HomeMy Public PortalAbout15-Parks Dept. Rpt. July 2019Monthly Department Report – Parks & Recreation
Memo
To: City Council
From: Kurt Wolf, Parks and Recreation Director
CC: Anette Spickard, City Manager
Date: 7/31/2019
Re: Monthly Department Report – July 2019
1. Summer Rec Programs & Registrations:
Summer has been nothing but go-go-go and we are happy to offer such fun programs for the kids. Here
a brief update on all our programs and numbers:
• Tennis: Session 1 was off to a rocky start with a young instructor. After day 1, staff contacted the
Idaho Tennis Association to plan for another instructor for the remaining sessions. Each session
hosts 40-45 kids, ranging in age from 5-15. The second instructor has been wonderful to work
with and is great with the kids. Staff has been talking about offering fall tennis camps/clinics with
his help.
• Wee Soccer: Registrations were cut off at 105 participants; although we had requests from
parents trying to register the day before. Each age group has 4 teams, with 10-12 kids on each
team. Staff did not want to keep stuffing the teams with more kids and finding volunteer coaches
was tougher this year than in the past. We have managed to do well with minor complaints from
parents. Will finish the season up on August 8 with a pizza party.
• T-ball: We were able to make 4 teams this year with 8-10 kids on each team. The program is
running smoothly, and the season will finish up on August 7 with a pizza party.
• Athletic Training: The Director and friends started a new program for youth in Ponderosa State
Park. Each class hosts 15-20 kids twice a week for athletic training drills and skills. Kurt says
he’s sore, so they must be doing it right!
• Traveling Playground: Every other week, the Parks & Recreation staff set out the 50-foot slip-
and-slide at Art Roberts park. The first couple times has been cooler, cloudy weather but the kids
still come out for the event. Last time, there were kids and adults sliding with a total of
approximately 30 people participating, and many more observers.
• Mountain Bike Camp: These camps are always full, with kids on the waiting list. Another
successful round. The final camp will be offered in August. Each camp hosts 12 kids.
Monthly Department Report – Parks & Recreation
• SNAG: Kacie Bell, Recreation Assistant, handled both sessions of SNAG golf solo. Each session
had 12-15 participants. The golf course has liked having the program, which introduces golf to
ages 4-7. Staff then encourage parents of the participants to enroll in the Junior Gold classes for
ages 8+ at the golf course.
• Adult Co-Ed Softball League: 6 teams are registered and playing 2-nights a week at Gold Glove
park. Each team plays twice a week. Umpires have been easier to find this summer, which has
been a tremendous help to the program. The tournament week will be mid-August, with umpires
brought up from the Valley.
2. Special Events:
Lakeside Liberty Fest: The event kicked off Thursday July 4th at 10am. Activities included family yoga,
food vendors, local retail/display booths of local businesses and clubs and the City Welcome tent with
giveaways donated by Cheap Thrills. The Chamber provided a great firework display the night of the 4th.
July 5th, our Movie by the Lake was successful with around 200 viewers watching the showing of E.T.
Feedback was positive and responses have been received already from interested vendors for Lakeside
Liberty Fest 2020. The website has been updated with 2020 information and a fillable application to be
considered as a participant for next year. https://www.mccall.id.us/lakeside-liberty-fest-2020
Mile High Open Water Swim: This year’s swim event grew with more participants. There was a total
of 61 swimmers (most from the Boise area), 12-15 safety boaters and 2 Sheriff boats. The racers departed
from Legacy Park at 10am and swam to Rotary Park. The first swimmers clocking in at 20.09 minutes!
Swimmers took less than an hour to complete, with one swimmer who did not finish. Local businesses
donated prizes which were raffled off to swimmers and volunteer safety boaters. Next year’s Open Water
Swim will take place the last Saturday of July, July 25th.
3. Parks Overview and Staffing:
Kacie Bell, Recreation Aide, finished her seasonal position on July 29. Tara Woods, Recreation
Supervisor, with the help of staff, is finishing the last 3 weeks of summer programming.
Tyler Padgett, the department’s latest full-time employee, will be helping maintain Gold Glove fields
throughout the ball season and assisting with facility reservations and collaborating parks maintenance to
coincide with reservations. Tara Woods is securing program instructors for tennis and soccer camps; and
will be relying on volunteers for wee soccer and t-ball. Umpires will be hired for youth, adult and
tournament softball programs.
Seasonal staffing on the Parks side is better than it has been in three years. Seasonal staff have hit the
ground running and have been a huge help with general maintenance, the unexpected, and project
completions.
New implements purchased through the CIP process have significantly reduced the amount of man hours
associated with various maintenance tasks and day to day summer operations.
Parks staff assisted in the Upper Payette Cooperative Weed Management Program (UPCWMA) again
this year. The first co-op work day was June 04 in Lowman, followed by a day at Sage Hen out of Smiths
Ferry, and Cascade in early July and then two days in McCall in mid-July. The July UPCWMA spray
days went great. There was an amazing turnout at the McCall spray day and over 18 acres of noxious
weeds were treated within city limits. Focus areas treated included: water treatment plant, Payette Lakes
Monthly Department Report – Parks & Recreation
District Sewer Lagoons, airport and airport approaches, Cemetery, Frisbee Golf Course, Industrial Loop
area, Fox Ridge R-O-Ws, and others.
4. Waterways Committee – Valley County Waterways Ordinance Update:
The County waterways committee will continue to assist the County Commissioners with the waterway’s
ordinance. Waterways committee informed Payette Lakes Preservation Association (PLPA) they will be
dropping the 2008 ordinance and focusing on the 2017-18 draft ordinance as it relates to the public
comments received during the County Commissioners public hearings. A draft of this work will be
available during the August 06 Waterways Meeting which is open to the public.
Kurt Wolf, Parks & Recreation Director, is working with the Sheriffs Department to re-set no-wake
buoy’s on Payette Lake to 300 feet per City Ordinance despite current County position and State Law.
5. Capital Projects & Maintenance:
Riverfront Park – DEQ 319 Work: The efforts to stabilize and reduce bank erosion at Riverfront Park
are proving very successful. The bank barbs that where installed last winter are preforming as designed.
Staff was able to secure additional DEQ 319 Grant funds to complete the top of bank work and further
reduce erosion impacts from surface runoff. This work will fully complete the mitigation work required
of the site and situation. Update: Staff will have timed freed up in August-September to continue
revegetation work along the bank and cleanup all lose ends.
Tree Planting Project at Riverfront Park: The remainder of the trees from the Rotary Park tree planting
project arrived on April 30. Staff have gotten everything planted and are working with the Rotary Club
to fully close out the project. This work will consist of composting, tree wells, irrigation completion, and
staking the trees.
Gold Glove Park Improvements: Contractor completed the ADA improvements around the restroom
in early May. Boulder Creek Landscape has installed the irrigation system and rock boarders. Staff will
begin planting the remainder of the materials following the July 04 holiday and activities around the
Lakeside Liberty Fest.
Waterfront Improvements north of Mile High Marina: Progress has been put on hold by the Idaho
Department of Lands in an effort to clean up deed titled Littoral Rights in this area.
6. Miscellaneous:
Parks staff have conducted two “Pull Together Fridays”. The program has been a great success so far and
we expect more great turnouts. So far there has been 250 gallons distributed and around 40 participants
that have worked with the County and City staff to treat numerous private properties.
Staff has been extremely busy with regular maintenance as town has had increased use throughout the
summer. Staff is expecting things to slow down slightly when school starts mid-August. At this time, staff
will move to tackle and close out punch lists associated with ongoing projects such as Riverfront Park,
Rotary Park (East End) Wooley Boardwalk (Interpretive), Gold Glove Park, Brown Park entrance and
stair repairs.
The Hospital Axillary Thrift Store has graciously donated bags of used beach toys for our loaner toy bin.
Monthly Department Report – Parks & Recreation