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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 10, 2017 Minutes ADVISORY PARK BOARD APRIL 10, 2017 Present: Amy Davis, Tony Dirth, Bill Gogolewski, Steve Herman, Jim Michelson, Carrie Rule, Megan Schuessler, Terry Wohler Excused: Bill Miller Other: Brad Brown, Leadership Oshkosh Adjunct Board Member; Steven Gohde, City Engineer; John Kneer, Rettler Corporation; Rebecca Ramirez, Rettler Corporation Staff: Ray Maurer, Parks Director; Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director; Steve Dobish, Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course Manager; Stacy James, Recording Secretary CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL Chairman Wohler called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. A quorum was determined to be present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Herman for approval of the March 13, 2017 minutes, as distributed. Seconded by Davis. Motion carried 8-0. CITIZEN STATEMENTS & PARK BUSINESS 1) REVIEW PRELIMINARY CONCEPT DRAWING OF MARY JEWELL SHELTER/RESTROOM/ PUMP HOUSE FACILITY Mr. Maurer gave a brief history explaining that this project was included in the 2016 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Parks Department has been working with City Engineering and Wastewater regarding the need for this facility. Working together will save the tax payers money in the long run. The building will house a restroom and small open shelter and the restroom has previously been included in the park master plan. Mr. Maurer then showed the Board the map for the approximate location for the facility. The plan is that the facility will tie in with the future bike path planned for the area and is located near the ball diamond as well as the golf course. This location will make the building accessible for multiple facilities. The building plan will mimic the current buildings at both the Boatworks location as well as the Stevens Park location. In doing so, it eases difficulty with future upkeep in that all of the facilities will use the same materials. The building will have a storage area for maintenance equipment, two restrooms and small open shelter. Mr. Herman inquired if the shelter would be able to be rented out to which the answer is no due to the lack of parking in the area. ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE TWO APRIL 10, 2017 Mr. Gohde, City Engineer, explained that the need for this project goes back to the Sawyer Creek dredging project. There is a temporary fix in place for the time being that is functional but it will not do what is needed for the long term. This new building which would have a pump house would be the permanent fix that they need relieving usage on others by redirecting the flow to this pump station and then to waste water. The City has been looking into improving storm water in the area with new facilities such as this one. The creation of this facility would also eliminate a small lift station that is currently located along Punhoqua Street. Mr. Michelson inquired as to what percentage of the new facility would be pump house and what percentage would be used for the Parks Department. Mr. Gohde answered that it would be 2/3 – 3/4 pump house with the remainder being Parks Department. Mr. Gogolewski inquired as to how the pumps would be accessed as well as if this station will have any effect on Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course. Mr. Gohde responded that the pumps in this facility would not be so large that they would not be able to be accessed through the doors that will be on either side of the storage area. Mr. Dobish responded that he does not believe the location of the building will be in the way of the golf course. He also commented that surface drainage has been addressed to avoid any problems. Mr. Maurer added that the facility will be located outside the drip line of the trees to avoid having to remove any that are currently placed. Mr. Maurer wrapped up the discussion by reminding the Board that he feels this is an attractive design and that by mimicking the buildings at Boatworks and Steven’s Park it is proven to be a functional design. He will continue to work with the Engineering Department on the design before discussing it with the neighbors. Mr. Gogolewski suggested putting dimensions on the current map for the neighborhood meetings. 2) DISCUSSION ON COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN (CORP) UPDATE Mr. Maurer introduced the board to John Kneer and Rebecca Ramirez from Rettler Corporation. The last CORP was completed five years ago and needs to be updated to remain compliant for DNR grants and proposals to the Board. Prior to the meeting he had e-mailed the goals and objectives from the current CORP to the Board members for review. He then turned the discussion over to Mr. Kneer from Rettler Corporation to discuss the process. Mr. Kneer is the President and Senior Landscape Architect for Rettler Corporation. He has had conversations with Ray to discuss the goals and objectives to begin the process. They are kicking off the project by reviewing what areas of the CORP need to be updated or improved. He then reviewed the schedule from the current Request for Proposals (RFP). The process began in February with discussions with Ray and the process is really starting to gain momentum at this time. By July, Rettler Corporation plans to submit their draft plan. In August the plan will be presented to the Board as well as Planning Commission. Come August/September it is anticipated that the plan will go before Common Counsel for approval and then final approval will be sought from the Board and Plan Commission in September/October. He feels that this schedule is very attainable and was looking to get feedback from the Board regarding their thoughts and concerns. Mr. Maurer added that the current schedule also works well with the timing of the upcoming CIP. He and Mr. Kneer will be touring the parks on Wednesday and they will also be working with neighborhood associations. Mr. Kneer added that a community survey will be sent out. They have been working with the Oshkosh Convention and Visitor’s Bureau on their document ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE THREE APRIL 10, 2017 for community input as well. Once received, the user group feedback from that document will be referenced in deciding what work needs to be completed. Mr. Maurer then went through the current goals and objectives to get the Board’s feedback regarding what changes or additions may need to be made. He reminded everyone that the current copy of the CORP could be found on the City Website. Goal: Land Acquisition. Mr. Maurer suggests retaining this goal in the future CORP. Mr. Herman asked that the new CORP address park opportunities in sub divisions. Mr. Maurer commented that this type of acquisition is noted under the “Subdivision Review” goal. Goal: Park Facilities. Mr. Maurer believes this goal should also be included in the future CORP. There were no discussions from the Board regarding this goal. Goal: Shared Services. Mr. Maurer states that this goal covers shared use of properties wherein the Parks Department works with communities and neighborhood associations. An example of this was the progress that was made last year with user’s fees for groups. He suggests keeping this in so that these agreements can be put in writing in the future. Goal: Park Development. Mr. Maurer comments that he is strongly in favor of keeping this goal in the CORP. The focus for this goal is neighborhood parks to work best with the community. Mr. Kneer added that communities are gravitating toward larger park facilities for all to utilize rather than smaller, specific use facilities that bear a high maintenance cost. Mr. Maurer mirrored that they have worked with the neighborhoods in applying for grants to get private green space and it has made for a great symbiotic relationship between the City and the neighborhoods. Goal: Preservation. Mr. Maurer voiced his opinion that he feels the City has done a great job of meeting this goal in the past and it should continue to be included in the future CORP. There were no discussions from the Board regarding this goal. Goal: Amenities. Mr. Maurer states that the Parks Department has worked on replacing old equipment and maintaining current equipment to meet American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Consumer Product Safety Commissioner (CPSC) guidelines. Recently equipment has been replaced at Bauman Park and Teichmiller Park and currently their department is working on replacing equipment at Fugleberg Park and Sea, Sand, and Sailorland at Menominee Park. In the future he would like to use this goal to not only look at playgrounds but also ball fields and soccer fields as well. Mr. Kneer added that this is a need that is currently being stressed in the Fox Cities area and he feels it is good to be ahead of the discussion by addressing the need now. Mr. Dallman added that the department is working on updating restroom facilities as well. Mr. Michelson states that the Pedestrian and Bicycling Advisory Committee is working on addressing similar issues as well. Goal: Funding. Mr. Maurer explained that their department works with other divisions in the City when looking at grant programs so as not to compete for the same grants and funding possibilities. He mentioned that they also work with the public in applying for grants as well to help move items forward within the neighborhood associations. He believes it is necessary to keep the bullet regarding ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE FOUR APRIL 10, 2017 implementing fees to help develop park facilities to meet future needs. He states that his department is not pursuing the issue at this time but would like to keep it in for future needs. Mr. Maurer and Mr. Kneer both mentioned that the Parkland Dedication section of the Municipal Code will need to be reviewed to make sure that Oshkosh is consistent with the surrounding areas. Mr. Kneer recommended keeping this point in to review in the future. Mr. Michelson stated that this was reviewed 5-8 years ago and only revisited once so the Board may want to review it more closely and look at changing the language to make sure that this issues is addressed and not forgotten about. Mr. Maurer added that the Parkland Dedication information was put into funding to address receiving a fee in lieu of dedication. Mr. Wohler commented that while his not opposed to receiving a fee in lieu of land, he would rather have the land as opposed to the money. Mr. Maurer clarified that it depends on the location of the subdivision and the availability of land. Subdivisions in the city make it difficult to dedicate park land however with growth on the outskirts of the city there is more availability to give land. Mr. Kneer stated that he will review the language and possibly make an addition regarding receiving the fee in lieu of land. There will be language in the new CORP creating service areas within the City and higher growth areas in the outskirts of the City. Goal: Subdivision Review. Mr. Maurer explained that the prior conversation leads appropriately into this goal. He agrees that land is always their preference when it comes to Parkland Dedication and it sounds as though the Board agrees with that concept. There was no further discussion regarding this goal. Mr. Herman later questions what was being addressed with the last bullet point. Mr. Maurer explained that the City is working closely with surrounding communities so that in outlying areas, the City of Oshkosh is not the only community footing the bill. He also states that they reach out to neighboring towns for input. Mr. Kneer added that working with other townships and municipalities is very advisable. Goal: Forestry. Mr. Maurer suggested striking out the first bullet point to which Mr. Herman suggested keeping it in for further review. Ms. Schuessler suggested that there are some very specific issues that are referenced that could be removed. She suggested that perhaps the language could be changed to be more of a generalized statement to cover the issues. Mr. Maurer agreed that some of the language could possibly be updated to be more all-encompassing as the issues evolve. He also mentioned that some of the programs that the Forestry Department has taken part in provide good funding potential. Mr. Dallman suggested that this goal be expanded to cover more landscape operations such as roundabouts and terrace areas. Goal: Budgeting. Mr. Michelson posed whether or not the Board would want to add language regarding the high usage of facilities as input into the CIP for where money may be best utilized based on usage. Mr. Maurer agreed that it was a good idea. Mr. Kneer stated again that there would be a citizen survey completed so that it could be incorporated into the CORP regarding usage. Mr. Maurer stated that the Merry-go-Round is a good example of something that can be referenced in the survey to see whether or not the public agrees it is a good use of funds to complete the needed repairs. Goal: Trails. Mr. Maurer stated that they are working with the Pedestrian and Bicycling Advisory Committee to update this goal. He would like to include maps and documents into the CORP regarding the trails to which Mr. Kneer agreed that could happen. ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE FIVE APRIL 10, 2017 Goal: Grounds Maintenance. Mr. Maurer pointed out that there has already been some good discussions held regarding user fees. Mr. Michelson believes that language may need to be added to state that fees will be assessed “when deemed necessary”. He feels that the way it reads now makes it sound like all usage requires a fee. Mr. Dirth suggested that fees are mentioned in other areas of the Goals and Objectives and continuing to mention it here may be redundant. Mr. Maurer agreed that it could be reviewed and possibly have a general fees section to avoid that. Goal: Planning. Mr. Maurer states that the Board may be surprised at the success this goal has had over the past five years. Mr. Kneer agreed that this goal has proven to be very successful in park development with the assistance of the Parks Department. Goal: Water-Based Recreation. After a brief review of the goal by Mr. Maurer, Mr. Gogolewski suggested that regarding boat launches it might be nice to see figures for 2017 to see where increases happen. Mr. Maurer stated that he could do so. Ms. Schuessler questioned whether the word “Implement” was still the right word to use referencing Miller’s Bay Aquatic Plan Management Plan. Mr. Maurer agreed that this goal covers more than just that project and there are now more invasive weeds to address so it may be a good idea to reference native plantings and be more generic on the language. Mr. Herman suggested adding South Park in the reference as well. Perhaps there could be a generic statement regarding “shoreline planting” as well. As for the Miller’s Bay language he suggested it state “Maintain city-wide Aquatic Plant Management Plan.” Mr. Kneer suggested the language “monitor and potentially expand management plan to other areas”. Mr. Gogolewski asked whether it was necessary to differentiate Aquatic Plant Management from Shoreline Planting to which Mr. Maurer stated that it had been recommended to keep them different. Mr. Michelson reminded the Board that a consulting firm had addressed the issue and parts of that recommendation had been implemented. Mr. Maurer stated that it now would be good time to review and update that plan. Mr. Wohler suggested that he felt the language reading the Miller’s Bay Aquatic Plant Management Plan should be kept and that language regarding Shoreline Plantings should be added. He feels these are separate issues. Mr. Maurer states that it will be incorporated and kept separate. There will need to be a discussion regarding the Aquatic Plant Management Plan and if it should be updated. Mr. Maurer stated that he and Mr. Kneer and Ms. Ramirez will be meeting on Wednesday to tour the parks and work on updating the goals and objectives. He stated that next month they will have an action plan for the Board and they will then work with the neighborhood associations to get their input. 3) ACCEPT PARKLAND DEDICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 173 WEST RIPPLE AVENUE (SOUTHEAST CORNER OF RIPPLE ROAD AND OREGON STREET) Mr. Maurer stated that this agenda item plays into the discussion that was just held on this topic and that this is the first subdivision that has been added to the City since he started in 2010. He feels that this is a good sign of the current economy. In his Director’s Memo he gave a brief history of the process of going forward with the Parkland Dedication. The developer has been working with the City to get a community park in the southern section of the City. Based on the current plans they intend to dedicate 3.5 acres of parkland. This would start the park and it could eventually grow in the future as more land is developed ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE SIX APRIL 10, 2017 to the east, south and southeast of the current property. Mr. Maurer feels this is a good starting point for future parkland dedication in this area. The Plan Commission has recommended that this be approved. He opened the discussion to questions and stated that if approved the item would then go to Common Council for their approval. Mr. Michelson inquired as to whether there would be more usable land available. Mr. Maurer stated that there would be and added that the adjacent property to the south is wooded which would bode well for future park development along with farming land to the east. Motion by Gogolewski to accept Parkland Dedication for Development of Property Located at 173 West Ripple Avenue. Seconded by Davis. Motion carried 8-0. PARK DIRECTOR’S REPORT Mr. Maurer stated that it is business as usual for him lately. He has been working with Rettler Corporation to update the CORP. The South Park lagoon project is moving forward and will begin July 10. There has been a pre-construction meeting and they believe a majority of the project will be completed this construction year. The parking lot will be resurfaced at South Park as well and it will be a nice face lift of the park over the next year. He also stated that CIP information is due to finance in May and he is beginning the process as well. ASSISTANT PARK DIRECTOR’S REPORT Mr. Dallman states that many projects have been worked on over the past couple of weeks. There are new kiosks being installed at the Mill Street, Fugleberg and Steiger Park boat launches. There will also be a kiosk installed at the Amusements Center in Menominee Park to publicize upcoming events. There has been a lot of activity at the Menominee Park Zoo with crews resolving a long term drainage issue near ball diamond 4. They had to replace the storm sewer in that area which helps make that facility more usable. There was some concrete work done to improve drainage as well as path restoration in the zoo to make for smoother, more traversable paths for patrons. The crews have been opening up restrooms and different facilities for rentals. Mr. Dallman wanted to extend thanks to the Noon Rotary and South Park Middle School for their clean-up help over the past weekend. He also wanted to thank Hands on Oshkosh and the Stevens Park Association for their future efforts in park clean-up. He suggested that the Board reach out and thank the people in the community willing to help out with keeping the parks clean. Mr. Dallman added that the Parks Department had their annual Breakfast with the Bunny and Egg-Citing Day at the Zoo this past weekend. Ms. McCollian will give the final numbers in her update next month but there was a great turnout for the event. It has been a busy couple of months getting ready for the season and they are all happy with the warmer weather providing them to opportunity to get things running. LAKESHORE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE MANAGER’S REPORT Chairman Wohler announced that Mr. Dobish will be retiring within the next month. Mr. Dobish reports that the Golf Course opened on April 1. Things look to be in good shape for the golf course. Compared to the four year average, revenue looks to be up $15,000 for 2016. A lot of the increase has come from pre-sale passes for the 2017 season. Coupon rounds have been a large part of the green’s fees revenue and he states that Mr. Gardiner keeps a close eye on these revenues to ensure that the department is not wasting money ADVISORY PARK BOARD MINUTES PAGE SEVEN APRIL 10, 2017 on advertising. He states that in 2016 rounds were down from the prior year but an increase in other areas helped to make up for the difference. He believes that it will be another good year at the golf course and commented that there were only two resident geese this year that they needed to look into relocating. A 2- man Best Ball league has been created for Tuesday nights and it is anticipated that this will bring in good revenue as well. Footgolf will be available again this year and Mr. Gardiner is working on promoting and growing the sport to gain more revenue. The golf course is sponsoring Oshkosh Youth Soccer this year and they are hoping that it will bring people in to try out the sport. Overall he believes it will be a good year for the golf course. He wants to thank the Board and staff at the Parks Department for all they have done for him personally over the years as well as for the golf course. It has been an interesting and rewarding run. Chairman Wohler thanked Mr. Dobish for his years of service. He stated that they appreciate all that he has done for the golf course and believes he has done an outstanding job. OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Gogolewski for adjournment; seconded by Dirth. Motion carried 8-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:16 P.M Respectfully submitted, Stacy L. James Stacy L. James, Recording Secretary