Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSAC.2024.0122.MinutesCOMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 A Regular Meeting of the Community Services Advisory Commission was convened at 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains in open and public session at 5:00 p.m. Members Present: Chair Natalie Varela, Vice Chair Carey Reddick, Commissioner Stephen Barnes, Commissioner Craig Rudolphy; Commissioner Ron Ruppert; Commissioner Rory Wilson, Youth Commissioner Kevin Williams Staff Present: Community Services Director Kevin Snipes; Executive Assistant Patti Lopuszanski - 1 - Transcribed by https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES VARELA: All right, we're going to Call our Meeting to Order at 5:00 p.m. If I can get a Roll Call, please? LOPUSZANSKI: Chair Varela? VARELA: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Vice Chair Reddick? REDDICK: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Commissioner Barnes. BARNES: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Commissioner Rudolphy? RUDOLPHY: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Commissioner Ruppert? RUPPORT: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Commissioner Wilson. WILSON: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Youth Commissioner Williams WILLIAMS: Here. LOPUSZANSKI: Thank you. VARELA: Do we have a Call to the Public? LOPUSZANSKI: No Call to Public. VARELA: Thank you. Okay. Reports by Commissioners. LOPUSZANSKI: That's where you each have an opportunity to speak about anything that you've been involved in in the town, something you want to share with each of the commissioners. VARELA: Does anyone have anything that they've been doing, you're seeing around town that you want to share? RUPPERT: I think driving around town you can see that you know, all the parks are being utilized, all the ball fields are being utilized, the playgrounds are being utilized. Kids are on the swings, people are down the park walking on the fountains, and the Community Center is booming. That's what it's all about. So, you know, that's a good thing. VARELA: Lots of road construction also, kind of everywhere. That's the other thing I've been noticing. I thought it was a little bit hard when it was on Saguaro. It didn't seem like it had a lot of traffic direction in that one area. WILSON: A friend of mine and myself participated in the Light Up the Town holiday thing. It took us like probably two hours or more and it was really fun. It went very well. We didn't have any issues with the survey. And the Avenue was gorgeous this year. So good job, Kevin, to you and your staff. So, thank you. VARELA: Yeah, I felt that the Avenue looked so great. REDDICK: I'd have to mirror that your team did an amazing job. The only constructive criticism would be that it would have been nice to have consistent holiday music playing instead of random acoustic music from the performer. SNIPES: During the stroll? REDDICK: The night of the lights. - 2 Transcribed by https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES SNIPES: So that's the Chamber that runs that event. So, we piggyback with them with our Roll in the Glow event. This, I think, is going to end up being the last year that we do the roll. It's gotten too big. And it doesn't fit anymore with the stroll. So, I think that's going to be the last year that we'll have the roll. We just don't have any other weekends available to pull it off at a different time. So, we did try and find a way to make that work. But thank you for the comments on the lights. Light Up the Town has grown pretty substantially from where we started a few years ago. During COVID we came up with that idea with a mapping and everything. It's cool. And this year, I think we had 32 people that participated over 1000 I think it's 1400 and some views on it. So that was good. And we were somewhere in 150 or 200 votes that were that that actively participated. So that's good as well. I just think it's a cool way and I know I sent friends from down the valley up to check it out because there's no way that it's easier. I mean you just punch it in, and it'll scroll you from one spot to the other you get to see what it is when you look on the map. If you didn't download it, I recommend you do it next year it's a really neat way to go see some lights. VARELA: Did you vote on it? WILSON: I did and the houses I voted for won so I was happy about that. SNIPES: Those are the only votes we counted. VARELA: Great, okay, anyone else? Right. Okay, can I have a Motion to Approve the Minutes? LOPUSZANSKI: Natalie, the November 27, 2023, Verbatim Meeting Minutes will have to be Tabled. I had some issues where I think some speakers did not have their microphones on, so I had inaudible conversations. I'm still working on that, especially with Patrick's presentation. There were some pieces where he was stepping back, and I just want to make sure that we have it as accurate as possible with his presentation. So, I'm still in the works and a bit slow -moving as I'm now left-handed. I will have those out as quickly as possible, but we're going to Table them for tonight. VARELA: Okay. Thank you. All right. Do we have an Update and Discussion on our Environmental Plan Work Groups? Has anything happened with ours Rory? WILSON: Um, I think the last time I looked at it was the last time we discussed it. November, December. I recall sending an email. I don't remember who I would have to look back at my emails. VARELA: Yeah, I don't remember seeing anything. WILSON: I know from what I remember, we couldn't do much on our end, because the webpage that we suggested the town create would have to be by the town. And then like we could, you know, help kind of put give them some more direction of what would be most helpful in terms of like viewer audience and accessibility. But we couldn't do much too much on our end. VARELA: And I think we're waiting on I forget who we were waiting on to talk to on that. WILSON: I think it was Bo or Ryan. Yeah, or both. Maybe, because Ryan was here last time. LOPUSZANSKI: So, he was part of your discussion was that you had reached out you had emailed Bo, to see if he was going to be able to I think there was something about talking about getting something into the Insider, or the webpage. But I think there was some follow-up that you are waiting on. WILSON: I believe that's correct, yes. VARELA: Okay, well, we can follow up on that next month then. 3 - Transcribed b'; https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES REDDICK: And I believe our group, Steven, and I were waiting to reschedule. And I believe it was even with Ron as well as part of our group. So maybe we can pick back up on that after. Then we can have an update on our end for our next meeting. VARELA: Okay, thank you. All right, Update on the Budget for 2025 CIP Budget. SNIPES: So just a few things. We're at the point now where we have made some recommendations to our Town Manager. Our next phase will be getting it over to the Town Council in February so that they'll get their first look at that sort of stuff. For the parks, there are a few things that we'll look at. One is for the Avenue of the Fountains we put in to do some root barriers along where the Sissoo trees or lifting the blocks, which the pavers, which have been the problem in the last few years and know it was going to be a problem since they were put in probably. So, we're in the process of trying to get some of that taken care of to help prevent the pavers from getting lifted, creating trip hazards. We are also putting in to do a three-year renovation a lot like what we did at Four Peaks and then most recently at Desert Vista for the Avenue as well to start replacing some of the older stuff and seeing how it's used now coming up with some new ideas for how to make it a better walkability park. We have another year left on our sidewalk improvements for the park. So, we'll be putting in for that. Again, that's a bit of a four- year program. This will be the fourth of four years I believe, for that one that's $100,000 a year that we've been doing, just going through, and finding spots that need to be replaced and getting them replaced. And a new park that we're looking at doing is on the corner of Bainbridge and Golden Eagle Boulevard. It's a little wedge -pieced of property there that we're looking at. I've affectionately called it Pleasantville forever because I wanted to use it as a spot to have Tai Chi, yoga, and that sort of thing going on. It kind of grew legs and gained some support from the dark skies as a stargazing spot as well, and they went out and looked at it. With ballgames going on, and the new lights make that so that it's a viable option as well. So, we'll be looking at using development fees for that. So hopefully, we'll see how that goes if it gains traction or not. But those are the main things that we're looking at putting in for this year. RUDOLPHY: Anything with the Centennial Circle? SNIPES: It is in process as we speak. So, it will get a name change to the Centennial Pavilion, we're looking at some benches right now that I've been doing some research on that are made out of wind turbine blades, for electrical generating, when they have to retire those they're very tough and very hard to dispose of. So, a company started making benches out of them and they're super cool because they take all the design of the blade and then that means that you get a whole bunch of different cross sections of the blade. The company making these is a company called Canvus. I'm excited about it, as they do a bunch of donor things. They're working with us right now if we buy five, they give us five benches. I'd like to do some artwork on five of them to cover the five C's and have the actual bench be a piece of art as well as they have covers. There's some neat stuff from them so I'm excited about that project. The shade canopy has been ordered and it will probably be June when it goes in. Because it's a piece they had to completely engineer the for the spot because of the size of it. I still need some time to get the statues moved out that are in the way. And I may or may not be busy. RUDOLPHY: Do you anticipate any issues if the Discovery Center breaks ground in March, or April, as they indicated they might? 4 Transcrib-' ' https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES SNIPES: We've had several conversations with them about this project and are aware of it and when the timeline is on it. At current, we've talked to them about their fencing, where it will be, and where. we'll be doing our work. And right now, I think everything's lined up based on our latest conversation with them. I think they grasp a little bit more of what we're intending to do and what they're intending to do, and we may still be negotiating a little bit here or there but I think that we got it lined up. RUPPERT: Kevin just two things. What color is the canopy? SNIPES: It is shades of tan; it matches the two shades of light and dark tan that are on the buildings right now. RUPPERT: Secondly, the approved money at Golden Eagle for your flood control on the Golden Eagle side and the movement of some irrigation, the bridge all that when is that going to happen? SNIPES: We're waiting right now on ADWR as the Arizona Department of Water and the dam... RUPPERT: The repair or report on the dam there? SNIPES: Yeah, it's the...I can't think of the name of the group. They have to approve stuff and it takes them somewhere between 6 and 36 months. So, we'll see where all that ends up but yeah, we continue to push it along we're working on that's what we're waiting on to get our 100% plans together so that we can actually put it out and move forward with it. VARELA: Are there any plans for sidewalks behind Desert Vista Park like on the back end? Between like the big dog park and then SNIPES: On Tioga? There's not at this time there has been a conversation around getting a connector. And right now there's not a date set for that but I have brought it up and we talked about making the lower level so there's a sidewalk all the way around. VARELA: Okay. Great. Thanks. All right, Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Grants. REDDICK: I think this was a discussion that we were going to come up with a group, a subgroup where we would be able to meet is that correct Patti in that direction? LOPUSZANSKI: It was that you were going to all look to identify grants that would fit a community of Municipality. And so you were all going to look at what that listing was, and bring something back, that would be worth looking into further and doing some research on. If we're not there yet, and you want to build a workgroup, then this would be the time to do it. REDDICK: Yeah, I think that.... RUPPERT: We used to, you know, get the list and, you know, see what was available, see what would apply to the town, and then, you know, actually we had some people on the commission that helped write the grants. Because it's, you know, it's a lot of paperwork on some of them. So, I don't know where that list is, or how to get a hold of it. REDDICK: I sent a list. So should I just start with there and send that to.... LOPUSZANSKI: I can send that back out. It was in the packet probably for November, or maybe October. So let me send it back out. You can all review it. And we can go back and put this back as an item for next month. VARELA: Yeah, I think if we instead of doing a workgroup, maybe we all can look at it. And maybe if everyone identified one to two that you think would fit Fountain Hills, then we can bring that back next month. Okay Patti, so if you will send that again. Thank you. 5 - https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES RUDOLPHY: And also add the reminder that we're supposed to look at it and come back with one or two grants. VARELA: Yes, please. Thank you. REDDICK: I'll just resend mine that I sent to you. I'm joking. VARELA: Okay, next is an Update on the Mayor's Youth Council. WILLIAMS: Oh, thank you. So, our next event is Teen Takeover this Saturday. We're pretty much all set up for that. I don't know if you guys have heard of it. We're doing a silent disco -type thing, where kids can come in, and they can pick one of three tracks. And there's going to be headphones there. And it's just like a normal disco party that you would go to, but it's all done through headphones. So, if somebody were to just walk in, they wouldn't hear anything. But everybody who's at the party can hear the music. We're going to have a ton of stuff there I believe. I think we're getting Euro Pizza. We're going to try to get churros from Senor Taco. We had that a couple of years ago. There's going to be video games and prizes. And it's just basically it's just a cool thing for like, teens to come in and just have a fun night. VARELA: Do they have to sign up? Or is it a drop -in event? WILLIAMS: Nope. It's just an entirely drop -in event. VARELA: Oh, great. RUDOLPHY: What's your expected attendance? WILLIAMS: I think the first year if I remember correctly, I think the first year we had around 200 kids. And then last year was a little bit less. I think it was like 100 and 125. But this year, we tried to promote it quite a bit more. Like I'm seeing flyers for it at BASIS which BASIS is quite a ways out of the way. It's not even in Fountain Hills. So I'm hoping or I guess we're hoping turnout is going to be somewhere around that 200 mark like it was that first year. VARELA: So, it's open then to anyone like from Scottsdale and Mesa? WILLIAMS: Yes. An open event. You don't have to be from Fountain Hills to come. VARELA: Okay, awesome. What time? WILLIAMS: If I remember, wait VARELA: I should know because... WILLIAMS: I see the flyer is here....6:30 Yep. VARELA: Great. Oh, good. Well, that will be fun. Can't wait to hear about it next month. Any other updates from the Youth Council? WILLIAMS: I don't think so. Mostly what we've been talking about at the meetings is Teen Takeover, make sure we're ready for that. I think we're going to be doing some government day -type stuff, where everybody in the council gets together. And we do some sort of activity where we learn about something to do with the, I guess, process of what happens within the town. So, I think that's going to be our next project, I guess. But mostly, it's just been Teen Takeover recently. VARELA: Great, thank you. Okay, Update on Future Agenda Items. This is where we come up if anyone has anything that they want in the future. REDDICK: We will for sure add the grant review to that. We have a committee follow-up for Stephen and our subgroup. So, we'll add that. 6 Transcribed https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES VARELA: Yep. What about coming up with any other tours? RUPPERT: We're going to get through Wednesday first. VARELA: Yeah. Without a doubt, okay. Okay, perfect. RUDOLPHY: And since we've been kind of calling in department directors to give us some updates. What about Amanda from Economic Development? VARELA: Yes. Can you line that up for us, Patti? LOPUSZANSKI: I will, you also mentioned John Wesley last month. Right now, during budget time, a lot is going on with the Town Council. So, we're going to try to do our best to get some of these scheduled, but just know it might not happen immediately. So, we're on it. WILSON: I was going to ask if we can't get a department head, is there a way that we could coordinate with another commission, as we did with SPAC and maybe do another trade-off presentation? I don't know like Planning and Zoning? LOPUSZANSKI: We could look into that as well. Sure. VARELA: All right, the next item is Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities. SNIPES: So, this Wednesday, if you haven't seen our Volunteer Expo, it's a pretty impressive event inside the Community Center. Right now, we're at 82 tables. So most of them are single tables for each group. So it's, its a pretty substantial way to go in and see how you can volunteer and help out the community. Lots of opportunities in there for you. And there's lots of goodies. It's kind of like a trick or treat for adults, as well. So, there's, there's fun and entertainment and food. So yeah, it's a good one. Munch and Music is one of our fastest growing programs and it's turned into a cool event that they do several love each year, and they're always packed houses. So that's a neat one. The Teen Takeover, as we were discussing earlier, we're getting closer to Touch a Truck, on February 10. We're having that for the first time over Desert Vista. We've always done it here at Town Hall during another event, and it's kind of outgrown its abilities here. So we discussed last year moving it and we've decided to go ahead and do that. We have a lot of trucks from the Public Works Department, Parks Department, and the Sanitary District participating. We're looking at trying to get some semis and we haven't confirmed those yet, but we're trying to get any type of vehicle that we think the kids will like. We're trying to get out and use the turf area and bring them into the park and have them there. It's a fun event to watch kids crawl over all kinds of different equipment. So that's a good one. We're setting up our second Skate Classic at our new skate park. It'll be our first time doing that and we have got a lot of great sponsors. We're just starting to push that one out to local skateboarding places to get people to hear about it and have been receiving some positive remarks from the public. If you didn't come to the first one, it is a fun event. I'll be excited to see how they use the new skate park at this event this year The Irish Fest that's coming up. We pretty much got everything lined up for that already. We can certainly use volunteer help for that as well. And then the final one that's on our spring event is our Extravaganza. So, we got a lot of stuff going on here for the next several months. WILSON: I just had a couple of questions about the Volunteer Expo I read a Facebook thread. One of the questions was if you had ever considered moving the day or the time of that because a lot of full- time employees are interested in going to that, but they can't make the time because it's in the afternoon, late evening. Have you ever considered moving the time to a bit later or on a Saturday instead? 7 https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES SNIPES: That's not something that's been discussed that I'm aware of. But I can certainly throw it out there and see if we can either split that time to a later time or see if we can pull something off for that. VARELA: I think that's a great idea. Because I wouldn't be able to go. WILSON: Awesome. Thank you, Kevin. And then just to make sure if we want to volunteer at any of these events contact Kim Wickland. SNIPES: Correct. WILSON: Awesome. RUPPERT: Just a plug for the Touch a Truck. If you have any kids or little kids or any kind of kids, it is spectacular to take kids to that. The fire trucks are there, the police cars are there, the sheriffs and every truck they could think of. But I think dump trucks are probably the most popular. So, it's a great event. And I hope it gains momentum. VARELA: Do you send that to the PTO so that they send it out to all the schools? SNIPES: Yeah, I'm sure that will get sent out here shortly as well. REDDICK: Kevin, how can we go about supporting you in sponsorship for the Skateboard Classic? SNIPES: For that, you can reach out to Ryan, I'll probably be your best bet, he's our Recreation Manager and he can certainly discuss the options for that. VARELA: All right, anything else there? Okay. Update on our Tour. I don't know who's going to take that Ron or Kevin for Wednesday. SNIPES: Yes, we'll be meeting on Wednesday on the Avenue. Let's just meet right outside of Town Hall here that'll probably make it the easiest to park and get to. Then we'll walk down the Avenue and kind of go over some of the things that I was discussing earlier, as well as some other ideas that are in the works for the Avenue. VARELA: Okay, then our next Community Service meeting is February 26, 2024. Can I get a Motion to Adjourn? WILSON: Move to adjourn. VARELA: Can I get a second? REDDICK: I second that. VARELA: All in favor say Aye. ALL: Aye VARELA: Great. Thank you. Having no further business, Chair Natalie Varela adjourned the Regular Meeting of the Community Services Advisory Commission held on January 22, 2024, at 5:30 PM - 8 https://otter.ai COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION JANUARY 22, 2024 MEETING VERBATIM MINUTES ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: Patti Lopuszanski, Ex ive Assistant COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION l au - CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Community Services Advisory Commission in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 22nd day of January 22, 2024. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. ED this 26th Day of February Q24 q ssistant TiAd Patti Lopuszanski, Executive - 9 Transcribed " https://otter.ai