Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003.0618.TCSM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL JOINT SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL AND PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Lor JUNE 18,2003 Mayor Nichols called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL-Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor Wally Nichols, Vice Mayor Susan Ralphe, Councilmembers Rick Melendez, Leesa Stevens, Kathleen Nicola, Michael Archambault, and John Kavanagh. Assistant Town Attorney Carolyn Oberholtzer, Town Manager Tim Pickering, Senior Planner Dana Burkhart, Director of Parks & Recreation Mark Mayer, Supervisor of Parks Don Clark, and Bevelyn Bender,Town Clerk,were also present. The following members of the Parks and Recreation Commission were also present at the meeting: Richard ("Dick") Schmidt, Chair, Lauren Conway (youth), Mike Howard, and Joe Pinter. (Commissioners Mary- Alice Bivens and Mark Smith were absent from the meeting.) Mayor Nichols welcomed everyone to the meeting. He stated that the purpose of the Joint Session was to bring the Council up to date on long-term Parks and Recreation plans for the Town of Fountain Hills. He noted that Parks and Recreation Chairman Dick Schmidt and the Director of Parks and Recreation Mark Mayer would provide brief presentations and requested that the "question and answer" portion of the session take place following those presentations to allow all of the information to be presented first. The Mayor emphasized that the meeting was for "informational purposes" only and no decisions would be made at this time. AGENDA ITEM #1 - REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET CUTS - STAFFING,PROGRAMMING,PARKS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS. Chairman Schmidt also welcomed everyone to the meeting. He stated that the Parks and Recreation Commission had been actively involved in the development of Fountain Hills since "day one" and added that during his three and a half years as a member of the Commission,the Council and Commission had held just one other joint meeting, which he described as "scary" because of the "division" that existed between the two groups. He added that at the current time he still felt that the groups were somewhat divided, not because of any actual controversy that had taken place, but rather because he did not believe that the Mayor and members of the Council were aware of the things that the members of the Commission were involved in and responsible for. Chairman Schmidt recommended that regularly scheduled Special Joint Sessions such as the one currently taking place be held twice a year and suggested that they be held in the pre-budget months of February or March to allow budget-related goals and anticipated accomplishments to be discussed. He added that they should meet again in September, to discuss programs, activities, status levels and "dreams." He emphasized the importance of sharing information and identifying mutual goals and methods of accomplishing those goals, both for the long and short term benefit of the Town. He commented that the members of the Commission and staff were strong advocates of parks and recreation activities, programs and facilities, and added that one of their goals tonight was to educate the Council on what the members of the Commission had been doing and wanted to do over the next five year period of time. He added that they wanted to address everyone's vision regarding future parks and recreation facilities for the Town. Chairman Schmidt reiterated the Commission's intention to discuss programs and capital improvement plans for parks and recreation facilities for the next five years at the Town's various parks. He added that they would then review General Plan long-range plans and methods to accomplish them. He urged everyone to take notes throughout the meeting and said that questions and comments would be discussed at the end of the E:\BBendenDocuments\Current Minutes 2003Uoint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 1 of 9 session. He added that he looked forward to scheduling another meeting in the fall and stated the opinion that the sessions would be positive and productive. Director Mayer echoed Mr. Schmidt's comments and said that he very much appreciated the time and effort expended by everyone to attend this meeting. He commented on difficulties associated with establishing and maintaining "long term continuity," particularly when repeated turnover occurred in staffing, groups and Town management in general. He agreed with the importance of meeting on a regular basis and discussing, addressing,and planning for issues of mutual concern and interest. Director Mayer noted that the Town of Fountain Hills, as well as many other cities and towns, had been experiencing difficult economic times. He reported that during Fiscal Year 2000-2001, the Parks and Recreation Department had 19.5 positions and said that the 2003-2004 budget contained funding for 13 employees, representing a 33% reduction in staffing levels. He also discussed special event programs, special interest programs, sports activities and youth/teen programs and significant reductions that had occurred throughout those important areas. He reported that previously the Town was offering in excess of 100 different sessions/programs and said that he would anticipate that this year that number would be closer to 40. Director Mayer also commented on registration levels and noted that in Fiscal Year 2003-04, they were hoping to attract 3300 registrants. He also discussed special events and said that this was one of the categories that was "hit the hardest" over the last couple of years, but thanks to the generosity of the Town's citizenry and various groups, a number of the events had been reinstated. He also said that the number of youth and teen programs had been reduced over the last few years from 20 programs to 5. He commented on sports-related activities and said that requests continued to increase and the Town had witnessed a 20% growth rate in the number of bookings for services in this area. He added, however, that at the same time Park's staff in the field has gone from 5 down to 3. (A copy of data report reflecting the statistics as outlined by Staff is on file in the clerk's office.) Discussion ensued relative to General Fund support, including expenses, revenues and subsidies and the decreased amount of support that had been allocated to the Recreation Division; the fact that the figures reflected decreased expenses in the amount of 28% and a decreased subsidy of approximately 37%; expenditures for the Parks Division (operational only) and the fact that expenses had declined by approximately 22% in this area; General Fund subsidy for the Community Center Division (Operational Expenses versus Revenues)and a total decreased subsidy in the amount of 28%. AGENDA ITEM #2 - REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN(CIP): Director Mayer also addressed the members of the Council and Commission relative to this agenda item and said that in March of this year, work began to develop a list of items to be included in the Five-Year Capital Improvement Program(CIP) for the Parks and Recreation Department that included funds for Fountain Park Phase II Improvements, including an activity area with a shared tot lot and playground and the development of three small picnic ramadas and associated amenities. He reported that they would now have restroom and parking facilities in addition to being able to provide enhanced safety, playground equipment, and picnic shelters all in that particular area. He discussed the park's previous inability to accommodate all of the people who were interested in using those facilities and said that the added amenities would greatly enhance the Town's ability to meet those needs in the future for the enjoyment of Fountain Hills' citizens. Director Mayer also commented on the proposed construction of the north sidewalk and said that this project would complete the planned loop completely around the lake for pedestrians. He noted that currently people walked in the street, which resulted in an unsafe situation, and added that the sidewalk was included in the Park's Master Plan. He discussed the fact that the current fiscal year (FY 2003-04) also included funds for either engineering or design fees associated with a skate park facility or modular components. He reported E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003Uoint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 2 of 9 that a sufficient amount of dollars was in place to either design or establish a modular structure for this purpose. Director Mayer also advised that the second year (2004-2005) of the proposed Capital Improvement Plan proposal contained funding requests for skate park construction (Four Peaks Neighborhood Park); the possible construction of a "spray park," which consisted of a number of interactive water play features for children. He noted that the feature re-circulated and re-chlorinated water before it was reused and encouraged anyone interested to visit a similar feature at Desert Ridge. Director Mayer discussed the proposed construction of a "performance pad" at Fountain Park and explained this would construct an area in the park's northwest corner for small to intermediate sized performances and would take advantage of a natural bowl in this area for sound and public seating. He added that a hardened surface would allow repeated events in this area without damaging turf areas of the park. He commented on the development of an aggregate walking path as part of Fountain Park Phase III improvements and said that the path would be located in close proximity to the lake and would allow people to walk, etc. completely around the lake. The path would be lit with small fixtures located in the ground and would be widely spaced along the path to allow limited use after dark. Director Mayer briefly highlighted proposed plans for Fiscal Year 2005-2006, which included engineering and design fees for Four Peaks Neighborhood Park Phase II improvements. He noted that Phase II improvements to the park under the Master Plan included improvements to the park's walkways to connect various sections of the park; three new basketball courts; removal of the existing unsightly former bus barn from the school, and old fencing. In addition, an inline hockey rink, new maintenance yard, and improved landscaping and irrigation were planned. Director Mayer discussed improvements to the east parking lot (Fountain Park) and said that the proposed work would upgrade the existing parking area on the park's east side. He explained that additional access would be provided as well as additional parking stalls. He said that the work was listed in the Park's Master Plan. He also commented on a proposed water feature for children at Golden Eagle Park and stated that this would replace the existing feature at the park that had undergone constant use since the park was improved a number of years ago. Director Mayer noted that plans for Fiscal Year 2006-2007 included engineering and design fees for Phase II improvements to Desert Vista Neighborhood Park and said that the remaining improvements, in accordance with the Master Plan for the park, included a restroom building, play area, athletic fields, basketball courts and parking. He added that the facilities would be lighted for evening use. Director Mayer also advised that plans for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 included a proposal to reconstruct the sprinkler system at Fountain Park and explained that the current system was 30+ years old and subject to frequent partial shut downs due to breakage. He added that there were no as-builts of the current system. Director Mayer reported that the total estimated cost for the above listed improvements, which were not adjusted for inflation, was $4,841,120. He also listed the following additional proposed projects that were also not adjusted for inflation: Park Signage ($83,985); Educational Arboretum/Signage ($57,845); BMX Track (Unknown); Trail/Connectivity Paths (Phased Plan), and Aquatic/Fitness Facility (Unknown). He discussed efforts that would be expended to pursue grant funding for projects such as these. Director Mayer also provided a brief overview of the Town's parks, including Golden Eagle, Four Peaks Neighborhood Park, Fountain Park and Desert Vista Neighborhood Park. He noted that all of the amenities that were originally planned for Golden Eagle Park were in place. He said that a main focus for that park was to meet many of the athletic needs that existed in this park, as well as park shelters, tennis courts, and sand volleyball. He briefly commented on the fact that in some cases parking areas had to be sacrificed in order to provide sufficient space for recreational amenities and noted that for some little league activities and special events,attendees were forced to park out on the streets,oftentimes in illegal parking areas. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Joint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 3 of 9 Director Mayer discussed Four Peaks Neighborhood Park and said that it was designed and was characterized as a neighborhood park and was not anywhere near the size of the others (10 to 20-acre range while typical community parks were in the 20, 40 or 60 acre-range). He said that although the park contained some amenities, it did not contain the variety found in a community park. He reported that some of the infrastructure was in place and subsequent development would take place mostly to the east in the center area. Director Mayer commented on Fountain Park and both existing development and proposed Phase II development as outlined in the Master Plan and Desert Vista Neighborhood Park. He reported that only the section to the north or northeast was actually developed into separate areas of the park designated as the "off leash" facility area. He added that there were additional improvements proposed for the future, including parking areas along the street, a restroom control structure in the middle, an athletic field, soccer fields, a combination of playground area/sand volleyball area,and basketball court, as well as a picnic structure. Discussion ensued relative to proposed capital improvements in the Parks Division and anticipated costs/funding needs and the importance of generating and obtaining sufficient revenues in order to accomplish the outlined goals and provide the proposed amenities. AGENDA ITEM#3-REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE PARK DEVELOPMENT FEE FUND. Director Mayer said he found it interesting that he was unable to locate a definition for Development Fees in the International City Management Association Guidelines. He added that he believed the fees represented monies that were formally set aside through a process spelled out in local coordinates such as the Town had done, to be levied against only new development projects. He added that there were conditions in place for pulling permits for building individual structures and to support infrastructure and said the fees were calculated to cover a proportionate share of capital costs. He added that development fees should not be used to fully cover the costs associated with development. He reported that the National Recreational & Parks Association had put together a "standards list" in an effort to provide some direction to communities on the amount of acreage proposed for different types of parks, such as neighborhood parks,and said they recommended that those types of parks be designed to serve relatively small areas ranging in size from a radius of approximately one quarter mile to one half mile and approximately a minimum of five acres in size. He noted that the two neighborhood parks currently located in the Town of Fountain Hills met this specific criteria and added that the standards also recommended a population ratio of approximately 30,000 to 150 acres. Additional discussion ensued relative to the fact that the standards recommended that community parks should be a minimum of 20 acres in size; recommended standards versus community needs; an overview of an actual parks site map which illustrated existing parks in place, deficiencies that existed as far as where parks were actually located within the community itself; the importance of identifying appropriate park parcels and locations as well as funding for the purchase/maintenance/operation of same; development fees and the importance of ensuring that an appropriate relationship existed between the funds that were collected and the manner in which they were expended; and the importance of creating and focusing on a "long term" vision for the entire community in the critical parks and recreation area. Chairman Schmidt thanked Director Mayer for his comments and noted that the members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, as individuals, worked, ate, and slept and almost everything else that they did during their day involved recreation, watching TV, going to the movies, playing a game, playing softball, playing football, even spectator sports, all recreation. He said they did spend much of their time recreating themselves and stated the opinion that it was important for a community to look at what was available for residents of the community for recreation. He added that if this important factor were kept in mind, they would always be able to maintain what they have and move forward. He explained that over the last few L years,concerns had surfaced mainly due to budget constraints and said that instead of"moving forward" with parks and recreation programs, the Commission had been forced to "go back." He noted that whenever you E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Joint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 4 of 9 moved back even for one year in this area, it took approximately three to five additional years to make up for that lost time and to move forward and recover. He emphasized the importance of planning what they wanted to do in the future in the four areas that had been outlined. He added that everyone would have to work on the plan factually and financially in order to avoid further setbacks and negative impacts in this critical area and move forward with a long-term plan. Mr. Schmidt expressed the opinion that a public survey should be conducted in order to determine what was wanted and needed but noted that funding had not been included in the budget for this to occur. Councilwoman Nicola commended the members of the Commission for their past and ongoing efforts. She commented on Chairman Schmidt's remark relative to conducting a survey and questioned whether something similar could be placed on the City's web site to solicit input and suggestions from citizens relative to parks and recreation related issues and recommendations for the future. Councilman Kavanagh also thanked the members of the Commission for their hard work and for suggesting that both groups meet to review and discuss this critical area. He also commented on "vest pocket parks" and asked whether they remained viable. Director Mayer commented on the fact that they did in fact "have a place" and said that they were typically found in gated developments where smaller playground areas were developed. Councilman Kavanagh also noted that a number of parks located south of Shea Boulevard were located in gated communities and questioned why public access was being limited to these areas. Director Mayer discussed efforts to work with the various developers of those parks in an effort to create open space that would buffer neighborhoods and allow for the development of"public use" areas. He added the opinion that opportunities existed in certain areas to create more natural open space areas where people could enjoy more "passive"rather than "active"neighborhood ballparks. Discussion occurred relative to the fact that the Capital Improvement Plan indicated that construction for Desert Vista Park would begin in FY 2006-07 and said that focus was being placed on Golden Eagle Park and the development of the athletic fields and amenities necessary for a community park; staffs opinion that establishing the athletic fields on the upper portion of Desert Vista would address a number of immediate needs brought forward by various athletic groups; and cooperative efforts that existed and continued to be fostered. Councilman Melendez noted that the Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey approximately one year ago and the need for the development of a "performance park" where concerts and other "people attracting venues" could take place was identified. He questioned why the proposed plan showed this occurring in 2004-05 rather than sooner and emphasized that a strong need existed for this type of revenue generator now. He discussed the positive impacts of such a facility on the entire community and stated the opinion that this proposal should be a priority. Director Mayer responded to Councilman Melendez's comments and said that such a proposal was originally included in the budget requests last year that staff was directed to carry over. He added that the original request was in the amount of$1.3 million and included monies to cover the cost of everything included in Phase II development that was being proposed for next year as well as three more "additional alternates" that were not included as part of the original project that was submitted to the Heritage Fund, which provided grant funding. He explained that the three items included the performance pad, the (north) sidewalks that are included in the current plan, and one additional element. He emphasized that the monies were simply not available for the current year and commented on the difficult funding choices that had to be made on a Town-wide basis. Chairman Schmidt stated the opinion that it was important to note that almost all of the items proposed to occur over the next five years had been included on previous years'budget lists. L E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Joint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 5 of 9 Councilman Melendez reiterated the importance of pursuing the development of a performance facility and the economic benefits that would be realized as a result of this action. In response to comments from Vice Mayor Ralphe relative to conducting a community survey for the tkiw purpose of gauging the needs and desires of the citizens of Fountain Hills, Chairman Schmidt expressed the opinion that the survey be limited to issues related only to the parks and recreation area. He added the opinion that if the survey were expanded to solicit input from the citizens regarding other areas and issues facing the citizens and the Town, the effectiveness and overall viability of the survey would be severely jeopardized. He noted that Director Mayer has spoken with experts in this area who were associated with Arizona State University and they suggested that surveys include a maximum of twenty questions. Director Mayer stated that he had experienced both broad, general surveys and limited scope, single-issue surveys. He commented that some people were not willing to spend the time it took to complete a lengthy, mail-in survey or longer surveys over the telephone. He added that he had witnessed "community wide" surveys that were conducted on an annual or more frequent basis, to solicit more of a "public opinion" response but emphasized that in-depth surveys could also be effective but were not conducted as often, were more intense and less scientific. Mayor Nichols discussed the fact that in order to develop a long-range plan, a comprehensive survey needed to be conducted that would provide input on a variety of issues and citizen concerns. He added the opinion that segregating the issues and asking questions that were only related to parks and recreation issues might provide a distorted, limited view. He talked in support of a "total concept" plan and agreed that preparing such a concept for placement on the Town's web site was a positive goal to pursue. Councilman Kavanagh expressed the opinion that the only way to conduct an effective, meaningful survey was to randomly select 120 to 130 people, which he believed would be a fairly simple thing to do in the Town, and added the opinion that this could not be done over the phone and must be conducted in person. He added that he did not believe the results of a web site survey would be accurate and suggested that the Lye Town utilize the services of Bruce Merrill from Arizona State University or engage the services of a number of graduate students who would be interested in participating in such a process. Director Mayer commented on the fact that this particular issue had been the subject of discussion between staff and members of the Commission in the past and said that the results of those discussions were that they believed that in view of the Town's current financial situation and all of the issues facing them at this time, it would be better and more appropriate to delay six months to a year before conducting such a survey. He added the opinion that hopefully by that time, a number of important issues would have been faced and "behind them" and this would leave them free to "move forward" in this positive direction. Councilman Kavanagh stressed the importance of conducting a "scientific" survey and Director Mayer estimated that the cost to conduct such a survey would range in the vicinity of$4,000 to$5,000. Additional discussion ensued relative to the importance of developing the right type of questions to pose to the citizens; the fact that the survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce solicited input from members only; the importance of preparing a ten-year financial projection relative to impact fees and the fact that if those monies were not spent within a six-year period of time, they were returned to the developers; the possibility of moving forward with the "performance pad" in order to utilize those monies; looking into setting aside land for parks south of Shea; the fact that a 4.5 to 5-acre parcel of land located behind Target was for sale for under$900,000 and the possibility of looking into the possible purchase of that property;the trails system off of Golden Eagle and the fact that people were definitely using them; the fact that the current "wash ordinance" prohibited the development of trail systems between parks and the possibility of developing an impact study and holding a"public vote" on this matter. Vice Mayor Ralphe commented on provisions for preservation washes and said that the ordinance was also carefully crafted so that if in the future a need arose to do something in a wash, that this could occur as the E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Joint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 6 of 9 result of the vote of the citizens of Fountain Hills as part of a General Election. She commented on the fact that no one could see into the future and mechanisms for change therefore needed to be in place. She added that because this issue involved "preservation," the thinking was that the mechanism for change had to be extremely methodical and the result of the will of a majority of citizens. Mayor Nichols stated that a few months ago he learned that the Town of Fountain Hills had a Botanical Garden in Fountain Hills and asked why the members of the Parks and Recreation Commission had not included plans for this garden. He stated the opinion that the Parks and Recreation should maintain and improve upon this amenity. Director Mayer stated that he was aware of the Botanical Garden but had never been advised that it was the responsibility of Parks and Recreation to maintain it. He said that it was his understanding that the garden was developed by volunteers and the agreement at the time was that the volunteers would develop and maintain it as a type of "community park." He added that from what he had been told, this arrangement worked for a while but then fell into"disfavor" and not much had been done since. Discussion ensued relative to the fact that land was "Town property" and should be maintained as such; the fact that there were people currently interested in redeveloping that property; the fact that the property was one of the oldest features in the entire Town; the location of the garden and "native vegetation or pristine desert" that existed; the possibility of increasing development fees as the Town approached "build out" and the fact that the Town should review this issue every two years. Councilwoman Stevens commented on development fees and the issue of new parks and stated that she had not heard from citizens that a need existed to build parks south of Shea Boulevard. She spoke in support of the Town's preserve and trailhead on the western border and said that she would certainly consider that a park. She questioned why funding had not been set aside for these areas. Director Mayer explained that the areas were not specifically included in the Parks and Recreation budget but added that they were budgeted as part of the development fees ($33,500 had been set aside at the request of the Preservation Commission). Councilwoman Stevens asked whether that was considered a park and was advised that it was considered "open space"rather than a "park" and Director Mayer stated the opinion that under the definitions with which he was familiar, it did not fit either a neighborhood or community park definition. He agreed with the importance of asking people south of Shea whether they desired more parks and said that this should be one of the first steps initiated by Staff and the members of the Commission. Councilwoman Stevens agreed with the importance of utilizing any development fees that were obtained and not returning them to the developers; cautioned against increasing those fees; and concurred that staff should pursue looking into planning for the development of a "performance pad" and the positive impacts such action would have on the entire Town in the future. Additional discussion ensued relative to generating funding for the "performance pad" in the form of a combination of town funds and development fees; the importance of recovering program costs; support for credit card usage and encouraging citizens to register for programs "on line;" the fact that the Governor had "vetoed" the Heritage Fund "raid;" program cost recovery and the importance of pursuing as much of those dollars as possible in order to maximize potential program results. In response to a request from Councilman Kavanagh, Director Mayer provided an update on the Veterans' Memorial and said that the "cannon pad" had been completed and was in place and there were now three flag poles in place and a signed letter had gone out to the military officially requesting the cannon and stipulating that the Town would be responsible for the cannon in perpetuity. He added that although it would take some time to accomplish, action had been started and noted that the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003Uoint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 7 of 9 Wars were currently seeking donations for other important improvements in an effort to develop the remainder of the complex. Discussion ensued relative to this project including the fact that an additional set of drawings to complete the remainder of the work would be forthcoming, the fact that the back wall that faced the memorial wall was need of repainting, the fact that the developer across the street had approached staff relative to this issue and had indicated a willingness to fund the painting of that wall and the fact that a year later, the Arts Council might actually repaint the wall. Mayor Nichols discussed programs that had been cut and said that he would like the number of programs that had been eliminated and their associated costs/staffing to be made known. He stated the opinion that based on this knowledge, the public might be interested in pursuing raising funds to cover the costs of reinstating those programs/positions. Director Mayer responded that a significant amount of those costs were known and the rest (specifically special event programs) could be estimated and indicated his intention to pursue obtaining the remaining figures. Councilman Melendez said he met with Mark yesterday to discuss a number of youth and teen programs and noted that monies had been found to reinstate a number of those important programs. He explained that interested, concerned parties such as the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department had agreed to fund the "tailgate party" and the "late night party" and others. He said that information would be forwarded to the Council shortly on this issue. Councilwoman Nicola commented that in the past they had recognized private citizens who had "stepped up to the plate" and funded private programs, such as Al Donaldson, from D & D Construction who paid for pizza and the rental of a climbing wall and other individuals as well. She stated the opinion that this tradition should continue and that generous, concerned individuals, organizations and groups receive warranted recognition and appreciation for their generosity and donations. She added the opinion that this would also inspire others to "step up to the plate" and assist the town in these times of need. Councilman Kavanagh disagreed. He expressed the opinion that the town should properly fund programs. Additional discussion ensued relative to program funding on the part of the Town as well as its citizens and civic funding responsibilities versus funding "nice to have" programs; costs associated with those programs; the possibility of requesting financial assistance from citizens to fund various programs and projects such as "buffer parks;" the possibility of discussing increased development fees in the future; program attendance, monitoring and recommendations for continuance/expansion/deletion; and the possibility of ensuring that enrollment costs cover program costs. (Councilman Melendez was excused from the meeting at this time, 7:44 p.m.) In response to a question from Councilman Archambault, Mr. Hughes stated the opinion that program enrollment calls could be polled and the results of the calls could be used to evaluate attendance levels and the need/cost effectiveness of various existing programs. Councilman Archambault indicated interest in reviewing program costs versus attendance levels. Discussion ensued relative to the Boys and Girls Club and the valuable amenities that organization provided to the entire community; the fact that the Parks and Recreation Department would continue to work cooperatively with that organization to provide programs for the benefit of the entire community; in-line hockey rinks and the fact that these capital projects were consistently reviewed/evaluated by Staff; the proposed skate park location and the possibility of moving it to the other side of the park; trends and the potential of developing fenced, modular facilities that could accommodate other interchangeable uses in the future. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003Voint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 8 of 9 Chairman Schmidt commented on the fact that there were outside organizations that had expressed interest in developing additional recreational facilities in Fountain Hills, such as the "spray park" and assisting in the financing of those facilities. He emphasized the importance of encouraging those organizations and the importance of support in this area from both the members of the Commission and the Town Council. In response to a question from Councilman Archambault,Director Mayer advised that it would be possible to complete the skate park modular this year. The Mayor requested that Director Mayer and Chairman Schmidt put together a "summary of notes" relative to the important issues and areas of concern that had been discussed during this meeting and they indicated their intention to do so. Councilman Kavanagh also requested that a report relative to development fees, their background and what they could be used for, be prepared and distributed for review and consideration. Assistant Town Attorney Carolyn Oberholtzer commented on the fact that items discussed during this meeting were for "discussion purposes only" and noted that caution must be exercised in the area of providing direction to staff. Mayor Nichols and the members of the Council and Chairman Schmidt and the members of the Parks and Recreation Commission commented on the positive benefits of the joint Special Session and thanked everyone for their willingness to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. They indicated their desire to schedule additional meetings in the future and to work in a cooperative,productive manner. AGENDA ITEM#4-ADJOURNMENT Councilwoman Stevens MOVED that the Council adjourn and Councilman Archambault SECONDED the motion,which CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY by those present. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. TOWN OF FOUNTA /WILLS By: Wally ichols, ayor ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: //,5 Bevelyn J. nder;Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Special Joint Session held between the Town Council of Fountain Hills and the Parks and Recreation Commission on the 18th day of June 2003. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 7th day of August 2003. LBevelyn J. Bend�r,T n Clerk E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003Uoint Session with Parks and Rec Commission 6-18-03.doc 7/15/2003 Page 9 of 9