P&R08-02-16MinHISTORIC
L ONOOD
F LORIO.\
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING
DATE: August 2, 2016
A/ QIII) 640 0
LOCATION: Longwood Commission Chamber
175 West Warren Avenue
Longwood, FL 32750
MINUTES
Present: Lori Rice, Chair
Dave Putz, Vice Chair (arrived at 7:04 p.m.)
Judi Coad, Member
James Vogel, Member
Michelle Hendrix, Member
Bruce Harnage, Member
Morgan Paris, Member
Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Michelle Longo, City Clerk
Also Present: Commissioner Paris
Commissioner Sackett
Mayor Durso (arrived at 8:19 p.m.)
1. CALL TO ORDER. Chair Rice called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
2. PUBLIC INPUT. None.
3. STAFF REPORT.
Mr. Capizzi noted that Karen Behling is no longer with Leisure Services and that City Clerk, Michelle
Longo was attending this evening. Mr. Capizzi said he hopes to hire a new candidate for the position
of Community Building Coordinator/Administrative Assistant very soon.
He said the Downtown Longwood Cruise -in Car Show will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2016
from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. He said he had talked with Tara from Cruise -In Orlando regarding the
possibility of food vendors moving to the front parking lot off Ronald Reagan Boulevard as well as
making some more stringent tent rules. He said the microburst experienced at the last car show was
severe enough that even some weighted tents lifted into the air and hit a few cars, though no damage
was done.
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Mr. Capizzi said that the Senior Matinee Movie will be "Father and Daughters" and held in the
Longwood Community Building on Wednesday, August 18, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. He stated attendance is
normally lower during the months of June through August.
Mr. Capizzi said the Back to School Resource Fair, an event catering to less fortunate children, will be
held on Saturday, August 6, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the old Longwood Elementary
School. He said school supplies will be given away and there will also be face painters. He said
personnel from the Longwood Police and Fire Departments will be on site and there will be a
demonstration of a car monitor that shows the temperature a vehicle can reach in hot weather.
Mr. Capizzi said that the Longwood Community Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2016.
He said that concludes his staff report.
Member Coad asked what kind of turnout the City experienced at the last yard sale.
Mr. Capizzi said it was not particularly high and there were four vendor no-shows. He said one due to
a misunderstanding of the date and a few vendors told him they don't really go out to yard sales in the
summer due to the heat and the only reason they came to Longwood's was because it was covered.
Member Coad brought up that the Board had discussed holding the yard sale in cooler seasons.
Mr. Capizzi said he would like to get August's sale under his belt and in September would send the
vendors a survey to see if they think it would be more effective to have it in the fall, winter and spring.
He said that something like a snow cone vendor might attract more visitors, and that he is trying to
arrange something along those lines.
Member Coad asked how the swimming program with Lyman High School went.
Mr. Capizzi said the swimming program ends this Wednesday and it was doing about the same as last
year. He said at this point in time it really isn't paying for itself, but he has been in talks with Ken
Cobb of Longwood Aquatics, which will be taking over all of Lyman's aquatics. He said the City will
be contracting with them and they will not only run the Open Swim for Longwood, but allow the City
to put its name to the program. He said he has been talking with him about possibly offering water
aerobics and swimming lessons. He stated Mr. Cobb is also Lake Brantley High School's swim
coach. He said the City of Altamonte works with Lake Brantley and they have a great program. He
said he would like to do something along the same lines with Lyman.
Member Coad said it could be advertised in the City's semi-annual magazine and the flyer they put
into water bills. She said this is great and would like to see if maybe they can expand their programs
and help boost Longwood Parks and Recreation activities.
Mr. Capizzi agreed, attributing the increased attendance at programs such as summer camp to
marketing and advertising.
Mr. Capizzi added that a Recreation Coordinator would be hired after the new fiscal year began and
that he would like to work on a marketing plan with him or her. He said sponsorship will be a huge
part of that position.
Member Coad asked for a status report on summer camp.
Mr. Capizzi said numbers are up significantly and that the kids are having a great time.
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Member Coad asked if the scholarships had all been used up.
Mr. Capizzi said the City had two this year. He said they also had free lunch this summer and this was
for kids only.
Chair Rice recognized the attendance of Commissioner Paris, Commissioner Sackett and Mr. Craig
Lynch.
Mr. Lynch addressed the Board and said he and Mr. Capizzi had met about the Farmer's Market. He
said it will begin on October 1" and run from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. weekly on Saturdays. He said
he has made a lot of headway and spoke with Fire Marshal Lillian Sexton about making sure that the
food vendors have everything they need to operate safely. He said he has started an Instagram page
for the Market, which he is placing ads on, but said that the Facebook page hasn't been used to its full
potential yet. He said he has given Mr. Capizzi a distribution list of potential sponsors, including 7-
11, Jerry's Pizza, Waterline Spas and Judy's Dolls, and said flyers to solicit sponsorshipsare
forthcoming. He will also be speaking with Frank Scheraldi at the Chamber of Commerce and
seeking help from the Kennel Club and the McLean Insurance Group. He said eight -and -a -half by
eleven flyers will also be hung in places such as Northland Church and the local YMCA.
Member Coad asked if Mr. Lynch had received any vendor interest.
Mr. Lynch confirmed participants as, so far, a produce company; a kettle corn company; three food
companies, including Fat and Happy Catering in Longwood; The Wild Hare, which will be doing
organic produce and gourmet grilled cheeses; Jackie's Bakery; Old Hearth Bread Company; Collette's
Clean Eats; Blessed Bean & Coffee Company; Holy Cow Beef Jerky; Cathy'.s Cajun Cuisines; Mi
Casita food truck; K + K Handmade of Winter Park, and Nu Natural. He is still seeking vendors for
flowers, plants, herbs, dips, popsicles, Italian ice, honey, meats and artists of all kinds, and looking
into vegan restaurant Dixie Dharma. He and Mr. Capizzi have given the vendors a copy of the
Market's rules and regulations.
Mr. Capizzi said that Mr. Lynch has a successful business and knows the area vendors well, and that
he is very excited to be working with him. He and Mr. Lynch want to start the Market out in the
parking lot in front of the old Longwood Hotel and eventually expand onto Warren Avenue, possibly
even Church Avenue as well. He also stated a notice for the Farmer's Market will be going out in the
water bill.
Mr. Lynch said he will also be starting a Board of Directors for the Market. Vendors and customers
alike will be welcome to join and he wishes to make it a positive, fun environment where members
help each other and introduce new products to each other. He said he also wants to make sure that
Seminole County, and not just Longwood, is involved. He and Member Paris have talked about
working with Nextdoor, an online invitation service, and Member Paris is looking into creating a list
of community calendars on which advertising for the Market can be posted for free. He said he and
Member Paris are going to work on creating a budget for the Market, as there currently is not one.
Mr. Capizzi said he was thinking about getting a Block Rocker speaker that holds up to 50 hours of
power for use at the Market. He felt it would be a good thing for the Market to have music playing.
Member Hendrix said she had heard that the Lake Mary farmer's market wasn't doing well so the City
should probably try to capitalize on that, and asked if Longwood's could be advertised in Lake Mary
Life magazine.
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Member Paris stated that the Lake Mary Life magazine is on her list of places to advertise the Market
for free. He asked about including live entertainment, noting that this was a popular feature at the
Lake Eola Farmers Market.
Mr. Lynch said he thought this would be an important part and that at least to start, he would rather
have a well -regarded artist play once a month than someone of lesser quality every week. He said
each vendor will pay $20 per week, at the beginning of the month for the entire month, and was
thinking of giving a discount for signing up for long periods, two free weeks for a six-month signup,
and a free month for a year's signup.
Member Vogel asked who potential participants should be referred to.
Mr. Capizzi said referrals should be made to him and he will pass them on to Mr. Lynch.
Mr. Lynch said he could be contacted by email at lilfammanager@gmail.com.
Member Coad asked Mr. Capizzi about the status of engineering plans for Reiter Park.
Mr. Capizzi said that various sub -contractors are working with Dix -Hite and that he would be meeting
with them this week for an update.
Member Coad also asked Mr. Capizzi if he'd had an answer from Finance Director Lisa Snead as to
whether any income is received from the City's Christmas parade.
Mr. Capizzi said he would make it a point to have that information by the Board's next meeting.
4. ACTIONS ITEMS.
A. APPROVE MINUTES FROM June 7, 2016
Member Vogel moved to approve the minutes as presented. Seconded by Member
Hendrix and motion carried by a unanimous voice vote.
B. Discussion of 2016 Florida Recreational Development Assistance Program (FRDAP)
grant application in the amount of $50,000 for the improvements to unique and
disabled facilities at the Candyland Park.
Mr. Capizzi explained that this grant would place a priority on projects that include
facilities that enhance life opportunities for people with a broad spectrum of unique
abilities. He said Leisure Services is applying for two (2) $50,000 no -match grants as
well as another $50,000 regular, no -match FRDAP grant all of which are for Candyland
Park. He said the park is showing its age and they are. looking to get new scoreboards
and redo the fields, as well as finish the lighting and possibly put up new fencing. He
said the ballfields were recently laser -leveled and sod was replaced.
Chair Rice asked Mr. Capizzi about other outstanding grants.
Mr. Capizzi said they have two (2) current FRDAP grants for $50,000 apiece and he had
been looking at the possibility of doing some work on the ball fields this winter, but a
number of companies he consulted said that if this winter was colder than normal and
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there was a freeze, the work could be ruined. He said he will wait until the spring and
summer of 2017 to do a field overhaul.
Member Coad asked if a portion of the two (2) current grants could go toward the light to
be installed near the pavilion, as well as to upgrade the playground area in the same area.
Mr. Capizzi said the current grants have been designated for fields, fencing and
scoreboards and the paperwork has already been turned into the state; also that.the
playground equipment is in very good shape for its age, but he could ask his grant writer
if the monies could be used to cover canopies for it.
C. BOARD MEMBERS REPORTS
Member Vogel has no report.
Member Paris did some work on Arbor Park Bark Fest. She said the manager of the
Sanford -Orlando Kennel Club, Mitch Cohen, has expressed interest in becoming more
involved with the community and possibly a future sponsorship. She will follow up with
him and discuss possible opportunities to partner with the Greyhound Rescue as well.
She has also discussed, bringing animals for adoption out to the Bark Fest with Diane
Gagliano, of Seminole County Animal Services, who stipulated that they don't want to
bring animals out if the weather is too hot. She stated she will also be following up with
her. She said she talked with Mr. Lynch about the Farmers Market and has started to
compile a list with links to media outlets where the City can advertise it for free.
Additionally, because the Market will open the month before the election, she suggested
offering tables at a reduced price for candidates to display their materials there.
Chair Rice suggested that Mr. Capizzi share the list she had created of online marketing
contacts with Member Paris.
Chair Rice is working with Mr. Capizzi on National Night Out, which will be on October
6"'. She said they met with representatives from the Fire and Police Departments last
week to discuss making some changes and are looking to have a flyer for distribution
within the next couple of weeks. She said she had'a question about flag protocol at
Candyland Park, specifically, leaving it up at night and lighting it.
Mr. Capizzi did not know if there was electricity there but said there was no light on the
pole but did agree it should be taken down at night until there was lighting for it.
Member Harnage said he wanted to resume activity on the Chili Cook -Off and asked if
he could call Mr. Capizzi about it next week.
Member Hendrix said advertising has begun for Bark Fest. She has contacted last year's
sponsors to ask them about participating this year and two have responded. She will also
need vendor response deadlines. She said a veterinarian who follows the Department's
Facebook page and Animal Advocates, a local adoption group, has expressed interest in
attending. She said she is looking to have food vendors at the event as well.
Chair Rice said she can contact Florida Ridgies and Angel Therapy Dogs.
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Member Hendrix said they are open to participation from non -pet -related vendors as
well. She said she is not focusing on the Food Festival until after Bark Fest, but
encouraged the Board to make a note of any local restaurants they particularly enjoy.
Member Coad asked if Bark Fest would include a dog parade this year.
Member Hendrix said she had decided against it because. when the idea was discussed
last year, people wanted it to be free. She said she thought a parade could be tricky
because of the potential for some dogs not getting along, though the idea of doing a
costume contest could be revisited.
Commissioner Sackett gave the Board a synopsis of the Seminole County School Boards
plan to reopen Longwood Elementary School in the 2017 School Year.
Member Coad addressed the future reopening of Longwood Elementary School and the .
need for a venue for all the Department's programs, especially as the building's lease is
expiring in October.
Commissioner Sackett said the Seminole County School Board will be working with the
City Manager to develop a plan.
Member Coad said Anthony Velardi sent letters to last year's sponsors of Celebrate the
Seasons, scheduled for the first Friday in December, but Mr. Capizzi said he had riot yet
received responses. She said she has also been working on organizing a supply order for
the event and needs to go over the current inventory. She would like to order a magnet
dart game for kids and would_also love to find someone who could paint something like a
reindeer or elves on a piece of wood with holes cut out for children to insert their heads
for photos.
Chair Rice suggested contacting school art departments or even Jeff Sonksen, who paints
fences on the Seminole Trail.
Commissioner Paris also suggested a Longwood artist who has expressed interested in
becoming more involved with the community, and will give his contact information to
Mr. Capizzi.
Member Coad asked if the train and skating rink could be ordered once the new budget
takes effect.
Mr. Capizzi said he had already put 50% deposit on them.
Member Putz asked about the SMASH Beer Fest.
Mr. Capizzi said it had been very successful, with more than 500 attendees, and went off
without a hitch. He stated the City put on the eventin conjunction with The Hourglass
Brewery.
Member Putz also asked about the amount of the grant received for work on Reiter Park.
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Mr. Capizzi confirmed it as $800,000, including the monies to be put forth by the City,
and explained how the money would be allocated and that work would be done within a
two-year period.
Chair Rice reminded the Board that their September meeting will be held on August 301n
Chair Rice moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Member Coad.
5. AJOURNMENT. Chair Rice adjourned the meeting at 8:21 p.m.
ATTES .:
ichelle topgo-, ty Clerk
Lori Rice, Chair
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