2003-01-13
Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1 CITY OF SOUTHLAKE
2 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING
3
4 January 13, 2003
5 MINUTES
6
7 Board Members Present: Bobby Rawls, Chairman; Frank Cornish, Vice-Chair; Mary
8 Georgia, Secretary; Eric Blomquist, Liz Durham, Tim O'Connor, and Dorothy Wood
9
10 Board Members Absent: None
11
12 Staff Members Present: Malcolm Jackson, Interim Director of Community
13 Services; Steve Polasek, Deputy Director of Community Services; Chris Carpenter,
14 Senior Park Planner; and Steve Moore, Recreation Supervisor
15
16 REGULAR SESSION
17
18 Agenda Item No. 1. Call to Order
19
20 Chairman Rawls called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
21
22 REPORTS
23
24 Agenda Item No. 2. Administrative Comments
25
26 Recreation Supervisor Steve Moore gave a PowerPoint presentation on the
27 highlights of the Holiday Celebration, Turkey Treats `N Eats, Breakfast With
28 Santa, and Santa's Workshop activities. All events were well attended and staff
29 received very positive feedback from the community. Upcoming events include
30 Kreative Kids at Durham on February 1, Sweetheart Dance at Eubanks
31 Elementary School on February 8.
32
33 CONSENT AGENDA
34
35 Agenda Item No. 3-A. Approval of the Southlake Parks and Recreation Board meeting
36 minutes of November 11, 2002.
37
38 A motion was made to approve the November 11, 2002 meeting minutes as listed.
39
40 Motion: Georgia
41 Second: Wood
42 Ayes: Blomquist, Cornish, Durham, Georgia, O'Connor, Rawls, and Wood
43 Nays: None
44 Abstention: None
45 Vote: 7-0
46
January 13, 2003 Page 1 of 6
Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1 Motion carried.
2
3 Vice Chair Cornish presented a motion to move agenda items number 5A, 5C, 5D,
4 5E and 5F up on the agenda to Consent to be addressed immediately.
5
6 Motion: Cornish
7 Second: Georgia
8 Ayes: Blomquist, Cornish, Durham, Georgia, O'Connor, Rawls, and Wood
9 Nays: None
10 Abstention: None
11 Vote: 7-0
12
13 Motion carried.
14
15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CONSENT ITEMS
16
17 Agenda Item No. 3-A. Approval of the November 11, 2002 meeting minutes. Minutes
18 were approved as presented in the Park Board packet.
19
20 Agenda Item No. 5-A, Resolution No. 03-002, Supporting the Texas Parks and Wildlife
21 Department's grant program for Ian acquisition and park development. This resolution
22 supports the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's grant program for park land
23 acquisition and the development of park and recreation facilities. Funded through a State
24 tax on sporting goods, the Texas Recreation and Parks Account is the local park matching
25 grant program administered by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). Staff at
26 the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department restructured the local park grant program in
27 1999. Public hearings were held around the state and TPWD staff listened to comments
28 on how the program could be administered fairly, and the grant program was changed
29 accordingly. The 77th Legislative Session approved $2.4 million for four (4) local park
30 projects utilizing funds from the Texas Recreation and Parks Account. The money
31 allocated directly by the Legislature was approved without going through the Texas Parks
32 & Wildlife Department grant process that cities have historically been required to go
33 through. By tapping funds from the Texas Recreation and Parks Account for special
34 projects, Legislators circumvented the grant process. This action may adversely impact
35 the integrity of the grants program and the City's future grant applications. To date, the
36 City has received over $500,000 in grant money administered through the Texas Parks
37 and Wildlife Department. Numerous cities in Texas have approved or are considering a
38 similar resolution. Resolution No. 03-002 urges State Legislators to allow the Texas
39 Parks & Wildlife Department to continue to manage the Texas Recreation and Parks
40 Account according to the recognized process. The Park Board voted 7-0 to approve this
41 item during Consent agenda.
42
43 Agenda Items No. 5-C, 5-D, 5-E and 5-F, 2003 Facilities Utilization Agreement with the
44 Southlake Baseball Association (SBA); Southlake Girls Softball Association (SGSA);
45 Grapevine-Southlake Soccer Association (GSSA); and Southlake-Carroll Lacrosse
46 Association (SCLA). The agreements address a number of contractual issues between the
January 13, 2003 Page 2 of 6
Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1 city and the youth sports associations. All of the agreements were reviewed and approved
2 by the individual associations. In addition to the standard provisions, all of the
3 agreements address fees assessed for litter clean up, additional field preparation, lights
4 left on when the fields are not in use, and a provision for the City to have the ability to
5 renew each agreement for an additional twelve (12) month period. The Park Board voted
6 7-0 to approve these agreements during Consent agenda.
7
8 REGULAR AGENDA
9
10 Agenda Item No. 4. Public Forum
11
12 Chairman Rawls opened the Public Forum by reading the provisions for a public forum.
13 No one was present to address the Board. Public Forum was closed.
14
15 Agenda Item No. 5-B. Resolution No. 03-003, Supporting the establishment of Bob Jones
16 Park and the Corps of Engineers lease area as the site of a future Nature Center to assist
17 with funding opportunities, planning efforts, and public education initiatives.
18
19 Senior Park Planner Chris Carpenter presented this resolution for consideration. The Bob
20 Jones Park property and the 200+ acres of adjacent Corps of Engineers lease area have
21 been shown in prior and current master planning by the City and the Corps to be suitable
22 for low intensity, passive recreational uses, such as walking, hiking, jogging, horseback
23 riding, bird watching and similar activities. The Nature Center Development Committee
24 (NCDC) presented their findings to the Park Board in October 2002 and recommended a
25 mechanism similar to this resolution to support an area for a future Nature Center as a
26 first step to assist in obtaining grant applications, more specific site study, and public
27 education initiatives. This resolution will support the Bob Jones Park and adjacent Corps
28 lease area as the base for a Nature Center. Staff recommends support of this resolution.
29
30 Committee members from Nature Center Development Committee were present at the
31 Park Board meeting in support of the resolution.
32
33 Discussion:
34
35 Board members noted their concerns about the intent of the resolution and its language.
36
37 Ms. Georgia had Mr. Carpenter clarify that the purpose of the resolution was to support
38 the general area of Bob Jones Park, the Tucker and Farhat properties, for a Nature Center.
39 The necessary precise studies have not yet been conducted to delineate an exact location.
40
41 Chairman Rawls addressed the compatibility of the equestrian trails with a Nature Center.
42 Staff believes the two uses are very compatible and will work with the equestrian
43 representatives to plan the routes and activities.
44
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Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1 Just how the fishing pier and the looped trail on the Farhat property will fit into the plans
2 for a nature center is yet be determined; however, Mr. Carpenter said that lower intensity
3 uses have always been planned for those properties.
4
5 Ms. Georgia expressed concern about how a horse-trailer parking, turnaround, shelter,
6 and arena shown on the Tucker property map would fit in with a nature center use.
7
8 Director Jackson explained the purpose of the resolution was to identify that the City has
9 a general consensus that a nature center needs to be located somewhere within the Corp
10 property and Bob Jones Park vicinity, with the exact location to be determined after the
11 studies are complete. This resolution is only a tool to start the process. Approval for any
12 of the uses and development of a nature center would need to be considered by the Park
13 Board, P&Z, and City Council.
14
15 Mr. Blomquist talked about not limiting the City's options but having the resolution read
16 in such a way as to show that properties are available and dependent upon the actual
17 study's recommendation of an acreage amount and site, a location may be determined
18 utilizing a portion found within this area of the City.
19
20 Ms. Georgia pointed out that the current language in the resolution was designating the
21 totality of the land to a nature center, which could present problems with other uses in
22 parts of the property not used for a nature center area. She suggested that the resolution
23 state a percentage amount of property be allocated rather than the entire acreage.
24
25 The Board agreed that the language in the resolution should be "tweeked" to be more
26 specific so that it is not exclusive to the nature center, but indicate that general area is
27 where the nature center is desired to be located and that mutually compatible uses may be
28 considered as a part of the process.
29
30 Mr. O'Connor suggested that the resolution be changed to lead with language that would
31 say "...large areas of the Corps of Engineer property and segments of the Bob Jones Park
32 area" instead of leading in with mention of the Bob Jones Park area, which sounds like
33 large parts of Bob Jones Park is going to be preserved for a nature center.
34
35 Ms. Wood said the initial wording of the resolution was clear that the intent was not to
36 designate the whole area as a nature center.
37
38 Staff will wordsmith the caption and "whereas" sections of the resolution, as the Park
39 Board so recommended, so that the impression is not given that the entire City-owned
40 property may be designated for a nature center. The revised resolution will be presented
41 at the next City Council meeting.
42
43 Director Jackson suggested that the resolution be revised to state, not withstanding the
44 "whereas" sections: "The City of Southlake hereby supports utilization of the Corps of
45 Engineer's property and portions of the adjoining Bob Jones Park as the site of the future
46 nature center activities."
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Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1
2 Ms. Georgia asked to add: "The development of nature center building or facilities would
3 be expected to be in Bob Jones Park." The study should validate that directive.
4
5 Mr. O'Connor asked that "Whereas" paragraph 4 of the resolution be examined to ensure
6 that the wording is clear that it is the Corps' property that has been given the
7 Environmentally Sensitive designation, not the entire region, which could be surmised by
8 the wording in the current paragraph. Mr. O'Connor offered that the wording should be
9 corrected to say: City of Southlake's goals for the leased area, determined that much
10 of the Corp of Engineer's property shall be designated as "Environmentally
11 Sensitive"...
12
13 A motion was made to approve Resolution No. 03-003, supporting the establishment
14 of Bob Jones Park and Corps of Engineers lease area as the site of a future Nature
15 Center to assist with funding opportunities, planning efforts, and public education
16 initiatives with the addition of the resolution revision language prepared by Tim
17 O'Connor and presented by Malcolm Jackson. (Mr. O'Connor presented staff a copy
18 of his notes.)
19
20 Mr. O'Connor read the following notes into the record as a continuation of the motion:
21 (sections underscored indicate proposed language revisions)
22
23 Paragraph 3 - Whereas, the City of Southlake has long desired to preserve the
24 Corp of Engineer's property and portions of the adjacent Bob Jones
25 property as low intensity...
26
27 Paragraph 4 - Whereas, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, in and update to
28 the Lake Grapevine Reservoir Master Land Use Plan in 2001 and sharing the
29 City of Southlake's goals for the leased area, determined that much of the
30 Corp of Engineer's property shall be
31
32 Paragraph 5 - accepted the recommendations, the most important of which
33 being the support of the Corp of Engineer's property and portions of the
34 adioining Bob Jones Park property as the site of such a Nature Center; and
35
36 Paragraph 6 - Whereas, the designation of the Corp of Engineer's property
37 and portions of the adjoining Bob Jones Park property as a site for a Nature
38 Center will result
39
40 Motion: Blomquist
41 Second: Georgia
42 Ayes: Blomquist, Cornish, Durham, Georgia, O'Connor, Rawls, and Wood
43 Nays: None
44 Abstention: None
45 Vote: 7-0
46
January 13, 2003 Page 5 of 6
Unofficial Minutes***
Approved by the Parks and Recreation Board 2/10/03
1 Motion carried.
2
3 Agenda Item No. 7. Liaison Reports
4
5 Board members reviewed the following:
6
7 (a) Recreation/Special Events - Report was included in Administrative
8 Comments. The 2003 Spring Southlake Scene has been mailed.
9
10 (b) Youth Sports Associations - Baseball signups begun last week and will
11 continue through this weekend. Basketball is going very well.
12
13 (c) Community Groups - No meetings to report at this time.
14
15 (d) SPIN - SPIN will host a citywide forum providing information on
16 proposed zoning/concept plans for Harris Southlake at Central Drive and
17 FM 1709, and proposed single-story office space at 817 W. Southlake
18 Blvd. on Monday, January 27, 2003, 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall.
19
20 (e) SPDC - SPDC w ill hold its next meeting February 18.
21
22 (f) JUC - The next meeting will be held Thursday, February 13 at 6:00
23 p.m., Town Hall.
24
25 (g) City Council Monthly Report - Chairman Rawls will deliver the Park
26 Board Report at the February 4" City Council meeting. Subsequent
27 assignments are: March 4 - Tim O'Connor, April 1 - Liz Durham.
28
29 A e o. 8. Ad irnment
30
31 The Board vote nanimously to adjourn the meeting.
32
33
34 Bobby awls
35 Parks & Recreation oard Chair
36
37
38 ar eorgi ,
39 Parks & Recreation Board Secretary
40
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