Parks and Recreation Meeting

Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting Minutes June 2, 2021 6:00 PM The Parks and Recreation Commission of the Town of Sahuarita met in the Sahuarita Council Chambers, 375 West Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita, AZ 85629 on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. I. ROLL CALL Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Jeff Allen Commissioner Present Jeff Ahern Commissioner Present Diane Huckins Chairperson Present Erin Thomas Vice Chairperson Present Michele Ahern Commissioner Present Gina Anderson Commissioner Present Shel Zatkin Commissioner Present II. CALL TO THE PUBLIC No members of the public spoke. III. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES 1. Approval of the April 7, 2021 Commission Meeting Minutes RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Jeff Allen, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeff Ahern, Commissioner AYES: Allen, Ahern, Huckins, Thomas, Ahern, Anderson, Zatkin Regular Meeting Minutes- June 2, 2021 Page 1 of 4  Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes IV. BUSINESS 1. Tree Plan Parks, Recreation & Community Services Director Nanette Smejkal provided background on the tree plan including receipt of a grant to hire a consulting arborist for the inventory. The Fall/Winter 2020 inventory was accomplished with the assistance of community volunteers. Smejkal summarized the tree plan which reflected the condition assessment and inventory. The plan includes actions to remediate trees in poor health and/or dying and ongoing items to maintain trees through out the year. The Town's Urban Forestry Ordinance established that a tree committee, will approve the tree plan, which they did in May 2021. Discussion ensued. Commissioner Zatkin asked if there were financial issues associated with the tree plan and asked if additional funds are needed to implement the plan. Director Smejkal stated implementing the plan is part of the operating budget. Funds to plant additional trees will be noted in future budget requests. A formalized tree donation program could be established. Vice Chairperson Thomas asked how we differentiate ownership of private and public street trees and if staff or a contractor takes care of trees. Director Smejkal stated we counted all of the trees on Town owned and operated land. Public Works has authority to enter into an agreement with developers and private owners so that they maintain trees they placed in the public right of way. Public Works will inventory those trees at some point. Height of tree determines who maintains Town-owned trees; staff or contractor. RESULT: DISCUSSION ONLY 2. National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Agency Performance Review 2021 Parks, Recreation & Community Services Director Nanette Smejkal provided background on the NRPA survey and our report. NRPA requests data for fiscal year ending June 30. Once the data is input, NRPA generates a report which is distributed each year. Staff can update database at anytime, but updates will not change the printed report. The printed report compares the Town of Sahuarita against all NRPA agencies and a subset of other agencies with similar population densities. Staff can compare the Town of Sahuarita against other agencies and criteria by performing a query in the NRPA database. Discussion ensued. Commissioner Zatkin recalled the effort to update the Parks and Recreation Area Design & Development Standards Manual and asked if there are national standards. Director Smejkal stated NRPA stopped publishing national standards because each community needs to establish their own level of service. When we gather data it is important to know how we got the numbers. Chairperson Huckins stated data is only as good as who reports it and how they report. Regular Meeting Minutes- June 2, 2021 Page 2 of 4  Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes RESULT: DISCUSSION ONLY V. COMMISSIONER AND DIRECTOR REPORT ON CURRENT EVENTS 1. Director and Commissioner Reports Parks, Recreation and Community Service Director Nanette Smejkal provided a status on the 2022 budget process. Operating budget looks good and was increased in some areas. The budget supports continuance of drinking fountain replacement program, update irrigation controllers, increase water budget due to increased water bills and improve the community garden. Recreation will get some additional temporary staff hours to expand summer camp and to expand events. Additional funds to update our Master Plan are budgeted as well; a consultant will be hired to help with the plan, scientific surveys and focus groups and this will be an eighteen month project. A separate consultant will be hired to assess social services needs of residents and another contract will be let to compile Sahuarita's history. Capital Improvement Projects include sewer lines at Anamax, furniture replacement at Quail Creek-Veterans Municipal and Parque Los Arroyos, additional shade canopies for Anamax and North Santa Cruz, sand volleyball at Quail Creek- Veterans Municipal. Public Works budget includes a parking lot at Twin Buttes and IT budget includes wifi install at Sahuarita Lake. Park improvements include wrapping up pedestrian bridge at lake, with landscaping and growing the grass, and finishing the pollinator garden, disc golf and trail at Anamax. Camp Sahuarita is underway. Open/Lap summer swim has low attendance. Upcoming events include Celebracion Sahuarita (6/5), Family Fitness Day (6/12) and drive-in movies (6/18, 7/16, 8/13). Dad's Day Dance (6/26) and Wizardry event (7/31). For 4th of July Red, White & Boom will occur on Saturday, July 3rd at Sahuarita Lake Park 6 - 9 p.m. with food trucks, activities, music and fireworks. July is National Parks and Recreation Month, we will host an open house on 7/17 from 8 - 10 a.m. showing park maintenance and three new areas at Anamax. Community Services is handling nominations for Yard/Landscape of the Summer. There is an application period and anyone can nominate. Neighbor of the Year will roll out later in the summer. Community Enhancement Proposals will follow late summer. Proposals need to be accessible to all residents, not to exceed $5,000. Director Smejkal inquired if commissioners are interested in helping with selection committees, with Thomas, Anderson and M. Ahern stating interest. RESULT: DISCUSSION ONLY VI. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 1. Future Agenda Items None identified. Regular Meeting Minutes- June 2, 2021 Page 3 of 4  Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes RESULT: DISCUSSION ONLY VII. ADJOURNMENT Regular Meeting Minutes- June 2, 2021 Page 4 of 4