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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-12-10 Regular Meeting Park and Recreation Board December 10, 1979 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Park and Recreation Board was called to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Euless City Hall by Chairman Don Calhoun. Other members present were Mesdms . Sherry Kachel, and Zella Stierwalt; Messrs . Jay Heilman, and Bobby Baker. (Absent was Mr. Billy Owens. ) Also present were Parks and Recreation Director Larry Morgan, and Recording Secretary Ophelia Smith. INVOCATION The invocation was given by Chairman Don Calhoun. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the last regular meeting dated October 8, 1979, were approved as written. I. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTORr REPORT RECREATION Mr. Morgan stated that Recreation registration is complete, and classes have begun. We sent out 5,000 programs this session. We mailed the bulk of them. The others were delivered to apartment complexes, placed in the Library, the Bank, Chamber of Commerce office, and the Water Department at Euless City Hall. All classes are well attended except Arts and Crafts . Ceramics is the only craft class active this session. This is the slow time of year for activities of this nature, due to the holiday season. SENIOR CITIZENS The Senior Citizens meet Mondays and Thursdays each week. They have elected a committee which includes a Chairman, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Program Planner, and Hospitality Chairman, to work with Glenda King, a City employee who plans and carries out the activities for the Group . The Group is active and growing. (Page Two, Rezular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Board, December 10, 1979) PARKS We are sending members of our Parks crew to work-shops and seminars as often as we can afford. One Leadman attended an irrigation school for two weeks recently, and another man went to a tree trimming school. The men are very enthusiastic when they return, and want to improve on what we have. Our being limited on funds is a drawback, but eventually we will catch up with them. We have planted approximately 600 pounds of Rye grass . We seeded the putting greens at City Hall. We seeded West Park, both the west end and east end at Bear Creek, and the soccer fields . When we get rain we will be in good shape. BEAR CREEK We have the pads ready for seven (7) picnic tables and cookers at Bear Creek. The equipment has been ordered and should be in within the next month. The area has been cleared on the east end and looks entirely different from the way it looked a month ago. We hope to have the ballfield on the west end of the park finished by spring, as Euless is badly in need of a men's baseball field. The pavilion is complete. It was built on a huge mound of fill dirt to raise it above flood level. The restrooms will go up back of the pavilion. The Parks crew has done a considerable amount of work on this park. We have done the work on the east end, and Lynn Shackelford has managed the work on the west end of the park. MIDWAY SHOP We have had a fire at Midway Shop, since our last meeting, that burned the storage room at the back of the building. The Euless Athletic Association used the room to store their equipment. The fire spread into the shop area doing quite a lot of damage. The Parks crew has repaired the damages to the building. H. E.C. Electric Company did the electrical work. • We had two flood lights installed to the shop. One was placed at the top of the building, and the. other one illuminates the compound. Also, we are building a 10' high fence of nine gauge wire from ballfield No. 3 around an enclosure to the back of the shop . When this is completed we will be able to store all of our equipment and vehicles inside except the dump truck. We believe the guard lights and tall fence will help prevent vandalism. In the future the Euless Athletic Association will store their equipment in one of the houses on Sheppard Drive back of the City Hall. Cost of repairs to the shop was $3, 500. (Page Three, Regular Meetin , Parks & Recreation Board, December 10, _1979) We are looking into the possibilities of installing an alarm system, and have met with representatives of two alarm systems trying to work something out that will serve our needs . Chairman Calhoun described an alarm system that he installed at his home which is inexpensive and easily installed. Mr. Morgan stated that he would check into installing a similar system at Midway Shop. LANDSCAPING We have moved the periwinkles and copper plants from the berms at City Hall to the Greenhouse. We have taken approximately a thousand cuttings from the copper plants to use in landscaping next spring. The Greenhouse is working out fine. We will make a good showing this spring, and in another year you will be able to see a vast difference in the landscaping. CLEAN-UP - FIX-UP This is our "clean-up fix-up" time of year, especially at Midway Park. We have painted the playground equipment and press boxes . We will make repairs to the fences, and are considering installing 6' high fences in the outfield. Mr. Heilman replied to a question from Mr. Morgan regarding height of the fences in the outfield that they should be at least 6' high. Ninety percent of the fixtures and equipment in the parks has been painted. This year we are painting each park all one color, and each park a different color from the other parks. POLE BARN As a precaution against vandalism, we are building an extension to the existing Pole Barn for storage of equipment and vehicles . SIGN IN MEDIAN We have rebuilt the sign in the median at the corner of Ector Drive and Airport Freeway. BIG T We have had numerous comments of the Big T in the berm on the south side of the grounds at City Hall. The berm will be planted again in the spring. (Page Four, Re ular Meetin , Parks & Recreation Board, December 10, 1979) ■., ATHLETICS We have just completed another successful season in men's softball. Men's Tennis Singles finished with everyone pleased, and wanting to play again next year. Women's Tennis Singles will finish January 11th. It was a good event. We believe we will have an increased number play next season. We have six teams of mixed volleyball. They play in the Gym on Friday evenings. This sport seems to have gotten off to a good start. We believe with the gasoline shortage this is a coming sport. GYMNASIUM We have outgrown the existing Gym, and need to start planning on a new one. In the past, teams have played free in the Gym. Now there is no free time, and teams are clamoring for space to practice. We are replacing the basketball goals with wooden ones coated with a very tough poly coating especially designed for this purpose. LIGHTS AT CENTRAL FIELD The Athletic Director of Schools asked us to repair the lights at Central Field. The cost of repairs would have amounted to around $2,000.00. According to the contract the school system is uspposed to keep the lights in repair when they are using the field, and we are to keep them when we use the field. However, we did replace three (3) lights at a cost of $390. 50 which was all our budget would allow. TENNIS COURTS We have purchased color coat for the tennis courts at Midway Park. We hope to re-mark the courts before the weather becomes too cold. Color coat makes the court very attractive, also, it slows the play for novice players , and is a safety measure, as one does not fear falling if the court becomes dusty. II. RECOMMENDATIONS Mr. Jay Heilman recommended that the Parks and Recreation Board send a letter of appreciation to Mr. B. J. Murray, Principal of Trinity High School, on having a winning football team this (Page Five, Regular Meeting, Parks & Recreation Board, December 10, 1979) past season. Mr. Heilman suggested the letter be printed, and copies sent to the school, coaches, and individual players. The team set a milestone in Euless history. The majority of the team came up through Euless Parks and Recreation Athletic Association. It would be nice to recognize their team. Chairman Calhoun authorized Mr. Heilman and Mr. Morgan to work up a letter to send to each member on the team with one in plastic for Mr. Murray to display in his office. He suggested the letter be mailed within a week or ten days. During the winter months when recreation falls short, Mr. Heilman suggested we might consider after school activities for the Jr. High or elementary school children such as indoor soccer so there is no worry about the elements . Also, in some areas some children play street hockey when the weather is cold. They use a parking lot for playing street hockey. Mr. Heilman stated that in other areas he has seen them fill swimming pools with water and let it freeze over for ice skating or "slip and fall" matches and games of this nature. Mr. Heilman suggested that we call in representatives of the Mid-Cities Soccer Association, Pee Wee Baseball, and other associations, and start reviewing some of the problems they have had the past seasons to see if we could find a solution before next year. After some discussion Board members agreed to place the Soccer Association on the agenda in February 1980, and invite the governing body to the Parks and Recreation Board meeting. In March the Board will invite the Mid-Cities Baseball Association governing body and place that organization on the agenda. Pee Wee Flag Football Association will be placed on the agenda in August, and members from that association will be invited to the Parks and Recreation Board meeting. III. CHANGE OF MEETING DATE After some discussion the Board members agreed to set..the next regular meeting on Sunday, January 13, 1980, at 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon. Plans were made to meet at J. A. Carr Park on Simmons Drive for a tour of the Greenhouse and Parks . Chairman Calhoun announced the meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board meeting in January, 1980, would be a tour of the Parks and Recreation facilities . (Pale Six, Re ular Meetin , Parks & Recreation Board, December 10, 1979) IV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. (—) Chairman •