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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-04-2014 - 7aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 4, 2014 Action Agenda Item No. 7 -a SUBJECT: Resolution - Community Use of Schools Facilities for Recreation DEPARTMENT: DEAPR PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Cover Letter and Draft Resolution David Stancil, 245 -2510 2008 IPWG Guiding Principles Marabeth Carr, 245 -2516 PURPOSE: To consider a resolution from the Intergovernmental Parks (IP) Work Group supporting the use of school facilities for community recreation purposes. BACKGROUND: The IP Work Group is a multi - jurisdictional 27- member committee with representatives from the County and all towns, both school systems, parks advisory boards and other park and conservation interests. The group meets three times a year and was created as an outgrowth of the 1999 Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group report. The IP Work Group's mission, approved by all governing boards, is: 1. To gather, exchange and share information on parks planning and development in the municipalities and County. 2. To maintain and update the Inventory of Parks and Recreation Facilities developed as part of the Joint Master Recreation and Parks report, including new properties acquired or dedicated. 3. To foster communication between the municipalities and County on future opportunities and collaborative ventures. 4. To provide a coordinating mechanism for updates to parks and recreation plans in each jurisdiction. 5. To review and inform the municipalities and County concerning parks needs and potential opportunities. 6. To develop parameters for parks standards (leaving flexibility for the actual standards to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction within these parameters). 7. To develop and coordinate public education and public outreach on parks issues (coordinated brochures, etc). During late 2007 through mid -2008, the IP Work Group discussed the issues surrounding the use of school facilities for community recreation use. The group heard from staff and board representatives from the schools and parks and recreation departments. Because of the complexity of the topic and the need for buy-in at multiple levels, the IP Work Group reviewed current policies; identified key shared issues and assumptions, and from those developed ten (10) guiding principles and three (3) recommendations (Attachment 2). Over the next year those principles and recommendations were endorsed by all the local municipalities and both school boards. (Note: the City of Mebane did not participate due to the lack of school facilities within Orange County). On November 9, 2009 the recommendations and principles were approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Since that time the IP Work Group has worked with each of the school boards and while recognizing the past history of coordination and the need for school activities to take precedence, also identified disconnects and inadvertent hindrances to public access that may have occurred over the years. In 2013, both school systems reworked their policies and revamped their websites to be more user-friendly. The attached memorandum and resolution (Attachment 1) were created by the IP Work Group and are the outcome of that effort. To date the resolution has been adopted by: Orange County Schools Board of Education (March 24, 2014) Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen (April 8, 2014) Town of Hillsborough Board of Commissioners (April 14, 2014) Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools Board of Education (May 15, 2014) Town of Chapel Hill Town Council (June 23, 2014) (Note: City of Mebane did not participate due to lack of school facilities in Orange County). FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with the adoption of the resolution. More coordination between County and school systems could result in cost savings for school facility recreation rentals over time, and potentially negate the need for some future recreation facility construction. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign the Resolution supporting Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation. 41 Attachment 1 MEMORANDUM To: Carrboro Board of Aldermen Chapel Hill-- Carrboro City Schools Board of Chapel Hill Town Council Education Hillsborough Board of Commissioners Orange County Schools Board of Education Mebane City Council Orange County Board of Commissioners From: Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Date: March 4, 2014 Re: Resolution Supporting Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation On December 11, 2013, the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group approved the attached resolution, which is the accumulation of several years of discussion on the topic of enhancing the ability of the greater community to access and use public school facilities for recreation purposes. While there is a history of local recreation programs using individual school facilities on an ad hoc or annual basis, there is no formal mechanism to provide for this use as a matter of policy for both local governments and the school systems. Across the state and the nation, many local governments and public school systems have worked together to make a vast array of public school recreation facilities available for community or public use when not in use by school activities. This concept has allowed many locales to avoid unnecessary duplication of facility construction. In 2008, a set of proposed guiding principles were developed and shared with the local governments and school systems, and then were adopted by all of the local government boards in the county. These principles laid the foundation for the resolution that is attached and is commended here for your consideration. This resolution is also consistent in its intent with the recent modifications to facility use policies by both school systems., These modifications have helped to clarify and elaborate on opportunities for local recreation programs to use school playing fields or gymnasiums. The resolution notes. the mutual benefits accrued to both schools and local governments by community use of school facilities in promoting healthy lifestyles, teamwork and cooperation, and other life skills, and that many of those who would benefit from greater community use of school facilities for recreation are students at these schools. The Intergovernmental Parks Work Group hereby recommends that each local government board and school board consider and adopt the attached resolution, to formalize the intent of all parties to promote prudent and reasonable cost community use of schools for recreation purposes, as outlined in the resolution. 4 Information Contact: David Stancil or Marabeth Carr, Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation 919 -245 -2510. Copies: David Andrews, Carrboro Town Manager David Cheek, Mebane City Manager Eric Peterson, Hillsborough Town Manager Roger Stancil, Chapel Hill Town Manager Michael Talbert, Orange County Manager Tom Forcella, Superintendent Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools Gerd Martin, Superintendent Orange County Schools Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Parks and Recreation Directors .. 5 RES- 2014 -056 RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR RECREATION WHEREAS, many public schools in Orange County contain athletic and recreation facilities such as playing fields, gymnasiums and other similar facilities or areas; and WHEREAS, these facilities are constructed with public fiends primarily for the use of students and athletic groups at the respective schools but also may be (and have been to some degree) available when not in use by these groups for community or organized athletics and recreation; and WHEREAS, many school systems and local governments around the country, including several in North Carolina, have successfully developed understandings and agreements to allow for use of school athletic and recreation facilities for athletic and recreation programs operated by local governments for the public;* and WHEREAS, in Orange County, the vast majority of participants in these athletic leagues and programs are also students in the respective school districts; and WHEREAS, encouraging participation in athletic leagues and youth recreation activities promotes healthy lifestyles and works to combat childhood obesity, develop healthy exercise habits for a lifetime, and promotes teamwork and cooperation; and WHEREAS, both the Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools have recently completed reviews and/or changes to their facility use .policies which in part served to open new avenues for usage for community athletic and recreationd activities; and WHEREAS, it is in the mutual interest of the school systems and the local governments to develop mechanisms that allow for continued and expanded usage of such facilities, when not in use by the schools, to avoid duplication or otherwise unnecessary capital improvements funded by public dollars: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, the city of Mebane, Orange County, and the Chapel"Hill- Carrboro City Schools and the Orange County Schools pledge jointly to pursue and allow mutually- berieficial usage of recreational facilities at the schools by local government youth athletics and recreation, within the framework of school usage needs. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parties above agree that usage of such facilities, should be subject to a minimum level of usage fees recognizing the population being served as school system students, and that this level of usage fee be determined either by recognition in the schools facility fee schedule or by interlocal agreement. This, the ` day of _ , 201_. Chapel Hill- Canboro City Schools Orange County Schools Town of Carrboro A Date ATTEST Date ATTEST Date ATTEST Town of Chapel Hill Date ATTEST Town of Hillsborough Date ATTEST City of Mebane Date ATTEST Orange County Date ATTEST IPWG - Adoption of the Resolution for Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation Jurisdiction Carrboro Approved by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen April 8, 2014 Chapel Hill Approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council June 23, 2014 Hillsborough Approved by the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners April 14, 2014 Mebane NIA (no Orange County schools in Jurisdiction Orange County Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools Approved by the School Board May 15, 2014 Orange County Schools Approved by the School Board March 24, 2014 8 Attachment 2 Memorandum To: Carrboro Board of Aldermen Chapel Hill Town Council Hillsborough Board of Commissioners Mebane City Council Orange County Board of Commissioners Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools Board of Education Orange County Schools Board of Education From: Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Alice Gordon and Barry Jacobs, Conveners Date: September 23, 2008 Subject: Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation At several previous meetings of the IP Work Group (in particular November 28, 2007 and April 24, 2008), we have discussed a topic of great relevance to all recreation providers, school boards and the general public — the longstanding issue of whether additional community use of school facilities for recreation can be achieved. This is a complex, yet important topic that has often been discussed with little resolution. The IP Work Group would like to offer the following guiding principles for the consideration of our elected boards: GUIDING PRINCIPLES GOVERNING COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL. FACILITIES FOR RECREATION Underlying Assumptions 1. There are not enough gyms (especially full size gyms), ball fields and other recreational facilities available for use in Orange County. Allowing public use of school facilities maximizes taxpayer benefits in using these facilities. 2. Both school systems have a long history of working with the public recreation agencies where possible. A shortage of available gyms and fields puts considerable pressure on the school facilities that are available. 3. It is acknowledged that students must have priority for facility use during school hours. M 4. There is a public health aspect to providing recreational opportunities at schools, since allowing for public use helps promote healthy lifestyles for children and adults. Key Issues 5. Though students must have priority during school hours, it appears that opportunities exist for both organized public use and individual use after school hours and on weekends. There could also be different policies for - indoor and outdoor facilities (e.g., access to restroom facilities). 6. Because of the high volume of activity by interscholastic teams at the middle school and high school levels, coordinating the use of facilities (gymnasiums, fields) and activities with elementary schools would appear to offer the most opportunity. Jurisdictions and the school systems should continue to explore opportunities for co- location of facilities in the design of new schools and renovations to older schools, with the financial participation of appropriate entities /other jurisdictions. (For additional information on the co- location of facilities, please see the attached document, "A Memorandum of Agreement for Providing Coordinated Site and Facility Planning, along with adopting resolution approved by Town of Carrboro on May 23, 2000.) 7. A way to balance the need for schools to cover the costs of facilities use and the need for public access should be developed. One approach might be to eliminate or at least lower usage charges for government and nonprofit use, after determining an "actual cost" basis. Another approach is to allow the using parties to secure oversight by designating a person within the organization to take responsibility for opening and closing the facility. It is acknowledged that there might be marginal cost increases associated with this additional use, not already covered, that would need to be addressed. 8. Opportunities for limited individual access to school facilities that are often _gated and closed should be examined, mindful of the need for the security and safety of the facilities. 9. Criteria utilized for facility use decision - making may need to differ from school to school. However, there should be an overall expectation that facilities will be available for public use under specked conditions. Examination of Current Policies 10. Policies that govern community use (both organized and individual) of school facilities for recreation should be re- examined in light of these underlying assumptions and key issues. The purpose of this examination should be to change current policies so as to increase the use of school facilities by the general public while continuing to meet the program and financial needs of the 10 schools, and also to establish clear and, consistent decision-making policies for facility use. RECOMMENDATION OF THE INTERGOVERMENTAL PARKS WORK GROUP 1. Each elected board should endorse the ten GUIDING PRINCIPLES GOVERNING COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR RECREATION, stated above. 2. Each board should authorize its staff to participate in the re- examination of current policies, as stated in guiding principle #10. 3. After taking action, each elected board should forward to the IP Work Group the results of their action. We hope that you will be willing to approve the IP Work Group recommendation. After the elected boards have responded, and if they approve the recommendation, the IP Work Group will coordinate the re-examination of the policies governing the community use of school facilities for recreation, and forward their recommendations to the elected boards. We would be glad to discuss the guiding principles further or provide additional information, if desired. Thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts on this important subject. copies: Laura Blackmon, Orange County Manager Eric Peterson, Hillsborough Town Manager Roger Stancil, Chapel Hill Town Manager Steve Stewart Carrboro Town Manager Robert Wilson, Mebane City Manager Neil Pedersen, CHCCS Superintendent Patrick Rhodes, OCS Superintendent Intergovernmental Parks Work Group Parks and Recreation Directors 11 Community Use of School Facilities for Recreation Status - IPWG Principles and Recommendations Jurisdiction Carrboro Adopted by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen November 11, 2008 Chapel Hill Adopted by the Chapel Hill Town Council November 4, 2009 Hillsborough Adopted by the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners December 2008 Mebane NIA (no Orange County schools in jurisdiction) Orange County Approved by The Board of County Commissioners November 5, 2009 Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools To consider after jurisdictions complete Orange County Schools To consider after jurisdictions complete