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HomeMy WebLinkAbout022823 PRTTAB Meeting Minuteslilyof Townsend. PARKS, RECREATION TREES, & TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING Minutes February 28, 2023 1 4:30 p.m. I Virtual or In Person Meeting I. Welcome, Introduction & Call to Order - Chair Debbie Jahnke Good afternoon and welcome to this meeting of the Port Townsend Parks, Recreation, Trees & Trails Advisory Board. The role of this Board is to assist City staff and to advise the City Council on legislative matters concerning parks, recreation, trees and trails. This meeting is open to the public at the City Council Chambers, virtually via this web format, and is also being video recorded for those who could not attend the meeting today and for future reference. Given that this meeting is in virtual format, we ask that the board members raise their hands to be called on by the Chair. The public can do the same to comment during the public comment periods. We take public comment at the beginning and end of the meeting. II. Roll Call: Board: Jim Todd, Becci Kimball, Russell Hill; Debbie Jahnke present, Matt Miner joined by phone (listen only) and then arrived at approx. 5:30. Absent and excused: Jennifer Rotermund (unable to log in virtually after trying for a half hour), Pam Adams (didn't receive packet and missed the date of the meeting) Staff present: Michael Todd, Carrie Hite, Steve King III. Approval of Agenda IV. Approval of January 24, 2023 Minutes. Approved agenda and minutes by consensus V. Public Comment (3 minutes per person/agenda items only) Public comments received via p t r a_" A.tyg. p.L.jt : No public comments VI. Old Business. None VII. New Business (60 min) A. Noxious Weeds (Sophie DeGroot, Noxious Weed Coordinator) Sophie's presentation (see video online) provided a brief overview of noxious weeds regulated under State law. Control of weeds is regulated by the State due to economic impacts. Class A — Law requires elimination of the weed and all plant parts Class B — Widespread (Poison Hemlock, Scotch Broom) Eradication is the goal Class C— Recommended for control (i.e., blackberry) Role of the Noxious Weed Board (County Board) is Education, Surveillance, and Control of weeds. Control methods (Early Detection Rapid Response) include manual, chemical, mechanical, insects, important role of citizen reporting of observations due to understaffing; Weed Board is looking at regulating gravel pits and other transfer sources related to the inadvertent spread of Scotch Broom from adjacent areas. PRTTAB comment objected to salol being considered an obnoxious weed when it is a important understory native with significant wildlife value, PRTTAB query regarded latest information about herbicide toxicity, longevity, Weed Board will be using a broadleaf selective herbicide, permission for broadcast spraying in the City discussed. B. YMCA Pool Report for 2022 (Wendy Bart, Executive Director of the YMCA) Wendy's presentation (see online video of meeting) described how the Ycome to operate the pool and laid out the goals of the management agreement. The presentation included an outline of operating hours and the struggle of keeping the pool open based on staffing, the necessity to increase security, and maintenance and repair issues. Under a certain threshold, these are handled by Y, while the City picks up costs above that. Data provided included 696 individual users with 15,815 visits in 2022. (See slides for demographics). Financial performance was described in the presentation as well as successes in service, cleanliness and safety of the pool. Challenges include deficiency in lifeguard numbers, incident at end of July created significant problems; staff injuries and requests for leaves of absence. Expanding reach: Now the Y has a stable schedule so expanding hours, teaching safety around water, (including Brinnon school), exchange opportunities where Y possholders could swim in any of the three branches, inclusion of financial support for Recovery Cafe and Winter Welcoming Center users; $15k in support for 54 people needing financial assistance thus far. Current users skew to older population, possibly due to hours of service making access more difficult for some users groups but an expansion of service hours may add other user groups; data may be influenced due to overlap with pickleball punchcord users. Swimming lessons are a key objective now underway as well as training for the Maritime Academy, Salish Rescue, Salish Coast School, Camp Beausite and Special Olympics. C. Healthier Together Initiative (Carrie Hite, Director of Parks Strategy) Carrie noted that seven partner entities are at the table to discuss rebuilding the pool and adding health and wellness opportunities. Open house March 14 at Fort Warden with virtual open house on March 16; the City website provides access to all materials. Request for Proposals — OPSIS Architects are working with the City to help with pool site analysis. Architects met with individual partners. All partners carved out 3 days to work with architects on pool challenges and options. Finance discussions explored both private and public options. Carrie's efforts are funded by ARPA funds and she is working on getting design money from Senator Murray's office. Priority list for location - Three locations are being discussed: hospital property, the golf course, and Mountain View Commons. Site visits have people leaning toward Mountain View, hospital land may be too small. Use of Mountain View is approved by the school district but relocation of the dog park, pickleball courts and the ReCyclery will need to be managed. D. 2023 Work Plan (Steve King, Public Works Director) Due to time constraints, the following will be addressed at the March PRTTAB meeting. 1. Adams St. Park irrigation repairs (staff) 2. Volunteer program (PRTTAB, Council, and Staff) 3. Park rules (PRTTAB, Council, and Staff) 4. Park street ends and memorial benches (PRTTAB and Staff) 5. Trail signage and kiosks installation (Staff with PRTTAB feedback on content) 6. Park Management plan for Koh Tai (PRTTAB and Staff) 7. Street trees and parks tree list (PRTTAB and staff, including engineering design standards)Golf Course (PRTTAB, Council, and Staff) 8. Health and Wellness Center (PRTTAB, Council and Staff) 9. Sustainable funding for parks, ie foundation, MPD, levy lid lift, etc (PRTTAB, Council and Staff — Fiscal Sustainability taskforce) 10. Development of a Capital Plan for Parks (taking the CFP to the next step) (PRTTAB and Staff) 11. Koh Tai restrooms and RV pad (Staff... PRTTAB review of final) 12. Play ground at Bishop (Staff, already reviewed by PRTTAB) 13. kitchen shelter at Chetz (staff, PRTTAB review) 14. Open Space and Buildable Lands Inventory - crossover with planning commission and housing (PRTTAB, PC, CC, and staff) 15. Sims Way — Comp Plan update and final design (PRTTAB, PC, and staff) VIII. Staff update — (10 min) A. Sims Way Update - all partners have asked for an additional year of time as everything is moving more slowly than planned B. Fiscal Sustainability - expenses always exceed revenues so efficiencies are sought C. Maintenance Update — WA Conservation Corps is working out at Coppy's Trails D. Skate Park — investigation of solar lights. Also, there are shoreline zone restrictions and concerns. E. Vegetation Control in the Right of Way — Control has always been adjacent landowner responsibility but City has done much of it. City is now delegating responsibility boto the adjoining property owner, whose responsibility it has always been; this has been a subsidy to property owners; City will develop some nuisance code to manage the issue. F. Kah Tai — waiting until June for word on status of grant, match will be used for camp host facility if grant is not funded G. Park rules are in progress, changes have been incorporated, administrative rules will be reviewed by Mayor and City Manager for their approval IX. Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting: March 28, 2023 X. Public Comment: none received XI. Adjourn: 6:00pm Parking Lot/Future Meetings Trail signing Walking and Biking Map Street Tree List (add Park Tree List and species that should not be planted here) PUD tree presentation(?) Park equity Park Foundation discussion Entheogens