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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Park and Recreation Commission Meeting 12/05/2024CITY OF AMES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTE S DATE December 5, 2024 – Homewood Clubhouse, 401 East 20th Street COMMISSION Sarah Cady, Jeff Iles, Janet Rathe, Duane Reeves, Nathan Shimanek, ABSENT None STAFF Keith Abraham, Pa Goldbeck, Courtney Kort, Joshua Thompson 1. CALL TO ORDER: 4:02 PM 2. PUBLIC FORUM None 3. MOTION APPROVING THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH REIMAN GARDENS FOR 2025 Kort outlined the history of a partnership between Reiman Gardens and the Parks and Recreation Department regarding mind-body classes held in the Gardens from 2021-2023. In 2024, Reiman Gardens offered its own classes with student instructors. Reiman Gardens wishes to resume its partnership with Parks and Recreation beginning in March 2025. The Memorandum of Understanding for 2025 is largely unchanged from previous years and both parties wish to continue a successful partnership. MOTION: (Iles/Tapp) to recommend Alternative 1, which states: Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with Reiman Gardens for 2025. MOTION PASSED: (7-0) 4. DISCUSSION REGARDING FITCH FAMILY INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER PROPOSED FACILITY SCHEDULE, SURVEY, FEE SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET Abraham noted Commission discussions about Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center (FFIAC) would transition from facility design and construction to operations, scheduling, budget, and fees. Best case scenario has the facility opening in January 2026, he reported. Facility Schedule The proposed initial facility schedule spans 38 weeks, with FFIAC fully open for programming and open swimming from the Tuesday after Labor Day to the Friday before Memorial Day. Furman Aquatic Center (FAC) will be used for these activities from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day, with FFIAC open for limited summer operations, focusing on swimming lessons, and as a backup facility for summer swimming opportunities during inclement weather when FAC is closed. Abraham indicated this schedule is not ideal and staff would prefer something different. Abraham noted FAC basins and amenities were closed at times in recent years due to lifeguard shortages, and staff does not believe it is feasible to have both FFIAC and FAC fully operational during the summer months. Should lifeguard staffing improve, he stressed, the 38-week FFIAC schedule may be adjusted. 2 Cady speculated that year-round aquatic facilities may make it easier to hire and retain full-time adult staff. Abraham indicated two additional full-time staff members will be hired for FFIAC, an Aquatics Coordinator and a Principal Clerk. New full-time staff is not planned for lifeguarding or other temporary staff positions. Shimanek indicated he always assumed this would be the facilities’ operating schedules and it is not reasonable to expect both facilities to be fully open simultaneously. Iles asked what the donors expected for operating schedules. Abraham said he has not had this conversation with the Fitches, but in other matters they have always been understanding. Rathe spoke about lap swimmers having high hopes for year-round swimming. She wondered if staff explored recruiting lifeguards from among these swimmers. Abraham spoke about staff’s continuous staff recruitment and retention efforts, that staff does not just accept being short- handed. Lifeguard shortages are a national issue, even in larger population areas, he noted. Shimanek praised the flexibility of using FFIAC as a summertime backup when/if FAC is closed. Cady agreed with the plan for now but saw possible public demand for additional services. Tapp thought the proposed schedule was a good place to start. Survey Kort reviewed a recent community survey intended to shape preliminary FFIAC programing decisions. Questions asked for feedback on ideal programmed activities and scheduling, emphasizing a September through May offering. The survey was distributed to 12,500 emails and via Parks and Recreation newsletter, press releases, and various City social media. In 10 days, survey responses totaled 2,154. Kort reviewed survey data and respondent comments regarding Swim Lessons, Lap Swim, Water Walking, Tot Time, Open Swim, Aqua and Water Exercise classes, and various other aquatic activities. The good survey response rate created a lot of data points staff can use to guide decisions about FFIAC programming in year one. Abraham commented that he could not recall another survey with 2,100+ responses. Fee Schedule Abraham reviewed proposed admission/pass fees for both FAC and FFIAC. The proposed fee structure for FFIAC is based on FAC’s upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 fees, with various charges for daily admissions, punch passes, and season passes. Daily admission and punch pass fees would be the same for FAC and FFIAC. The cost per week for season passes for each facility are nearly identical. Staff expects demand for a year-round pass but has not determined details for offering this yet. Other fee components to examine include: financial assistance/scholarship program; reducing the number of individuals who may be included on a household pass to five people (two adults, three youth), with additional adult users $75 each, additional youth $25 each; and offering more flexible payment options for season passes to make the total cost more accessible for families who may struggle to pay the full amount in one payment. Budget Abraham reviewed the proposed budget summary and tax subsidy impact for FFIAC. When the project began, the estimated annual tax subsidy for FFIAC was estimated at $350,000 to $400,000. With design completed – including numerous decisions to reduce costs and improve efficiencies to reduce operating costs – and construction underway, staff better understand the 3 likely annual tax subsidy, now calculated at $219,736, about half the anticipated annual subsidy. Abraham noted several expenses that will exist before FFIAC opens in January 2026 (e.g., utilities, additional staff, training, etc.), along with projected operating costs and revenues of 65 percent and 55 percent, respectively, for FY 2025/26. Abraham also reviewed the FY 2025/26 budgets and tax subsidies for FFIAC, Aquatics with and without FFIAC included, and reviewed total projected impact of FFIAC on the overall Aquatics tax subsidy. Accounting for various expense duplications across budgets, the entire Parks and Recreation FY 2025/26 budget, including FFIAC, shows total tax subsidy of $3,075,817, an increase of $133,642, he reported. Iles asked if the proposed figures are based on FFIAC being closed during the summer. Abraham said yes, and if staff were directed to cut fees or expand the FFIAC operating schedule, then the tax subsidy would increase. Iles observed that would be an argument against keeping FFIAC open year-round. Abraham added that staff would be concerned about increased costs and negative impact on service quality or having to close amenities. Iles said he was haunted there will be pushback if FFIAC is not open year-round because the public expects a year-round facility. Abraham replied that a year-round schedule, the initial goal, is not realistic at this time, and a good campaign to communicate why will be needed. Cady added it seemed reasonable to say the operating schedule for the first few years of FFIAC may be fluid as staff gathers more information about staffing and its ability to offer services. Abraham and Kort spoke about staffing challenges and provided numerous examples of what staff already must do to enable FAC to be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. White asked what it would take to be open year-round and how staff may need to respond to protests about the proposed FFIAC schedule. Abraham indicated increased lifeguard wages have not resulted in more lifeguards. Shimanek said the proposed fees look very reasonable and should not be reduced, that fees should have good price points for across the community but should also value the service being provided. Abraham noted work on the Healthy Life Center fees and charges and shared the philosophy of project consultant Ballard*King & Associates, who advocated for finding a price most people can pay and then find ways to make services affordable to everyone else, e.g., scholarships. Rathe noted the proposed fees already give a lot of options. 5. DISCUSS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WITH CITY MANAGER STEVE SCHAINKER Assistant City Manager Goldbeck attended the meeting in place of City Manager Schainker. Abraham reviewed criteria used by the Commission and staff to evaluate projects to include in the annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and provided an overview of funding sources available for Operations and CIP projects. Abraham noted near-term projects to be completed with savings from other projects and/or donations and then gave updates on the 2025/26 (year one) projects and an overview of projects in years two through five. Other topics discussed included:  Additional bike trails in either “Elwood Pasture” area or Ontario Park.  Additional pickleball courts.  Diversifying facilities/offerings, i.e., greater variety, creating destination points.  Bridge over Ioway Creek at Moore Memorial Park/Veenker Memorial Golf Course and future development of trail connections along Scholl Road and Ontario Street and/or development of Reactor Woods/Peggy’s Trail area. 4  Recreation center development. Goldbeck summarized progress with a comprehensive plan to address homelessness. The scheduled December 19, 2024, meeting was canceled. 6. ADJOURNMENT MOTION (Iles) to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 5:51 PM.