The regular monthly Bryant Parks & Recreation Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 13th. This meeting is open to the public and Bryant residents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Parks Admin building at Bishop Park. The agenda follows:
Call to Order
Approval of Minutes
1. Approval of May Minutes
• Scroll down to read the minutes from last meeting.
Director’s Report
2. Potential A&P Projects
Public Comments
Old Business
New Business
Committee Comments
Adjournments
MAY MEETING MINUTES
May 9, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
Call to order
Committee Members in Attendance: Renee Curtis, Amanda Jolly, Lynn Farmer, Ashley O’Rourke, Cody Crist, Richard McKeown
Others in Attendance: Chris Treat, Keith Cox, City Council Members Jordan O’Rourke and Jon Martin; and Jeff Hall from CASC
Approval of Minutes:
Motion made by Lynn Farmer, seconded by Cody Crist, to approve the April 2023 minutes.
Motion passed.
Directors Report
Project Update
Mills Park All-Inclusive Playground Phase 2
• Construction beginning soon.
• Goal is to keep the playground open as much as possible.
Tennis and Pickleball Courts
• Continue to wait on surfacing contractor.
Aquatics Center Roof
• Motors expected to be received by contractor Open Aire by June.
• Goal is to have the roof repaired in August.
• First half of this project was paid for in 2022; second half has been earmarked in the 2023 budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Presentation –
Director Treat shared challenges associated with the lack of a Parks Department capital improvement budget.
He showed the committee pictures of Ashley Park and Alcoa 40 Park before recent renovations.
The decline of these parks resulted from the lack of a capital improvement budget in the years 2008-2016.
Director Treat pointed out the three funding sources (bond, A&P, city savings) for capital improvement between 2017-2022 have become unavailable due to current pressures on the City budget. He noted the department is back in the same position it was from 2008-2016 with no capital improvement budget.
The committee discussed the ramifications of this lack of funding. The Pool Pak needs to be replaced in the next year and the Aquatics Center will need to be shut down if the Pool Pak fails.
The committee discussed repairs to the basketball courts.
The committee discussed solutions to the funding problem and the need to make sure we take care of our current parks facilities before we look at expansion.
The committee discussed projects and repairs the department has not been able to do this year because of the lack of funding.
Public Comments
None
Old Business
A&P Recommendation Status
• The committee discussed the status of its recommendation to City Council concerning the A&P tax.
• The City Council held a workshop to discuss the A&P tax on May 1, 2023.
• The committee expressed a desire to know the objective or desired outcome if another City Council Workshop is scheduled.
• With respect to a possible election regarding the A&P tax, marketing, awareness, and timing were all discussed by the committee.
• Council Members O’Rourke and Martin expressed the desire to know how we can get the A&P passed, what the impact on the general fund would be with an A&P tax, and the long-term impact on the City budget.
• After a lengthy discussion, O’Rourke volunteered to send an email to the council and the mayor to schedule another workshop with a clear objective.
New Business
Barracuda Use Agreement.
• The committee had concerns about the Parks Department’s ability to uphold the agreement if the Pool Pak fails.
• The committee approved the agreement pending a conversation with the City Attorney and Barracudas regarding the Pool Pak.
Adjourn
Renee Curtis made a motion to Adjourn. The motion was seconded by Lynn Farmer and passed unanimously.
See the full list of Saline County events at www.mysaline.com/events.