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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 17 2017 Park Board MinutesSOUTH BEND BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING APRIL 17, 2017 The Board of Park Commissioners of the City of South Bend, Indiana met on Monday, March 20, 2017 at the O’Brien Administration & Recreation Center, 321 E. Walter St., South Bend, Indiana for its regular meeting. Notice of the date, time and place of the meeting were duly given as required by law. Park Board members present were as follows: Mr. Mark Neal, President Ms. Dan Farrell Ms. Consuella Hopkins Ms. Aimee Buccellato Park Board members absent were as follows: Staff members present: Aaron Perri, Director of VPA; Eva Ennis, Operations Coordinator; Jackie Appleman, Experience Division Director; Cecil Eastman, Finance Director; Michael Schmidt, Assistant City Attorney; Susan O’Connor, Recreation Director; Amy Roush, Volunteer Coordinator; John Martinez, Facilities and Grounds Director I. The meeting was called to order by Board President Mark Neal at 5:05 p.m. II. Approval of Minutes of the March 20, 2017 Regular Board Meeting Motion to approve the minutes of the regular board meeting held on March 20, 2017, by Consuella Hopkins, supported by Dan Farrell, motion carried. III. Approval of the Consent Agenda Motion to approve the consent agenda and pull out Items C & D to discuss separately by Dan Farrell, supported by Consuella Hopkins, motion carried. Bike Check & Education Information Booth Dustin New of 924 Wheatley Drive, South Bend, explained that this event was created by a subgroup of Bike Michiana to encourage more cycling in South Bend. The event will provide bike maintenance during First Fridays throughout the summer and rotate among the four quadrants of South Bend. Southeast Park is one of the locations. Bike Michiana will also provide route maps at the events. Another purpose of the event is to investigate the concept of a bike co- op in South Bend. Consuella Hopkins asked how extensive the repair offerings will be at the event. Dustin New replied that it depends on how busy it is but there is capacity to do some minor repairs and volunteers will direct people to shops for bigger repairs. Motion to approve the Bike Check and Education Information Booth on days listed on application by Dan Farrell, supported by Aimee Buccellato. River Lights Music Festival Motion to approve the River Lights Music Festival at Seitz Park by Consuella Hopkins, supported by Mark Neal, motion carried. IV. Interviewing of Interested Citizens Request for citizen input on items not listed on the April 17, 2017, Park Board Meeting agenda. There were no citizen comments. V. New Business 1. Tree Nursery Agreement Michael Schmidt explained that Bowman Creek Educational Ecosystem and VPA and Public Works are collaborating to use abandoned lots as urban tree nurseries. Three properties in the city will be home to the young trees that the city would otherwise have to go to another nursery to obtain. The responsibilities of VPA are to get the plants, plant them and assist volunteers. Aaron Perri noted that the trees that are being planted were awarded as part of a grant to the city. The agreement has already been approved by the Board of Public Works. Aimee Buccellato asked if the agreement allows the program to grow or if there needs to be another agreement to extend the program. Michael Schmidt replied that the agreement will only covers the three specific properties, but if there is interest, the project could grow and a new agreement could be created. Motion to accept the collaboration agreement for the tree nursery by Consuella Hopkins, supported by Dan Farrell, motion carried. 2. Resolution 0003-2017 - Resurrect the Roses Larry Clifford, 709 East Washington, South Bend, IN. Larry Clifford explained the next steps for the rose garden improvements at Leeper Park. He explained that there will be an additional walkway to the garden. Mark Neal asked about diversity of roses planted. Larry Clifford replied that the volunteers are planning to add other types of roses and other perennials to the garden in the future. Mark Neal asked how many volunteers work at the garden. Larry Clifford replied that there are normally 20 volunteers each week. Motion to approve Resolution 0003-2017 by Aimee Buccellato, supported by Consuela Hopkins, motion carried. 3. East Race Concert Series Contracts Michael Schmidt reviewed the East Race Concert Series contracts and explained that there were no substantive changes to agreements from the previous year. The document is a blanket document to be used with various musicians for the East Race Concert Series. Dan Farrell asked if there were any challenges last year that should be adjusted for. Michael Schmidt replied there were no issues with the contract last year. Motion to approve the East Race Concert Series contract by Dan Farrell, supported by Consuella Hopkins, motion carried. 4. Crane + Grey Agreement Jackie Appleman presented the Crane + Grey agreement. The agreement is for Crane + Grey to produce video assets during the Best Week Ever that will be used for VPA marketing throughout the year. VPA will own all video assets produced by Crane + Grey. The contract is for $17,500 and fundraising has been done to cover the expenses. Michael Schmidt noted that the proper process has been followed. Dan Farrell asked how many cameras will be present. Jackie Appleman replied that Crane + Grey will have two cameramen, a go-pro, and a drone. Motion to approve the professional services proposed by Crane + Grey by Aimee Buccellato, supported by Consuella Hopkins, motion carried. VI. Business by Director Aaron Perri Aaron Perri gave the following updates: - Orbis Environmental Consulting will present the results of their report on the Elbel natural resources and lead an educational hike on April 23 at Elbel Park. - There will be a press conference on April 19 at 11:30 at Corporate Wings to announce the final schedule of Best Week Ever and ticket packages. - Ecological Advocacy Committee will be present at the May Park Board meeting to present a draft form of their outline for the natural resource plan. The plan should be completed by the end of summer. - The June Park Board Meeting has changed to Tuesday, June 27 at 5:00 pm. SmithGroup JJR will attend to present the final plans for the Riverfront Parks and Trails project and the board will be asked to adopt them. The Board of Public Works issued an RFP to start architectural and engineering work at Howard Park. - Mayor’s Bike Ride – May 7 from 8:00 am – 11:00 pm - Presentations from division heads will rotate monthly so only one division head will present at each meeting. The Park Board will still receive written reports monthly from all divisions. Consuella Hopkins commented that she has been impressed with the good work of the department. She also asked if the Riverfront Parks and Trail plan also includes the Coal Line Trail. Aaron Perri replied that the Coal Line Trail is a separate project being run through Department of Community Investment. VII. Report by John Martinez, Director of Facilities and Grounds John Martinez gave the following updates: - Mowing season has started. Crews are being hired and trained. - Facilities and Grounds teams have started lining and dragging athletic fields. - Splash pad at Freemont Park is being completed. There will be a formal dedication with the neighborhood during Best Week Ever. - The skilled trades crew is getting facilities prepped for summer. - Irrigation is being installed at the rose garden at Leeper Park - There is RFP out for a youth mowing program, which is requesting an organization to run a mentorship program for 6-8 youth employed through the city’s mowing team. - Facilities and Grounds is working on small improvements at Martin Luther King Center to improve design and aesthetics. - The City planted 41 trees at Muessel Park and Kennedy Park. - Facilities and Grounds is working on a project at Leeper Park with Madison School for their STEAM program. No other questions or comments from the Board, meeting adjourned at 6:13 p.m.by President Mark Neal. The next regular meeting will be held May 15, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. in the Boardroom of the O’Brien Administration Center. Respectfully Submitted, Eva Ennis Executive Secretary