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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-08-2023 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, November 6, 2023, will be distributed to the Commission in advance of the meeting. AGENDA ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER ITEM 2 APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2023, MINUTES ITEM 3 PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA ITEM 4 SPRING RALRC DAYTIME POOL HOURS – Recreation Supt. Brad Barker ITEM 5 ASHTON HOUSE REAP GRANT – Parks & Forestry Supt. Tyler Baird ITEM 6 PROPOSED CHANGES TO ASHTON HOUSE USE – Rec Supt. Brad Barker ITEM 7 CIP BUDGET UPDATE – Parks and Recreation Director Juli Seydell Johnson ITEM 8 CITY PARK POOL PUBLIC INPUT UPDATE – P&R Director Juli Seydell Johnson ITEM 9 REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF a) Parks and Recreation Director – Juli Seydell Johnson b) Recreation Superintendent – Brad Barker c) Parks & Forestry Superintendent – Tyler Baird ITEM 10 CHAIRS REPORT ITEM 11 COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ITEM 12 ADJOURN Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday, November 8, 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 SEPTEMBER 13, 2023 ROBERT A. LEE RECREATION CENTER – MEETING ROOM B Members Present: Rachel McPherson, Alex Stanton, Aaron Broege, Connie Moore, Missie Forbes, Alex Hachtman, Melissa Serenda, Brian Morelli Members Absent: None Staff Present: Juli Seydell Johnson, Tyler Baird, Gabe Gotera Others Present: Carin Crain, Mitzi Read, Sue Protheroe, Jerry Protheroe, Beth Pfohl, Mark Cannon, Anne Jensen CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Hachtman called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council action): Moved by Serenda, seconded by Morelli, to recommend moving forward with the 2024- 2028 Parks & Recreation CIP as presented. Motion Passed 8-0. OTHER FORMAL ACTION: Moved by Broege, seconded by Moore, to approve the August 09, 2023, minutes. Motion passed 7-0 (Serenda Absent). PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Commissioner Serenda arrives at 5:02 p.m. Sue Protheroe comments on behalf of City Park Pool: Back to the Future, a group which is a large bunch of community members who are passionate about City Park and have organized to ensure that a future pool at least matches the current pool in terms of capabilities and the communities it serves. Protheroe passes out copies of the City Park Pool: Back to the Future – vision statement. Protheroe explains that previously a member of the group had spoken to the Commission regarding the vision statement. Protheroe details that the group focuses on how the pool can be used and the groups it serves, which the current design checks each box. Protheroe clarifies that the group is not promoting a specific design for City Park Pool at the current time. Protheroe says that the Back to the Future steering committee had met earlier in the week to discuss the public input process after listening to the Williams and Associates talk during the PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 2 of 12 Sept 5 City Council meeting, understanding that the list of potential focus groups is not set in stone, but that Juli had said there could be 14 focus groups, which means that the list of potential focus groups has only 11 groups. The steering committee had identified two groups that they feel should also be represented. Firstly, the primary groups that use the pool like club swimmers & water polo, and secondly, the group that is not on the list of potential focus groups, senior citizens, a large group of pool users in the communities that should be sought out for input. Beth Pfohl comments on the behalf of the City Park Pool: Back to the Future steering committee. Pfohl says that during the Sept 5 City Council, a consultant said that replacing City Park pool allows for the opportunity for conversation between user groups. Pfohl believes in the power of various pool user groups speaking to one another and coming to understand what others need, especially regarding the pool. Pfohl says that if conversation is allowed, we have the opportunity for building community consensus, however the current public input plan as detailed in the consultant condition report does not allow for discussion between user groups, unless the open houses are structured in a way to provide this opportunity. Pfohl suggest that the open houses be structured in a way that provides an opportunity for real dialogue between community members, saying that it is important that all types of users hear each other’s concerns and needs. Pfohl envisions an event where people are assigned to facilitate the breakout groups, each addressing the same set of guiding questions, before reporting back to the large group. Because the focus groups are composed of similar minded users, the public gathering will be the only opportunity for community members to hear and discuss and understand each other. Carin Crain talks about the Robert A. Lee Pool while Marc Cannon passes out a handout to the commission. Crain explains that she has been gathering pool counts for 10 months, the reason being is because the Parks and Recreation department has said that pool usage is insufficient and have not defined sufficiency, to support increased hours of operation. Crain says that the department has talked a lot about the numbers of users, highlighting a page in her handout which shows a collage of all the pool users throughout the day. Crain says that her collage is important because it shows that 23 people who were at the pool on that day were not included in the full counts distributed. Crain says that commissioners are asked to make recommendations based on data and that if their data is not good, then their recommendations are not sound. Crain suggests that the commission do is insist on accurate date. Crain refers to further pages in her handout that show where in staff counts that errors lie, how she knows that the errors are there, and shows that the errors are always less. Crain says that there is a consistent under count that has been going on for 10 months. Going forward Crain asks that the Commissioners insist on accurate data, and that respectfully, they correct the inaccuracies shown in the submissions to this body. Crain says that as citizen who uses the pool, everyone counts, and that she wants to be counted. Dir. Seydell Johnson makes the clarification for both the public and Commission, that when the Commissioners had last looked at pool data for their decision about Fall RAL Pool hours, the Commission has access to both the public and staff counts, side-by-side and made their decision using all the numbers provided. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 3 of 12 2023-2028 PARKS AND RECREATION CAPITOL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT – Dir. Juli Seydell Johnson Dir. Seydell Johnson presents the attached PowerPoint over the 2024-2028 Parks & Recreation Capital Improvement Plan. Vice-Chair Moore asks what a pump track is, regarding the Terrill Mill Skate Park project. Parks Supt. explains that a pump track in this instance is paved and includes pumps, and curves, and banks that work together as a circuit that can be used by bikes, scooters, skateboards, and even an athletic style wheelchair. Commissioner Forbes asks if the Terrill Mill Skate Park is the skate park near City Park. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms this, saying that it is near the boathouse on Dubuque Street. Forbes asks how much traffic is at the park to justify the price tag needed to update. Seydell Johnson responds that while the exact number is not known, staff do know that the park is highly used and believe that once the public input process begins, users of the park will be contacting staff with strong input. Vice-Chair Moore asks about the origins behind the name of Carson Lake, regarding the Carson Lake Park Project. Dir. Seydell Johnson replies that she is unsure on the origin of the name of the area but that it may be related to the current landowners. Moore asks if Carson Lake is the final name for the park. Seydell Johnson replies that Carson Lake is likely not the final name of the park, unless the name is part of the legal agreement for the land acquisition. Commissioner Serenda asks if there are plans to extend the Highway 6 Trail from Heinz to Scott Boulevard, making a good circuit as opposed to walking through the industrial area. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that in the long-term, yes. Seydell Johnsons explains that this was in the Bicycle Master Plan, but it would not be seen in this 5-year budget plan. Commissioner Morelli asks how much of the Federal Highway funds are devoted to trails versus roads, or if the trail budget comes out of the Parks and Recreation budget. Morelli asks that if trail headways are so expensive, can the department set aside a percentage of the budget for several years to take on the bigger projects. Dir. Seydell Johnsons says that this option is something that the Commission can recommend the City Council to consider. Morelli asks if it is possible to receive more information on the funds received for trails. Seydell Johnson says that in the past, an MPO representative has spoken on the subject to the Commission and that this could certainly be done again in the future. Commissioner McPherson asks about the “Public v Private” land for the Carson Lake Park Project. McPherson asks that if the land has a current owner, then is the land private. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that the land is currently farmland and as it develops it will either be donated to the City through Neighborhood Open Space or purchased by the city as a part of the water retention area. Seydell Johnson says that as it is being discussed today, the land is private, but in the long-term it will become public. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 4 of 12 Commissioner Serenda asks what the fate of projects on the Unfunded list are. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that the purpose of the list is so that City Council and Finance staff know that there are still projects that the department would like to pursue. Commissioner Broege says that the RAL pool and Mercer pool projects are happening after the City Park Pool project is completed and asks if there is accounting for the potential funding needed on the 2026-2027 CIP. Seydell Johnson says that the potential funds have been discussed but not yet added to a project because the parameters of the project have not been decided. Commissioner Forbes asks regarding a sports complex, if there are any private partners for a complex, so as to not put all the expenses on the City. Dir. Seydell Johnsons says that there was some talk about this a few years prior, and that Think Iowa City commissioned a feasibility study but that that was about as far as it went. Seydell Johnson believes that it could come up again but that it is not currently being actively pursued. Commissioner Broege asks if there are any plans on what would be included for the sports complex. Seydell Johnsons says that there are plans. Commissioner Morelli says that most of the work in Court Hill Park looks to be done but points out that the old park shelter was removed leaving a field in the middle of the park and that a year later, he would love to see the space updated and replanted. Morelli says that there are several old trees in Court Hill Park with a tree coming down every few weeks whenever there is another big wind. Morelli asks what the process is for the general upkeep of the trees. Parks & Forestry Supt. Baird responds that staff have a shelter on hand to install, it just requires the time and funds to get the shelter pad in place. Baird says that staff have spoken to the Streets department to see if they can help with keeping the costs lower but that assistance would likely go towards the basketball court. Baird says that he can have staff look at the seeding in the park, explaining that the recent drought has made it a challenge to get things growing. Baird confirms that the trees in the park are old and while the limbs can fall semi frequently, there has been nothing concerning seen when looking at them, making it hard to know what will fall before it does. Morelli says that there has been a big limb hanging in a tree in the park since the 2020 derecho. Tyler responds that staff did not see the limb as a large hazard at the time of the storm, but that staff can investigate it again. Commissioner Serenda asks if it would be appropriate to report tree hazards like Commissioner Morelli described that through the ICGov.org express form. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that would work fine, or staff can be emailed directly. Moved by Serenda, seconded by Morelli, to recommend moving forward with the 2024- 2028 Parks & Recreation CIP as presented. Motion Passed 8-0. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 5 of 12 REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF Director of Parks & Recreation – Juli Seydell Johnson Cemetery: Dir. Seydell Johnson announces that there are 30 trees to be planted in Oakland Cemetery in partnership with the Heritage Tree Foundation. Seydell Johnson adds that the trees will likely be planted in Spring 2024. Recreation: Seydell Johnson announces that the Recreation Division has 9 different themed Halloween events in October. Seydell Johnson explains that one of the newer series is Sensory Saturdays at Robert A. Lee Rec Center, aimed at provided play spaces and opportunities to use the pool, the gymnasium, and the craft room for people that would like to have less sensory exposure for their kids and for themselves. Ped Mall Playground: Seydell Johnson refers to concerns from the prior Commission meeting about the cleaning of the Ped Mall Playground. Seydell Johnson announces that Parks staff have tried around 6 different methods to clean and have been in contact with the playground company several times. While not a perfect solution, Parks staff found that vinegar worked the best to clean the statues but ends stripping the paint. Seydell Johnson concludes saying that staff will continue to be in contact with the playground company but assures that the playground is clean. Parks and Recreation Commission: Seydell Johnsons says that the City Council will be looking at filling the vacant seat on the commission at the Sept 19 City Council meeting. Seydell Johnson explains that there are 14 applications for the seat and that it is does not have to be specifically male or female for balance. City Park Pool Project: Seydell Johnson gives an update on the City Park Pool project, explain that there is no agenda item as nothing has happened since the September 5 City Council meeting. Seydell Johnson says that the City Council had a few questions after the City Park Pool condition report from the consultants and overwhelmingly chose to go forward with replacement of the pool. Seydell Johnsons says that staff will be meeting with the consultants next week to set out a plan for the next phase of public input, hoping to have the large public input open house type meeting happening at the end of October in conjunction with the Halloween Carnival at RAL Rec Center. Seydell Johnson adds that there will be a session earlier in the day for people to have an opportunity for input without the worry of parking in the crowd of the Halloween Carnival. Seydell Johnsons says that after the input sessions, the project will move into the focus group phase, having up to 14 focus groups, all of which have not been defined yet. Seydell Johnson explains that the focus groups will be chosen through an online form that interested individuals can apply through. Each individual will be asked a number of questions on if they would like to be included on certain focus groups. Seydell Johnsons says that staff plan to have a focus group which includes people with disabilities. The online form will ask interested applicants if they have a disability and if they would like to be included in such a focus group. Seydell Johnson adds that individuals are not required to answer yes or no to these questions, but they would need PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 6 of 12 to answer yes if they would like to be considered for that that particular focus group. Seydell Johnsons says that there will be a prompt for if the individual has a swim pass or what their primary activity in the pool is, to make focus groups dedicated to lap swimmers, aqua- fitness/water-walkers, or other such groups. Seydell Johnson clarifies that the people who choose the makeup of the focus groups will not see any names attached to the people on the list. They focus groups would be made based on the answers to questions which people self-selected and then randomly selected from those specific criteria. Seydell Johnson says that this way of making the focus groups is influenced by the City’s goals for equity and diversity, making a quiet space for folks like non-users and historically underserved groups to have a place to meet with consultants and talk about their needs openly without influence from other groups. This input gathered will be published afterwards. Seydell Johnsons say that the after the focus group work is done, the consultants will create 3 concepts for the pool with the only known factors being, to remain with the original fence line, no additional parking, and trees will be preserved. These designs will be based on the input from focus groups and public input surveys, and once completed will be shown to the City Council for a decision. Seydell Johnson clarifies that this process is not yet set in stone as staff still must meet with the consultants to finalize the plan. Commissioner Morelli asks if there are set in stone parameters for the focus groups yet referring to past discussions among the commission on different groups to include. Seydell Johnsons says that staff have suggested a list of 10 groups to the consultants that they believe would be appropriate for the community, but that the actual groups would be decided after meeting with the consultants. Seydell Johnson adds that the Parks and Recreation Commission is one of 14 focus groups and will be the only publicly open focus group. Seydell Johnsons says that 2 groups will be left undecided until the makeup of the focus group applicants is looked over. Commissioner McPherson comments appreciation at the inclusion of a staff focus group, saying that it is important for the process. Vice-Chair Moore appreciates that the focus groups will have privacy as some times when some folks have trouble finding confidence when talking a in a big group or might have a legitimate concern that is very close to them. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that the information on the process is not fully known yet, as the decision to replace the pool was only made the week prior. The process had a framework but is actually being written now. Seydell Johnson adds that the largest hurdle will be getting the word out to take part in the focus groups and asks the Commission to spread the word. Commissioner Stanton says that the Consultants are getting input from the focus groups but asks if they are being privy to general emails/calls that the coming in regarding the pool. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that this will likely be the case between now and the actual focus groups, adding that the consultants have seen all the information that was gathered during the rec masterplan, including all the emails that had come into the Council and Commission. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 7 of 12 Commissioner Broege asks if there will be any feedback/consulting with the public after the three proposed designs are created. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that there is one more public open house meeting that will after the designs are shown, as well as a meeting for the Commission and the Council each. Commissioner Forbes asks if there was a different name established for what would be senior citizens in the focus groups. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that Older Adults may be the title for the age group but adds that date-of-birth will be on the online form to ensure a good mix of all ages in the focus groups. Commissioner McPherson adds on that in the terms of diversity and equity, she believes that senior citizens are overlooked and a marginalized group and should be at least considered for a potential focus group. Parks & Forestry Superintendent – Tyler Baird Tree Planting Projects: Supt. Tyler Baird announces that the division has received a $5000 Community Forestry Grant which will go towards a planting of a variety of trees with Kiwanis group and their affiliates groups in Hunter’s Run Park at 10 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2023. Baird expects 47 trees to be planted in the park. Baird talks about the CIP Tree Planting saying that it is about to kickoff for planting. Baird details that trees will be planted near the south-east side of town, in neighbors surrounding Whispering Meadows Wetland Park. Baird explains that the area is lacking a tree canopy coverage. Baird notes that the infill planting project, part of the operation budget is combining some funds to see a large stretch of trees on Friendship Street, near Court Hill Park, as well as more all around the city based on the regular requests through the year. Baird says that there is a smaller tree planting project in Benton Hill Park. The project will see 10 trees planted, as requested by the neighborhood. Baird explains that Dir. Seydell Johnson and himself met with the neighborhood during Spring 2023, looking at spots could use more vegetation and are expected to be planted later this fall. Projects: Baird announces the playground for Happy Hollow Park has arrived and that staff are waiting for the park’s contract order to be completed before the playground can be installed by in-house staff. Baird is hoping for the playground to be installed later this Fall, after the contractors complete their work. Commissioner Broege asks which park is having the tree planting next week. Supt. Baird answers that the tree planting will be at Hunter’s Run Park. CHAIRS REPORT: None PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 8 of 12 COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Commissioner Forbes asks to review the pool counts and to have a refresher on why it started in the first place. Dir. Seydell Johnson asks Forbes for clarification on if she is asking for an agenda item or just a question. Forbes says that she is asking as a question. Seydell Johnson explains that the process started about a year prior when the Recreation Masterplan had come out with some counts in it. Seydell Johnson says that there are residents counting every day to report their numbers and adds that the Commission had used their numbers as part of their decision-making process for the hours in a previous meeting. Seydell Johnson says that the staff & resident numbers do not match for a number of reasons. Some of the reasons being, city staff in the water are not counted, swim lessons are counted separately. Seydell Johnson says that staff do not dispute the resident numbers but are saying that they are counting differently than staff is, which is why when a recommendation is made regarding the numbers, the Commission is provided with both sets of numbers before a decision is made between the two. Forbes asks if there are a lot of staff being devoted to the process. Seydell Johnson answers yes, saying that she does not know the exact total amount of hours put towards it, but that there is a number of Recreation and Admin staff involved, all putting hours towards the process each month. Forbes wonders if there is a more efficient use of department staff’s time, saying that the staff have done a really good job showing everything that they are involved in and asks if it’s an option to table the process for a bit. Seydell Johnson responds that the City Council directed that we keep the numbers between now and the end of the City Park Pool project. Commissioner Stanton thanks Dir. Seydell Johnson, the City Council, and the consultants for the presentation at the Sept 5 Council meeting. Stanton says that presentation was very interesting and helped hm to understand the project a lot more in the context of City Park Pool. Commissioner Morelli says that there are lots of Parks and Rec events happening and asks if it is possible to include as part of the packet, what events are relevant to the Commission for the next month. Dir. Seydell Johnson replies that there is a list of events in the staff report and says that Rec staff could mark the events that could be good for the Commission to attend. Supt. Baird says that historically, tree plantings have not been included on the staff report, but that if desired could be included. Commissioner Morelli says that he has noticed at the dog park a QR code to register your dog online, as well as the option to pay for dog park admission through the city parking app. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that the move to paying through the app came about because the cash box at the dog park was getting broken into often. Commissioner Morelli details having gone through City Park to count the facilities. Morelli had noticed that the park bathrooms are locked a lot of the time and was unsure if there are certain hours of operation. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that is a new electric lock system which is supposed to open them in the opening and close them at night, which has been great as a staff member used to have to drive around every morning and night to open and the close the restrooms. An issue has risen where in certain parks, members of the public have figured out how to lock them mid-day, or they lock them accidently when leaving. Seydell Johnson explains that unless someone calls the department to say that the restroom has been locked mid-day, staff PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 9 of 12 don’t know to go out and unlock it. Supt. Baird adds that staff are in the process of fixing that problem piece, but that can cost several thousand dollars for each door to change the system to work differently. Baird says that the department is one of the first ones anywhere to use this kind of system for outdoor restrooms in a recreation setting, explaining that it's good to be the first but that it can come with growing pains. Baird details another problem found, where especially during the recent summer, excessive heat can overheat and blank the system, requiring staff to go in and reset it. Baird adds that staff are problem solving the issue, but that it can be difficult when the restroom structures are not heated/cooled. Seydell Johnson says that if a restroom is vandalized, it’s not uncommon for staff to keep the restroom locked for a day until it can be repaired/cleaned. Commissioner Morelli leaves the meeting at 6:05 p.m. Commissioner Serenda refers to a prior Commission meeting when City Councilor, Megan Alter gave a presentation on the City’s Strategic Plan 2023-2028. Serenda recalls seeing the Iowa River mentioned on a slide and investigated it, seeing that there was a bullet point under the economy strategies about strengthening the Iowa Rivers role as a signature Community amenity and tourism generator and is curious if that would involve Parks and Recreation and how it would contribute to the strategic point. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that immediately following the Strategic Plan being enacted by the Council, it was used as a guiding force for the large grant applicant, done alongside Coralville and the County. Unfortunately, the grant was not awarded, but it did look at several additions to the river area including multiple boat ramps, the skate park & roller area, and Riverside Festival stage which are still being funded with the 2 boat ramps being included in the CIP. Because these are part of the strategic plan, funding will be looked for in other grant applications. Commissioner McPherson says that there are lots of wonderful events for Parks and Rec and wondering if there can be signage promoting the events in the facilities, for folks who don’t use their computers, phones, or emails. McPherson says that consistent branding can help associate the events with the department, recalling Prairie Lights’ Writer’s Workshop Readings which have the layout and picture of the presenter to be instantly recognized as signage for a reading. McPherson says that adding a bulletin board to the lobby can help bring awareness to the events for both adults and youth. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that Michelle Wiegand of Recreation staff works on that exactly and recommends McPherson to look over the bulletin board in the lobby at the end of the hall. Seydell Johnson says staff would love to hear that feedback on material moving forward. Commissioner McPherson says that she had spoken with an African American person who was a swimmer, asking if he had been using the RAL Rec Center Pool. This person had said he won’t use it on general principle because they demand an ID Card and back in the day this was not a requirement. He felt that it felt it was un-community like to have to present an ID card to get into the Parks and Rec just as a public library does not require an ID to enter the library but only to check out material. He said that as a child during swim-meets he would see homeless people taking showers and now as an adult sees that as a good thing. McPherson says that as a public place, anyone should be able to at least enter, but questions if this is due to security. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains the while a person would have to register to receive a Facility Pass used for PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 10 of 12 entrance, there is not fee attached with obtaining a Facility Pass. Seydell Johnson says that is part of the overall security and safety of the facility, knowing who is in the building, and if there is a safety need, staff can know how many people are present in the building. Seydell Johnson adds that when there are patron issues, from minor-to-major, it is very useful to have the names and pictures of patrons. Seydell Johnson explains that this process was in place as long as she has been working for the department, so she is not exactly sure of what originally prompted/started the process. McPherson says that this person said he was demanded to present two forms of ID and asks if this is not the case anymore. Admin Coordinator Gotera says that he had been working for Recreation customer service since at least early 2019 so while the process may have been different at some point earlier, he can give input for recent years. Gotera says that he can only think of staff asking for an ID to ensure that information like someone’s name is entered accurately, but by no means is an ID required to be registered. McPherson asks if a home address is required for registry. Gotera explains that a home address is required to complete the registration process to get a Facility Pass, but proof of an address (i.e., Driver’s License, Utility Bill, Official Mail) is not required whatsoever. Gotera adds that patrons who are unhoused are allowed to use the shelter house as a stand-in address and that many unhoused individuals use the facility everyday whether to take a shower, use the gymnasium/fitness room, or just sit in the lobby. Commissioner Broege says that he participates in a soccer club in the community, which commonly use the University of Iowa soccer fields through reservation but that to his understanding, the Kicker’s field is generally for private use for the Kicker’s group. Broege understands that there is field maintenance so it might not be ideal for having lots of people tearing up the field but is curious if there is any kind of park or land that could be allotted towards a public space that be used for soccer that is not controlled by the University of Iowa or controlled mainly by Iowa City Kickers. Dir. Seydell Johnson clarifies that the Kicker’s field is not controlled by Iowa City Kickers but that it is used a lot by the partner group. Seydell Johnson says that the Kicker’s field is available for private rental but that is it just not available very often between Iowa City Kickers and other rentals. Seydell Johnson adds that there are large groups that play in Wetherby Park, while not an official field, has soccer poles up. Seydell Johnson says that there are many who play in the open field at Happy Hollow Park for pickup games, it is can not be officially reserved. Supt. Baird adds that there are permeant goals with no nets up at Fair Meadows Park that can be used informally for pickup games. Vice-Chair Moore asks about the Riverside Crossing Park Stage and asks if it’s a space that bands can use. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms that that was the plan, and that there was a kickoff event when the park opened, included a large concert. Unfortunately, the concert got rained out and was soon followed COVID-19, causing the marketing for the venue space to not be as successful as desired. Seydell Johnsons confirms that there have been some initial talks with the Summer of the Arts for using the space as a concert venue in years to come. Seydell Johnson adds the factor that with the trees in the park still young, there is little shade. Vice-Chair Moore says in regard to the City Park Pool Focus Groups, that there has been many voices heard from those who use the pool but wants to ensure that voices are heard from those that don’t use the pool due to barriers, such as caretakers of those with disabilities and it’s not accessible, or parents of small children who are too busy to get out to the pool or the focus PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 11 of 12 groups. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that staff are looking to have a focus group for caretakers and to provide child-care for the focus groups, to remove as many barriers as possible for giving input. Chair Hachtman asks when further details be known regarding the City Park Pool project. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that still will be meeting with the consultants next week to have future dates nailed down. Hachtman asks if it is possible for the commission to be told when that information is decided. Seydell Johnson says that can be arranged. ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Hachtman calls the meeting to adjourn at 6:19 p.m. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 13, 2023 Page 12 of 12 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 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 06 / 1 4 / 2 3 07 / 1 2 / 2 3 08 / 0 9 / 2 0 2 3 09 / 1 3 / 2 0 2 3 Aaron Broege 12/31/24 * * * * * * * X NM X X X Missie Forbes 12/31/25 X X NM X O/E LQ X X NM O/E X X Alex Hachtman 12/31/24 X X NM X X LQ X X NM X X X Rachel McPherson 12/31/26 * * * X X LQ X X NM X X X Doloris Mixon 12/31/26 * * * X X LQ X X NM * * X Connie Moore 12/31/25 X X NM X X LQ X X NM O/E X X Brian Morelli 12/31/25 X X NM X X LQ X X NM X X X Melissa Serenda 12/31/23 X X NM X X LQ X X NM X X X Alex Stanton 12/31/23 * * * * * * * * * * X X 220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100 Date: November 3, 2023 To: Parks and Recreation Commission, City of Iowa City From: Juli Seydell Johnson, Director of Parks and Recreation Brad Barker, Recreation Superintendent RE: Recreation Division Proposed Use of Ned Ashton House The Recreation Division is proposing using the Ned Ashton House as a site for recreation programs. A successful test of this use has been to use the facility for a children’s summer camp program for the last two summers. Background The Ned Ashton House has served the Iowa City community as an event venue rental location since 2013. While the facility and premises serve as a beautiful location for events, the site has never gained the popularity initially anticipated. Potential renters tend to prefer the more spacious Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Lodge (TTRA). Due to the layout of the Ned Ashton House, larger gatherings require use of both levels, thereby dividing up attendees. The AvaCentre serves as the City’s contracted event manager for both venues. The event management contract is up for rebid in 2024. Due to the timing, this may be the most ideal time to assess current use of the Ashton House and explore alternative options for community access. Staff believes that the benefits of transitioning the space from rentals to programming would have a greater benefit the community. After transitioning the focus of our adaptive programming from competitive sports to more traditional recreation programming, attendance has increased approximately 20% in this program area. Additionally, Iowa City is the only community in the surrounding area that is consistently providing disability-specific recreation opportunities. Considering the operational expense for rentals, repurposing this space could have financial benefits as well. Thank you for considering this information and overall benefit to the community that this change could have. 2022 Iowa City Recreation Facilities and Programs Master Plan The plan recommends the consideration of decentralized indoor space through satellite recreation sites in order to meet the programming and social gathering needs of the community. Other recommendations include the creation of additional wellness and fitness programming spaces and dedicated inclusive and adaptive program space. Ashton House provides an opportunity to host significantly more traffic throughout the year through the phasing out of rental services in lieu of becoming a consistent recreation programming location. Concurrent to rentals this fiscal year, the recreation division will be experimenting with various program options at the site over the next two program seasons. The majority of these will be in our adaptive and inclusive program area. There is strong potential for Ashton House to serve as the department’s dedicated adaptive program space moving forward. 220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100 Facility Use Revenue from Ashton House rentals has consistently fallen short of operational expenses. The following details rental revenue for the Ashton House, including AvaCentre’s prorated contract expense and number of rentals over the last several fiscal years. Overhead costs are not factored in since the City would incur many of these expenses regardless of what the facility was being used for. FY23 July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 ▪ Revenue from rentals: $11,397 ▪ Contracted expense: $22,281 ▪ Number of external rentals: 28 ▪ Number of internal rentals: 1 FY22 July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022 ▪ Revenue from rentals: $13,015 ▪ Contracted expense: $19,724 ▪ Number of external rentals: 31 ▪ Number of internal rentals: 0 FY21 July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021 Covid closed facility for majority of this period FY20 July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020 ▪ Revenue from rentals: $5,524 ▪ Contracted expense: $14,240 ▪ Number of external rentals: 10 ▪ Number of internal rentals: 5 FY19 July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019 ▪ Revenue from rentals: $13,605 ▪ Contracted expense: $21,440 ▪ Number of external rentals: 32 ▪ Number of internal rentals: 9 FY18 July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018 ▪ Revenue from rentals: $15,231 ▪ Contracted expense: $18,874 ▪ Number of external rentals: 32 ▪ Number of internal rentals: 8 The division’s program enrollments have been steadily increasing since return from Covid. The recreation centers are full in the evenings. Since it is not the intention to create a space that segregates the disability community, not all adaptive programs would move from their current locations. However, the majority of programs would be relocated since they would benefit from the space and/or overall location. The department would focus on migrating programs that do not require specialty spaces, such as a gym or pottery studio. Transitioning the Space The vision for transitioning the Ashton House space would include the following: ▪ The upper level of the facility would be the primary programming location. ▪ The main room would serve as a multipurpose space for programming and a gathering area for people with disabilities to interact with their peers and form a sense of community. ▪ The kitchen is modern, more accessible and has newer appliances compared to the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. Cooking is a life skills program and has been a popular program area for both youth and adults with disabilities. Over time, minor updates may be needed to the kitchen to increase accessibility and wider use. ▪ One of the rooms could be converted into a sensory room, which would be a unique amenity to the community. This space would cater to both children and adults and provide a sensory experience that is very therapeutic. A sensory room is built to calm and stimulate the sensory system for anyone, but neurodivergent individuals experience the most benefit. This space 220 S. Gilbert Street • Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1632 • 319-356-5100 would be used for programming and serve as a calming location for neurodivergent individuals in crisis while at program. ▪ The second room could be transitioned into an office space to allow a current fulltime employee to oversee the facility operations and programs. A staff member onsite also allows for more unprogrammed drop-in use from the community for socialization. ▪ Drop-in opportunities could be offered during select hours and would likely be attractive to the local adult day habilitation programs. These organizations include the ARC, Mayor’s Youth, Reach for Your Potential and System Unlimited. ▪ Ample outdoor spaces could be used to provide environmental and gardening programs, both of which provide highly therapeutic experiences for individuals with disabilities. Horticulture programs teach about nutrition and food choices, a topic that meets the goals of many individuals with this program area. The goal in transitioning the space would be to start small without renovations. The initial introduction of adaptive programs to the space can be made with minimal adjustments. 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 Sunday 1-Oct 0 61 15 $2 Swim Monday 2-Oct 8 2 4 3 7 6 10 40 27 83 Tuesday 3-Oct 6 9 4 3 3 8 3 36 84 Wednesday 4-Oct 7 3 5 4 6 12 5 42 15 83 Thursday 5-Oct 5 3 7 5 3 5 1 29 81 Friday 6-Oct 8 5 2 6 8 5 1 35 6 0 $2 Swim Saturday 7-Oct 6 2 6 1 5 3 4 0 1 28 8 Sunday 8-Oct 0 68 31 $2 Swim Monday 9-Oct 6 3 3 3 8 11 3 37 21 79 Tuesday 10-Oct 4 3 6 2 8 7 2 32 76 Wednesday 11-Oct 7 7 6 7 9 12 3 51 17 75 Thursday 12-Oct 4 1 4 3 6 6 4 28 64 Friday 13-Oct 4 4 0 0 12 7 7 34 7 5 $2 Swim Saturday 14-Oct 3 0 2 1 6 3 1 3 1 20 6 Sunday 15-Oct 0 48 33 $2 Swim Monday 16-Oct 8 4 4 3 7 6 2 34 24 48 Tuesday 17-Oct 4 1 5 3 6 12 5 36 73 Wednesday 18-Oct 6 2 2 2 10 10 2 34 18 57 Thursday 19-Oct 3 1 7 6 7 8 2 34 51 Friday 20-Oct 5 7 3 3 5 7 3 33 7 1 $2 Swim Saturday 21-Oct 4 3 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 14 3 46 Floating Pumpkin Patch Sunday 22-Oct 0 26 $2 Swim Monday 23-Oct 6 3 4 5 8 10 4 40 11 Tuesday 24-Oct 4 3 8 5 3 8 2 33 Wednesday 25-Oct 5 6 3 4 3 18 4 43 14 Thursday 26-Oct 4 9 3 4 6 8 5 39 Friday 27-Oct 6 6 2 1 9 3 4 31 8 Evening Closed for Halloween Carnival Saturday 28-Oct 8 2 8 4 8 6 9 1 0 46 2 Sunday 29-Oct 0 6 $2 Swim Monday 30-Oct 10 2 2 2 10 12 4 42 16 Tuesday 31-Oct 5 5 6 5 8 8 3 40 Grand Total 880 911 210 1031 163 2315 29.4 6.8 33.3 5.3 74.7 margin line Robert A Lee Recreation Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals - October 2023 Averages: Totals:Total Scans: 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 Sunday 1-Oct 12 4 17 15 12 10 13 9 2 94 Monday 2-Oct 5 8 9 9 11 11 16 5 5 4 11 8 7 4 113 7 106 Tuesday 3-Oct 0 14 7 1 9 4 6 3 8 4 6 4 66 18 106 22 $2 Swim Wednesday 4-Oct 4 9 9 13 6 6 3 11 9 10 8 10 12 9 119 106 Thursday 5-Oct 6 3 10 9 7 6 4 4 1 8 3 1 62 23 106 19 $2 Swim Friday 6-Oct 6 14 6 14 8 4 7 6 3 3 5 1 1 4 82 106 Saturday 7-Oct 1 3 0 7 6 6 1 5 2 0 4 5 7 0 47 Sunday 8-Oct 12 6 8 9 4 6 19 15 2 81 Monday 9-Oct 6 10 15 11 12 8 8 5 9 1 9 3 2 0 99 7 106 Tuesday 10-Oct 3 9 6 5 8 6 3 2 4 5 8 5 64 17 106 16 $2 Swim Wednesday 11-Oct 7 5 0 0 3 4 3 9 7 3 7 7 4 2 61 106 Facility Closed for Maintenace Thursday 12-Oct 6 4 11 5 7 7 1 11 5 7 9 3 76 18 106 12 $2 Swim Friday 13-Oct 6 10 7 13 9 6 5 8 5 5 6 4 2 0 86 106 Saturday 14-Oct 1 1 8 2 2 6 7 14 4 10 5 0 8 4 72 Sunday 15-Oct 19 6 7 4 3 2 5 3 2 51 Monday 16-Oct 3 10 7 12 12 2 6 16 10 7 11 1 0 0 97 6 106 Tuesday 17-Oct 7 7 14 4 5 1 3 3 2 7 7 2 62 13 106 9 $2 Swim Wednesday 18-Oct 3 7 11 11 6 7 1 4 8 9 5 7 3 3 85 106 Thursday 19-Oct 4 4 8 5 2 6 1 5 6 5 3 0 49 18 106 13 $2 Swim Friday 20-Oct 0 7 5 15 5 6 7 7 7 2 1 3 3 1 69 106 Saturday 21-Oct 1 5 9 6 6 6 8 2 5 8 4 3 4 0 67 Sunday 22-Oct 11 3 6 9 3 7 11 5 0 55 Monday 23-Oct 6 8 7 7 11 7 4 13 7 5 0 3 0 0 78 7 106 Tuesday 24-Oct 3 9 9 4 6 4 6 3 3 4 3 1 55 12 106 18 $2 Swim Wednesday 25-Oct 6 9 9 9 7 10 16 7 7 6 3 4 12 5 110 106 Thursday 26-Oct 4 3 12 3 9 4 5 4 2 4 7 1 58 18 106 19 $2 Swim Friday 27-Oct 6 11 15 8 14 12 6 7 6 3 13 1 3 3 108 106 Saturday 28-Oct 2 2 1 1 6 106 Swim Meet Sunday 29-Oct 14 8 14 15 5 10 6 3 1 76 Monday 30-Oct 6 10 10 9 18 7 8 8 6 4 6 8 4 1 105 5 106 Tuesday 31-Oct 4 9 7 4 14 5 5 3 1 1 4 1 58 106 23 $2 Swim Grand Total 2045 2311 169 2438 151 5069 74.5 5.5 78.6 4.9 163.5 1139 ICE = 106 (includes masters)36.7 Mercer Park Aquatic Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals - October 2023 Totals: Averages: Total using Robert A. Lee Pool Open Hours Average using Robert A. Lee Pool Open Hours Total Scans: Community Foundation of Johnson County City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Accounts Iowa City Parks and Rec Charitable Giving Fund Statement Activity Iowa City Parks and Rec Charitable Giving Fund September 01, 2023 - Septeber 30, 2023 Beginning Balance:$41,766.55 Total Fund Income:$0.00 Total Fund Expenses:$0.00 Ending Balance:$41,766.55 Statement Activity Ending Balance:$185,694.89 September 01, 2023 - Septeber 30, 2023 Beginning Balance:$193,321.60 Total Fund Income:($7,579.77) Total Fund Expenses:$46.94 1 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City Iowa City Parks & Recreation Commission Packet November 2023 Upcoming Events • Holiday Market; November 11, December 16; 8 am – Noon, RAL • Open Skate (series)– Saturdays; 3-5 pm (Beginner level), 5:30-7:30 pm (all ages and abilities); RAL • Sensory Saturdays (series) – Saturdays; various afternoon times; Robert A. Lee Recreation Center Notable from Parks & Recreation Staff Parks: • Tree planting planning is underway for next year utilizing CIP, operating, and Heritage Tree funding sources. • Staff continue watering newly planted trees, so they go into winter happy and healthy. • Construction on the Happy Hollow, Kiwanis, and North Hickory Hill continues and is nearing completion for most items. • We have received a REAP grant of $200,000.00 for improvements to the landscape at the Ashton House and are working in partnership with Project Green on the project. • Fall final mowing, aerating, and grass seeding is mostly complete. • All water/restrooms in the parks have been winterized. • The LED lighting upgrade at Mercer Park field #1 is underway. • Pickleball and tennis court replacements have begun at Mercer and City Parks. This project will continue through early summer. • Planning for the skate park replacement and pump track addition has begun. • Parks/Forestry staff have been assisting Streets daily to help with the leaf vacuuming program. Recreation: • Division held several larger events in October that were well-attended and well-received by the public. These events included the Get Outside! Outdoor Recreation Festival, Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration, and the Halloween Carnival. The division also held a number of Halloween-themed events. • Staff have been working on preparation of the FY25 budget and next season’s activity guide. Facilities: • Interview process started the week of October 23rd for the open Facility Manager position. 2 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City • Staff met on site at Mercer to discuss the final close out items for the Mercer ADA pavement and exterior lighting project. Cemetery: • All water hydrants have been shut down at the cemetery. • Staff will concentrate on trimming Oak trees once we get some hard freezing. Top Staff Issues Parks • Drought continues to be the biggest issue. Recreation • Division staff will be assisting in various capacities to assist with full-time vacancies until filled. Facilities • Aquatics Maintenance staff finished up winterizing the outdoor pool systems this past month. • HVAC maintenance continues to work on transitioning building systems into winter mode as the temperatures become more stable. PM work has been done for City Hall, Mercer, and RALRC. Cemetery: • Staff is busy mulching/collecting leaves. 3 Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission Packet | City of Iowa City Oakland Cemetery FY 24 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 $6,750.00 $4,550.00 3 6.6 $2,642.50 $3,504.00 $9,392.50 $8,054.00 August $7,875.00 $7,039.00 7 7.0 $2,672.50 $4,321.50 $10,547.50 $11,360.50 Sept $7,860.00 $7,624.25 7 7.8 $3,085.00 $4,741.25 $10,945.00 $12,365.50 Oct $6,750.00 $11,157.00 9 7.0 $4,410.00 $3,899.50 $11,160.00 $15,056.50 Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June Totals $29,253.00 $30,370.25 26 28.4 $12,810.00 $16,466.25 $42,045.00 $46,836.50