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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes Parks And Recreation Advisory Committee - 08/10/2011 • RECEIVED SEP 15 2011 PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTE Regular Meeting CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE August 10, 2011, 5:00 p.m. Sixth Floor Conference Room, City Hall 1201 Leopard St., Corpus Christi, TX 78401 Members Present Members Absent Staff Present Rene Gutierrez Carlos Haney Michael Morris Jinsun Kim Stacie Talbert Rita Padron Tracey Weber Dorian Ramirez(arrived 5:05) Sylvia Samaniego Huxley Smith Ron Woods Rick Barrera Lisa Torres I. Call to Order Chair, Rene Gutierrez called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm. II. Roll Call of Members The recording secretary called roll and announced a quorum was present. Ill. Adoption of Minutes Regular meeting of July 13, 2011 Rita Padron motioned to accept June 13, 2011 minutes. Ron Woods seconded. Motion passed. IV. Public Comment No public comment V. Presentations A. Coastal Bend Green Team - Leigh Ann Gafer Not present to make presentation B. Oso Bay Learning Center and Wetland Preserve—Barbara Austin, ASLA, Principal with RVI Bound Presentation and Slideshow on the Preliminary Master Plan for Oso Bay Learning Center and Wetland Preserve. Hoping to have Final Master Plan complete in a month, with plans to re— present to PRAC for an endorsement to City Council. • Funding available through Bond 2008 and grants • Master Plan to show what might take ten years or so to develop • Main goal to create a living, breathing ecosystem being Netzero which means to make own power. • Preliminary Master Plan highlighting: o Entry Experience and edge conditions o Circulation and Trails Plan o Habitat Restoration — Prairie Wetland, Estuarine Wetland, Uplands PRAC Regular Meeting 08/10/11 SCANNED • Overnight use sight plan for groups — to address security, usage and motion sensored cameras, park host • Preliminary Learning Center Master Plan —amphitheater, whimsy trail, learning trails, migration trail • Prairie Trail and Learning Center • Children's Garden • Interpretative Center— at point of arrival, may require staff support, shimmering wall to show wind working, vegetative wall • Lab Building — student learning, variety of functions with minimal staff requirements, cistern to collect water, • Events Center — catering kitchen (for set up, not cooking), vegetative wall, rammed earth walls • Phase 1 — Trail and Hawk Walk — using trails grant, small covered pavilion and outdoor learning center, design for pedestrian use only • Phase 2— Learning Center and Trails • Questions posed to RVI team: o Rene — Maintenance? Who, How? A: Vision was to have a Park Staff member dedicated to outdoor recreation, but due to budget constraints this is something to be worked through, possibly try to get a non profit to help. o Rita — will trails be ADA accessible? A: There will be ADA accessible trails, but some will remain natural o Ron —distance from Paul Jones to pier? A: mile to mile and a half o Jinsum — Preservation; where and how? A: All built structures in one area only and only using recently disturbed land. Some grant money is specifically for preservation. Native plants to be planted o Lisa — will there be a "tour" vehicle for guided tours? — A: black trails could accommodate small vehicles of some kind if that was something that was decided; there was some discussion for gators to transport kayaks, etc. • The Preliminary Master Plan is to be posted on the Parks and Recreation website on Friday, August 12. VI. New Business for Discussion and Possible Action A. Process/Selection for new PRAC member— Rene Gutierrez • There was some discussion about applications sent to PRAC by the City Secretary's office. • A vote was taken to determine which applicants they wanted to hear more about: • Richard Avila, Anthony Mulheron, Sarah Baugh and Dan Wilkerson were chosen. • Lisa Torres motions to accept these four individuals to come before PRAC to let the Committee know why they would like to become a PRAC member. Rick Barrera seconds. Motion carries. B. September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance Anniversary—Adopt A Park workday— Rene Gutierrez Lisa Torres motions to come together for the September 11 National Day of Service on Saturday, September 10 at 7am at Lindale Park. Rita seconds. Motion carries. PRAC Regular Meeting 08/10/11 2 C. Statue at Oleander Point—James Gourley and Buddy Tatem —Artist, representing Dusty Durrim • Pictures and narrative provided for a Statue Donation for upper portion of Cole Park between Amistad and Oleander • Arts and Cultural Commission felt PRAC should make a recommendation or revies of the sculpture to Council because there is a Parks Master Plan and it is on Park land. • Concern by Committee with wishes to express to council the need for public or neighbor input. • Huxley Smith motions to accept and send an endorsement for the Statue to City Council. Sylvia Samaniego seconds. Motion carries with 5 yay and 4 opposed. D. Grandparents! Kids Olympics 2012— Rita Padron • September 2012 • Rita Padron has paperwork to submit for corporate sponsorship E, NRPA's America's Favorite Parks— Lisa Torres • Cole Park has already been submitted • Go to www.livepositively.com to vote for your favorite park(Cole Park) • Opportunity to win $100,000 and the title of America's Favorite Park • National grant • Contest started June 29, 2011 ends September 6, 2011 • Link on PRAC Facebook VII. Committee, Liaison/Staff Reports Finance/Marketing Sub-Committee - no Special Proiects Report— no report report Program Development Sub-Committee— Watershore & Beach Advisory Committee discussed tree program; meeting on Liaison - No report Saturday September 13, 2011, 9am at The Place to Be restaurant, 920 Louisiana Volunteers Program Task Force— Rita TAC/Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee— Padron — Schools requiring students to do Want Holly Rd. bike trail, Director stated it community service—came up with a would be good Conquer the Coast event Certificate of Completion. Students must coming up; revising City ordinance for horses/ work one complete hour to receive bicycles. Ordinance last updated around certificate. A volunteer coordinator will keep 1857 in which the horse ordinance was up with the sign in sheet and hours. applied to bicycles Recommendation by Rene Gutierrez, Chair that volunteers complete 2 hours. Special Project Task Group— no report Director/Assistant Director - a. Budget—Director- $767,000 budget cut in Park Maintenance, Seniors and Office of the Director. Going paperless with Parks and Recreation Brochure. Sylvia Samaniego has PRAC Regular Meeting 08/10/11 3 • questions regarding Budget Proprosal for City Council for an Urban Forrester. Mr. Morris states that this is a policy decision, based on if there is not a policy to protect trees, we can not justify an Urban Forrester position. b. Community Enrichment Funds—Working on a plan on how to spend the money and identify the parks to spend the money on. Will share with PRAC and will be open for PRAC input. c. McGee Beach Jetty Plan Report—Omni Hotel has subleased concession to La Bahia. The rest of the jetty is closed because of safety concerns. Engineering has prices for repair. d. Trash— Enforcement/ Plan /Plastic Bags— Bag It! - Police department working on a committee to work on enforcement of litter. Parks and Recreation invited to be on the committee. e. PRAC Park Evaluations Program—we are going to try to be more informal - no assignments, if you can go then the Department would appreciate the input. f. Park Naming Policy to go to Council on August 30, 2011. We will be asking to amend the City Council Policy to match the policy that PRAC worked on. VIII. Identify items to be placed on next agenda Lisa— Hans Suter and Oso BayLearning Center and Wetland Preserve —set tour date Rita— Presentation from uptown neighbor initiative— Rita to contact Dorian —Cole Park Update, winter pool hours Rick— beach update IX. Adjournment As there was no further business, Lisa Torres made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Dorian Ramirez seconded. There was no opposition. Chair, Rene Gutierrez adjourned at 6:45 pm. Michael Morris, Director Parks & Recreation Department PRAC Regular Meeting 08/10/11 4