Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Park and Recreation Commission Meeting 10/20/2022AMES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES DATE: October 20, 2022 COMMISSION PRESENT: Jeremy Bristow, Sarah Cady, Rachel Cramer, Jacob Ludwig, Duane Reeves ABSENT: Nathan Shimanek STAFF PRESENT: Keith Abraham, Jill Burt, Courtney Kort, Nate Pietz, Joshua Thompson CALL TO ORDER: 4:00 PM APPROVAL OF MINUTES Bristow moved, with second by Cramer, to approve the September 15, 2022 meeting minutes. No discussion. No opposition. Motion Approved PUBLIC FORUM Richard Deyo, 505 8th Street #2, spoke about his interest in serving as a volunteer doorman at City Hall. [Commissioner Ludwig arrived at the meeting at 4:02 PM.] Deyo advocated for private and public spaces for nudists, expressed concern about his ability to attend events held at the City Auditorium, and discussed a no trespass order restricting his presence at City Hall. STAFF REPORT REGARDING FURMAN AQUATIC CENTER 2022 SEASON Abraham introduced Burt and Pietz. Burt highlighted several offseason maintenance accomplishments at Furman Aquatic Center (FAC), including repair of a leak in the Lazy River feature, installation of new chemical controllers and variable frequency drives on pool pump motors, and restoration of the splash pool play structure. Closure of Ames Municipal Pool required changes to providing evening swimming lessons and programming adjustments at FAC. Offseason certification classes were relocated from Ames Municipal Pool to Iowa State Forker Pool, and other classes were delayed until FAC became operational. Staffing shortages presented challenges again this season, a problem experienced at aquatic centers nationwide. Additional recruitment efforts included no-cost certifications, increased wages, and offering a premium hourly rate for weekend shifts. Burt noted that about half of FAC employees worked up to 10 hours weekly; few employees are willing to work up to 40 hours weekly. Fewer applications, fewer hours worked, and employees’ desire for flexible work schedules are trends staff is monitoring and trying to address. Cady inquired about discussions about Ames High School offering lifeguard certification as a PE class credit. Abraham indicated Principal Steve Johns seemed receptive to the idea. City staff requested a meeting to discuss implementation during the high school second semester. Pietz reviewed admissions and concessions highlights. Facility attendance totaled nearly 79,000, just under the five-year average, with a milestone of serving one million customers reached on June 8. Daily admissions decreased slightly, while punch card and season pass totals increased. Sales of discounted end-of-season passes were like the previous year. Concessions hours required adjustments during the season, but total concession sales were well above the five-year average. Burt reviewed private rentals and special events. This year’s rentals did not match last season’s record but were above the five-year average. Noteworthy events included the Rock the Blocks Swim Meet and the return of several annual special events, such as the Princess Pool Party, the Superhero Pool Party, and Conquer the Current. Annual year-end survey responses were generally favorable. Burt shared several positive comments from pool patrons regarding the facility conditions and operations, staff, service quality, and staff’s continued commitment to prioritizing safety. Cramer inquired about attendance figures. Burt clarified the attendance total reflects number of visits, not a tally of individual customers. Cady asked about staff hours worked per week and spoke about her experience working at Sioux Falls city pools. She asked if Ames has considered retroactive incentives or bonuses for staff who average more hours worked per week and/or complete a full season. Abraham indicated it is important to examine and balance the overall benefit of wage increases and incentives by asking whether it increases the number of people who work or the number of people who work more hours. Staff continue to implement various incentive programs while weighing the benefits against increased costs. Burt indicated this year it was easier keeping staff working through Labor Day. Cady commented on the potential benefits gained from achieving even a small increase in the number of hours worked by staff who averaged fewer than 10 hours each week. MOTION APPROVING DOG PARK FEES FOR 2023 Thompson explained that Dog Park fees are reviewed in the fall, with sales beginning in December each year for permits good for the following calendar year. The 2023 Dog Park fees will increase by one dollar per month to cover higher costs associated with the addition of an access control system needed to address unauthorized entries. Thompson noted an increase in annual permit sales reinforces the value of a community amenity where people can legally run dogs in a public space without a leash. Staff recommends Alternative #1. Ludwig moved, with second by Reeves, to approve Alternative #1. No discussion. No opposition. Motion Approved CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CIP) Abraham indicated a draft CIP will be delayed by one month and will be available for Commission review at the November meeting. The department has many ongoing projects, including several large projects. It is difficult to identify project costs due to unpredictability of labor and material cost increases. Abraham cited several examples from the indoor aquatic center project to illustrate the challenges of accurate project cost forecasting. Reeves shared that materials for the Nevada Field House project were purchased in advance to hedge against rising costs. Abraham indicated that some of Ames’ current projects are not fully designed, making it difficult to order items in advance. In some instances, there may be supply issues and long delays, so materials must be ordered well in advance. Abraham noted some variables are showing encouraging signs of settling down. The City is giving contractors more time to complete projects as a way to lower costs, one of many variables considered when trying to minimize project costs. UPDATES Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center Abraham reported the City is close to finalizing contracts with RDG Planning & Design and Story Construction. Staff is confident the contracts will go before the City Council at its November 8 meeting. On October 19, the City received an offer to buy the project site from the Iowa DOT with a target closing date of January 4, 2023. Purchase of Sand-McDorman Property, 5658 Ontario Street, for a Future Community Park The City was awarded a $200,000 Resource Enhancement and Protection grant. Abraham thanked Joshua Thompson, Susan Gwiasda, and Lisa Hein for their work submitting the grant. The City’s application scored number one among more than 30 applications. Abraham noted other grant opportunities will be examined, including a Community Attraction and Tourism grant for $500,000 for the indoor aquatic center. A Land and Water Conservation Fund grant administered through the Iowa DNR may also be applied toward purchase of the Sand-McDorman property. Staff met with the property owners and are working on a purchase agreement. The property owners requested closing on April 30, 2023. Staff will also meet with the farmer who leases the land and who will likely farm the land again in 2023, and perhaps even longer until a phased park development plan is created. Abraham noted community feedback expressing interest and excitement about development of a large park in west Ames. As the project gets underway, there will be public meetings, a site plan, and a campaign for naming opportunities and fund raising. There is also potential for additional grant opportunities. ADA Audit and Transition Plan Project Abraham indicated WT Group is providing accessibility consulting services to Parks and Recreation. Kort summarized the facility auditing process and progress with evaluations. Next steps will include site reports and development of a transition plan to outline ADA improvements. Public feedback sessions will occur to allow for community input on prioritization. Input sessions are scheduled at Ames Public Library, two on October 26 and a third on October 27. Abraham added that WT Group has shared areas where facilities are noncompliant as well as noting where good things have been done within the Park System. The public meetings will illustrate deficiencies and highlight successes in correcting them. Parks and Recreation is taking a proactive approach to develop a transition plan that may require 8-11 years to accomplish. Request to Place an Eagle Sculpture in Ada Hayden Heritage Park Abraham reported on staff’s meeting with the Friends of Ada Hayden group, which followed meetings with the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Public Art Commission. All three groups were positive about the sculptures. Questions and discussion items included placement options, lighting, protection against vandalism, making it look as natural as possible, and use of native plants. Next steps include working out these details and developing a project timeline. Reeves asked for information about work at Brookside Park. Abraham provided an overview of a Public Works streambank restoration project rerouting the stream through Brookside Park. An update will be given at a future Commission meeting – Abraham anticipated December or perhaps early 2023 – after completing public input meetings and finalizing project plans. Reeves asked if prep work would begin to get the mess out of the stream. Thompson said he thinks they are eager to begin the project by January but would need to hurry to get it out to bid. Abraham and Thompson noted the October-March 31 window for tree clearing to avoid disruption of bat habitat. PROJECT UPDATES Administrative Office Siding Project Thompson indicated a contractor will replace 30- to 40-year-old wood siding at the Parks and Recreation administrative office building. Project bidding was slightly overbudget. Cost savings from other projects will be used to cover the difference. The project will be completed in spring 2023. Pickleball Courts at Emma McCarthy Lee Park Bid opening for the project is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, Abraham reported. The engineer estimate for this component was just under $100,000. Staff hopes a contract can be awarded at the November 8 City Council meeting. The project is to be completed by June 30, 2023. MONTHLY REPORT Thompson stated park bathroom shutdown begins the week of October 24. The wetland dredging at Ada Hayden Heritage Park is expected to be complete the same week. The work has been successful. Kort reported board and glass cleaning was recently completed at the ice arena. At Homewood Golf Course, 2,886 rounds were played in September, an increase of several hundred rounds over the September 2021 total. Bandshell Park activities included Free Movie Night and a Des Moines Symphony opening night concert livestream. Abraham provided a summary of changes to the Parks and Recreation brochure. Digital brochures will replace printed brochures, and four brochures will be published instead of two. Staff is working on the Winter brochure (December/January/February) that will go live on the website one month ahead of time. This schedule will be followed for the Spring (March/April/May), Summer (June/July/August), and Fall (September/October/November) brochures. Some content will overlap across brochures. These changes allow for greater responsiveness and more timely information and updates. Two brochures will be produced each quarter: one targeting Fitness & Wellness and another Recreation & Facilities. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Cady spoke about a KCCI report on the accessible kayak launch ribbon cutting event. She noted the great community support and turnout at both the kayak launch and Hira Park ribbon cuttings. Abraham thought those ribbon cuttings were the best attended since the Miracle Park ceremony. NEXT MEETING Thursday, November 17 at 4:00 PM (City Hall Council Chambers) ADJOURNMENT Ludwig moved to adjourn. The meeting concluded at 5:02 PM.