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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks Authority January 27, 2025 OEPAgTM Q!4 c' Y 0,0 :AIW " Parks Authority Board Meeting 7=7- 01 .272025 .v�' RsO ,v -'ARKS• This meeting took place on Monday,January 27th of 2025 at 5 PM at the Jeffersonville City Hall in the Mayors Conference Room on the 3th floor. Board Members present were: Evan Stoner, Elizabeth Carter, Stacie Thompson, Carmen Croudep, Gus Luckert, Debbie Pait, and Pamela Clark. Additional guest present was the City Youth Advocate, Heaven Williams. Parks Staff Present: Amber Ridings, Amber Powell,Tara Young, Ricky Romans, Olivia Mann, Daniel Fluhr, Sara Nord. Meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM EST. Election of the board's officers, both the president and the vice president title positions, was first on the docket. Member Stoner made a MOTION to allow Liz Carter to remain as the Parks Authority Board President. Member Thompson seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Member Stoner then stepped down from the vice president role. Member Thompson made a MOTION for member Luckert to become the Vice President. Member Croudep seconded. Motion passed 7-0. APPROVAL OF AGENDA- Member Clark made a MOTION to approve the agenda for the meeting. Member Croudep seconded. Motion passed 7-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Member Clark made a MOTION to approve the December 16'h, 2024 meeting minutes, and the motion was seconded by Member Pait. The motion passed 7-0. OLD BUSINESS: The agenda for old business included a discussion regarding changes to the operating hours of the Jeffersonville Aquatic Center, as well as a proposal to increase fees across the board. Olivia Mann, the Manager of the Jeffersonville Aquatic Center, presented the proposed new hours and revised fee structure. She emphasized that these changes would streamline our rate categories from four to two: one for Jeffersonville residents and another for non-residents. Mann further detailed the staffing requirements necessary to effectively operate the pool, including an analysis of turnover rates and current salaries for the various positions. Currently, the Aquatic Center employs a total of thirty lifeguards, with three additional hires needed for the upcoming season. In terms of facility and event workers, who primarily manage the concessions area, Mann indicated a need to recruit entirely new staff. Additionally, four new hires are required for the Assistant Manager position, along with an equal number for Swim Coaches. Assistant Parks Director, Amber Ridings then noted that we are thirty-nine thousand over in salaries for 2024, which with our retention rate for staff, will only be higher this year and that with us being open fifteen weeks out of the year for the season, the rate increases are needed to make up this financial deficit. Ridings then opened the floor to discussion regarding the rates and hours noting that Members Thompson and Luckert went to the trouble of putting together a proposal if others wanted to review. Member Luckert inquired about the potential shortfall in salaries, specifically questioning the sources of funding to address this issue. Amber Ridings responded, highlighting that this year, funds were reallocated from other programming and facility budgets to support salary payments. She emphasized that this practice is unfair to the affected programs and hampers our ability to offer diverse opportunities to the community. Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 DEPAR • (, ' Parks Authority Board Meeting ▪ ~ 01.272025 , FRSON�s 'ARKS O Member Luckert then asked whether we would still face a shortfall this year, given the proposal presented by Mann. Ridings clarified that Olivia has already distributed return-to-hire postcards to former staff, providing insight into potential staffing levels. She noted that the initial financial estimates were made prior to receiving these responses, and the revised figures now accurately reflect the number of staff expected to return. Member Luckert expressed that none of the committee members wish to raise prices, believing it should not be the solution. However, he acknowledged that the Parks and Recreation Department operates as a business, necessitating adequate funding to adhere to the budget. Consequently, he felt compelled to support the proposed increase. He admitted that, aside from attracting more patrons to the pool, he did not have a definitive solution, as it is impossible to guarantee similar attendance figures or rental rates for the facility. Ms. Ridings and Ms. Mann affirmed that the pool has already secured five to six rentals for the upcoming year. In response, Member Luckert noted that, while this is positive, there is no assurance that these numbers will mirror last year's figures. Ridings indicated that the pool is a highly sought-after facility,typically rented every weekend throughout the season. Furthermore, we plan to introduce an additional rental day on Fridays, which should enhance our booking opportunities. Member Luckert mentioned that Olivia had reported New Albany would be increasing their pool prices by ten dollars and inquired whether we had approached Clarksville regarding their pricing. Mann responded that Clarksville is still evaluating their rates; however, their out-of-state fee is currently set at twelve dollars. She emphasized that our pool offers significantly more amenities than theirs. Member Thompson expressed her appreciation for our retention rates, asserting that they reflect positively on Olivia's management and the opportunities we provide for young people. She also commended our commitment to offering staff a fair wage. However, she emphasized her desire to maintain the daily rate at eight dollars, if feasible. Additionally, she mentioned her awareness of a surplus fund related to the Parks Department and expressed interest in learning more about it. In response, Ridings confirmed the existence of a Parks Surplus Fund, which the city's Chief Financial Officer requires to maintain at a specific percentage that cannot fall below a designated threshold. She explained that this fund serves as a contingency reserve for emergencies, such as the breakdown of major facilities or the initiation of significant projects. Ridings further noted that she had discussed with City Attorney Les Merkley the possibility of utilizing this surplus to cover salaries, although it is primarily intended for unforeseen major expenses. Maintenance Manager Daniel Fluhr provided an illustrative example from a few years ago when a main sprinkler line at the Woehrle Athletic Complex burst, resulting in damages amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The surplus fund was instrumental in financing the repairs in that instance. Member Clark inquired whether there would be an increase in fees for our leagues, rentals, or other programs. Ms. Ridings responded that discussions are ongoing regarding rental fees, as those rates remain relatively low. However, she noted that league fees for programs such as K-12, cheerleading, and football were raised about one to two years ago and will not be increased at this time. She acknowledged that future adjustments may be necessary due to rising equipment costs. Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 `LSoePARrM F Parks Authority Board Meeting 01.272025 <• i'• ', F�'A R KS O City Attorney Merkley commented on the surplus funds, stating that for those funds to be utilized, they must first be appropriated, which requires the Mayor's recommendation for an additional appropriation. He further explained that our CFO aims to maintain a certain level of reserves, although he was uncertain about the specific percentage allocated for us. Merkley emphasized the importance of treating reserves like a savings account; if we begin to rely on savings to cover operational expenses, such as salaries,we risk running short in the future,which could jeopardize our ability to meet payroll obligations.This is a situation we should strive to avoid. Member Stoner then stated in Member Thompsons' proposal we're looking at three hundred and forty thousand versus the proposal Gus put together for three hundred and forty-two thousand. He questioned where Member Thompson came up with a negative twenty-seven thousand figure that she had on her proposal. Member Thompson stated that the figure is from the 2024 revenue minus her proposal,and would make that negative difference. Member Stoner remarked on the complexity of the situation, noting that this discussion has been ongoing since the board initially addressed these matters in December. He expressed concern that the board has inadvertently placed Olivia in a difficult position, as she aims to communicate season pass pricing and related information to the public, and he apologized for the predicament. He reiterated the board's commitment to serving the residents of Jeffersonville. Stoner mentioned that if the proposed rates are adopted,they would still fall below those of New Albany. He proposed the possibility of offering discounts for low-income families, suggesting that a certain number of discounts be made available each summer to help mitigate the impact of the price increase.Stoner acknowledged concerns from community members regarding the importance of maintaining accessibility to the pool for all families in Jeffersonville. He recognized the challenges this proposal may present but emphasized the potential benefits of establishing a consistent discount program for low-income families each summer. He inquired whether any such initiatives are currently in place. Ridings indicated that we do not currently offer this specific option; however, we provide discounts in other areas. For instance, purchasing a membership before a designated date yields a significant discount. She suggested that implementing a lower membership price would be more feasible than adjusting daily rates. Amber Powell raised the question of how we would verify income for potential members. Ms. Ridings echoed this concern, emphasizing the challenge of justifying such measures for others who may also qualify. Nevertheless, she mentioned that we distribute pool passes to local schools and proposed that board members receive a few passes to distribute personally. She noted that many of the pool passes allocated to our city partners go unused, and the Parks department would prefer to ensure they benefit families wishing to bring their children for swimming activities. Members Clark,Thompson, and President Carter contributed to the discussion,expressing that this initiative would be beneficial, as they could distribute passes to housing authorities, schools, and community action programs, which would assist in identifying those in need of such support. Ms. Ridings indicated that we could certainly consider handling this matter internally, as it would not adversely affect the department. She noted that children must be at least thirteen years old to use the pool independently, and we may need to reevaluate this age requirement in the future, as it might be necessary to raise it. Currently,we offer a Summer Camp program for children that includes pool activities,which are enjoyable for them. However, our lifeguards are not intended to serve as babysitters; their primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the children present. Unfortunately, Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 `.s()EPA10, � IIII Qt,j GAT.OAs,Ela ' ` (i W ' Parks Authority Board Meeting ,0 �!�,�, 01 .272025 1.FRSON mac' • ARKS O many children are simply dropped off to spend time at the pool, which can lead to situations where our guards end up performing supervisory roles. Member Clark responded by emphasizing the importance of providing children with opportunities for engagement and recreation, such as swimming, particularly as these opportunities may be limited in some areas of Clark County. Member Stoner then commented that if there's a discipline problem we need to handle that separately as well whether it's a sit down at the beginning of summer wherein we talk to staff and go over rules and regulations or something else. Ms. Mann then stated that we've had to have a police officer or officers come by the pool several times just to have a presence.Twice a day, copes will come through and do a walkthrough or at least go and sit in the parking lot. There are situations that happened last summer that should not have happened and it's not the lifeguards fault; it's just kids being kids like issues that happened at school that then continue at the pool like fighting. She went on to list a few examples and stated that that's not something that the lifeguards need to get in the middle of and it's not something they're trained to do. So my thought is if we raise the rates you do keep some of that discipline away. But if we keep them the same, I feel that we maybe need to look into having a resource officer at the aquatics center full-time, which is going to be a bigger price tag than raising the rates. Member Thompson then addressed Ms. Mann and asked her opinion on the rental rates Member Thompson had proposed stating that do you think it's going to be an issue for people who currently rent to pay fifty more dollars. Ms. Mann stated that she did not feel like this increase would be an issue for people to pay. Member Thompson asked if Ms. Mann saw any issues with any of the rates she'd proposed in any of the rental fees? Ms. Mann said no, the proposed rates by Member Thompson for rentals was agreeable noting that the only fee I would say to not go up so high on those. Amber Powell then spoke stating that she believes the bottom line is the board's concern with raising the admission rates is accessibility and that they want to keep the pool accessible to lower-income families who may not be able to afford the extra two dollars. She echoed that she felt Ms. Ridings idea of the donation passes would be more effective in utilizing the organizations in town that are getting the passes into the hands of the kids who really need them. Whereas the kids who are already coming to the pool pay eight and can't afford ten. She feels that if we really make the effort with outreach and the free passes, she believes that's more effective than keeping the rate the eight dollars and then you still generate the revenue you need to raise salaries. Member Thompson stated she agreed with that but her challenge is, as a Jeff resident, this is an amenity that she pays taxes towards and she doesn't want to see every time there's budget shortfall, that they're coming after her-already being a taxpayer and a resident of the city,that in privilege deserves the right to said amenity. She clarified that her concern is not necessarily low-income families, though that takes precedence, but her concern is actually working parents. Member Croudep continued on this same thought stating you don't necessarily need to be low-income if you're in a household and you're the only working parent. You don't want to choose between feeding your kid and letting them go to the pool because that is a luxury. She went on to say that just because some of the kids are low income doesn't mean they're a problem child.The pool is a positive thing for children to be at and that she agrees, Ms. Mann is right, the lifeguards are not babysitters and there does need to be some type of security there because they shouldn't have to deal with that especially Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 4.9 OEPAgTM QP G`tY 0�• a ` g Parks Authority Board Meeting s 01.272025 • FRSON � PARKS'- with some of them being kids themselves. She feels it would be good to look into a police presence there, not just in the parking lot but maybe doing more walkthroughs. Member Stoner chimed in that our community police officer, Amber may be right for this and asked if she ever came down to the pool prior to the start of the season. Ms. Mann responded no, it's more likely at this point that the police send whatever officer is available and in that area at the time. Member Stoner continued that he feels the community officers personality and her approach would be highly effective there because she's got a friendlier persona that could come down and maybe talk to or provide some education prior to the start of the season. President Carter stated that those fights that start at school are not foreseeable events and there's no way to know when or what will happen. Member Stoner continued that we've grown exponentially and we've added all these new parks and facilities and our people are strained, or services are strained. And while we've talked bout this many times what we keep coming back to is that we're strained; not just in parks but all across the board. So time and time again we keep coming back every time there's a strain and we need to raise rates on our residents once again and it's not really the root cause. The root cause is that we've grown so much, we've added so many parks and we haven't seen an increase in the budget each year that you all need. Member Clark added that she can see this discussion continuing because as things get more expensive, when do you draw the line and say you're not going to increase admission anymore?She continued that she could see this snowballing every two years and asked when do we put a cap on it. Ridings answered the question with a question of her own posing; when will the rest of the stuff in the world stop going up? Member Clark stated that she still disagreed. Member Stoner then stated that there seemed to be some consensus that the donation passes could be an answer for now but perhaps the youth advocate present could shed some light on how to better get the word out about what's available with the pool and asked the City Youth Advocate, Heaven Williams to speak on that. Ms. Williams then introduced herself and explained that she did see the board's dilemma with this issue. She proposed that we could possibly look into offering a discount for students with ID cards, and that discount could possibly include the student's families or younger children. She then went on to propose perhaps a ten percent discount even if it's just for concessions as something to incentives the kids to go. She also asked about getting some flyers from Olivia for the school. Ms. Mann answered that there are currently ones going out in February to go on the school televisions. President Carter then requested that the board draws to a conclusion stating that we could continue to discuss this in perpetuity. Ridings proposed that we get approval on each section of rate types to see whose proposal the board wanted to go with for each section. Member Stoner then made a MOTION to approve to proposed prices for admissions by parks. Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 5-2. Member Stoner made a MOTION to approve the programming prices proposed by parks. Member Luckert seconded. The motion passed 7-0. Member Stoner made a MOTION to approve the approve the parks proposed prices for memberships. Member Luckert seconded. The motion passed 6-1. Member Luckert made a MOTION to approve Member Thompsons proposed prices for rentals. Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 5 OEPARTM pp 4 ° Parks Authority Board Meeting 01.272025 F�'ARK50 Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Member Luckert made a MOTION to approve the proposed new hours of operations for the Jeff Aquatic Center as put forth by parks. Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 7-0. NEW BUSINESS: Member Stoner then elected to have the City Youth Advocate, Heaven Williams speak noting that she'd discussed with some of her class the things they'd like to see in our cities parks. Ms.Williams then took the floor and introduced herself before going over the premise of the survey that she put out for Jeff High students regarding what they would like to see that would get our youth more active in parks.She stated that the majority of answers included more walking trails, bigger equipment, more trees and gardens, lights and more night activities for teens.She stated that when she says gardens she does mean flowers or plants and that many teens are thinking about making things themselves and growing their own food or donating to homeless that are in need.She then charged the board with thinking of ways to help. She went on to say that at Jeff High, they do have a student council and student ambassador, so they do earn money and do community service through that and offered that they may be able to assist in making some of these things happen. Amber Powell then stated that her venue,The Depot, may be a great place to enact some activities for teens on Friday nights wherein they could be supervised in a location that felt relaxed and inviting given that it's in the NoCo arts district. Member Stoner noted that he will send out Ms. Williams email address to the board members directly in case they would like to contact her with further ideas and solutions. Amber Ridings then began going over contracts for approval starting with the Patriot Mobile Wash contract. Manager Daniel Fluhr stated that we've seen great things out of this company so far and that someone from their company was on the clock for all of our events. Member Luckert made a MOTION to approve the Patriot Mobile Wash contract. Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Ridings then went on to discuss the hours for the park stating that all of our parks are currently dawn to dusk.We did just get the Pickleball courts added to Oglesby Park that have lights and those lights have been staying on until ten pm, and then at our new disc golf course there's a group that would like to do a glow league so the Parks Director wanted to have the discussion with the board about making an exception to the dawn to dusk hours for those two parks specifically. She noted that none of our other parks have lights on unless we have a softball game going on late, but the actual parks themselves are supposed to be dawn to dusk. Member Stoner asked the City Attorney if he felt we needed to get an approval of the individual events or if there would be a change to the rules? Ridings noted this would mean a change to the rules for these two parks. Member Stoner then stated that he feels if there are going to be changes to the rules for these to parks specifically it may need to be a larger conversation because if we're going to change the lights at one park for one activity, it needs to be done across the board. Attorney Les Merkley questioned if this would just be lights for the courts and not the park itself. Ridings answered correct,this would just be court lighting. Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 SOEPAgT if*4 10) Parks Authority Board Meeting " 01.272025 �'ARKg• Attorney Merkley stated that he would suggest just putting signage up for the pickleball courts. Ridings stated we do have these hours on the signs there. Attorney Merkley stated then I wouldn't think you'd have to do anything else. Member Thompson asked if we'd had any complaints specifically from the neighbors surrounding the courts at this time. Ridings stated we have not had complaints from neighbors,just from the players themselves. The board determined nothing needed to be done at this time. Manager,Tara Young then went over the Riverstage artist contracts for 2025. Member Thompson made a MOTION to approve the Riverstage contracts. Member Croudep seconded. The motion passed 7-0. Young then went over the Santa contract for special events. Member Luckert noted that there was not a price listed on the contract presented. Young stated that she could get that to the board member, but last year's price was seven hundred and fifty and this year should be the same. Member Thompson made a MOTION to approve the Santa contract pending a review of pricing. Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Young then went over the Fun Time Productions that supplies the train for both Steamboat Nights and Light Up Jeff. Member Thompson made a MOTION to approve the Fun Time contract. Member Croudep seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Young continued with the C&H Production contract that covers Riverstage. Member Pait made a MOTION to approve. Member Thompson seconded.The motion passed 7-0. Young wrapped up with the Hyperion Ventures contract for liquor sales at Riverstage. She highlighted that instead of paying us a twenty-two percent rate of their earnings they will now pay us ten percent, but this is due to the loss of revenue on their end seen by the city adding DORA. Member Thompson asked if because of DORA we have to change how we have set up the alcohol consumption area. Owner of Hyperion Ventures, Chris Palmer spoke to answer stating yes, they do have to have signage that allows people to come in and out of the area. We also handle security for people that stop both from taking their drinks outside of certain districts. However, since the Riverstage area is part of the DORA district, they can technically bring them from Spring Street down into the DORA space as well. We just do not allow the DORA drinks themselves to be in the area where we sell alcohol. Member Stoner then asked Mr. Palmer if there was any change to the number of bartenders that he has down there. Mr. Palmer stated, yes they did decrease the number of bartenders now that DORA allows people to purchase from other restaurants in the area. He continued that it's much more difficult for them to sell a beer for seven dollars at a venue, when someone could go buy from Harrys.To combat this they reduced process to the places that have the DORA pass next to the venue itself. Member Stoner asked if we had DORA in place all last year during the season. Manager Young stated, yes one date into the Riverstage season was when DORA took affect and that's Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 ��gpEPq/�TM (totilo Parks Authority Board Meeting . 0s, 01.272025 ,t,FRsot4-�' 'PARKS O when we realized that these other restaurants were supplying alcohol to our patrons. Member Thompson made a MOTION to approve the Riverstage alcohol contract. Member Luckert seconded. The motion passed 7-0. Next on the docket was the contract for alcohol concessions at The Depot. Manager Amber Powell spoke on that. Member Luckert made a MOTION to approve. Member Pait seconded. The motion passed 7-0. MANAGER'S REPORT: Each Manager provided the board with activities, current tasks, and projects for review. Amber Ridngs opened the floor for Amber Powell to update the board on a summary review for The Depot in 2024 and what's to come in 2025. Manager Powell gave the board a summary to go over and stated she plans to up the marketing for the venue going forward. Additionally she plans to keep going on programing with things like theme parties, the Bloody Mary Festival, and Wine After Work. As far as new plans and programs, she'd also like to start a weekly concert series for every Thursday night.This will showcase local and original talents. With things like Wine After Work she plans to start looking into sponsorships from local wineries and would like to try a Wine and Arts Festival. She's also talked with C&H about bringing in a large screen so we could host an Oaks Watch Party. Additionally she'd like to try out a Blues and Barbeque event. She noted that she will have more details next month to share as far as bands that are coming to The Depot and event details as well. Member Clark asked if the bands playing there would be paying us to play or if we were charging them a fee to participate. Ms. Powell answered, no, we would actually be paying the artists to come and play. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Amber Ridings, the Parks Assistant Director standing in for Director Paul Northam. Ridings started out by thanking Daniel Fluhr and his crew for helping out with the recent snow and ice storms. Additionally she thanked the Greenspace Team for clearing parking lots and sidewalks. She noted both teams have been working diligently to get things cleared and what a great job they've done. She then stated that our Greenspace Team most recently has been working to give our EnVision Center a fresh coat of paint on the inside for a bit of a face-lift. REPORTS AND COMMENTS Maintenance Manger, Daniel Fluhr then noted to the board that he'd brought with him a dump truck that they had recently approved the purchase of and let them know that he would never ask them to approve something they don't need and he wanted them to be able to put hands on it if they'd like to. Member Stoner then took a moment to recognize all of the great work that's being done throughout the Parks Department and with the great conversations had about what's to come at The Depot. Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025 , DEPART. QP� c cif Y p E,. I( g Parks Authority Board Meeting .` -lik� ,J. 01.272025 �,,,RoNs ,v PARK50 Parks Authority Attorney Report- None Public Comments- None Member Thompson made a MOTION to ADJOURN at 6:15 PM. https://vimeo.com/1049803987 APPROVED: Q.4A-4.. e—, ----- ip■-;;;„ 0;.°14 Hilla Pa o Elizabeth C er- Parks Authority President Transcribed by Hillary Pacheco on 01.28.2025