fine
earlier
hey just a reminder
to make sure you speak up
the good one welcome everybody to um
February and um do we have a motion to
open the meeting
motion and second all in favor say aye
okay okay I'll take the role Eric Acton
Eric's not quite here uh Tim desbachenko
and Brennan here Roger Carroll here
Claire ceballos Allie D'Angelo here
Joanne Pickrell who's not here and
welcome to the mayor and Jess and
um so we have a quorum the first item is
approving the December 7th 2022 minutes
anybody have any
um
suggestions modifications or anything
concerning December 7th minutes
hearing none is there a motion to
approve the December minutes
second all in favor AI
aye none of both the minutes approved
the second is to approve the January
fourth minutes of 2023 any
suggestions to modify the minutes in any
way
motion to approve the minutes
a second
second all in favor say aye
aye um the minutes are approved
um the first item in the agenda Mike is
cool membership yeah I am going to pass
it off to Natalie
uh touch base about
um thinking about a senior discounted
rate which we haven't really talked
about yeah so you know I agree with the
50 approvals individual
um
obviously from last year's ready to
support a senior there's no visible
you know there's no clear distinction
between they're not going to think that
they're getting a discounted and I'm
pretty sure they have so like I kind of
talk about that label we probably should
have have something in place for that
but that would take us below the fifty
dollars so we want to bring that back to
you and our we're recommending just a 10
discount to make it forty dollars
um
thoughts comments I mean why not
40. we didn't know how low we should go
yeah what we came up with
um wouldn't it be easier to just keep
everything at 50. or do you think you
need to do the discount I just wondered
from administrative standpoint do we
want to give it a 50. yeah I just
wondered
um I mean it doesn't matter it doesn't
really matter I think it was just more
of the visual of it almost everything
else would have is a clear visual of it
there's some sort of defined oh that
related in previous years
how old you have to be but it's a senior
because we can I mean we can stay so if
you're 55 and have a family maybe senior
which is going to be me in three years
I think it's the top tracks down from
Park and ref when he that comes up a
couple times and you're able to say well
we actually this is a discount compared
to Prior rates then you can kind of
speak to it then because it might come
up a couple times but I think as long as
there's a talk track there to speak to
it everybody would be understanding I
think our experience is while it is a
discount from what they paid last year
they will it would be more viewed from a
perspective of what is it related senior
um uh I think that will be the view that
we get most of the time which is
you know we've always had a cheaper rate
than a 50 year old neighbor why don't we
have one now uh I I think that's that's
the reality of what we'll probably get
more of than people going we really just
appreciate the fact that it's less than
we paid last year
um
um and you know if I guess if the idea
is that our residents you know we feel
like 50 is the right thing for our
residents to pay you know there's still
the idea if that's the new right right
then there's still the idea that they
are on a fixed income and it's a
different situation from a financial
standpoint so should there be a you know
a discount for them how many people took
advantage of the senior discount last
year
and we can get at the same percent
senior Discounters I mean it would be we
would just have a different rate or
anyone is a student
oh
yeah no this is twenty percent
and then what's the savings from prior
membership for a senior to now does you
remember that I'm not a senior paid
versus an individual member
in in the previous structure
it was
it was the same as the individual same
as the student individual students to
the student individuals
I'm not sure
discount all right
would you guys recommend 40.
it's okay
I think what you said though about
figuring out what that is and they said
10 then making it yeah
yeah and one thing to also consider is
that the daily admission rate even
though we raise them adult is 12 and
series six so the amount of time they
would have to go to Google too it's a
little bit different than what an adult
well it seems like we have a daily
admission senior discount we should have
it for really getting a um and Senior
here in our community is still 55
correct
yeah
so I said I'm gonna have a family mb55
yes a minute
and
[Laughter]
so this is about 20 it's about a twenty
percent discount in both games yeah
what are we going to raise the senior
age
we should do that
yeah
that is a real thing right that's a real
thing yeah
exactly yeah what the senior center
representing this that's a good point
well we can't we can't get the students
that are too crowded it's like the pool
you know we gotta keep it exclusive
barking
so so should we move like 45 having kids
later
yeah I moved what 40. 40 for this
great all in favor say aye all right so
I seen your discount of 40.
great thank you Natalie thank you
director's report all right
um just keep everyone up to date that
many of the staff I think we had six at
the o'berry convention last weekend last
weekend we got to watch the Cincinnati
Bengals lose with 700 of our closest
friends
um uh but no it was a it was a good
event it started on Sunday and went
through Wednesday our most of the staff
was Sunday through Tuesday
um Kevin who uh sits on some committees
with opra uh and it sort of takes the
point on uh our involvement with opaque
State through Wednesday which was great
um we just have too much stuff to sort
of get back to
um but it was it was a good experience
it's a great opportunity for our staff
to take classes and learn about a myriad
of different uh things going on in the
industry
um there's obviously great team building
opportunities for us as a staff as well
um staff is doing an after action you
know we want to make sure it's not hey
we do this for three days and then while
that's done and we forget about
everything that we we did and don't
bring that information back uh to our
community so they're doing an active
action plan where they're doing
write-ups on their experience uh they're
providing feedback on ways for opioid
improve that will pass along to a pra
and and then providing five action plans
of things that they want to Institute as
a result of stuff they learned through
the conference so and then we will also
be sharing that because we had about
half our staff that was not able to go
so we'll be having uh internal meetings
with that information being shared with
the staff that wasn't there so it's a
it's something we haven't done since
prior to covid right now
um and uh it was good to get back to
doing it so appreciate
um the council and the administration's
support on allowing us to be a part of
that
um
any questions on that
um Jeffrey Mansion alcohol framework
um some good updates on that we've had
the second read and Jess I appreciate
your leadership and introducing that
with city council second read was
yesterday
um which was the first time we really
had a really robust discussion on it I
gave a presentation for Council about
really the four uh amendments that we
want to make to the framework that the
board approved and the rationale for
those amendments uh I thought there was
good discussion good questions from
Council I think Jess you pointed out a
lot of the questions that counts out or
some of the questions that you all had
that's a good job um so on the same page
um and I you know obviously they didn't
vote on it I I expect they'll voted on
the next meeting but there seemed to be
a general comfortability with the
recommendations
um by Council I guess we won't see until
this vote uh they did one council member
mentioned that they'd only received uh
one comment from the public and that was
in support of it
um so and I have not received any uh
negative feedback on the recommendations
from from the community uh which is
obviously nice
um I don't know if there's anything that
you would add to it or anything that's a
question
I think Mike just did a really nice job
of laying it out making it transparent
and just reminding you know city council
that you guys have been discussing it
thoroughly for a couple months so um
making sure everybody felt comfortable
that it
and then the letters that went out you
guys are all aware that we ended up
sending them like 500 feet it's 200 for
residential 500 or 300 for commercial
and Mike took the liberty to be
you know just touch that on that
transparency and did 500 so I think that
was well covered
um and then hopefully people got the
letters right but and we're aware of
that yeah we're aware that a lot did I
can't say for sure everyone did but so I
think we've crossed our T's and dotted
our eyes and
there any unexpected questions that you
got
[Music]
um
no there really weren't uh you know
there's questions about the impact uh of
adding a number of events to
um our staff
uh obviously Lauren Miller who you know
you know presented a report to the board
does an amazing job with our events
um and we'll we'll be able to keep track
of sort of what that demand jumps from
where if that to where it might become
and as we mentioned we will have
basically a Year's lead time because
that's about how far people book out so
if we see a huge influx of events then
we'll have some time to adjust any sort
of staffing needs to support
um you know support what we need to do
to do a good job with those events
um so that was asked I thought that was
a a great question
um
uh well we were also asked whether
we should eliminate the amount of events
or the restriction on the number of
events or whether we should just expand
the number of events that we were
allowed and I said we can happy to
continue our discussions on that the
reason we decided to recommend
eliminating is because we haven't had
any issues
um also you know again this is there
this is passed at a council level this
is a framework that we have to work
within it doesn't mean that we don't
already and slash will have policies in
place that sort of
protect uh the facility to protect the
community protect the amount of events
that are going on doesn't mean we have
to book event every single day every
single Friday Saturday and Sunday
um an example of that is we currently
only do one event a day in the Carriage
Court whereas we probably could do two
and have a block over morning sort of
afternoon or evening and so they're
things that we will still have in place
that sort of protect some of those
concerns which brings up another point
we will be coming back to the board in
at the March meeting with
recommendations so just to remind
everyone we have the framework that's
passed by Council that the board made
recommendations on amendments too and
then within the context of that we have
our own policies
um that govern our how we we operate the
facility so we will be coming back to
the board with some policy adjustments
some of which are as a result of the
changes in the framework some of which
are things that are not touched on the
by the framework what we've seen over
the first two years and want to make
changes to one of the big ones is how
far out we allow bookings to occur right
now our policy is a year we're getting
more and more feedback and seeing more
and more within the industry that it
needs to be extended a little further
out we have it's interesting enough we
appreci we have received a number of
calls in the last couple days about uh
bar mitzvahs bar and bought Mitzvahs and
I can't say that I knew this but uh but
they generally get to date they
generally get the date of their Bar
Mitzvah like when they're like four or
five years prior to when it happens
three years prior wouldn't happen so
um we actually had two people reach out
to us that are like look we're really
worried we're not gonna have a uh
location we want to be there but we have
to wait to a year out even though we
already know the date that we need so
there's some really good rationale for
expanding that also as we talked about
making sure we're protecting our
residents from having first access to
the facility before the non-residents so
those are some of the things that we're
going to come back we'll probably we'll
also have to come back with rates for
non-resident alcohol because it doesn't
exist as of right now
um and so that that'll happen at the
next meeting
um but as we are right now we've had two
this week actually that's are really
concerned that they are deciding between
Jeffrey and another place and they are
where they can't wait until a year out
but so this is the first time anyone's
inquired about having an event from a
prime minister of well no it's not it's
just the first time that they've done it
that far in advance it's the first well
even before these two we had actually
started having conversations about what
we're seeing in the industry in general
even with weddings that they're
happening further out than a year uh and
we're getting a lot more people
inquiring about dates that we they
couldn't even book
um so we were already
sort of contemplating that and what that
plays out like we we've had like we had
apartments for there two weeks ago uh so
we've had bar mitzvahs and and I think
um
uh you know it was interesting that in
the timeline when this happened that
that we had these two requests that were
really concerned about not having enough
lead time in Booking uh I think probably
what we're also seeing first of all we
were coming out of the pandemic when we
added this new space right
um we were not having we did not have a
lot of our Mitzvahs in the old space it
just wasn't big enough to do it and they
weren't happening so we don't have a lot
of history with a lot of Apartments
we're seeing more of that now with the
new space and then coming out of the
pandemic a couple things I think you're
you that they're probably dealing with
the end users the renters is you have a
lot of spaces that close down because
they didn't stay open again and now
things are starting back up and people
were going after it pretty hard and they
don't have as nearly as many options
they had before so they're more likely
to run into an issue that they weren't
running into before so
I think there's some good logic to
extending that what league time are they
requesting like a year and a half or two
years out is there some commonality on
your requests well
interesting to me was finding out that
they I guess I never really realized
this that it's really tied to their
birthday
um and that they know as much as three
years in advance so
um the fact that they even know that I'm
sure that we would have people that
would be like I want to get this locked
up as soon as I know
um
that causes some issues for us in terms
of our own community events and when
we're scheduling stuff and how far out
can we really plan our Harvest Fest and
what else is going on in the community
um but uh we sort of are feeling like
closer to a year and a half to two years
with some sort of delay for
non-residents it will nothing's ever
going to satisfy everyone's sort of
schedule and how they they plan their
stuff but
um we're just seeing more and more
requests at a time that we can't even
fill it because of our policy doesn't
allow it so weddings are probably the
same they're saying we're seeing more of
that yeah that's that's been a change
too and I don't I don't know if that's
people are becoming better planners or
or if what they're dealing with within
the industry they have to do it earlier
because there's less options and so
they're really trying to get on top of
it as early as they can
solution policy yeah yeah
and that's may we haven't we haven't
gotten quite into the Weeds on this but
that may have to change too alive within
a little bit extend out further what is
it it's outside of six months
you have to prove that you're actually
engaged so you don't yes
like pictorial evidence sound
the hard ones are the we just that it's
not happening now conversations that we
get called oh yeah oh that's tough yeah
sorry you love your deposits sorry uh
send them like a sticker or something
thinking about you
seniors
I'm sorry about your deposit but did you
see our cool games
don't go crazy
any questions on sort of update on the
uh framework stuff all right
um
you're the parks update uh since our
last meeting in which uh the mayor
presented on a number of year of the
park projects um I want to update at
least uh some of the stuff discussions
happen around potential projects at
Jeffrey park because I know that's a hot
button topic
um
uh first of all I do I want to thank the
mayor who we've had a lot of great
conversations he's been really involved
in looking at is some of these ideas
meeting on site what does space actually
look like what's the potential impact
listening to feedback from a Rec staff
about you know what might work where we
have concerns what might not work
um uh at this point uh the the four
project was that we're sort of focusing
on with within Jeffrey park with sand
volleyball the potential for Rockwell
natural play area and skate parks where
I think the main ones that were talked
about at the last presentation for the
board
um we did a lot of do we've done a lot
of due diligence over the last couple
weeks last month uh since that meeting
to sort of review all these ideas and
see what the impact is
um including laying out a potential
stand volleyball court on the site at
the pool at the bottom of that hill
where the basketball court is now uh one
thing that became fairly evident fairly
early on once we actually laid it out is
how much of that space it actually would
take up and the concerns of how much
space it will take on
um
tie that into the fact that we are you
know about to go through a very
different membership process and not
knowing exactly how many more members we
might be dealing with and then also
looking at cutting back the amount of
space that was a concern that came up in
terms of the timing
um uh recognizing the logistics of our
programming that uses the hard service
the asphalt down there with our camp and
our swim team bullpen in our in our
Triathlon
um transition site there were just a
number of factors that it just
ultimately didn't make sense in terms of
the location in terms of the idea of
coming up with a location for sand
volleyball uh it's still something that
we're going to continue to look at
because we think there's good energy and
good excitement and good interest from
the community for something like that
finding the location will be the hard
part but oh that was an update on that
Rockwell I think we realized
um uh
in terms of our goals with the rock wall
versus how it would actually work out in
in reality we're probably going to align
the goals being to try to get sort of
that middle school age more engaged in
activity there uh putting a bowler which
feels more like an a bigger playground
piece is not going to necessarily
be an attraction for that age group
versus say that you know 20-foot rock
wall and uh we recognize we did we did
due diligence on insurance and some
other things about those rock walls and
whether that's a good idea to have that
in a park setting
found out that I'm doing something on
that scale is not going to be a good fit
and on the smaller scale just isn't
going to be the amenity that we we want
it to be so that is probably not that's
at this point we're not moving forward
with that the natural play area I think
is a
natural fit at Jeffrey Park
um we'll continue to discuss location
whether that should be at the north end
where the playground is or whether we
should think about a sort of a separate
natural play area so that you can sort
of experience different things in
different parts of parts of the park
instead of having all of our kids going
to one area uh spreading out that load
um it's something we dealt with during
covid when our preschool wanted to use
that playground and we had to be like
you can't
do you have anyone else here right
because we're in quarantine so to speak
with the preschool having a natural
player that's in a different area that
makes sense allows to spread out some of
those loads so we're looking at that I'd
be interested to get some thoughts on
that the idea again would be that it it
it's
you know on the at least on the edge of
the wood so it feels like it's in a
natural sort of environment
um it would be you know
um Metro Parks does a lateral natural
play areas in their in their Woods
um so we're going to look closely
one item one option is by the
playgrounds along the edge of the woods
which is a logical location doesn't
spread it out another area that we're
sort of looking at is along the access
road on the between the pool and the
woods as a potential rotation another
area is also between the tennis courts
and the woods to the
East
um and just having it on that edge so
those are all things we're looking at I
do think it makes makes sense in our
setting to think about adding some
additional play components
um let me say natural play area
the elements
yeah yeah I can give you examples we
haven't gotten that far into it sure an
example of some of the things that we
received from Metro as I reached out to
Metro Parks about their process for
their natural players but like um
structures uh made out of wood that have
ropes right that that connect them
climbing what playground used to be like
yeah that's right it sort of yeah sort
of did
um the old old Maryland one is awesome
to more permanent yeah it's like it's
like a lot less extensive yeah you'd
have like
no that's right a teeter-totter made out
of lumber okay walk down the log with
like a rope
Autobahn yeah probably yeah
a series of tree limbs yeah you could
turn into a TV yeah I mean just like
yeah a defined creative space so the
conservatory yes in good space for sure
a defined creative space where you just
provide some you know some logs and some
branches and some things that they can
build with and like they have stumps
that you can move around and like build
slingshots with like lots of Big Stone
yes
it'll be peppered with these like
playground manufacturers that are
selling natural places it is like awful
and not what we're talking about okay
okay what we're talking about is like uh
very more natural basic hormones you
wouldn't even know it's there unless you
go closely and yeah I think Blended
Woods in the Metro Parks is a really
good example of it that's a good example
although their zip line is unfortunately
a major but to maintain yeah
that's there the last time
well years ago Mike Mike uh yeah
that's no idea oh to get the zipline no
no due diligence
the skatepark is the other piece
um we have this skatepark is something
that has been an interest within our
community for a decade plus uh we used
to have a skate park before we redid the
pool uh it used to be at City Hall then
it moved to
um basically what is the asphalt
basketball court at the pool now it went
away when we
um Extended the pool but this has been
something that we have consistently been
received requests to find a way to make
this happen
um finding a space has always been the
most difficult part for this
um as we've been going through this year
of the parks and you know revisiting all
of our spaces and just thinking
differently a space at Schneider Park
really popped up as a potential viable
location it's about a 50 by 150 to 200
foot swath of land
um along the creek uh not quite all the
way up to the creek but
um we saw it we're like well it's
something uh it's it's it's between like
Astor the sledding hill and the athletic
field it's like you know where that
small very small playground is that
never gets used next to the trail I
think so it's like it's between the
apartment complex and the asphalt path
there's the swath of the grass it just
gets mowed it's not it's not down to the
creek it's it's east of the path
um so you can see in the area but it's
so you know it's and you wouldn't even
necessarily know city property you might
think it's owned by adjacent priority
energy so Wexner Heritage Village is the
Wexner Independent Living
yeah it is like the north kind of area
of it and then Bexley Village Apartments
you might have access to it okay
um anyway we looked at it and we're like
well it's something it's not it's not
this Grand space but uh we we actually
met with
um four or five people who have reached
out to us over the years of saying hey
this is something we were interested in
and reached out to them and said hey
would you come take a look at this space
and and be a part of a small sort of
working committee to figure out if this
is doable and they yeah we met last week
and
um went out to the site and I was
pleasantly surprised at how excited they
were about the potential in the space
frankly yeah we were kind of pitching
like a as opposed to like a big concrete
just like swath of skatepark like a
course almost of like features
which we didn't know if that existed in
concept
since then we found it it does
yeah so it's a silly it's called Escape
playgrounds
I think that's a cool
um so we're no it's fine we're really
excited about this potential we own them
we own the land and it seems like it's a
viable option that we can you know we
don't want to do something for the sake
of saying checking a box that no one is
going to enjoy we want to make sure it's
done on a level that
um that people can be excited about and
this group seemed to be excited about
the potential and so next steps are
we're gonna start to reach out to design
firms and see about getting them
involved and what we could do in that
space and help us through that process
um depending how that goes there will be
a public process we'll want to reach out
to more than the four people in this
community people in this committee
um just to see what the community what
their interests are and wants in terms
of that and then same get a price tag
and figure out if we can find a way to
make it happen so uh that's it's
exciting it really is great yeah sure
um tracks
oh and when we're talking about it we're
talking about bike skate playground cool
ing
in order to avoid some stigmas that
might exist oh that's a good idea
yes thank you everybody precious later
yes great movie
yes watch it it should be anxiety yeah
that's great all right
oh how cute
that is super cute
I love like the examples
it's awesome
this is great this could be a component
it could be the whole thing it could be
you know we'll figure out what the space
actually allows it also gets more
so that means but that doesn't include
like also I think they're talking about
some half pipes and some other like yeah
um
and it would be permanent so we'll
definitely use their ass our desire
would be important to be permanent will
last longer yes yes that's our desire
it's obviously more expensive like yeah
um but that would be our design space
and it's dirt and it looks like a death
trap they were still building it last
time I was so cool yeah it could never
go on
it's a good selling effect I mean
seriously if you watch people do this no
like at the Quarry yeah
it's just fun to watch like yeah yeah
like lots of GoPros out yeah
destiny
contracts all right with that I'm gonna
hand off the mayor's gonna yeah so a
couple other Parks updates um
first off thank you Ali for coming we
had just another visioning committee and
again that's just sort of a idea
generator
we have kicked off the design for the
Columbia Plaza at Commonwealth with mksk
and Jones Architects so that's the
section of Commonwealth
that'll just take Colombia it'll really
soften it at a median put a sidewalk
grade
Plateau basically across the middle that
Stitches the two sides together
um a public Workshop is scheduled for
March 6th for that I think at City Hall
um it'll we're going to be noticing
we're going to be sending letters to
neighbors and just letting them know
what's happening uh it'll also serve as
an update just in general on
Commonwealth park because of the
Arboretum walk and the and the pond and
the what the fields that are in but in
the Follies
and at that point the Follies are we're
prepping those to go to bid they got
approved through the um
ARB and so and and for those who haven't
been on those are the groups south south
end kind of small structures on
Commonwealth East that'll have a
restroom inside of it Commonwealth West
that will be Mechanicals really exciting
electrical leader water pit
s so those are in place already you can
actually see not the Follies but the
Mechanicals and the buildings will be
built around them and they'll just be
stone with slate roof and lots of
landscaping and kind of hopefully blend
into the park
and then um the pond is also getting set
to go to bid so it's
um bid docs have been created we're
hoping to go to bed this week I think
still on us we'll leave them open for
about a month
um and then see how those come in
the aster Bridge
um we're hoping to engage in engineering
firm to help us finalize the plans for
that that's the bike and pedestrian
bridge at Schneider Park that will go
for master basically near Aster it'll be
at the bottom of the sledding hill for
those of you who
a little bit offset of the Sledge no no
I think we should probably end it up and
just take it right so by the time you
get to it'll be slow enough
um
that you could get enough speed to go
across you can't be different yeah
um
the oh actually we had a great but Mike
drove the rec bus we had a bus tour
today with some rapid five people and
showed them oh cool different projects
we're working on and talking about some
funding possibility that
um we are awarding the Construction
contract for the splash pad at Schneider
Park
so that's right next to the shelter
house at Schneider
small Splash Pad push button activated
so it won't be on all the time but if
people want to cool down it'll be a
great option
people love specials
and Mike is uh Mike is tasked Kevin
Smith with finding the absolute best
outdoor ping pong and foosball tables so
that we can pepper our community with
them as part of here at the parks
and there's lots of other stuff but yeah
we could go on for about two hours with
Little Nicky nacky Meandering here for
Parks updates but
yeah is there going to be um I don't
know how I can't remember what was in
the final plan but is there going to be
exercise stations in the revised
Commonwealth park or when it's done or
not I know we pulled out the old ones
and I didn't know I think that I think
the master plan has the amendment still
okay so that's still going to be there
it's in the master plan that's the
greatest point though it's not in our
it's not in our scope for this year yeah
but it could be
maybe well we also haven't we also other
than just the West Side that's going to
have the Arboretum feature we still
haven't attacked the trails that sort of
meander through them and those are those
are on those Trails by member yeah so I
think that would be a combination sort
of project and I think they were they
were to be like along the trails but
also accessible from the sidewalk I
thought
yeah they are but I think I mean you'd
have to walk if you walk across the
grass to get to them I think the trails
they'd be right off off of it at least
that's the way I remember the master
plan but we could have included them
until Mike turned the skatepark into a
500 000. so yeah we have no numbers
we have a reserve to figure yeah
probably not enough yeah but
um
so yeah that's that's a good point yeah
we I think I my my thought process was
when we started to really think about
attacking those trails that would be the
time but
we got to leave the Community Foundation
with some other things to find it yeah
all right
um maple syrup uh Jeffrey Woods Festival
March 6th that's not right that's not
right that's not a Saturday before the
fourth or fourth Yeah March 4th
um
eight to two uh we have I think we have
45 people set up for maple syrup so we
gotta make a lot of Maples right oh
really yeah yeah I cancel some of those
bookings
the names
why is it Kelvin who knows
yeah
they didn't call the Jeffrey house
it was the Covenant estate story yes
um so uh you know anyone wants to come
it's that that day's a fun day come and
go as you please check out what's going
on we're making maple syrup we have
our wood splitting portion of that has
uh as many people on the wait list as
we're able to get in which is a good
problem but it's unfortunate we can't
really accommodate everyone so we're
we're looking at whether we started
let's add another one I'm not sure
starting early this morning it's a good
idea for the neighborhood but I thought
you meant the syrup now syrup we are
starting here but the world wants to
camp out Friday night
it's being contemplated
um Jeffrey Park planning update
um mayor and I have been just discussing
this as well
um we are I have reached out to I
reached out to Jason
um we are looking at getting a
facilitator on board uh to help us get
this thing moving and moving forward
um we have money in in our uh budget for
Park planning for this I think we have
forty thousand dollars
um which is probably not enough for you
know an extensive type plan like you
might see with the Commonwealth Park but
is is I think enough uh to have a
facilitator to have that facility or
have access to experts to get experts
involved where we feel like we need
experts
um and to and to present a high level
sort of overview of how the space is
being used how we wanted to be used what
sort of protective
measures we want in place
um uh so that's that's been a little bit
of shift in the process and hopefully
that will help us get this thing moving
so anything you would add to that from
our conversations
just like you know we probably have 10
active strategic plans that we are
constantly working on like in you know
that guide us in multiple kind of veins
in the city and the most successful one
for the ones that had a strong steering
committee that had really good input and
the planners are good good planners but
they're facilitating like the community
conversation and so our model here with
this I think is
going to be um really listening to
community feedback feedback from the
steering committee getting those all
documented is probably not going to be a
100 page plan it'll probably be like a
a 10 to 15 page plan or something it
like really captures all everything
that's important I'd like I like to say
for that well because that's like you
take all those and they can all be
distilled down to that it's whether or
not like how much fluff so we're gonna
not pay for the fluff
we're gonna pay for the good stuff and
we're gonna we have enough budget that
we think where we can get some good
Technical Services so like if we need
exhibits to show what we're talking
about or some experts to come in on
different areas we should be able to uh
and when when when do we think roughly
it's going to start the committee is
actually going to start to meet so I
would like to get a facilitator on board
um and uh like I said we'll reach out to
somebody who does he works for a firm
that was at opioid as well uh and they
do they're they do Park planning stuff
so it's it's in you know their their
line of expertise and he actually
happens to do a lot of work for the city
too already
um
yeah yeah RFP
um but we're gonna start with him to
talk through the process and whether
that's what we're thinking is a viable
sort of approach to getting a good
outcome
um so as soon as I can get him on the
phone and we can actually feel
comfortable about this approach then
we'll we'll move that forward the main
um uh while that discussion is also
happening because as the mayor said
we're still going to have a strong
student we hope we have a strong
steering unit
that is the ship do you have a vision
you wanted to maybe shape up or end up
or yeah results
that we I mean I think the overarching
theme from our discussions is is is
to make sure we've identified what's in
the park and how we need to manage and
care for what's in the park whether
that's
um Forest management plan whether that's
understanding the assets that we have
and putting together a general
maintenance and you know care for those
assets and also identifying areas that
there's potential for whatever that is
whether that's you know an example that
I keep throwing out I'm not sure it'll
ever go anywhere is the idea of you know
we have a South Woods that's uh split in
half by our driveway and is that the
best way to do that and should our
driveway baby go away and should that be
one larger wooded area and utilize a
different access point so recognizing
that there may be some potential
opportunity to improve the way we
interact or we interface with the the
park
um but making sure we're preserving what
we have I mean preservation is a strong
preservation enhancement or the words
that we keep talking about in terms of
what we're trying to get out of this
ultimately
um you know but we have talked about
um you know we've talked about a Four
Season shelter facility you know does
that make sense where we've talked about
it you know within the context of the
entire park
um
uh those are the yeah I mean those are
the sort of I I wouldn't say we're
sitting here going this is you know help
us get to this point where we're like we
want this here we want this year
um and also maybe
if we get expertise on things that are
affecting Force Management in terms of
climate change and
what in the future should be planted and
where you know how we how we can keep
the forest areas thriving for future
Generations that's that's one of my
biggest concerns
um you know keep the habitat thriving
and the forced self-driving
and how that relates to the rest of the
partner too I mean that's one of them
I think things are gonna have to be
taken into consideration with what's
best in the future for forest in terms
of
all these conditions changing in our
environment
and hoping we can get that kind of
expertise now people that can make those
kinds of projections it could help us
for planning we've also recently
identified what we think are
opportunities at uh by the pool lot in
this the Lower Meadow
um
right now we have a pool lot that has at
the that is that that the divider
between the pool lot and the creek is
our five trash dumpsters right and while
while the reality is we have to have
receptacles based on what we generated
through events in the park and the pool
um is that the best place for it is
there another approach to that and uh is
there an opportunity that we're missing
as a result in that location
specifically in terms of interaction
with the creek we've we've talked for a
while back to when we started the kayak
program which is on hold but we've
talked for a long time about how to
better utilize the resource that is the
creek and interact with the creek
guyana's got there's a lot of great
examples now they can probably speak to
this but Hannah has a couple really nice
examples in which state parks interact
with the water and encourage you to be
in the water
um some of that is probably some history
right where we had uh an Eric you
probably remember this we had um a
tragedy in that Creek just I think North
or just north of Jeffrey park or right
around Jeffrey Park involving the low
head dams that existed in the creek
those no longer exist there so from a
safety standpoint it's better it's still
a moving body of water and there's a
safety component to it that we always
have to be aware of
um but the idea that you know
um
um Big Walnut Creek through Gahanna they
have some great interaction with there
with that we're encouraging you to get
in the water and I know my family has
loved their experiences going there and
creaking walking around
and at Jeffrey the best location for
that where the elevation difference
between grade and Creek is at the pool
lot is right there and so is that a much
is there a cooler way to utilize that
space than trash bins I'm sure there is
and so we're really having some
discussion about
potential opportunity there and that
also fits in real well with rapid fives
efforts which is you know bringing the
five major creeks in in central Ohio
into a unified park system essentially
and the idea that the waterways are
going to become more
um you know ways to travel and then you
know they talk about blue Waves and
Greenways blue Waves being the water
ways and Greenways being the trail
system
um and that this can be could be a
destination point along that that
process so
it it's very early conversations like
like very early conversations but we
we're internally looking at what our
options are with the trash side of it uh
whether that's you know more pickup day
you know right now in the in the off
season of the pool it's once a week but
during the full season twice a week you
know could we reduce that and go three
or four times a week can we partner with
St Charles and say hey can we bring our
stuff to your location please
and we take it off-site altogether what
does that mean for you know our
maintenance staff and our pool staff and
how do we get it there but
um it is it's kind of exciting to think
about exactly isn't it yeah I know right
yeah when you think more of that it
really is the amount of asphalt that's
taken up there isn't just for the
concrete but in order to like circulate
around it like there's a lot of space
that could be freed up just by not
having that right there and still have
the same amount of parking and really
softening the nerve it so Larry Hellman
has drawn A Sketch
you know he drew this first sketch of
that pedestrian bridge at Aster that
we're now pursuing he's drawn a sketch
of the pond or the pond that's different
I don't think he drew upon sketch the of
the creek side and like what might be
possible down there so it's inspired us
to think more closely about it kind of
dust off some Concepts we talked about
10 years ago
for people to just sit and there you go
to look at the point we need their
benches around
yeah
and I said I've got really cold foggy
head
but um anyway and I think the one one
thing just to tag on is that um we
because it's been a couple years since
we advertised those positions I have
asked Mike to read just put the word
back out if anyone's interested in
helping out with this steering committee
that you know there might be some people
who haven't seen it before some new
folks who have some you know want to
participate so you'll be doing that I
think as well I have to check so it's
been fun
yeah they will be no no we never
actually selected
we identified we internally identified
about some volunteers
all right
any other questions
on any of that all right
Rogers send it back to you
um
anybody with all business you want to
talk about
new business
um do you want to talk about this yeah
so um the senior advisory committee
which was created uh to work through
this you know the transition from uh the
way we provide senior services and it's
it's an existing committee now but
doesn't meet
very regularly a couple times maybe a
year that's probably what they're
they'll be doing although it is sort of
as needed and and as we figure out
what's happening with this space as the
city figures out first what's happening
with uh the plan development of this
space and then we react to those
decisions
um I'm sure that that group will meet a
little more often in terms of figuring
out a temporary senior space and then
moving into a you know more permanent
one in that process but
all that to say uh as part of that
advisory committee we we had a Rec board
member on it I think of Jessica
sparkling they haven't met since she's
been off the board but there's some
dishwashing about maybe in the near
future too so
um Roger wanted me to bring up with if
there's anyone on the on the board that
has an interest in sitting on that
committee
uh we will need to find somebody to
be appointed to that
really neat
well Jeff Sparks has not been here for
it's been a while yeah that time
it's an as needed so it's not a standing
meeting and you know I think as the
senior center development sort of kicks
into gear it'll probably be a little
more frequently but in generally I would
be surprised if it's more than a couple
times a year
would be my sort of General perspective
on it
so anyone interested I I've been happy
to volunteer if nobody else wants to do
it that kind of thing I mean I would be
interested in meeting with folks that
sounded so awkward
that was like the default DirecTV but
you know what I mean sure okay
all right
um one quick thing last meeting
um we I think the last thing you talked
about I mean it was back and forth with
Mark about the um ordinances or the
things about the park is he was going to
get back to you I think on something is
that he has not had anything okay so
there's nothing really for you you're
talking about the park rules 1062 yeah
yeah
he went through and I think there was
something about the Free Speech one he
was going to look into more I don't know
whether he had responded he responded
once yeah yeah and then we had other
questions I don't know whether he's okay
that that reminds me where are where is
everybody on the on the signs and um are
we are we gonna are we gonna have input
into what the rules might be the record
I mean just in case we think yes
recommendations Yeah well yeah I'm happy
to do that uh um we have gone out to do
a uh
prototype which is just that a prototype
it's not necessarily defining anything
in terms of where they're going to be
which is really I think more of
yeah
and I'll be happy to share the Prototype
um I think I showed the graphics but you
haven't obviously seen what it actually
looks like when we have the Prototype
and
um yeah we can do it uh
um Ben gosh why am I driving a blank on
his last name he was doing the he's
facilitating this for the city
um I could see about having him come and
even presenting that sort of everything
what they're going to actually look like
yeah the idea is we're going to have
this that we can frankly either put in a
place and you know temporarily just put
in a spot and be able to see how it sort
of fits in the park and how the no dog
signs and the other signs are going to
blend in and if we're gonna keep them
both or yeah so I think we should keep
something
well here's one here's one thing I will
tell you there are no dogs allowed I
will say this I don't want to speak
specifically for the mayor but I think I
would be it's fair to say that part of
the impetus for this sign package is to
really clean up
Make Them All Uniform yeah really clean
up what what you're seeing at Jeffrey
for example which is a reactionary sign
to no dog adding more you know temporary
signs for no dogs are adding signs for
you know owls that are attacking people
or adding you know well that's not the
whole year no no I know but but I know I
know from him's perspective he he
struggles with the idea of the lack of
uniformity to that
um
I think when we're talking about real
safety concern that's one thing
um it's usually for a short period of
time yeah anyway but but in general we
don't have ways finding signing signage
at the park we don't have you you
couldn't if you're not familiar and you
show up at Jeffrey Park you wouldn't
know where the restrooms were you would
right
in the woods right by the creek you
wouldn't know how to get there um and
then we don't have any uniformity from
park right so what's going on Schneider
signage-wise yeah of the standardization
of them and more of them I just don't
want them no dogs to get lost in the
shuffle because folks trust me and I
will not let out and spend time whether
or not you like where it's at I don't
know but it has been a big topic of
discussion and making sure it's
incorporated into the science especially
I don't know if you guys have noticed
but there's here
now they're Crossing every I've noticed
it twice as I've come up Clifton they
cross at the corner of Clifton and um
and Parkview yeah that corner right they
go in that backyard that those people's
back there because there's a lot of
vegetation there and quite a few of them
across at the same time like it like at
dusk sometimes
and I know because I come at my daughter
you know lives in that neck of the woods
so I come up there quite a bit and um
I'm not that I'm saying we need any
weird crossing signs because I know that
might be too much but it but it but if
but the dogs if the dogs don't chase the
deer maybe they won't go as much into
those into those you know surrounding
areas that's why I think it's so
important not to have dogs in the park
because the deer yeah
in which they might chase them into the
I mean those I did reach out because
deer have been Crossing quite a bit I
just hope people are careful about when
they drive up there at night and not
drive too fast it's right at the corner
it's right at that house it's right on
the corner yeah yeah and that house is
actually over the years asked us to
extend our fence all the way to park for
you to prevent the deer from heading
yeah yeah and eating their vegetation
which we haven't obviously a favorite
dinner place they have a lot of they
have a lot of he is a
guy that owned that house is uh
landscape architect I think but um I
could be wrong um
yeah wait I actually did uh her
conversations with Barb I actually
reached out to our service department to
ask what is the like how do you identify
generically speaking how do you identify
where deer crossing signs go is it based
on number of accidents that occur based
on uh understanding you know somebody's
coming out and studying the deer and
understanding whether you're like how
does that and and there are service
department necessarily is not probably
the best thing the best people to answer
that uh and so we're gonna have
discussion with PD as to whether they
have any sense of how that works but
maybe I don't learn the blast about it
just to warn people yeah because I've
noticed that it hasn't just been once
I've noticed it about three different
times and it seems to happen more at
best you know right and then
um you know early in the evening they do
travel I see them I mean I see them as
far as Drexel one night there were six
of them that came out of there I stopped
oh wow waited and waited and waited and
you know the big bucks that you've seen
in the park recently because they were
among them
um it just it freaks me out a little bit
because there were so many of them well
we had a coyote in the park the other
day
wanted
okay
I digress
um so I also sit on the Community
Foundation Brands committee and we were
reviewing grants today a lot of friends
I think if you that's complete you
submitted Kevin did but yeah our offices
they were trying to better understand
that explains the
relationships we have do you want to
talk about that now and you want to
update me I'll apply yeah no I'm happy
so we don't have baseball tickets yes
oh well
you know what race do we have how's that
work yeah if we build it and then they
take ownership over back and we get one
year out of it yeah yeah
um so as we currently sit we don't have
any additional it's a year to year right
so
essentially you're to your permit
um that that what's been the the
direction of that has changed pretty
drastically in uh it's swung two
different directions over the last six
or seven years where uh we had it as a
year to year permit it was sort of a
handshake understanding that we were
going to get it every year and use it as
we saw fit a new leadership team in at
Columbus and they started wanting to
have more control and want to start
charging us and and now that leadership
is gone
no we are charged for currently although
uh over the last I don't know six months
their leadership has changed again and
and some of the people that were there
that sort of preferred the way it was
before our
uh advocating for it to be back that way
now having said that so
I feel more comfortable that we're
moving in a better direction for our
city in terms of access to that space
um it doesn't necessarily mean we're
going to have any sort of long-term
commitment uh
right away
but but I think to answer your question
I don't think we would also move forward
with that project unless we can get
commitment from Columbus in some way
shape or form to make sure that we will
have access for an extended period time
they're never going to give us anything
in perpetuity right but if we could get
15 20 years it it's an investment that
maybe makes sense understanding web
access for that period of time
um I will say The Dugout design is you
know so we have been in touch with
Columbus about this from a process
standpoint if it gets awarded we would
have to take the design to Columbus to
get approval to be able to build
something there to begin with uh the
design that we are operating off of in
the quote that we have that that request
is based on is based off of
um their dugouts at um
they're very comfortable with the design
that we have generically speaking
because it came from them
um but assuming we would get that award
and in terms of process I told Kevin
if Community Foundation says yes we want
you to move forward with a grant right
because right now it's an L A lot right
right now it's just an Loi I said if if
it gets to that point and we're going to
put time and energy into you know
completing the Grant and what goes into
the grant then we will go back to
Columbus and say Here's what's going on
what can we can we talk about what might
be options so I understand that that
will be something that the Community
Foundation would want to clear Clarity
to
we use the schools you know we use the
schools as well and that's
okay no uh uh Montrose and Maryland as
well which is on the other side of the
creek which um Capital it's Columbus as
well there's a there's a better chance
that we can get a longer term lease on
that space
um on Klausen than wolf just right
across the creek
high school plays or baseball Capitol
plays or baseball and softball there and
so you know we are having conversations
with the schools that you know I don't
think it's any surprise they've been
looking at JCC to try to do a
development they got plans on that I
think the price tag is extremely high
um but there's also discussion if we
could get a long-term at Klaus and and
invest in there that that might be an
option too
um if anything starts to happen with
that keep me in the loop yeah
well no Carlson actually when they they
toured out house
there's parking and there's not really
well criminalized but there's plenty of
space to be able to be easily yeah
yeah I mean yes we would be the
expectation would be that we would be
maintaining them as we maintain the
fields and the ball diamonds well wolf
would be for kids right before yes
it became it became a point of
contention when they want to start
charging us for the fields they want to
have more control and it wasn't just
like hey it's your Fields sort of you
mow the grass you you maintain the
fields
uh and then when they wanted more
control but now that we're heading back
that direction yeah we mow it uh we work
with the schools if we've got to do turf
management or ads
now just the Triangular space that is
the athletic fields yeah you probably
too right now have about six travel
teams what there's 13 kids per those
teams that are playing outside of our
community because we don't have baseball
fields to facilitate that so they go to
Berliner they go to Whitehall
so I like that you guys are I do think I
mean I think that's a great concern and
it's a real concern that needs to be
addressed in terms of an investment I do
think as in terms of a project it would
be really really well received within
our community the idea of having dugouts
we have kids now for rec going to
um to um Gahanna
yeah so we it's something we need to
oh and The JCC has more space for more
development in that area don't they I'm
trying to Middle School uses the JCC we
use it as well actually yeah and Rec
uses it and they they within the last 10
years put dugouts there was you know she
provides shade and provides them in
close space for safety for foul balls
at some point the community did a big
because there's softball sponsors
on one of the fields it's considered a
softball field there's like a gold
program sponsor so at one point yeah you
guys feel that they raise the money to
the dugouts they're nice
quick question I haven't talked to you
about this I just wondering having been
here twice for meetings do you guys
think this is a more comfortable easier
place to meet if we can or would you
prefer where we normally meet at City
Hall I mean I'm just throwing that out
without any thoughts about that
just think about it just think if this
makes more sense or you feel more
relaxed here or city hall is better for
you is there any back-end reasons why it
matters from your perspective not only
in terms of things
because we're not recording
see how the I.T end of it works
yeah
she's sort of talking instead of in a
kind of circle sense we typically don't
get a huge amount of public coming to
our meetings as long as we avoid
um having uh toilets built around our
parts yeah
yeah and so by the way since we're here
I can't emphasize how successful this
this space has literally been on so many
levels whether it's for the seniors
our community is using it a lot they
have for different meetings for
different Gatherings lessons
um we have had a lot of members who
rented at 25 for
graduation parties and a lot of
different things I mean it really has
been well received and has received a
lot of use I say that to say when you
think about moving the meetings here is
we'll have to think about availability
um to some extent usually the evenings
are pretty good on the weekend usually
but
um
well I think it's it's tied up in court
right now that someone's challenged the
zoning or something is in the court of
appeals on the practice counties
right but it is it is a great space
although we have a single woman parking
lot right now so it's a great space we
drew
us to be art with Anna now it's a senior
so I'm like wow he's in tune to the
community today anything else before
um in a motion to adjourn
second all in favor say aye thank you
everybody
teaching right yeah
so you're double dipping right now
I mean I don't