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using a survey of 1400 people in the community to form his recommendations to the Park Board <br />which he will present next Monday at the O'Brien Center. <br />He will give summary recommendations on how to adjust whether it be pricing, staffing, and <br />other different business decisions as it relates particularly to golf. His business model will <br />involve some changes, but it will make golf sustainable without any operational subsidy from the <br />taxpayers. <br />The Parks Department should be able to fund future capital, but the deferred capital maintenance <br />remains a puzzle, and conversations about that will continue. <br />Golf is fully budgeted for Elbel in 2017. Departments have already submitted their budgets to <br />the Mayor, and there is money in the budget based on the recommendations. <br />The Ecological Advocacy Committee is one (1) of the standing working groups we are going to <br />continue. The committee gave a resolution to the Park Board last month and they are voting on <br />it this month. It is not yet available on the website because it has not been acted upon. As soon <br />as the Park Board passes this resolution, the Ecological Advocacy Committee will be ready to be <br />formed. <br />Committeemember Oliver Davis asked how wide - scoped the Ecological Committee would be, <br />and Mr. Perri explained that it would be over the whole parks system, and that they are in the <br />process of developing the first ever natural resource management plan for the entire parks <br />system, so the Parks Department wants to start with this committee to engage in the process. <br />The hope is to have it completed by next June. <br />Committee Chair Kelly asked how they plan to form the committee. <br />Mr. Perri stated that it is spelled out in the resolution, and the Park Board will take nominations. <br />Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked how that committee will dovetail with the Office of <br />Sustainability, or if they are separate tracks. <br />Mr. Perri stated that he doesn't think they should be separate tracks. The Office of Sustainability <br />has been focused on building maintenance and building sustainability, and they haven't done a <br />lot with green space, so this will nudge them a little more into focusing on green space. This <br />group will have the opportunity to be the tie that binds the Parks Department and the Office of <br />Sustainability together. <br />Committeemember Dr. Varner stated that we'll hear a presentation by the Sierra Club for the <br />Council to look at a proposal that suggests wind and solar energy as a solution to a problem, but <br />there is an absolute conflict coming. Dr. Varner stated that he remembers when it was a federal <br />crime to damage or kill a bald eagle, yet the Department of Interior has authorized the loss of <br />four - hundred (400) Bald Eagles per year to wind farms. There will have to be a coming together <br />of people from both sides, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in that. <br />N <br />