Parks, Recreation & Forestry Advisory Board

Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – AGENDA Thursday, January 18th, 2023, City Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. City Spearfish is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board Time: Jan 18, 2024, 07:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82199515476 Meeting ID: 821 9951 5476 --- One tap mobile +12532050468,,82199515476# US +12532158782,,82199515476# US (Tacoma) --- Dial by your location • +1 253 205 0468 US • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 689 278 1000 US • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 305 224 1968 US • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) • +1 360 209 5623 US • +1 386 347 5053 US • +1 507 473 4847 US • +1 564 217 2000 US • +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) • +1 646 931 3860 US Meeting ID: 821 9951 5476 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k2tdRo3OI Next Meeting – February 15th, 2024, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – AGENDA Thursday, January 18th, 2023, City Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL DECLARATION OF ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC COMMENT BOARD ITEMS • Introduction of new board members • Election of officers o Chair o Vice-chair • Assign board members to subcommittees. OLD BUSINESS Board Items • Recognition of past board members o Barb Running o Bill Coburn • Q & A on January board update NEW BUSINESS Director Items • Discuss E-Bikes and the potential need for regulations on certain City-owned properties. UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS • Sports Field Usage/Scheduling/Distribution Next Meeting – February 15th, 2024, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – AGENDA Thursday, January 18th, 2023, City Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. FYI ITEMS • Gold Heart Gala- February 17th • Soccer Tournaments January 6th-7th, February 10th-11th • Basketball Tournament March 23rd -24th ADJOURNMENT Next Meeting – February 15th, 2024, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – MINUTES Thursday, November 16th, 2023, Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. The meeting was held in the Council Chambers and is available at: https://vimeo.com/886586018?share=copy CALL TO ORDER 7:30 AM ROLL CALL In attendance were Running, Griffith, Weigel, Reth, Neilson, and Winterstein. Also in attendance were SRAC Facility Superintendent Rauterkus, Parks Maintenance Superintendent McDonald, City Administrator McFarland, Recreation & Campground Coordinator Wetz, Planning Director Kapsa, and Assistant City Planner Ecker. Absent: Caldwell, Coburn, Clark. Attended via Zoom: Dardis DECLARATION OF ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest were declared. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Reth moved, Weigel, seconded, and all voted to approve the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Reth moved, Running, seconded, and all voted to approve the October 26th minutes. PUBLIC COMMENT Public comment was opened at 7:35 AM with no comments received. ITEMS FROM VISITORS • Approve the Long-Term Vision Plan for Trail Development. o Superintendent McDonald has requested approval of the long-term vision plan for trail development. o Emily Brown and Kevin Jasper discussed the long-term vision plan. Emily is in attendance representing SRAM. SRAM is a worldwide bike component company that has a small headquarters in Spearfish. Kevin Jasper also represents SRAM as well as working with Black Hills Trails. o Brown discussed SRAM priorities within the Black Hills and how to develop a wider trail system. Through conversations, it was decided to hire Rock Solid as well as collaborate with IMBA International Mountain Bike Association. IMBA is a well-known company that helps develop trail systems. o Jasper discussed the current trails and identified the trail zones. The long-term vision plan is designed to complement and renew the existing trails as well as expand into new locations that will optimize access to the trails. This will increase the livability and Next Meeting – December 14th, 2022, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – MINUTES Thursday, November 16th, 2023, Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. attractiveness the City of Spearfish has to offer. Developing a long-term vision plan will allow the opportunity to expand and create a more diverse riding experience on all levels. o Weigel expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to have a long-term development plan. Weigel questioned how many miles the trail would cover. Brown stated that the exact mileage will not be determined until the organization receives final approval. Once approved SRAM will take the concept to Rock Solid to make a final design. o Running questioned if the start of the trail for Lookout Mountain would be accessed through Sandstone or if it would start at the tunnel.  Jasper stated that due to the location of the tunnel, which seems to be currently used the most as well as provides the most accessibility. The final determination of the trailhead would be determined from Rock Solid. o Griffith questions if approved, what the next step in the process would be, who would be held financially responsible for the project, what the time frame would be of the plan, as well as are there particular areas that would be prioritized.  Brown stated that priority will be determined by community engagement as well as getting permission to utilize state-owned land. A public forum will be held to determine community engagement.  Due to being privately funded, fundraising efforts will need to be in place and therefore community engagement is needed and encouraged. The ability to partner with IMBA is a great advantage due to their expertise in fundraising. o Griffith questioned if the entire implementation of this project would be privately funded.  Brown stated that the organization is hopeful for the community's excitement and engagement. This would be beneficial for developing future partnerships. o Griffith questioned the cost of building a trail system.  Brown stated that the average cost is $50,000-$80,000 per mile of trail, this cost includes the design and implementation of the trail.  Jasper stated that the way the project is designed, the project will go out to bid, therefore the cost is variable. o Reth stated that Sturgis has put in a tremendous number of trails within the last 8 years, therefore the local population has been discouraged by the lack of trail development within Spearfish. Next Meeting – December 14th, 2022, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – MINUTES Thursday, November 16th, 2023, Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. o Weigel stated that a lot of funding has been designated to the local sports-specific groups and would like to see some funding allocated towards the community. o Dardis commented that seeing the involvement from the Sturgis community as well as the support from the state, county, and city allowed for the work to be completed seamlessly. Black Hills Trails have been involved in the development of the trail system in and around the Sturgis area. o Griffith questioned what the organization needs from the park board at this time.  Brown stated that at this time, all they need is approval. o Reth questions the duration of the plan.  Brown stated that the long-term plan is determined by the community needs as well as the fundraising efforts. o Reth questioned the safety and accessibility of the trails as well as access to the Tinton trail.  Bown stated that there are areas that are on the concept that will allow the opportunity to connect to many other trails that are already developed, depending on the community support and future partnerships, this will determine what and how the development will advance. o Griffith questioned if approved, how the process continues from concept to construction.  McDonald discussed that the next step will be to establish a long-standing meeting with the organizations to build momentum within the community and partnerships.  Griffith questioned the next step after the concept has been developed, and if the concept would need to be approved before the work can be started. • McDonald stated that depending on the area or zone, conversations with the different agencies will need to be had, this all depends on the variety of easements that have been established. o Reth moved to approve the Long-Term Vision Plan for Trail Development, Weigel seconded, and all voted to approve. OLD BUSINESS Board Items • Question and answer session on the November staff update. o Reth announced that the Skatepark fundraising event at the Public House raised $3,500. Next Meeting – December 14th, 2022, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – MINUTES Thursday, November 16th, 2023, Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. o Griffith discussed the most recent information regarding the re-inspection of the renovated Rocketship. Due to the insurance company that initially performed the inspection not being willing to perform a re-inspection, alternative solutions will be investigated.  McDonald's stated that other companies will perform renovation inspections, but alternative solutions are being sought due to the cost.  Neilson questioned McDonald about the drainage issues that are causing problems at the pond located at exit 14. • Superintendent McDonald stated that unfortunately, this issue is not in his scope of work. • City Attorney McDonald stated the allegations from agricultural and natural resources (DANR) have determined the drainage issues developed from the housing complex and are not from the newly developed sportsplex. NEW BUSINESS Parks, Rec, and Forestry • Discuss the Lookout Mountain grazing lease options. o McDonald discussed the grazing opportunities regarding Lookout Mountain. Multiple agencies were engaged in identifying the wildlife and habitat that are present on the mountain. Due to the nature and the past habitat of Lookout Mountain, allowing cattle to graze on this land will continue to allow the mountain to experience natural disturbances. Lookout Mountain is to be looked at as a land management tool as well as accommodate recreational use, versus a way for the city to increase its source of revenue. April with land management has requested to review the mountain land in April to perform a production survey. Once the analysis is completed, April will make a recommendation. o McDonald stated that this survey should not interfere with the grazing lease, cattle plans change yearly due to the variables of the weather conditions and the needs of the ranchers. An alternative option would be to have a rotational grazing lease, this would allow ranchers the option to place cattle on different parts of the mountain as well as the mountain to experience different natural disturbances and prevent overgrazing. o McDonald discussed the use of Ivermectin, this is an insecticide that is used to treat multiple species of internal and external parasites. When the cattle are treated with Next Meeting – December 14th, 2022, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Advisory Board – MINUTES Thursday, November 16th, 2023, Council Chambers 7:30 A.M. Ivermectin, the benefits from the manure would not contribute to assisting the ecosystem and providing the soil with natural fertilizer. o Griffith questioned if there is an option to create a contract for the rancher to securely obtain the grazing land. McDonald discussed that while discussing different leasing options, Range land specialist, Krista agreed many different variables contribute to the time needed to obtain grazing land. o Winterstein questioned if there have been problems with cattle/dog interaction. McDonald stated that there have not been any reported problems. Krista recommended placing signage at the trailhead, this would explain the mountain ecosystem and inform the recreation user of how to interact with the cattle. UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS • January-PRFAB appointments and election of officers. FYI ITEMS • Thanksgiving Closures o The Rec Center will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd, and Friday, November 24th. • Holiday Market-December 9th o There are 121 booths occupied, the lookout room as well as both gyms are full. A waitlist has been started. • The City Holiday Party is December 8th at 5:00 P.M. for the social, dinner at 6:00 P.M. All board members and guests are invited. ADJOURNMENT • Reth moved, Weigel seconded, and all voted to adjourn at 8:09 AM Next Meeting – December 14th, 2022, 7:30 A.M. Council Chambers  January Park, Rec, and Forestry Advisory Board Update Director Update: Exit 8 Rec Path Expansion: The City’s consultant has addressed the concerns of the SDDOT regarding the Exit 8 underpass. The changes were made and plans were sent back to the DOT. The bid opening took place on December 13th. The low bid was Main Line Contracting for $1,733,569.28 for construction. There is an additional $130,000.00 in construction administration costs. That is 19.5% higher than the engineer’s estimate and 8.4% higher than what the city has budgeted. The project was considered at the SDDOT commission meeting on December 21st and the commission approved the project. We should see construction start this spring and be finished later this fall. Due to a higher bid than estimated, the City will have to pay a portion of the overage bringing our total for the project to $785,024.50. The state’s portion is $1,078,544.78 for a project total of $1,863,569.28. Sports Complex Work continues on phase one of the project through this winter. The contractor is working on finishing the concessions and restroom facilities and electricians are still working on getting power to the entire site. Phase two of the project was closed out at the end of the year and is considered complete. With spring rapidly approaching, the possibility of opening the complex this spring is dwindling. There is a chance that soccer will be able to play out there this spring, but softball may have to wait until summer or even fall. Staff continue to meet with the Instigo Agency. The meetings so far have been productive in developing sponsorship policies, contracts, and storylines for potential sponsors. Instigo began reaching out to businesses in the last couple of weeks. This week staff reviewed the sponsorship proposals that are being sent out this week. So far, there are eight interested parties for a variety of sponsorships at the complex. As negotiations continue, staff will bring sponsorship contracts to the City Council for approval. Skate Park The funds requested for 2024 to design the skate park were approved in the 2024 budget. Staff have sent the signed design contract back to the American Ramp Company and they will begin shortly on the construction design plans for the park. Staff will reapply for the LWCF grant this spring to aid in the funding of the skate park. Diana and Kara have been planning fundraising events and their first event has already brought in $2,500.00 in donations to the project.  January Park, Rec, and Forestry Advisory Board Update Evans Park Unfortunately, staff have hit a snag with the post-inspection. The third-party contractor that conducted the first inspection and works for the insurance company refuses to do a post-compliance inspection. Staff and the renovation team will have to work together to solve this issue as part of the rededication was having a post-inspection done to ensure that the renovated equipment would meet modern safety standards. Several options have been considered from hiring a private firm to inspect sending city staff to a Certified Playground Safety Inspector course in March to become certified and then complete the inspection in-house. According to the contract, the City will not accept rededication without the structure meeting modern-day safety standards. Staff presented several ideas to the City Council at the last study session. It was decided that the City would send two parks department staff to Bismark, ND in March to become Certified Playground Safety Inspectors. Upon their return, they will inspect the playground to ensure that it meets safety standards. Spearfish Community Foundation Project Phase 2 of the project is kicking off now that the new year is here. There will be an additional 6 AEDs placed on city property along with several others placed on private property/businesses throughout the community. Staff continue to work with the SCF to finish this project this year. Bandshell The request for proposals for the 2024 bandshell project went out and one proposal was received from Ainsworth-Benning Construction. Staff and our consultant reviewed the proposal and will recommend to the City Council that they award the project to Ainsworth-Benning. From here, Ainsworth-Benning will begin putting together packages and sourcing subcontractors and then give the city a guaranteed maximum price. If that price is within budget and satisfactory to the city council, the project will move ahead. Staff will then demolish the current bandshell and Ainsworth- Benning will begin construction of the new bandshell this spring with hopes of completion by the middle of July in time for Festival in the Park. Sports Field Facility Usage System Staff met briefly with several park board members to discuss the path forward for developing a new system for our sports facilities. Staff have begun working on a goal statement, charter, and scope of the project along with identifying different levels of user groups. Staff have been putting together a document that details the goals, scope, etc. of the group. After much discussion among staff and several board members, it was realized that several competing problems are antagonistic to each other. The decision was made to focus on the main problem which is field availability and allocation.  January Park, Rec, and Forestry Advisory Board Update This will be the focus of the group and the goal would be to solve this problem before our spring sports season. Trails Vision Plan The long-term vision plan was presented to the city council at its December 18th meeting. They approved the plan as a stand-alone plan. This means that staff and plan organizers now have the green light to begin working on prioritizing and designing sections of the trail. As plans progress, the board will be regularly updated with the progress, routes, and plan sets. Parks Maintenance Superintendent Update 1. Urban Wood Utilization program a. Began on January 8, 2024 b. Very popular and the wood that was staged there was gone in a couple of days c. Program will continue through April 1, 2024, while Parks staff are removing trees this winter d. To date, Parks staff have removed 15 ash trees as part of the EAB Action Plan and plan to remove another 20 trees this winter 2. Ice rink a. Opened in early January b. Lots of positive feedback from users 3. Chinook Days bonfire a. Parks staff have hauled 4 trailer loads of Christmas trees from the free public dump site to the Passion Play amphitheater for the Chinook Days bonfire 4. Bandshell grant/prep a. Parks applied for a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant for the bandshell project in 2024 b. Results of the application will be announced in mid-February c. Parks staff have cleaned out the bandshell and prepped for asbestos removal in the next couple of weeks d. Gas line running to bandshell for log cabin has been cut and capped 5. ISA Dakotas Chapter Conference a. 3 members of the Parks staff will be attending the International Society of Arboriculture annual conference in Aberdeen, SD in January 6. Bee City Committee a. Meeting on Thursday, 1/18 b. Agenda items include a student project presentation of mapping for potential pollinator habitats on city-owned property and a review and discussion of Action Items and Commitments  January Park, Rec, and Forestry Advisory Board Update Rec Center Facility Superintendent Update Indoor Memberships: • Our membership on 1-11-23 was 2,368. This is a decrease of 235 members since the last report and an increase of 316 from one year ago. • We have 307 24-hour memberships. This number is not included in the above number since you must have an active regular membership to be eligible for the 24-hour membership. This is an increase of 6 from the last report. o On the same date in 2023, we had 238 24-hour memberships. • 219 members use 1 of the insurance reimbursement programs we belong to. This is a decrease of 316 since the last report and an increase of 37 from the same time last year. o Many of the members are snowbirds or just have not been in yet this year to update their insurance information. • We have 708 family individuals in the family memberships. This is an increase of 52 from the last report. Indoor Day Passes: • Between December 13th we sold 514 adult day passes, 481 youth day passes, and 59 walking day passes. Averaging 39 per day, this is an increase of 9 per day since the last report. o During the same period last year, we averaged 35 passes per day. • In 2023 we sold 4,204 adult day passes. 354 more than last year. 339 walking day passes, 151 less than last year. 5,183 youth day passes 886 less than last year. In total, we have sold 9,726 day passes which is 673 fewer day passes this year than last year. Membership Scans: • Between December 13th and January 12th, we had 8,931 membership scans averaging 331 per day. This is 26 more per day than the last report. o This is 2,618 more scans than the same period last year. • Year to date we have had 4,164 membership scans averaging 378 scans a day. o In 2023 during the same period, we had 3,210 membership scans. • In 2023 we had 120,406 memberships scanned. In 2022 there were 103,353 memberships scanned. In 2021 there were 95,426 memberships scanned. Point of Sale: • In 2023, point of sale did $523,094.45 in sales. This is an increase of $29,140.65 compared to the same time last year. • Since the last report, we have had $21,352.88 in sales.  January Park, Rec, and Forestry Advisory Board Update • Our best-selling concessions item for the year was Gummy Burgers with 3,809 sold. This is an average of 13 per day. Staffing: • We are currently fully staffed. Seasonal positions for the summer are open and interviews will start next week. Programming: • Holiday Light Contest: o Prices for the light contest were drawn and the winners have been notified. • Skate Night: o Our January skate night will be held on the 12th. o We offer Skate Night once a month through April. • Dance: o The Gold Heart Gala, which is a dance that we partner with the Northern Hills Training Center to provide an all-inclusive dance, will be in February. • Baby Sitting Classes: o Our next class is on January 20th. The class is limited to 10 participants. We will be offering this class several times a year. • Date Night Day Care: o On January 13 we offered date night day dare. The program is limited to 9 participants. • Intermediate Archery Class: o The class will be offered in February. To be in this class you have to have some previous archery experience. • Bracelet making class: o The class will be offered in February. It will cover the basics for several different styles of bracelet making. • Krazy Karate: o Is offered each month and is a fun and creative introduction to Karate. Fitness: • The January and February fitness class schedule is set and includes Silver Sneaker classes, HIIT Classes, Spin Classes, Line Dancing Classes, Pound, and Zumba. The full schedule and class descriptions are available on our website. • We are continuing to improve the weight room. We will be adding a deadlift platform. We will be adding mirrors for the squat racks, and reinstalling the speed bag.  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Director Items-New Business DEPARTMENT: ___________________________________________________________ REQUEST: Discuss E-Bikes and the potential need for regulations on certain City-owned properties. JUSTIFICATION: (attach any additional justification and/or documentation) Electronic bikes or EBikes for short have gained in popularity in recent years. According to some experts, EBikes are now the number 1 selling bike in the country. EBikes have several benefits such as allowing accessibility to biking to those who may not be able to use a traditional bike or allow people to bike in areas where they otherwise would not. While there are benefits, there is a growing sentiment in the park and rec field that EBikes are technically motorized vehicles and should be treated as such, therefore banning or restricting them from rec paths and non-motorized trails where motorized vehicles are not allowed. In the last month, there has been a lot of discussion from both opponents and proponents on several fronts with the staff on EBikes and the future of accessibility for them. Proponents of EBikes mention the benefits, that bike shops are now relying on EBike sales to make a living and that the assumptions of EBikes are just not true. Opponents claim that EBikes are unsafe for other users due to their speed, cause erosion issues on trails and are causing overcrowding and overuse issues in certain areas. Staff will come ready to discuss with information on EBikes along with what other government entities are currently doing. Staff would like to have a discussion with the PRF Advisory Board to see if the board would like to move forward with any type of regulations or restrictions or if they would like to simply postpone this discussion until a later date. N/A FUNDING:___________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: N/A ________________________________________________________ MEETING DATE PRFAB:_________________________ 1/18/24 Deadline: Friday 12:00 PM prior to board meeting, send electronically to the SRAC Admin Assistant.