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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes RAB 082106PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING August 21, 2006 MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order at 7 :00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Deputy City Clerk, Ray Ellis called the roll: Present Tory Buckley Dr. Carolyn Chaplik Mary Anne Hedrick Robert Premuroso Wendy Walker Ernest Volonte Others Present David Levy — Council Liaison Charlotte Presensky — Staff Liaison Mike Kelly Ray Ellis Absent Philip Milton APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mr. Buckley asked for comments on the Minutes. Ernest Volonte asked if the Minutes could be amended so that the District Park agreement is terminated per Carolyn Walker. A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously to approve the minutes of July 24, 2006 meeting. ITEMS BY STAFF LIAISON: Meeting Calendar — Set Dates -- Ms. Presensky announced the meeting dates for the rest of the year: September 25, October 16, November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19, March 19, April 17 and May 16. The months of June and July will be skipped due to the number of people on vacation. Mr. Buckley requested that the board stick to the scheduled dates, and to stay with the 3`d Monday unless there was a conflicting holiday. The list of appointees and re- appointees will be sent to Council; members were asked to e-mail their decisions to Ms. Presensky this week. Mr. Buckley asked how many meetings the Advisory Boards were required to hold. Following a discussion it was decided that ten meetings should be held, and that eight should be attended because members must attend 25% of the meetings scheduled. Ms. Presensky Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes August 21, 2006 Page 2 advised members that their attendance records will be attached to the reapplications of appointees being sent to the Council. It was announced that October 15th will be the first Green Market for this year, and it will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. OLD BUSINESS: PGA Park Master Plan — On Saturday, October 7th there will be a walkabout at PGA from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. A conceptual plan will be on site for members, staff and the public to use and they will be given clipboards to record their comments which will be forwarded to the developer. Information will be collected from the clipboard notes, to be presented at the October 16th Advisory Board Meeting. After that, the cost estimates, phasing, and matching with funds, will have to be done, and then it goes back to Planning & Zoning. This will not be the last opportunity for the public to provide their input. A direct mailing to all of the Boards who have participated at PGA and a -mails will be sent out. Clubhouse Discussion at the Golf Course — It is generally thought that a cultural center should be in the center of the City with social events to be held there, and that an expanded Golf Course facility should be updated to be friendlier and have a better flow through it. The course is going through renovations now, and this would be a good time to work on the clubhouse and the parking facility. According to what was said last month, the Tennis Center or the City Park would be a better location for a cultural event facility, particularly since this land is already owned by the City. Ms. Presensky will draft a letter to be presented to the Council with this suggestion. NEW BUSINESS: Time Capsule Selection — Everyone should have received their invitation to the Grand Re- opening of the Burns Road Recreation Center on September 8th and 9th. During this event, advisory board members will be presented with new shirts. On Friday night a time capsule will be buried, and each committee is invited to submit one item about the size of a bread box to be included in the time capsule. Suggestions for the advisory board's item for inclusion were discussed and everyone should e-mail Ms. Presensky with their ideas. A popular suggestion was to take a picture of board members wearing their new shirts, holding the new Signature City magazine, and having the autograph of each person on the picture. Further events to be held during the reopening on Saturday, September 9th include an open house, Wellness Day, tours of the facility, free resident use of the pool, and the Grandparent /Grandchild Swim and Breakfast Day. Economic Impact of Recreation & Parks Events -- The Palm Beach County Sports Commission rates and multipliers are generated from the Florida Sports Federation, which come from Visit Florida, which in turn comes from a data subscription service for tourist information for Florida. Graham Morris, from the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, who is currently going to different agencies and speaking about the Sports Commission, has offered to come and speak to this Advisory Board. Whether raw or induced, the five sports events presently planned range from $1 Million up to $1.5 Million each. It is powered by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes August 21, 2006 Page 3 number of room nights figured. The largest event, the Swamp Classic featuring three teams, figures as the largest economic impact. The Category G Grant Program, for large scale events, is included with the letter presented to the Advisory Board members. We need good estimates to apply for these grants because what they give to you is commensurate with the activity you are doing. Keeping in mind that they are interested in room night figures, everyone was asked to review the information distributed at the meeting. Tory Buckley stated that one of the frustrations from the past with dealing with the Palm Beach Sports Commission is the large amount of documentation they require. He reported that previously it has taken a large amount of time to deal with them. It was suggested that the Advisory Commission ask the City for help in filling out the volume of paperwork required. Mr. Morris has mentioned that perhaps they could share some of the sports events and training programs with the City and they will discuss it further in a future meeting. It was announced that Justin Lucas will be assisting with this project. Since most events start on a Friday and run through Sunday night, contacting event directors and getting hotel information would be beneficial because this is the type of documentation required. Everyone was asked to review the data being prepared and to be ready to discuss it at the next meeting. Ms. Presensky announced that three of the racquetball courts have been deemed unusable due to hurricane stress crack damage and poor lighting environments, and have been closed because they are considered to be unsafe. Though we temporarily do not have racquetball courts available, she did report that by using City Park grant money we will be building new racquetball courts soon. COMMENTS BY PUBLIC: Tim Frohling, 152 Euphrates Circle, asked a couple of questions concerning the PGA Walkthrough. He was assured a site plan will be available and that the composite day rate comes from a data subscription system. Mr. Frohling mentioned that the Firefighter Games, Florida Chiefs and FBI events should have an positive economic impact. Due to all of the money put into the parks, he feels that by promoting the economic impact and how much is received, that it should be tracked and reported back to the community. After a discussion it was decided that the Economic Development Program person for the City should be invited to our meeting to discuss the secondary impact of our sports programs. In the past the restraint has been our facilities, but now that we are growing and have better facilities, we will be able to attract more sports events. COMMENTS BY BOARD: Mr. Buckley suggested that we take a hard look at our soccer facility at Clock Field to see how we could use it better. Ms. Presensky related that at present Clock Field is over -used, and we could use a second soccer facility to meet our needs. She stated that more multi- purpose space is needed and we should be looking for additional land for expansion. A study of land currently available should be compared to land that may or may not be on the market five years from now, since we have to look towards the future and find both active and passive park space. Presently the eighteen acres we own would be good to use for Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes August 21, 2006 Page 4 developing, not only for current plans, but also for adding a walking park. In the new edition of Wild Lands, Ms. Presensky will ask them to mark our park lands in it. Regarding the Seacoast Property, funds have been allocated to demolish the building and build a pavilion for roller hockey, and parking will be expanded. The tanks at this site are not included because they are still being used. Councilmember David Levy announced that a resolution has been submitted to put the City staff on the Florida Retirement System, and he projected the secure pension plan should benefit the staff in a positive manner. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Minutes August 21, 2006 Page 5 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:08 p.m. APPROVED: Robert Premuroso, Chair Tory Buckley Ernest V Wendy Walker, Vice Chair Attest: Ray E Clerk Note: These summary minutes are prepared in compliance with 286.011 F.S. and are not verbatim transcripts of the meeting. A verbatim audio record is available from the Office of the City Clerk. PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING August 21, 2006 AMENDED MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Deputy City Clerk, Ray Ellis called the roll : Present Tory Buckley Dr. Carolyn Chaplik Mary Anne Hedrick Robert Premuroso Wendy Walker Ernest Volente Others Present David Levy -Council Liaison Charlotte Presensky -Staff Liaison Mike Kelly Ray Ellis APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Absent Philip Milton Mr. Buckley asked for comments on the Minutes. Ernest Volente asked if the Minutes could be amended so that the District Park agreement is terminated per Carolyn Walker. A motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously to approve the minutes of July 24, 2006 meeting. ITEMS BY STAFF LIAISON: Meeting Calendar -Set Dates -Ms. Presensky announced the meeting dates for the rest of the year: September 25, October 16, November 20, December 18,. January 15, February 19, March 19, April 17, and May 16. The months of June and July will be skipped due to the number of people on vacation. Mr. Buckley requested that the board stick to the scheduled dates, and to stay with the 3rd Monday unless there was a conflicting holiday. The list of appointees and re-appointees will be sent to Council; members were asked to e-mail their decisions to Ms. Presensk:y this week. Mr. Buckley asked how many meetings the Advisory Boards were required to hold . Following a discussion it was decided that ten meetings should be held, and that eight should be attended because members must attend 25% of the meetings scheduled. Ms. Presensky Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Amended Minutes August 2 1, 2006 Page2 advised members that their attendance records will be attached to the reapplications of appointees being sent to the Council. It was announced that October 15th will be the first Green Market for this year, and it will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 1 :00 p .m . OLD BUSINESS: PGA Park Master Plan -On Saturday, October 7th there will be a walkabout at PGA from 9 :00 a.m. until 11 :00 a .m. A conceptual plan will be on site for members, staff and the public to use and they will be given clipboards to record their comments which will be forwarded to the developer. Information will be collected from the clipboard notes, to be presented at the October 16th Advisory Board Meeting. After that, the cost estimates, phasing, and matching with funds, will have to be done, and then it goes back to Planning & Zoning. This will not be the last opportunity for the public to provide their input. A direct mailing to all of the Boards who have participated at PGA and e-mails will be sent out. Clubhouse Discussion at the Golf Course -It is generally thought that a cultural center should be in the center of the City with social events to be held there, and that an expanded Golf Course facility should be updated to be friendlier and have a better flow through it. The course is going through renovations now, and this would be a good time to work on the clubhouse and the parking facility. According to what was said last month, the Tennis Center or the City Park would be a better location for a cultural event facility, particularly since this land i s already owned by the City. Ms. Presensky will draft a letter to be presented to the Council with this suggestion. NEW BUSINESS : Time Capsule Selection -Everyone should have received their invitation to the Grand Re- opening of the Burns Road Recreation Center on September 8th and 9th . During this event, advisory board members will be presented with new shirts. On Friday night a time capsule will be buried, and each committee is invited to submit one item about the size of a bread box to be included in the time capsule. Suggestions for the advisory board's item for inclusion were discussed and everyone should e-mail Ms. Presensky with their ideas. A popular suggestion was to take a picture of board members wearing their new shirts, holding the new Signature City magazine, and having the autograph of each person on the picture. Further events to be held during the reopening on Saturday, September 9th include an open house, Wellness Day, tours of the facility, free resident use of the pool, and the Grandparent/Grandchild Swim and Breakfast Day. Economic Impact of Recreation & Parks Events --The Palm Beach County Sports Commission rates and multipliers are generated from the Florida Sports Federation, which come from Visit Florida, which in turn comes from a data subscription service for tourist information for Florida. Graham Morris, from the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, who is currently going to different agencies and speaking about the Sports Commission, has offered to come and speak to this Advisory Board. Whether raw or induced, the five sports events presently planned range from $1 Million up to $1.5 Million each. It is powered by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Amended Minutes August 21, 2006 Page3 number of room nights figured. The largest event, the Swamp Classic featuring three teams, figures as the largest economic impact. The Category G Grant Program, for large scale events, is included with the letter presented to the Advisory Board members. We need good estimates to apply for these grants because what they give to you is commensurate with the activity you are doing. Keeping in mind that they are interested in room night figures, everyone was asked to review the information distributed at the meeting. Tory Buckley stated that one of the frustrations from the past with dealing with the Palm Beach Sports Commission is the large amount of documentation they require. He reported that previously it has taken a large amount of time to deal with them. It was suggested that the Advisory Commission ask the City for help in filling out the volume of paperwork required. Mr. Morris has mentioned that perhaps they could share some of the sports events and training programs with the City and they will discuss it further in a future meeting. It was announced that Justin Lucas will be assisting with this project. Since most events start on a Friday and run through Sunday night, contacting event directors and getting hotel information would be beneficial because this is the type of documentation required. Everyone was asked to review the data being prepared and to be ready to discuss it at the next meeting. Ms. Presensky announced that three of the racquetball courts have been deemed unusable due to hurricane stress crack damage and poor lighting environments, and have been closed because they are considered to be unsafe. Though we temporarily do not have racquetball courts available, she did report that by using City Park grant money we will be building new racquetball courts soon. COMMENTS BY PUBLIC: Tim Frohling, 152 Euphrates Circle, asked a couple of questions concerning the PGA Walkthrough. He was assured a site plan will be available and that the composite day rate comes from a data subscription system. Mr. Frohling mentioned that the Firefighter Games, Florida Chiefs and FBI events should have an positive economic impact. Due to all of the money put into the parks, he feels that by promoting the economic impact and how much is received, that it should be tracked and reported back to the community. After a discussion it was decided that the Economic Development Program person for the City should be invited to our meeting to discuss the secondary impact of our sports programs. In the past the restraint has been our facilities, but now that we are growing and have better facilities, we will be able to attract more sports events. COMMENTS BY BOARD: Mr. Buckley suggested that we take a hard look at our soccer facility at Gleek Klock Field to see how we could use it better. Ms. Presensky related that at present tleek Klock Field is over-used, and we could use a second soccer facility to meet our needs. She stated that more multi-purpose space is needed and we should be looking for additional land for expansion. A study of land currently available should be compared to land that may or may not be on the market five years from now, since we have to look towards the future and find both active and passive park space. Presently the eighteen acres we own would be good to use for Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Amended Minutes August 21 , 2006 Page4 developing, not only for current plans, but also for adding a w alking park. In the new edition of Wild Lands, Ms. Presensky will ask them to mark our park lands in it. Regarding the Seacoast Property, funds have been allocated to demolish the build ing and build a pavilion for roller hockey, and parking will be exp anded . The tanks at thi s site are not included because they are still being used. Councilmember David Levy announced that a resolution has been submitted to put the City staff on the Fl orida Retirement System, and he projected the secure pension plan should benefit the staff in a positive manner. I • Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Amended Minutes August 21 , 2006 Page 5 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:08 p.m. A PPROVED : Attest: Note: These summary minutes are prepared in compliance with 286.011 F.S. and are not verbatim transcripts of the meeting. A verbatim audio record is available from the Office of the City Clerk. l