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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-08-Park-Board-Meeting-Minutes Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021, 6:00 p.m. John W. Hensel Government Center 10701 North College Avenue Carmel, Indiana 46280 Member(s) Present: Jessica Beer, James Garretson, Louise Jackson, Jenn Kristunas, Linus Rude, Mark Westermeier, Lin Zheng Member(s) Absent: Joshua Kirsh, Rich Taylor Others Present: Michael Klitzing, Department Director/CEO; Kurtis Baumgartner, Department Assistant Director/COO; Jonathan Blake, Administration & Planning Director; Brian Bosma, Kroger, Gardis & Regas, LLP Roll Call & Call to Order Vice President Kristunas welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked Mr. Rude to call the role. Mr. Rude stated that there was a quorum (6:00 p.m.). Vice President Kristunas asked that everyone stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comments There were no public comments. Staff Reports Assistant Director Baumgartner said that staff reports were included in the Park Board packet. He added that summer is well underway. The first two weekends at The Waterpark and summer camps are off to a very good start. Mr. Westermeier asked if the Lazy River (within The Waterpark) was still losing water. Assistant Director Baumgartner said the leak, a jet, has been isolated and the autofill is able to keep up right now. Staff will address this issue again at the end of the season. Mr. Rude asked if there was any concern of scouring. Director Klitzing said, based upon historical experience, he does not believe there is any concern at this time. Finance Committee Ms. Zheng stated that the Finance Committee is scheduled to meet on July 20th to discuss the budget. Minutes May 11, 2021 Park Board Meeting Mr. Rude made a motion to approve the Minutes as presented, seconded by Mr. Garretson, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Financial Reports Consolidated Financial Report for April 2021 Ms. Zheng made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the Consolidated Financial Report as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 2 Mr. Garretson commented that he was very impressed with how the staff has been able to trim the budget. After going through the report item by item, it was apparent that the Department was doing a good job trimming the budget as best as possible. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 3 Director Klitzing said that most of the credit goes to the division directors, especially Eric Mehl, Recreation and Facilities Director, and Jen Brown, ESE Director. He thanked Mr. Garretson for his comments. CCPR P&L Statements for May 2021 Ms. Zheng made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the P&L Statements as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. At the request of Board President Taylor during the last meeting, Assistant Director Baumgartner included 2019 P&L Statements for 108 and 109 for comparison to a typical year, as that was the last year that would be considered somewhat typical. Claims Claim Sheet June 8, 2021 Ms. Zheng made a motion to approve the Claim Sheet as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Clay Township Claim Sheet June 8, 2021 Ms. Zheng made a motion to approve the Clay Township Claim Sheet as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. CCPR Payroll for May 7, 2021 and May 21, 2021 Ms. Zheng made a motion to approve the Payroll as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Monetary Gifts, Grants, Partnerships, and Sponsorships for May 2021 – Jonathan Blake Mr. Blake said he was pleased to report that the Department received a total of $24,757.90 in donations for invasive species removal, staff appreciation, and the Monon/City Center Drive Tunnel. Mr. Rude made a motion to accept the items as presented, seconded by Dr. Beer, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Vice President Kristunas added that the Board appreciates the great donation from the Carmel Clay Parks Foundation ($24,157.90), as well as Studio Architecture ($500.00) and the anonymous gift ($100.00). New Business Consideration of Quote for the Monon Greenway Trailhead Kiosk Project – Kurtis Baumgartner Assistant Director Baumgartner presented information relative to the installation of three kiosks that were originally designed for the Monon Boulevard. These modern kiosks are extremely nice and would upgrade current message boards at the North and South Trailheads and provide messaging at the newest Trailhead in Central Park. In the future, the Department can upgrade the kiosks with LCD screens. Assistant Director Baumgartner provided a detailed summary on the process to obtain the necessary quote for approval by the Board. Discussion followed. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 4 Dr. Beer made a motion to accept the quote from White Construction and award a contract in the amount of One Hundred Forty-Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Five Dollars ($146,845) for the Monon Greenway Trailhead Kiosk Project, seconded by Ms. Zheng, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Consideration of Resolution P-2021-001 Establishing Remote Meeting Participation Protocols – Michael Klitzing Director Klitzing stated that Mr. Bosma helped draft this resolution to make it possible under state statute to provide remote or video participation in future Park Board meetings. Additional information followed. Mr. Westermeier asked about the timeline for upgrades to the Community Room at the John W. Hensel Government Center. Director Klitzing replied that the upgrades to the A/V and recording system should be completed in the next two months, and the result should mirror the same technology at the Council Chambers. (Mr. Garretson was not present at the time of the vote.) Dr. Beer made a motion to waive the reading of Resolution P-2021-001 and enter it into action, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. Dr. Beer made a motion to approve Resolution G-2021-001, seconded by Ms. Zheng, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. Old Business Clay Township Impact Program Updates Director Klitzing stated that Carey Grove and Flowing Well Parks are substantially complete and open to the public. The Department is getting a lot of favorable comments on Flowing Well Park. It is very exciting to see people come explore the park in addition to those who just want to fill their water jugs. Glad to see people enjoying Flowing Well Park, a nature preserve right in the middle of the community. There are two projects currently under construction, West Park and Meadowlark Park. Progress is being made with site work and infrastructure. We are waiting on permits from the City for Inlow Park. Once issued, the project will be starting. They have already initiated the request and process for demolition permits and soon will begin demolition of the existing restroom facility and shelter. The project for River Heritage Park will soon be going out to bid. Construction is expected to begin this this summer and conclude next spring. One other project to address is the White River Bridge. The Township passed a bond of approx. 4.3 million dollars for construction of a pedestrian and bicycle friendly bridge. The bridge will connect the cities of Carmel and Fishers and connect into the County’s River Road Park, and on the east side into property owned by Conner Prairie. Ultimately the trail will continue to Allisonville Road, interconnecting Fishers’ and Carmel’s trail networks. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 5 The first phase will be the installation of the Township’s component, which is the bridge and the connector into River Road Park. It is currently under design with bidding anticipated this fall and construction starting next year. Fishers’ component would be a subsequent phase a few years down the road. Meanwhile, the bridge would provide a scenic overlook of a naturalized area. The Indianapolis Star did an article bringing attention to the bridge and enhancements along the White River Corridor. Ms. Jackson asked about West Park upgrades/expansion. Director Klitzing spoke at length about trail connectivity regarding the park including perimeter trails, present and future. Ms. Jackson asked about liability. Mr. Bosma replied that since the Park Bord is a joint board, the Park Board, the City (Carmel) and the (Clay) Township are all co-defendants. Mr. Rude commented he heard a lot of people were excited about the pedestrian bridge over White River. Many are looking forward to this project and cannot believe it is happening. Mr. Rude said he thought it was a fantastic project. Director Klitzing said he is thankful to the Township for the funding which will provide connectivity between Fishers and Carmel and make the White River a greater destination. Mr. Westermeier asked about the 106th bridge. Director Klitzing responded that he was hesitant to say it would never resurface, but felt there was less pressure now. Attorney’s Report Mr. Bosma introduced Doug Kowalski, who is new to KGR and part of the representation team. He is already working on a few things for the Department. Mr. Kowalski previously served as Chief of Staff at the State Board of Accounts (SBOA), General Counsel at IPS (Indianapolis Public Schools), and Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis. He has a wide variety of municipal experience. Mr. Bosma advised that details are being finalized for the Fleet Management contract with Enterprise. KGR has received, but not yet reviewed, pertinent documents related to the Marcuccilli park donation. The contract for CTI Construction, LLC has been circulated. This contract allows CTI to serve as the construction manager as advisor for the White River Greenway North Trail project. Part of his role with the State Board of Accounts, Mr. Kowalski issued regulations to local units on the American Recovery Act (ARA), of which he is very familiar. KGR was asked to investigate whether the Park Board had eligibility to independently receive funds from the ARA due to lost revenues last year. Without a long, drawn-out explanation, the answer is no. The Department will have to rely on the City of Carmel or perhaps the County to share some of their money should they feel appropriate. KGR has received the guaranteed savings contract RFP responses. These responses will be reviewed with staff with a possible recommendation at the next Board meeting. Lastly, Mr. Bosma said many discussions are taking place regarding Orchard Park. There seems to be some differences of approach between the Park Board’s use of the building and the School Corporation’s contribution of the building. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 6 Mr. Garretson asked if there had been any efforts put forth regarding the County’s receipt of $65 million (ARA). Director Klitzing stated he is reaching out to the County to see if they would be receptive to help bridge the gap of lost revenue due to COVID. He intends to contact Christine Altman and Sue Maki. Director’s Report Director Klitzing said that the Director’s Report was included within the Board packet. He stated that the report provides a quick snapshot of the major projects that take the resources of the Assistant Director and himself, in addition, as well as other staff, to move forward. Director Klitzing added that the Department has about 27 active projects in various stages. CCPR is very close to capacity as it relates to the current variety of projects. With the addition of every new opportunity, staff must evaluate if something else can be put on pause for a little bit. Director Klitzing announced that yesterday (June 7, 2021), he was one of the presenters for the Hamilton County South River District, the section of White River from 116th Street to 146th Street. This presentation was a visioning strategy funded by the Hamilton County Tourism in partnership with Conner Prairie, CCPR, and Hamilton County Parks. The focus was how can we make this (three parks and Conner Prairie property on the west side) a destination. A critical component is expansion of the White River Greenway, and even more important, is the White River Ecology Center. There are some conceptuals of what that facility could look like. Director Klitzing will ask the design team and partners to attend a subsequent Park Board meeting and give an overview of the vision and how each of our properties can create a regional destination. Director Klitzing has also been working with the White River Alliance. Their goal is to bring attention to the White River and the White River Vision Plan, a greater multi-county plan. The Alliance commissioned canoe artwork. The painted canoes would then be placed in key locations along the river to spotlight different access points. One of the canoes will be placed at Hazel Landing Park. The local artist will paint the canoe using the theme of native birds. There will be seven canoes installed through Indianapolis and Hamilton County. Thanks to the Township and future upgrades, Director Klitzing said the Township Building will become the permanent home for future Park Board meetings. This also benefits the park system as meeting space can now be used for revenue generating programs. Information Items Plan Commission: There was no report. School Board: Ms. Jackson said she had nothing to report. Parks Foundation: Mr. Garretson spoke about his first meeting. He observed a very close group of individuals who enjoy one another’s company. He was surprised to learn that the Board’s expenses were paid by its members. Director Klitzing added that the Foundation has potential, but ultimately, will need a director (paid staff). In the meantime, the Foundation could lobby for the Interlocal Agreement and advocate for long-term funding to the City and Township, our fiscal agents. Discussion followed. DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, June 8, 2021 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 7 Park Board Comments / Discussion Vice President Kristunas welcomed Mr. Blake and Mr. Kowalski. Vice President Kristunas said she has heard nothing but good things about the Monon Community Center, and people are raving about the awesome Waterpark. She added that staff is doing a fantastic job, and she understands there is a fine line between busy and too busy. She thanked the staff for everything they did through the pandemic and appreciates everything staff continues to do. Adjournment There being no further business, Mr. Rude made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dr. Beer, at which time Vice President Kristunas adjourned the meeting (7:08 p.m.). Approved, Signature Date Signature Date DocuSign Envelope ID: F04C224A-06CE-4E5B-A0E9-139846C8B7EE 7/16/2021 7/14/2021