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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Parks Advisory Board 2021-05-20 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 20, 2021 Minutes of a Regular meeting of the PARKS ADVISORY BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held virtually in said Town of Estes Park on the 20th day of May 2021. Committee: Geoffrey Elliot Chair, Rex Poggenpohl Vice Chair, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Vicki Papineau, Ron Wilcocks Attending: Geoffrey Elliot, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Rex Poggenpohl, Ron Wilcocks, Brian Berg, Town Board Trustee Marie Cenac Absent: Vicki Papineau Chair Elliot called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made and seconded (Hazelton /Wilcocks) to approve the March and April meeting minutes and all were in favor. AIPP APPLICATIONS The first AIPP Application reviewed was for the annual yarn bombing. With the same stipulations as in years past, a motion was made and seconded (Wilcocks/Hazelton) and all were in favor. The second AIPP Application reviewed was for the Women’s Monument Project. Member Wilcocks shared that the Women’s Monument Committee (“committee”) is on-track for installation and dedication in late August or early September. The committee has raised 90% of all funds needed for the project. Wilcocks will be installing a sign near the project to inform them of what is being installed. The contract has been signed by all parties and the artist is on-track to coordinate with Supervisor Berg regarding site work. Wilcocks will keep the PAB informed as to the date of the dedication and plans to invite the newspaper. A motion was made and seconded (Hazelton/Poggenpohl) to approve the Women’s Monument Project application and all were in favor. The PAB members extended their appreciation and congratulations to Wilcocks and his committee for the work done and the fundraising success. Wilcocks reminded the group that it was the excellent teamwork of all the members on the committee that made this successful. 2021 PAB INITIATIVES Tree City USA: Chair Elliot extended his thanks to Vice Chair Poggenpohl and member Papineau for their help with the Arbor Day Activity. An Arbor Day update will be shared subsequent to this update. Public Art: Today there were two AIPP Applications reviewed and approved. ARBOR DAY UPDATE Poggenpohl stated that the Arbor Day event at the Estes Valley Library was much more successful and popular than he’d anticipated. He shared there was a line of 25 people waiting to get the free tree saplings. Member Papineau started earlier than planned and ran out of the saplings within 40 minutes. For added success, the next event should have at least twice as many saplings. There was only one sapling handed out per family, but it would be better to give out more where appropriate. The members also p rovided guidance on how to plant for success. There were approximately 30 disappointed people due to the lack of saplings. Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 2 AIPP UPDATES Poggenpohl shared his disappointment in the information provided to the Town Board. He stated it has been months since he was able to present information to the Trustees and feels it’s important to update them on what the PAB is behind, related to the AIPP program. The PAB proceeded to review Member Wilcock’s comments. Supervisor Berg thought it would be best to have dollar values associated with this recommendation. Poggenpohl’s document shows a +/- 5%. Berg suggested indicating where the dollars will come from so a price would be needed. Wilcocks shared that there has been nothing but consistent support for the adopted Downtown Plan (DP). Within the DP there are dozens of citations about how public art needs pursued including the Town incentivizing developers for promotion of public art. The DP directly states that the Town should be supporting art in many different ways. Poggenpohl’s shared that direct feedback from the Trustees does not support construction dollars. Wilcocks stated that regardless, the DP is what has been adopted. If the new Trustees don’t like what it says, they need to bring back to Town B oard and vote to disregard the DP. Chair Elliot stated a key distinction is incentivization versus requirement of construction costs, etc. Wilcocks agrees but landscaping is mandatory and the developer/contractor could install public art instead of the landscaping. Berg agreed with all comments and stated there may be potential for a percentage of development that could still be considered. The PAB agreed this idea should move forward and let the Trustees decide. Poggenpohl recommended not suggesting a percentage of construction costs as it may sink all funding. Wilcocks fine with waiting on this item but doesn’t want to disregard the DP’s true purpose. The DP was intended to be the guiding force for our plans for downtown. The pushback indicates there is potential that not all of the Trustees have read the DP. Hazelton believes it would be beneficial to provide a gentle reminder to the Trustees of what has already been approved for our downtown, and that a unanimous decision was made. Liaison Cenac believes a review and discussion with the newer Trustees will help educate the decisions made. The PAB agreed and a motion was made and seconded (Wilcocks/Hazelton) to request Town Board Study Session discussion of the Downtown Plan for new members. Supervisor Berg shared that once the discussion has occurred, it would then be appropriate to call out the specific items from the DP. Before all members could vote in favor or against, Poggenpohl makes different approach be taken. He recommends the AIPP funding update be reviewed at a study session prior to the review of the DP. Hazelton requested thoughts from Cenac. Cenac stated she can give the option of both but states it is more difficult to look at an update without the benefit of knowledge of the approved plan. Poggenpohl’s point is that the AIPP is for all community art and the DP focuses on Town-owned parks and land. Although both need addressed, the PAB is tasked with AIPP. Wilcocks is accepting of the different approach. The original motion was withdrawn. Cenac shared that although the AIPP and the DP may bridge, the items will require separate study sessions. A formal motion was made to amend the existing motion to request 2 study sessions. First to provide an AIPP update from the PAB, and the second to discuss DP’s art for the broader community. Three members were in favor and one opposed. Moving on, the PAB discussed Wilcock’s feedback about creating an Art Master Plan in- house rather than spending funding on consultants. Wilcocks feels strongly about it based on all the community support shown for the Women’s Monument Project. The community art representatives have shown a lot of excitement and Wilcocks understands that the art community is willing and able to participate in matters of a rt. The original study session regarding AIPP funding proved the Trustees did not want to deal with another committee based on the opposition to the creation of an Arts Advisory Committee. Regarding the Art Master Plan, Berg stated that the item causing P ublic Works pause with only the art community working through a Master Plan is that if done Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 3 by a board or committee, Town staff must be involved and provide representation. The Town Board directs work performed by staff. Poggenpohl stated that Town support is necessary, therefore the PAB should proceed with in -house work or a grant to fund a consultant. Hazelton stressed to the group that outside or grant-funded assistance would be best as she doesn’t believe the PAB should direct staff or add additional wo rk to staff. Poggenpohl stated that due to timing, applying for and receiving grant funding and outside assistance would mean submitting the grant application this Fall for subsequent year funding. If using the local arts community, Wilcocks may be able to do it quicker. Trustees’ feedback was they wanted official art organizations involved, but weren’t enthusiastic about every artist in Town being involved due to the numbers. Elliot stated that having a polished Master Plan at the initial presentation would be better than going a different direction. He recommended continued work on the existing whitepaper for added whitepaper discussions at the next regularly scheduled PAB meeting. All related motions for this initiative are tabled until the whitepaper is in final form. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY TASK FORCE Poggenpohl wrote a personal letter regarding the new committee being defined for environmental items (recycling, renewable energy, etc.), created in reaction to public comments. Poggenpohl believed the Town should think more ecologically. He received a call from a Trustee stating they are not only thinking about renewable energy and recycling, but are thinking more broadly and stated the Town is working to be more comprehensive. The Trustee also relayed that one individual in the Town Administrator’s Office, as well as a Trustee stated they already have their hands full. Poggenpohl said that as the Trustees indicated, a task force is needed to identify what is needed to carry through long-term. Elliot shared that may be the best approach for an Arts Advisory Task Force. Cenac feels there is already too much on PAB’s plate. While there may be some environmental items that fall under PAB, some will certainly not. A task force would be able to identify from where these items need managed. THUMB OPEN SPACE UPDATE Supervisor Berg shared that everything is on-track for purchase closing on May 26. There has been much back and forth with the title company and all paperwork is now in order. The items remaining include obtaining an ecological study, work with the Access Fund and Rocky Mountain Conservancy regarding the trail portion of the project. Work is under way to publish the solicitation of a consultant to create the Thumb Open Space Master Plan. Town staff has too little time available and too few staff to be the creators of the Master Plan. PARKS DIVISION UPDATES (Parks Supervisor Brian Berg) Parks staff is very busy, performing as much work as possible within the established timeline. The Parks Division is still working with half the seasonal staff from other years. The plants currently in the greenhouse will be coming out in June and the annuals will be planted the second week of June. Once an electrical issue at the MacGregor roundabout is corrected with the irrigation, planting in that area will begin. • The Big Thompson Recreation Area is holding as staff work through the Community Development process. Looking for approval/denial next month. • Site work for the Women’s Monument Project will be coming in the near future • The Parks Division irrigation staff is heavily involved in the parking signage installation. Irrigation is repeatedly hit and Parks staff make the needed repairs. Parks Advisory Board – May 20, 2021 – Page 4 • The Parks Division staff will also be adding irrigation to the MacGregor wall. OTHER BUSINESS Chair Elliot will be out of town during the June 17 meeting. Vice-Chair Poggenpohl will be unable to chair the meeting that day as he too will be out of town. It was decided that the meeting would be moved to Tuesday June 15. A motion was made and seconded (Hazelten/Poggenpohl) to adjourn the meeting at 9:56 a.m. and all were in favor. Megan Van Hoozer, Recording Secretary