04-13-16 Special Elbel Committee Minutes

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Board and Common Council's Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee. The last would be a hybrid of above, something that might meld the two options. Committeemember Farrell stated that option number two (2) works best for the Park Board, because it allows them to use their existing meeting time, and it enables them to take the feedback from the standing committees and integrate the ideas and programs into an existing structure. Councilmember Kelly stated that his fear is that what they are becoming now is redundant to what the Park Board and his PARC committee is doing. This committee has been very useful in terms of allowing for public input and making solid recommendations. This process doesn't have to end, but we just need to make recommendations the Park Committee can act on in ways that are appropriate, rather than stepping on the toes of the committees that are already in place. I would be interested in pursuing the second bullet point, so that our advisory committee doesn't extend into an oversight committee. Councilmember White needs a level of confidence and clarity when it comes to progress reports and updates. When you look at our committee structure at the Council level, our committee time is very short. What would the reports look like and how much time would be allotted when you bring the reports in front of the two bodies? You have to make sure that there is adequate time to give the reports and receive feedback as well. Committeemember Perri stated that between the two entities, there would be three (3) meetings every month with agendas that could be dedicated to these reports. It comes down to logistics when you are talking about all of the different meetings. Councilmember White stated that we spend a lot of time putting all of the information together, and it can't get lost in the other work that we do. Councilmember Kelly stated his confidence in Aaron and the rest of the board. He wants to allow people to do the jobs that they were asked to do. Councilmember Broden said that because there has been so much need for fact finding and engaging in consultants, she believes that the outcome of the public process will give options that will have to be decided upon. Looking forward, if the consultants are doing the work on the management side, the ecological assessments are happening, I want to have a good and robust discussion that relies on the expertise that we have heard before. Two more meetings in the late summer or early fall of the folks that have been tracking this issue and the work that we have done that has incorporated the public, along with the experts will allow the task to be valuable, adding faithfulness to the process, and bringing about something substantial and something the public could buy into. It keeps the issue among the same players, and we'll still have the opportunity to make a recommendation of the options that are there. It will still be advisory and allow us to make the recommendation.