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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-05-01 Park Board MinutesRIVERSIDE PARK BOARD MEETING MINUTES May 1, 2007 6:00 p.m. The Riverside Park Board held their regularly scheduled meeting at the City Hall in Riverside, Missouri, on Tuesday, May 1, 2007. Those in attendance were: Julie Rule, Cathy Mousel, Ron. Carlson, Jim Frakes, Sara Thatcher, Brent Miles, Mayor Kathy Rose, Jane Henry and Sarah Thompson. Not in attendance were: Jerry Hackenberg and Lori Rardeen. Glen Bary and Paul Peatermen gave a presentation to the Board in regard to the Scottish Highland Games to be held at E.H. Young Park June 8-9, 2007. They plan to keep the event similar to last year, but plan to add a few new venues. In previous years the Games have had a concert on Saturday night, but this year they plan to have a concert on both Friday and Saturday night. In addition they will have a tent to house the entertainment because the stage got too hot last year. They will also have a Scottish Wrestling demonstration and five to six Pipe Bands playing throughout the day. Bary stated that this is the second year of the Scottish Highland Games of a three year contract that they have with the City and that they would like to look into extending it if at all possible when it is over. He also asked if there was anything different they needed to do this year. Jim Frakes said that he had heard nothing but positive remarks about how the event went last year. Bary mentioned that if they were to extend a contract with the City that they may need more room to add a Pipe Band Competition which would take away from some of the parking at E.H.Y oung Park. Frakes suggested that they have parking at the High School and bus individuals over to the event. Bary explained that they already did that last year and plan to continue it. Brent Miles, Director of Planning and Economic Development, asked how the Scottish Highland games planed to market their event. Bary replied that they have activities throughout the year to promote this event. They highlight it when they do local pub nights and they have a Mother's Day event at Metro North Mall. They will also be running a commercial with Time Warner Cable on the Discovery channel and the History Channel, and they plan to do some radio advertising as well. One thing they would like to gee in better signage to get to the Park. Miles explained that the City has new signage regulation and that if they would submit a sig~i plan the City would try and help them with sign placement. Miles asked if there was anything the City could put on its website to promote the Scottish Highland Games. Bary asked if the City would be able to set up a link from their website to the Scottish Highland Games website. Page 1 Jane Henry, Expectative Administrative Assistant, said that the City staff would not be able to do that, but she would like to get some information from them to use on the City's homepa~;e to spotlight the Scottish Highland Games. Bary asked if the City had generators that they could use. Miles informed him that the City had just upgraded the electrical system at E.H. Young Parl: and that they would have to contact Larry Meyer in Public Works to find out more information. Bary explained that he thought they would still need to use generators for some of the conces:oions, but would contact Meyers for more details. Bary also mentioned that there were not enough trash cans last year and didn't know if they nf;eded to provide more or if the City could provide more. He also mentioned that they will be partnering with KC Beautiful to provide recycling for the event. Miles said that they would have to speak with Larry Meyers in Public Works for that matter. Bary explained that they are talking with Riverside Public Safety to increase the number of officers at the event this year. They would like to have six officers on duty at all times and have at leaist on stationed at all gate entrances to control gate crashers. Bary also wanted to make sure the grass in the park would be cut prior to the event. Miles assured him it would but advise him to confirm that with Larry Meyers in Public `Yorks before the event. Bary asked how many free tickets they should give to the City for employees. Henry replied that the City has 50 full time employees, plus Board members. Bary said he would drop off 100 or so. Next, Dan Riley with Kids with a Cause addressed the Board asking to use E.H. Young Parl: with all rental fees waves to have a Battle of the Bands contest on July 14,2007 from noon to 11 p.m. to benefit A.LD.S. orphans in South Africa. Kids with a Cause is based in Los Angeles, California and is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization that promotes kids helping kids in the U.S. and around the world. This will be a free family friendly event that will feature six local high school age bands that will play for 25 minutes each. The fans will vote for the best band by making donations in that band's collection box for A.I.D.S. orphans. The band that raises the most money will win. Kids with a cause is working on a prize of ten or so recording hours in a local studio. They would also like to provide refreshments, such as bottled water, canned pop and factory packages chips and candy. There are no plans for food preparation venders. Alcohol will not be permitted. Cleanup, parking and technical crews will be provided by Crossroads Community Church and other volunteers. Event staff will provide trash receptacles and they will follow City guidelines on restroom facilities, trash removal, officer in duty, etc. They are expecting 150 people but could have more. Mayor Kathy Rose asked how long Kids with a Cause has been around. Page 2 Riley responded that Kids with as Cause was founded in 2000. Mayor Rose asked how much of the profit is used for administrative costs and how much is actually donated. Riley said that eight percent goes for running expenses and the other ninety-two percent is used for charity. Julie Rule asked how Riley got involved with Kids with a Cause. Riley replied that he was born in South Africa and that is where he met his wife. He has always been involved in charity work and wanted to get famous kids involved in helping other kids. He began working on a Hillary Duff charity and came across Kids with a Cause. He wasn't sure ~ibout the organization seeing he found it on the Internet, so he took his family on a trip to make sure this was a legitimate operation and he began working with then last September. Rule asked how Riley estimated the number of people that will attend. Riley said that he based it in the number of bands and his previous experiences with his son's -band, but did explain that it is hard to guess seeing this is the first time they have done this in the Kansas City Area. Rule asked how they planned to advertise. Riley explained that they are looking for free advertisements on local T.V. and radio, but it is difficult to gage seeing this is the first time it has been done in this area. Mayor Rose asked if Kids with a Cause was affiliated with the Crossroads Community Church in Kearney. Riley explained that Kids with a Cause is not affiliated with any church, but that because this event is for charity he was taking volunteers from anywhere. Mayor Rose asked why Kids with a Cause choose Riverside. Riley said that no other city had what Riverside had to offer for this type of event. He continued to explain that he did not know about Riverside and its parks until he found a web page advertising a truck show at E.H. Young Park. Rule asked if there would be enough parking at the park for this event. Mayor Rose explained that there would be plenty. There are eighty spaces at the park and thirty to forty going up the drive. If more spaces were needed parking would also be allowed on the grass in some areas. Rule asked what this event would do for Riverside. Riley said that there would be more indirect benefits to the City than anything. It would increase publicity for the City and promote kids helping kids and the City working to help others in nef;d. Page 3 Riley asked if it would be possible to wave the fee for the Public Safety officers. Rule said that is something that Kids with a Cause would have to discuss with the Chif of P~~lice, Greg Mills. Frakes asked if this would give him enough time to get everything together for a July 14`h evenn:. Riley assured him that they have everything else together and they are just waiting on the approval of the venue. Frakes asked if there was a chance that this event could get more publicity. Riley said that there is a good chance that the drummer from Hilary Duff's band, who has hi:. own band, could come to this event. In that case Kids with a Cause would get more help to cover the large turn out. However, nothing will be decided until the venue is determined. Rule made a motion to allow Kids with a Cause to use E.H. Young Park on Saturday, July 14, 2007 for a Battle of the Bands Charity event with all deposit and rental fees waived. Ron Carlson seconded and the motion passed. Rule explained to the Board that they now need to look at park maintenance, budget priorities for the trails and parks, and re-look at the trail priorities. Rule gave a handout to everyone with pictures of various maintenance issues that need to be addresses at Homestead Park, Renner Brenner Park and E.H. Young Park. The maintenance issues range from minor repairs on playground equipment to weeding flowerbeds, to adding new mulch and cleaning up graffiti. There are a few major projects that need to be addressed like a drinking fountain at Homestead Park, major painting of everything and the moving of some of the skateboard park equipment so that it can be used at Renner Brenner Park, and large sections of fence mining at E.H. Young Park. Rule also revisited some of the enhancement suggestions made last Jur.e and thought some of this should be discussed with the new Public Works Director after he begins. Rule then gave out last year's park priority list. The first three items under "high priority", baseball field standardization, Homestead Park upgrades, and maintenance at Renner Brenner Park sire all expected to be completed soon. The rest of the "high priority" list read: • Develop park maintenance standards • Line Creek Connector Trail- E.H. Young to Renner Brenner • Packet for event planning • Year round restroom facilities at E.H. Young • Input into streetscape, Master Plan, fountain designs and signage designs • Jumping Branch / Gatewoods Trail connection • Baseball field lighting The tennis courts were moved from "high priority" to "medium priority" because Park Hill South will be adding tennis courts to their facility. Also, baseball field lighting was moved from "medium priority" to "high priority" because the baseball fields are almost complete with standardization so the Board thought lighting would make them more useable. The rest of the "medium priority list read: • Skateboarding Park improvements Page 4 • Additional baseball fields • Trail from Renner Brenner across Gateway • Line Creek trail from Renner Brenner to KCMG • Placement of benches at E.H. Young Park • Improved water access at E.H. Young shelter houses Community Center improvements were moved from "medium priority" to "low priority" because the City is planning on contracting with the YMCA and North Kansas City Community Centf;r for Riverside residents to use their facilities. The "low priority" list now reads: • Swimming pool upgrades /Community Center upgrades • Spray Park • Additions of football and soccer £elds • Wet side Levee Trail system • Pocket Parks • Boat ramp • Water fountain at Homestead Park • Recreation opportunity near El Chaparral Apartments • MO Riverfront Trail KCMG connector • West Loop Trail • Bluffs Trail • Vivion Road Trail • Repair of stream corridors • Promotion of rain gardens • Fish cleaning stations at E.H. Young Rule also went over the trail priority list that read: • Gatewoods Trail Connection- connects a large portion of residents to the park system and downtown • Connection from Renner Brenner across Gateway- connects Indian Hills residents and is part of the connections to the Line Creek Trail and Interurban Trail • Wet Side Levee Trails- develops an untapped natural resources for Riverside residents and others to experience the Missouri River • KCMO Connector Trail- enables the connection from the Missouri Riverfront Trail to KCMG • West Loop Trail- Connects Horizons to Renner Brenner and Park Hill South and includes use of Horizons sidewalk system • Bluffs Trail- Trail along bluffs across from Red X • Vivion Road Trail The Board agreed that the trail priority list should remain the same. Their was some discus:;ion of moving the Bluffs Trail up in priority seeing it will be worked on as part of a development, but the Board agreed to leave it where it was. Rule announces that National Trails day will be June 2, 2007 and the county is looking for volunteers. Page 5 Rule also announced that a new organization was forming called the Friends of Platte County Parks. They extended and invitation for anyone to join then at their first event on May 12, 2007 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at English Landing Park. Rule motioned to adjourn and Frakes seconded. The motion passed. Page 6