Session 04-08, a Regular Meeting of the Homer Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission was called to order on September 16, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. by          Chair Daugharty at the Homer City Hall Council Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

 

PRESENT:       COMMISSIONERS: TOLVA, POORE, GANN, DAUGHARTY, HAMIK, MCCALLUM

                        STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE BAECHLER

 

ABSENT:        COMMISSIONER WEAVER (excused)

 

STAFF:            PLANNING TECHNICIAN ENGEBRETSEN

                        DEPUTY CLERK JACOBSEN

 

AGENDA APPROVAL

 

The agenda was approved by consensus of the Commission

 

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

 

Unapproved Minutes of August 19, 2004

 

The Minutes of August 19, 2004 were approved by consensus of the board.

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS UPON MATTER ALREADY ON THE AGENDA

 

No public comments

 

STAFF REPORT

 

A.        Memorandum from Planning Technician Engebretsen re: Follow up information  from August meeting

 

Since a majority of the topics in Ms. Engebretsen report were listed as pending items on the agenda, it was agreed by the Commission to discuss the pending items as they came up on the staff report and to add City Manager Wrede’s email regarding the Ocean Drive Loop Bluff Lots as item I under pending business

 

VISITORS

 

No Visitors

 

 

 

 

 

PENDING BUSINESS

 

A.        Memorandum from Parks Maintenance Coordinator Hagerty, re: Response to  7/15/04 Minutes

 

Most of the topics in Ms. Hagerty’s memorandum were discussed in conjunction with Ms. Engebretsen’s report as they came up under pending business.

 

Commissioner Tolva asked if anyone had heard from Dave Anderson regarding the Poopdeck Trail signs.  Parks Maintenance Coordinator Hagerty had said in her memo that she gets referred to Mr. Anderson when she tries to get information and once she finds out that Mr. Vait does not want to be involved in new signs for the trail, then she can do something about it.  Commissioner Hamik said she would call Mr. Anderson.  The Commission will discuss the signs again in October. 

 

Commissioner Tolva also asked what the status is of the trashcans.  Commissioner Hamik said nine were painted and had been set up around town.  There are still 11 to go and brenda Dolma and the kids will be done on Saturday, September 25th.  Commissioner McCallum said that they will be painting at the temporary Animal Shelter and they are encouraging people to come out because the left over paint will be used to paint the fence at the temporary shelter. 

 

B.         Local Park Day

 

Planning Technician Engebretsen said that Parks Maintenance Coordinator Hagerty thought that an Arbor Day or Park Day event a few weeks after the Chamber of Commerce cleanup day would be helpful to get places that may need more cleanup and get people involved in city parks and trails.  A one day event would be best to start with and she would like to know what the Commission would like to have happen at a Park Day. 

 

Chair Daugharty asked the Commission to brainstorm what they would like to see for Park Day.  Ideas that were offered by the Commissioners were:

*   Planting trees

*   Finding organizations that would donate trees.

*   A public Thank You to people who have planted trees

*   A cleanup day for parks and trails

*   Dedication of a new park

*   Plan a family day with picnics and balloons making it more of a community celebration.

*  Find the oldest tree in Homer. 

*   Tree Stories, possibly prizes for the best ones

 

 

 

 

Chair Daugharty said they also need to decide on a date and to do some research to see what other activities are going on, for example, Trails Day is the first weekend in June.  Mr. Daugharty said they would discuss these ideas further at the October meeting.

 

C.        Tree City USA

 

This will be continued to October when Commissioner Weaver is back.

 

D.        End of the Road Park

 

Planning Technician Engebretsen said that Parks Maintenance Coordinator Hagerty reported that the End of the Road Park was supposed to be started in conjunction with the Bartlett Hohe project.  Ms Engebretsen said she didn’t know if it is expected to happen next year, but there is a plan that has been adopted by Council.  Commissioner Poore asked Ms. Engebretsen to bring a copy of the plan to the next meeting.  Chair Daugherty asked that this be put on the October agenda.

 

E.                  Adopt-a-Trail

 

Commissioner Tolva said that in reference to Parks Maintenance Coordinator Hagerty’s report, a good point was made that sometimes the Adopt-a-Trail programs are more trouble than they are worth, unless there is a specific goal.  As Ms. Hagerty mentions in her memorandum, in the beginning everyone is motivated, then the enthusiasm fades.  Commissioner Gann said it needs to be determined if it is Adopt-a-Park or Adopt-a-Trail, because they are different things.  He said the Commission hasn’t really incorporated what they want to see in the project, but he thinks that it should be fairly simplistic, volunteers to pick up trash when needed and general maintenance but not a heavy program.  Commissioner Poore said this came out of a desire to get the community more involved in the parks and community ownership in the sense that pride and involvement, may help with the vandalism.  It is hard for the small staff to keep up on the maintenance when right behind them comes destruction and vandalism.  Commissioner Gann reminded the group that this had come to them as Resolution 04-07 from the City Council directing the Commission to make recommendations regarding the establishment of an Adopt-a-Trail program.  Chair Daugharty said his experience is that the Appalachia Mountain Club does it.  He said he doesn’t think that an agreement needs to be entered into with them, but if a specific group,  the equestrians for example, wants to build a trail then the Commission could agree that they adopt a trail or make a policy statement for groups that want to adopt a trail.  The requirement of the Appalachia Mountain Club may be to elaborate at this time.  Commissioner McCallum said she felt it was the Commissions place to say whether or not the plan is workable, given what works in our Community.  Planning Technician Engebretsen agreed with Ms. McCollum and said that the Council is not asking them to put together a program, they want to know if the Commission thinks it is a good idea and why.

 

 

MCCALLUM/HAMIK MOVED THAT CITY STAFF DO LIMITED RESEARCH INTO FINDING A SIMILAR SIZE COMMUNITY THAT HAS AN ADOPT-A-TRAIL PROGRAM AND FIND OUT WHETHER IT HAS DECREASED VANDALISM AND INCREASED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND GIVE THE COMMISSION THAT INFORMATION.

 

VOTE:      YES:   MCCALLUM, GANN, DAUGHARTY, POORE, TOLVA, HAMIK

 

Motion Carried.           

 

F.         Winter Carnival & Fireworks Promotion

 

Commissioner Tolva did some research and found that the fireworks are not as expensive as she had expected and could do a show for about $5000.  She was not able to talk to John Faulkner about it yet.  There was some discussion about funding, if they were going to solicit donations working with the Winter Carnival Committee and how would the Chamber of Commerce be involved.  Commissioner Tolva said she would talk to Derotha Ferarro at the Chamber and get in touch with the Winter Carnival Committee.  She will report back at the October meeting.

 

G.        Land Reserve Bank Fund

 

Commissioner Gann suggested getting more information from the Planning Commission, and letting them know that the Parks and Recreation Commission is interested in the Land Reserve Bank Fund for more green space or to create green belts.  Chair Daugharty asked to have this on the October Agenda.

 

H.        Parks Long Term Survey

 

The Commissioners really like what Commissioner McCallum and Mr. Stewart put together for the survey and asked that they  go forward to work on a final draft, add some graphics and a map on the back and look at it again in November.  Commissioner McCallum said she would help get it out to the schools, Chair Daugharty and Commissioner Tolva agreed to help with that also.  Mr. Stewart added that once the survey is out it would be good to follow up with more informational material, keep it out in the public eye, and report back with the feedback.  Commissioner Tolva said there was a group of high school students that had done a presentation on some of the trails they walked and that they had preferred the wooded trails over the ones with more open spaces, so she suggested that there be something on the survey about whether people preferred wooded areas to open spaces to see if more trees need to be planted.

 

I.          Email from City Manager Wrede re: Ocean Drive Loop Bluff Lots

 

 

 

Commissioner Gann said the Commission had suggested last month that they not make a park out of this area because of safety reasons and focus on stabilizing the bluff.  Mr. Gann passed around photos he had taken prior to last months meeting.  The Commission discussed the idea of having a public hearing with the neighbors in the spring. 

 

TOLVA/POORE MOVED THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGREES WITH THE CITY’S DECISION TO PULL THE ORDINANCE 04-47, RE-DESIGNATING CITY OWNED PARCELS ON OCEAN DRIVE LOOP AS OCEAN VIEW PARK, AND RECOMMEND A PUBLIC OR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN SPRING OF 2005 TO GET INPUT FROM NEIGHBORS BEFORE ANY DEVELOPMENT.

 

VOTE:  YES:   POORE, GANN, DAUGHARTY, HAMIK, TOLVA, MCCALLUM

 

Motion Carried. 

 

COMMISSION BUSINESS

 

A.        2005 Budget

 

Commissioner Poore said she didn’t hear back from all of the Commissioners with their input for items they would like to see on the 2005 budget.  She said they need to come up with a list of 5 things.  Planning Technician Engebretsen said she would get their list to Public Works Director Meyer.  Commissioner Poore wrote the list of items on the chalkboard:

*   Poopdeck Trail Sign

*   Parks Map

*   Bike Racks

*   End of the Road Park Sign

*   Fireworks

*   Streetlights

*   Trails Map

*   Play Ground Equipment at Bishops Beach

*   Lighting for Spit Parks

*   Park Signs

*   Hornaday Park Drainage

*   T-Ball Field completion at Hornaday Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After discussion the Commission agreed on the following list in order of priority:

 

1.      Hornaday Park T-Ball field development, drainage and parking lot repair

2.      Parks and Trails Map

3.      Playground Equipment

4.      Parks and Trails Signage

5.      Bike Racks in town

 

While Commissioner Poore was writing on the board, Student Representative Baechler commented that she had had an interesting encounter when she was at the State Fair in Palmer.  She said that she and a friend were getting ready to get on the ejection seat ride and the teenager who was strapping them into their seats noticed they had Mariners sweatshirts on and asked if they were from Homer they said they were and he told them that he had one of the Poopdeck Trail signs in his basement. 

 

B.         Lou Stewart as Public Liaison

 

Chair Daugharty said there is nothing in the By-Laws to allow for a Public Liaison.  Commissioner Tolva said this came up because during the summer when she had been Acting Chair there were topics that came up and  Mr. Stewart would interject as a member of the audience with information that was significant for the Commission, and that he is an invaluable asset to the Commission.  Chair Daugharty thanked Mr. Stewart for attending the Parks and Recreation Meetings each month and for the information he has to offer. 

 

INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS

 

A.        Minutes from City Council Meeting of August 23, 2004 (unapproved)

 

B.         Letter from Frank Griswold dated 8/23/04 re: Underage Drinking at Ben Walters Park.

 

Commissioner Tolva said that, it is already illegal for teenagers to have alcohol and    

while she does recognize that there is a problem with teen drinking she doesn’t think it is the City’s place to enact an ordinance that says adults can’t come to the park and have a glass of wine and act responsibly.  Commissioner McCallum asked who was expected to respond and asked Deputy City Clerk Jacobsen to find out if anyone from the City had responded to Mr. Griswold’s letter.  Commissioner Poore said that this was an issue that came up previously when the Teen Center closed.  She said there is a problem because there isn’t a place for teens to go.  The Commission will discuss this further when they find out how the City responded. 

 

C.        Excerpt from International Mountain Biking Assoc.

 

D.        Hunda Designs Bouldering Sets

 

COMMENTS OF THE AUDIENCE

 

No Audience Comments

 

COMMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS

 

Student Representative Baechler had no comments

 

Commissioner Hamik said she would like to thank the City Manager in advance for obtaining playground equipment for Jeffery Park and she hopes that is coming along and would like to thank him if he actually got around to doing it.

 

Commissioner Tolva  said thanks to everyone, it was a great meeting.

 

Commissioner McCallum said she is looking forward to winter and after the last meeting she thought about everything that is coming that is coming to them and how they are becoming more visible, so for herself, she looked at what is the Commissions purpose and goal and make sure that they stick to it because it is easy for people to say that Parks and Rec should do this or that and they need to say hey, that is a great idea, bring us your proposal.  It is too easy to get caught up into solving the problems or doing the work for someone else.  The Commission needs to remember their mission is to oversee the ideas and she thinks that they have a great group to do that.

 

Commissioner Gann wanted to remind everyone about the park walk through on the 18th and everyone should try to attend that.  He has been reading through the Non Motorized trail plan and hopes others have been looking at it because it is a really good thing and can give them some vision on what to do with parks and trails and generate a good community spirit in town.

 

Commissioner Poore gave an update on the lights at the High school field.  Councilmember Ladd and Mr. Keffer, the principal at the high school and member of the Site Council, told her that they don’t need lighting there because the season on the field cannot be extended beyond natural light.  The field would need astro-turf to use it later in the season.  She said she spoke with Michael Hayes of Downward Dawg who is interested in co-sponsoring a concert with the City.  She forwarded it to the City Manager and he thinks it is a great idea, she let Michael Hayes know that and she hopes that they have been in contact.  Ms. Poore also said she was able to get a hold of Janet Klein, the author of the pamphlet “The Historic Walking Tour of Homer Alaska”.  The building drawings on the pamphlet were done by Christopher Kent and were commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce but the Chamber is not sure if they still have them and some of the buildings are either gone or have been changed.   Ms. Klein is interested in doing another one but would need to know how it would be funded.  Ms. Poore thinks this is something that is needed with the increase of tourism to Homer. 

 

 

Chair Daugharty said welcome to the new members, they have made a contribution to the Commission already.  He apologized for his absence over the summer and said he will be more diligent over the winter. 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business to come before the Commission the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.  The next Regular meeting is scheduled for October 21, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.

 

 

 

                                                                                   

MELISSA JACOBSEN, DEPUTY CITY CLERK

 

                                                                                   

APPROVED