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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRMinutes_2025_05_05Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Notes Monday, May 5th, 2025 5:30 PM 1.Call to Order Co-Chair Steve Berseth called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. Board members present: Steve Berseth, Stacey Zerfas, Nathaniel Condelli, Paul Meyer, Brenda Andersen and Isabella Park. Board members absent: Erika Saunders and Jay Larson. City Staff Present: Kristin Zimmerman, Director of Brookings Parks, Recreation and Forestry, Joshua Bauman, Assistant Director of Brookings Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Ashley Marler, Office Manager of Brookings Parks Recreation and Forestry Department. 2.Approval of Agenda Brenda Andersen motions to approve the agenda. Nathaniel Condelli 2nds; Motion is carried. 3. Approval of Minutes Nathaniel Condelli motions to approve, Brenda Andersen 2nds motion; Motion is carried. 4.Discussion and Possible Action: 2025 Mayors Awards Selection Kristin Zimmerman opens the discussion regarding the annual Mayors Awards. We had three categories last year. The Impact Award: Leadership and Advocacy. The Champion Award: enhancing community well-being. Public Lands Preservation. She asked if there were any other nominations. The board discussed the possible nomination and there was a broad discussion on each candidate. The board did narrow down the nominations, however the names will be with held until they are notified. Kristin would like to make sure we have the nominations approved and selected by the June meeting so that they can get pictures and prepare a paragraph for the paper and the presentation at the Mayors Awards. All nominations selected were motioned for and approved. The information on the nominations will come at a later date. 5.Discussion & Possible Action: Annual Report Kristin Zimmerman shared the Annual Report with the Park Board members and discussed the projects that we have completed. There was discussion on future goals. Which will include the Edgebrook Golf Course Water Sourcing, 5th Street Gym transfer, recreation programming plan establishment and the CAPRA accreditation. The recreation planning will include areas of deficiency where we need to grow. This would include marketing plans, recreation programming and making sure that we are utilizing all of our spaces for recreation. It’s a 5-year plan on how to get where we are at and where we need to be. Most of this we will be able to do inhouse, however we will send out surveys so that others have an input. Brenda Andersen motions to approve the report as stands, Stacey Zerfas 2nds; Motion is carried. 6.Discussion & Possible Action: Park Board Member Volunteer(s) for Golf Course RFP Process Kristin Zimmerman is looking for a volunteer or volunteers to sit in on the RFP presentations. The time commitment could be afternoon or early evening. We should be doing RFP’s every 5 years. There are many things that are changing with golf courses and we need to make sure that we are doing the best possible job that we can. Stacey Zerfas volunteers to sit in on the RFP presentations. 7.Discussion & Possible Action: 2025 Playground and Skatepark Designs Kristin presented the Park Board with drafts of the new park at Sarah Renee, it is ADA compliant and has a lot of features such as, a musical instrument, lots of shade, a conversation board, an inclusive merry go round, wider slide and lots of climbing, there will also be a hammock swing. We are looking at changing our swings. Hillcrest Park will have a new swing bay. There will be a parent child swing as well. Kristin Zimmerman also presented a preliminary skatepark design. We did put a survey out to the public. This skate park is not meant for professionals. It is meant for recreational and intermediate skaters. This is a public park still, and will be located where the skate park is already. The current skate ramp will stay; however, it will be rewrapped so that it will match the new design. The area does have potential for adding to the skate park. We are currently waiting for further input regarding the skate park, and Page 2 once we get that we can move forward with design options. The skate park will have lights added and there will be a camera system installed. There will be easy view from 8th Street S for the Police Department to watch. No action needs to be taken at this time. 8.Directors Report We have been working with SDSU Student Capstone Projects. There senior project was to re envision the connection between Hillcrest Park, 5th street gym and Pioneer Park. They are working to incorporate bike lanes and public art. We have had a lot of ideas. One of the ideas was creating a loop from 5th street to loop up to 8th street connect with the university and then connect with a pedestrian bridge to go over the interstate. All of the ideas have the pedestrian bridge. We have a great relationship with SDSU landscape architectural and they work with us really well. We had a meeting with Banner and BMU recently regarding the Edgebrook water sourcing. The pipe will basically go all the way along I 29 and cross over at the rail road tracks to the BMU water plant. Its pretty simple. The timeline is looking like it will start construction this fall with final completion spring of 2026. This is earlier than we first predicted. Kristin Zimmerman wanted to do an update on outside funding sources. Currently we are seeing a very low sources from federal, state and local grants. We are just in a place right now where those grants are just shut down. We have begun the 2026 budget process. Our June meeting will be focused on budgets. The 5th Street Gym transfer will happen mid-May. We are looking at the 13th, a lot of the activity programs will move or continue over there. We will have indoor pickleball and walking. We are still working out some final details. We have also reached out to some community partners to see if they want to continue to utilize the 5th street gym. Currently we have some great things happening, the 5th Street Gym will be the home of the Special Olympics. We just have to work out final details. Seasonal Staffing update: Usually this time of year we are still hiring for seasonal staff. This year we are pretty much full. We have a couple of lifeguard positions open. HR has done a great job with making sure that we are offering a food pay rate and hiring quality staff. Our Parks staff is going to be a little tight this summer, but with our seasonal staff we should adjust well. Joshua Bauman mention where you can take a bike survey for bike trail maintenance. During the Directors report Isabella Park was introduced as the new High School Member. She is a Jr in high school and she is very active in extra curriculars. We look forward to having her on the Board. During the Director report it was mentioned that we didn’t do a call to the public. We did have Doug Smith in attendance of the meeting today. And he has a couple of concerns that he wanted to address. His first question was in regards to the screens at the pickleball court being replaced. Kristin Zimmerman and Joshua both noted that they are in talks with the manufacturer and they are being replaced hopefully soon. Doug wanted to know if the person that raised money for the pickleball courts was recognized. Kristin Zimmerman and Joshua did tell him that she was recognized last year at the mayor’s award. Doug also wanted to speak about the Golf RFP. He wanted to know if the ultimate decision went to City Council for approval. Kristin Zimmerman did tell him that was correct. He then wanted to suggest that the Park Board keep in mine that the decision isn’t all about money it is a lot about personality. Kristin Zimmerman did explain that the RFP is a process. She mentioned that people go to the golf course to meet friends, golfers want to go where everyone knows them and they know everyone else. They want that cheers moment. 9.Adjournment Steve Berseth Adjourned the meeting.