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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-21 Parks Recreation and Community Affairs Advisory Board Minutes CITY OF DANIA BEACH PARKS, RECREATION, & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD – Approved Minutes 09/17/2024 SW COMMUNITY CENTER 230 S.W. 12th AVENUE, DANIA BEACH, FL 33004 May 21, 2024 – 6:00 P.M. 1 | Page Board Members: A. Ivie Cure – Present Deborah Bell – Present Richard “Rich” Aube – Present Gunnar Sage Magliocca – Present Keith Roberts – Present City Staff: Rafael Acosta – Parks & Recreation, Frost Park & IT Parker Center Programs Manager – Present Franky Lazo – Parks & Recreation, Deputy Director I. Roll Call was taken & meeting was called to Order at 6:00 p.m. - Board Chair Roberts did the roll call and thanked Deputy Director Lazo for attending. II. Minutes: Approval of Minutes (April 16, 2024) – Motion to Approve Gunnar Sage Magliocca, 2nd Approval Deborah Bell. - Board Chair Roberts gave everyone an opportunity to review the minutes for approval. - Board Member Aube arrived, and Board Chair Roberts announced for the record. III. Citizen Comments – None IV. Old Business a. Update on City of Dania Beach Application for Naming or Renaming Public Properties or Facilities submitted by Commissioner Marco Salvin – naming C.W. Thomas Park inside gymnasium (Tamara James Gymnasium) - Board Chair Roberts stated this item was approved by the city commission unanimously. b. Update on placement of recycled bench was placed at the Dania Beach cemetery 2 | Page - Board Chair Roberts stated the bench was placed at the Dania Beach cemetery and thanked Board Member Aube for his contribution. - Board Member Aube stated we represented well. It was a great little ceremony. We were fortunate enough to have the mayors from the City of Dania Beach and City of Hollywood present. He still goes there to sit at the bench to reflect. He’s glad it happened and thanked everyone for being a part of it. - Board Chair Roberts stated you are more than welcome. He was pleasantly surprised that some of the local people heard about it and attended. It was well attended with about 40-50 people. - Board Member Aube mentioned he believes it was in the Dania Press. - Board Member Magliocca confirmed it was in there adding they got a good picture of Mr. Aube in there. - Deputy Director Lazo added it was a good ceremony adding it was very appropriate. Good crowd. Intimate. A very good crowd of people. He stated he is sure that Mr. Willie will take good care of it. - Board Member Aube stated it turned out to be a perfect location. They were jumping around in terms of what location it would be placed at, but it turned out great. He added he’s sure Mr. Willie will adding what a nice man. - Board Chair Roberts stated the plaque mentions Parks & Recreation Board and Lion’s Club. - Board Member Aube stated it mentions the other groups that helped them collect the plastics, but it states dedicated from the Parks & Recreation Board and the Lion’s Club. - Board Member Magliocca said nice touch. - The board agreed. V. New Business - Board Chair Roberts turned the floor over to the Program Manager Acosta for updates happening around Parks & Recreation. a. Update on happenings around Parks & Recreation - Program Manager Acosta advised the board that summer camp is right around the corner and all locations are completely filled. - Board Member Magliocca stated that is good news. - Program Manager Acosta continued with C.W. Thomas Park filled up this morning. P.J. Meli and Frost Parks are all filled up. They will have 8- weeks of fun, filled activities. They are all very excited. This year’s Juneteenth Celebration will be held on June 15th from 12pm to 5pm at Frost Park due to the construction at C.W. Thomas Park. It is a free event. C.W. Thomas Park is currently under construction. - Deputy Director Lazo added the playground down, the concession stands are down – it’s like a war zone out there. - Board Member Magliocca added the community needed it for a long time. - Board Chair Roberts asked is there any guestimate when it will be all done? 3 | Page - Deputy Director Lazo answered the timeline from start to finish is 18-months or sooner. It depends on certain components of the park. We should have a finalized timeline by next week. The contractors hit the ground running; they are in the process of finalizing some permitting. Once they have that finalized, they can provide a more concrete timeline. - Board Member Magliocca asked are the designs approved? - Deputy Director Lazo responded everything is approved, the designs are approved. It’s just a couple of permitting things, but they’ve gotten the permits for demoing. It’s permits for some of the later projects that require additional permitting and everything is trending up. The worst- case scenario is 18-months. - Board Member Magliocca asked was all the permitting going through Dania Beach? - Deputy Director Lazo responded through us and some through Broward County. Broward County has to sign off on a few things. - Board Member Magliocca asked like what? - Deputy Director Lazo responded the surface water management which they approved. There is a health permit that is in the works. So, there’s a few things that we permit, then there are some things that we need county approval on. - Board Member Magliocca asked are any of those county permits going to hold anything up going forward? - Deputy Director Lazo responded no. - Board Member Magliocca responded that’s good. - Board Chair Roberts added that is good. - Deputy Director stated there maybe some things with the pool, but that is later in the project. They may not start on that part; they will start on other parts of the park. - Board Member Magliocca asked so right now there is nothing unforeseen that will throw a monkey wrench into this? - Deputy Director Lazo responded no. - Program Manager Acosta added fingers crossed. - Board Co-Chair Bell asked who is apart of the Juneteenth committee? - Program Manager Acosta responded that is the MLK Committee and Board Member Ivie is on that. - Board Member Ivie stated she will give her info. - Deputy Director Lazo added they are working with Ashley Vlasic, Special Events Manager and Tyrone Cornelius, Event Liaison. They will be a part of those MLK meetings. - Program Manager Acosta stated the afterschool program will be ending on June 10th which is the last day of school. They are removing registration for that down for the next school season. Frost Park has signed up 24 kids, C.W. Thomas Park has signed up a few, and P.J. Meli Park has signed up about 12 kids for next school year. It runs from ages 5-12, and kindergarten to 5th grade. - Board Member Magliocca asked how many kids can the program hold? - Program Manager Acosta responded each location can hold up to 30 kids. - Board Member Magliocca asked have they been able to reach that capacity? 4 | Page - Program Manager Acosta responded oh yeah, all locations have been full. He advised the board that Karla Mercado accepted a position in Tennessee and is no longer with the City of Dania Beach. Due to her leaving, we are looking to fill the Recreation Manager position. - Board Member Magliocca stated she can’t stand the traffic. - The board chuckled. - Board Member Roberts added anytime moving on and moving up, is a good thing. - Program Manager Acosta stated we are really happy for her and looking to fill her position. - Deputy Director Lazo stated her position here was Recreation Manager and the position she took in Tennessee was a Deputy Director. So, it definitely was a step up for her. - Board Co-Chair Bell asked who is Cassi? - Program Manager Acosta answered she is the Director. - Board Chair Roberts mentioned you see how that recommendation from the board helped out. - The Board agreed. - Program Manager Acosta asked Deputy Director Lazo if he had any updates? - Deputy Director Lazo stated they are working with the Broward County School Board regarding the Olsen Project and the P.J. Meli Park Project. He stated the school board should be approving this tonight, God’s willing, hopefully. If this gets approved, we will be moving into the design phase of these projects. - Board Member Magliocca asked what is it that they are approving? - Deputy Director Lazo answered the full agreement to move forward. They already approved it prior, but it was some changes. Basketball court here, tennis court here and certain amenities and some fine details that needed to be approved for their contractual portion of it. So, once that gets approved hopefully then we will move into the design phase of those two (2) projects. The design will take about a year and then we will move into the construction of it. It is good timing as we are finishing up the construction at C.W. Thomas Park, then we will run into the design of these projects. Maybe P.J. Meli first or Olsen first, it depends. - Board Co-Chair Bell stated it will be very interesting to see how all of this play out with the conversation of closing Olsen. - Board Member Magliocca stated the superintendent put out a statement stating they will not be closing Olsen for 2025. - Board Co-Chair Bell added they will not be closing any schools right now because of the election. She was saying in theory. - Board Member Magliocca stated there was a lot of pressure that they put on them. He went and spoke at the special city commission meeting at Hollywood and Dania Beach. Especially at Hollywood, they had Dr. Zeaman from the Broward County School Board. He went on to say there was a lot of pressure. For now, it’s good and hopefully they will be able to utilize it for a long time to come. 5 | Page b. Parks, Recreation, and Community Affairs Advisory Board summer break. This board observes June, July, and August as the board’s summer break. These meetings will resume on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. - Program Manager Acosta stated this board will be on summer break during the months of June, July, and August. These meetings will resume on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. VI. Discussion/Action - Board Chair Roberts stated we kind of slide some of the discussion/action items in earlier discussion. He asked were there anything that Board Member Ivie wanted to add regarding Juneteenth? - Board Member Ivie added that the Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Friday, June 15th at Frost Park from 12pm to 5pm. There will be bounce houses, food truck vendors, 150 free tickets will be given per food truck (4-5 food trucks), regular face painting, and a DJ (no band this time). - Board Member Magliocca asked has someone spoken to the DJ this time about the cussing? - Board Member Ivie responded of course. She added that cussing is for the bars and the clubs, not at functions with the kids. Not at the parks. - Board Chair Roberts stated we know we are good on that end. - Board Member Ivie stated it will be just like last year. - Board Chair Roberts asked was there any other discussions? - Board Member Aube stated he sent an email and wanted to know if you received the email? He stated he was swimming in the P.J. Meli Park pool with his son the other day and a light under the water with the wires exposed and they said it had been like that for two (2) months. He was wondering if they could do something to push it along. - Program Manager Acosta stated Director Cassi Waren responded. - Deputy Director Lazo stated with Karla leaving, Superintendent Anthony Ifedi reached out to the company to repair it. They had fixed it once before, so he is calling them out again because it is under warranty. It should be fixed this week. - Board Member Aube asked they can’t touch it because they will get shocked? - Deputy Director Lazo responded no. He stated if it has not already been fixed, it will be fixed this week. - Board Member Aube stated said great. It looked so scary. He was swimming and he was like ohhhh my God. - Board Member Magliocca jokingly told Board Member Aube to test it out. - The Board chuckled. - Board Member Aube stated it’s a beautiful pool and his son goes there for $40 for six (6) months, and he thinks the family rate is $60 or $70 for six (6) months. He said it’s great, it’s not that crowded. - Program Manager Acosta added they also host swim meets there and water polo. He asked Board Member Aube isn’t one of his kids in water polo? - Board Member Aube stated yes. - Board Chair Roberts mentioned it also has two (2) dog parks; it really is a great park. He also mentioned with some of the funding available, they were 6 | Page discussing the fencing in the back. This was previously discussed that fencing was budgeted. - Deputy Director Lazo asked which park? - Board Chair Roberts stated at P.J. Meli Park, the back fence. He stated it was a little iffy because it backs up to people’s home. - Deputy Director Lazo stated he will check with the team to see if it is us or the community that is responsible for it. He stated if it is us, we will get it taken care of. If it is the community, he will work with Code to get it taken care of. - Board Chair Roberts stated he know in the past the kids would push the fence down to bring motorcycles and little go-carts in there. He added it is a great park once they bring it up to date. - Deputy Director Lazo informed Board Member Aube that the exposed wires are getting fixed tomorrow. - Board Member Aube responded excellent! - Deputy Director Lazo stated that we are working with a pool management company, and we are working out some kinks with that management company. - Board Member Aube stated that he does feel that bring it to attention, it did get moved along a lot quicker. It should have been taken care of a lot quicker because it is such a terrible eye sore, for anyone. Especially anyone with kids out there because it’s a safety hazard with exposed wires in the water. It’s really scary. He knows there must have been a reason that it took a while. It should get addressed as quick as possible with something like that. - Board Chair Roberts stated that it meant something to the board to make those recommendations about you guys, noted appropriately. With the deputy here, he doesn’t want to put him on the spot, but was that done, has that in essence happened? - Deputy Director Lazo stated unfortunately they can’t do cash rewards because it is a part of our public service. We did give the letters to HR and there’s recognition for Rafael Acosta, Karla Mercado, and Alberlean “Abbey” Pollard. Unfortunately, there are policies that we have to follow. I wish I could give you a reason, but I can’t on things like that. - Program Manager Acosta stated the right people got to see it. The city manager saw it and he will take that over any day. - Board Member Ivie asked about rewards? For Rafael and Karla, what about Abbey? So, you are scratching off Mrs. Mercado? - Program Manager Acosta stated it is for all three (3) of us. We didn’t receive any financial gain, only recognition. - Deputy Director Lazo stated they received recognition and unfortunately, we can’t give extra money, it’s a part of our policies and procedures. - Program Manager Acosta stated it did not go unnoticed. - Board Chair stated the whole point was to get our point across - Board Member Aube stated great job getting the recognition letter together. He’s learned that 90% is getting the recognition, anything else is great. Great job on putting this together. - Board Member Ivie asked about the parking at Mildred V. Jones Park? She has been asking what is going on with the parking for a while now. There is a house that is building something there. - Program Manager Acosta stated they are building a bunker. 7 | Page - Board Member Ivie stated that is what she heard that they are building a bunker. They are building something there. The homeowner spoke to other neighbors, and they didn’t have a problem with the cars parking on the side. The other home is an Air BNB and people are always coming and going there. The complaint is the gravel/pebble rocks that the city placed there is going in the street. The homeowner’s that live there stated they don’t have an issue with the cars parking on side of the road. The rocks on the side are going all into their yard and into the road has been the only complaint. - Program Manager Acosta asked are they doing road work there? - Board Member Ivie stated no. It is the pebble rocks that the city put there are going into the homeowner’s yard and into the road. - Program Manager Acosta asked so when the cars are pulling in, the rocks are going everywhere? - Board Member Ivie stated the homeowner lives directly across the street and has never complained about people parking on side of the street. - Board Member Magliocca asked about if this was a pile of trash on the road, showing a picture on the phone? - Board Member Ivie asked what end was that? She clarified that it was bulk pick-up. - Board Member Magliocca stated that we need to put in to have that sidewalk pressure cleaned. - Board Member Ivie stated she will bring some of the neighbors in, in September to speak about it. - Board Member Magliocca asked was that the resolution? Is that the best they can do? - Board Member Ivie stated yes, they put out a bunch of “no parking” signs. - Board Member Magliocca asked is that the best that can be done? Because he finds that to be a slap in the face to the people that use that park. - Deputy Director Lazo stated that he is working with the departments to see what the best appropriate solution is. It’s under discussion. - Board Member Magliocca stated he believes the code allows so many parking spaces for a park. - Program Manager Acosta stated it depends because this is a pocket park. - Board Member Magliocca stated he would like to put on the record that it is more than enough money in the Parks & Recreation budget to put some parking spaces for this park. It is a reflection of that park in that community and it deserves better. - Board Member Ivie stated it is hardly anyone there, mostly kids that fish. The adults play dominoes in the daytime, and they are gone at about 2pm. She will bring some of the residents in to speak at the September meeting. - Board Member Magliocca stated bring someone into pressure wash the sidewalks from end to end and continue the discussion to get parking spaces. He stated he also had a couple of residents to reach out to him from Melaleuca/Northside Gardens community about picnic tables or benches that were removed. - Program Manager Acosta stated there was never picnic tables there, it was benches that have been taken up to have benches cemented in. The canopies have gone up in this park. Everything is good, we just have to keep the peace and make sure no one is vandalizing anything out there. 8 | Page - Board Member Magliocca stated that is also what he was going to ask about, the canopies. Good job guys. - Deputy Director Lazo stated we had some issues out there with someone vandalizing the park. Cameras have been installed to monitor activity out there. - Program Manager Acosta stated they know exactly who is doing it, he used to be his summer camper. He mentioned kids will be kids, but if it comes to the destruction of property, then we have a problem. - Board Member Magliocca asked who is doing football in the park? - Program Manager Acosta stated we have a paid rental from Avan Guard and Dania Beach Dolphins. - Board Member Magliocca stated it wasn’t the Dania Beach Dolphins, it was Avan Guard. It isn’t so much as the kids; he blames the adults for leaving trash everywhere. Trash was overflowing, on the ground, all around the trash cans. He stated there is about 15 kids, make the kids pick it up. Be a team, keep it clean. He mentioned he is glad to let them use their parks, and glad they are paying, but keep it clean. It was a disaster. He knows it is hard to find fields to play on, but who ever is in charge of the kids – just to get the message to them to keep it clean. There are plenty of trash cans all along that park. - Program Manager Acosta stated he will reach out to them. - Board Member Aube stated this is true. He has been to this park many times to watch his own kids play football. He has seen the kids just throw their garbage on the ground and it seems like they are just used to that. He thinks it just comes down to someone telling the coaches to clean up after themselves. He stated someone comes and cleans it all up afterwards, but during the game, they just throw trash on the ground. He mentioned that is one of the reasons he wanted to adopt that street to clean up and maybe they will see them cleaning it and be motivated. The coaches do an excellent job with teaching the sport, but they can go a step further by telling them they got ridiculed for not pick up after us. He also wanted to mention a good job on Frank “Tootie” Adler Park with the ribbon cutting. He will be excited when Lucky Fish opens. - Deputy Director Lazo stated they worked with United Broward and Together Us for volunteers and some people came in from Home Depot to do a Learning Trail. - Board Chair Roberts stated the conversation regarding the shirts is being discussed and being tabled. They have asked for shirt sizes. - Deputy Director Lazo stated he can give an update. As of now, there are no approvals for shirts; however, an item is being placed on the city commission for them to decide across the board for City of Dania Beach boards to have shirts. - Board Member Magliocca asked does some boards have it and others don’t? - Board Chair Roberts responded no. - Board Co-Chair Bell added that for this particular board we are requesting and because other boards don’t have it, they are opening for a larger discussion for all boards in the city. - Board Member Magliocca asked did P&Z have shirts? - Program Manager Acosta responded no. 9 | Page - Deputy Director Lazo responded they sent the letter up the food chain, it was distributed, and this was the directive is that they are going to put it on the city commission for a consensus is. - Board Chair Roberts stated we write in our charters in that we are kind of closest to the pulse and that is what they have been saying all along. They attend these things and to think that we are merely volunteers is an insult quite honestly, it is a slap in the face. - Motion to Adjourn, Keith Roberts, 2nd Deborah Bell. Meeting adjourned at 6:34 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Alberlean S.L. Pollard “Abbey” Parks & Recreation, Administrative Coordinator II and Board Liaison