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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-05-02 Parks & Recreation SummaryKENAI PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA MAY 2, 1996 CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CHAIRMAN RICHARD HULTBERG 1. ROLL CALL' 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES' April 4, 1996 4. pERSONS SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD- a. Cross Country Ski School Representative 5. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: a. Elks Convemion b. After Prom Parties - Skyview, April 27, KCHS, May 4 c. Fields & Grass Area Preparation d. Fence Donation to Circle Track Association o OLD BUSINESS- a. Budget 7. NEW BUSINESS' a. Summer Hires b. Hiring Schedule for New Director c. Global Relief 8. CORRESPONDENCE: 9. INFORMATION: 10. ADJOURNMENT: ® ® ® ® KENM PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION **Minutes** May 2, 1996- 7:00 p.m. City Council Chambers Chairman Richard Hultberg CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Members present': Dale Sandahl, Kelly Gifford, Tim Wisniewski, Jack Castimore, Richard Hultberg, Michele Fahnholz, Ron Yamamoto Also present' Duane Bannock, Kayo McGillivray, Sheryl Paulsen (recording secretary), sir Maurer (speaker) APPROVAL OF AGENDA No additions or corrections to agenda. The agenda was approved as written. APPROVAL OF MINUTES No additions or corrections to minutes. The minutes were approved as written. PERSONS SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD Sid Maurer (representing the Cross Country Ski School) stated that the trails should be referred to the "Kenai Community Trails" because he would like to see them used for running, hiking and biking as well as skiing. Maurer said he met with Bob Frates of Parks & Rec and is also working with Kathy Zorbas. Maurer said he would like to see a trail system in Kenai that would be unlike Nikiski's or Skyview's in that it would be less challenging so it can be used by beginners. He said he and Zorbas have been looking at some property adjacent to the Kenai Golf Course where there are two existing trails. He suggested that if those trails were wider they could be used for skating, as well as classical skiing. Commissioner Hultberg asked who owns the property. Kayo McGillivray answered that some of the land is privately owned and some is owned by the City. Maurer stated they are thinking it would be good to have community races and ski clinics on the trails, promoting a "healthy climate" in the area. He said he believed it would even be good for local business. He said that maybe it would only be feasible in the winter, but they could use some help with that, too. They don't have a snow machine or a roller for grooming the trails. Maurer said it makes sense to have the trails so close to schools with kids grades 4 through 12. "We live in Alaska; I think we ought to take the opportunities of the outdoors as much as we can." Kayo McGillivray said the snow machine and the roller are still in the budget so far. He said that the bulk of the land below the golf course is classified as wetlands and that could cause problems. Maurer said he is looking more at the front nine or going along the edge of the swampy area. Kayo said the golf course is under lease to Mr. Morgan, so trails cannot be built on it unless he gives his permission. Kayo said there is no money in the budget for widening the current trails. Maurer said volunteers could do that. Kayo said he thought it was worth pursuing through the Parks & Rec Commission--at least to show them what the plans are. He suggested that Maurer come back (possibly to the next meeting) with the plans in writing and a map to show where the proposed trails would go. Maurer said snowmobiles have been a problem. Kayo stated the City has signs which can be used prohibiting motorized vehicles in certain areas, but that won't necessarily solve the problem. Commissioner Hultberg suggested that Maurer meet with Bob Frates and come up with a plan and a map to bring back to another meeting. Maurer mentioned that aerial maps would be very helpful. He said that he will be out of town most of the summer, returning in August. Commissioner Sandahl mentioned that there used to be trails be Sears Elementary. Commission Castimore said there about 40 sets of skis sitting in the hall there fight now. DIRECTOR'S REPORT a. Elks Convention' Kayo stated the Elks asked the City a few years ago if they could use the gymnasium for the state Elks convention. They are using it again this year, arriving on May 15 to put down a tarp and set up furniture. They will finish on Saturday night, and the gym will be closed during that time. The Elks made a donation to the Recreation Department last time they used the gym, and there were no problems. b. After-prom parties: Kayo said the Skyview party was held Saturday night. There wasn't a large turnout (around 40-50), but the ones who were there seemed to have a good time. KCHS will have their party May 4. Normally the fee is $300. Council waived the fee for KCHS this year. Bob and some of his people are volunteering. Kayo said they have received a few calls about after-graduation parties, but nothing definite as yet. c. Fields/grass area preparation' Kayo said his crew has been aerating the areas that are dry enough (softball fields, Leif Hansen Park, the triangle by the airport). He said the Little league fields are still too soft to work. Since Little league begins games on May 13, it's going to be hard to get the work done first. Kayo also said the greenhouse Parks & Rec Commission May 2, 1996 Page 2 is full of nice green plants, but the nights are still too cold to set plants outside. d. Fence donation to Circle Track Association: Kayo said the fence is old 8' or 10' chain-link fence that was given to the City by the Borough. Some of it was used in the backstops at the junior high school. 6. OLD BUSINESS a. Budget: Kayo stated that the budget has not yet been approved. The Rec Center lost the Universal machine and the weight equipment. He said they already have a weight machine that is functional; it just needs to be maintained. Kayo said the money for refurbishing the Christmas decorations was cut as well. Council also cut the extra $30,000 that was to be used for the restroom building, leaving the original $20,000 budgeted for that project. Construction will begin this summer. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Summer hires: Kayo read the list of summer hims. He said Tom Carver will be in charge of the Parks crew. b. Hiring schedule for new P&R Director: Kayo referred the Commissioners to the City Manager's memo in the packet, stating interviews will be held the week of May 13 and someone will be selected by May 31. Castimore MOVED that Commissioners Hultberg and Sandahl represent the Parks & Rec Commission in the interview process. Wisniewski SECONDED the motion. The motion PASSED unanimously. Kayo asked the recording secretary to tell the representatives will be from the Parks & Rec Commission. City Manager who the c. Global Releaf: Kayo said he did this last year, too. He said he wrote the letter in the packet stating that the City requests some of the seedling trees. He stated that some of the trees will be put in buckets in the greenhouse, and some might be put in the plot of ground given to the City by the Extension Service. ge CORRESPONDENCE None. Parks & Rec Commission May 2, 1996 Page 3 e INFORMATION a. Michelle Fahnholz showed the Commissioners the new calendar. b. Wisniewski asked if a task force should be established for the hockey rink. Councilman Bannock said he told the Council two weeks ago that the P&R Commission was interested in an ice hockey facility and that the Commission was not interested in anything like what was last presented to the voters. Bannock said he believes the Council is not unanimous in that same belief but, he said, Council has been very busy lately and has not given much time to the ice rink issue. He stated, "There is not unanimous support for a $300,000 covered ice facility." Commissioner Sandahl asked, "If you were to put the $300,000 versus the $1.8 million or $3,000,000, where would the Council be in your opinion." Bannock answered, "It's a coin toss." Sandahl asked if it would also be a coin toss between zero and $300,000. Bannock said, "There's just a few council members who have some real firm opinions of each one of those scenarios that you've just presented. No ice; $300,000 ice; and $3 million ice." Wisniewski stated that Kenai has "no cross-country ski trails to be proud of, and we don't have any ice facilities." He said that he was in Nikiski recently and could feel the spirit of the community. People there told him the Nikiski rink is used almost 24 hours a day. Kayo stated that, on the other hand, Kenai is the only community around here that has a recreation center, softball fields used by the whole area, and Little League fields. So Kenai does provide those things for people in the whole area. c. Castimore told Kayo, "When I first came here, there weren't too many lawns in this community; and today when my father comes to visit (I think this is his 17th year in a row), he always says this is one of the prettiest towns in all of America. And I think the community has a great deal to thank you for . . ." He said Kayo's work is appreciated by everyone. d. Hultberg said a lot of expertise is leaving with Kayo. He said he remembers starting with Kayo in back of the old Fine Arts building with Max Swearingen and Jerry Carlson and Dick Morgan and others in the days before the Rec Center or the lawns and flowers. Hultberg said he appr~iates what Kayo has done for the City. e. Yamamoto said that the athletic program has grown since Kayo started. He said now Soldotna is even involved and one year there were 18 teams. He thanked Kayo. f. Kayo stated that the Commission has been one of the things that has made his job enjoyable over the years. Kayo also said that the Rotary Club has chosen for the Old Town Park the same Parks & Rec Commission May 2, 1996 Page 4 10. piece of equipment that the Commission chose for Beaver Creek. Sandahl MOVED to adjourn the meeting. meeting was adjourned at 8'05 p.m. Castimore SECONDED the motion. The Respectfully submitted by: ' SA~~~~P~~I~~~ ~ ~ r et a ~ C:\WP60\DOCS\PARK&REC\MINUTES Parks & Re¢ Commission May 2, 1996 Page 5