Minutes Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting – Alden Community Center Meeting date: May 20, 2014 approved 6-17-2014
In attendance: Steve Dell, Jim Gurr, Jan Loveland, Ken Masck, & Ruth Smith Absent: Mike Crawford, Carolyn Nowfel, and Dave Peterson HT Board members Butch Bartz and Rick Teague were in attendance for part of the meeting.
1. Community Input: None
2. Minutes from 04/15/2014 -approved with correction of Heidi Shaffers name & will be published on the HT website.
3. Information from May Helena Twp. Mtg.: The work on eradicating the Eurasian milfoil at Safe Harbor continues. Steve requested and the TB approved funds to patch the worst spot on the tennis courts. TB will be working with the new prosecutor to get everything in place to enforce that there is no overnight docking at Alden Safe Harbor. Steve & I let the TB know we are working on getting neighbors agreement letters for the DNR application for swim buoys and also planning a Coy Mountain maintenance day.
OLD BUSINESS:
4. Protocols and procedures: The grid for scoring projects that might come before the committee was again discussed. Jan and Ruth need to spend more time upgrading the grid. The need to look at items mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding was mentioned. Committee members will be given copies of the grid when completed. Input concerning the grid is welcome. Jan & Ruth will report back in June.
5. Review our 5-year-plan It was decided that individual committee members will work on reviewing the 5- year-plan for various parks. Members will be prioritizing goals and objectives and will develop plan(s) to achieve these goals and objectives. These evaluations will be brought back to the full committee for review. Assigned Alden Safe Harbor none, Archie Valleau Landing- none, Ball Park to ask Dave, Community Center to ask Carolyn, Coy Mountain- Ken Masck, Depot Park Jan Loveland, Tennis Court Park Steve Dell & Ruth Smith
6. Application for Recreational Passport Grant. Steve has submitted the grant and is working on providing further documentation needed to support the application.
NEW BUSINESS:
7. Rick Teague was in attendance to discuss the letter from the District Library Board and the HT Boards view of the Pks and Rec. Committees role. A path to be used to allow people to safely walk from the church to the community center was again discussed. Ken has talked with the register of deeds, Patty Niepoth, who looked at the legal description of this alley and notified Ken that this is township property. Rick stated that he feels the Pk. & Rec. Committee needs to review all aspects of any appropriate request coming to Pk & Rec. and then send the information garnered and a recommendation to the TB. 2
Minutes Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting May 20, 2014 Continued
7-2. Prioritize “future agenda items” advanced to the June agenda. 8. Does Parks & Rec. Comm. voting via email violate the open meetings act? This will be moved to the June agenda.
9. Formation of a Community Tennis Association was discussed by Ruth & Steve. The idea would be to see if there is public support to form a non-profit, 501C3 eligible, group to help support tennis court renewal and or maintenance. 10. Coy Mt. Cleanup Ken announced that June 21st (9am Noon) will be the cleanup day for Coy Mountain. Ken feels that just a few people will be needed for what he has in mind which is working on up grading the path through a low area. 11. Carolyn, Jan, and Ken are working on preparing the needed DNR application in order to place buoys by DNR guidelines so that DNR staff will be able enforce proper boat use in the buoyed areas. Letters have gone out to adjacent neighbors and one has been returned. The letters need to go in with the application. Jan was charged with following up on getting the letters to be ready to send the application. The buoyed areas are suggested to be Ball Park, Depot Park, Archie Valleau Landing, and Marys Beach.
12. Steve is working on again submitting an application to GT Band for 2% funds for Alden tennis court repair.
13. Dave to discuss signage at various township parks this will be moved to the June agenda.
14. Prioritize list of “future agenda items” for consideration by the committee this will be moved to the June agenda.
Other Agenda Items:
None
15. Action Items needed / Individual Assignments to be completed: Carolyn:
1. Will work with Jan and Ken to complete paperwork to request the DNR approve buoys (see 11)
2. May contact colleges concerning the possibility of students taking on a project to work on a site plan for the Alden Ball Park.
Actions completed:
A. Sent letters to the property owners adjacent to the proposed buoy sites.
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Minutes Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting May 20, 2014 Continued
15. Action Items needed / Individual Assignments to be completed continued:
Dave:
1. Will talk with Heidi Shaffer about meeting with us to look over HT properties and discuss water access.
2. Will take pictures of signage at various Pk & Rec sites to bring to Committee for discussion in June.
Actions completed:
A. Continues to work with company on garlic mustard eradication.
Jan:
1. to further work with Ruth on developing a scoring grid for projects coming to the Pk. & Rec. Comm.
2. Will follow-up to try to help secure actions needed to send the buoy application to the DNR.
Actions completed:
A. Developed a letter to be sent to property owners adjacent to the proposed buoy sites.
Ken:
1. To continue work with Brad Gerlock to help asses issues of trail maintenance and possible trail development.
Actions completed:
B. Walked the trails at Coy Mt. with Brad Gerlock and discussed trail maintenance and possible trail development.
C. Provided maps for buoy request and also talked with one adjacent property owner.
D. Organized a trail work day at Coy Mountain June 21st – 9am until Noon.
Mike: 1. He will ask for abstracts for the HT Coy Mt. and Ball Park properties. Ruth: 1.The approved April minutes are to be sent to Joyce Looman for publishing online.
2. The May minutes need to be prepared for review by the Committee. 3. Wk. with Jan to further develop. a scoring grid for projects coming to the Pk. & Rec. Committee. Actions completed: A. Sent March minutes to Joyce Looman for publishing online. B. Prepared April minutes for committee review at May meeting. Steve:
1. Will again complete a 2% Tribal Grant application for help with tennis court repairs (June deadline).
2. Will type up the scoring grid for projects presented to the Pk. & Rec. Committee for review as it is revised. Actions completed: A. Has contacted Tyvin and has dates for the summer camps.
B. Discussed the pedestrian walkway with Rick Teague, HT supervisor.
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FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: These items will continue to be carried forward until they are discussed by the Committee
1. October – Discuss fee schedule for use of Park or pavilions or
2. Discuss handicap parking in Helena Township. 3. Discuss developing a plan for a reservation system for all township parks. 4. Discuss doing a memo to the Twp. Board about placing signs at all parks to clarify that the township owns them and who to contact if there are questions or concerns about the site. This is to be discussed after the committee has a chance to visit all the Parks and Road Access sites this Spring/Summer.
5. Maps we use for Pks & Rec. Five Yr. Plan + are correct? keep contact with Dan Roketenetz on this. Be sure the signs at the Lake St. and other sites give the public a clear idea of what is public and what is private land.
6. Work to update the Parks and Recreation pages of the Helena Township web site.
7. Mike mentioned the AAU Sports / Recreation Complex Morey Complex- and suggested that they may be looking to locate a similar complex in Northern Michigan.
8. Look into the possibility of Flo McCormick (MI Assoc. of Counties) helping with writing any Pks. And Rec. grants. (Mike Crawford). Determine a grant writing resource and consider a grant recommendation review committee (P&R Committee – ?) that would review grants and give input to the Township Board (Rick) 9. Consider Keith Charters as a resource for Pk. & Rec. projects. 10. Riparian rights / possible review by township attorney (Dave) 11. Any new equipment (picnic tables, benches, etc.)should not be made of wood (Rick) see Ricks page 12. Further discuss Alden Safe Harbor and its park status / ownership memo to Board?
13. Research rules and laws governing road ending lake access sites (Steve, Ruth)
14. Deed restrictions for Helena Twp. Parks are to be reviewed. (Bring copies of deeds -Steve)
15 Check responsibilities of the Parks & Rec. Committee outlined in the current HT Master Plan.
The next monthly meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 – 3 PM at the Helena Township Offices.
Respectfully submitted by Ruth Smith 05-25-2014
