Swansboro Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Town of Swansboro Swansboro Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting Minutes March 19, 2025 I. Call to Order & Roll Call- The Swansboro Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met at the Swansboro Recreation Center for a regular board meeting on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Elena Messenger called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. Members present were Matthew Prane, Ryan Swanson, Bets Love, Jennifer Steele, and Elena Messenger. Debra Pylypiw was absent. Anna Stanley and Sara Elliott were present on behalf of the Town. II. Adoption of Minutes a. February 19, 2025- Meeting Minutes- The board reviewed the meeting minutes from February 19, 2025. Matthew P. made a motion to approve the minutes with the corrections of the Board of Commissioners misspelling, unfinished sentence, and rewording of a sentence; Jennifer S. seconded the motion, and the meeting minutes were unanimously passed. III. Reports a. Monthly Report- Director Stanley said that the monthly February reports were in the packet with updates in red and asked if there were any questions. There were no questions. b. Upcoming Programs/Events-Sara E. reviewed upcoming programs The Welcome Rock Workshop with Boulder Designs went very well with 10 registered and participants were asking when the next one would be. Another rock workshop is planned for the next fiscal year before BarkFest. The Luck of the Paddle Tournament also went well. Many league members came out to watch the tournament and support participants. Upcoming programs include the Spring Wreath Class, Tiny Trekkers, Sprout Scouts, and a First Aid and CPR class. Upcoming events include the Easter Egg Hunt on April 17th, Touch-a-Truck April 26th, and the Splash Pad Reopening on May 17th. Sara E. asked board members to volunteer to help with the Easter Egg Hunt. A new business is attending Touch-a- Truck with toy vehicles for participants to play. The Summer Day Camp positions are now posted, which include Camp Supervisor and Camp Counselor. Matthew P. asked about age and certification requirements. Director Stanley responded that the staff must have a CPR certification or be willing to obtain certification and a valid driver's license. Director Stanley mentioned that there is a Counselor in Training program (CIT) for anyone who is interested in learning and may not meet the full requirements. The CIT program is great for high school students and students needing SAT hours. Elena M. asked if there were any clubs or organizations to contact about job openings. Jennifer S. stated that there was an upcoming job fair for Onslow County Schools. Elena M. asked about babysitting courses, and Sara E. stated that the training has been added to the budget for next fiscal year. Elena M. asked if the Easter Egg Hunt for volunteers could be posted for Page 1 of 5  Marine Family Team Building, and Sara E. said yes. A patron attending also volunteered to be the Easter Bunny for the event. There were no other questions or comments about upcoming programs and events. IV. New Business a. Onslow County Tourism Assistance Grant Director Stanley submitted a request for $20,000 to the Onslow County Tourism Assistance Grant. In the past, $10,000 was awarded. The $20,000 would help cover the software Placer.ai. for festivals and events. Chief Jacob Randall heard about the software and the Parks and Recreation Department assisted him in applying for a grant that would cover the full amount. Director Stanley should hear back about the grant in June. VI. Old Business a. Festival Operating Budget In a previous meeting, Matthew P. asked for the festival operating budget. Director Stanley pulled data from the Onslow County Tourism Assistance Grant for the board to review. Director Stanley discussed that the budget would increase due to receiving advertising funds from Onslow County Tourism and Swansboro Tourism Development Authority and will submit to use those funds for advertising. In the previous year, the marketing budget was cut from $18,000 to $6,000. Matthew P. asked about justifying spending more than is brought in. Director Stanley stated there is data that supports the economic impact of the festivals. Hotel stays are tracked in several ways; one is the codes that is used specifically for festival vendors and participants and the other is the total number of rooms booked on festival days. Matthew P. stated that the economic impact will be crucial for the justification of why events cannot be cancelled like PirateFest. Matthew P. asked if the economic impact information could be provided at the next meeting. Director Stanley stated that the information in the budget does not include in-kind sponsorships. In-kind sponsorships range between $28,000-$30,000 for services that include food, golf carts, property usage, and discounts on tent, shuttle, and portable toilet rentals. If the festival did not have in-kind sponsorships, the festival budget would have to increase a significant amount each year. All in-kind sponsorships are tracked with the service provided and dollar amounts of the retail value, discount, and what the department pays. b. Festival Sponsorship Director Stanley gave the advisory board “homework.” Sponsorship packets were handed out to each board member and asked that each member solicit one sponsorship. Sponsorships are being collected and have received $21,000 to date Page 2 of 5  and there are still 11 previous sponsors that have not committed. Sara E. will send out the packet electronically to board members for distribution. The deadline is April 15. The department needs time to collect logos to send to graphic designers and time to create other marketing materials. There were no more questions or comments about Festivals. c. ARP Updates Basketball courts are completed and will be sealed and lined after six months. The work order has been submitted for the new basketball goals to be installed. d. PirateFest Director Stanley completed a presentation to the Swansboro Tourism Development Authority to request $2,000 for PirateFest and the funds were awarded. Director Stanley also asked the Board of Commissioners for $3,000 to be reallocated to the budget for PirateFest and there were no objections. Sara E. commented that the presentation was very well received by the Board of Commissioners and the Town Manager. Onslow County Parks and Recreation already receives funds from Onslow County Tourism that is used towards PirateFest, and the department uses funds from their operating budget. All proposed entertainers were accepted for the event. Volunteers are needed for the event for golf cart shuttles and the scavenger hunt. The event will have food vendors since there have been past complaints about waiting time for the restaurants and any other vendors accepted will be pirate themed. Jennifer S. asked about adding Derby Day as a yearly event and if it is something the Parks and Recreation Department can investigate further. Matthew P. asked about shuttles for future events. Director Stanly responded that Ward Farm is still an option for now, but there was nothing in the budget for satellite parking for PirateFest but will be considered for next year. Team Chevy has offered to help with shuttling downtown, but there are some logistical issues that need to be addressed. e. Pickleball Courts Director Stanley stated there are no major updates with the courts. A company came out and provided some options on how to proceed. The company also looked at the current tennis courts and stated they were in decent shape but would need to be resurfaced in two to three years. Director Stanley will collaborate with a consultant to see what is needed and get an idea of the cost for a new or modified stormwater permit. Director Stanley is also exploring lighting options for the courts. With the different options available, it will come down to costs. Director Stanley will continue to get estimates on quotes before moving forward with one plan. A letter needs to be submitted to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for a change of use if the skatepark is to be used as any other facility type. Director Stanley will compile approximate costs for each option to present to the Town Manager and then the Board of Commissioners. Stanley has also reached out to the League of Municipalities inquiring if the skatepark is insurable. It was Page 3 of 5  stated again that there are a couple of options for dedicated pickleball courts, and it would all come down to cost and what the Board of Commissioners approve. The board did not have any comments or questions. VII. Comments Questions from the Attendees: 1. What are the different levels of sponsorship and what does that business receive? Matthew P. explained the different levels. The patron also asked if any business or organization can be a sponsor and Director Stanley stated yes, any business or organization can be a sponsor. 2. How long will it take to hear back from the state about whether the skatepark can be used for something other than a skatepark? Director Stanley is submitting the request to the regional consultant to review before sending the request to the State. Director Stanley has made an inquiry into the League of Municipalities whether the skatepark is insurable, an official answer has not been provided, however the League is looking into how metal skate ramps would be insurable, or if they will not insure them at all. Once an official statement has been received, the information will be included in the letter. 3. The plan for the existing courts, is that a three-year plan? Director Stanley replied that it was recommended that the courts be resurfaced in three years. 4. What different options were being considered by the courts? Director Stanley responded that at this time, she would not like to say, since there are several options and are all dependent on the price and approval of the project. More concrete information is needed for each of the options. 5. Are there going to be new dedicated pickleball courts, will the current courts be resurfaced for pickleball courts, will the current courts be resurfaced to have one tennis courts and then dedicated pickleball courts? Director Stanley stated that all options are being considered and right now the current courts do not need to be resurfaced for at least three years. 6. Since you do not have to resurface current courts for three years, would it be possible to keep one tennis court and the other court install permanent nets? Director Stanley replied, it would be dependent on which option is chosen. Until the project design is decided the current courts will remain the same. Since the courts will not be resurfaced for approximately three years, this does not mean that there will not be other pickleball courts. Another patron commented about the pickleball tournament and thought it went very well and asked if there were any plans for more pickleball tournaments and programs. Sara E. responded that the budget allows for two tournaments a year and hopes to expand to different types of tournament formats. It was asked if not picking your own partner was received well. Sara E. replied that there was only one complaint from the participants. Matthew P. stated that he shared the email regarding the Onslow County job fair. Page 4 of 5 VII. Adjournment—Matthew P. made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:29 pm and Jennifer S. seconded the motion. All members were in favor. Page 5 of 5