Parks and Recreation Commission

PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MEETING DATE: April 28, 2021 LOCATION: Virtual Zoom Meeting CALLED TO ORDER: 7:06 p.m. MEETING ADJOURNED: 7:52 p.m. NEXT MEETING: May 28, 2021 ROLL CALL NAME PRESENT ABSENT David Addison, School Board Liaison X Josh Bowlin X Tracey Downing X Ben Eckler-Chair X DR Dana Gilgrist X Tammy Hoyt X Kate Krieger X Lindsey Michaud X Peg Pedersen X Sarah Richardson, Council Liaison X Scott Davis, Staff Liaison X Some Commissioners were not able to access the meeting from the Zoom link. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Hoyt moved to approve the minutes. Pedersen seconded. Minutes were approved by voice vote with no dissent, abstention. No visitor comments. STAFF REPORTS-presented by Scott Davis PARKS Yesterday was our Arbor Day Celebration at Blackburn Park. We planted 200 trees in honor of Missouri’s Bicentennial, as well as honored several individuals and specimen trees in the city. Blackburn Park is trail renovation is still underway. They have almost completed the east side of the park. We are in the middle of our budget season. As part of that we have an opportunity to acquire and renovate a new park. The former McDonalds property at Big Bend Blvd and Oxford Blvd has been purchased by GRG. They have asked us to join them in designing and renovating that property. They will need to use part of it for greenway connections but are open to any other ideas. We will be discussing this opportunity with City Council at our budget hearing on May 11. I would like to get your input on ideas. Davis showed some different options. Commissions all thought the WG playground would be the best choice. Davis will forward the recommendation on to Council during future budget meetings. RECREATION We have been permitted for both fireworks and parade for Community Days. The Lions are still waiting to hear back from St. Louis County Department of Public Health on their permits for the carnival. We will be opening the pool this summer. Memberships are available for purchase now. We will have our 2021 COVID-19 policies out this week. Rec Complex will be closed on June 7 for installation of new HVAC. The units are so heavy that we have to be closed for safety concerns should there be an issue with the crane. Doodle Poll has been created and sent for secret shopper. Revenues are still way down due to COVID-19. I’m estimating that at the end of our fiscal year (June 30) we will have brought in <$1.2- million. FY20 = >$1.3 million FY19 >$2 million. In FY19 we had a 99% cost DR recovery on recreation operations, for FY21 I estimate that at a 62% cost recovery. Between those revenue declines for our department and the City revenues down in general the City is looking at close to a $2m shortfall next fiscal year. Luckily, we have over $4.2m coming from the federal American Rescue Funding. That could cover shortfalls this year and next year or provide for infrastructure improvements. Council will be working on this issue over the next few weeks as they discuss and approve next year’s budget. Either way the budgets that I have proposed for Parks and Recreation will have less operating expenses than the last several years, but will hopefully have more revenue than the last two years, but still not as high as pre COVID-19 FY19. COUNCIL REPORTS-presented by Sarah Richardson Richardson gave updates on Old Webster redevelopment designs that have been submitted to date, as well as the next steps in the process. OLD BUSINESS Park trash clean up days discussed. Commissioners can plan any cleanup dates that want. Staff recommend that volunteers bring plastic shopping bags for second usage to collect any ground litter. NEW BUSINESS none SET NEXT MEETING The next regular meeting scheduled for 7 pm. Wednesday, May 26, 2021. The next meeting may be in person if we are allowed. There will still be a live Zoom stream for the public to view. Bowlin moved to approve, Hoyt seconded. Approved by voice vote with no dissent, abstention. ADJOURNED Bowlin moved to approve, Hoyt seconded. Approved by voice vote with no dissent, abstention. Meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m. DR