#11 BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING Monday, October 12, 1998 Present: June Bailey, Lucy Burtnett, Pat Consolver, Bob Martz, M.S. Mitchell Absent: Leon Robinson and William Sanders Also Present: Ron Vine - Bucher, Willis & Ratliff; and Maryann Crockett, Ron Hayworth, Vince Kendrick, Janice McKinney, and Tim Vanatta (staff) President Burtnett called the meeting to order at approximately 3:36 p.m. Mitchell requested that attendance at the July 13, 1998, meeting be corrected to reflect that he was absent. The minutes of the regular meetings of July 13, 1998, as corrected, and August 24, 1998, were approved. Director Vanatta announced that there would be a ground breaking ceremony for the Auburn Hills Golf Course on Friday, October 16, 1998, at 10:30 a.m. He said board members would be receiving an invitation, if they had not already received one. 1. Discussion of Draft Report from Facility Consultant - Bucher, Willis and Ratliff. Ron Vine - Bucher, Willis & Ratliff. Vine began his presentation by thanking Janice McKinney for preparing matrices of Board and staff member comments concerning plan recommendations. He provided board members a copy of the “Summary of Recommendations and Ratings” which he said was prepared from the matrices. He explained that each response was given a rating as follows: Most Important = 6 points; Disagree = 0 points; and no response or neutral = 3 points. He said staff and board member responses were then combined resulting in a total average. He referred to the recommendation that South Lakes sports complex be completed as designed within five years, which was rated 3.69, as an example of how the point system worked. Burtnett mentioned that she gave that recommendation a lower priority because she knew that South Lakes was a project currently in development. Bailey asked Vine if the total points were divided by the number of board members or the number of board members who responded. Vine explained that the points were divided by the number of board members. Martz said board members had been directed to use three options to evaluate the report’s recommended actions. Those options were most important, disagree or partnership. He said the consultant was now allowing a rating of neutral, worth three points, which he said board members were not given the opportunity to use. There was discussion concerning the decision to include the neutral rating. Vine suggested that in addition to discussing how the responses were rated, the Board needed to look at each recommendation that someone disagreed with. He said the Board could then identify the items that needed further discussion. Burtnett said she felt board member’s comments were more important. She suggested the Board review each facility, the recommendations, the comments and then decide what was “do able”. Bailey suggested holding a workshop session where both staff and the Board could discuss each of the facilities in detail. The Board reviewed and discussed seven of the twenty parks and facilities the consultant evaluated, paying particular attention to Board and staff member comments concerning the recommendations. Issues discussed included sign age, color schemes, sand volleyball courts, skateboard courts, various sports and recreation programs, possible grants from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, changing facility usage, marketing park programs and facilities, development of a master plan for each facility and setting priorities for facility renovation. Staff offered to provide reports on several of the facilities the Board had questions or comments on. Martz suggested staff provide reports on all the facilities where there were questions or comments or where board member’s comments and ratings varied greatly from staff comments. Bailey suggested the possibility of a workshop at the November meeting. 2. Discussion of Golf Professional Contracts. Director Vanatta said staff recommended that the current golf professional contracts, with a few minor revisions, be extended until December 31, 2000. He mentioned the extension of Mike Consolver’s contract in 1996 due to renovation of MacDonald Golf Course, and said the proposed contract extension would bring the contract renewal dates of all four golf professionals into line. He said this extension should also correspond with the opening of Auburn Hills Golf Course and the employment of a golf professional at that course. Director Vanatta reported the following contract revisions: (1) elimination of the requirement that the golf assistant be Professional Golf Association certified; (2) elimination of the requirement to lease new golf carts; although, the professionals would be required to maintain the current cart fleet in good condition; and (3) the addition of a proviso that golf cart fees may increase $2.00 in the future, and if that happened, the fee increase would be split 50/50 between the City and the professional. He clarified that $2.00 of the current cart fee subsidized golf cart path construction/maintenance, and the remaining cart fee was split 33% to the City and 67% to the golf professional. There was brief discussion concerning greens fees. On motion by Martz, second by Mitchell, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED to recommend that the City Council approve the golf professional contracts. 3. Discussion of Ralph Wulz/Riverside Tennis Complex Proposal. Mitchell requested that this item be deferred until the November 9, 1998, meeting. 4. John’s Sludge Pond/Cruiser Park. Director Vanatta referred board members to a map of the pond and surrounding area located at I-135 and K-96. He commented that the City would in the future retain a firm to develop a master plan for the area which included a pathway, play area, shelter, rest rooms, fishing and other passive activities. He added that staff had met with representatives from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, who indicated they may be interested in participating in the project. He said this item was for information only and that he would keep the Board informed if and when the project was finalized. OFF-THE-AGENDA ITEMS 1. Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Funding for the Riverside Park System Master Plan. Burtnett asked about replacement of the $3,000,000 that had been withdrawn from the CIP budget for this project. Director Vanatta said the project was scheduled to come on line in 2000 with the initiation of $800,000 for the engineering/design study. OTHER ITEMS 1. Schraft 3rd Addition Acquisition. Mitchell reported that he had met with the Storm Water Engineer concerning the portion of land to be retained by the City. He said they were attempting to complete the land exchange this calendar year. There was brief mention of the need for a legal description, survey and zoning. 2. Prison Labor Issues. Mitchell asked how many prisoners were working in parks and if any of them would be lost as a result of the program change. He also asked if County prisoners were eligible for program participation or just Winfield inmates? He requested answers to these questions by the next board meeting. 3. Financial Reports. Mitchell requested that the Board be provided copies of the monthly financial reports. Vince Kendrick invited board members to attend a ceremony for the players from the show “Wizard of Oz on Ice” at Watson Park, Wednesday, October 14, 1998, at 10:00 a.m. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at approximately 5:50 p.m. ________________________________ Lucy Burtnett, President ATTEST: ______________________________ Maryann Crockett, Clerk Park Board 10/12/98 (contd.) Park Board 10/12/98 (contd.)