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HomeMy Public PortalAbout02-25-1997 Joint Session . .. .. PRESENT: PUBLIC: ITEM #2: ITEM #3: 050 MINUTES JOINT TOWN BOARD AND PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD February 25, 1997 Mayor Horace Johnson, Ken Chavious, Evelyn Lloyd, Richard Simpson, Remus Smith, Wendy Olson (chair), Juanita Eubanks, Elizabeth Lacey, Ted Smith Jonathan Butler, Town Manager Eric Swanson, Planning Director Margaret Hauth Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:32. Hauth provided an update on River Park, noting the fill of the borrow pit will continue once the weather breaks. She added that the Occoneechee Band is collecting poles to build the palisade and a grant request has been submitted to the Kirby Foundation to fund the large pavilion. She said RC&D has been contacted to investigate piping a portion of Stillhouse Creek to remove the liability for the county. Civic clubs and the boy scouts have been contacted about donations for other incidentals on-site. Hauth distributed two handouts regarding a possible new direction for Fairview Park. She described some of the difficulties with developing the Gold Park site for a soccer or active sport complex. She said the first handout describes the potential use the soccer club at Eurosport projects for the near future. The second is a sketch pIan for an active sport facility on the Fairview Park site, incorporating a portion of the town's adjacent yard waste facility. Swanson noted that the plan was provided by Eurosport's design team at a joint meeting of town and county staffs the previous week. Chavious noted that the county staff was . interested in provided for a broader range of uses than shown on the plan. Swanson said the group would meet again to further discuss the topic, with the intent of making a presentation of the plan to the April joint meeting of the two elected boards. Lloyd suggested that 10 acres of the town's property be reserved for yard waste facility. The members discussed various concerns about the project, including the landfill, road access, mixture of uses, security, and funding. The members also expressed concern that Gold Park not be abandoned while this large facility moves forward, planning should continue on the Gold Park site. Olson provided an update on Occoneechee Mountain. She distributed a memo from the Occoneechee Park Committee detailing their concerns and needs as the park prepares to open. She emphasized the need for one staff mem~r to be responsible for overseeing the park. She noted concern that if different aspects are distributed among departments, the park will not be properly handled and everyone will suffer. She described the improvements to be covered with the recently submitted grant request for State Parks and Recreation Trust Funds. She also described many of the activities of the volunteers over the years and the burden of maintenance. Hauth highlighted the changes made to the funding table. She said the vehicle cost was reduced to reflect a lighter duty truck. Gold Park and Fairview Park reflect no costs, due to the changing nature of plans in the area. She said she delayed funding for Murray Street one year to allow for planning with the neighborhood, compressed the River Walk funding schedule, and evened out the annual funding for walkways. She also. discussed the re'vised funding information she received about sidewalks and noted the option for cost sharing with 051 Joint TB/Park Board 2/25/97, page 2 . NCDOT. Olson suggested adding walkway improvements at Eno Mountain and Mayo Street. Everyone agreed that funding should be added back to Gold Park to provide at least one baseball/softball field and that planning for this area should be incorporated with efforts for an active sports complex in Fairview. Mayor Johnson thanked the park board members for their time and said the requests would be taken into consideration as the budget process moves forward. He appointed Chavious to a committee of himself, Swanson, and the facilitator to pIan the retreat schedule. Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 9:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, ~A-\h~Jk- Marg t A. H~uth, Secretary . .