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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-11-23-Park-Board-Meeting-MinutesCarmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 6:00 p.m. John W. Hensel Government Center 10701 North College Avenue Carmel, Indiana 46280 Member(s) Present: James Garretson, Carrie Holle, Kristin Kouka, Jenn Kristunas, Linus Rude, Rich Taylor, Mark Westermeier, Lin Zheng Member(s) Absent: Joshua Kirsh Others Present: Michael Klitzing, Department Director/CEO; Kurtis Baumgartner, Department Assistant Director/COO; Eric Mehl, Administration & Planning Director; Doug Kowalski, Park Board Legal Counsel Roll Call; Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance Board President Taylor welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked Mr. Rude to call the role. Mr. Rude announced there was a quorum. Board President Taylor called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comments Ken Alexander, Site Master Plan Project Manager for Conner Prairie, stated that Conner Prairie was unwilling to provide the easement for the White River Greenway North Extension until the PUD is approved. Mr. Alexander also read a statement from Chris Cooke, chair of Conner Prairie’s foundation, which is the property owner, further emphasizing Conner Prairie’s position regarding the easement. Staff Reports Assistant Director Baumgartner stated Staff Reports were included in the Park Board packet. He added that he intends to schedule a meeting with Board President Taylor, Ms. Kristunas, and Mr. Westermeier to look at the structure of the monthly staff reports. Board President Taylor asked about sales at The Waterpark. Assistant Director Baumgartner said sales are down due to the unusual weather. Director Klitzing added that since opening in 2007, this is the first year The Waterpark has been closed due to air quality and smoke conditions. Finance Committee Ms. Zheng stated that the Finance Committee has postponed its meeting until August 1 to review the annual budget. Minutes June 13, 2023 Park Board Meeting Mr. Rude made a motion to approve the minutes of the Park Board Meeting dated June 13, 2023, seconded by Ms. Kristunas, and unanimously passed 8 – 0. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9B1BB441-432D-4F73-83ED-D135F92B7B1F Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, July 11, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 2 Financial Reports Consolidated Financial Report for May 2023; CCPR P&L Statements for June 2023 Ms. Zheng made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the Consolidated Financial Report for May 2023 and to acknowledge receipt of the P&L Statements for June 2023, seconded by Ms. Kristunas. Board President Taylor asked if it is normal for Fund 110 to be net negative at this time of year. Assistant Director Baumgartner said yes, and Director Klitzing noted that the Department is about $19,000 ahead of last year. Board President Taylor called for the vote, and the motion was unanimously passed 8 – 0. Claims Claim Sheet July 11, 2023; Clay Township Claim Sheet July 11, 2023; CCPR Payroll for June 2, 2023, June 16, 2023, and June 30, 2023 Ms. Zheng made a motion to approve the Claim Sheet dated July 11, 2023; and to approve the Clay Township Claim Sheet dated July 11, 2023; and to approve the Payroll and Liabilities for payroll dates June 2, 2023, June 16, 2023, and June 30, 2023, seconded by Ms. Kristunas. Mr. Rude asked if there was any utility cost savings yet from the energy savings program. Assistant Director Baumgartner replied that any cost savings is not anticipated until 2024. Board President Taylor called for the vote, and the motion was unanimously passed 8 – 0. Monetary Gifts, Grants, Partnerships, and Sponsorships for June 2023 Mr. Mehl reported four donations were received in June: $249 from Ace Paving LLC for Employee Appreciation; $100 from an anonymous donor for Employee Appreciation; $1,315.11 from Albany Village to purchase benches to be placed along the shared greenway in Bear Creek Park; and $120 from Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation for PNR (Parks & Natural Resources) staff training. Board President Taylor asked about the status of the land donation from Albany Village. Mr. Kowalski replied that the closing was delayed due to some property boundary contradictions; however, the closing should be scheduled soon. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to accept the donations as presented, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 8 – 0. New Business Consideration of Bids for River Heritage Mitigation Project Director Klitzing stated this is a continuation of the reimagining of River Heritage Park. With the new trail network and play experiences in the woods, the Department disrupted 2.22 acres of what was viewed as wooded areas resulting in mitigation. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9B1BB441-432D-4F73-83ED-D135F92B7B1F Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, July 11, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 3 Ms. Kristunas made a motion to authorize the bid from and award a contract to Williams Creek Management Corporation in the amount of $195,779 for the River Heritage Park mitigation project, and authorize the Director, Assistant Director, and Park Board Legal Counsel to take all actions necessary to complete the contracting process, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 8 – 0. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to delegate to the Director and Assistant Director the authority to determine, in conjunction with the Engineer, whether it is in the best interest of the Board and the Department to add or change an item or items in the contract with Williams Creek Management Corporation and to approve each change order in an amount not to exceed his purchasing authority and in accordance with applicable Indiana Law regarding change orders with a report to and ratification by the Park Board at a subsequent meeting, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 8 – 0. Old Business There was no Old Business. Attorney’s Report Mr. Kowalski stated he had nothing new to report. Director’s Report Director Klitzing said his Director’s Report was included in the Park Board packet. Director Klitzing spoke about progress on the new comprehensive parks and recreation master plan, including some preliminary results from the statistically valid survey. It is apparent that the community strongly values parks and recreation. Some areas of high interest include trails, nature trails, boardwalks, and the White River, including easy access to the water. Other areas that will need to be addressed are additional play experiences at West Park and the perception of access or lack of access to The Waterpark by Carmel residents. However, the Department must continue its financial model to achieve cost recovery. Mr. Westermeier asked about the Duke Energy project along the Interurban Trail. Director Klitzing said that Duke is moving along on the clearing phase. He added that the wood poles will be replaced with taller metal poles. Mr. Westermeier asked about the status of the roundabout that will be at 106th Street near the entrance of Hazel Landing Park. Director Klitzing said there is no roundabout yet. Discussion followed. Ms. Kouka asked for an update on the Chinese Garden. Director Klitzing responded that there are no new updates. The Department will pursue funding through the City’s budget process. Board President Taylor asked about the Zone Improvement Plan. Discussion followed. Information Items School Board Ms. Kouka said she had nothing to report. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9B1BB441-432D-4F73-83ED-D135F92B7B1F Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, July 11, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 4 Plan Commission There was no report. Parks Foundation Director Klitzing said Kari Berger (Resource Development Coordinator) continues her due diligence in gaining a good understanding of funding opportunities and working with staff to prioritize specific needs. Park Board Comments / Discussion Mr. Westermeier commented on the original concept plan for The Waterpark being a regional destination and not exclusive to Carmel residents. Mr. Rude said he was thankful for the volunteer work at Carey Grove Park. He knew nothing about the park cleanups and thanked one of the individuals on behalf of the Park Board. Mr. Rude stated that his out-of-town friends were impressed with Inlow Park. In fact, the young boy, about 6 to 8 years old, said it was the ‘best park ever.’ Adjournment Ms. Kristunas made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Mr. Rude. As there were no objections, Board President Taylor adjourned the meeting at 7:01 p.m. Approved, Signature Date Signature Date Meetings of the Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation are recorded and may be viewed at https://vimeo.com/channels/parkboardmeetings or see the archive of meeting recordings at https://www.carmelclayparks.com/about-us/park-board/. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9B1BB441-432D-4F73-83ED-D135F92B7B1F 8/9/2023 8/9/2023