HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-12-23 Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda PacketIf you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this program/event, please contact
Gabe Gotera, Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department at 319-356-5210 or ggotera@iowa-city.org.
Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Public Comment for each item will be limited to 3 minutes for each person and a total for no more than 30
minutes per item. Written comments submitted to parksandrecreation@iowa-city.org, prior to 5 p.m. on
Monday, July 10, 2023, will be distributed to the Commission via email in advance of the meeting. Written
Comments submitted at meeting will be included in following month’s packet.
AGENDA
ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER
ITEM 2 APPROVAL OF May 10, 2023, MINUTES
ITEM 3 PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
ITEM 4 ROBERT A. LEE POOL FALL 2023 HOURS – Asst. Recreation Supt. Matt Eidahl
ITEM 5 REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF
a) Parks and Recreation Director – Juli Seydell Johnson
b) Recreation Division Superintendent – Matt Eidahl
ITEM 6 CHAIRS REPORT
ITEM 7 COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
ITEM 8 ADJOURN
Iowa City
Parks and Recreation Commission
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
5:00 p.m.
Robert A. Lee Recreation Center – Meeting Room B
220 S Gilbert Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
IOWA CITY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION PRELIMINARY
MINUTES OF MAY 10, 2023
JAMES ALAN MCPHERSON PARK – PARK SHELTER
Members Present: Alex Hachtman, Brian Morelli, Melissa Serenda, Connie Moore, Rachel
McPherson, Doloris Mixon, Missie Forbes, Aaron Broege
Members Absent: Boniface Penandjo Lemoupa,
Staff Present: Juli Seydell Johnson, Tyler Baird, Brad Barker, Gabe Gotera
Others Present: Judie Hermsen, Dan Katalinich, Jill Fishbaugh, Justin Fishbaugh, Mitzi Read,
Amy Kretkowski
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Hachtman called the meeting to order at 5:04 p.m.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council action):
None
OTHER FORMAL ACTION:
Moved by Mixon, seconded by Serenda, to approve the April 12, 2023 minutes, with the correction
of the word Forward to Forage in Item 11, Commission Time. Motion passed 8-0 (Penandjo
Lemoupa absent).
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
Judie Hermsen introduces herself as representing an organized group of individuals to talk about City Park
Pool, City Park Pool – Back to the Future. Hermsen says that they are very welcoming and teach circle
swimming to newcomers who are intimidated by the crowded 50m lap lanes, allowing them to join in.
Hermsen refers to the groups vision plan originally shown at the April 12 Commission meeting, laying out
the critical components that exist in the current design. These components include an adaptable layout, with
50m lap lanes across the pool during the morning and lunch hours, which can be shorted to 25m lanes
during the larger open swim. Hermsen details another critical component, as the varied depths, with shallow
water exploration, medium depth for water jogging, swim skill exploration, and general family play, and a
deep-water area for divers.
Amy Kretkowski expresses her ongoing support for preserving City Park Pool. Kretkowski refers to the
Council-approved RFQ section, Scope of Services, which says that the consultant who is chosen will
present the report of the current conditions and analysis of viability to the City Council, and if the City
Council decides to renovate then the project will proceed down to Item 13. Kretkowski says that while not
entirely spelled out, she infers that at some point, the City Council will vote on whether to repair the existing
pool or to replace it with an entirely new pool. Kretkowski refers to the RFQ schedule, saying that it calls
for the City Council to approve the contract with the chosen consultant on June 20, 2023, and that the RFP
then says that the report of current conditions and analysis of viability will occur in July, when the pool will
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
May 10, 2023
Page 2 of 6
be filled with water. Kretkowski voices her concern that the consultants will not have a complete thorough
evaluation of the pool done, when the City only had visual inspections conducted in 2019 and 2021.
Kretkowski believes that for the City Council to make an informed decision on whether to repair or replace
the pool, then the City needs to get a complete and through evaluation of the pool and not just a visual
inspection after the pool has been filled with water.
Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson asks Kretkowski to wait for the director staff report, as Seydell Johnson will be
talking on most of Krakowski’s points.
Dan Katalinich talks about his organization, City Park Pool – Back to the Future, which aims to recognize
City Park Pool for how it has served the community in its current state and to preserve the original footprint
of the pool for the future. Katalinich says that Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson did a great job with giving Coralville
a water park type pool before quoting Seydell Johnson as having said seven years prior in the Press Citizen
newspaper, “Facilities and services are a real extension of what the community is all about”. Katalinich
says that the community stated very clearly what it is all about when the Historic Preservation Commission
and the City Council voted unanimously that the original footprint of City Park Pool should not be changed.
Katalinich states that the pool has been an open, inclusive, and wonderful part of the community and that
there is no reason to change the footprint to the kind of water park theme that Seydell Johnson had done for
Coralville. Katalinich clarifies that this is not Coralville or North Liberty, but Iowa City and that an
extension of Iowa City would say follow the lead of the historic preservation and honor the pool’s tradition
of inclusivity. Katalinich says that he had spent time in Texas during the pre-civil rights era, when pools
were closing to avoid integration, and that City Park Pool never closed because it has always been inclusive.
Katalanich says that the pool has been known to deliver justice for everyone in the community and that
happens in the original footprint of the pool.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMISSION MEMBER – Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson
Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson introduces the new Commissioner, Aaron Broege, to fill the term lasting
through the year 2024.
REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF
Director of Parks & Recreation – Juli Seydell Johnson
Mercer Park Athletic Complex & Fields: Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson announces a change to the Mercer
Park Athletic Complex & Fields project since the prior April 12 Commission meeting. Seydell Johnson
elaborates that the School District has requested the department to wait on the ball diamonds, as they are
considering changes to their programming and potentially moving their Varsity Softball program to
Mercer Park. Seydell Johnson explains that the project will be split, moving forward with the Pickleball
& Tennis Court renovations as planned this fall, and not touching the baseball fields for the time being.
Seydell Johnsons clarifies that the budget will stay in place within the CIP budget until the school district
decides how they would like to move forward. Seydell Johnson says that they may move forward with
replacing the lights above Field 1, as it has been a previous concern that would not be affected by any
potential changes in the project.
City Park Pool: Seydell Johnson announces that the City Park Pool shell has been painted, meaning that
the pool should be able to open on time, with staff trainings in the upcoming weeks. Seydell Johnson talks
regarding the recently released RFQ for consultant teams to start the City Park Pool Project.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
May 10, 2023
Page 3 of 6
Seydell Johnson says that in the prior week, staff have interviewed 4 consultant teams, which have been
narrowed to 2 finalists, showing that the timeline is on track for the June 20 Council meeting to offer a
contract to a firm. Seydell Johnson states that this would begin with the assessment to the pools, return to
the council and decide whether to replace or repair.
Seydell Johnson addresses concerns about the consultants being able to thoroughly inspect the pool,
saying that all four teams were able to look at the pool during the interview process. Seydell Johnson adds
that during the interview, firms were asked, what specific steps would be taken in a full evaluation and
that plans were already in place to provide each firm with the 2 factors that they were concerned about,
the coring of the concrete for their engineers to evaluate, and for the main lines to be televised by City
staff. Seydell Johnson explains that all teams saw the pool without water and after being cored by
concrete firms that had dug out sections of the pool for impression repair. This means that all four firms
and their architects and engineers were able to get up close in the pool to inspect, many of which took
samples to analyze later. Seydell Johnson details another test that will be done, the Static Water Test,
where the pool is filled, and pumps are held off to see total water loss over 24 hours to determine if the
pool holds water. This test will be conducted again, with the water below the gutter line, to determine if
the gutters or the basin are the cause for leaking. Seydell Johnson adds that there is an additional test
planned to look at the surge tank and the filtration system for any potential leaking. Seydell Johnson
reiterates that all four teams have had a chance to walk through the facility while it’s empty and see the
empty pool with all its layers exposed.
Seydell Johnson says regarding the original Scope of Services, that during the interviews, all the
consultants were provided with over 60 pages of public input received and asked what their firm would
do differently. What was added was a more upfront public meeting, where the public can meet the team
that is chosen, and for the team to get the read on the initial public input and sentiment
Assistant Recreation Superintendent – Brad Barker
Summer Programming: Supt. Brad Barker talks about the recent “Native Plant Symposium”, an all-day
event with multiple guest speakers, hosted at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. Barker says that the
event was very popular, with the initial 100 spots filling to capacity in only 2-3 days. Barker continues,
that an additional 30 spots was added, which filled up so fast, that roughly 40 people were still on the
waiting list. Barker talks about how that the prior weekend saw the opening of the Iowa City Farmers’
Market for the year, having great attendance. Barker announces the upcoming youth bike safety event,
Pedal Power, which will be hosted at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area on Sunday, May 21 from
1pm-3pm. Barker explains that Pedal Power is a free event that will have different kinds of activities and
entertainment for the whole family, while helping kids to hone their bike skills. Barker announces that
City Park Pool and the 3 Splash Pads will all open on Memorial Day weekend.
Special Events: Barker refers to the Recreation Performance and Goals that was discussed at the April 12,
2023 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, specifically the objective to bring recreation to
neighborhoods and communities, rather than just inside the recreation centers. Barker says that in addition
to normal programming and swim lessons, there will be over 50 special events happening at various parks
throughout the community in the months of June, July, and August. Barker explains the different kinds of
events as follows,
• Every Tuesday, there will be a Discovery Garden Party in the Discovery Garden at the Robert. A
Lee Recreation Center.
• Every other Tuesday Afternoon, there will be Rec & Roll at various parks, with different themed
activities, the Recreation Trailer, and music provided by the Summer of the Arts.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
May 10, 2023
Page 4 of 6
• Every Wednesday, there will be Water Wednesdays at City Park Pool, with different themed
activities each week for people to checkout. Barker adds that once a month, there will be a live
band performing music.
• Ever Thursday, there will be Party in the Park, with music, activities, and games with several
different partner groups.
• On Fridays, once a month, there will be Food Truck Fridays at City Park Pool where there will be
several Food Trucks present for patrons to check out.
• On Saturdays, there will be the Farmers’ Market and the occasional movie in the park at
Chauncey Swan Park. Barker adds that on June 17, the cinema Strange Worlds will be shown in
partnership with Summer of the Arts with themed activities and games beforehand.
• Mondays through Thursdays, the Playground drop-in program will be happening at 10 different
parks, alternating locations between Mondays/Wednesdays and Tuesdays/Thursdays.
Commissioner Mixon asks what time the Pedal Power event will be taking place at Terry Trueblood
Recreation Area. Barker answers that the event will be from 1-3 pm on Sunday, May 21.
Commissioner McPherson asks if there are any photos or videos of the Native Plant Symposium. Barker
answered yes before adding that the symposium was the brainchild of Michelle Wiegand, Recreation
Program Supervisor of Special Events and Communications, whose staff took photos of the event.
Commissioner McPherson asks what the Splash Pads are, and it is like a Slip N’ Slide. Barker explains
that Splash Pads are park-located water amenities with multiple different spray features for public use.
Barker adds that some Splash Pads have water circulated through the drains, while others run straight to
the sewers. Commissioner Morelli asks how many splash pads there are. Barker responds that there are 3
splash pads and the downtown fountain.
Commissioner Forbes congratulates staff on the successful opening of the Farmers’ Market, saying that it
was heavily attended. Barker says that many of the vendors were sold out by the end of the first day.
Parks & Forestry Superintendent– Tyler Baird
Planting & Mowing: Supt. Tyler Baird announces that 20 trees were recently planted in James Alan
McPherson Park with the City High Inclusion Club. Baird follows up saying that an additional 3 trees will
be planted in the park by the Commission members after the meeting in a presentation to show new
Forestry equipment. Baird says that in the last week, Park staff have been busy planting lots of perennials
and annuals throughout the parks. Baird says that mowing in the parks is behind due to the recent storm
damage, but that staff will be rolling out soon to catch back up.
Commissioner Serenda says she has seen a lot of dog waste bags while cleaning the parks, which has
been a long-term problem. Serenda asks about the possibility of adding additional trash bins and if staff
have found that to be helpful to reduce the littering of these bags. Baird responds that historically, it has
not been helpful as the people who are already littering, don’t make the effort to seek out a trash can to
properly dispose of their waste. Baird clarifies that he is open to alternative solutions besides a trash can.
Commissioner Morelli points out that people may have the misconception that the bags are biodegradable
and ponders on how to educate the public on proper clean-up procedure. Baird says that any time there
are dog waste bags provided, there is a sign showing what to do, also including a fine for not picking up
waste. Baird says that the signs also have little impact on the amount of littered waste bags.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
May 10, 2023
Page 5 of 6
CHAIRS REPORT:
Chairman Hachtman says thanks to Vice-Chairman Moore for taking over and finishing the April Parks &
Recreation Commission meeting after he had to leave early.
COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Commissioner Morelli says that he is really impressed with the number of events happening soon in
Recreation.
Commissioner McPherson asks about the possibility of expanded pool hours at the Robert A. Lee
Community Recreation Center. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that at this time, pool hours would be
reevaluated for the Fall season, as staff have been reviewing the tracked numbers. Seydell Johnson
explains that the 9-11am pool hours were originally closed due to low attendance during that time frame.
Seydell Johnson says that there has been a recent healthy increase to pool numbers, but it must be
considered how both indoor pools will have a dip in numbers due to City Park Pool opening for the
summer season. McPherson asks if it is a matter of lifeguards and offers to volunteer for the position.
Seydell Johnsons responds that the determined hours are based on usage.
Before adjourning, Dir. Juli Seydell Johnsons invites both the public and the commissioners to take part
in the tree planting in the park after the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
Chairman Hachtman calls the meeting to adjourn at 5:39 p.m.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
May 10, 2023
Page 6 of 6
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting
LQ = No meeting due to lack of quorum * = Not a member during this meeting
NAME
TERM
EXPIRES 05
/
2
3
/
2
2
07
/
1
3
/
2
2
08
/
1
0
/
2
2
09
/
1
4
/
2
2
10
/
1
2
/
2
2
11
/
0
9
/
2
2
12
/
1
4
/
2
2
01
/
1
1
/
2
3
02
/
0
8
/
2
3
03
/
0
8
/
2
3
04
/
1
2
/
2
3
05
/
1
0
/
2
3
Aaron
Broege
12/31/24 * * * * * * * * * * * X
Missie
Forbes
12/31/25 O/E X X X X X NM X O/E LQ X X
Alex
Hachtman
12/31/24 X X X X X X NM X X LQ X X
Rachel
McPherson
12/31/26 * * * * * * * X X LQ X X
Doloris
Mixon
12/31/26 * * * * * * * X X LQ X X
Connie
Moore
12/31/25 * * X X X X NM X X LQ X X
Brian
Morelli
12/31/25 X X O/E X X X NM X X LQ X X
Christopher
Odinet
12/31/24 X O/E X O/E O/E O/E NM X O/E LQ * *
Boniface
Penandjo
Lemoupa
12/31/23 O/E O O/E O/E O O NM O O LQ O O
Melissa
Serenda
12/31/23 X X X X X X NM X X LQ X X
Items submitted as
correspondence for the
July 12, 2023 Parks and
Recreation Commission
Meeting.
220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100
Date: July 6. 2023
To: Juli Seydell Johnson, Director of Parks & Recreation
From: Brad Barker, Superintendent of Recreation
Re: Swimming Pool Hours at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center
Commission Role:
Provide review and recommendation for Fall swimming pool hours at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center
Background:
The following were the pool hours at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center in September 2022 through May 2023:
Monday through Friday Open Swim: 6:15 - 9 a.m.; 11 a.m – 1 p.m.
$2 Swim: 5 - 8 p.m. (Friday only)
Saturday Open Swim: 6:15 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday $2 Swim: 5 - 8 p.m.
The following were the pool hours at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in September 2022 through May 2023:
Monday through Saturday Open Swim: 6:15 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday Open Swim: 11:15 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The City began reporting swimming pool attendance in October 2022 for indoor pools at the Robert A. Lee
Recreation Center (RAL) and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center (MPAC). The numbers reported include pool pass
scans, daily admissions, special events, private reservations, water fitness classes, swim teams counts and in-
water certification classes that are open to the public. The numbers do not include internal certification classes
and in-service trainings for City employees as these are considered to be essential for operations and generally
occur within hours not accessible to the public.
The data compiled over the last nine months helps paint a clear picture on how each facility is being used by the
public and the attendance distribution across open hours. These results are being used to make a determination
on when the swimming pools should be open to the public in the upcoming fall season.
The data indicates the following:
▪ The average number of users during weekdays in the 6:15 - 9 a.m. timeslot at RAL has been consistent.
Average users is 17.9 for the session. MPAC averages 22.6 users during this timeframe.
▪ RAL is unavailable for the 9 – 11 a.m. session. MPAC averages 20.2 users during this timeframe.
▪ The average number of users during the weekdays in the 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. timeslot at RAL has grown.
Average users is 16.5 for the session. This has grown from an average of 12.0 users per session in October
to 20.2 in June. MPAC averages 13.8 users during this timeframe.
▪ Staff observation indicates that, at least in the previous two months, an average of approximately 10-13
users in the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. timeslot use the deep-end diving well and the remaining use the lap swim
lanes.
220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100
Staff Recommendation:
Based on this information, staff recommends that the 2023 Fall hours at RAL remain consistent with the Fall hours
in 2022. The data does not yet fully support that the addition of a 9 am to 11 am or afternoon weekday timeslots
are needed. Data will continue to be tracked and analyzed in order to make an assessment for 2024 Winter/Spring
hours and beyond.
Graphical Representation of Data:
220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100
Day Date 6-7a 7-8a 8-9a 9-10a 10-11a 11-12p 12-1p 1-2p 2-3p 3-4p 4-5p 5-6 p 6-7p 7-8p Daily Rec Totals Water Fitness Swim Lessons Event # Count Event Name
Thursday 1-Jun 5 6 1 9 5 26
Friday 2-Jun 8 5 4 22 3 42
Saturday 3-Jun 7 4 2 2 1 2 18 3
Sunday 4-Jun 0 23 $2 Swim
Monday 5-Jun 9 7 1 22 6 45 10
Tuesday 6-Jun 4 5 1 16 6 32
Wednesday 7-Jun 3 8 1 20 1 33 10
Thursday 8-Jun 4 7 2 20 3 36
Friday 9-Jun 6 4 0 17 4 31 6
Saturday 10-Jun 1 3 4 0 3 2 13 3
Sunday 11-Jun 0 21 $2 Swim
Monday 12-Jun 6 3 3 16 1 29 9.0
Tuesday 13-Jun 3 8 1 16 3 31
Wednesday 14-Jun 3 4 3 13 2 25 11
Thursday 15-Jun 4 5 0 22 2 33
Friday 16-Jun 6 6 4 16 6 38 7
Saturday 17-Jun 4 4 3 4 6 1 22 3
Sunday 18-Jun 0 105 29 $2 Swim
Monday 19-Jun 4 3 1 13 2 23 11
Tuesday 20-Jun 3 7 1 14 5 30
Wednesday 21-Jun 5 2 2 12 3 24 12
Thursday 22-Jun 6 7 0 16 1 30
Friday 23-Jun 10 2 2 17 4 35 6
Saturday 24-Jun 3 7 0 4 9 1 24 3
Sunday 25-Jun 0 105 28 $2 Swim
Monday 26-Jun 4 2 0 23 0 29 10
Tuesday 27-Jun 3 5 1 19 1 29 122 CPP PM Lessons Moved Indoors
Wednesday 28-Jun 7 2 0 16 5 0 0 1 1 4 12 2 50 9 116 CPP AM Lessons Moved Indoors/Added 1-8pm Open Swim
Thursday 29-Jun 7 8 3 17 3 0 0 0 0 38 226 CPP AM & PM Lessons Moved Indoors/Added 1-4:30pm Open Swim
Friday 30-Jun 9 9 5 20 3 46
Grand Total
739 812 113 674 101 1700
27.1 3.8 22.5 3.4 56.7
Robert A Lee Recreation Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals June 2023
Averages:
Totals:Total Scans:
Total Unique Scans:Open due to CCP Closure
Day Date 6-7a 7-8a 8-9a 9-10a 10-11a 11-12p 12-1p 1-2p 2-3p 3-4p 4-5p 5-6 p 6-7p 7-8p Daily Rec Totals Water Fitness Swim Team Event # Count Event Name
Thursday 1-Jun 8 8 8 12 5 14 16 14 12 12 5 8 122 106 21 $2 Swim
Friday 2-Jun 7 5 7 13 6 7 7 11 7 10 15 3 18 1 117 106
Saturday 3-Jun 5 2 0 1 10 14 12 5 14 8 27 11 14 3 126 106
Sunday 4-Jun 20 12 20 15 30 24 4 11 6 142
Monday 5-Jun 5 8 13 20 7 6 6 10 9 12 34 14 7 13 164 11 106
Tuesday 6-Jun 9 11 9 4 6 10 13 9 3 25 19 0 118 106 25 $2 Swim
Wednesday 7-Jun 8 13 12 14 6 11 4 12 10 8 10 14 8 2 132 106
Thursday 8-Jun 9 7 13 8 5 10 4 11 7 6 12 3 95 106 20 $2 Swim
Friday 9-Jun 8 6 17 15 8 8 6 7 23 19 117 106
Saturday 10-Jun 0
Sunday 11-Jun 0
Monday 12-Jun 12 10 12 19 10 11 11 12 3 14 4 11 8 1 138 11 106
Tuesday 13-Jun 7 11 9 6 8 8 11 11 9 11 10 1 102 106 29 $2 Swim
Wednesday 14-Jun 8 8 17 14 10 9 9 14 18 12 8 3 2 1 133 106
Thursday 15-Jun 0 12 10 0 14 14 11 9 19 26 10 5 130 106 14 $2 Swim
Friday 16-Jun 6 11 9 15 26 8 39 15 10 12 11 4 1 3 170 106 200 ICE Swim Meet
Saturday 17-Jun 1 11 10 11 10 5 13 3 15 5 8 5 5 3 105 200 ICE Swim Meet
Sunday 18-Jun 6 15 12 14 8 6 4 5 3 73 200 ICE Swim Meet
Monday 19-Jun 8 9 10 17 23 11 6 9 12 19 25 5 10 5 169 8 106
Tuesday 20-Jun 6 11 8 8 7 13 21 9 8 7 10 6 114 106 12 $2 Swim
Wednesday 21-Jun 0 0 1 21 12 7 6 11 19 9 11 13 1 7 118 106
Thursday 22-Jun 1 11 13 9 16 3 19 5 11 7 8 8 111 106 23 $2 Swim
Friday 23-Jun 8 7 9 13 24 6 15 12 20 10 8 8 8 3 151 106
Saturday 24-Jun 3 5 0 1 6 5 9 10 18 19 5 15 8 1 105
Sunday 25-Jun 16 16 15 6 12 11 6 17 1 100
Monday 26-Jun 5 6 7 19 13 9 11 20 9 4 13 11 6 5 138 12 106
Tuesday 27-Jun 0 6 11 12 8 15 24 8 15 16 16 2 133 106 19 $2 Swim
Wednesday 28-Jun 7 8 10 20 11 12 9 30 20 13 12 14 18 1 185 106
Thursday 29-Jun 9 3 9 11 7 21 14 8 14 10 8 8 122 106 32 $2 Swim
Friday 30-Jun 5 8 11 12 10 7 7 20 29 16 10 6 2 1 144
Grand Total
2846 3574 42 2332 795 6743
Closed for Swim Meet 119.1 1.4 77.7 26.5 224.8
1034
ICE = 106 (includes masters)34.5
Mercer Park Aquatic Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals June 2023
Totals:
Averages:
Total using Robert A. Lee Pool Open Hours
Average using Robert A. Lee Pool Open Hours
Total Scans:
Total Unique Scans:
1 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City
Iowa City Parks & Recreation Commission Packet
July 2023
Upcoming Events
• Farmers Market; May 6 – October 28 (Saturdays only); 7:30 am – Noon Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp
• Garden Parties at the Children’s Discovery Garden, RALCRC, Tuesdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
• Rec N Roll Series, Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00 pm (Part of Summer of the Arts)
o July 11, Mercer Park
o July 25, Willow Creek Park
o August 1, Wetherby Park (National Night Out)
o August 8, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area
• Water Wednesdays, City Park Pool, Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
o July 12, Iowa City Lifeguard for a Day
o July 19, Shark Week
o July 26, Splish Splash Storytime
o Aug 2, Swimtroduction
• Party in the Park Series, Thursdays, 6:30-8:00 pm
o July 13, Tower Court Park
o July 20, College Green Park
o July 27, James Alan McPherson Park
o August 3, Cardigan Park
• Movie in the Park, Saturday, July 22 at Mercer Park (Part of Summer of the Arts)
• Pollinator Park Prowl, July 1 – August 13
• Other Regular summer series events including Supervised Playgrounds, Yoga in the Park, Hydrant
Parties, and Food Truck Fridays at City Park Pool
Notable from Parks & Recreation Staff
Parks:
• Watering of trees has been a staff priority 7 days a week.
• Mowing was less frequent this month with less rain and crews have been clearing back vegetation along
trails in place of mowing.
• Park facilities continue to see heavy use from reservations and drop in visits.
• Park construction and trail paving projects continue with measurable progress on the Willow Creek Trail
and at Hunter’s Run Park.
• Staff completed the installation of the playground at Chadek Green Park.
2 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City
• The new “small” bucket truck arrived for Forestry. However, we are working through some mechanical
adjustments as we get it into the fleet.
• Forestry staff is working on getting the new asset management system fully integrated into operations.
Recreation:
• Much of the division’s programming and small events continue to move out into the neighborhoods.
Approximately 50 small events will occur in neighborhood parks throughout Iowa City this summer.
• National Park and Recreation Month is n July. Recreation Division staff launched a sporting goods drive
throughout the month. Anyone interested in donating can bring gently used or new sports equipment to
Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, Mercer Park Aquatic Center and City Park Pool.
Facilities:
• Mercer Park Aquatic Center and Scanlon Gym Exterior Accessibility and Lighting improvements project
continues, All American Construction is almost done with phase 1 of the project and phase 2 will start later
this month.
• Ped Mall fountain is temporary closed; we will be meeting with the splash pad contractor HydroDramatics
on July 7th to discuss the pump system.
Cemetery:
• Staff will work with the City Forestry crew for removal of an Ash tree.
• Staff will work on stump removal in the next month or two.
Top Staff Issues
Parks
• Equipment mechanical issues have slowed some operations this month.
• Drought conditions are stressing many of the plants around town, even those that are well established.
Recreation
• Staff have been preparing for summer programming as well as the hiring and training of seasonal
program employees.
Facilities
• We are in the process of hiring two custodial positions. We will be interviewing for the part-time
weekend swing staff the week of July 10th. The full-time custodian position for Robert A Lee has been
posted and the application deadline is July 19th.
• The Aquatics and HVAC team continue to work hard keeping systems running through the summer
season. Aging infrastructure has proven to be challenging on many fronts.
Cemetery:
• Mowing and trimming has picked up with the recent rain.
• Staff has been busy with watering sod, flowers and trees due to the dry conditions.
• Staff replaced bases on 25 monuments last month and will continue through July.
3 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City
Oakland
Cemetery
FY 23 Revenue Report
** shaded areas represent previous 5yr average
Revenue from Lot Sales Lot Sale 5yr
Average
# of
Interments
Interments
5yr avg.
Revenue
from
Interments
5-year Avg.
on
Interments
Total
Revenue
5yr Avg. on
total revenue
July $3,270.00 $4,456.00 5 6.4 $3,310.00 $3,342.00 $6,580.00 $7,798.00
August $13,782.50 $5,962.50 10 6.6 $5,877.50 $3,890.00 $19,660.00 $9,852.50
Sept $3,062.50 $10,001.75 7 8.0 $2,995.00 $4,867.25 $6,057.50 $14,869.00
Oct $3,822.50 $14,012.50 4 6.6 $1,472.50 $3,925.00 $5,295.00 $17,937.50
Nov $8,785.00 $4,620.50 7 6.6 $5,370.00 $3,760.50 $14,155.00 $8,381.00
Dec $1,312.50 $3,046.00 11 4.6 $6,665.00 $2,744.00 $7,977.50 $5,790.00
Jan $3,987.50 $4,108.00 7 4.0 $3,152.50 $2,894.50 $7,140.00 $7,002.50
Feb $7,530.00 $2,408.00 3 4.2 $3,197.50 $3,009.00 $10,727.50 $5,417.00
March $6,332.50 $4,601.50 8 4.0 $5,325.00 $3,041.50 $11,657.50 $7,643.00
April $2,625.00 $4,972.50 4 5.6 $2,375.00 $3,373.00 $5,000.00 $8,345.50
May $5,117.5 $3,318.00 6 5.6 $4,620.00 $2,679.00 $9,737.50 $5,997.00
June $13,982.50 $7,968.50 13 6.0 $6,885.00 $3,009.00 $20,867.50 $10,977.50
Totals $75,360.00 $69,475.75 85 68.2 $51,245.00 $40,534.75 $126,605.00 $110,010.50