HomeMy WebLinkAboutBiennial Joint PR Board Meeting 030216Biennial Joint Parks and Recreation Boards Meeting
March 2, 2016
Richard Whitted Center – Main Meeting Room
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BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Orange County: Neal Bench ; Joel Bulkley; Evelyn Daniel;
Allan Green; John Greeson; Tori Williams Reid; Haywood Rhodes; Betty McDade Khan; Rachel
Massai; Rob Robinson. Chapel Hill: Steve Price; Mary Musacchia; Bob Myers; Erin Crouse.
Carrboro: Tamara Sanders. Hillsborough: Todd Stabley; Robb English; Ashley Desena; Annie
Jarabek.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Orange County: Michael Dempsey. Chapel Hill: Joseph Battle; Regina
Blalock; Joan Guilkey; Robert Myers; Steve Price; Raymond Wong; Jochen Swarz; Maria
Palmer. Hillsborough: Rebecca Swartz; Kate Albrecht; Noah Lassiter Mace; Nancy Taylor; Kim
Woodell; Chris Wehrman; Jennifer Weaver.
STAFF PRESENT: Orange County: David Stancil; Lynn Hecht; Marabeth Carr; Daniel Derby.
Carrboro: Anita Jones McNair. Chapel Hill: Jim Orr; Linda Smith.
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1. Beginning time of meeting: 6:30. Orange County P&R Council Chair Bench
introduced himself and asked for all to introduce themselves. Introductions were
made around the room to include which Board they were representing.
2. Stancil gave a brief overview of the evening format.
3. Staff and board members were asked to choose a table which represented 4 topics of
discussion. Groups were asked to briefly note the main points of their discussions.
The topics were as follows:
I. Trail and greenway connectivity (local and MST) between jurisdictions.
II. County and municipalities partnerships (focus on Millhouse Road Park)
III. Focus on preserving wildlife corridors and riparian buffers.
IV. Recreation programming for teens (and facility needs for teens?)
4. Reports were given from the small groups with potential action plans.
I. Trail and greenway connectivity: Existing Connectors are Chapel
Hill/Carrboro and MST through Hillsborough and the Eno River. High
probability/possibility: Hillsborough via Cates Creek/Blackwood; Chapel Hill
via Blackwood and Carrboro via Blackwood.
Identified action items are: 1) Get the MST done; 2) Ask IP Work Group to
write a letter to BOCC prioritizing; 3) Camping and waystation focus for
MST; and 4) Publicize upcoming interactive Trails and Greenway GIS App.
Other input was about Teen Access and Wildlife Corridors.
II Partnerships (Millhouse Road Park): Demands/Needs: partnerships.
Actions - 1) agree and plan - start design process; multipurpose fields; 2)
include community center; 3) decide on turf or AstroTurf fields; 4) pool?,
trails, hike or bike?; 5) host tournament play, provides economic
development; 6) playgrounds - special needs?
III Promote Wildlife Corridors and Riparian Buffers: Land Conservation
Alliance exists. Ask IP Work group to tackle, use this group and make an
agenda topic; Action 1) Support one annual workshop on
conservation/wildlife corridors (collaborate with other partners) - balance
the municipal and county scale (include smaller urban conservation
systems efforts); Action 2) get National Wildlife federation (NWF)
certification and use “citizen science” - interpretation; enhance awareness
of conservation needs in all parts of the county – National Recreation and
Parks Association (NRPA), Land Trust Alliance (LTA) show conservation
benefits that accrue. Describe benefits in dollar form, quantify; need
guidance/definitions of conservation terms; Action 3) Connectivity of
corridors for wildlife; need to partner with land trusts, etc. and have better
collaboration between local governments and land trusts. Look at
economic aspect, eco-tourism, economic impact of protected corridors;
need the money and who will maintain (RRS, NCRPA, CTNC). Action 4)
develop educational opportunities and workshops, things like Upper
Neuse Clean Water Initiative (UNCWI); quantify water quality benefits in
buffers (science, money); use citizen science. Action 5) Identify local
“conservation champions” for riparian buffers, wildlife corridors; update
inventory of natural areas.
IV Recreation Programming for Teens: Current Facilities: Chapel Hill
Teen Center with table tennis, foosball, computers, recording studio;
tutoring and proposed trips for adventure, college visits & etc.; Library
Teen Room with tutoring, computers, book groups & etc.; Chapel Hill
Parks and Recreation Skate Park; Sportsplex with ice skating, swimming
pool and proposed indoor soccer; Hargraves Swimming Pool with pool
and basketball court. Action Recommendations: 1) tubing on Eno; 2)
climbing wall, 3) kayaking opportunities.
5. Bench and Stancil noted that tonight’s discussion pads would be transcribed and
shared. Bench noted that hopefully there will be further inter-board discussion and
collaboration on actions that can be pursued.
6. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 pm.