all right it's 5:04 p.m. Thursday August 1st we will call the niswa Parks and Recreation advisory commission meeting to order first item is approval of the agenda can I get a motion to approve the agenda I'll make a motion to approve the
agenda I'll second that motion by Blake second by Sher all in favor I motion carried next item is approval of the June 6 2024 minutes can I get a motion to approve I have motion to approve the
minutes and I will second Sher and Blake any discussion on them awesome all in favor I motion carries um there is no one here this evening for open Forum um so we will move on to Department
reports um just a couple quick updates here um we don't have a lot um this evening but just wanted to meet and touch base on some things as Summer's quickly uh quickly flying by so um the parks and the community center
facilities all got Reed in July so that has all been up updated um anything with a door knob got switched to a lever so we're making some improvements for accessibility in those ways um the community center uh needed a new furnace
and AC unit um that came up with our uh semiannual preventative maintenance that was improved in Ju July um June and the work got started in July so um they will be back to finish the furnace but the AC
has been um fixed as of right now and then Stephan's Tree Service came in uh they took care of some dead and hazardous trees in City Park in nisell Lake Park um so they are helping us keep our forest healthy and
safe um Recreation wise all of the summer programs have concluded in July we had Safety Town and um nature Camp so those are done and as of yesterday fall prog registration is open so we have
flag football um just a mini camp on that and fall soccer um we'll be doing time for play again over the winter um and then dining etiquette are also some of the options this fall um
Parks wise the gake trail um the grant period expire June 30th so we have been busy trying to get all those documents in order and um we will be submitting our final reimbursement next
week um and then for the new section on 77 um we're working on land acquisition there's a couple of properties we need some additional easement for um so we're working through that and we'll be reviewing the plans and getting ready to bid that section this winter so looking
for construction on 77 section next summer um at Between the Lakes Park the pit toilet was delivered um very exciting very interesting production that was um but it is up and running so
we have just over a mile of trails and the toilet is available um we continue to kind of do some maintenance and touchup along the roadway the parking lot and the Trails um just kind of some roadside are exposed some tree branches that still need to be cut back um
working on that and then as we've kind of talked about off and on some of the signs the rules getting math benches things like that are all still coming down the pipeline for that location um and then Sherry and Paula have been
looking at the pollinator Garden so Sher if you want to give an update on where you guys are add on that one that would be great the pollinator look Garden looks great um the the Monarch the the some of the plants are
little invasive so I'd like to pull them out you know they're outside the perimeters of the garden um the right side of it some of those plants didn't come up from last fall so I'd like to place replace those plants and then take some of the bigger
the taller plants and put it in back and put the you know put the shorter ones in front and I I think we can dig well I know we can dig that up and just kind of put them where they belong okay but also the brush in back is getting real intrusive to the garden and blocking out
Sun and I think that could easily be removed in a couple hours you know even my husband and I can go out there and sure you know take some of that stuff out if if I can if you allow it so
but it looks pretty good and also they have a there's going to be a plant sale at the arborium and it's all native plants so I thought I'd go check that out in two weeks and see what they have to offer yeah I think all seem like pretty good feasible Solutions and so if
you ever want to meet or have a day together and perk maintenance now that a lot of our recreational programs are slowing down it's becoming a good time of year for us to add some of those things in like that okay so the having
people there that have the knowledge and desire to help is awesome cool any other questions on um um all things Park and wreck sweet um there is nothing for new business um and so the only other thing
um under old business is um an update on City Park um so just wanted to let you guys know that WTH is working on their proposal for site planning um we're hoping for that timeline to present it to city council here at the August
meeting um so that was something that came out of our June Parks Commission meeting council did approve to obtaining a proposal um and looking to have that ready for August here um we also talked about uh doing a quarterly review of the funds in the
account um then uh the niss enrichment fund as of June 30th the fund balance is $ 28,9 67 um in June we talked about a fundraising flyer and just getting some more
information out on that so that was posted on Facebook um July 1st there was an echo in uh article in the Echo July 17th um as well as the dispatch um headed in their paper as well and tomorrow I'll be posting another update
with some of the information on the current fund balance um so definitely working through kind of ongoing publicity regarding where the fund is um in an email Paula suggested adding kind of an
information session um regarding phase one in September so I will figure out some legistics on that one and definitely be in touch with you guys um with what that may look like or times for that
um other questions thoughts and ideas are you going to be posting periodically the amount of the balance that you have in the fund yep so I'm going to post it tomorrow on Facebook um so I kind of made a thermometer and some
information um kind of with the same in the same lines as the other marketing that has come out so yeah I Look to do probably monthly something or next review of the funds
will be um after the third quarter so in October you know uh like since you posted the bush in July uh how much it has increased like
in that time frame um I do not so what um they don't have the it's not like a total real time there's like a 3- we delay on it um so I think is updated towards the end of the month um and we just haven't looked again um I'll say on
Facebook I think that post got over 1,200 views um so more than our normal hosts um nice so yeah trying to keep keep finding
ways um between the paper I believe um when it was in the dispatch it also was on the radio for the top news um items so couple different avenues that we had discussed um but yeah I will post another update
here tomorrow with a fund balance on it and then certainly keep you guys posted on um Paula's idea of a open house type something in September um trying to figure out some Logistics
on that and what's possible other thoughts all right um our last item is final discussions and comments I do have just a couple of like Citywide updates that I wanted to keep everybody in the loop on um there was an we're working on
an ADA transition plan and that is looking at some of the RightWay sidewalks throughout Town um that information is going to be presented to Council in August um so when we're looking at some of the trail ped ramps
things like that those were things that were um assessed and so um that is going on just ideally this is a plan that helps um helps us show where our areas of opportunity are and then priorities
within that um so just want to it doesn't go into like into the parks or into our Trails but just the RightWay sections and kind of sidewalks through town mostly there's a high concentration with um the downtown area so that will
determine where some of the sign signage goes though wouldn't it um they were really only looking at this portion of the plan a lot of just the sidewalks in the right of way um not necess they didn't look at like any signs or things like that what will start looking at
signs is a downtown master plan and so that is getting going um so one of my questions is um we're looking for a volunteer to be on that committee um I did did when Alissa said she couldn't make it I mentioned this to her she said
it' be something she'd be interested in um but definitely putting it out here to the group if anyone's interested or if we want to um have somebody nominate a volunteer um looking at that downtown master plan um the the
meetings are the first Tuesday of each month some virtual some in person um but being that there's a couple of different like domain area some are infrastructure like storm water and RADS
and things like that and then there's like connectivity and pedestrians and usage which is where the parks um come into play as we look at city park and the trails and pocket park um so I don't know if either of you guys are interested or if you want
to um throw out a nomination for anyone TBD don't know what times I just know it's the first Tuesday of the month they'll try to and I look through it and I can make to all but one open
house um so I can certainly just bring information back to you but wanted to put it out there as Citizens and people involved in the business community and people knowledgeable of Parks and Recreation and what goes into that
it's an interest of yours or if we'd like to say go for it Alysa and open to a dialogue here well it's the first time hearing about it you know so I just like to think about it a little bit sure you know have some
ideas and obviously if there's things I will definitely bring it back to the group as a whole um not to just have the idea is that there's um just a couple people in case there's um someone can't make it and
we're not losing that information or perspective sorry when when's the first one um Tuesday September 3rd and it goes first Tuesdays from there there is a kickoff meeting August 21st which is a Wednesday but I'm not
sure who are what that entails okay I I would be interested in showing up for what was that I'd be interested in showing up okay awesome so that M that kickoff meeting on the 21st of August that would
would that be um would that be an information gathering as well um I am not totally sure how this process is going to run um compared you know we some some of us went through the parks master plan um I don't they have just
they call it a committee meeting and so there's Public Works a public works Committee Member myself in parks and rec and then looking for a person from the this commission um and then there'll be um Planning and Zoning as well okay so
it's I think like a Sixers committee but I don't know the details you're just putting it together you don't know what it's going to look like I'm just sharing the information so but Blake if you're interested I can once I kind of find out
some more I can connect with you and Orissa we can kind of figure it out and um go from there as I gather some details but like I said a lot of things I'll bring back to this group um and
also just for your interest as a community member here um to stay in the loop on that um topic and you may have noticed behind you menot has been doing some work on
371 just wanted to put that out there um there's not necessarily anything for this committee but just things to think about um it's a lot of considerations when we look at moving pedestrians our bike trails snowmobile or
um that's kind of where it might fit a little bit more into our area um but it's coming down the pipeline they'll be doing more surveys more listening sessions things like that so just as a general Community member um keeping that on your
radar those are my Citywide updates ni plenty going on other questions thoughts or comments no take a motion to adjourn nice so
move all right thank you much