Full Agenda Packet
LEISURE SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
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TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2012
7:00 PM
MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 18 N. JACKSON STREET
ROOM 416, FOURTH FLOOR
Use the Wall Street Entrance
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
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2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 13, 2012 MEETING
3. INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS
4. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
5. SKATE PARK UPDATE
6. PARKS DIVISION UPDATE OF 2012 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS
7. DISCUSSION ON FUTURE SPORTS FACILITY NEEDS
8. MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
9. ADJOURNMENT
IF UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT KARLA KING AT
kingk@ci.janesville.wi.us or 755-3030
LEISURE SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
MARCH 13, 2012
7:00 PM
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
Members Present: Steve Ellis, Betty Schwarz, Benjamin Dobson, Sandra Hendricks, Steve
Knox, Dean Paynter, Lorie Markus and Deb Dongarra-Adams
Absent Members: Lynn Jones
(Bill Jass and Frank Dmuchowski are no longer members of the
committee)
Guests: None
Staff Present: Tom Presny
Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Chairperson Steve Ellis. Roll call was completed by
sign-in sheet.
APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 8, 2011 MEETING MINUTES
A motion was made by Lorie Markus and seconded by Deb Dongarra-Adams to approve the
minutes of the November 8, 2011 meeting. This motion was approved unanimously.
Note:
The Leisure Services Advisory Committee was scheduled to meet on January 10, 2012.
However there were not enough members present for a quorum and as such meeting minutes
were not prepared.
CONSTRUCTION OF RIVERSIDE PARK MAINTENANCE BUILDING
Tom Presny shared information regarding a new maintenance building at Riverside Park. This
32’ x 36’ masonry block building will feature walls of masonry block. The lower 40” of these
walls will be covered with lannon stone to replicate the stone color and texture on the nearby
South restroom building and pavilion. Construction will begin mid-April with completion planned
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for June 22. The budget for this building is $135,000.
BELOIT TO JANESVILLE TRAIL CORRIDOR PLAN
A diverse group of trail enthusiasts and representatives from local units of government have
been meeting for several months with the goal of completing a bike trail link from Beloit and
connecting with the Janesville trail that exists south of Tripp Road. Fund raising totaling
$14,500 was used to hire Schreiber Anderson and Associates of Madison to prepare a corridor
master plan for linking these two communities through Afton. The plan is now in print and on the
City of Janesville website (http://www.ci.janesville.wi.us/index.aspx?page=533).
2012 PARKS BUDGET SERVICE LEVEL CHANGES
Tom Presny shared budget service level reductions that will be made for the 2012 park season.
Six fewer seasonal employees will be hired this year which will result in a citywide change from
a seven to an eight workday mowing cycle at a cost reduction of $28,500. In addition 8-12 older
drinking fountains will be removed from the parks at a cost reduction of $3,500.
A discussion took place by several members of the Committee concerning parks staff belonging
to a Union and if volunteer groups would be allowed to mow parks and what the liability behind
that would be. Tom Presny stated that it would depend on future Union contracts, but there
have been times when groups/individuals have been allowed to do so with a signed liability
waiver. Steve Knox asked why parks close at the end of October. Tom Presny informed the
Committee that Parks Division staff has been involved with leaf collection in November and staff
is unavailable, as well as there being budget limitations.
PRAIRIE BURNING AND NATURAL AREA MANAGEMENT
Tom Presny shared that the Parks Division is responsible for burning 42 park and greenbelt
prairie and natural areas on a three year rotation. Notices are provided to area residents prior to
these burnings and press releases are provided to the news media. Early spring burning will
begin in March which is unusual.
RECOGNITION OF STEVE ELLIS FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY
Tom Presny presented Steve Ellis with a City portfolio and congratulated him for providing two
terms with six total years of service on the Leisure Services Advisory Committee. Most recently
Steve has served as Committee Chairperson. Steve stated that he has enjoyed his service to
the Committee and is proud of his 40 years of serving Janesville baseball and softball interests.
With the departure of Mr. Ellis the LSAC will need to select a new chairperson at the May
meeting.
MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
It was asked that an update be provided to the Committee regarding the status of the skate
board park. We have found that the official location of the skate park remains on Jackson Street
at the site of the former Batting Cages. The Skate Park Committee has raised just over $30,000.
When they have raised $50,000 the City intends to place a matching amount of funding in our
capital borrowing plan and begin phased construction.
Steve Ellis and Lorie Markus suggested that there be a new Leisure Services Advisory
Committee policy regarding absences from meetings. The policy should suggest that after a
second straight absence to a Committee meeting, City staff should contact the absent member
inquiring why they have been unable to attend meetings. If their absence is not justified and if
they were to miss a third consecutive meeting, they should be removed from the Committee.
Staff checked on this proposal and learned that appointments are made by the Council
President with confirmation by the Council following a review of applications by the Citizen
Advisory Committee on Appointments. Only upon a resignation received from a Committee
member, can he or she be removed from the Committee.
Steve Ellis and Steve Knox asked why minutes of LSAC meetings are not submitted to the City
Council for their review and awareness. The LSAC meeting minutes will be placed on the City
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website (http://cms.ci.janesville.wi.us/weblink8/Browse.aspx?dbid=0 but minutes are not
provided directly to the Council for review. The Committee’s point being made was that the
LSAC reviews many issues that would benefit the City Council in their decision making.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM with a motion by Lori Markus and seconded by Sandra
Hendricks. The motion passed unanimously.
The next Leisure Services Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday May 8,
2012 at 7:00 PM.
Submitted by:
Tom Presny
Parks Director
HISTORY OF JANESVILLE SKATE PARK 2003 – 2011
February 2003 – Organizational meeting of Janesville Skate Park Committee.
Coordinator is Roger Streich and Fern Streich as Secretary/Treasurer.
March 2004 – City Staff propose skate park feasibility study to City Council.
City Council refers park site selection to Leisure Services Advisory Committee for
recommendation back to city council.
April – October 2004 Leisure Services Advisory Committee evaluates all city
parks as possible skate park locations. List is narrowed to 27, then to 9, then 3.
Finalist locations were Lions Beach, Palmer Park and Dawson Field area.
November – 2004 City Council evaluates Palmer Park and Lions Beach as final
site and recommends Palmer Drive in Palmer Park as location subject to
neighborhood support.
January 2005 – Palmer Park neighborhood meeting on the skate park. Neighbors
opposed to Palmer Park as skate park site.
April 2005 – City Council reviews public comment and selects Palmer Park as
skate park location.
August 2005 – City Council considers final location of skate park and approves
north side of Palmer Drive between Spring brook and parking lot.
July 2008 – City Council revisits Palmer Park location for skate park and
determines Palmer Park is no longer a good skate park location.
January – Leisure Services Advisory Committee asked to reconsider new
location of the skate board Park. The Three locations to be considered are
Traxler Park, Batting Cages on Jackson Street, and Monterey Park.
March 2010 – Leisure Services Advisory Committee votes 7-1 in support of
Monterey Park as the skate park location.
April 2010 – Plan Commission and Council support Monterey Park for skate park.
December 2010 - City Council declares 803 S. Jackson St. (former Swingers
Batting Cages) as skate park with conversion of concrete area as a skate bowl.
November 2011- City Council votes in favor of $50,000 to demolish batting cages
on South Jackson Street for future skate park. Eliminates additional $50,000
proposed to match skate park committee funding when raised. Skate park
committee has approximately $35,000 through their fundraising efforts.
Brief History of Youth Sports Complex
1994 – The City started to meet with different sports groups to
determine future needs for athletic fields.
1995 – The City staff and several volunteer groups identified 19
different sites in Janesville. The City organized an unofficial
committee made up of one representative from every sports
group. A study was presented and approved by the City
Council to acquire and develop a sports complex.
1996 – The City purchased 45 acres of land on Wuthering Hills
Drive for a new sports complex. The Youth Sports Coalition
Inc. was created and the City leased the site to the YMCA,
Youth Football and United Soccer.
1997 – Development of the sports fields began including
parking lot, utilities, restroom building and fields.
1998 – the City acquired 55 acres of farmland east of
Wuthering Hills Drive
1999 – the City built a new parking lot east of Wuthering Hills
Drive
2000 – Youth Baseball joined the Sports Coalition
2001 – Youth Football built a $275,000 building and donated it
to the City.
10-20-2006
M. Williams