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Home My Public Portal About03-15-2022 Minutes PRB Regular MeetingMinutes PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD Remote regular meeting 7 p.m. March 15, 2022 Virtual meeting via YouTube Live Town of Hillsborough YouTube channel Present: Chair Jesse Mowles-Aring, Carl Cuthbertson, Commissioner Robb English (ex officio), Chelsea Gailey, Wendy Kuhn, Alyse Polly and Richard von Furstenberg Absent: Vice Chair Cole Kenworthy and James Pattison Staff: Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood 1.Call to order and confirmation of quorum Chair Jesse Mowles-Aring called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the presence of a quorum. 2.Agenda changes and approval There were no changes. Motion: Member Richard von Furstenberg moved to approve the agenda as presented. Member Chelsea Gailey seconded. Trueblood called the roll for voting. Vote: 6-0. Ayes: Members Carl Cuthbertson, Gailey, Wendy Kuhn, Mowles-Aring, Alyse Polly and von Furstenberg. Nays: None. Absent: Cole Kenworthy and James Pattison. 3.Minutes review and approval Minutes from regular meeting on Feb. 15, 2022 There were no changes. Motion: von Furstenberg moved approval of the Feb. 15, 2022, minutes. Kuhn seconded. Trueblood called the roll for voting. Vote: 6-0. Ayes: Members Cuthbertson, Gailey, Kenworthy, Kuhn, Mowles-Aring, Polly and von Furstenberg. Nays: None. Absent: Kenworthy and Pattison. 4.Discussion items Continued discussion of connectivity plan updates for Comprehensive Sustainability Plan with VHB (consultant) 101 E. Orange St., PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-732-1270 I www.hillsboroughnc.gov I @HillsboroughGov PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES I 1 of 4 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES | 2 of 4 Candice Andre from VHB addressed the board. She presented the updated connectivity map. Board members said trails and greenways should be differentiated because people assume that greenways are paved. The board decided to prioritize sidewalks on King Street. Trueblood said the proposed pedestrian bridge at Latimer Street that would have connected Hayes Street would be expensive and is not as achievable as she once thought it was. It was noted that the town would like for bicycles to be allowed on the trail from Riverwalk to Elizabeth Brady Road that is on property owned by a non-profit organization. Andre asked the board what sustainable parks means to the board. Board members offered answers. Sustainable parks: Promote human and ecological health. Feature natural play equipment instead of plastic. Perhaps have ninja courses that can be changed every few months for added interest. Might feature big mounds of dirt that kids can ride their bikes over and large tree trunks that kids can stand on. Encourage art projects made with natural items like leaves. Offer a natural balance beam. Build play structures with pressure-treated wood if that passes insurance more easily than those built with logs. Include green infrastructure like bio swales, permeable parking surfaces, porous basketball courts, rain gardens, native trees, constructive wetlands, cisterns, rain barrels and green roofs. Trueblood explained the town’s insurance agent has not approved some natural play equipment. Andre asked the board to consider how some traditional grassy open spaces could be used differently. The board said: Design nature walks and scavenger hunt panels. Grow edible landscapes. Build a zipline platform. Trueblood explained the town does not offer recreational programming and does not program soccer despite having a soccer field at Cates Creek Park and a soccer field at Gold Park. She encouraged the board to consider alternative uses for the soccer fields while keeping in mind that the fields are used for pick-up games and other purposes. Andre said a focus group suggested holding competitions between neighborhoods for the removal of invasive plants. She also noted that she put two questions in the chat to officially ask the questions but this group has already discussed them at previous meetings. She asked how parks and greenways can help us meet our sustainability goals. She also asked for thoughts on innovative policies we might consider. Mowles-Aring said the fields get used for different activities. He added that Orange Tennis, a non-profit organization that provides low-cost tennis lessons for children and adults, and pickle ball players are interested in expanding the number of tennis courts available. He said Orange Tennis is confident that there’s money among private citizens to support more public tennis courts. He noted that there’s a purpose and need for conventional activities, too. He added that it would be good to make some percentage of land food forests or set aside for only native species. He suggested growing berries. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES | 3 of 4 Trueblood noted the town only plants native or adapted species now. Polly noted the field at Gold Park is used frequenly. For that reason, she suggested starting with repurposing the field at Cates Creek Park. 5. Parks and recreation-related reports A. Board of Commissioners English reported the Orange County Climate Council will meet Thursday to discuss the annual report and has been creating a memorandum of understanding. He noted Trueblood and Kuhn have worked on the policy work group to develop best practices for the local governments. He added that Orange County has a new sustainability manager. B. Planning Board Polly reported there is an ordinance amendment that would require sidewalks in commercial developments on private streets. C. Intergovernmental Parks Work Group There was no report. The group meets twice a year. The next meeting is in April. 6. Park steward reports Board members reported on the conditions of the parks for which they serve as stewards. Trueblood noted any small repairs that needed attention and gave brief reports on small repairs that had been made since the previous meeting. Trueblood reported that Andrew Landstrom resigned from the board due to increasing work commitments. von Furstenberg offered to be the park steward of Cates Creek Park. 7. Staff updates Trueblood reported that: Compost blankets were installed at Gold Park and Kings Highway Park to encourage native plants to grow on the slopes. The slopes will be mowed only once a year. Floating wetland for Kings Highway Park is expected to arrive in April. The town is stacking stalks cut from plants in the pollinator gardens as part of the “Leave Your Stems” campaign. Planters are planted, gardens will be tended soon, pet-waste trash cans are available now in every park and nearly every cemetery. The rededication of the Occaneechi Village replica site will take place on April 23. River Park Arch installation is taking place. Eno State Park will be expanding in Hillsborough, contingent on fundraising. Kuhn offered to be the steward of Turnip Patch Park. 8. Adjournment Motion: von Furstenberg moved to adjourn at 9:14 p.m. Cuthbertson seconded. Trueblood called the roll for voting. Vote: 6-0. Ayes: Members Cuthbertson, Gailey, Kuhn, Mowles-Aring, Polly and von Furstenberg. Nays: None. Absent: Kenworthy and Pattison. PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES | 4 of 4 Respectfully submitted, Stephanie Trueblood Public Space and Sustainability Manager Staff support to the Parks and Recreation Board Approved: