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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 2007 - MinutesJEFFERSON COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING Quilcene Community Center, Quilcene, Washington May 2, 2007 Noon — 1:30 PM OPENING BUSINESS Rick Tollefson, Chair, called the meeting to order at 12:08 PM in the main room of the Quilcene Community Center. Members Present: Judith Lucia, Judi Mackey, Brian Miller, Rick Tollefson Members Absent: Steve Crosland, Joan Linderoth, Phil Siemion Staff Present: Matt Tyler G uests: None Agenda: Chair Tollefson said he would like to add an item under New Business: July 4 Meeting date. Matt Tyler suggested adding an update on Policy/Process, and discussion on adding a seat for a youth member. The agenda was approved, as amended. Minutes: Correction: Page 2: "Quimper Trails Association", not "Quilcene ..."; "Warren Steurer", not Juan Stewart; Page 3: will not be logged' Page 4: Next meeting should be July meeting. Page 5: it is known Judith Lucia moved that the minutes for April 4 be approved as amended; the motion was seconded. The minutes for April 4, 2007 were approved, as amended, all in favor. ROAD VACATIONS 'There were three Road Vacations for review. Kelli Larson had provided copies of maps and descriptions. 1. Richard and Carolyn Wasteneys — Request to vacate a portion of Roosevelt Street on plat at Irondale Acre Tracts. The PRAB reviewed the plans for roads and development in the area, and determined that this vacation had no bearing on Parks and Recreation. 2. James W. Pearson — Request to vacate the north one-half of the platted alley, lying adjacent to Lots 14 to 18, in order to acquire additional square footage adjacent to this property. The PRAB discussed this property; Chair Tollefson said he was familiar with it and visited the property several times. He said he thought the chance of it being used as an alley was almost zero. He said it had no consequence for Parks issues. Judith Lucia stated this vacation had no bearing on Parks and Recreation; Chair Tollefson stated that that was the consensus. 3. Scott and Mia Weidner — Request for vacation of south one-half of a platted alley adjacent to lots 20 — 27 in Block 123. The PRAB briefly discussed this request and agreed that this vacation had no bearing on Parks and Recreation. Judith Lucia moved and Judi Mackey seconded that all three vacations have no bearing on Parks and Recreation. Motion was approved, all in favor. REGULAR/OLD BUSINESS IAC Grant —There was a brief acknowledgement the grant application had been approved. Youth member candidate sends regrets — Matt Tyler reported that the young man who had been interested in participating will be unable to do so. His parents decided that he does not have time for this non -school activity. COMMUNITY PARK GRANT PROGRAM Matt Tyler reported that this is up and running. He said that it would be advertised and project applications will be brought to the PRAB in August for approval. Some of the potential projects include: 1. More disk golf baskets for Frisbee golf; 2. Wild Olympic Salmon Shelter native plant demonstration garden; operator wishes to add crushed rock on pathways and fix up the area surrounding the shelter; 3. Quimper Trails Association wishes to acquire a digital camera to record their projects and a GPS for mapping projects; discussions about equipment management protocols are underway. H J CARROLL PARK PRESENTATION OF GRANT PROJECT SCOPE Matt Tyler presented his slides that had been shown at the IAC. The presentation was organized into: preview, the service area, the need, the design, the scope and public support. He showed the fields at Memorial Park and H J Carroll, noting the regional draw. He noted that the project is in the 2002 Comprehensive Plan and the 2005 Strategic Plan. The top items cited in public need were fields, trails, and skate parks. He covered number of games hosted at the park, and showed other needs that are yet to be met. The planned scope includes: new field for soccer and baseball, with bleachers; replace the existing BMX with a new one; build a new "street style" skate park; add a new section of trail with new pavement; resurface part of the existing trail; add more parking spaces and provide ADA accessibility in the parking area; asphalt the core pathways of the park, and improve the playground. The expected timeline is one year to complete, although the requirement is three years. He showed the flexibility of the field layouts, ADA/general accessibility, and noted that this would be an environmentally sound project. PRAB members expressed their enthusiasm and congratulations regarding the project. There was also discussion about surface water management at H J Carroll Park as codified in the Master Plan. Chair Tollefson asked how the presentation at IAC was received. Matt Tyler said that there had been technical questions, such as whether or not the budget was adequate. He said this was the only project funded in a population zone as small as ours. Mr. Tollefson suggested that it would be well to maintain a slate of desired projects in case there was extra 1AC funding available at the end of the cycle. The PUD, under an.agreement with the County, was going to drill a scientific test well in that area, starting May 2. He said they were going to drill down 600 feet, pull the core, and analyze the material. Various scientists will participate in the analysis. One key question is whether there is a deep aquifer beneath the bedrock. A pipe will be left in the ground but capped and covered over at the conclusion. Introduction of Bob Rosen -- Judith Lucia also introduced the new Quilcene Community Center developer, Bob Rosen to each of the PRAB members. He noted that an incremental make over of the building would start soon. Funding is almost settled, and the Boeing Blue Birds will do most of the work. IRONDALE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK REVITALIZATION PROJECT UPDATE Matt reported that warning signs will be posted, to the effect " Playground — children present", and there will be a stop sign at the exit point from the park. The internal road will be chip -sealed and graded. A service project will take place on .tune 23; Matt will send notices to PRAB members beforehand. The community will also be voting on a new name, either Irondale Community Park or Irondale Family Park or Irondale Neighborhood Park. Once all the votes are tallied, the PRAB will have the opportunity to make a recommendation to the BoCC. At a recent meeting held in the Park, attendance was about 30 people. Interest is high and people seem to be galvanizing around park renewal. Other work there includes increasing maintenance for the field and stepping up surveillance by the Sheriff's office. Matt also briefed the PRAB on the idea and the RCW requirements for designating this park, and possibly all County parks, as drug free zones. "Any public park can be designated as a drug free zone". The applicable area can be up to 1000 feet around the park. Judith Lucia suggested that a vote be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. Matt said he needed guidance on whether all parks should be included. There was discussion about the implications for fire arms and alcohol as well. Matt Tyler said he would research the law to see if fire arms and alcohol prohibitions are an integral part of the law. PRAB members noted that at certain parks, like Lake Leland, enforcement would be virtually impossible. However, there was agreement that growing neighborhood interest should be encouraged. Chair Tollefson asked Matt to research the options and the implications for neighboring homes with regard to boundaries. EQUESTRIAN FACILITY PROJECT/ PROCESS Matt Tyler added this item to the agenda. He noted said he was seeking help and advice on his role with this and other development projects. He said the expectations of groups such as the Equestrians and the OHV proponents are almost limitless. He would like to identify and quantify the support that can be given, since he and staff are paid County resources, with definite limits. How much can be given to special interest projects. Judi Mackey noted that, in addition, such support can set up an expectation of endorsement of the project. Chair Tollefson noted that there should be a balance of outreach and setting limits; both are needed. Special interest groups should have a sense of empowerment and reasonable access to appropriate government structures. It was agreed that there should be a set of guidelines up front. Matt Tyler offered to do some research and find policy models that may apply here. Judi Mackey noted that Chelan County had developed a template/document for residents that listed what could be expected in terms of various services. Matt also wished to define the role of the PRAB in similar matters. He said he would suggest a statement such as: "Parks and Recreation cannot assume any more unfunded stewardship or maintenance responsibilities. The goal is to protect the interests of the general public and to provide limited professional support that is somehow quantified and accounted for." He said that the Equestrian group had offered to present their project plan to the PRAB at the next meeting on June 6. Chair Tollefson said it was important to know what the group wanted from the PRAB. is this presentation simply for information purposes? Or is it intended to be a formal proposal, in which case, there should be a public meeting. Matt Tyler said they would like to advertise a public meeting where they would present a document that they are calling a Master Plan for the site. After obtaining input from the public and PRAB, they would make changes based on the input and bring it back in August in order to send it on the BoCC. Chair Tollefson said that the PRAB should receive advance materials in order to be prepared for the hearing. Judi Mackey suggested that perhaps there should be a work session with the BoCC to work out the role and responsibilities of the PRAB. Mr. Tollefson said that the PRAB should meet with the BoCC at least once per year in any case, in order to maintain a working relationship. Chair Tollefson said that any policy Matt may develop would also be useful in other areas. With the ever expanding population, there is a shortage of resources and it is never possible to fulfill all the expectations and needs. Other members noted that it is no longer possible to stretch resources further in order to meet one more request or need. Returning to the subject of the equestrian project, Matt Tyler suggested that the PRAB state its major concern about resources and the necessity of having such a facility open to the public, after which the proposal should go through the usual approval processes, i.e. through DCD and the BoCC. That is, the PRAB should state clearly, "These are our concerns; how are you going to address them?" Chair Tollefson noted that there may be many other groups that have needs. The challenge is to encourage citizen action and energy while not over committing County resources or misleading these interest groups. Matt noted that the PRAB does not need to resolve every land use issue. The hearings examiner will deal with the re -zoning. DCD permitting will deal with what is appropriate to build and with neighbors' issues. It was agreed that the role of the PRAB is to inform people of the process and to help them understand what is realistic. Mr. Tollefson noted that many processes and achievement of goals, such as the skateboard park, take persistence, cooperation and years of work. There was additional discussion of the history of the Larry Scott Trail, as an example. Chair Tollefson also reviewed the major mission for Parks and Recreation, noting that despite years of effort, there are still always gaps that remain to be filled. Chair "Tollefson asked Mr. Tyler if the Equestrian group understood the complexity and the processes that would need to be followed for them to make use of public land for their Equestrian Center. Ms. Mackey repeated that a checklist from the County should be available. Judith Lucia noted that if the equestrians were to follow the OFIV model, there were certain basic steps. First, working with the County, they would seek grant funding, there would be public hearings. Mr. Tollefson interjected that seeking grant funding is not free, that it requires money to seek money. He recalled his experience with the design process for the Quilcene Community Center 15 years earlier as an example of inadequate understanding of process and unrealistic expectations. He said the pressure for more and more public service would grow as the community continues to expand. He advised Mr. Tyler to be clear with the public that resources are very limited. There was agreement that usually professional services must be employed to plan major projects and apply for grant funding. Matt Tyler suggested that the PRAB approach for the equestrian group would be: to hear their proposal on June 6, to allow public comment, to identify issues and to state PRAB concerns. (It was noted that the Board needs criteria in order to state concerns. Matt said that the Board could brainstorm and identify that list of criteria before the June 6 meeting. He said he could also provide the current draft of the plan:) The Equestrian group could then be asked to return in August with a completed Master Plan. If the Master Plan addresses the issues and safeguards the PRAB interests, they could vote to support the plan or not, and make a recommendation to the BoCC. The project would then need to follow its course through the system. Judith Lucia asked who had paid for the original Master Plan. Matt Tyler noted that there had been considerable history. The first plan was paid for by the County. He reviewed the purchase of the Ramage property, the opposition to overnight facilities, and the subsequent switch to the property across Cape George Road. "There was additional discussion about previous problematic examples and public/private project/process models. Matt Tyler reviewed some of the provisions and performance standards that would be written into the Master Plan. He listed, for example, "number of hours for public use versus hours reserved for tournaments"; "requirements for advertising as a public facility, with appropriate signage on site"; and "requirements for non -motorized multi -purpose use, such as walking or riding the trail". The PRAB then agreed that Matt Tyler would provide copies of the plan document, invite the Equestrian group to the June 6 meeting, and develop notes on the criteria. Chair Tollefson said he would ultimately like to develop a handbook for PRAB members, i.e. how to handle public policy and process. He noted that other public/private projects would arise in the future. Matt Tyler said that there are different roles the PRAB can play, based on the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan. QUIMPI;R FOUNDATION -- Chair Tollefson asked if there had been any response from the Quimper Foundation. Matt Tyler said that he had not yet heard from them, but would follow up. There was also mention of the need to update the Parks and Recreation Comp Plan by October of 2008. IRONDALE BEACH STUDY — Matt Tyler reported that the Department of Ecology is hiring a contractor to do the initial pollution assessment study. The park is open but shell fishing is restricted. Chair Tollefson asked about whether the DFW (Department of Fish and Wildlife) was still involved and whether or not more materials would be removed. Matt said that he believed there was additional money for re -vegetation and to monitor the geological changes. YOUTI I REPRESENTATION — Judi Mackey conveyed her thoughts related to having youth representatives sit on the board. She suggested that instead of permanent members, the PRAB could invite a student from each of the three high schools to attend whenever the meeting is in their district. Her idea was to request the participation of the student body president or their designee, with the approval of the school administration. Additionally, all three could be invited to one meeting near the end of the school year. This would reduce the amount of time required, reduce missed class time, and simplify the transportation for students. Matt Tyler said he would follow up on that. PARKS AND RECREATION 2006 ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTATION TO THE BOCC — Matt Tyler reported that he had done the presentation for the BoCC two weeks previously, and that it had been well received. OTHER BUSINESS: Bob Anderson, visitor, asked about the intended location of the skateboard facilities, and Matt pointed it out to him. Mr. Anderson also noted the success of recent basketball events; he said the young people really enjoyed it, and that credit should be given to Matt Tyler. Matt recognized, also, the after school program run by Joni Mahan and sponsored by UGN. SET MEETING DATE/ADJOURNMENT The next PRAB meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at the Jefferson County Courthouse, Port Townsend. (The July meeting is cancelled due to the July 4 holiday.) The meeting was adjourned by Chair Rick Tollefson 1:30 PM. I 5°" �oG2 Jefferson County ���{ P-�,,i-7077D nmd Recreation �51- r ��,° Ser-ting the Community ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 12 noon to 2 p.m. Quilcene Community Center A. OPENING BUSINESS i. Call to order ii. Introductions iii. Agenda A. Additions or changes B. Adoption iv. Minutes A. Additions or changes B. Adoption L', ROAD VACATION i. Wastney ii. Weidner iii. Pearson C. REGULAR / OLD BUSINESS i. Youth Member Sends Regrets ii. Community Park Grant Program iii. HJ Carroll Park Presentation of Grant Project Scope iv. Irondale Neighborhood Park Service Project Planned for June 9th v. Irondale Neighborhood Park Naming Project Underway D. NEW BUSINESS i. Manager's Report ii. Recreation Report iii. Facility Report E. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS AND CORRESPONDENCE F. SET NEXT MEETING DATE/ ADJOURNMENT