Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRC Agenda 06072023 AGENDA Orange County Parks and Recreation Council Gina Reyman, Chair; Mikki Fleming, Vice-Chair; Jessie Birckhead; Chris Colvin; Louise Flinn; Greg Hughes; Rod Jones, Trevor Robinson; Rebecca Truluck; Xilong Zhao; Natalie Ziemba; Andrea Zimmerman; Sophia Fratta (YD); Grayson Shinn (YD) June 7, 2023 6:30 p.m. (New Member orientation at 6:00 pm) Davis Environment & Agricultural Center Board Room 1020 US 70 West Hillsborough, NC Time Item Title 6:30 I. Call to Order 6:32 II. Report of the Chair a. Introduction of New Members 6:45 III. New Business a. Public Request— Potential Dog Park at Cedar Grove Park (Cara Markovits) b. Appointment to the New Hope Creek Advisory Committee c. Possible Storybook Trail at County Park 7:25 IV. Old Business a. P&R Master Plan — 2023 Mid-Plan Report/Findings (Continued Discussion and Timeline) 7:50 V. Report of the Director a. Project/Program Updates (Perry Hills, Blackwood, Headwaters Preserve, etc) b. August Meeting Plans (Davis EAC, Hillsborough) 7:55 VI. Council and Committee Reports a. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (next mtg 10/11/23) b. Items from the Council / Sharing of Volunteer Opportunities 8:00 VII. Adjournment Next Meeting: August 2; Davis Center, Hillsborough Draft Meeting Summary— Parks and Recreation Council April 5, 2023 Orange County Animal Services Meeting Room Members Present: Gina Reyman (Chair), Mikki Fleming (Vice-Chair), Natalie Ziemba, Greg Hughes, Chris Colvin, Sophia Fratta, Becca Truluck, Xilong Zhao Members Absent: Rod Jones, Jessie Birckhead, Andrea Zimmerman Staff: David Stancil, Kalani Allen- Chair Gina Reyman called the meeting to order at 6:32pm. She asked members to share something about themselves. Review of Meeting Summary/Additions to Agenda: a. No changes or additions. Report of the Chair: a. Council Membership—Vacancies (113ingham, 1 at- large) —The Council examined and evaluated applicants for the two vacancies. Members decided and voted to recommend Louise Flinn for Bingham Township, Hannah Darr for At-Large, and Grayson Shinn for the second youth delegate. New Business: a. Year of the Trail— Possible Hike National Trails Day (June 3) — David Stancil made members aware of possible hikes within Orange County during the Year of the Trail. He reviewed hike events such as the Little River Regional Park National Trails Day, Earth Day twilight hike, eclipse hike and other hikes within the county. Stancil said that when dates are finalized, he will share them with the Council. b. Manager's Recommended Capital Investment Plan 2023-2033—Stancil gave an overview of projects the County Manager plans to recommend, such as the expansion of Blackwood Farm Park with an additional picnic shelter, outdoor classroom, and disc golf course. Greg Hughes inquired about the park's opening date. Stancil suggested a range of dates for a soft opening between April 18th and April 24th. He also said that in the CIP there are plans for tennis and pickleball courts at Fairview, as well as additional funding for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and $80,000 in additional funds for the Perry Hills MiniPark project. Old Business: a. P&R: Master Plan —2023 Mid-Plan Report/Findings (Initial Discussion) —Stancil led the following Mid-Plan review discussion. He requested that the Council identify adjustments that should be reflected in the plan. He used the One Orange Racial Equity Plan as an example. Members suggested collaboration, accessibility, sustainability, and a public pool and other terms. These ideas would be used to generate a word cloud for the Council to analyze before the Mid-Plan Report is drafted and eventually completed. Gardens, according to Youth Delegate Sophia Fratta, would be a nice addition to the list. Stancil explained that a follow up will occur for further discussions. b. Perry Hills MiniPark— March 23 Design Charrette-Stancil discussed the design charrette led by Marabeth Carr. Members Natalie Ziemba and Mikki Fleming attended the event and provided feedback. Fleming shared that she enjoyed seeing the process and how residents strategized their designs. Ziemba highlighted future possibilities of what can be done with grants and programs to get some ideas accomplished. Stancil explained the next steps after the charrette. c. Recreation Division— Update on Programs and Activities- Kalani Allen provided a short presentation of the Recreation Division's programs and projects. Members asked about the waitlist enrollment numbers and the reasons for this number. Stancil explained the lack of recreation space and gym usage within the schools. Allen's discussion included the expansion of Preschool Academy to five days a week. Afterschool received a new passenger van, and with this, they are able to expand the program to two additional schools. Report of the Director: a. Project/Updates- None b. May Meeting Plans— Discussion was had with members about the next meeting which traditionally is held at a local park. The Council made a decision on the location with a backup being Fairview Park. Council and Committee Reports- a. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (next mtg April 12) b. Items from the Council /Sharing of Volunteer Opportunities-Hughes shared that Stanford University now offers free courses. Adjournment: Reyman adjourned meeting at 8:05 pm. Next Meeting: May 3, 2023 6:30pm Park Meeting Draft Meeting Summary— Parks and Recreation Council May 3, 2023 Bonnie B. Davis Environment and Agricultural Center, Hillsborough NC* Members Present: Gina Reyman (Chair), Mikki Fleming (Vice-Chair), Natalie Ziemba, Andrea Zimmerman (via Zoom), Greg Hughes, Sophia Fratta, Becca Truluck, Xilong Zhao Members Absent: Rod Jones, Jessie Birckhead; Chris Colvin Staff: David Stancil, Dan Derby, Kalani Allen Chair Gina Reyman called the meeting to order at 6:47pm. She asked members to introduce themselves. Review of Meeting Summary/Additions to Agenda: a. No changes or additions. Report of the Chair: a. Cookout/Dinner-the Council cookout was relocated from Fairview Park and took place in the Davis Center Board Room. New Business: a. Parks Division Update (Dan Derby, Supt. of Parks): Dan Derby presented his yearly overview of parks. Derby started his presentation off with a history review of the Parks division since he joined the department. He explained that the County now has over 1,660 acres of park land and 12 parks and preserves, along with future park sites. He spoke on the future expansion of Soccer.com and the grand reopening scheduled for Blackwood Farm Park, slated for Friday, May 19, 2023. Derby emphasized that his main concerns were the need and investment for more parks as Orange County continues its upward growth. He talked about the Mountains to Sea Trail and Seven Mile Creek. Reyman asked about the status of the future park site at Millhouse Road. Derby answered that it is still a future park site with plans for soccer fields and a connecting trail to Blackwood Farm Park. David Stancil explained that this future site is in the Capital Investment Plan. Derby also spoke to staff and hiring within the division. He spoke to the challenge of obtaining seasonal staff positions post-COVID. Reyman asked Derby how Orange County compares to other municipalities. He gave a comparison of Mecklenburg County, which he said is a larger county with a large park area; however, Orange has maintained the parks within the county. He also said there is always room for improvement and knows the county will continue to add more parks. Xilong Zhao asked if there were any special events that occurred in parks. Derby answered that the hope is to host music festivals, movies in the park, and stage events with the new amphitheater at Blackwood Farm Park. Old Business: a. P&R Master Plan 2030 Mid-Plan Report/Findings: Stancil led a brief discussion on the next stages of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan mid-plan review. He stated that items added, changed, or enforced by the Council would be included in the proposed review. He requested that additional items not discussed at the April meeting be brought forward and discussed to the next meeting. Kalani Allen displayed a word cloud with significant words members gave from the previous meeting. These words would go along with recommendations for the mid plan review. Report of the Director: a. Project/Program Updates (Perry Hills, Blackwood, etc.): Stancil provided an update on the reopening of Blackwood Farm Park, which had a soft opening on April 25. He provided members with an update on the program schedule for the reopening celebration. He mentioned the last Perry Hills Park meeting, and he added that a meeting to review draft park designs would be held in June, and that a master plan would be developed and presented to county commissioners in September after PRC review. Council and Committee Reports: a. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (April 12 mtg) —Greg Hughes attended the IPWG meeting. He stated that he was interested in learning how to get the events out to the community as there are numerous activities throughout the jurisdictions. b. Items from the Council /Sharing of Volunteer Opportunities- none Adjournment: Reyman adjourned meeting at B:OOpm. Next Meeting: June 7, 6:30pm, Davis Center, Hillsborough * -The meeting was relocated from Fairview Park picnic shelter due to expected weather.