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2003-03-04 SPECIAL SOUTHLAKE PARKS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING March 4, 2003 MINUTES Board Members Present: President W. Ralph Evans, Vice-President Rex Potter; Members: Tim O'Conner, Bobby Rawls, Rick Stacy, and Dorothy Wood. Board Members Absent: Tom Stephen Staff Present: Acting Director of Community Services Malcolm Jackson, Deputy Director of Community Services Steve Polasek, Senior Planner Chris Carpenter, and Deputy City Secretary Tara Brooks. Agenda Item No. 1, Call to order. The meeting was called to order by President Evans at 4:36 p.m. Agenda Item No. 2, Executive Session. No executive session was necessary. Agenda Item No. 3, Reconvene. Agenda Item No. 4, Public Forum. No one stepped forward to speak. Agenda Item No. 5. Administrative Comments. There were no administrative comments. CONSENT AGENDA: Agenda Item No. 6. Approval of the minutes for the regular SPDC meeting held February 18, 2003. Motion was made to approve the minutes of the SPDC meeting held February 18, 2003 as presented. Motion: Rawls Second: O'Conner Ayes: Rawls, Wood, O'Conner, Stacy, Evans Nays: None Abstained: Potter Approved: 5-0-1 REGULAR AGENDA: Agenda Item No. 7A. Approval of the Matching Funds request from the Liberty Garden Committee in the amount of $50,000 for the development of a Liberty Garden in Bicentennial Park. Acting Director of Community Services Malcolm Jackson presented this item to the Board. Staff has been working with the Southlake Liberty Garden Committee on the conceptual design and cost estimate for a proposed Liberty Garden. The Park Board approved matching funds of $50,000 at their October 14, 2002 meeting. The cost estimate prepared by staff for the project in its entirety was Page 1 of 3 originally $201,936. Since Park Board's original approval, SPDC has recommended that the Liberty Garden Committee reevaluate the requested funds by more closely defining the in-kind services and materials to be included and $7,000 from the Coke Fund was approved by Council to seek professional services for design and cost estimate clarification. Staff has reviewed the original proposal and sought conceptual design critique and refined cost analyses from the consulting firm of Dunkin, Sims, Stoffels, Inc. The consultants concluded that an accurate representative "retail value" of the project to be very similar to staff s projections, with some additional quantity adjustments and provisions for ADA access. Staff also met with the Liberty Garden Committee to refine expected donations and contributions to offset some of the retail costs and to explore cost-saving design measures. The Park Board as part of their approval of additional funds for the project, recommended dividing the project and subsequently, remainder funding, into two phases and approved funding of a first phase at this point. Their motion for approval included up to $40,000 in Park Dedication funds for the construction of the first phase. Liz Durham, spoke for the Liberty Garden committee and answered questions from the Board. Board Member Rawls stated that this is a good use for the area, and it needs to be fixed up. Vice-President Potter asked about the maintenance and staffing of the garden. Ms. Durham said that the Master Gardeners would care for the park and the maintenance costs will actually be lower than they are now. Acting Director Jackson stated that the city has sufficient staff to maintain it, even without the Master Gardeners. Board Member O'Conner questioned the choice of location. Acting Director Jackson stated that various sites had been studied and all of them had pluses and minuses. If they do relocate they would be back at square one. Rosemary Hutchins, Keep Southlake Beautiful, advised the board that while raising funds, people are excited that it is in Bicentennial Park. The Committee is dedicated to making this an excellent project. Vice-President Potter asked about the donations, especially the in-kind donations. Board Member Stacy stated they had hoped in-kind donations would have lowered the costs. Ms. Durham stated that they did, but the compliance with the ADA regulations raised the costs back up. With $40,000 dollars, they should be able to get started, and she doesn't believe there will be any problem getting the matching funds. The Board expressed concern with in-kind donations. Ms. Durham stated that they are afraid if they require cash donations, they will not be able to get any in-kind donations. Board Member Stacy expressed concern over building the garden in phases. He would prefer it all be done at once. Motion was made approve the matching funds request for the Liberty Garden matching money for money, and as the money comes in can be released in a pro-rata share. Page 2 of 3 Motion: Stacy Vice-President Potter stated that they can use the $40,000 received from the Council as seed money to begin and then release the matching funds once the additional is raised. Board Member Stacy withdrew his motion. Motion was made to approve the matching funds recognizing the $40,000 park dedication funds, and this is a pure dollar-for-dollar matching fund. Once the money is in the bank the matching funds can be released. Motion: Potter Second: Wood Board Member O'Conner asked to amend the motion to release the money in $10,000 increments. Board Member Stacy suggested releasing the money to pay invoices. Vice-President Potter amended his motion to release the matching funds to pay invoices. Board Member Wood amended her second. Ayes: Rawls, Wood, O'Conner, Stacy, Potter, Evans Nay: None Approved: 6-0 Agenda Item No. 7B. Consideration of scheduling Southlake Park Development Corporation meetings on the first Tuesday of each month, prior to City Council Meetings President Evans suggested considering the first Council meeting date of each month. Motion was made to schedule the SPDC meetings on the same Tuesday of the first Council meeting of every month. Motion: Stacy Second: Rawls Ayes: Wood, O'Conner, Stacy, Potter, Rawls, Evans Nays: None Approved: 6-0 Agenda Item No. 8. Adjournment. President Evans adjourned the meeting at 5:44 p.m. President W. Ralph Evans ATTEST: ' WAA G,o Tara Brooks Deputy City Secretary Page 3 of 3