PR02-01-2022Min PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
175 WEST WARREN AVENUE
LONGWOOD, FLORIDA
MINUTES
February 1, 2022
Present: David Putz, Chair
Judi Coad, Member
Teresa Ray, Member
Rachael Carroll, Member
Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
Ryan Rinaldo, Recreation Coordinator
Donna L. Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary
Absent: Amanda Sackett, Vice-Chair
Lori Rice, Member
Larissa Morgan, Member
1. CALL TO ORDER. Chair Putz called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. PUBLIC INPUT. None.
3. ACTION ITEMS.
A. Approve Minutes from January 4, 2022
Member Coad moved to approve the minutes from January 4, 2022, as
presented. Seconded by Member Ray and motion carried by a unanimous voice
vote with Vice-Chair Sackett, Member Rice, and Member Morgan absent.
B. Discuss new names for Candyland Park and Arbor Park Dog Park
Mr. Capizzi said that Member Rice notified staff that she was not going to be present at
the meeting. She asked that he read to the Board Members her thoughts on the names
for the parks. He read them to the Board. Mr. Capizzi said that Member Coad gave him
a list of suggestions and they were passed out to the Board Members for their review.
Discussion ensued about the new names for Candyland Park and Arbor Park Dog Park.
Member Coad moved to have Mr. Capizzi take the Board's recommendation to
the next Commission Meeting. One is Arbor Greyhound Dog Park if the City is
using the signs from the Dog Track. If the City does not use the signs the name
could change to Arbor Paw Park. Seconded by Chair Putz and motion carried by
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a unanimous voice vote with Vice-Chair Sackett, Member Rice, and Member
Morgan absent.
Discussion ensued about the new name for Candyland Park.
Member Carroll moved to have Mr. Capizzi take the recommendation to the next
Commission Meeting of Candyland Sports Park. Seconded by Member Ray.
Member Coad asked that Mr. Capizzi relay to the Commission that the board felt that
the City should maintain the original names because the current names are widely
known. The Board did want to add more definition in the names as to what goes on at
the parks. All Board Members agreed.
Motion carried by a unanimous voice vote with Vice-Chair Sackett, Member Rice,
and Member Morgan absent.
4. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.
Member Coad reported and thanked Mr. Rinaldo for coming to the Commission meeting
and handing out the certificates for the parade winners and for Celebrate the Season
sponsors. She said she sees where we only used seventy-nine percent (79%) of our money
and she has already started working on new inventory. We had no inventory at the end of
this program. It will be small things but she was seeing twelve (12) pieces for$2.99 that
they are selling right now. She has already started working on Celebrate the Season for
next year and asked if we had an inventory done on what little was left over from the event.
Mr. Rinaldo said we just finished moving everything back from Candyland Park to the
Community Building. He said that Mrs. Nieves will be doing an inventory in the coming
weeks of the prizes and the costumes. Everything is accounted for at the Community
Building.
Member Coad said she has already started working on researching some new costumes.
We have not purchased new costumes for two (2) years. She said we lost one (1) of our
Grinches this year.
Discussion ensued regarding ordering new costumes for Celebrate the Season, the budget
leftover from Celebrate the Season, and ordering the prizes for the games.
Member Ray reported that she saw the banners up and they look really good. She said she
likes them.
Member Carroll reported that she was not here at the last meeting so she wanted to talk
about Celebrate the Season. She said people said there was not a lot of Christmas music
and that people were confused about the panda costume walking around. They did not
know why a random panda was walking around.
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Member Coad said it was just a character and suggested maybe next year we put a
Christmas-oriented hat or a scarf on the panda.
Member Carroll said that she and Member Ray were doing the ticket sales and there was a
little bit of an issue with the money.
Discussion ensued concerning the ticket sales for the train and the ice-skating rink and what
changes can be made going forward.
Member Carroll asked if there was any feedback on the ice-skating rink. She said that the
ice-skating rink was not very slippery this year according to a couple of teens.
The Board and staff said that they had not heard that complaint.
Discussion ensued about the ice-skating rink.
Member Carroll said people wanted the laser show to be earlier. The food was amazing and
it seemed like people loved the train ride and rock-climbing wall, but were disappointed
about the ponies.
Member Coad said she thinks the rock wall needs to be out where more people see it along
with the Santa's Workshop. A lot of people said they did not know it was there. She said
we are always tweaking stuff as changes come along.
Member Carroll said she needs to get with staff regarding Barkfest.
Mr. Capizzi advised that Barkfest has been moved to September due to the ongoing
construction of the trail.
Member Carroll said she has already spoken with several veterinary clinics that want to be
involved.
Discussion ensued regarding Barkfest and getting people involved.
Chair Putz reported and passed around pictures he took of the banners at Reiter Park.
5. STAFF REPORT.
Mr. Capizzi said the Ford Mustang Round-Up is this Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Reiter
Park. He said it is a big regional event and there will be a parade with every Mustang from
the first year. It is a tiny parade (more like a procession) down Church Street, left on
Milwee, a left on Warren, and then back to church. The Farmer's Market was on the news
recently and he said that he would send the link to the Board Members. The Senior
Matinee is on February 8 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The movie title is The Love Punch.
The Downtown Longwood Cruise-In Car Show is this Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Food Trucks are switching to the fourth Friday of each month now. The Movie in the
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Park is on February 25 at 7:00 p.m. at Reiter Park and the movie is Clifford the Big Red Dog.
There was great attendance at the Smash Beer Festival. There were over fifty (50) beers
despite the cool temperatures. Longwood Babe Ruth is in the midst of registration and
opening day will be on Saturday, March 5 and we are looking forward to that.
Member Coad asked staff to explain to the Board about the Movie in the Park and the Food
Truck Battle and how it went.
Mr. Rinaldo said the Food Truck Battle was decent considering the weather. It was pretty
cold but they did notice people taking food to go which was good. He always judges the
success of this event by the amount of trash and the dump truck that was filled up. The
weather for the movie was very cold that night so it was not the best turnout, but we did
have about fifty(50) people in attendance. He said all of the trucks showed up.
Member Coad asked if there were any registrations so far for the campout.
Mr. Rinaldo said we are going live with that on February 10. He said that thirty (30) days
out is a good number.
Discussion ensued about the campout scheduled for March.
Member Coad asked about the Health Fair.
Mr. Rinaldo said that event is scheduled for a Saturday in April and we are going with
Kathleen Brockman.
Member Coad asked what we get back to the park department from the Mustang Round Up
or to the City.
Mr. Capizzi said we get a $500.00 donation and they also provide money to CERT and COPs
as well.
Member Coad asked if there was any discussion with Judith Rosado yet about the money
raised from events.
Mr. Capizzi said she is in the midst of auditing but she did relay to Mr. Gioielli that this
coming up the year we will have projections for our revenue and have the money available
in an account to utilize. He said it does put a little pressure on staff to come up with the
funds for the sponsorship but he thinks if we make a logical guesstimate of what we can
come up with, it should be fine. If sponsorship funds don't hit the mark then the money will
have to come from somewhere else. He said we were hesitant to do it the last couple of
years because of COVID's crippled businesses. We didn't even want to go that route
because no one was giving monetary donations. This still has to be discussed as the
planning for next year's budget is in the preliminary stages, but he appreciates the response
from finance as he knows they are slammed with the audit right now. He will update the
Board once he has more clarification on that.
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Member Coad said that while coming in tonight she noticed that the lights on the handrails
on the walkway at Reiter Park are droopy towards the water and asked if we are going to be
able to get those fixed.
Mr. Capizzi said we might just take those down because every time we fix them they are
back down within a week or so.
Member Coad commented on putting the rope lights somewhere else.
6. ADJOURNMENT.
Chair Putz moved to adjourn. Seconded by Member Coad and carried by a
unanimous voice vote with Vice-Chair Sackett, Member Rice, and Member
Morgan absent.
Meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Minutes approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: 03-01-2022
1(14144
David Putz, Chair
ATTEST:
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Donna Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary
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