07.11.2019 Parks & Rec Minutesi
PSPER
T
"A Place Where Everyone Matters"
1. Call to Order / Roll Call.
MINUTES
Regular Meeting of the
Parks and Recreation Board
200 S. Main Street
Thursday, July 11, 2019
6:00 p.m.
The meeting was called to order by Rebekah Land, Vice Chair, at 6:00 p.m.
Board members present: Rebekah Land, Vice Chair, Gina Kern, Secretary; John Metcalf, and Cameron
Reeves.
Staff members present: Dudley Raymond, Director of Parks and Recreation; Paul Naughton,
Landscape Architect; Matt Furr, Parks Superintendent; and Patty Kendzie, Senior
Administrative Assistant.
Shannon Crawford entered the meeting at 6:05 pm.
2. Consider and act upon approval of the Minutes from the June 13, 2019, Regular Meeting of the
Parks and Recreation Board.
Motion to approve the Minutes by Metcalf. Second by Reeves. Approved 4-0.
3. Comments by the Public.
There were no comments by the public.
4. Discussion about the Town's hike and bike trails and possibly appoint Board members to serve
on a Hike and Bike Trail Master Plan Steering Committee.
Naughton showed the Hike and Bike Trail Plan graphic and a graphic which detailed trail segments.
There are currently 32.8 miles of trail on the ground. Based on the current Master Plan, 101 miles are left
to build.
The Town is preparing to be under contract with Halff Associates to begin a Hike and Bike Master Plan.
Input will be sought from the community via an online survey and also by a Steering Committee, which
will be assembled after the contract is awarded. Crawford expressed an interest in serving on the
committee and Kern asked how the Board could get involved. Naughton said Board and Town Council
members are welcome to apply to volunteer. The award will go to Council on July 26, 2019. The process
is expected to take about a year, similar to the Master Plan. The goal is to create a Council -approved plan
for staff to use as a guide in development.
5. Discussion with staff regarding pricing policy for recreation programs.
Raymond described the pricing policy in place for recreation programs, which is based on a model
frequently used by municipalities. The policy should be viewed as a guide, as the system is new. He gave
examples of types of programs that will and will not incur charges. Ultimately, after programs are up and
running and sustainable, pricing will be per the model to avoid making decisions based on emotion. When
there is a charge to attend a program, there is a higher perceived value.
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Funds may be limited at some point as everyone is competing for dollars. The goal is not to become rich,
but for people pay a market rate for what they get.
Crawford asked where the money goes and what it is used for if a class makes a profit. Raymond
described the budget of accounts and income. Extra money does not come back to a department, it goes
into the General Fund. Whatever is budgeted for costs, we try to offset with income, yet a high cost
recovery percentage for the entire department is difficult due to parks maintenance.
Raymond said as programs are added, the pricing policy will be implemented. At some point, a
membership fee may be charged.
Reeves commented that seniors pay taxes, yet what do they get? Raymond said it's important to look at
the use of tax dollars in totality. At The 407 Rec Center, some things will be free, some things will not. At
the onset, it might not be possible to recover instructor costs, yet we will try to. Activities such as trips
will incur a charge, with the goal of fully recovering those costs.
Raymond said the first activities slated for The 407 Rec Center will be offered to Active Adults (those age
55 and over), and include various card games and two instructor -led classes: Beginner Chair Exercise
and Strength -Core -Balance. It's critical to note that the sole purpose for the building is recreational
programming. The building capacity is 3040. Staff will attend the next Prosper 5-0 meeting to inform the
group about the new Active Adult activities and gauge interest in activities.
Land said it is good the ball is rolling.
6. Informational items.
a) Recreation Update
Raymond said registrations are strong this summer. He presented a slide which compared Prosper's
population growth with the number of classes offered. We are tracking well. The chart will be brought
back to the Board every six months. Metcalf thanked Trevor Helton, Recreation Services Coordinator, for
creating the chart, and said it appears we are offering what is needed, proportionate with the growth rate.
b) Park Development Update
Naughton gave updates on the Entry Monument Sign on Preston Road and the Star Trace Park
playground in the Star Trail development. The current agreement stipulates the developer will maintain
the playground for the life of the park. He described the various hike and bike trails along Prosper Trail
that are currently under development.
c) Park Operations Update
Furr said crews are working in shifts due to the heat. Ballfields are being readied for sports starting up in
August. Twenty-five truckloads of sand have been delivered for topdressing. Three large pecan trees were
lost in recent bad weather and also an oak tree in Whitley Place. A PYSC meeting is coming up which
most likely will include discussions on field space. Furr said it's important for fields to be closed on
Wednesdays for watering and/or rest. Metcalf asked if storms have a budget impact. Furr said money is
budgeted for that purpose.
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7. Discussion regarding any miscellaneous business or items to be placed on future Agendas.
Land requested to attend the PYSC meeting and also asked that Drake Dunn be added to an upcoming
Agenda to provide updates about field utilization, fees and food trucks. She suggested topics to discuss
are: numbers coming in, growth projection and whether there was any backlash due to the increase of
sports fees. Raymond said leagues reported no downturn in growth and minimal backlash to the new fees.
Reeves suggested the August meeting could be held at The 407 Rec Center.
8. Adjourn.
Motion by Reeves. Second by Kern. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm. Approved 5-0.
Gina Kern, Secretary
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