BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING Park and Recreation Department 11th Floor City Hall Monday, November 13th, 2006 3:30 p.m. Present: Glen Dey, Janet Miller, Andy Solter, Nalini Johnson*, Mick Tranbarger, Dennis Brunner and Doug Leeper Also Present: Kevin Myles, President of the Wichita NAACP, Doug Kupper, Karen Walker, and Myca Bunch (staff) President Miller called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. PUBLIC AGENDA No items. REGULAR AGENDA Item 1: Approve and Sign Meeting Minutes Motion 1: Solter made the motion to approve the October 16, 2006, meeting minutes. Dey seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Item 2: Continuation of Prior Business 2A. Update on PROS Plan Kupper informed the Board that the Staff Screening Selection Committee filed with the purchasing department the appropriate paperwork outlining the selected vendor and the Park Department has been given the go ahead to proceed with contract negotiations. He said the name of the vendor could not be released at this time but that they hoped that the negotiation team would be ready present the contract to the City Council at the December 19, 2006 meeting. Miller informed the Board that several grant applications had been developed and submitted in partnership with GreenWay Alliance for funding of the public speaker series that will be implemented in conjunction with the PROS planning process. 2B. Park Board Goals Miller provided the Board members a copy of the 2007 Park Board Goals that were created and discussed during the October 27, 2006, Annual Retreat. The 2007 Park Board Goals are: * Educate ourselves on the benefits of the Urban Forest and develop a set of talking points. (Johnson) * Work with selected PROS vendor to coordinate PROS plan with Transforming Wichita goals. (Miller and Dey) * Explore and understand what determines what recreational facilities and services are offered, where those services are offered, and to whom they are delivered. (Solter) * Educating the community, stakeholders and decision-makers on the benefits of Park, Recreation and Open Space) resources (not the Plan itself). (Solter) * Explore the role PROS resources play in storm water management. * Develop relationships with other city boards, committees, initiatives and departments. * Educate ourselves on how PROS resources contribute to community building and neighborhood revitalization. * Educate ourselves on ordinances, policies, and the rules and regulations related to park use. Solter commented that the Board did not set a timeline to accomplish any of the goals. Miller said that she would like to see the Board create some sort of timeline. Kupper suggested that the Board members that had been assigned a specific goal might want to create a performance measure before the next meeting to present to the Board. Miller said that the Board would plan to make the goals a part of their annual work as outlined in the bylaws. Johnson recommended that the goals be posted on the website. Miller asked if the Board would like to make a motion to approve the 2007 Park Board goals to which Kupper agreed that a motion should be made. Motion 2: Johnson motioned to accept the 2007 Park Board Goals and to create a timeline of when to complete each goal. Motion was seconded by Solter. Motion passed 7-0. Motion 3: Leeper motioned to move item 3A up on the agenda. Solter Seconded the motion. Motion passed 7-0. Item 3A: Renaming of Reflection Square Park Miller introduced Kevin Myles, President of the Wichita NAACP, who was here to ask the Board to consider renaming Reflection Park to The Chester I. Lewis Memorial Park. Kevin Myles, 914 S. Cooper Mr. Myles asked that Reflection Park be renamed to Chester I. Lewis Memorial Park. He said that Mr. Lewis was responsible for desegregating many of Wichita Public Schools, swimming pools, Wichita transit system, and Wichita police department and many other public facilities. He said Mr. Lewis also broke ranks with the NAACP and authorized the first sit-in during the civil rights movement. He said that there are currently no monuments in honor of Mr. Lewis. He asked that the Park Board rename Reflection Park, which is less then a block away from the original site of the Dockum drugstore sit-in. Solter said he would support this proposal but suggested that the Board entertain a 1-month period to allow for input from the community before making a formal vote on the issue. Kupper also suggested that the Board allow for further public comment before voting. Dey asked if Myles would ask to have any different signage put on or around the park if it was renamed. Myles said he would like to see a sign placed around the park that noted it was the Chester I. Lewis memorial park. Dey also asked if there were any intentions to put a marker on the sidewalk to indicate where the original Dockum drugstore sit-in took place. Myles replied that he liked that idea and he would take the information back to his organization for consideration. Miller said that she did see a need to verify the reason why the park was originally named Reflection Square Park. She asked if there were any other audience members that would like to speak on this issue. No other individuals spoke. Miller returned the discussion to the Board. Motion 4: Solter motioned that the Board postpone the approval of the renaming of the park until the next Board meeting and that a tentative agenda be posted on the website to allow for the public to comment on the topic. Seconded by Dey. Motion passed 7-0. *Johnson left the meeting due to a prior obligation. Item 2C: Redevelopment Authority Workshop Miller reminded the Board that Mark K. Vaughn, Director of Housing and Community Services, shared with the Board during the October meeting, information about the Redevelopment Authority (RDA). Miller asked the Board if they had any additional feedback concerning this issue. She said that she and Johnson put together some key points on how to ensure that the Park Board could be included in the work of the Redevelopment Authority. She informed the Board that she would be willing to present their proposal to the City Council workshop on November 14, 2006. She said the Board should ensure that during their presentation it is clear that they are only addressing the issues that deal with parks and recreation. Leeper asked what the Board was trying to achieve with the document. Miller said that they were looking to outline why the Park Board would support a redevelopment entity of some type and what kind of policies the Board would like to see it contain. Leeper asked what it was that the Board believes it can gain from being a part of this process. Miller said that in the end we would like to see a plan that includes parks, recreation and open space. Solter said that the document written by Miller and Johnson looks like they are supporting the RDA and it should instead show that the Board supports parks and open space primarily. Miller said she would like additional feedback on how to change the wording so that it clarifies the exact issue the Board is in support of. Leeper said that the current document does not commit us or bind the Board to anything. He said it was a nice idea, but it leaves the Board without a plan to acquire anything in the future. Kupper commented that the RDA looks at everything that would make a neighborhood more prosperous including open space and parks, which makes the area more valuable. Leeper said that he is afraid that nothing will come of this proposal. Kupper said that the City Council has been receiving negative feedback from the community for creating the RDA and using outside organizations. Leeper suggested that the Board create some sort of guidelines that once the City Council approves an issue that the Board immediately look at it and determine if it is something of interest to Parks. Solter said he would not support the document as it was written. Miller proposed that they change the document and delete all references to the RDA and say that they support the concept of redevelopment efforts to include PROS resources. Leeper said he would like a statement on the document that said the members of the Park Board do not have an official position for or against the RDA. Miller restated that the document should say that the Board, when considering any redevelopment efforts, does support the inclusion of parks, recreation and open space. She went on to suggest the changes reflect that idea that the RDA efforts use park development efforts in their redevelopment toolbox and apply it to redevelopment sub-areas. The Board then worked together on editing the document. Motion 5: Miller motioned that the document be modified based on the discussion and that it be emailed to the Board members before being presented to the City Council Workshop. Solter seconded the motion. Motion passed 7-0. Item 2D & 2E: Review and Prioritization of Requests to Park Board Motion 6: Miller motioned to defer items 2D and 2E to the December meeting. Seconded by Solter. Motion passed 7-0. Item 4: Director's Update Kupper brought the topic of Renaming Reflection Square Park back to the Board and said that on May 2, 2000, the City Council took action to name Reflection Square due to the significance of the protest at the drug store that previously occupied that site. He went on to say that the naming committee, which the Park Board was not involved with at that time, considered and recommended several names. The City Council suggested and approved Reflection Square Park as the name. Kupper informed the Board that the Riverside Tennis Center's new tennis dome had been purchased and they are currently awaiting delivery. He also informed the Board that the Park Department is currently moving forward with the sale of 20 acres of the Kingsbury site to the Water Department for a future water treatment center. Miller asked if there were any further items for discussion. No items. Meeting adjourned at approximately 5:22 p.m. ___________________________________ Janet L. Miller, President ATTEST: ____________________________ Myca J. Bunch Recording Secretary