VICTORIA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING June 11, 2012 1. CALL TO ORDER: By Michael Hummel, Vice-Chairperson at 5:30 P.M. In Attendance: Commissioners: Barbara Lampley Viola Saenz Matt Wickham Michael Hummel Lewis Neitsch Jamie Brown Staff in Attendance: Others in Attendance: Doug Cochran, Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Stewart, Park Services Manager Trudie Sandberg, Senior Clerk John Kaminski, Assistant City Manager 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 9, 2012 Regular Meeting Motion by Commissioner Viola Saenz Seconded by Commissioner Jamie Brown Motion carried to accept Minutes as written. 3. PUBLIC MEETING/REPORTS - None 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS A. The Texas Zoo - Andrea Blomberg, Executive Director Introduction of Andrea as the (new) Assistant Director of Recreation for the Parks Department. She is scheduled to start work on June 25 th. Ms. Blomberg reported that the Texas zoo is operating well and debt free and attendance is up. The Board has approved expansion and to address the flooding issue with additional berms. The land leased from the City will be used for expansion for an entertainment area and animal exhibits. We will be presenting diagrams of those plans to Doug in the near future. There is always More to do at the Zoo. On June 27 th at 2PM we will have the grand re-opening of the Aviary exhibit. Guests will be able to purchase feeding sticks so they can feed the birds themselves. INVISTA sponsored this entire renovation of the Aviary exhibit with a donation of $8500.00. We still have the peacocks. We also have acquired what some people call parakeets or parrots but they are also known as budgies. On June 23 rd, from 9AM to 4PM, the Zoo will have Viper Day with Rick and Eric Tameus from Animal Planet s Rattlesnake Republic. They are bringing in venomous snakes as an educational program to teach about Texas snakes. Details are available on our website. This week we will receive our large feline crates for transport of lions and tigers. Zoo attendance has increased over 30% in the last year. Attendance is increasing for each month over the same month last year. Income is increasing as well due to additional improvements in the gift shop and concession items as well as greater attendance. Items such as the feeding sticks for the Aviary costs $1 each helps add revenue.
Last week Dr. Culberson came in to vaccinate the lions. He was able to complete vaccinations while staff was performing training. The staff at the Zoo have been well trained to perform their tasks and will do well in my absence. Numerous applications have been received for my position; I fully expect it will be filled internally. B. Keep Victoria Beautiful - Diane Patterson, Executive Director I am no stranger to Keep Victoria Beautiful. I have served as Assistant Director, Secretary and Chairman of the Board. I attended both Victoria College and University of Houston. I love Victoria and plan to always live here. The June Beautification Award goes to Fordyce Holding and July s Award goes to the Lazy Longhorn RV Park. Beautification Award Ceremonies are held at 1PM every second Thursday of each month. We award businesses for landscaping as well as property and building appearance. The public is welcome to attend ceremonies. It is our responsibility as citizens to keep our businesses in good appearance. On June 23 rd, we are having a car show at the Hiller House. We will provide tours of the Hiller House and grounds as well as hamburgers, hot dogs and music. We are working on completing the Port Lavaca Drive Corridor Project across from Big Vic s Truck Stop. This will include completion of the five 12 x 60 planter boxes built around the existing crepe myrtles. This will include planting of heat-resistant, low-water usage plants. Improving the appearance of this entrance will encourage visitors to stay and then come back again. We meet the first Monday at 5:30 PM and are currently seeking new board members. My office is in the historic Hiller House the third oldest house in Texas located at 3003 N Vine Street. It houses a museum as well as offices. The property also includes the Athey Nature Area. We have pamphlets describing the wildlife and flowers. We are selling bricks in various sizes for our brick walkway. We are also seeking organizations (business, civic groups, schools, hospitals, etc.) to adopt four Adopt- A-Spot areas. We are doing litter abatement on Highways 87, 77 and 59 to be completed by August. I want to collaborate with Victoria East and Victoria West High Schools along with TxDOT to coordinate the students to take responsibility for the trash in front of the schools. By the end of the year, I want to partner with businesses along North Navarro (the Concrete Company, Wal-Mart, Sams, The Mall, Target and Ross) to cleanup the outfall. I plan to meet with the County Commissioners concerning cleaning past the city limit signs. Viola Saenz inquired about the City sign at Main and Mockingbird. Since that is under the Parks Department, Doug stated that it was contracted to John Fossati with Four Seasons. Mr. Fossati donated the crepe myrtles and labor to re-furbish the planter. 5. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS A. Matt Wickham Greenbelt Park. Matt spoke with Troy Howard, a Korean War Veteran, who was watering the grass around the Veteran s Monument. He also does various maintenance work around the monument. He reported that Mr. Howard drags his water hose from his house on Shiloh Street (about 200 feet) to water the grass around
the monument and had spoken to Lynn Short about getting a spigot for watering. He also spoke with Mr. Howard concerning the history of and the current lack of park facilities at Greenbelt. Mr. Howard said he was not opposed to installation of park facilities at Greenbelt. Mr. Wickham requested two items: 1. He would like to speak with someone (the COV Water Department) about getting a spigot set. 2. He would like to meet with Doug concerning canvassing the neighborhood residents (Shenandoah) concerning installation of (playground) facilities in Greenbelt Park. 6. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS A. Director s Report: Doug Cochran 1. New Staff Introduction Andrea Blomberg, Assistant Director of Recreation 2. Lone Tree Creek Park work is progressing and is anticipated to be completed by the end of July although he is skeptical of that deadline due to the rain received. 3. Ethel Lee Tracy Amphitheater Stage work is due to be completed by the end of September. 4. Red River Street City Council approved the Public Works Department to develop plans for rebuilding the street from Vine Street to the Park. This development will include an 8 trail from Vine Street connecting with the Nature Trail and ending behind the Horseman s Club. Bids are due to go out in August with work starting in November and be substantially complete by early next year. 5. CDBG Improvements We had some discussion a while back on various parks concerning some requested improvements. I gave the Commission a plan to add some equipment to these parks. a. Queen City Park additions to be included in FY 2013 b. Will Rogers Park additions in FY 2014 c. Hopkins Park additions in the next FY (2015) Staff also noted some deficiencies in Meadowlane Park. I have changed plans to address those issues. We plan to meet with the community in September and funds will be available to resolve the issues October 1. We will see what equipment can be installed with the funds available. 6. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park We ve had a need for a parking lot for years. Funds are now available for installing parking later this year. There will be no July meeting due to summer activities and vacations. B. Recreation Division Reports: Doug Cochran, Director 1. Summer Softball registration was completed last week. Registrations are down for this year. Research into this variance will be a task assigned to Andrea once she comes onboard.
2. Girls Summer Softball League 20 teams registered which is the maximum allowance. There were about 6 additional teams who wanted to play. We will be looking into expanding the number of play nights for next year. Additional Events: June 14 th DeLeon Plaza Street Dance with Clay Crockett and the Shotgun Riders The 4 th of July Fireworks and Concert at Victoria Mall sponsored by Hartman Distributing Kayak Clinic to be scheduled later in the summer There are many other summer events scheduled and I invite everyone to come out and enjoy the summer. C. Park Maintenance/Projects Report: Kevin Stewart, Park Services Manager June Projects DeLeon Plaza: Remove and reinstall one bench and remove pad Irrigation heads Youth Sports Complex: Repair the bad com wire on fields 1&2 City Hall: Repair irrigation Community Center: Repair irrigation Industrial Park: Fill all the holes Map the valves to the irrigation Tracy Park: Amphitheatre pouring foundation this Thursday Restroom Renovations completed with fresh paint and LED Lights Install trash can post Remove the water fountains in pond Hopkins Park Restrooms Renovations completed with fresh paint and LED Lights Brownson Park: Fix the playground fall zone Repair chain link Grover s Bend: Paint the restroom Municipal Pool: Remove wall Paint all park entrance signs Lone Tree Park asphalt parking lot is about 90% complete. The splashpad is moving slowly due to rain. The 3000 gallon concrete water recycle tank was set last week. The foundations for the water features have been drilled and trenching for piping is done with installation scheduled for tomorrow or Wednesday taking about a week followed by pouring of the foundation and completion of the water features. Work should be complete in 6-8 weeks barring additional rain delays. The spray pad is a total 2500 square feet. Riverside Duck Pond plans are to drain the pond to clean out debris and remove built up soil. The pump is also broken and will be replaced to move water from one pond to the other.
7. COMMITTEE REPORTS/ACTION ITEMS none 9. OLD BUSINESS Viola Saenz Memorial weekend traffic problem in Riverside Park. They could not get in to the Stadium on the Magnolia Street entrance. Next year we need better signage directing people to the Stadium. Traffic was backed up out past Memorial Drive on Red River Street because one person was in charge of checking for tickets to other events. They tried to enter on Stayton but it was fenced off. They eventually went thru the fence on Bluff and walked to the Stadium for the game. She requested one traffic lane dedicated to Stadium visitors with no stopping for tickets to other Memorial Weekend festivities. Doug stated the promoter for the 2013 Memorial weekend events has rented Riverside Stadium and there will be no games played that weekend. The promoter rented the park facilities last December. The baseball game promoter was told about the events already scheduled. There will be no competing events next year. 10. NEW BUSINESS None 11. ADOPTED PARK REPORTS: A. Park Assignments for 2011-2012 Term: Comments and Requests: Vic Caldwell: Michael Hummel: Barbara Lampley: Lewis Neitsch: Viola Saenz: Matt Wickham: Jamie Brown: James Wearden: Ashley Walyuchow: Boulevard Park Lone Tree Creek Park Meadowlane Park Ethel Lee Tracy Park Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Pine Street Park Queen City Park Greenbelt Park Brownson Park Riverside Park Evergreen Cemetery Memorial Park DeLeon Plaza Community Center Park Ted B. Reed Park 12. ADJOURNMENT 6:17 PM