Minutes Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting – Alden Community Center
Meeting date: June 18, 2013
In attendance: Carolyn Nowfel, Dave Peterson & Ruth Smith.
Absent: Mike Crawford, Steve Dell, Jan Loveland, & Casey McDowell
Community Input:
Carolyn Buxenstein, Paul De Lange, Jack Findlay, Gerry Hollis, & Barb Lockrey were in attendance to discuss the possible construction of a Veterans Memorial at Depot Park.
Alden Historical Society, Alden Volunteers, & DABA are working together to support this project. They feel Depot Park is a good location as it will be easily accessible, visible to the general public and is a site not currently usable. A diorama was presented as well as drawings.
There has been a lot of preparatory work done including looking at similar memorials, talking with Heidi Shaffer, soil erosion officer, & doing preliminary cost estimates.
Parks and Recreation is asking the group to provide the following in order to be able to make a recommendation to the HT Board:
- A site plan including elevations and set backs
- A permit from Soil Erosion
- A memorandum of understanding including ongoing maintenance of the memorial and the expense of electrify.
Dave Peterson reported that he is trying to secure a current survey of Deport Park and this is also needed before a recommendation could be made.
Minutes from 05/21/2013 -approved as presented & will be published on the website.
Information from monthly Helena Twp. Mtg.:
June Meeting A group discussed the Veterans Memorial proposed for Depot Park. Another individual suggested the cemetery as the best location for this memorial.
OLD BUSINESS:
**A notice has been printed in the Antrim Review and the Elk Rapids News telling about the draft of the Five Year Plan and opportunities for people to input. Fliers have been put up in public areas, a copy is at the library and the township office, and copies were emailed to The Alden Historic Society, DABA, Alden Volunteers, and Juniper Garden Club.
** The email address has been updated on the Parks and Rec. website.
NEW BUSINESS
** we did not work on prioritizing the list of future agenda items.
** New agenda items. We discussed the process for printing and distributing the completed Five Year Plan.
Action Items needed:
Carolyn:
1. Continue typing new 5-year-plan. Carolyn will work with Steve and Tina Fields to complete the appendix.
2. Will let Jack Findley know that public comment on the Five Year Plan will be taken from 3-4 PM at our next meeting so that if he wants to present information concerning the planned Veterans Memorial 4 PM might be a good time to come.
Dave:
- Will have the final Five Year Plan printed and distribute to the HT Board members.
Mike: Volunteered to obtain some abstracts we might find useful.
Ruth:
1.The approved May minutes are to be sent to Joyce Looman for publishing online. The May minutes will also be sent to Rick Teague. The June minutes need to be prepared for review by the Committee and will be sent to Rick after feedback from committee members.
2. Look into the requirements outlined in the Guidelines for the details of the approval process.
Steve:
1. Review appendix items and work with Carolyn on getting them placed in the appendix.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
These items will continue to be carried forward until they are discussed by the Committee
1. Deed restrictions for Helena Twp. Parks are to be reviewed. (Steve)
2. Riparian rights / possible review by township attorney (Dave)
3. Valley St Rd ending not listed on resolution accepting jurisdiction from Antrim Co. Rd Comm. by Helena Township. Memo to Board regarding this? (Steve)
4. Handicap parking in Helena Township (Discussion).
5. Research rules and laws governing road ending lake access sites (Steve, Ruth)
6. Discuss possible memo to the Twn about developing a plan concerning reservation of usage for all Twn Parks
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS continued:
- Discuss possible memo to the Township concerning placing signs at all Parks to clarify Township ownership and whom to contact if there are questions concerning or problems with the Park
8. Further discuss Alden Safe Harbor and its park status / ownership memo to Board?
9. Look at the possibility of updating & correcting information on the Pk. & Rec. web pages.
10. The Helena Township Master plan (Jan. 2010) mentions that a member of the planning commission will appoint one of its members to the Pk. & Rec. Committee. Also check responsibilities of the Parks & Rec. Committee outlined in the current HT Master Plan. New plan due in 2015.
11. Mike mentioned the AAU Sports / Recreation Complex Morey Complex- and suggested that they may be looking to locate a similar complex in the North.
12. Look into the possibility of Flo McCormick (MI Assoc. of Counties) helping with writing any Pks. And Rec. grants. (Mike Crawford)
13. Consider Keith Charters as a resource for Pk. & Rec. projects.
14. Work to update the Parks and Recreation pages of the Helena Township web site.
The next regular monthly meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15th, at 3 PM
Respectfully submitted by Ruth Smith 07-01-13