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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Parks Advisory Board 2021-02-18 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, February 18, 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 18th day of February 2021. Committee: Geoffrey Elliot Chair, Rex Poggenpohl Vice Chair, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Vicki Papineau, Ron Wilcocks Attending: Geoffrey Elliot, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Vicki Papineau, Rex Poggenpohl, Ron Wilcocks, Brian Berg, Kevin McEachern, Greg Muhonen, Megan Van Hoozer Absent: Chair Elliot called the meeting to order at 8:32 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made and seconded (Hazelton/Papineau) to approve the January meeting minutes and all were in favor. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES (AIPP) NEXT STEPS Member Hazelton shared that a meeting was held regarding the potential future of an Arts In Public Places (AIPP) subcommittee. The overall recommendation is to wait until the Arts Master Plan is done, in collaboration with other Town departments. Also involved would be the local art groups. Hazelton would help with a roadmap or proposal for future presentation to the Town Board. This discussion will be revisited in late summer or fall, depending on the Master Plan timeline of completion. Member Wilcocks stated he had read the memo and agrees with the proposed process. Vice Chair Poggenpohl stated that a letter was received from Colorado State University (CSU) since the earlier meeting regarding assistance with creation of an Art Master Plan. The CSU managers involved in the discussion reported their concern about the required timeline. After they spoke with their faculty it was recommended the Town seek grant opportunities for this assistance. Poggenpohl has written a letter inviting the curator of the museum to come speak with the PAB and review the list of art collectibles to determine how best to propose maintenance for existing inventory. Poggenpohl said there is currently no established art maintenance plan, with the exception of the bronze items. CSU has offered to assist in the effort to obtain a grant. Wilcocks asked for identification of the components missing from the information the Town and PAB currently hold, needed for an Art Master Plan. Poggenpohl stated there is no map to locate public art which should include more descriptive material about the given piece. He also stated he doesn’t feel the Town’s art assets are very accessible, adding that the AIPP isn’t very involved with the local art community. Once the pieces are pulled together, we’ll have all information necessary for the Master Plan. Wilcocks doesn’t feel the creation of the Master Plan would be that difficult nor does he feel it necessary to rely heavily on outside resources and consultants. He stated last year the art community was eager to help create a Master Plan, with assurances that the Town ‘backs’ and is supportive of the effort. Wilcocks suggested this effort could be handled as a subcommittee and feels that with Town support, it would be much easier to partner on the effort with local art groups. Poggenpohl feels that Museum Director Derek Fortini should be involved in the effort as well, and further suggested approaching Town Administrator Machalek to provide an update on where this effort stands and where it is going. Director Muhonen stated that Town staff would not pursue this item until it is identified as a goal in the adopted 2021 Parks Advisory Board – February 18, 2021 – Page 2 Town Strategic Plan. Muhonen is not optimistic this item will gain traction until it is identified as a goal in that plan. Should the PAB request this item be taken for consideration to the Trustees, requesting endorsement from the Town to pursue, either Director Muhonen or Supervisor Berg would take it forward. If the item becomes a strategic goal in 2022, details can then be determined on how art will be overseen. Trustee Liaison Cenac stated that if the members of the PAB are in agreement, she’d be happy to take recommendations back to the Town Board Trustees. Wilcocks has developed an understanding, after living here several years, that the Town desires being considered an art destination and wonders why this is no longer evident as a Town priority. Cenac stated that it is not due to lack of interest but lack of discussion with the new Town Board. She feels that if the Town Board is made aware of the financial investment in the art, it may rise to the level of strategic goals. Wilcocks stated that the current version of the AIPP speaks to the future of AIPP funding. In order to identify how to proceed an Arts Master Plan is necessary. He emphasized that the PAB is not asking the Town for money, but asking only for strategic next steps. Poggenpohl said that the last conversation had with the Trustees on this topic was at a Town Board Study Session wherein he proposed pursuing assistance from area universities for the Art Master Plan creation. He suggested it may be a good time to circle back with them on the outcome of this endeavor, and propose additional paths with an option on how the Trustees would like to see the PAB proceed. Muhonen agreed with the process of returning to the Town Board in a study session with options and a strong stance on a particular avenue. Chair Elliot agreed with this approach as well. Muhonen informed the PAB that within the 5-year Goals of the 2021 Town’s Strategic Plan, the Parks Master Plan is listed with the addition of new pocket parks. This has potential of rising to a 1-year Goal, presenting additional opportunity for art discussions. Trustee Cenac asked where arts fit into the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. Unsure of the inclusion, if art comes up as an important element to the community, Cenac stated it should be included as an update to the Comprehensive Plan. Wilcocks reminded everyone that significant outreach was performed with the creation of the Downtown Master Plan, which has been completed and adopted by the Town Board. The Downtown Master plan promotes art in many different aspects and Wilcocks recommends the Town follow the adopted plan. Chair Elliot suggested that with the current vacancies on the PAB it may be advantageous to request art experts apply for these roles. An art perspective, in addition to Member Wilcocks, would help round out the group dynamic. Poggenpohl shared that he spoke to woman who is a retired gallery owner that thought she’d be an excellent participant, however she felt the Town had not treated the art community very well. This led to her decision to pass on the opportunity. Hazelton shared that she has a friend who has approached her about joining the PAB. Poggenpohl confirmed he’ll work on creation of a whitepaper for presentation to the Trustees. Elliot requested it be ready for review and discussion at the March meeting. WOMEN’S MONUMENT PROJECT UPDATE Wilcocks reported that this project is moving along steadily and the Women’s Monument Committee (WMC) continues to solicit funding. At this point 43% of the funding has already been raised, with average donations of $1,000, but come in the range of $10 to $5,000. WMC is also receiving support from individuals outside the community and those new to the area and are strong proponents of art. Wilcocks provided a draft contract, for whomever is selected to created the monument, that has been provided to the Town for review. PAB approval is being sought today. Once Parks Advisory Board – February 18, 2021 – Page 3 PAB approval is received Wilcocks will provide the document to the WMC then to the competing artists for final review. The artists will be presenting detailed proposals to the WMC in early March for final selection. Payment will be made and work is anticipated to begin on the monument in April 2021, with full installation being complete in August 2021. Muhonen said that once an artist has been selected and the scope of work understood, the Town will need a detailed site plan and application for a floodplain permit. Public Works will donate the cost of issuing the floodplain permit for this work. Elliot suggested to the members, that when fundraising this time of year, one should mention that it’s tax refund season and remind those being approached that the donations are one hundred percent tax deductible since one hundred percent of the dollars received being applied directly to the cost of the monument. Member Hazelton shared that she has been very impressed with the organized work she’s witnessed and all the effort that has gone into this project. She looks forward to seeing the monument installed. Wilcocks stated it was an outstanding team effort. 2021 PAB INITIATIVES Poggenpohl suggested homework for PAB members. For this effort he asked members to list responsibilities being fulfilled by the PAB that align with the five primary member roles listed in the PAB Bylaws. Once the Downtown Master Plan and the 2021 Town Strategic Plan are reviewed by all and the initiatives defined as written, the PAB can then prioritize efforts for 2021. Berg stated that the 2021 Mountain Heritage Festival has been canceled due to the COVID pandemic, however efforts are under way to find a safe alternative in order to continue this tradition. Berg said it would be a great opportunity to have PAB members assist in this effort and Poggenpohl offered to participate. Berg stated he is requesting saplings from the National Forest Service, will have a video of an arborist available, and that he’s requested a tree cookie. Berg will be soon concentrating his efforts on the Big Thompson Recreation Area Project. He invited member input as the Town works through the vegetation planning and climbing boulder. Wilcocks shared with the members that the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) recently completed its own 2021 TAB Priority Matrix to define 2021 initiatives. The TAB bases its list off the Town’s annual Strategic Plan at the beginning. Items identified are then ranked. Chair Elliot agreed with the process and asked members to review the 2021 Strategic Plan and submit ideas to Megan Van Hoozer for inclusion by March 11 for inclusion into the March meeting packet. Berg reported that, after internal discussion regarding the 2021 Decorating Utility Box (DUB) program, Town staff made the decision that due to staff shortages, and the 2021 capital project demands on the Parks Division, the 2021 DUB program would not take place. Supervisor Berg emphasized that the hope is to resume the program in 2022. Member Papineau asked how the bigger cities, like Longmont and Loveland, manage their utility box art program. Berg said he’s only familiar with the process in Fort Collins, stating that their utility department has a full-time individual to manage this process. PARKS DIVISION UPDATES (Parks Supervisor Brian Berg) Thumb Open Space: The Conservation Easement has been approved by the Estes Valley Land Trust and a Resolution has been delivered to the Town. Both the seller and Supervisor Berg are working with title company for finalization. Once all information is finalized it will be presented to the Town Board. Berg is hoping to get the Thumb Open Space Management Plan team back together and is looking forward to getting the ecological study performed to determine area safety. Members of the Management Plan Parks Advisory Board – February 18, 2021 – Page 4 team include Chair Elliot and Vice Chair Poggenpohl, the area HOAs, the climbing community and the biking community. It’s great to have two PAB members on the team. Big Thompson Recreation Area: Berg developed a simple design for this area. The Town’s Engineering Division is helping fine tune it and make it more comprehensive. The design will be shared with both the PAB and TAB. MacGregor Ave. & Wonderview (Hwy 34) Roundabout: The hardscaping work put into this project is coming together very well. The area looks great and the project is on budget. Mrs. Walsh’s Garden: The Mrs. Walsh’s Garden Advisory Committee discussed moving forward with the pond and waterfall improvements. This feature will be made more appealing with another large water feature moving forward. With the Elkhorn Lodge development there will also be thousands of new people walking by the garden Open Discussion: Berg stated that the annual meeting with Larimer County recently took place regarding open space and weed management. In this annual meeting the team works to define roles, evaluate the prior year, and identify potential improvements. Wilcocks stated that he is very excited about the Big Thompson Recreation Area and believes it will be a fabulous asset located in a fabulous area. A member of the Parks Division staff, Eli Ertl has been working in the Town’s greenhouse growing native plants. The work that has been done by Ertl may save the Town over two-thousand dollars. OTHER BUSINESS Member Wilcocks stated that GPS locating has been completed on all public art in town, adding that this map should be accessible. Chair Elliot s hared that Visit Estes Park has an inventory and map of artwork throughout the town. These documents should be identified and reviewed by the PAB. The Community Development Division is actively pursuing identification of needed updates to the Comprehensive Plan. This provides an opportunity for a discussion about art. With the upcoming selection of Steering Committee members there is an opportunity to be an active voice and influence in the discussion of what will be included in the updated Comprehensive Plan. Poggenpohl shared that the committee formation should be completed by the end of February. Chair Elliot reminded all members that there remain two vacancies on the PAB and he asked for members to encourage others. There being no further business, a motion was made and seconded (Poggenpohl/Hazelton) to adjourn the meeting and all were in favor. Chair Elliot adjourned the meeting at 10:04 a.m. Megan Van Hoozer, Recording Secretary