PR07-02-2024Min PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
175 WEST WARREN AVENUE
LONGWOOD, FLORIDA
MINUTES
July 2, 2024
6:30 P.M.
Present: Larissa Morgan, Chair
Judi Coad, Vice-Chair
David Putz, Member
Lori Rice, Member
Amanda Sackett, Member
Erin Keefe, Member
William "Bill" Overbeek, Member
Ryan Rinaldo, Recreation Manager
Donna Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary
Absent: Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director
1. CALL TO ORDER. Chair Morgan called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. PUBLIC INPUT. None.
3. ACTIONS ITEMS
A. Approve Minutes from June 4, 2024 Meeting
Member Sackett moved to approve the June 4, 2024, minutes. Seconded by
Vice-Chair Coad and motion carried by a unanimous voice vote.
4. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
Member Rice reported receiving the flyer in the water bill and thanked staff for getting that
done. She said the Flag Retirement Ceremony we co-sponsor was a good event and
thanked Member Putz for coming out. She asked Member Putz to give the Board feedback
on any interest generated for the banner program in his report. She said she loved the
band for Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks and asked staff to keep them on the list. She
advised the Board that it will be recognized as City of Longwood Parks and Recreation
month at the next Commission meeting. She said this is one nationally, and she is glad we
are taking part in doing this again. She encouraged Board Members and staff to be there to
receive the proclamation.
Mr. Rinaldo advised that the Parks Supervisor, Adrian Naughton, would attend the
Commission meeting to accept the proclamation.
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Member Rice congratulated the park staff for painting the Arbor Park Dog Park culverts.
She said the beige paint on the walls in the ladies' room at Candyland Sports Complex looks
good, as does the new toilet seat. She advised the Board that the November meeting is
scheduled for election day.
Discussion ensued about rescheduling the meetings in October and November. The item
will be on the next Agenda with available dates for rescheduling the meetings.
Member Overbeek reported that he and his family attended the Flag Retirement Ceremony,
which was very impressive and well done. He asked about advertising for this event; he
would not have known about it if he was not on the Board. He asked what we currently do
to promote this event.
Discussion ensued on promoting the Flag Retirement Ceremony.
Chair Morgan reported that she stopped by the Flag Retirement Ceremony briefly and said
hello to as many people as possible. She did not attend the Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks
event but felt that she did through social media and said it looked very crowded and
fantastic.
Member Sackett reported that she attended the Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks event and
had a great time. She said she heard about it at work the next day and how grand the
fireworks display was.
Member Keefe reported that the invite for Dogtoberfest has gone out. She updated the
Board on the logistics that are in the works for this event. She asked staff to add some
additional information to the invite.
Discussion ensued about the potential vendors, services that can or will be offered, the
social media invite, and a banner for the Dogtoberfest event.
Vice-Chair Coad said she loved the band for the Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks event, and
she would like staff to keep their information around. She would like to consider making
them some other kind of event with something that draws more people. She asked staff to
take a picture of the culverts at the dog park and send it to all Board Members. She said she
attended the Juneteenth event, and she loved it. She stated that a Commissioner asked her
how many people attended and if they went over attendance. She advised that she did not
know. She asked staff to come back to the Board with thoughts on the Juneteenth event
and what the event's attendance was. She advised the Board that Mr. Rinaldo is going to a
big convention in August on behalf of our department about parks and recreation and
events. She said he will hopefully return with some new information for the Board. She
told Mr. Rinaldo they would set up a meeting to lock down everything for Celebrate the
Season. She asked where her 3,000 fairies were as she had been through her paperwork
and couldn't figure out what they were.
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Mr. Rinaldo said he had a picture of them and would show them after the meeting.
Discussion ensued regarding the fairies and what they actually may be.
Member Putz asked the Board Members if there was an appreciation dinner on the 25th of
July and how many planned to be in attendance. He said he attended the Flag Retirement
Ceremony and operated the table for the Armed Forces and First Responder Banner
Program, and he spoke with eight (8) interested people. He asked the staff if any of them
had contacted the staff.
Mr. Rinaldo responded no.
Discussion ensued about the people interested in the Armed Forces and First Responder
Banner Program.
Member Putz asked if the radio was always on at Reiter Park.
Mr. Rinaldo responded that it is from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. daily.
Member Putz said Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks was great. He had a picnic at his house,
and everybody loved it. He showed an old picture of the Board and said we should have a
new photo taken.
Discussion ensued about having a new picture taken for the current Board Members.
Member Putz asked how many Board Members knew about the original Senator. He
passed around the information on the Senator and its history. He discussed the information
he provided and advised the Board that today was the 10th anniversary of our tree in Reiter
Park.
5. STAFF REPORT
Mr. Rinaldo introduced Mr. Coury Knowles and advised the Board that he is our Summer
Camp Director and has been with us for eight (8) years. He said they have six (6) vendors
confirmed for Dogtoberfest and quite a few interested. He advised the Board that the
fountains electrician is scheduled to be out on July 15, but that depends on Duke Energy as
they have to install the meter for the new electrical outlet. He said, concerning the signs at
Reiter Park, that his department is working on a tentative plan with the impact fees for next
year, and the signs at Reiter Park, among other things, are on that list. He said Mr. Capizzi is
drafting the information on how the impact fee money will be spent in the next fiscal year.
He said the time has changed for the concert bands. The event is from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. with the Food Truck Battle, and the band used to start at 7:00 p.m., they will now
begin at 6:00 p.m. to allow people to eat and then enjoy the band as well without having to
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wait that extra hour. He said Summer Camp is going well and we are still fully staffed and
have had no issues. He advised the Board that the bricks in front of the Community Building
have all been replaced, the landscaping on Warren Avenue between the sidewalks and the
road has all been replaced, there is a fresh coat of paint going on inside the Community
Building, and the majority of the skate park has all been repainted.
Vice Chair Coad requested that staff send the Board pictures of the newly painted skate
park.
Mr. Rinaldo said he is not prepared to talk about the budget as that is more of Mr. Capizzi's
subject. He said he could take general questions and he would try to answer them.
Vice-Chair Coad asked about doing something about the area underneath the new swing at
Reiter Park to prevent the hole created by the people swinging on the swing.
Discussion ensued about the area underneath the swing at Reiter Park.
Vice-Chair Coad asked about the building the bathrooms are in and said it looks like she is in
an old camp building outside because of how the sprinklers hit it. She also asked what
could be done to make it look better.
Discussion ensued concerning the bathroom building at Reiter Park.
Member Putz asked about the railing on the back steps of the amphitheater at Reiter Park.
Mr. Rinaldo said that would be a question for Mr. Capizzi.
Discussion ensued about installing a railing at the steps to the back of the amphitheater at
Reiter Park.
Member Rice suggested putting a rubber mat sideways under the swing at Reiter Park.
Vice-Chair Coad asked about the "lazy river," or the area with the rocks and everything else
growing in it, and what could be done to improve the appearance of this area of Reiter Park.
Discussion ensued about improving the appearance of the area of Reiter Park, where the
stream was supposed to run through.
Mr. Rinaldo advised the Board that the Father-Daughter Dance was sold out, and the Rock,
Freedom, and Fireworks event had a record amount of sponsorship. He said he would have
a summary of that event at the next meeting.
Discussion ensued concerning the vendors and the fireworks for the Rock, Freedom, and
Fireworks event.
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He advised the Board that the next event is the Food Truck Battle and Concert in the Park
on July 13, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. the band will be September Dogs.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Vice-Chair Coad moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Member Putz and
motion carried by a unanimous voice vote.
Chair Morgan adjourned the meeting at 7:37 p.m.
Minutes approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: 08-06-2024
al4114;-7n`---
Larissa Morgan, Chair
ATTEST:
Donna Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary
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