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Park & Rec Board - MINUTES - 8/11/2003 MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING CITY OF MUSKEGO AUGUST 11, 2003 Approved 9/8/03 Board President Toby Whipple called the monthly meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board, City of Muskego, to order at 6:30 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting notice was posted in accordance with the Open Meeting Law on Thursday, August 7, 2003. Present: Ald. Chris Buckmaster, Mr. Jerald Hulbert, Ms. Kelly Koble, Mr. Richard Manchester, Mr. Howard Schneider, Mr. Toby Whipple, Director Craig Anderson and Parks & Recreation Department Intern Nick Topercer. Absent: Mr. Eric Hetzel GUESTS: Mouy Gray, Veronica Konieczka, Catherine Brazzale, Fritz Devries, John Knowles APPROVAL OF MINUTES: July 14 Board Meeting Mr. Richard Manchester moved, Mr. Howard Schneider seconded, to approve the minutes of the July 14 meeting. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously. PERSONAL APPEARANCES: Idle Isle Park Concrete Canoe Competition Mr. John Knowles, representing the Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), made a presentation before the Board regarding their request to use Idle Isle Park for the concrete canoe competition. The competition would take place on Friday, April 30, 2004, with set up for the event on Thursday, April 29. Items outline in the request were parking, food and beverage refreshments, bathroom facilities, canoe access to the lake. A detailed letter regarding these issues was provided to the Board members and is a part of the official minutes. MSOE would assume the responsibility for any damages incurred by the park due to this competition. Mr. Hulbert advised that the Parks and Recreation Board’s jurisdiction was only for the park. MSOE would have to contact the Muskego Police Department and the WDNR (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) for the event activities taking place on the lake such as the placement of buoys. During the event, the park would not be exclusively theirs. The park would be open to other users. Mr. Hulbert continued, that in the past, the Board has granted permission to park on the grass. Board members also suggested finding parking off the site and providing a shuttle service to the event. President Whipple questioned how many canoes per school, noting that the letter indicated 12 schools would participate? Mr. Knowles indicated it is usually one canoe per school, however, last year, UW-Madison had two. He informed the Board that the judges make sure everything is safe for the competition and they will also have personnel in a boat monitoring the races. Mr. Schneider asked if the canoe sinks, could it be retrieved? Mr. Knowles said the canoes could be retrieved. Ald. Buckmaster asked Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 2 that the lake district and the Little Muskego Lake Association (LMLA) be advised of the event. Ms. Koble asked when they would decide they needed additional toilet facilities? Director Anderson stated they would need additional toilet facilities, additional clean out of the facilities, as well as emptying the dumpster of garbage. He continued, that MSOE would also have to provide the City of Muskego with a certificate of insurance. Mr. Hulbert moved to approve the request with the addition of the certificate of insurance, notification to the lake district and LMLA, responsible for the additional cost of the toilet facilities and additional clean out, the dumpster service, and restoring the park areas after the event. Mr. Schneider seconded. Director Anderson stated they could contact the Muskego Police Department as they have a permit for the exclusive use of the lake area. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. President Whipple requested that the details of the event be worked out with Director Anderson. WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE: Peace Lutheran Church A request was received from Peace Lutheran Church to set up 2 to 3 small canopies--one for refreshments, one for registration, one for sunscreen--close to the Horn Park parking lot for their bike-a-thon and walk-a-thon event scheduled for September 13 with a rain date of September 20. They also requested the use of the Bluhm Park bathrooms. Director Anderson stated that as the bathrooms will be open, this would not be an issue. Mr. Manchester noted that with the serving of refreshments, they should be responsible for any litter clean up. Director Anderson said they would make them responsible for the clean up of the area. Mr. Howard Schneider moved to approve the request. Mr. Manchester seconded. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. Bluhm Park Vandalism Director Anderson informed the Board that on July 26, the men’s bathroom stall in the new facility at Bluhm Park was scratched up with gang graffiti and the women’s door was scratched up inside and out. On July 31, the south side facilities, the women’s bathroom facility was clogged with paper towels and paper strewn all over and the men’s, the toilets were plugged and again, paper strewn all over. The police were notified. On August 4, the department had to call in the services of a plumber to unclog the bathroom units in the south side facility. There were wrappers, balloons, toilet paper, and paper found clogging the toilets. He mentioned that some of these issues occur before 5:00 p.m. based on the fact that the ranger discovered it and also, the units had been cleaned the night before and nothing was noted on the form turned in by Jani-King. He will be working out something with the police department. Mr. Hulbert questioned what hours the bathrooms were open? Director Anderson stated 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and they are opened by the staff during the week, checked by the staff in the late afternoon, and closed by the ranger in the evening. On the weekends, Jani- King opens and closes the facilities. Idle Isle Vandalism Director Anderson reported that on July 22, the outside security light was smashed at Idle Isle Park with some glass block from the restroom windows. This has been replaced. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: MHS Athletic Fields Director Anderson shared that there was a meeting last week Thursday. It now seems that the figures have Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 3 come in where they were suppose to for the project. Common Council is going to be looking at the maintenance agreement and the facilities agreement. The school board will look at the maintenance agreement the third week of August and approving it. The figures came in on budget. Contractors should be turning dirt over as soon as the agreements are signed. Mr. Hulbert asked about the bids? Director Anderson stated the bids had come in and some cuts were made which were minor in nature and did not take away from the scope of the project. Horse/Snowmobile Trail Network for the City of Muskego Mr. Hulbert had contacted someone in the Planning Department and the staff member will be taking a look at the undeveloped area in the western-southwestern section of the city. She will be taking a look at the roads and the right-of-ways to see where it would be possible to have the trails and get in touch with Director Anderson or Mr. Hulbert. As she would not be able to tell if there was enough width for the trail, the sub- committee will have to go out and do some measuring. He said that Kelsey is the only road where it appears there would not be a problem. This will be a starting point. He had hoped the staff member would be able to come to some conclusion by the end of this month and probably in September the sub-committee could take the measurements and come up with an overall plan. ALDERMAN'S REPORT Ald. Buckmaster reported that they are still waiting for verification on the clean up of the Ewald-Engle property and then from that point, they will make the offer again. On the Old Town Hall, Committee of the Whole agreed it was not in the best interest to pursue a facility agreement; but look at amending the lease, affording Parks and Recreation Department under the direction of the Parks and Recreation Board the entire building with the Muskego Historical Society leasing the lower level. They had also discussed the possibility of opening up the wall to the kitchen for possible use for cooking programs, etc. offered through the department. Recently a bid had been received for the roof work. This would then become a capital budget item. Mr. Hulbert asked if anything had been done regarding the Paepke property next to Horn Field? Ald. Buckmaster said nothing at present. CONSERVATION COMMISSION REPORT Mr. Schneider shared that the conservation commission had not met; however, he had talked with Mr. Zagar and was informed that they had applied for a grant on the Ewald-Engle property. It had scored the highest in southeastern Wisconsin so there is a strong possibility of getting this WDNR money. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Recreation Fall Program Guide Director Anderson reported that the Fall Program Guide went out last Friday and people are starting to receive them. Internet Registration Internet registration is up and going. People are calling in for their barcode so they can register over the Internet. Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 4 Old Town Hall Update Ald. Buckmaster covered this issue under his report. Parks Bluhm Park Field 4 Director Anderson stated this is still being worked on. They had a meeting with the contractor. A lot has to be done to restore it to the condition of the field as installed by Natural Athletic Turf. It needs more topsoil, drain tile to drain the puddles that formed between home and first base. The outfield needs to be reseeded which is currently full of rocks, which need to be removed, and there is no grass growth at this time. Infield mix needs to be brought in and there is repair needed on some of the backstop posts and the third base bench installed. Bay Lane Backstops The Bay Lane backstops have just been completed. The invoice was received today. The school board will be paying for half of the work. Idle Isle Launch Director Anderson and Parks Supervisor Theis investigated the launch area at Idle Isle Park. Department had received reports of boats getting hung up on the rocks at the end of the concrete platform. The power loading of boats washes out the rocks which formed a “U” beyond the concrete slab. They have had DPW (Department of Public Works) bring in more rock in the area. Rock was placed back to its original position. The department will be contacting WDNR to request putting in another concrete section. Signs have been posted asking people not to power load their boats. Schmidt Park Playground The Schmidt Park playground was installed the past week. It was a very nice job. The extra fibar will be stored at the parks garage. Denoon & Bluhm Shelters The shelters are done and look wonderful. The sonnitubes were fixed at Denoon Park. Brushing Back Trail Before the seasonal staff goes back to college, they have been working on brushing back the recreation trails. Boxhorn Grant Closed Out The Boxhorn grant has been closed out. The department should be receiving the money within the next two weeks. 2003 Contract Services Update Director Anderson reported that he and the Parks Supervisor had several meetings with Basic Landscaping Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 5 contractor. The landscaping work for which they were contracted was not getting done. They took them on two more tours to show them exactly what was wanted. They finally met with the owner and gave him a deadline on when the work would be done. It was done within a day. The work is now done to the standard expected for the whole year. They now have to maintain the standard. The option the department was going to take was to have the parks crew take over some of the work and have a credit on the account. There will be a final report on how they are doing now until the end of the contracted year. NEW BUSINESS: Program Ads Agreement Director Anderson presented the agreement with Mr. Edwards for the program ads. They currently do the ad work and the department has been satisfied with their service. The department receives the payment for the ads and then processes a check to Mr. Edwards for 40% of the proceeds. There are 3, half-page ads in the program guide and generates revenue of about $6,000, which covers about half of the postage and printing costs of the guides. Mr. Schneider moved to approve the agreement. Mr.Hulbert seconded. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. Capital Budget (2004) Intern Nick Topercer reviewed with the Board the 2004 capital budget requests, totaling $568,575. Board members discussed at length the request for an all-terrain litter vehicle proposed for goose dropping pick-up at a cost of $33,000. They did acknowledge that goose droppings in the parks was a problem, but felt they could not justify the expenditure for the proposed equipment. Director Anderson did not want to use chemical control on the beach due to the proximity to the water. He explained to the Board the investment in man-hours to try and keep the Idle Isle beach clean during the summer. He could foresee a problem at Manchester Hill Park with the shelter and pond as well as Veterans’ Memorial Park after the festival. Part of the problem is that the public feed the geese. The vehicle is the option he came up with to try and alleviate the problem in the parks. Mr. Hulbert moved to delete #4 the all-terrain vehicle in the amount of $33,000 from the capital budget request. Mr. Manchester seconded. The Board members asked if the equipment could be rented or leased; how many man hours would be saved; is there any videos on the machine; does the machine really work? Director Anderson will research and have these answers by the Committee of the Whole meeting. He did know that there were different versions of the machine and at the time he had talked with the company representative, they did not have the rental option available. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried, with Mr. Schneider opposed. Board members reviewed the Capital Budget—5-Year Plan (2003-2008). Most of the items for 2005-2008 are replacement equipment. Director Anderson explained the need for the pickup truck for morning and daily bathroom cleaning. During the summer, vehicles are used for the baseball field maintenance work and not available at a scheduled time for the bathroom detail. Mr. Hulbert asked if there was any impact on the equipment with doing a joint venture with the high school fields? Director Anderson indicated no, but there would be a sharing of the cost in the usage. Mr. Hulbert moved to approve the 5-year capital budget plan with the deletion of item 4 in 2003. Mr. Schneider seconded. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. Parks Safety Manual Intern Nick Topercer presented the Parks Safety Manual to the Board members. This was his master project. All these procedures were being done, but it was a matter of getting them into a manual format. He had met with Parks Supervisor Theis and Director Anderson and with the City of New Berlin to see what they had in Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 6 place. Director Anderson said they are trying to build up their video library and purchasing a VCR and monitor so the employees can view these videos. Mr. Hulbert moved to approve in concept the safety manual for the staff. Mr. Manchester seconded. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. OTHER BUSINESS Subdivision Plans from Plan Commission No plans submitted for review by the Board. Mr. Hulbert shared that they are adding on to Candlewood/Quietwood, adjacent to the former community center site. He believed the city had the option to purchase some outlots in the area. Next Meeting – September 8, 2003 COMMUNICATIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW Ald. Buckmaster informed the Board the police are patrolling the Kurth Park area. They have established a zero tolerance for the area. Board discussed the pros and cons of having an area light in the park. Ald. Buckmaster indicated that the police prefer the light. Mr. Manchester advised the Board that he had received an inquiry regarding the walking trail from Racine Avenue to the entrance to the county park. The individual would like to see the trail plowed. They did not like to walk or run on a hard surface. He had informed the person that plowing the recreation trails was lowest on the list of priorities. Mr. Hulbert commented that the recreation trails were never meant to be all-weather trails. With the continued increase in recreation trails, Director Anderson said at a future meeting, he will make a recommendation to the Board on which ones will be plowed. Ms. Koble commented how impressed she was with the Moorland Road path, how fast it was cleared after a snowfall. Ald. Buckmaster had hoped that Intern Topercer’s internship was educational and eventful and that he appreciated the politics involved with boards and committees. Did he have any events that peaked his interest or any comments on his internship? Mr. Topercer said it was an experience and he learned a lot about city government and the operations. ADJOURNMENT - There being no further business, Mr. Manchester moved for adjournment at 7:52 p.m. Seconded by Mr. Hulbert. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. Stella Dunahee, CPS Recording Secretary pc: Board Members, Craig Anderson email: Mayor, Alderpersons, Department Heads, Peter Theis, Irene Schuder, Tammy Dunn, Approved Minutes, Parks & Recreation Board Meeting, August 11, 2003, page 7