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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-12-Park-Board-Meeting-MinutesCarmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 6:00 p.m. John W. Hensel Government Center 10701 North College Avenue Carmel, Indiana 46280 Member(s) Present: James Garretson, Joshua Kirsh, Kristin Kouka (arrived at 6:49 p.m.), Jenn Kristunas, Linus Rude, Rich Taylor, Lin Zheng Member(s) Absent: Carrie Holle, Mark Westermeier Others Present: Michael Klitzing, Department Director/CEO; Kurtis Baumgartner, Department Assistant Director/COO; Eric Mehl, Administration & Planning Director; Brian Bosma, 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 There were no public comments. Staff Reports Assistant Director Baumgartner stated Staff Reports were included in the Park Board packet. Assistant Director Baumgartner reminded everyone that the next Park Board meeting will be Thursday, October 19, 2023, as the Department has a large contingency of staff attending the National Recreation and Park Association Conference in Dallas, Texas from October 10th to October 12th. Ms. Kristunas stated that the Director’s Committee (Board President Taylor, Ms. Kristunas, and Mr. Westermeier) met with staff regarding the monthly reports. The reformatted reports will be included in the October Park Board packet. She thanked Assistant Director Baumgartner and staff for their input at the meeting. Finance Committee Ms. Zheng stated that the Finance Committee met two months ago and approved the recommended budget to be presented later in the meeting. Minutes August 8, 2023 Park Board Meeting Mr. Rude made a motion to approve the minutes of the Park Board Meeting dated August 8, 2023, seconded by Mr. Kirsh, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. Financial Reports Consolidated Financial Report for July 2023; CCPR P&L Statements for August 2023 Ms. Zheng made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the Consolidated Financial Report for July 2023 and to acknowledge receipt of the P&L Statements for August 2023, seconded by Mr. Kirsh, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4DD1638A-36E8-4FC4-9C8D-257631F72E25 Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, September 12, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 2 Claims Claim Sheet September 12, 2023; Clay Township Claim Sheet September 12, 2023; CCPR Payroll for August 11, 2023 and August 25, 2023 Ms. Zheng made a motion to approve the Claim Sheet dated September 12, 2023; and to approve the Clay Township Claim Sheet dated September 12, 2023; and to approve the Payroll Wages and Liabilities for payroll dates August 11, 2023 and August 25, 2023, seconded by Mr. Kirsh, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. Monetary Gifts, Grants, Partnerships, and Sponsorships for August 2023 Mr. Mehl reported one donation was received in August: $100 from an anonymous donor for Employee Appreciation. Mr. Kirsh made a motion to accept the donation as presented, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 6 – 0. New Business Consideration of 2024 Operating Budgets – Kurtis Baumgartner Assistant Director Baumgartner thanked staff for attending the Park Board meeting to assist with the budget presentations: Jennifer Brown, ESE and Summer Camp Director; Mike Normand, Recreation & Facilities Director; and Michael Allen, Parks & Natural Resources Director. Assistant Director Baumgartner stated that the proposed 2024 budget was presented to the Finance Committee on August 1st. Assistant Director Baumgartner presented an overview of the proposed 2024 budget. Resolution B-2023-002 – Adopting the Proposed 2024 General Fund (101) and Park Capital Fund (103) Budgets Assistant Director Baumgartner presented detailed information on General Fund (101). Mr. Garretson made a motion to approve Resolution B-2023-002, seconded by Mr. Rude. (The motion was tabled until the Park Capital Fund (103) budget presentation concluded.) Assistant Director Baumgartner elaborated that one resolution is structured to cover 101 and 103 Funds, which are fully tax supported. Assistant Director Baumgartner presented the Park Capital Fund (103) budget, which is the funding source for capital projects, including the Chinese Garden, Monon Greenway signage, and conversion of the Monon Boulevard splash pad to a non-recirculating system. Board President Taylor stated there was a motion on the table to approve Resolution B-2023-002, which was seconded by Mr. Rude. He called for the vote, and the motion was unanimously passed 6 – 0. Resolution B-2023-003 – Adopting the 2024 Non-Reverting Operating Budgets and User Fees Mr. Garretson made a motion to approve Resolution B-2023-003, seconded by Mr. Kirsh. (The motion was tabled until presentations concluded.) Ms. Brown presented the proposed budget for ESE (Fund 108) followed by Mr. Normand’s presentation of the Monon Community Center budget (Fund 109) and the Parks and Recreation Facilities budget (Fund 110). Discussions followed each presentation. Mr. Garretson spoke about the recent article in Current in Carmel regarding changes to the school calendar, and its impact on The Waterpark operations. Director Klitzing spoke at length about the schools using more and more of the summer months for educational purposes. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4DD1638A-36E8-4FC4-9C8D-257631F72E25 Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, September 12, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 3 (Ms. Kouka arrived.) Mr. Garretson asked Ms. Kouka if the parents are pushing back on the calendar changes. Ms. Kouka replied that she has only heard about children not getting into the ESE afterschool program or school breaks (Schools Out Camp). Director Klitzing brought up changes in bell times for elementary school and high school causing an impact on viable staffing. The high school dismissal is almost an hour and a half later than the elementary school. However, CCS is looking at possible academic programs that would allow students to have early release in order to participate in learning opportunities. Besides staffing, another hindrance is lack of space for both the afterschool program and summer camps. Right now, as a part of our new comprehensive master plan, PROS Consulting is developing a business plan for ESE and one for the Monon Community Center to include The Waterpark. Board President Taylor encouraged PROS Consulting to explore keeping The Waterpark open in the postseason by offering fewer amenities at a lower cost. There was a lengthy discussion on pass rates for Carmel residents and the verification process. Staff is very cognizant of the current market conditions so as to not set rates too high. Mr. Norman presented information related to the Parks & Recreation Facilities Fund (110) budget. This budget contains the fees for the dog park, facility rentals, and park shelter rentals. Mr. Garretson said he brought up some time ago about seeking sponsorships or naming rights to some of the shelters. Director Klitzing responded that the Resource Development Coordinator position was created to secure sponsors, etc. He added that the Department is looking at the bigger picture and working to secure sponsors for each of the parks at a larger dollar amount. If this module is not successful, staff will explore things like sponsorships for the shelters. Discussion followed. Board President Taylor said there was a motion on the table by Mr. Garretson, seconded by Mr. Kirsh to approve Resolution B-2023-003. The vote was called, and the motion was unanimously passed 7 – 0. Consideration of Resolution B-2023-004 – Amending Salaries and Wages for 2023 Assistant Director Baumgartner asked the Board to approve the resolution to update two position titles: 1) Administration & Planning Director/Chief Administration Officer (formerly Administration & Planning Director); 2) Planning & Projects Manager (formerly Planning & Projects Coordinator). These two titles better reflect the work in support of the Department. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to approve Resolution B-2023-004, seconded by Mr. Rude, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Consideration of Resolution B-2023-005 – Establishing Salaries and Wages for 2024 Assistant Director Baumgartner presented an overview of the proposed 2024 Salaries and Wages resolution. He emphasized that the maximum amounts do not reflect the actual salaries of staff. He stated that the Department conducts a full salary study every two to three years to benchmark against other agencies to ensure the Department is in the best place for recruiting and retaining staff. Board President Taylor said he thought the salary study should be done annually. Assistant Director Baumgartner replied that a benchmark is established for key part-time positions on an annual basis. There is less turnover within the full-time staff. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4DD1638A-36E8-4FC4-9C8D-257631F72E25 Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, September 12, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 4 Ms. Kristunas made a motion to approve Resolution B-2023-005, seconded by Mr. Kirsh, and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Consideration of 2024 Fleet Lease Vehicles Assistant Director Baumgartner provided an overview of the previously discussed additions to the fleet proposed in the 2024 budgets. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to authorize the Director and Assistant Director, and each of them individually, to lease two (2) additional vehicles from Enterprise for an amount not to exceed $2,000 per month for lease and maintenance program payments as it pertains to the General Fund (101). The motion was seconded by Mr. Rude and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to authorize the Director and Assistant Director, and each of them individually, to lease one (1) additional vehicle from Enterprise for an amount not to exceed $750 per month for lease and maintenance program payments as it pertains to the MCC Fund (109). The motion was seconded by Mr. Rude and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Ms. Kristunas made a motion to approve the trade-in of the 2019 Ford F-250, and 2019 Ford Ranger on such terms as approved by the Director and Assistant Director, and each of them individually. The motion was seconded by Mr. Rude and unanimously passed 7 – 0. Old Business There was no Old Business. Attorney’s Report Mr. Bosma said they continue to work with Director Klitzing and staff on Township LIT payment items. Albany Village (land donation) has been delayed due to unacceptable work which was substantiated by staff upon inspection of the property. In his capacity as (Clay) Township and Park Board legal counsel, Mr. Bosma advised that the State Board of Accounts (SBOA) completed their last audit of the Township and found one item to be deficient. The law requires agencies to conduct a physical inventory of equipment purchased by the Township over $5,000 in value every two years; however, the Township’s internal control says this task must be completed every year. At the request of (Clay Township Trustee) Paul Hensel, Mr. Bosma executed an MOU between the Township and the Department stating the proper equipment inventory will be submitted by January 30th of each year. Director’s Report Mr. Rude asked what must be done to resolve the Albany Village donation. A lengthy discussion followed. Board President Taylor asked about the status of the Conner Prairie easement. Director Klitzing replied that the Department is in a continued holding pattern. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4DD1638A-36E8-4FC4-9C8D-257631F72E25 Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation Tuesday, September 12, 2023 John W. Hensel Government Center Page 5 Information Items School Board Ms. Kouka said she nothing to report. Plan Commission Mr. Kirsh said he had nothing to report. Parks Foundation Director Klitzing stated that the Foundation met on August 30th for their annual meeting. He added that the Foundation was thrilled to meet Kari (Berger), our new Resources Development Coordinator. The Foundation is excited to have the benefit of working in coordination with Ms. Berger to help increase funding options for the Department. In fact, Ms. Berger recently secured a $10,000 donation that will be funneled through the Foundation and reported at a subsequent meeting. Discussion followed. Park Board Comments / Discussion Mr. Rude asked about the closing date for the splash pads. Assistant Director Baumgartner replied the last day is September 30th. Board President Taylor voiced his opinion that future impact fee credit agreements need to include some sort of written agreement of services to hold developers accountable and meet CCPR standards. Director Klitzing said that would be appropriate; however, he added that CCPR builds parks better than anyone else. Adjournment Mr. Rude made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ms. Kristunas. As there were no objections, Board President Taylor adjourned the meeting at 7:19 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: 4DD1638A-36E8-4FC4-9C8D-257631F72E25 10/24/2023 10/25/2023