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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-01-09 Regular Meeting Parks and Recreation Board January 9, 1984 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board was called to order at 7: 00 P.M. , January 9 , 1984 , in the Council Chamber of the Euless Municipal Building by Chairman Billy Owens. Other members present were Messrs. Marland Ernest, Kerry McCombs, R. R. Hawthorne, and Mrs . Helen Lightbody. Alternate members Mrs. Brenda Ashford, and Mr. Ron Henson attended the meeting. Also present were Recreation Director Julia Wakeley, Parks Director Bob Phillips, and Recording Secretary Ophelia Smith. VISITORS Visitors present were Mr. Tom Hart, Assistant City Manager, and Mr. Darrell McBrayer, representative of the Bedford- Euless Soccer Association. INVOCATION The invocation was given by Mrs. Brenda Ashford. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the regular meeting dated November 7, 1983 , were approved as written. I. SUB-COMMITTEE' S PROJECTS REPORT Mr. Ron Henson reported a number of lights out on the tennis courts. Lakewood surface needs patching in spots, and court lines need to be repainted at Wilshire and South Euless courts. He stated the nets were in good order. Mr. Tom Hart assumed responsibility for having the lights repaired. Mr. Phillips replied that damaged court surfaces would be repaired, a sealer applied, and repainted when the weather warms sufficiently. The court lines will also be repainted. Mr. D. R. Hawthorne inquired if the recent freeze had caused damage to the plumbing at the new concessj.ons building at Midway Park. Mr. Phillips replied that the water has not been turned on. Page Two, Regular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Baord, January 9 , 1984 Mr. Hawthorne stated he had observed soccer teams practicing at Midway Park. Mr. Phillips stated that three teams have used the in-field at Midway Park for pracitce with no apparent damage to the field. Mr. Ernest will report on damage from the recent freeze in Little Bear Creek Park at the next regular meeting. Mr. Phillips stated there were a large number of water- line breaks in the irrigation system. Mrs. Ashford reported the Parks Crew is primarily watering and picking up trash on the median strips. The Parks Crew decorated the crape myrtle trees on Hwy. 157 median strips and at the Civic Center Complex very attractively for the Holiday Season. The Parks Crew is repairing damage to the median strips by cars driving onto them when the roads were covered with ice. Chairman Owens cautioned the Staff to have all the sports committees turn over a set of by-laws, and a list of officers to contact before the playing season begins. Chairman Owens reported Bedford has proposed a large garden type addition adjacent to Euless West Park. The development of this proposed addition should enhance the value of our park on the west side of the City. Mr. McCombs, recreation staff liaison, reported having worked with Mrs. Wakeley on proposed user fees which she will give in detail in her recreation report. Mr. Ron Henson moved to accept the Sub-committee reports. Mrs. Brenda Ashford seconded' the motion and the vote was: Ayes: Mmes. Ashford, Lightbody, Messrs. McCombs, Hawthorne, Henson, Ernest Nays: None Chairman Owens declared the motion carried. II. SMALL PARK ON ECTOR DRIVE Mr. Phillips reported the small park surrounding a very old, large pecan tree on Ector Drive, recently donated to the City, has been landscaped in front of the building adjacent to the area. Grass has been planted, and a fence installed. Mr. Phillips stated lighting the tree is being considered. Page Three, Regular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Board, January 9 , 1984 RECREATION DIRECTOR'S REPORT Mrs. Wakeley reported that seventy-five Senior Citizens and friends attended the Christmas luncheon at Simmons Center on December 15th. Three hundred and eighty-five people have registered for the Winter Session recreation classes. We had good weather for the National Flag Football Tournament held in Euless on December 9 , 10 , and 11, in Class B, Class A, and Super A competition. First place winners were; Louisiana Class B, Austin Class A, and Oklahoma Super A. Mrs. Wakeley stated there is a temporary policy change in effect of a Non-resident User Fee in the Community Building. When the weather is cold and people come inside to play we were having so many people from the surrounding area use our building they were crowding the Euless citizens out. This has been a problem for the past couple of years. It had become a safety hazard. It was no longer enjoyable for the citizens of Euless to play in their gym in such crowded conditions. It has become necessary to ration building usage. After some discussion Mr. Marland Ernest moved to endorse the recommendation of the Recreation Staff of charging a Non-resident User Fee in the Community Building. Mrs. Lightbody seconded the motion and the vote was: Ayes: Mmes. Ashford, Lightbody, Messrs. McCombs, Hawthorne, Henson, Ernest Nays: None Chairman Owens declared the motion carried. IV. PARKS DIRECTOR' S REPORT Mr. Phillips reported the soccer fields at Midway Park and Harwood Road have been plowed, turf shaped, rolled, and seeded with rye grass seed. We had vandals do damages to one of the soccer fields in Midway Park in the amount of $300. They were taken into custody. The Parks Department decorated the City Hall Grounds and the median strips with Christmas decorations for the Holiday Season. The Midway Park Shop has been remodled to make a new office and more storage space. The shop has been repainted both Page Four, Regular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Board, January 9 , 1984 inside and outside using the same color scheme through-out the park. We are moving dirt from the west end of McCormick Farm Bear Creek Park to the east end raising the level 4 ' feet so the Gazebo and playground equipment will be above the water level. Crow Development Co. is donating this park to the City of Euless. This park will have a jogging trail, and will be beautifully landscap- ed. Landscaped areas will be irrigated. This will be a beautiful park with the best playground equipment available. We have propagated 1, 000 lantana cuttings in the Green- house. Copper plants have been transplanted to one-gallon containers for winter. Two hundred cuttings of Blue Plumbago have been taken for winter in the Greenhouse. We are propagating 500 crape myrtles for spring planting. We are propagating Live Oaks, Red Oaks, and pecan trees. Some of them have already been transplanted into one- gallon containers. We have gathered over 1 , 000 acorns and pecans that are being prepared for planting. On Arbor Day we will give each Fourth Grader in the City of Euless a pecan tree to take home and plant. We hope someday to have a lot of pecan trees growing in the City of Euless. This will be our fourth year with this project. V. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER' S COMMENTS Mr. Tom Hart stated that first he wanted to compliment the Parks and Recreation Board for being one of the most enthusiastic Boards he has ever worked with. Mr. Hart stated in 1983 there were 1 ,000 single family houses started. There were 1 , 000 multi-family units started building. The Planning Department has 1 , 300 lots platted and ready for building. The building boom is not slowing down. ' Mr. Hart stated the Staff would inform the City Council at the next Council meeting of a fairly Comprehensive Fee Analysis they are working on through-out the City. People do not want to pay for services through property taxes any more. We have to become more dependent in the future on fees. Mr. Hart asked the Parks and Recreation Board to contribute to the study of fee analysises by doing a fee analysis of Parks and Recreation fees in existance, and to look at what fees may be implemented in the future. Mr. Hart asked the Board to submit recommendations by June 1984. Mr. Hart stated the Staff definitely intends to look at productivity improvements, innovation, and revenue generating projects in the future. Mr. Hart stated the Staff is having a survey conducted through the Public Relations Department of U.T.A. to try to get some input back from citizens. We need to know the type of people we are giving service to. Statistically this should be about 95% Page Five, Regular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Board, January 9 , 1984 accurate. This should serve our purposes to get some feed-back. Mr. Hart stated that also U.T.A. is doing a film as a class project looking to new prospects coming to our town that we can show to boards, clubs, etc. Mr. Hart stated the best two ways we have of communicat- ing with our citizens are, 1) the Recreation Brochure, and 2) the Mayor' s Newsletter. We are looking at expanding the Mayor' s Newsletter and trying to get information to our citizens. We believe cost of the Recreation Brochure is money well spent. Mr. Hart stated we need to start doing some promoting of the City, special events by the Parks and Recreation Department to let people see what we are doing, and programming activities to get them into recreational facilities. Mr. Hart stated the Staff will support anything the Board can do to promote the City. Chairman Owens appointed Mr. Kerry McCombs and Mr. Marland Ernest to a Sub-committee to set up a work schedule and get a study under way on service fees. Chairman Owens appointed Mr. Ron Henson, Mrs. Julia Wakeley, and Mr. Doug Rose to serve on a Softball Tournament Sub-committee. VI. SPORTS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN' S REPORT Mr. Darrell McBrayer stated the Bedford-Euless Soccer Association would have a Board meeting on January 16 , 1984 , at which time they would work up a calendar of Spring events. Mr. McBrayer stated Youth Soccer would register in February and start playing in March. Adult Soccer will start play the later part of February and go for eleven weeks. Youth Soccer will go to the first week in May. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Parks and Recreation Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9: 45 P.M. . 162,1-/- t11/24/ ..."24)-1-- Chairm Secretary `/ / .