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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMMPC.2021.1123.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 23, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER-Welcome newly appointed Commissioner Brian Jennings to MMPC 2. ROLL CALL Present: Chairman Scott Grzybowski; Commissioner Brian Jennings; Commissioner Bill Craig; Commissioner Janice Holden; Commissioner DJ Willard; Commissioner Steven Nurney Staff Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin; Executive Assistant Patti Lopuszanski Present: 3. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Pursuant to A.R.S.§38-431.01(H),public comment is permitted(not required)on matters NOT listed on the agenda.Any such comment(i)must be within the jurisdiction of the Commission, and(ii)is subject to reasonable time,place,and manner restrictions. The Commission will not discuss or take legal action on matters raised during Call to the Public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action.At the conclusion of the Call to the Public,individual commissioners may (i)respond to criticism, (ii)ask staff to review a matter, or(iii)ask that the matter be placed on a future Commission agenda. NONE 4. CONSIDERATION & POSSIBLE ACTION:Approval of the minutes of the meeting of October 26, 2021 Commissioner Craig asked that the minutes be revised to reflect that the Sonoran Conservancy had not provided feedback of the Master Plan as noted in Item 6 Paragraph 2. Chairman Grzybowski asked that the first sentence be stricken in Paragraph 2 and be replaced with "Chairman Grzybowski shared that input from the Sonoran Conservancy is forthcoming." A motion to approve the minutes of October 26, 2021, as amended was asked for by Chairman Grzybowski. MOVED BY Commissioner DJ Willard SECONDED BY Commissioner Bill Craig Vote: 6-0 Unanimously 5. CONSIDERATION & POSSIBLE ACTION:Approval of Trail Master Plan It was determined that this item would be tabled until a special meeting on January 5, 2022, could take place to further discuss. The Sonoran Conservancy had not had an opportunity to provide input. Commissioner Holden shared that the Conservancy would not be moving forward with a survey to determine what trails would be of interest. Commissioner Willard asked for any comments to be sent to him. Ms. Goodwin added that we would need two weeks in advance to get onto a Town Council agenda. 6. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION:Action Items McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission Meeting of November 23, 2021 2 of 3 Chairman Grzybowski shared that there were no new action items and that the following Action Items were closed: Posting of meeting minutes and the installation of an AED at Adero Canyon Trailhead. Commissioner Holden informed the commission she had looked into the criteria on MMP closures and found out the City of Scottsdale decides based on the particular incident. She will write up the details to share with MMPC. It brought her to the issue of the July 4th fire watch and requested this be added as a future agenda item. Scottsdale preserve closes after 3 pm on July 4th for conservancy volunteers to go out on a fire watch to prevent anyone from setting off fireworks. 7. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION: Trail Counter Activity and Equipment Chairman Grzybowski shared that the two volunteer trail counters, Stan and Mitch, had turned in their letters of resignation for the end of the year. Chairman Grzybowski reminded the commissioners that at the last meeting options of different trail counters were reviewed and discussed. Eco Counter information would cost$2400 -$3000 depending on the mounting case plus a $420 annual fee for the automated system cellular network. This would be a recommendation to the town to be considered as a future budget item. The need would be to budget for 4 trail counters to be used at the entrance of trails that would be able to differentiate bikes and humans. Adero Canyon, Botanical Gardens, Lake Overlook Trail, and Eagles Nest would be the areas of need being considered with a budget of$10,000 to be approved. Commissioner Craig shared that Scottsdale is using the same company the town uses now with a different version of a counter and placing them at the beginning of their trailheads under the asphalt and getting away from all counters within trails themselves because they have so many. Ms. Goodwin liked being able to differentiate between people and bikes to gauge real usage and not just cars. This could also be used at Fountain Park as a new tool for the usage of the park. Commissioner Craig asked Ms. Goodwin how important is it to get counts on trails. Ms. Goodwin shared the data would be helpful if we can justify the investment at this time. Adero Canyon would be the one site that could change the usage and maintenance due to bike usage and a bi-directional use and not at each trail. The data from the counters will be a resource to determine the time of day trails are used, level of difficulty, or are seeing maintenance demand needs. If trends can be produced it will help tell the story of why we need more trails and not just at Adero by creating new resources and support for future building. Commissioner Craig does have two new people willing to take over for Mitch documenting the trail activity. 8. UPDATE: Sonoran Conservancy Fountain Hills Commissioner Holden spoke of the working group seeing the incongruencies of the signage on the trails. If part of Town Code they would need Town Council approval to amend them. 9. ADJOURNMENT McDowell M ounm|n Preservation Commission Meeting of November 23, 2021 3 of 3 MCDO ELL MO TAW ADVISORY COMMISSION c tt Grzy owski, Chairm an ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: Patti Lopuszanski, x cuti Assistant CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and corre do py of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Advisory Commission in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 23rd day of November 202 1. I further ce rti that the meeting was duly ca lled and that a quorum was pesen! DATED this 26th day of April 202 2d1L . . Patti L puszans , Ex tive Assistant �\ I I �a