Parks Board Meeting

PARKS BOARD MEETING MINUTES City Hall, 120 El Chico Trl., Suite A, Willow Park, TX 76087 Tuesday, May 02, 2023 at 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER 6:00 p.m. by Corey Tucker, Chair. DETERMINATION OF QUORUM Quorum confirmed. PRESENT David Wagner Corey Tucker Ever Gomez Lea Young Cynthia White ABSENT James McKibben Staff Present: Toni Fisher, Planning & Development Director/Parks PUBLIC COMMENTS (Limited to five minutes per person) Residents may address the Park Board regarding an item that is not listed on the agenda. Residents must complete a speaker form and turn it in to the Secretary five (5) minutes before the start of the meeting. The Rules of Procedure states that comments are to be limited to five (5) minutes. The Texas Open Meetings Act provides the following: (a) If, at a meeting of a governmental body, a member of the public or of the governmental body inquiries about a subject for which notice has not been given as required by this subchapter, the notice provisions of this subchapter do not apply to: (1) A statement of specific factual information given in response to the inquiry; or (2) A recitation of existing policy in response to the inquiry. (b) Any deliberation of or decision about the subject of the inquiry shall be limited to a proposal to place the subject on the agenda for a subsequent meeting. None. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES 1. Parks Board Minutes: February 7, 2023 Parks Board Meeting 5/2/2023 Page 1 of 5  Approved: Motion made by Wagner, Seconded by Gomez. Voting Yea: Wagner, Tucker, Gomez, White Voting Abstaining: Young ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED AND ACTED UPON 2. Discussion & Action: Election of Parks Board Chairperson. Corey Tucker was nominated as Chairperson. Motion made by White, Seconded by Gomez. Voting Yea: Wagner, Tucker, Gomez, White Voting Abstaining: Young 3. Discussion & Action: Add Communication Boards to City playgrounds, parks, and trails within the City of Willow Park. Sergeant Ramirez presented the Board with information regarding getting signage for the City's non-verbal community, as per her brief in the meeting packet. Sgt. Ramirez stated that, per her research, this board will be the first of its kind in Parker County, and potentially this region of Texas and possibly the country. Several Board members raised questions and concerns regarding installation, user population, maintenance, and eventual replacement of the sign to which options and ideas were discussed. It was discussed that, when it is time to replace the boards, the City's funds would not necessarily be obligated to do so. Promotion of the sign is very important to Sgt. Ramirez and Mayor Pro Tem Young said that this is a great addition to the Cross Timbers Park which was created as a trendsetter because of the turf vs. mulch. The sign's expense of $2,400 was discussed among the Board and that sponsorships could considered, as well, which could be honored with a commemorative plaque/sign. The motion was made to approve the expense of the sign and its installation. Motion made by Tucker, Seconded by Gomez. Voting Yea: Wagner, Tucker, Gomez, White Voting Abstaining: Young Parks Board Meeting 5/2/2023 Page 2 of 5  4. Discussion & Action: Consideration for Contract by Pacheco Koch for concept landscape design, and completion and submittal of application for 2024 TXDOT Green Ribbon Grant Program. Staff Toni Fisher explained the TXDOT Green Ribbon Program, a reimbursement grant for beautification within the rights-of-way along the Texas highway. She stated that this award is $400,000, but its application requires a design submittal, which is an added expense not covered under the grant. In addition, the design must show the allocation of funds, funds which must be paid by the City during construction, then reimbursed by TXDOT. Fisher explained that Pacheco Kock, who designed and executed the Cross Timbers Park, can do the landscape design the entire northern side of the project for us, which would span the TXDOT right-of-way where sensible, from City Hall to Mikus Rd., split into three phases. The first of those would be the service road that runs perpendicular to Kings Gate as it was told that TXDOT prefers awarding projects that coincide with other TXDOT projects. Since the Kings Gate Bridge is a TXDOT 2024 project, its timing could benefit us for a Spring 2024 Green Ribbon Program Application submission and increase our chances of winning the award. The cost for consulting fees by Pacheco Koch is approximately $6,800 and would include conceptual designs for all phases, and 2024 Green Ribbon Program Application completion and submittal for Phase I. The addition of construction plans would increase the chances of getting the award, but also increase our initial cost. Mayor Pro Tem requested assurance that it is not a matching grant, to which Fisher replied that it is a reimbursement grant. There were questions from Board member Gomez as to contractors and plantings; Board member Tucker was concerned with the maintenance; and, Board member Wagner shared his professional experience regarding the slight chances of our city getting the grant because of the typical quantity of applicants for other TXDOT grants, and whether vehicular traffic traveling 70 mph would even notice the landscaping. Mayor Pro Tem suggested that spending money to do the design with the intention of doing the landscaping anyway is one thing, but spending the money to do the design just to get the $400,000 is another. She compared this with our plans for the trails. She was favorable to having the conceptual plans in hand for the sake of not making short-term mistakes. Additionally, she stated that, since this is the first grant we've discussed, we likely need to prioritize our projects before allocating staff time to apply for any grants. Mayor Pro Tem Young also suggested for us to possibly look into a "grant specialist" to help us decide which grants are worthwhile for us spend time, money, and effort to apply. Due to the amount of skepticism among the Parks Board, this item was motioned to be postponed. Motion made by Tucker, Seconded by Gomez. Voting Yea: Wagner, Tucker, Gomez, White Parks Board Meeting 5/2/2023 Page 3 of 5  Voting Abstaining: Young NEW BUSINESS 5. Future parkland projections. 1. Mayor Pro Tem Young explained that the City approached Wilks Development about taking over Kings Gate Park now instead of later, as per the Planned Development agreement. She told of its importance to adding another park to our city, but also its availability for us to have space to make additional improvements, such as the proposal for the city's trailhead with restrooms. 2. See "Trail Update with Larry Colvin" 3. Mayor Pro Tem Young suggested that the Parks Board should revisit its "priority list", and what we want for future parks and trails; she told the Board of the structure of the new Parks budget for the next fiscal year; she and Larry told the Board of the contact they have had with Trinity Christian Academy, and developers Kyle Wilks and Jamie Mitchell; and, she stated that soon, we will be looking ahead to our next update for our Parks & Trails Master Plan. Mayor Pro Tem Young also reflected back on her point of how having a plan can help us to get grants. There was discussion among the Board regarding the Crown Rd expansion and the design of the bike lanes. 4. Playground repairs for Cross Timbers Park were discussed: a.) The broken xylophone mallets were discarded because they were attached with wiring that could not be repaired; b.) The dead junipers that were removed behind the playground has bubblers that need to be turned off; c.) There was question as to whether we were going to replace the junipers, to which the Board decided to wait until the Fall season to decide. 6. Update on Willow Park Trails and East Parker County Trails (EPCoT) trail systems by Larry Colvin, President of Weatherford Mountain Bike Club and Senior Civil Engineer Designer for Baird, Hampton & Brown. Larry Colvin, designer for Baird, Hampton & Brown, and President of Weatherford Mountain Bike Club, expanded on the maps provided in the packet. Mr. Colvin expanded on the EPCoT trail and the single-track connecting plan and the local connecting trails. He discussed the change and decreased interest in realignment of the Veloweb due to its 10' concrete trail requirements. Parks Board Meeting 5/2/2023 Page 4 of 5  He then discussed the benefit for the expansion for the city's trails into the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) areas; and, the necessity for connectivity (bridge) across the Clearfork on East Bankhead Highway. Larry expanded on the public utility easements at length. They cover much of the land in Willow Park and within our eastern ETJ, and how they can be used for trails, easily built where nothing else can. ADJOURNMENT As authorized by Section 551.127, of the Texas Government Code, one or more Council Members or employees may attend this meeting remotely using video conferencing technology. Meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m. Motion made by Tucker, Seconded by Gomez. Voting Yea: Wagner, Tucker, Gomez, White Voting Abstaining: Young Minutes Approved: __________________________________ Corey Tucker, Chair Date CERTIFICATION I, the undersigned authority, does hereby certify that this Notice of a Meeting was posted on the bulletin board at City Hall, 120 El Chico Trail, Suite A, Willow Park, TX 76087, a place convenient and readily accessible to the general public at all times, and said Notice was posted on the following date and time: APRIL 28, 2023 at/before 5:00 p.m. and remained so posted continuously for at least 72 hours before said meeting is to convene. ____________________________________ Toni Fisher Planning and Development Director The City Hall is wheelchair accessible and accessible parking spaces are available. Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need auxiliary aids or services such as interpreters for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, readers, or large print, are requested to contact the City Secretary’s Office at 817-441- 7108, or by email at cdozier@willowpark.org. Requests should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. This agenda is posted on the city’s web site at www.willowpark.org Parks Board Meeting 5/2/2023 Page 5 of 5