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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRC Agenda 09032025 AGENDA Orange County Parks and Recreation Council Natalie Ziemba, Chair; Louise Flinn, Co-Chair; Logan Cason, Gregory Husketh; Alissa Martucci; Maggie Moriarty, Allen Parker; GiGi Rashdi, Chloe Reid (YD); Trevor Robinson; Navya Sharma (YD); Xilong Zhao, Robert Zurek. September 3, 2025 6:30 p.m. Bonnie B Davis EAC Multipurpose Room 1070 US 70 W Hillsborough, NC 27278 Time Item Title 6:30 I. Call to Order 6:30 II. Report of the Chair a. Chair Comments 6:40 III. New Business a. Additions or Changes to the Agenda b. Approval of Meeting Summary, June 6 (Attachment 1) c. Board Vacancies 7:10 IV. Old Business a. October— December PRC priority items b. Trails Plan September Workshop Sessions c. Great Trails State Day 7:40 V. Report of the Director a. Project and Plan Updates, Other Items of Interest 7:50 VI. Council and Committee Reports a. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (October 8) b. Items from the Council / Sharing of Volunteer Opportunities c. Friends of Orange County Parks and Recreation 8:00 VII. Adjournment Next Meeting: October 1 (Bonnie B Davis, Boardroom, Hillsborough) Meeting Summary— Parks and Recreation Council August 6, 2025 Solid Waste Management Center, Chapel Hill Members Present: Natalie Ziemba (Chair), Louise Flinn (Co-Chair), Logan Cason, Gregory Husketh, Trevor Robinson, Maggie Moriarty, Allen Parker, Xilong Zhao, Chloe Reid (youth delegate) Members Absent: Ben King, Robert Zurek, Alissa Martucci, GiGi Rashdi, Navya Sharma (youth delegate) Staff: David Stancil, Abby Mattingly Natalie Ziemba called the meeting to order at 6:30pm. Report of the Chair: a. Chair Comments— Chair Natalie Ziemba held brief introductions. New Business: a. Changes to the agenda — No changes were made. b. Nature of Orange Photography Contest—Abby Mattingly presented the results from the 2025 Nature of Orange Photography Contest. The contest aims to inspire exploration and appreciation of Orange County's outdoor landscapes and experiences. The theme for 2025 was"My Place in Nature". The contest saw a notable increase in adult entries, however, Mattingly was unable to account for this increase, as the submission form did not ask on how participants heard of the contest. Moving forward, entry forms will indicate where contestants learned of the contest. c. Approval of Meeting Summary, August 6 — Gregory Husketh motioned to approve, Trevor Robinson seconded. All in favor, none opposed, motion carried. Old Business a. Parks and Recreation 2030 Master Plan —The Parks and Recreation Master Plan was approved in late 2014 by BOCC. The Plan analyzes current conditions and is targeted to last until the year 2030 to anticipate need for parks and recreation facilities and programs. The plan also calls for a mid-plan review to assess progress and changed conditions. Beginning in 2022, the PRC worked to develop a draft report that looked at the targets and recommendations from the plan, what is going well, what has fallen behind, and what has changed. In June 2024, the council approved the Mid-Plan Review, with intention of it being sent to the BOCC later that year. However, other issues that arose resulted in the report being deferred to a later date. As it has been over a year, staff is seeking approval from the Council to bring it forth again. Staff recommended that the Council reassess the document and consider recommending the consideration of a new plan, to begin drafting in 2028. Maggie Moriarty asked if there would be room in an addendum to recognize that several conditions have changed since last year when it was drafted. Logan Cason added that the original intent of the review was to acknowledge that things are constantly in flux. David Stancil suggested including a cover letter, as several significant projects have changed. There were also changes made to the most recent Capital Investment Plan (CIP) this spring for future park projects, something not anticipated in the 2024 Mid-Plan document. Allen Parker asked what are the most important items that the Council want the Commissioners to see and what happens after the BOCC reviews it. Stancil informed that the document primarily serves as an update, and that it is up to BOCC to decide and respond on what items raised should be pursued further. There is not an action item to this, it was something advised in the original document. The Council could utilize the cover letter to emphasize a certain issue. Stancil requested that the Council approve the forwarding of this document to the BOCC, with new cover letter. Parker moved to approve; Cason seconded. Staff will draft a cover letter that recognizes that the CIP has changed the future of several projects, but that the mid-plan review is a document that reflects the changing nature of County initiatives, and how plans are constantly in flux. The cover letter will also speak to the need to begin the creation of the next plan, as this one is targeted for the year 2030 and it will likely take a few years to prepare a new plan. b. Discussion of Items for Remainer of 2025 — Stancil reminded the Council of the Annual Report and Work Plan. The plan outlines intended goals and expectations that the council would spend time on. There are several items that will be necessary for the Council to address this fall. The Council is still involved in the Trails Plan. Phase 3 of Blackwood Farm Park will be brought to the council in the fall, with it being sent to the BOCC in November. A new work plan will be developed towards the end of the year. Stancil presented some of the other items the Council had previously identified, and opened the floor to conversation on what other items the Council would like to address in September— December meetings. Several items were discussed but no consensus was reached. Staff offered to send out a survey, polling members as to what topics they would like to see addressed. Staff will offer results at the September meeting. Report of the Director a. Project/Program Updates— Stancil presented a memo that was sent to the BOCC regarding Fairview Park. There have been efforts to coordinate with the community to understand and implement remedies for community needs. Several groups are active with the community now, with Fairview Community Watch, Fairview Youth in Action, FFORC, and Habitat for Humanity being the primary points of contact for these concerns. The memo is a response to the community organizations' memo of early this year. Staff have purchased soccer goals and have coordinated with the HYAA to allow for informal soccer on the baseball outfields. Fairview Community Watch will coordinate the usage of the goals. A future, permanent soccer field will need to await the landfill mitigation. The Town of Hillsborough will also need to be involved. In other news, the Eno River suffered extreme flooding during Hurricane Chantal, resulting also in damage to the Town's wastewater lines along the river. River Park and the Farmer's Market Pavilion were closed. The Farmer's Market Pavilion and park were cleaned, but he Occaoneechi Village sustained substantial damage. DEAPR, the Town of Hillsborough, and the Occaneechi Tribal Council will have to work to reopen that portion of the park. Other parks did not sustain significant damage. Council and Committee Reports a. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group — next meeting scheduled for October 1412025 b. Items for the Council/Sharing of Volunteer Opportunities— c. Friends of Orange County Parks and Recreation — Adjournment: Ziemba adjourned the meeting at 8:15pm Next Meeting: September 3 (Hillsborough)