services Director; Colette Hall, Recreation Director; Alex Diaz, Recreation Manager; Juanita Jennings, Public Affairs Director; John Wright, Zoo Director; and Sharene Brooks, Parks Administrative Assistant, Sr. Guests present: Mayor-Elect Tim Jennings, City Councilor Juan Oropesa, Corrine Oropesa, City Councilor Jeanine Best, Councilor-Elect Juliana Halvorson, Councilor-Elect Ed Heldenbrand, Kerry Moore, Vicki Burress, Rita Kane Doerhoefer, Ron Lethgo, Bob Edwards, Laurie Dudek, Juno Ogle, Ivan Hall, Steve Smith, and Carolyn Mitchell. Staff/Guests via GoToMeeting: City Councilor Barry Foster; Public Information Officer Todd Wildermuth, Pat Krakauskas, and Anna Whistler. C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Oldrup made a clarification regarding guest speaker Tim Jennings’ title. Member Joyce motioned to approve the agenda, Member Edwards seconded; a voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed with Member Sanders being absent. D. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES 1. Member Mathison motioned to approve the minutes of the January 24, 2022 meeting, Member Joyce seconded; a voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed with Member Sanders being absent. E. REGULAR ITEMS (ACTION ITEMS) (none) F. NON-ACTION ITEMS 2. Guest Speaker Mayor-Elect Tim Jennings. Guest Jennings gave an explanation for the purpose of him being at the meeting. He commented that the activities that the community provides speak to its character and are important to the quality of life. He also commented on the fees/costs being charged by the City, State grant money being 1 spent on baseball field plans, the condition of City parks and facilities, large water leaks in the community regularly, many years of non-maintenance of facilities, Main Street needing to be redesigned for pedestrian traffic, donation of the carousel to the City, PETA involvement at the Zoo, Adult Center fallen by the wayside, CDL driver pay, golf greens costly to maintain, still need to figure out how to connect the Cielo Grande Trail, would like to get the Adult Center up and running quickly, biggest thing City has to offer is quality of life, a symphony in the park would add class and character, and Roswell is very lucky to have three golf courses. Guest Edwards made comments regarding the Spring River Corridor trying for the past five years to connect the trails, the obstacles they had encountered, and high race fees. Guest Doerhoefer raised concerns as to the lack of porta-pots, the fees at Cielo Grande, and the issue of vandalism. Guest Smith provided information on upcoming improvements at the bird sanctuary, giving a good example of the community working with the City. Member Robertson inquired about the follow-up meetings after the 2/7/22 community golf course meeting. 3. Discussion on Commission Membership Openings, Members that Need to Re- Apply, Election of Officers. Chair Oldrup informed the commission about terms ending for herself and Member Mathison, the openings, and Member Sanders needing to re-apply. Director Jennings provided membership process information. 4. Discussion on Inclusive Playground Funding and Start Date. Director Burress advised that bid packets for the playground had been opened, money had been received from the State, and the project would consist of two phases. Guest Jennings commented about local businesses having the opportunity to bid and participate as to the equipment part of the project and that the City should not have to go to Albuquerque to get a plan/design. 5. Report on Recreation and Aquatics Center. Director Hall provided revenue and membership numbers for the month of February. They were wanting to provide a lot of intro’s for a variety of different activities/sports. She would be getting certified as a lifeguard trainer. They were still looking for an Adult Center (A/C) Supervisor. They had been working on a vision for the A/C, gearing towards active seniors. They did a SWAT Analysis, looking at strengths and weaknesses in order to set goals. Staffing continued to be an issue as it is hard to find qualified staff. Guest Smith inquired about the ten bicycles bought for the Center. Guest Mitchell commented that there had been no publicity of what was going on at the A/C and that seniors were not going to go online to get information – it needed to be in the newspaper. They had tried to work with the center before and need someone that is willing to work with them. Member Edwards was pleased with the camp that was offered during Spring Break. Manager Diaz summarized what the summer camp was all about and how it worked. There were over 40 kids registered, with at least 30 attending on a consistent basis. They had sent out a survey to collect feedback and would be seeking an accreditation. There was discussion regarding impoverished children, scholarship funding/grants, and keeping fee schedules. Director Jennings commented about getting back on schedule with advertising post- COVID and that a 12-page spread will be in the newspaper on April 9th. 6. Report on Zoo. Director Wright gave updates of what had been going on at the Zoo the last couple of months. They have worked on cleaning-up piles of debris that had been 2 accumulating over the decades. $720,000 in Project Funding had been obtained for designing the new Leprino gift shop entrance. They will be working on the bear exhibit, camera/Wi-Fi upgrades, and replacing fencing to 8 feet high. The Zoo had a turnout of 11-14 kids per day during their camp. They have been prepping for their butterfly opening on May 7th. The Zoo has 12 free days per year, providing an option for people without the income. The flooring in the bathrooms and in the reptile building had been replaced. Two seasonal workers had been hired as two Grounds employees had been on FMLA. The Zoo has had to juggle positions due to staff shortages. Chair Oldrup inquired about the process of going to the Zoo now. 7. Report on Parks Department. Director Burress reported on the recent Block Party that had been held at Carpenter Park. There would be enough money left over from the project to install two more picnic shelters. Chisum Park would be the next project. $40k in picnic tables and trash cans would be installed throughout the parks. A new sidewalk had been added to Delta West Park and $7,000 in trees would be provided by the Rotary Club. Guest Jennings inquired about the City tree farm near Loveless Park. 8. Explore Future Goals. Director Burress advised that they need to take a hard look at where they are going with the Parks. They need to pick something and run with it. The possibility of having a pre-made trailer for organizations that are volunteering to do clean- ups was discussed. G. OTHER BUSINESS 9. Public Comments. Guest Lethgo, from the Kiwanis Club, introduced himself and provided information regarding the club’s involvement with the upcoming All-Inclusive Park. H. ADJOURN Member Edwards motioned to adjourn the meeting, Member Joyce seconded; a voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed with Member Sanders being absent. The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. Next Commission meeting: April 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. 3