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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-02-04 Parks & Recreation SummaryKENAI PARKS/k RECREATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 4, 1999 CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS CHAIRMAN RICHARD HULTBERG AGENDA ITEM 1' CALL TO ORDER/~ ROLL CALL ITEM 2: AGENDA APPROVAL ITEM 3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES - January 7, 1999 ITEM 4: PERSONS SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD ao bo Mark Epperheimer, Mike Gustkey, Orlando Mena-- Kenai Little League Helen Brown -- Summer Banners ITEM 5' OLD BUSINESS ITEM 6' NEW BUSINESS ITEM 7: Kenai Nordic Trail Lighting Budget Review DIRECTOR'S REPORT ao bo co Peninsula Winter Games -- Men's Basketball Tournament & Community Ski Event. February Program Activities -- Cross-Country Ski Clinic, Wallyball Tournament, men & Women's Basketball Multi-Purpose Facility ITEM 8: QUESTIONS/~ COMMENTS ITEM 9: ITEM 10' PERSONS PRESENT NOT SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD ITEM 11' INFORMATION Council Action Agenda -- January 6 and 20, 1999. Beautification Committee Minutes of January 12, 1999. ITEM 12' ADJOURNMENT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF KENAI PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 4, 199~- 7:00 P.M. KENAI CITY HALL VICE-CHAIR DALE SANDAHL~ PRESIDING *** MINUTES *** I CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Vice-Chair Sandahl called the meeting to order at 7'05 p.m. Members Present: Kelly Gifford, Matthew Peters, Ron Yamamoto, Tim ' Wisniewski (arrived 7' 10 p.m.) Members Absent: Richard Hultberg, Jack Castimore Also Present: Councilman Joe Moore, Director Bob Frates, Secretary Victoria Askin Contract 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA THE AGENDA WAS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. ® APPROVAL OF MINUTES- January 7, 1999 GIFFORD MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 7~ 1999. YAMAMOTO SECONDED. MINUTES WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. 4. PERSONS SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD Kenai Little League Brian Hoisington, Kenai Little League Board President, came to the Parks & Recreation Commission with concerns from the District Little League meeting held in Anchorage. There are some items the National Little League Board strongly suggested be improved at the Kenai Little League fields. He noted, at this time they were "strong suggestions," but would become requirements in the next two to three years and will be contingent upon Kenai Little League retaining their charter. These items include' a 10' warning track, rails on the bleachers, handicap accessibility, repair of holes in the field, improvements to the snack shack and food preparation area. Eventually the standard will require the fields be tournament quality. Kenai Little League fields are not tournament quality. The only two tournament fields on the Peninsula are Soldotna T-ball and Kenai Senior League fields. The Senior League field will be required to have a warning track as well. Hoisington added, it was his first year to the area and he was not familiar with what money was available to make these and other improvements to the ball fields. Hoisington noted he was aware there had been talk at one time to turn the landfill into a little league ballfield. The Kenai Little League thinks this would be an ideal location and were committed to doing all they can to see it happen. This year there will be 55 teams with 14 kids on each team. The League would like to host state tournaments in the future and bring money to the local economy rather than always traveling. He went on to state permanent toilets need to go into the facility. The two block buildings the City is going to surplus would be ideal but knew that wouldn't occur until next year. Hoisington added, he spoke with Parks & Recreation Director Frates regarding removing snow early so the fields can be accessed a little earlier to bring them into shape by late May for games. Frates stated he spoke with the Kenai Little League on several occasions and knew safety standards needed to be addressed. Section 36 for new fields has come up as a way of redirecting money to new fields rather than upgrading old fields. He suggested it be included in the Five Year Plan. He further noted extreme difficulty scheduling maintenance around the league schedule. Frates added, he felt tournaments in Kenai should happen as they stimulate the economy and welfare of the community. Gifford asked if the T-ball field could stay where it is currently and new fields built for the older players. Hoisington answered, that could happen, however, multiple children in families play and there is often a conflict in scheduling. Gifford asked if the suggestions from the National Little League were in writing. Hoisington answered affirmatively. Councilman Moore asked for clarification in regard to the comments made about using the old landfill. He noted, he understood it was Borough property and the other land was privately owned. Frates answered, the landfill was Borough owned, some of the property is City property and some is privately owned. Frates stated for this year, fining the water fountain, relocating and upgrading the batting cage and snow removal will be addressed. The buildings will not become available until after July 1 so porta- potties will have to be used for one more year. A serious look needs to be taken at the handicap accessibility to the snack shack. Hoisington stated he approached the owner of a local plumbing supply house who stated he would give a discount for handicap- accessible stainless steel handrails. Frates noted one other item addressed was a sign. He acquired a sign from the Senior Center from a project that didn't go through to Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 2 be used for a Kenai Little League sign. Mark Epperheimer will paint the sign. Also discussed was contacting the State DOT to have a blue information sign installed on the Spur Highway. Wisniewski expressed his strong support for either improvements to the fields, or building new ones. Considerable discussion ensued with consensus being reached to have Frates look into costs for the suggested improvements and the Commission weighing its options when that research is completed. b. Helen Brown- Summer Banners Ms. Brown brought samples of the banners they had made the first year that did not last because of the weather. Last year, heavier fabric, more intense dyes were used, wind pockets were stitched, and they proved much more successful. These should last the required three seasons. Because the fabric is heavier, twice as much dye is required to complete the banners; therefore, prices have doubled. Brown gave Frates a detailed price list with the proposed cost for future banners be $175 with $25 to the artist for use of the original design. New designs are not required every year; some of the existing designs can be worked in other colors. The prices quoted are significantly lower than a commercial banner company. Brown reiterated, the concept of the project was to serve as a fundraiser to help repair and maintain the Fine Arts Center building. Brown added, the Kenai Art Guild and Arts and Humanities Council have determined they need a part-time paid director to attend to day-to-day business. They know the Council has no money but are requesting they be allowed to utilize some of the City's assets in terms of Finance, grant writers, etc. to write grants. Foundation sources have been researched and requests have been made for pertinent information to apply for some operating grants. Frates advised Brown to contact the City Clerk. Gifford asked if the red, white and blue banners were displayed on the Spur Highway. Brown answered they were and the new ones had been on Airport Way and Willow Street. Yamamoto asked if the banners were susceptible to salt water. Brown answered the material was UV and mildew resistant. As long as the banners are stored dry, they shouldn't suffer damage. Sandahl and Gifford agreed the banners should be more concentrated in the City and not spread out in such a large area. Gifford further stated the big designs looked much better than the smaller, more detailed ones. Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 3 After discussion, consensus was reached to concentrate the banners on Airport Way and Willow Street, with banners placed on a shorter length of Spur Highway, i.e. Carrs to the Visitor Center. 5. OLD BUSINESS 6. NEW BUSINESS Kenai Nordic Trail Lighting Dave Feeken reported he had received positive feedback from several people regarding lighting the Nordic Trail. He added, before cost issues are discussed, PTI has about 40 phone poles to donate and lights can probably be donated that don't meet highway requirements. One concern was having poles on the golf course and another was lighting the golf course and not Skyview. Feeken continued, the information he obtained indicated favoring the golf course over Skyview because it was more suited as a recreational skiing area, there are fewer hills and is easier to ski. He suggested late fall, just before freezeup, would be a good time to put the lights in. be Frates reported he spoke with the lessee, who expressed some concern about the metal poles. He noted, after he explained the poles would be in the tree line and not interfere with the golf course, the lessee didn't see a problem. Frates added, the lights wouldn't need to be real close together to light the trails. Sandahl stated he thought the lessee should be allowed to designate where the poles should be placed. Feeken stated the number of lights required would be determined by the type of lights received. If the lights are real bright, less would be needed. Further, the intention is to put the lights just below the treeline. General discussion ensued with agreement that most of the project will involve donated material and that Frates should talk with Mr. Busey and report back to the Commission. Budget Review Frates gave a short overview of the Parks and Recreation upcoming budget. He indicated major expense items this year will be machinery and equipment. Items to be included are a flatbed truck that has been requested in the past and a street sweeper designed to better clean bike paths. They will be looking for a good used one rather than a brand new one. Other items included a field maintenance groomer and a computer maintenance management program to ensure Y2K compliance. Frates added, with the Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 4 ® Cunningham Park project, there will be some bench replacement. The batting cage has been discussed, Frates indicated he would talk with the Little League organization in regard to splitting the cost of the cage. Frates continue, the travel budget will be up a little bit to get the Teen Center supervisor to maintenance management school. There have been a lot of requests for more weight room equipment in the Recreation Center. An additional treadmill will be included because there has been increased usage since the club closed on North Road. A multi-fitness workout station to replace the existing universal machine will be submitted as well. Yamamoto related Dr. Barnes purchased all the exercise equipment owned by World Gym in Anchorage. The equipment was only used for a couple of years and is like new. Frates noted, a new cemetery fence will be submitted in the Beautification budget. Some discussion followed regarding wrought iron framing of the sign. No consensus was reached. Frates added, a request for new Christmas decorations will be submitted. Gifford noted, Disneyland has theme banners for Christmas and perhaps would be less expensive and last longer. After a short discussion, the Commission agreed the decorations should be in a more concentrated area like the summer banners and the review of specific decorations should be tabled. Sandahl asked Frates to distribute copies of the proposed budget at the next meeting so Commissioners could review and be able to address questions from the public and Council members. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Peninsula Winter Games- Men's Basketball Tournament and Community Ski Event Frates distributed the Basketball schedule. He noted, two games were scheduled for Friday night, continuing on Saturday and Sunday. Eight teams entered: three local, one from Fairbanks, one from Homer and three from Anchorage. He added, once again the Pooh Bears will be here who are probably one of the top teams in the state. Frates also reported a community ski event had been scheduled for January 30. Dave Feeken and Frates attended, however, because of the cold weather, the Borough ski race was canceled. Three small children also attended but it was too cold. The event will be Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 5 scheduled again next year. Frates added, the Ski Clinic scheduled for this weekend had been postponed and may be moved to February 21 ~t. be February Program Activities Director Frates reported a wallyball tournament was scheduled for February 23. He noted, this was the third annual tournament and six or seven teams had registered to participate. The men's and women's basketball program had about six weeks left until completion for this season. Multi-Use Facility Director Frates reported Peter Klauder of Klauder & Associates gave a presentation on the multi-use facility at the February 3 council meeting. He noted, there was a lot of work to be done in the design phase and the overall cost of the project was coming in a little high at about $1.2 million. Frates continued, the cost needed to come down to about $900,000. Three of the things raising the cost were retaining walls, the Zamboni room and a 15% contingency. The design committee and Klauder will be working to lower the cost. Councilman Moore interjected, the cost did not include the dasher board, Zamboni or scoreboard. Frates reported the Council gave direction to carry forward and probably sometime in March, form a committee to look at fee structures, user groups and other issues. Recognizing there would be the Denali Skaters, hockey league, general public, etc. using the facility, a lot of work needed to be done to address scheduling, fees, etc. Frates added, the timeline is August 1st for dirtwork and completion in November or December. General discussion ensued regarding affirmation of the multi-use philosophy; design being done without enough aforethought; user groups; and concerns it was only going to be a hockey rink. Consensus was reached to have Frates invite Mr. Klauder to the next Parks & Recreation meeting to discuss their concerns. Moore ended discussion by reiterating the multi-use facility design is a small NHL size and would not include extra conference or meeting rooms. de Cunningham Park Frates reported the Council sent back the project for redrawing with a hand-use ramp for canoes, drift boats, etc. In addition, the state had an issue with the gravel pathway being below the bluff. Frates showed the new simplified design with a hand-use ramp and Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 6 ® ® pathway on top of the bluff, taking a little parking space from the Park. He noted there was also some discussion regarding a request for additional playground equipment which the Commission would have to discuss it sometime in the future. Sandahl noted everyone he discussed the issue with almost unanimously did not want the boat ramp in the Park. Gifford agreed the "day park" flavor would be compromised, considering that was the original intention. COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS / QUESTIONS Councilman Moore introduced Bill Frazer, who will be the new Council ad hoc member of the Commission. Commissioner Gifford thanked Frates for putting the cemetery fence in the budget. Commissioner Peters thanked Frates for the new video game in the Recreation Center. Frates reported he had spoken with Commissioner Peters earlier in the week and the new game has brought more kids in to the Center. Commissioner Yamamoto expressed his interest in being on the review committee for the multi-use facility. Commissioner Wisniewski reiterated his support for the golf course lighting project and offered to assist any way he could. Commissioner Sandahl thanked Frates for the cemetery fence in the budget and asked if snow had ever been removed or just pushed back. Frates answered the snow is not removed. Commissioner Sandahl stated for the record he goes to Cunningham Park every day in the summer and expressed strong concern that if another piece of playground equipment is placed at the Park, the City will be faced with a great deal of liability due to the vehicle traffic in and out of the park. He added, to accommodate more playground equipment, the park would have to be expanded to keep kids from the roadway in and out of the park. INFORMATION ao Council Action Agenda- January 6 and 20, 1999. Beautification Committee Minutes of January 12, 1999. Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 7 10. ADJOURNMENT GIFFORD MOVED TO ADJOURN. MOTION SECONDED BY YAMAMOTO. MEETING ADJOURNED 8:55 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Victoria Askin Contract Secretary Kenai Parks & Recreation Commission February 4, 1999 Page 8