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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-05-08 .Regular Meeting Parks and Recreation Board May 8, 1978 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board was called to order by Acting Chairperson Zella Stierwalt at 7: 30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Euless City Hall . Members present were Messrs. Billy Owens, Winn Porter, and Don Calhoun. (Absent were Mr. Matt Cushing and Mrs. Jolly Rawlings.) Also present were Parks and Recreation Coordinator Larry Morgan and Recording Secretary Maurine Butler. VISITORS Visitors in attendance were Messrs. Bob Phillips and Ken Oler; Mesdms. Willie Mae McCormick and Julia Wakely. INVOCATION The invocation was given by Mr. Owens. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Calhoun made motion that minutes of last regular meeting dated March 13, 1978, be approved as written. (There was no meeting in April . ) Mr. Owens seconded the motion and the vote is as follows: Ayes: Messrs. Calhoun, Owens, Porter, and Mrs. Stierwalt. Nays: None Acting Chairperson -Stierwalt declared the motion carried. GET ACQUAINTED Acting Chairperson Stierwalt asked each person present to introduce themselves and give a brief background. II . ELECTION OF OFFICERS Mrs. Stierwalt stated the City Manager had (Page Two, Regular Meeting, Parks and Recreation Board, May 8, 1978) requested that she serve as Acting Chairman for this meeting. She stated the election of officers would be tabled until the next regular meeting in June when all members would be present. Nominations for Chairman were made but there were not enough members present for a vote. III . PARKS AND RECREATION COORDINATOR' S REPORT Mr. Morgan stated that he had invited some of the staff to come and briefly go into the program they are involved in at present time. Summer Program Activities Mrs. Wakely stated the schedule for the summer program activities had been mailed and registration dates will be May 22 through May 26. The classes will be held at the Simmons Recreation Center and the Community Building. These will be eight week courses beginning June 5 and ending July 28. Swim tickets and swim passes are now being sold and they are getting ready for Day Camp. She stated Euless is one of the few cities that has a Day Camp. Mr. Morgan stated that Euless has two community buildings. The Fine Arts Building is located on Simmons Drive in Carr Park. Mrs. Wakely is in charge of Inside Activities there. The Community Building houses the gym, meeting rooms and lobby, where we have athletic games, ping pong and pool tables. Mrs. Wakely is in charge of this building and the personnel there. Mr. Porter asked the price of the season swim tickets. Mrs. Wakely stated the lesson passes are $6.00 for a two week session. The season pass is $15.00 for one, $12.50 for second member of family, $10.00 for third, with a $50.00 maximum per family. Athletic Programs Mr. Ken Oler stated they had just completed their largest soccer season with approximately 1200 youth involved in the spring program. Boy' s baseball and girl 's softball is getting underway at this time; forty-four baseball teams with approximately 540 boys, twenty-six softball teams with approximately 350 girls signed up, and twenty-five men' s softball teams. The women' s softball teams are combined with Hurst and there are twenty-six teams. The summer tennis program for youth will soon begin at Trinity High School with Mr. Cal Hopkins directing it. This age group is for youth 16 years and under and approximately two hundred are expected to sign up. There are approximately one hundred adults involved in a tennis league. (Page Three, Regular Meeting, Parks and Recreation Board, May 8, 1978) Mr. Morgan asked approximately how many of the participants are Euless people. Mr. Oler stated that we are a member of .-. the state organization, Texas Amateur Athletic Federation, and participants must live or work in the city. Each one must fill out an agreement contract and from the statistics, at least seventy-five percent of the participants live or work in Euless. Mr. Porter asked if all of this is covered by the Euless Athletic Association. Mr. Oler stated that the Euless Athletic Association is boy's baseball only. They were the first organized program in the city and they took that name or title. Parks and Grounds Mr. Bob Phillips stated he is presently taking care of the parks, grooming and fertilizing them, and getting the baseball fields in shape. They are reworking the swimming pools. They have put three coats of an emulsified cement, more commonly known as plaster, on the pools at Wilshire Park and South Euless and hopefully will not have to paint them every year. They plan to pull out and redo the worn rubber seams and regrout tile in the pools. He stated there had been some vandalism at the pools but this is being taken care of. Mr. Phillips stated they are going to start landscaping the grounds around the new Public Safety Building. The median strips are finished and have irrigation on them. They are going to have to take out the grass area and plug the irrigation on the first median for a turn around or access to the new building. He stated all of the plants and grass from the median will be replanted around the new building. Mr. Porter stated he would like to compliment Mr. Phillips and his staff on the shape of the baseball diamond at Midway Park. Mr. Morgan stated the City of Euless is very fortunate to have such a group of talented individuals working for them. Like any city we are understaffed in both parks and recreation. He stated they are into their busiest season and have a number of projects to come up unexpectedly added on to the regular load and they always seem to get it done. Acting Chairperson Stierwalt asked if the Euless Athletic Association put the concession in, and has it started yet. Mr. Morgan stated that it has not started. These people have purchased a building approximately 10' x 14' for the concession stand. We have worked out an agreement and have a contract with (Page Four, Regular Meeting, Parks and Recreation Board, May 8, 1978) them. They are going to police the area they are working in. We have installed a water line for them. They are paying for the materials and for the guard light. This is a way for these people to make money and provide for the children. Acting Chairperson Stierwalt asked if this is a permanent thing. Mr. Morgan stated it would be. Mr. Calhoun asked if the City receives a percentage of the sales from the concession. Mr. Morgan stated in the past they have but he doesn' t know at this time. Acting Chairperson Stierwalt stated one of the things that prompted the concession stand is, money is being spent at the nearby Seven-Eleven store and Dairy Queen. It is much safer for the children and helps the Association. They want it to be permanent. Mr. Porter stated in the past there have been concession stands operated by individuals and they gave the Euless Athletic Association a percentage of their sales. Mr. Porter asked where the concession will be located. Mr. Morgan stated it is located directly across from ball field No. 3, in a grassed area, behind some posts. We picked out the spot and it was in total agreement with them. The park crew is going to make a walk through with steel posts and cable, to keep the children out of the street and driveway. Midway Park is very congested during ball season and there is not enough parking space. Mr. Owens asked what is the policy if some other vendor wants to set up in another park. Mr. Oler stated the girl ' s softball at West Park are going to have a catering service to be there each night they are playing. Mr. Owens stated then we don' t have a policy as such in the City. Mr. Morgan stated there was none that he knew of. Mr. Oler stated a contract has to be sent through them for approval and signed by a City official . (Page Five, Regular Meeting, Parks and Recreation Board, May 8, 1978) Mr. Morgan stated there is a liability clause in the contract and liability is what we are concerned about. Acting Chairperson Stierwalt stated nothing has been spared on the outside of the concession stand but they have asked for help and donations to equip the inside. Mr. Morgan stated the Parks and Recreation happened to have a sno- cone machine and he carried it to them. They will make good use of it. Vandalism in Parks Mr. Morgan stated they are in the worst vandalism season they have had. The pools, baseball fields, and parks have all been vandalized to an extent they can' t keep up the repair as fast as they are being torn up. Holes have been cut in the fence, water fountains and lavatories torn off the walls and doors torn off their hinges. The vandals come well equipped. The cost to repair the pools will be in the hundreds of dollars on each pool . He stated in the parks, picnic tables, water fountains and trees have been torn up. At Carr Park it looked as though someone had taken a chain saw and cut six (6) 2" caliber trees, which were four or five years old, and left them where they fell . This park is one of the most used parks in the city and no one reported hearing anything. Mr. Morgan stated the ball fields have incurred about $5,000. in damages to the lights and fixtures. We are trying to combat this on our ball fields at West Park which has received the most extensive damage. We have found a product called Lexan and are going to put this material on the lights on the outside of the shields. We have field tested the Lexan at different yardage with a pellet gun. A high velocity .22 long rifle did penetrate it but did not shatter it. We believe this material will save in the cost of bulbs and $4,000. or $5,000. in labor next year. It will cost around $1 ,000. to put it on. Mr. Porter asked if Mr. Morgan had figures on vandalism cost for year. Mr. Morgan stated he did not have the figures for this year. He had made two studies; one is from 1975 to 1976 on a twelve month basis and a short survey from October to December which he gave to Mr. Sustaire. Mr. Sustaire asked him to make a thirty (30) day survey from January 1 to January 30, and it was around $1 ,500. This was in the winter with snow on the ground and the vandalism didn' t slow up. Mr. Morgan stated he does not have an answer for the vandalism but they are making strides forward to curb it. He has a lot of hope that the Lexan will curb the vandalism at West Park. (Page Six, Regular Meeting, Parks and Recreation Board, May 8, 1978) Acting Chairperson Stierwalt asked Mr. Morgan if he had read or heard about the organized program between the police and citizens, sponsored by the Junior League, to combat vandalism in Fort Worth, They are having good luck with the program and it might help us. Mr. Morgan stated he did not know about this program but getting the citizens involved is the key. He stated the Police Chief has been a tremendous help. We have asked him for one more patrol at West Park, until we get the baligames started. Acting Chairperson Stierwalt stated the Chamber of Commerce is trying to organize a "crime watch" where you protect your neighbor and they protect you. Mr. Owens stated that even though we have a lot of problems with vandalism, it is not as bad in Euless as some of the other cities. Mr. Morgan stated he is looking forward to working with the Parks and Recreation Board and if anyone would like to take a tour of the park and recreation facilities, he would be happy to show them around. IV. WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS Acting Chairman Stierwalt welcomed the new members and stated the Parks and Recreation Board meets the second Monday in each month at 7: 30 p.m. V. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8: 30 p.m. APPROVED: Chairman