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Home My WebLink About06-08-22 Public Services Com. MinutesDublin City Council qmw- Ssi-o&�'xi-IWIV�ttezz Wednesday, June 8, 2022 5:00 P.M. 5555 Perimeter Drive Council Chamber Ms. Kramb called the June 8, 2022 Public Services Committee meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. flis. Kramb moved to approve the minutes of the May 16, 2022 Public Services Committee meeting. Vice Mayor De Rosa seconded the motion. Discussion Items: Parks Master Plan Uodate — Stakeholder Engagement Mr. Earman introduced Leon Younger, PROS Consulting. He shared that staff and the consultant are seeking the Committee's feedback this evening. Mr. Younger provided a brief overview of this part of the process. Part of doing a master plan update is looking at all aspects of the parks system and that starts with public engagement. They are looking at comments from key leadership, staff, the school district, and the business community. They are also getting ready to put out two surveys: a statistically valid survey as well as a community survey. The content of each survey is the same. The survey is mailed out and can be returned via mail, online, or completed by phone. There are interpretation services available. PROS Consulting is doing some benchmarking around the country. They are beginning the park and facility review process as well as a program assessment to determine who is being served and who is not. There will Aso be a level of service study done based on compilation of metrics driven by population. That level of service is tied to what the community says. Those June 8. 2022 Minutes Page 2 of 6 numbers can be tested against community feedback, best practices and performance benchmarking from National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The City's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion approach will be considered. There will be information gathered on the operation and maintenance of the parks system. A natural resource assessment will be done. They will be looking at demograLihic and trends That will be mapped and the maps will tell a story of what is existing and what is recommended. A prioritization plan will be established for land, facilities, programs, facilities, and capital. They will look at available funding options. Finally, they will create a Vision, Mission, and Value Statements as well as a 10 - year action plan. The action plan will be very specific for the first 5 years. There is a good group of staff involved as a team. OHM is a local firm helping with the plan. ETC Institute is doing all the survey work. Because both surveys are the same, comparisons will be able to be drawn between the two. Ms. Kramb opened the discussion from the Committee about questions on t process. I Mr. Reiner stated that Dublin is looking for the most advanced park system. The goal is to have young professionals want to live in Dublin because of an exciting, outstanding park system. The climbing rock downtown is awesome. Mr. Younger stated that Recreation and Parks are driven by how much the City wants to invest in it. A point of consideration for the City is whether there is the desire for the is and recreation system to be economically driven. Dublin has had really big moments like the opening of the Dublin Rec Center. They have been sharing ideas from across the country. Mr. Reiner asked when the Rec Center opened. Mr. Earman responded in 1996. Mr. Reiner stated that we are looking for the next leap forward. He asked if other departments are being involved like planning and zoning as it relates to the land seizure policy and the expense of mowing grass. Mr. Ranc stated that Jenny Rauch, Planning Director, is involved in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update process. She is part of that core team. Ms. Kramb directed the Committee discussion through questions provided, 1. What is the general perception of the parks, facilities, and recreation opportunities as they are now? aged. Dublin is blessed with a plethora of opportunities. People constantly say that there is a need for more sports fields. It may not be possible to satisfy that demand, but we hear that a lot. Parks are used and appreciated. Dublin has a very traditional set of offerings. They are beautiful and need some maintenance, Ms. Kramb agreed that they are traditional and extensive. June 8, 2022 Minutes Page 3 of 6 ITIr. Reiner stated that traditional is a great description. The City has a lot of pocket parks and big soccer fields. He would like to know what there is in the world that would set Dublin apart. Mr. Younger stated that they have several different concepts people have done around the country. It is important to learn community desires and to match Council's vision with theirs. The river will continue to be an important component for bringing people downtown. Mr. Reiner stated that he is not a fan of surveys. He believes in leadership. They are elected to lead. He reflected on the challenge of opening the Rec Center. He loves that kind of innovation in government. Mr. Younger stated that he believes Council will like a lot of the ideas that will be brought forward. Vice Mayor De Rosa referenced the Rapid 5 project on the Scioto River. There is a lot of momentum and dollars being generated to fund that. We want to make sure to connect with that project because it can help programmatically and economically. There is so much energy in parks currently. I June 8, 2022 Minutes Page 4 of 6 3. What are the key outcomes the Committee would like to see come from this Master Plan? Ms. Kramb stated that she wants to see action. The most important thing is naming one or two big ideas and identify a plan to implement them. She does not want to see a survey of a bunch • ideas that sits on a shelf. Mr. Younger stated that they did a plan for Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, He stated that they wanted something in the daytime where people would come out and just visit. They hired the people who created the Bellagio fountains to install fountains in Fair Park and this one amenity changed how people viewed the park. Mr. Reiner stated that we could have a fabulous waterfall. We could light the old bridge. We have not developed visual amenities with this great bridge. Mr. Younger stated that uplighting changes what people feel about anything in a rE7r&:Fr June 8, 2022 Minutes Page 5 •..: 6 park. The ideas shared this evening are good ideas on how to activate existing park spaces. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that she would like to see 2 or 3 things started right now, as well as a long-term vision of what the next marker might look like. She is happy that there will be a maintenance component. She read the quote, "Today's passion is tomorrow's burden." In this plan, there has to be a realistic expectation of required maintenance dollars to manage what is desired. She would like continual feedback. This is the age of the QR code, so there is no reason that there can't be a QR code to take someone to the survey. There is n* reason to not get continual feedback. She would like to see some way to get the community consistently involved in offering feedback as well. Mr. Younger stated that he hears that this Committee wants to ensureeveryone that nobody is missed by the parks and recreation system, and then determine how to activate it, fund it, and maintain it. Mr. Reiner asked about the water feature with the rabbits. Mr. Earman stated that the City has put over $1M into it over the years. It was not built as it currently functions. Mr. Earman stated that this plan will describe the critical needs. It could be maintenance, renovation, capital needs, next steps and highest aspirations. Recommendations will be tiered and will help establish priorities. Ms. Kramb suggested bathrooms in all parks. A small percentage of parks have bathrooms. Mr. Younger stated that they are built as neighborhood parks. Mr. Earman stated that a question about how much time people spend in parks could be added to the survey. Mr. Younger stated that once someone spends over an hour in a park, they start to complain about not having bathrooms. Mr. Earman stated that the City then gets into maintenance concerns. Ms. Kramb stated because she does not live in of neighborhood, every time she visits a M•; she has to drive there. The lack of restrooms was noticeable with young children. She understands the neighborhood park concept, but there are some larger parks that do not have restrooms. Vice Mayor De Rosa stated that for someone who bikes a lot, Dublin does not have • lot • places to lock up a bike and have a picnic. Mr. Reiner suggested spreading artistic bike racks throughout the community. Mr. Reiner stated that his goal is to encourage people to want to live in Dublin because it is the coolest city. Vice Mayor De Rosa agreed. Mr. Younger stated that an important thing to have is a mix of parks and music/entertainment, and it all has to be connected. Many times entertainment gets left out. Mr. Reiner stated that we built a greenway along Bridge Street, and each weekend we could bring in festivals like Milwaukee does. ?TIVER R=EF June 8, 2022 Minutes Page 6 of 6 Vice Mayor De Rosa asked what the most innovative park is that Mr. Younger has seen. Mr. Younger responded with Epic Central Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. They have a huge indoor water park, an incredible community center, a major amphitheater complex, all different types of outdoor adventures, and an activated lake. They used creative financing and several different funding sources. Ms. Kramb asked for an estimated time for a draft Master Plan. Mr. Younger responded by stating that, ideally, they will have a draft by the end of the year. The Master Plan was built around a 9 -month schedule. They are getting ready to launch the survey, which is a 10 -week process. Mr. Earman stated that the draft will be presented to Council prior to the final draft. Along the way, there will be a website set up, Vice Mayor De Rosa suggested putting QR codes in the park. Mr. Reiner spoke about pickleball. Mr. Younger stated that pickleball will be in the Olympics in 2024. Mr. Earman stated that Dublin has a very adventurous group organizing their own activities and they provide lesson opportunities. Mr. Younger stated that they are working with agencies building a pickleball facility with restaurants around it. Mr. Earman suggested the Committee read about the pickleball club going in on Polaris. It will have social rooms, locker rooms, etc. Ms. Kramb welcomed Leah Dotson and Mitchell Ament, management interns in attendance this evening. There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting wa�'* adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Chair, Publices Committee Dettity clerk of Council