P&R09-01-09Min MINUT`E'?
PARIKS AND RECREATION :ADVISORY BOARD
Il75 dWEST WARR:El1 AVENUE
LONGWOOD, FLORIDA
September 1, x009
COMMISS'~ION CHAMBERS 7:00 PM
Present: Abigail Shoemaker, Chair
Shawn Anastasia, Member
Randy Jonda, Member
Nancy Lubec, Member
Lori Rice, Member
Fran Meli, Recreation Program 1Vlanager
]Linda F. Goff, Recording Secretary
Absent: Bob Driver, Member
David Putz, Member
1. Call to Order. Chair Shoemaker called tl?e meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Chair Shoemaker welcomed Member Shawn Anastasia to the Board.
2. Election of Vice Chair.
Chair Shoemaker opened the floor for nomination of Vice Chair.
Member Kubec moved to nomiiiat+~ Lori Rice as Vice Chair. Seconded by
Chair Shoemaker and carried by a unanimous roll call vote with Members
Driver and Putz absent.
3. Approval of Minutes -May 5, 2009 Pregular Meeting.
Vice Chair Rice moved to approve: the Minutes of May 5, 2009 as
presented. Seconded by Memb~:r jfonda and carried by a unanimous voice
vote with Members Driver and l'?ui:z absent.
4. Pnblic Participation. None.
5. Old Business.
A. Recreation Manager's Reporl:.
Ms. Meli reported Summer Camp was ~re:at this year. She said they did one field
trip a week and had 80 to 85 children in attendance each week.
~ Ms. ]Vleli reported that National Night Out was a good event. The annual Fire and
Police Department Charity Softball Gagne ~Nas held that evening. She said the
event was featured in the Lake Mary Lif~'e Rlagazine.
Ms. ]Vleli reported Reiter Park was chanting directions due to problems with the
ground. She said it will be made more o:f a passive park and will probably be done
within the next fiscal year. She stated they would have some ideas and a plan
withiin the next two weeks. She will share these with the Board once it is
available. She reported they will be placin€; a bubbler or a fountain in the pond
and it will have to be treated foi algae. She said a hedge will be placed around the
pond. to keep people away from the banks.
Ms. Meli reported Halloween was comi~ig up and the :Fall Festival will be held
from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. She said they will have the costume contest. The event will
be geared towards younger children. She s~:ated there will be a Boo Village like
they did last year. She said they felt this time frame was good for younger
chi dlren and it left time for those who want to Trick-or-Treat.
Ms. Meli reported that October 1~` they will officially become Leisure Services.
She said this will allow them to look into accreditation.
6. l~ew Business.
A. :Reschedule off I+Tovember's Bo:rrdl Meeting
[VIs. Meli said the November Boardl:Meeting is the same day as Election
:Day. She stated the next Meeting; i:; October 6'~'. She suggested not
meeting in November and. meeting in October and December.
Chair Shoemaker said she felt it would be okay not to meet in November.
She stated if anyone had any quf;stions, they could call Ms. Meli.
Vice Chair Rice moved to not meet in November 2009. Seconded
by Chair Shoemaker and carried by a .unanimous voice vote with
Members Driver and Putz absent.
Chair Shoemaker said with Bud;;et cuts, she would hate to see Santa Visits
Longwood go away.
Ms. Meli said that Public Works had the highest overtime forthat evening
and overtime has been cut from the: Budget.
Member Anastasia inquired if P~oli~~e, Fire, and all employees were paid to
do this.
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Ms. Meli responded in the aflirmat:ive.
Member Anastasia suggested asking the employees if they would
volunteer their time. He agreed thi~~ was an important tradition in the City.
iVlember Jonda inquired if the bi; expense was on overtime.
Ms. Meli said $2,000 was spent on candy. She stated that overtime was the
biggest expense and it is out of the Budget.
chair Shoemaker said, in her opinion, Santa Visits Longwood, Easter, and
:Boo Village were events she. would like to keep.
Discussion was held regarding ii' ht~ving to chose, which event they would
like to keep in regards to Celebrate the Season or Santa Visits Longwood.
Ms. Meli said any staff that works ~~elebrate the Season will be flexing
their time. She stated they were talking about something that they don't
know what the Budget will alloy. She said they will Budget core
programs and some events may lie cut. She advised there will be some
modifications occurring with the: events. She stated that Department Heads
will have to decide how to handle flex time.
Chair Shoemaker suggested again tying candy in bags rather than loose
candy for Santa Visits Longwood. She said she has suggested in the past
and would again suggest opening; the Community Building for performers
during Celebrate the Season.
iVls. Meli said, in her opinion, they need to be outside so people are not
torn between watching the enterf:aitiment or letting their children
participate in crafts.
Vice Chair Rice inquired if they wf:re going to continue the program for
needy families.
Ms. Meli advised it was out. She: sG.id they will accept donations of can
goods, but the donations will be ta1'_en to another organization or food
bank.
Vice Chair Rice said she felt that v~~as appropriate. She inquired if the
:Farmer's Market had been discussed.
Ms. Meli said the Farmer's Market was discussed and she was told if
issues can be resolved then they will discuss it further. She stated at-this
time it is on hold. She said the F,arrner's Market in Longwood was not
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being supported. She stated there v~~ere a lot of other Markets in this
~ surrounding area.
Vice Chair Rice said they did try with advertising in the various
neighborhoods, banners being put up, and other suggestions.
Ms. Meli said the economy may have played in this as well. She stated a
:Farmer's Market was not necessariay a cheaper place to shop.
Chair Shoemaker suggested they also try crafts.
Ms. 1Vleli said they will be revision;; the Farmer's Market.
Chair Shoemaker said that Line ]Dancing and Aerobics were going well.
M:s. Meli affirmed that these cla~cse;~ were going well. She said the night
class was doing better than the day class. She stated the biggest issue was
obtaining time in the CommunitvBuilding, She said there will be some
Wednesday nights that the Line 1Da;ncing will be moved to the Historic
Society Building. She stated that a~ntracting programs was working well
and they were looking for more programs such as this.
Member Kubec inquired if the City rented out the Community Building.
Ms. Meli said if it was the City's program, we did not rent the Building.
She explained that the City does rent the Community Building to people
for events. She stated this was wlhat the Building was for; it is not a
recreation center.
Chair Shoemaker said the classes; b~;ing taught were contracted with an
eighty/twenty (80/20%) percentage agreement. Slie stated the City also
made money on the Art Classes tau;;ht by Ms.:Linda Jacobs.
Ms. Meli advised they had the same: contract with. Ms. Jacobs. She said
this contract agreement covers the advertising and some cost of the use of
the Building.
viscussion was held regarding Summer Camp.
Ms. Meli explained that the people hired as Summer Camp Counselors
were employees of the City. She said that Mr. Chris Capizzi was at
Summer Camp each day to ensure it: was running well. She stated the City
pays for use of the school and to rer.~t buses. She said they try to cover the
costs as closely as possible.
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Member Anastasia inquired in regards to Reiter Park what passive was
~ going to entail.
Ms. Meli said that passive was go:ii~g to entaia aal amphitheater settv1g with
some tiered seating. She stated we would be able to have conceits and
Movies in the Parlc. She said there will be pavilions, and walki~ig trails.
Sl~.e stated there tivill not be basl.~etball, temlis, or a slate puk.
Member A11aStaSla asked if those acti~~ities coming out of the original plan
were being pl.anued for another arf,a.
Ms. Meli advised there are tennis and basketball courts at C~ndyland 1'arlc. .
She said the City won't b.ave a slca.te park. She stated there was a place
with a skate park on Warren Avenue. She said they were disappointed, but
the ground canazot support all of those structures.
Chair Shoemaker said there wa> X500,000 in. -the Proposed Sud~et for
Reiter Parlc. She inquired if this was necessary. y
Ms. Meli responded in the affi.rma:~ive. She said this was much less than
what was required to do the other plan. She stated the active recreation
that had been plaiulecl for Reiter Park would have been a monetary drain
for maintenance.
Chair Shoemaker inquired if there would be a new plan developed.
Ms. Meli responded in the affii-~native. She said she should have a rough
drawing of what is planned by tl.ie October Meeting.
Ad,~~~anx~n~xnento Chair Shoemaker adjourn•~d the meeting at 1:44- p.nl.
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