Parks and Recreation Commission

TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 1 CONVENE: 7:00 p.m. PRESENT: Chair Erin Carrier and Commissioners Mike Culley, Amy Hargrove, Shane Harrington, and Bill Kallappa II. Excused Absence: Commissioners Stacy Brown and Kelly Von Holtz. Staff: Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Denney, Parks and Facilities Manager Stan Osborn, and Recreation Manager Todd Anderson. CHANGES TO There were no changes to the agenda. AGENDA: Director Denney reported on the recent resignation of Terry Bullock to pursue other activities. Following a series of interviews, the Mayor selected Shane Harrington to fill his position. Commissioner Harrington said he moved to Tumwater from Eastern Washington approximately six years ago and eventually purchased a home in the City. He previously served on the City of Richland Planning Commission. He views serving on the Commission as a good opportunity and appreciates the opportunity. His background is in economic development. He is the current owner of an investigative agency. PUBLIC There were no public comments. COMMENT: ELECTION OF 2022 Chair Carrier invited nominations for Chair. CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR: Commissioner Culley nominated Erin Carrier to serve as 2022 Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Commissioner Harrington seconded the nomination. No other nominations were offered. VOTE: By unanimous consent, Erin Carrier was elected to serve as 2022 Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Chair Carrier invited nominations for Vice Chair. Commissioner Culley nominated Bill Kallappa II to serve as 2022 Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Commissioner Harrington seconded the nomination. No other nominations were offered. TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 2 VOTE: By unanimous consent, Bill Kallappa II was elected to serve as 2022 Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. PARKS PROJECTS Director Denney updated the Commission on completed projects and UPDATE: the timeline for additional projects within the Tumwater park system. Many of the projects are carryover from 2020 when the pandemic began and others are targeted for completion in 2021; however, because of various issues surrounding the pandemic, staffing, and engineering and permitting issues, many of the projects were extended much longer than anticipated. Director Denney reviewed larger projects in progress and projects designated for completion in 2022:  Restrooms – Barclift and Tumwater Hill Neighborhood Parks @ $240,000 funded by the Tumwater Metropolitan Park District (TMPD). The project was designated to be completed in 2020 and delayed until 2021 because of staffing resources in Engineering. The project encountered additional delays because of the pandemic and supply issues in 2021. Both restrooms were ordered in October 2021 and should be delivered by March 2022.  Purchase of Open Space/Neighborhood Park Land @ $270,000 funded by the TMPD. The purchase is contingent on land availability. Staff is working with a number of local realtors and when land becomes available, information is forwarded to the City about the property. Should a property become available in the right place and at the right size, the City may consider purchasing the property for a park.  Deferred Maintenance @ $79,000 funded by the TMPD. The funding is an annual amount for the next five years to address deferred park maintenance. Last year, the roof at the restroom at Pioneer Park was replaced. Gutters will be added to the restroom. Manager Osborn is exploring the possibility of installing a screen behind the soccer goal on the north side of Field 1 to prevent soccer balls from striking the restroom. Staff also replaced fencing at Pioneer Park and at Tumwater Hill Neighborhood Park on the softball and baseball fields.  Tumwater Hill Park Trail Connection @ $220,000. The project has been in the works for the last 10 years and included acquisition of property, design, and completion of geotechnical studies to ensure the trail slope would be stable. The project is funded by park impact fees. The trail connects Crosby Boulevard to the remaining trail system on Tumwater Hill. TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 3  Preserve Neighborhood Park @ $550,000 funded by the TMPD. The park was originally scheduled to be completed in 2021 is scheduled for construction in spring 2022.  Staff – 2 Park Maintenance employees and 2 vehicles @ $187,293 and $75,475), respectively funded by the TMPD. One position will focus on maintaining irrigation systems throughout the City with goals to reduce water usage and establishing a standard as an example to the community. The second position will focus on landscaping to maintain flower beds, landscape areas, entryways, shrubs, flowers, and trees.  Interdepartmental fees of approximately $138,232 from the TMPD to pay for services provided by the City’s Finance, Legal, Human Resources, and Administration Departments. Director Denney shared a photograph of the restroom at Deschutes Valley Park as an example of the restrooms for installation at Barclift and Tumwater Hill Neighborhood Parks. The buildings are precast concrete and include all utility systems. The restroom includes a toilet and sink with a small storage room in the rear. The City extends utilities to the sites that have been prepped and prepared with a concrete pad. The restroom is placed by a crane on the pad followed by connection to utilities. Director Denney displayed a photograph of a two-acre property at the Preserve for a neighborhood park. The park is surrounded by homes and street frontage. The four-lot upland property includes stormwater retention ponds. One pond is for infiltration with a section of the pond comprised of irrigated turf and used for most of the year. The upper area will feature a picnic shelter, picnic table, and play structure. The key element is a zipline feature located in the lower area of the park. Chair Carrier asked about the timing for ordering some of the park equipment. Director Denney said a large concrete slide, the play toy, and the basketball hoop that typically require a longer time to receive have been ordered. Director Denney displayed a photograph of the Tumwater Hill- Crosby Boulevard trail connector. The Tumwater Hill Neighborhood Park is approximately 35 acres in size. Five existing trailheads connect to the trail system on Tumwater Hill. The sixth trail connection trailhead on Crosby Boulevard is designed with several switchback turns because of the steep hill. That segment will connect to the existing trail system serving residents on Tumwater Hill for access to the trail, park, ball field, and school from the west side of Tumwater Hill. TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 4 Another park project on hold partly because of COVID and funding is the completion of Isabella Bush Park located off Linwood Avenue. The park houses Tumwater FRESH Farm. A master plan for the park was completed several years ago. A funding source has not been identified to complete the master plan for the park at this time; however, staff continues to work on completing sections of the park and converting the area to a neighborhood park. The outfield fence at Pioneer Park was replaced. Pictures of the new fence were shared with the Commission. The fence includes a bottom bar to prevent the fence from curling similar to the previous situation before the fence was placed. Similar fencing was replaced at Tumwater Hill Neighborhood Park. Commissioner Culley asked whether Pioneer Park suffered any damage because of flooding. Director Denney shared photos of Pioneer Park from a view above the golf course taken from a drone to identify the flooded areas and water routes created by flooding from the river. The southern half of the park from the parking lot to the river was inundated with flood water. The play structure is filled with water as is the volley ball courts. When the Deschutes River floods it results in a sheet flow of water across the valley leaving some scoured by water and sediment from the river. Staff is prepared for flooding having experienced similar flooding over the years. Typically, it is a wait and see process until the water recedes to assess damage. The play toy was severely damaged and covered with silt and sediment. New surfacing surrounding the play toy is scheduled for installation next week with the toy in operation soon after. The trail along the river continues to erode as the river erodes along the bank. Staff has been working to secure grant funding to stabilize the riverbank for many years to slow and stop the progression. It is likely the City will receive grant funds next year for riverbank stabilization. Commissioner Kallappa asked whether the funds would be federal grants. Director Denney said the funds are state grants although the City has applied for federal funding unsuccessfully. The state withdrew the hatchery project from Pioneer Park after spending approximately $3 million on planning. The state encountered problems because of the location, which is prone to flooding. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife explored alternative sites and selected a site upstream of Pioneer Park. Commissioner Kallappa said he was not aware of the status of the hatchery as he assumed that the hatchery, salmon recovery, and stream restoration would position the City favorably for federal grants. Director Denney noted that if and when the hatchery is TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 5 constructed, it is possible more funding might become available. Because of the amount of silt and sediment washed up from the bottom and along the banks, it is a very difficult environment for juvenile salmon to survive. If the hatchery uses river water, more river bank stabilization would be necessary. At the golf course, a similar situation occurred to the course sand bunkers and sand traps. Three of the sites were severely scoured from flooding. Sand bunkers are a constructed feature and are lined at the bottom. Three bunkers require rebuilding at the golf course. A sinkhole caused by the flood has rendered an area of the golf course unplayable. The sink hole is in an area of a corrugated steel pipe installed by the brewery when the golf course was first constructed. The pipe rotted and likely collapsed. With water flowing over and under, scouring activity created the sink hole. The 18th green at the golf course experienced a change in the river channel. During flood events, staff moves the fleet of golf carts to a location behind the cart barn in a higher area not prone to flooding. During flood events, the cart barn floods requiring the removal of and relocation of the carts to an elevated area. Staff was prepared for the flood event and subsequently moved equipment to higher areas. Water did enter the golf maintenance building causing some damage to office cabinets. Commissioner Culley asked whether staff could email the pictures of the flood damage so he can share the photos with agency staff at the Department of Labor and Industries. Director Denney advised that he would forward all photos to the Commission. Manager Anderson advised that some flooding occurred to storage units containing supplies. Staff is currently cleaning and sanitizing the equipment. PARKS AND Director Denney reported unspent funds in 2021 automatically roll RECREATION forward to 2022 as part of the City’s biennial budget. The COMMISSION Commission’s 2021 budget allocation $20,000 was not used in 2021. BUDGET: The budget allocation for 2022 is $20,000 for a total budget of $40,000 available to the Commission. Previously, the Commission approved funding to support purchases of park equipment and recreation supplies. Prior to Mayor Kmet’s departure, he agreed to allocate funds for the Commission to control and fund items separately from the regular City budget process. Previously, the Commission has funded a number of expenses such as picnic tables, garbage cans, historical signage for the golf course (recently received), equipment for special events, equipment for the Tumwater Youth Program, soccer goals, and a community survey. Staff has not TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 6 prepared a list of potential purchases at this time but plans to draft a list of potential items to purchase for the Commission’s review. Other purchases could include development of a signage standard for Tumwater parks to reduce the proliferation of signs in parks and establish sign uniformity. Another funding effort is a golf review with assistance from a consultant from the National Golf Foundation to review golf course operations. The golf course continues to exceed revenue goals and an assessment is timely to review operations, staffing, maintenance, and next steps. Additionally, staff is recommending an audit of the recreation programs to assess allocation of staff resources, determine whether staff capacity is sufficient, and whether programming meets community needs and considers new trends. It is likely Managers Anderson and Osborn will present a list of items for the Commission’s consideration. Director Denney encouraged the Commission to submit suggestions for other expenditures to enable staff to research costs. 2022 PARKS AND Director Denney invited feedback on the format of future meetings as RECREATION he has not received any feedback from members on whether in- COMMISSION person meetings are desired rather than virtual meetings. The MEETINGS: Historic Preservation Commission adamantly wants to conduct in- person meetings at City Hall. In-person meetings tend to be more productive as opposed to virtual meetings because of the lack of personal interaction and humor that often benefit decision-making. In-person meetings tend to generate better ideas and enable better conversations. However, zoom meetings are also effective and safer during a pandemic. In-person meetings at City Hall with masks and distancing would create a safe environment for members if the Commission wants to resume in-person meetings, consider a hybrid format combining both in-person and virtual participation, or continue virtual meetings at this time. He asked for feedback on meeting format preferences. Chair Carrier commented that as a working health care professional in a hospital, the Omicron variant is highly more contagious than previous variants and although she is not opposed to meeting in- person entirely, she believes the Commission should delay in-person meetings until March at the earliest. The wearing of N-95 masks has been mandated in the entire hospital because of the Omicron variant. Commissioner Kallappa said his preference is to avoid becoming infected with COVID. In-person meetings are not a necessity at this time. Waiting several months is preferable when the infection rates begin to decrease. Although in-person meetings are better, he supports continuing virtual meetings because of the continued rise in COVID cases. His goal is to avoid a COVID infection to the extent TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 7 possible. Commissioner Culley reported the Department of Labor and Industries is scheduled to open all statewide offices for limited hours effective February 3, 2022. Some staff members have returned to offices steadily since December. Based on his understanding, the Governor does not want to change the February 3 opening date. He agreed March would be preferable to resume in-person meetings. Commissioner Hargrove agreed with delaying in-person meetings as well. NEXT MEETING Director Denney advised members he would contact them if the next DATE – meeting should be cancelled. He encouraged Commissioners to FEBRUARY 16, contact him with any requests for information on issues or activities 2022: of interest. The Commission serves as the City’s voice and advocate for the community and it is important members have questions and inquiries addressed by staff. Commissioner Harrington said he would like to take advantage of any tours if possible. He lives close to Pioneer Park and has viewed some of the damage to the park. OTHER BUSINESS: Chair Carrier updated members on the status of the PARC Foundation founded by James Reddick. The foundation raises funds to share with the region’s parks departments and serves as a financial agent for smaller non-profits lacking 501(C) 3 status. The foundation also provides some small endowments to groups. The foundation is shifting its organizational structure so that the cities and the county are more involved and support funding to manage the organization rather than relying on volunteers. The foundation plans to engage in more fundraising efforts. Director Denney explained that the PARC Foundation was established by James Reddick approximately 10 years ago to support local parks and recreation programs. He has since retired and is unable to support the foundation at the same level. The PARC Foundation attempted to provide services to the entire region, which extended resources to such an extent that many efforts were not as effective. The amount of effort provided by the three cities was not providing sufficient return to the jurisdictions because the Foundation was involved in too many programs/groups. The jurisdictions met with the Foundation to develop a new contract based on pay to play terms where the Foundation supports parks, arts, and recreation with the cities contributing funds for hiring a staff member with experience in soliciting funds for a non-profit to support local jurisdictions. At this time, the PARC Foundation represents the City TUMWATER PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING January 19, 2022 Page 8 of Lacey, City of Olympia, and City of Tumwater; however, other jurisdictions have been invited to participate and contribute an investment. Beth Doglio is the new Executive Director. Chair Carrier commented on the positive changes she observed during the last meeting of the foundation. She noted that Mr. Reddick had always strived to expand the foundation similar to the Spokane PARC Foundation that designed a parks complex funded by the foundation. The complex includes multiple soccer fields of turf and grass, baseball fields, and a skate park. Chair Carrier reported the City of Olympia is seeking a tax measure to support an arts program. The City of Olympia plans to move its art program to an old military armory. Director Denney added that the Thurston County is seeking a sales tax increase for housing issues. Director Denney reported the City of Tumwater and the City of Olympia completed the aquatic feasibility study. The results are scheduled for presentation to the City of Olympia Parks Commission and the results will be presented to the Commission at the next meeting. The Olympia City Council has indicated support for moving forward to build a facility. However, the City of Tumwater lacks the funding capacity to participate and the City of Olympia would likely need voter support to fund an aquatic facility, which means the effort is essentially at the beginning point again in terms of funding an aquatic facility. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Kallappa moved, seconded by Commissioner Culley, to adjourn the meeting at 8:02 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Prepared by Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net