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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRB 2010-08-02 Minutes MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARK AND RECREATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS HELD IN THE CITY COUNCIL WORKROOM, 7301 NORTHEAST LOOP 820, NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS AUGUST 2, 2010 — 6:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairwoman Kusmierski called the meeting to order August 2, 2010 at 6:03 p.m. Present: Marty Kusmierski Chair Ricky McElroy Board Member Jay Crane Board Member Mike Filis Board Member Tito Rodriguez Board Member Tracye Tipps Alternate Staff Members: Vickie Loftice Managing Director of Community Services Bill Thornton Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Sharon Davis Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Chris Swartz Waterpark Manager Christina Lopez Administrative Secretary Adrien Pekurney Recreation Center Manager Absent: Brad Greene Vice -Chair Marlin Miller Board Member 2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 7, 2010 MEETING APPROVED MR. CRANE MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 7, 2010 PARK AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING. MR. RODRIGUEZ SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIED 5-0. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 6, 2010 WORK SESSION APPROVED MR. RODRIGUEZ MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 6, 2010 PARK AND RECREATION BOARD WORK SESSION. MR. MCELROY SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIED 5-0. Page 1 of 7 4. CITIZEN COMMENTS None 5-a. RECREATION CENTER UPDATE Mr. Bill Thornton, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation, presented a Recreation Center Project Status update on the following items: Design Development Cost Evaluation — There is a little over $25 million dedicated to the Recreation Center Project. The professional services contract was awarded to Brinkley Sargent Architects and the construction contract awarded to Byrne Construction, Construction Manager at Risk. Byrne Construction is preparing the individual bid packages to be issued the last week of August. Once all the bids have been received, Byrne Construction will submit the Guaranteed Maximum Price which will be taken to City Council for an amendment to their contract and final approval. Ground breaking is scheduled for October. Site Plan Update — The plaza area between the Recreation Center and Library will serve as a gathering spot and in order to create a strong pedestrian environment, 14 ft wide pedestrian sidewalks with shade trees will be incorporated into the area along with way finding signage. Bud Jenson Road will be expanded and overhead utilities will be buried. Revisions to the Entry of the Banquet Facility — Several comments were received regarding the flow of traffic through the Banquet Facility Lobby, the Senior Center and Main Street. To resolve this conflict, another set of doors have been introduced to access the Banquet Facility. Review of Amenities — Ms. Vickie Loftice reviewed the facilities amenities which are still being analyzed and adjusted. The Senior Center area will have a separate entry with a receptionist area, main seating area, flat screen TV's, fireplace, computers with access to the Internet, kitchen seating area and three class rooms. The larger class room will accommodate 100 people and can be subdivided into two rooms. The design of the senior center is a very efficient use of space. Staff will keep the Senior Services Committee involved in selecting colors and materials for the space. The Banquet Facility will accommodate 300 people and can be subdivided into three spaces. A Banquet Facility Manager will be hired to lease the space and differentiate the facility from the large convention center being opened in Hurst. Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 2 of 7 The Recreation Center will include the following amenities: "Main Street ", Front Desk Control Area, Fitness Center, Preschool Program, Multi- Purpose Classroom, Childcare, 2 " Floor Fitness Area, Two Fitness Studios, Longest Indoor Suspended Walking Track, Locker Rooms and an Elevator. Seating areas along Main Street will have Wi -Fi and electronic charging stations. Staff is looking at a non - traditional layout for the fitness center and is considering "The Journey" from Life Fitness. Plans for the fitness center are still evolving. The Natatorium will have the following amenities: Resistance Channel, Play Area, Climbing Wall, three lanes for lap swimming, Spa Area, water slide and two party rooms. The water slide is being designed to penetrate the outside of the building before reaching the splash pool. There will also be large doors in the Natatorium area that will open into an outdoor plaza area. The Roof Top Terrace will be a covered, heated and air - conditioned space with the ability to open a solid glass wall for an open air area. There will be flat screen TV's, tables and seating areas. Policies will be in place to cover any events that may have beer or wine served. Mr. Thornton continued the presentation. The Planning and Zoning Commission will be taking the zoning change request for the Recreation Center site to City Council on August 9 The zoning is requested to be changed from Agricultural to Institutional. Planning and Zoning is also considering a Special Use Permit for a variance from the Masonry requirements for the outside of the building. Due to the unique nature and architectural style of the Recreation Center, the architect is proposing using an architectural panel designed to imitate or mimic masonry. The panels will be used in portions of the highest areas of exterior surfaces. Strategic Positioning & Discussion with Questionnaire to Follow — BrandEra has been hired to help with Strategic positioning for the facility which will be very important due to the competition in the area. Brandera will be instrumental in the naming of the facility, logo development, strategic positioning and communication plan and branding campaign concept development. The Board members were requested to complete a questionnaire answering several key questions. 1. What are three adjectives you would use to describe the new NRH Recreation Center? 2. In your opinion, what are the three most important features about the new NRH Recreation Center? 3. What new NRH Recreation facilities do you envision community members utilizing the most? 4. What makes the City of North Richland Hills unique? 5. What concept(s) about the community would you like the new NRH Recreational Center name to convey? Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 3 of 7 6. In your opinion, who will use the new center most? 7. What are key words you would like to see associated with the Recreation Center brand? 8. What new activities or groups do you see being hosted at the Center? 5 -b. NRH ATTRACTION AND FOOD SERVICE BUILDING UPDATE Mr. Bill Thornton provided an update on the new attraction for NRH and the Food Service Building. Schrickel, Rollins & Associates have been designing the infrastructure to accept the new attraction which was selected from competitive sealed proposals submitted by three suppliers. Criteria included attraction price, entertainment value, riders per -hour, rider experience, Blvd 26 statement of presence, compatibility with existing infrastructure, remaining development area within the park, Wow factor and customer satisfaction surveys received from park guest. Based on the criteria above, Whitewater's new "Viper" was selected. The "Viper" is brand new on the market, is compatible with the existing filtration system, will be highly visual along Blvd 26 and has an extremely high rider through -put at 720 riders per hour. Award of bid is anticipated for late October or early November with an opening in May 2011. The new Food Service Building will have a kitchen, service area, elevated deck space and an area for a small stage. 5-c. PARK MAINTENANCE UPDATES Mr. Bill Thornton provided an update on Park Maintenance Update: Stormy Plaza — After substantial completion of the park, water was observed seeping from the lower retaining walls, resulting in discoloration of the decorative pavement. American Landscape Systems is installing a French drain throughout the lower planter bed area to correct the problem. ALS is also installing a waterproof membrane along the backside of the stone to prevent water from leaching through to the front. Park Maintenance staff recently completed renovation of the fishing pier at HomeTown Lakes. The pier had deteriorated in response to weather, flooding and use. Staff replaced the hand rails with treated marine lumber and the worn floor planks with treks lumber. Staff also applied a natural cedar stain sealer to help further protect the pier. The newly renovated pier is actually constructed better than the original. Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 4 of 7 6 -a. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT ON LISTED ITEMS CURRENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Ms. Adrien Pekurney, Recreation Center Manager, updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: The Richland Tennis Center held their NRH Championship Major Zone Tournament on July 10 -12. This is the largest tournament Richland Tennis Center has ever held with 561 players, playing at seven sites. The Recreation Center will hold their annual Rec Expo Open House on Saturday, August 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Activities include: class demos, activities for the kids and $1 hot dogs /drinks /sno- cones. Ms. Tracye Tipps spoke very highly of the Yoga Instructor Ann Almond and encouraged everyone to attend. On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Sonido Sol Trio, a traditional, yet inventive Latin band out of Austin, will perform live at Stormy Plaza from 7:00 — 9:15 p.m. The encore for the evening will be presented by Percussionist Dan Egger - Belandria entitled "Aquadrums ", an amazing concept blending lights, percussion and water into a spectacular audiovisual show. This free event is made possible with the support of the Texas Commission on the Arts and Katy ARTreach. Camp NRH concluded on August 13 with 660 participants enrolled over the summer. 6 -b. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR'S REPORT ON LISTED ITEMS UPDATE ON PARKS CAPITAL PROJECTS Mr. Bill Thornton updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: A pre- construction meeting was held on July 2, 2010 for the Blvd 26 Trail Project. The Memorandum of Understanding for the City's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program which was authorized by City Council on July 12 has been forwarded to TxDOT for their execution. A Notice To Proceed will be issued upon receipt of the executed Memo of Understanding from TxDOT. At the June 7, 2010 Park Board meeting, the Board recommended capping the City's participation at $60,000 and to establish a time period of one year, through July 1, 2011, for the dog park association to raise their portion of the cost of the lights. The Richland Tennis Center's Asset Management plan addresses funding for needed replacement and renovation projects. Improvements for FY09 /10 include new flooring for the lobby, new service counter, replacement of the water fountains and roof repairs. Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 5 of 7 All of the projects are complete with the exception of the roof repairs which will be completed in the middle of August. Chairwoman Kusmierski asked about the trail signage and listing distance markers and length of the trail. Staff responded that the "you are here" signs will have this requested information. Currently the JoAnn Johnson Trail has been completed. 6-c. AQUATIC PARK MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Chris Swartz updated the Park and Recreation Board on the following: Season Pass revenue is showing a 10.7% increase over last season. Attributing to that was a new promotional campaign offering three different service options for season passes. The three tiers for season passes include the following: First Tier — "Splash Pass" (49.99 - $69.99) This tier allows guests entry to the park Monday — Thursday, with a 10% discount on all in -park food, beverage and merchandise purchases. Middle Tier — "Season Pass" ($64.00 - $84.99) Includes a 15% discount on all in -park food, beverage and merchandise purchases, a refillable souvenir bottle with $1.00 refills and access to our special season pass holders' exclusives. "Greatest Value" — Season Pass ($89.99 - $109.99) Includes all the advantages listed above plus: free drink refills, five free combo meals per pass, early entry into the park, free popcorn on Dive -In Movie nights. The Greatest Value tier was designed for high volume users of the park and was developed after guest feedback. NRH2O and the City of Fort Worth recently partnered to provide admission tickets to NRH for City of Fort Worth residents. The number of tickets in the partnership was $1,375. The tickets went on sale Monday, July 19 and we sold out by the morning of Wednesday, July 21. Each Fort Worth resident was able to purchase up to four tickets that were only valid for the day on which they were purchased only. The total ticket cost was $16.00. The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Foundation, paid through private donations for $8.00 of each ticket. The remaining $8.00 was paid for by the residents purchasing the tickets. The park saw some phenomenal publicity for this event but also received feedback from some season pass holders who thought the ticket promotion caused the park to be overcrowded. The tickets from the promotion would not have been valid on the days in question. The park was also crowded the weekend before the promotion was valid due to two weeks of rain leading up to this time. Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 6 of 7 7. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS Chairwoman Kusmierski commented that the bike paths in Barcelona, Spain are great. 8. ADJOURNMENT Chairwoman Kusmierski adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m. ' 1 , • Ma us V 1211 air ATTEST: ristina Lopez, Administrag a ecretary Park and Recreation Board Minutes August 2, 2010 Page 7 of 7