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CALL IS MEETING OF THE LAND USE AND PLANNING OF WASHINGTON COUNTY TO ORDER.
THE MEETING HAS BEEN PROPERLY POSTED WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE YOU TALK ABOUT, AND WE WILL, UH, START WITH MOMENT SILENT AND A RISE FOR OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE LEGIONS TO THE WILD LEG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WE'LL START WITH THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.
ANY ADDITION, SUBTRACTIONS, ANYTHING ELSE THAT, UH, NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THAT? NO.
THEN WE WILL HEREBY CONSIDER THAT PASSED.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE THE GOLF COURSE QUARTERLY REPORT.
DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY FOR THAT? JAMIE?
[a. Golf Course Quarterly Report]
UH, JUST ME.UM, THE GOLF COURSE QUARTERLY REPORT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, THERE ARE NEW, NEW UPDATES ON THE INITIATIVES.
I ALSO DID INCLUDE ONE OF THE LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE EOS INITIATIVES WAS A REDESIGN OF OUR, UM, TRACKING TOOLS FOR OUR FINANCIALS AND OUR KIND OF HOW WE'RE MONITORING IT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON RELATED TO MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING.
SO WE, I DID INCLUDE THE REPORT THROUGH MAY 31ST, UM, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS FOR JAMIE? EXCUSE ME.
UH, DID WE NEED A FIRST AND SECOND FOR THE COST SHARE AGREEMENTS? WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THAT YET.
OH, DO DON'T DOT DO THEY TYPICALLY APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.
WE, WE, DO WE NEED A MOTION OR NOT FOR THAT? WE DO.
WELL, THEN I WILL TAKE A MOTION FROM TINA PRIDMORE AND SECONDED BY PAM CONRAD.
UH, YEAH, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CONSENT AGENDAS DIDN'T NEED IT.
THE COST SHARE AGREEMENTS, THEY TYPICALLY DO GET A MOTION ON, ON THE CLAIM.
BUT THEY'RE IN THE CONSENT AGENDA WHEN THAT'S FROM LAST MEETING.
THE, THE FUNDING IS ALREADY AUTHORIZED FOR THOSE? YES.
THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF IT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD WHERE, UH, ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WERE ALREADY PASSED THROUGH.
UM, THEY DIDN'T REQUIRE A FIRST OR A SECOND ON THE MOTION.
THEY WERE JUST, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE MINUTES.
WHAT'S THAT? THE MINUTES NO LONGER REQUIRED.
UH, DO WE HAVE TO DO THOSE INDIVIDUALLY? YEAH.
[00:05:01]
COLLECTIVELY? YES.WELL THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE GOLF COURSE QUARTERLY REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? GOT IT ALL.
FAIR PARK MODERN MODERNIZATION.
CAN I JUST MAKE A A, A QUICK COMMENT? SURE.
[b. Fair Park Modernization Project Update]
UM, MY FAMILY WAS, WAS RECENTLY THERE TOO, AND GOLFED IT AND EXTREMELY PRESENT.IT'S, IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL AND MY SON GOLFS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND YEAH, VERY, UM, VERY IMPRESSIVE GOLF COURSE.
AND IF YOU LOOK, EXCELLENT JOB.
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE REPORTS, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S OVERALL ABOUT $85,000 TRACKING BELOW WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT THROUGH THE END OF MAY.
BUT IF YOU DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS, YOU NOTICE IT'S NOT IN THE GOLF ACCOUNTS, MEANING IT'S NOT ON THE GREENS OR THE CART REVENUES.
IT'S ALMOST ALL IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND LESSONS, WHICH LESSONS WE SEE A PERCENTAGE OF.
BUT ALSO, UM, OUR EXPENSES SOMETIMES ARE DOWN IF WE DON'T SELL THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
AND SO SOME OF THIS BOILS DOWN TO, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AND SO IT WAS HOW MUCH BEVERAGE CART ARE WE SELLING? AND SO WE HAD A NICE, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A NICE FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION TO THESE NUMBERS WITH REGARDS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE DOING, HOW WE'RE TRACKING.
BUT THESE NUMBERS AT THIS POINT DON'T CONCERN US CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WE HAD AND NUMBER OF COURSE CLOSURES THAT ACCOMPANIED THESE NUMBERS.
AND 'CAUSE OF COURSE, CLOSURES TOO.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU FOLLOW A LITTLE BIT MAYBE, UM, STRICTER REGULATIONS THAN SOME COURSES WITH LIGHTNING AND THINGS, OR IS THAT CORRECT? OR? UM, I CAN'T COMMENT ON OTHER COURSES.
I WAS OUT THERE DURING THE BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OUTING, AND THERE WAS LIGHTNING WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS.
AND SO THEY HAD TO COME IN FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES UN BECAUSE IT SOUNDED WITHIN THE FIVE MILES.
UM, AND THAT, SEE, THAT WAS, IT'S VERY PRECAUTIONARY IN NATURE.
IF IT'S ANYWHERE NEAR THE COURSE, UM, WE REQUIRE THE GOLFERS TO COME IN.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT'S GOT TO DO WITH EITHER BASEBALL KIDS', UH, HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS.
IF THERE'S LIGHTNING, THEY GOT SUSPENDED FOR 30 MINUTES.
WE FOLLOW THE PGA RECOMMENDED GUIDANCE VERY STRICTLY.
UM, SO DURING C-V-I-D-I KNOW THAT WAS COMING BACK ONLINE, IT WAS A LOT OF BEST PRACTICE, UM, INDUSTRY RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN KIND OF LIKE CHILDCARE, OTHER INDUSTRIES, NOT EVERY COURSE MIGHT OPT TO FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'VE ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE ASK.
AND IT WOULD SEEM PRUDENT WITH THAT, UH, GOLF COURSE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A VERY KIND OF HIGH OPEN AREA, SO I THINK IF THERE'S LIGHTNING, YEAH, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO GET OFF THAT COURSE IN A HURRY.
UM, BUT IT IS A GREAT COURSE AND, UH, I DID REVIEW THE NUMBERS AND I LOOKED AT 'EM AND I NOTICED, UH, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IS, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND IN SOME AREAS, BUT BEING AN AVID GOLFER MYSELF, TERRIBLE, BUT AVID, UM, I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THAT AS WELL TO THE WEATHER.
UH, IT'S NOT BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE, BUT I THINK, UH, THAT'S BEHIND US NOW AND I WOULD FULLY EXPECT THAT THAT'S GONNA CATCH UP REALLY QUICK IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, SO.
UH, WE GOT ANOTHER DISCUSSION ITEM HERE.
FAIR PARK MODERNIZATION PROJECT UPDATE.
JAMIE, YOU'LL BE SPEAKING ON THAT AS WELL.
I WANTED TO PUT ON THE AGENDA, UH, AN UPDATE THIS MATERIAL AGAIN, SO THIS SHOULDN'T BE NEW INFORMATION.
THE COUNTY BOARD AND THE COMMITTEE HAS SEEN THIS HANDOUT, UM, THE FAIR PARK MODERNIZATION PROJECT SCOPE.
SO LAST YEAR THE COUNTY BOARD AND WITH THE BUDGET APPROVED $6.2 MILLION OF DEBT FOR A MODERNIZATION PROJECT OUT AT THE FAIR PARK.
AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN THERE FOR YOU.
AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT THE HIGH LEVEL BUDGET THAT WAS DONE AT THE TIME WHEN WE, WE DID SOME INITIAL PLANNING WORK, WAS ABOUT $7.4 MILLION OF THAT $7.4 MILLION.
THERE WAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF, UM, EQUIPMENT WITH LIFECYCLES LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
AND SO IN THE DETERMINATION OF HOW MUCH MONEY THE COUNTY WAS GOING TO BORROW, BORROWED ROUGHLY 6.2 MILLION.
AND THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION WITH OUR CONSULTANTS ABOUT THE SCOPE AND, YOU KNOW, THE
[00:10:01]
DECISION MAKING WITHIN THAT PROJECT SCOPE THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY NEED TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE RANGE BECAUSE THE 7.4 MILLION, UM, I'M GONNA SAY WAS EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE WANTED RELATED TO THE AUDIO VISUAL AND THE ACOUSTICS OUT AT THE FAIR PARK.UM, IT'S INTER OF INTEREST IS THAT $2.265 MILLION LIGHTING NUMBER.
UM, SO AGAIN, EVERYTHING OUT THERE WE'RE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE.
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY IS PRETTY MUCH ORIGINAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE BUILDINGS AND SO IN NEED OF, IN NEED OF THAT PROJECT.
UM, THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE HIRED CONSULTANTS ON THIS PROJECT, THEY HAVE STARTED THEIR WORK IN DEFINING THE SCOPES AND THE BUDGETS AND THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SPECIFICALLY WHICH DIRECTION WE GO AND HOW THIS PROJECT TAKES SHAPE.
WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE AN INITIAL REPORT FOR THEM AT, FROM THEM AT THE END OF JUNE.
AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THEM ON, UM, SECURING A NUMBER OF OTHER, OR GOING AFTER A NUMBER OF OTHER GRANT FUNDING SOURCES.
AND SOME OF THESE, AND THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET, UM, MAY BE, DEPENDING ON HOW THIS SHAKES OUT, MIGHT REQUIRE ANOTHER DISCUSSION WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT FOCUS ON ENERGY CREDITS FOR THE LIGHTING RETROFITS AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, THERE'S SOME TAX CREDITS RELATED TO ENERGY SAVINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, THE CONSULTANT FORM FIRM WE'VE HIRED IS A FULL SERVICE BUILDING ENVELOPE FIRM.
SO THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES WITH GEOTHERMAL HEATING IN THE PONDS AND POTENTIALLY SOLAR OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO THE OVERALL ELECTRIC LOADS OUT THERE.
THERE IS AN H-V-A-V-A-C UNIT BUDGETED IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.
AND SO THERE'S, UM, THIS, THE FIRM WE HAVE ON HAND IS REALLY KIND OF TRYING TO HELP US TAKE A LOOK AT MAKING SURE WE'RE PLANNING THE INFRASTRUCTURE APPROPRIATELY FOR ALL OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE GONNA BE OUT THERE.
UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE THINK FIBER CONNECTIONS, UM, PRETTY MUCH ALL HAS TO BE NEW BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF USABLE, UM, AUDIO AND VISUAL STUFF FROM THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO APPLY FOR A, THE FLEXIBLE FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM.
THE STATE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED FOR A, UM, AN ADDITION TO THE BUILDING, WHICH WOULD BE POTENTIALLY FOR FOUR H OFFICES AND OTHER COUNTY USES FOR, UM, THE ELDERLY OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH A IS AND AS PART OF THAT, SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES FOR THINK FIBER, THINK THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT COST.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WITHIN THE BUDGET OF THIS PROJECT COULD POTENTIALLY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTING BOARD APPROVALS, RECEIPT OF FUNDING, UM, SHOULD THOSE ADVANCE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE WITH GRANTS.
UM, WE APPLIED FOR THE ENERGY INNOVATION GRANT OUT HERE, WHICH WE DID NOT RECEIVE.
UM, AND SO WE DIDN'T, THERE WAS NOT A RESOLUTION DONE IN ADVANCE WITH THAT GRANT, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF A, WELL, IF WE DON'T GET THE MONEY, THEN WE WOULDN'T NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE OPERATING IN THAT CONTEXT WHEREBY WE ARE, WE ARE DOING THIS PROJECT, AND SO WE ARE PURSUING, UM, FUNDING SOURCES WHERE IT MAKES SENSE, AND THEN SHOULD WE BE IN A POSITION TO ACCEPT FUNDING OR, UM, YOU KNOW, NEAT OTHER TYPES WITH THIS PROJECT, WE WOULD THEN BE COMING FORWARD BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S, HERE'S THE GRANT, HERE'S THE FUNDING.
WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT ADDING TO THIS BUDGET.
AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS SHAKE OUT, UM, WHICH DECISIONS WITHIN THE PROJECT SCOPE NEED TO BE MADE TO EITHER OPERATE THIS PROJECT WITHIN THE TOTAL BUDGET OR POTENTIALLY, UM, PARTNER WITH A IS OR OTHERS TO SECURE ANY OTHER FUNDING THAT MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT WORK DONE YET AGAIN.
UM, WE HAVE SIGNED AN IN OR AN INITIAL CONTRACT WITH A VERY, VERY GOOD FULL SERVICE BUILDING, BUILDING ENVELOPE FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN AUDIO, VISUAL AND ACOUSTICS.
SO THIS PROJECT IS MOVING, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST KIND OF AN UPDATE OF THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, UH, WHEN DO YOU EXPECT TO DO THIS? I, I BELIEVE WE NEED IT, BUT WHEN DO WE EX, UH, OR WANT OR LIKE TO HAVE THIS, START THE PROJECT, START WORKING ON THIS? YEAH, SO WE'RE EXPECTING ORIGINAL REPORTS BACK THE END OF JUNE, AND THEN STACY'S NODDING, TELL ME IF I'M GOING WRONG.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY WE MAKE DECISIONS, WE WOULD, THEY WOULD GO INTO, UM, WE HAVE THEM CONTRACTED FOR BID
[00:15:01]
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF THE PROJECT.SO THEY WOULD BE HELPING PREPARE THOSE DOCUMENTS AND THEN WE'D BE WORKING ON THE BID PACKAGES THAT WOULD GO OUT AND LIKELY, UM, THERE'S SOME TIMING CONSIDERATIONS.
STACY, DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND WHEN WE'RE TARGETING CONSTRUCTION? UM, I WOULD, DO YOU WANT ME TO COME TO 2026? PROBABLY.
ANYBODY ELSE? OR WINTER 20, 20 25, 20 26 THAT SEASON.
ANYBODY ELSE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OKAY.
WELL, I HAVE, YEAH, I, I DO, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, YOU, YOU KNOW, SPEAK OF THE BUDGET FOR THIS, IT GOING UP TO ABOUT 8 MILLION AND SAYING ABOUT 6 MILLION OF IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY GO BONDS AND THE FUND BALANCE AND EXCESS SALES TAXES COVERING THE REST, WHICH WOULD BE UP TO ABOUT 2 MILLION.
UM, SO THE I, IS THIS, UM, IS THAT EXTRA 2 MILLION, IS THAT ALREADY CON CONSIDERED IN OUR, OUR BUDGET OVER THESE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, EXCESS SALES AND THE FUND BALANCE? THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
RIGHT NOW I HAVE ABOUT $6.2 MILLION OKAY.
AND I WILL HAVE A BETTER ANSWER FOR THAT IN THE NEXT 30 TO SIX, 30 TO 60 DAYS.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO EITHER, YOU KNOW, SCALING DOWN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS ONE OPTION, UM, OR, UH, RECEIVING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM ANOTHER SOURCE, LIKE ONE OF THESE GRANTS THAT WE'RE PURSUING.
IT'S WHY, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING GRANTS THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE FUTURE CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUIRED, BUT AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO OTHER AUTHORIZATION BEYOND THE 6.2 MILLION.
THERE IS ALSO SUBSTANTIAL ENERGY SAVINGS TO BE REALIZED, UM, HOWEVER THAT WOULD BE REALIZED BY THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY BECAUSE THEY CURRENTLY PAY THE ELECTRICITY BILLS.
UM, SO THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT AS WELL AS IF THAT COME, THAT SAVINGS COMES INTO PLAY AT ALL.
AND IDI THINK, UH, WITH, UH, SOME OF THE GRANTS FOR, UH, THE ENERGY SAVINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I, I HOPE WE CAN QUALIFY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU REPLACE ALL THAT LIGHTING OUT THERE WITH LED, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE PROBABLY A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT COST BUT SHOULD PAY FOR ITSELF OVER TIME.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT THAT GRANT IS LOOKING FOR.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE SOMETHING WE'LL BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR AND MOVE FORWARD ON.
UM, THE AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT, THIS IS BASICALLY JUST, UH, STUFF THAT WOULD BE USED FOR LARGER SIZE CONVENTION OR, UH, STUFF LIKE THAT, I'M ASSUMING? YES.
THINK, UM, PROJECTORS AND SCREENS ALSO, I THINK THE BIG IMPROVEMENT OUT THERE WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE AUDIO.
THE AUDIO'S TERRIBLE OUT THERE,
BUT YES, THERE WOULD BE NEW SCREENS AS WELL AND KIND OF NEW LAYOUTS FOR THE ROOMS. RIGHT.
I'M SORRY, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER, CAN YOU CLARIFY, YOU SPOKE WITH SOLAR.
DO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL VISION OR, UH, THOUGHTS OF ADDING SOLAR? WE HAVE, WE HAVE SAID YES TO HAVING OUR CONSULTANTS LOOK AT THAT AS PART OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS KIND OF SCANNED THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCIES THAT YOU WOULD BRING INTO A PROJECT.
SO AT THIS POINT WE HAVE JUST SAID THAT YEP.
UM, NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD DO THAT.
UM, I KNOW WE TALKED AT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, WE AREN'T SURE IF THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN SOLAR OR NOT, THAT WOULD, IN THE PAST IT WAS ACCORDING TO THE HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER AND FACILITIES WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED, IT WAS LOOKED AT, BUT THE WEIGHT LOADS WEREN'T SUSTAINABLE ON THE ROOFS.
SO WE AREN'T SURE THEY LOOKED AT THE ZIEGLER BUILDING, THEY DID NOT LOOK AT THE PAVILION.
UM, AND THEY, WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL PROPERTY FURTHER AWAY.
SO I THINK IT WAS KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL, UM, FEASIBILITY LOOK THAT THE FIRM IS, IS DOING AT THIS POINT.
I KNOW IF YOU MAY PUT IT OUT LIKE IN THE FIELDS OR SOMETHING TO YEAH.
RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT IN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, BUT THERE'S AN OPPOR POTENTIALLY IT OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES IF WE WERE TO, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND YOU SPOKE OF EX UM, POTENTIAL EXPANSION OF A BUILDING.
SO ONE OF WHICH IS ONE, ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT WE ARE PURSUING IS A, UH, FLEXIBLE FACILITIES GRANT THROUGH THE STATE, UM, WHEREBY
[00:20:01]
THEY ARE FUNDING BASED ON COVID-19 PROJECTS THAT, UM, INCREASE REMOTE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE MONITORING WORK AND EDUCATION.SO AS A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY, THE FAIR PARK, UM, DOES SOME OF THESE THINGS.
AND SO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IS A, IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE AS IS AUDIO, VISUAL EQUIPMENT, COMPUTERS, ALL OF THAT WITHIN THEIR PROGRAM.
SO WHAT WE WOULD, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, AND THIS IS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT, BUT ALSO RELATED TO SOME OF THE INITIATIVE TO POTENTIALLY, UH, SEE IF THE FAIR PARK COULD HOUSE FOUR H, UM, WOULD BE TO CONSTRUCT AN EXPANSION WITH ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS, REMOTE CLASSROOMS OR MULTIPURPOSE SPACE POTENTIALLY ABOVE IT KIND.
UH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE PAVILION ON THE, ON THE LEFT.
SO THERE ARE BATHROOMS THAT WE WOULD BE ACCESSED THAT ARE CURRENTLY TO THE OUTSIDE.
SO WE HAVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT AND WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE IF WE CAN COMBINE THAT WITH SOME OF THIS PRO THE INITIAL PROJECT SCOPE.
UM, AGAIN, IN AN APPLICATION THERE REALLY ISN'T A DECISION POINT UNTIL WE WOULD, UM, BE AWARDED THE MONEY AND THEN WE WOULD BE COMING BACK AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS AND, YOU KNOW, DO WE WANT TO DO IT OR NOT? OKAY.
BUT YOUR VISION IS, YOU KNOW, ADDING POTENTIAL THOSE CLASSROOMS, LIKE YOU SAID FOR FOUR H IT'S ABOUT 30, I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S SKETCHED IN AS ABOUT 3,500 SQUARE FEET TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
UM, IN, I DON'T KNOW, UH, IF ALL OF YOU SEEN, WE RECENTLY RECEIVED AN ENVELOPE, UH, FROM A GROUP, UH, THAT IS KIND OF LOOKING FOR SPACE AND, UH, UM, SOME PRINTER WORK AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD COMMUNITY GROUP.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT A HUGE ASK.
UM, IT'S KIND OF SOMETHING THAT'S FALLING BETWEEN THE CRACKS BETWEEN UW EXTENSION AND WHATNOT.
BUT, UH, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY IF THAT WERE TO COME ABOUT THAT, THAT MIGHT BE GROUPS LIKE THIS COULD UTILIZE THAT SPACE AS WELL.
POSSIBLY RH WELL, THE FOUR H WOULD BE ONE OF THE USERS, PROBABLY THE MAIN USER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOCAL CIVIC, UH, CIVIC GROUPS THAT DO SOME REALLY GOOD, GOOD WORK THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON COUNTY, BUT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A CENTRALIZED MEETING SPACE OR STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, SOME OF THAT WAS DONE THROUGH EXTENSION AND NOW COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE WITH THIS SITE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UH, IN THE FUTURE, UM, THAT IT'S NOT JUST FOUR H, BUT IT WOULD HELP YEAH.
OTHER SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING GOOD OUT THERE.
SO LET ME FLOAT THAT RIGHT NOW.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE, UH, FAIR PARK, UM, MODERNIZATION PROJECT? ALL RIGHT.
THE INTERESTING OF THE CONSULTANTS COME UP WITH
IT IS GONNA BE A BIG PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT GOING ON.
AND, UM, AND I GUESS ONE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH IS THAT I'M REALLY THRILLED TO SEE THIS HAPPENING.
UM, I WAS THERE STANDING NEXT TO TOMMY THOMPSON WHEN HE CUT THE RIBBON, UH, FOR THIS FAIR PARK BACK IN THE NINETIES.
AND, UH, UH, AND THAT'S WHEN I FIRST MOVED OUT HERE AND I WORKED FOR COCA-COLA, AND WE PICKED UP THE CONTRACT FOR FAIR PARK BACK THEN.
AND, UH, SO I I, I'VE BEEN THERE FROM THE BEGINNING AND I'M STILL THERE EVERY YEAR.
I ALWAYS TAKE VACATION, SO YES, I WILL BE VOLUNTEERING, SO HIT ME UP.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH A IS AND WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND WITH OUR BOARD.
IT WASN'T ALWAYS SO, BUT I THINK WE'RE REALLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK NOW, AND I STRONGLY EN ENCOURAGE THIS, UH, COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER BECAUSE I, I REALLY WANT TO MOVE THAT PARK FORWARD.
I WANT IT TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING.
I WANT IT TO HAVE A, A JUST A MASSIVE PILE OF CASH FOR JUST IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
THERE'S SO MUCH POSSIBILITY WITH THIS, UH, FAIR PARK.
UM, AND I, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY REALIZED ITS FULL POTENTIAL BECAUSE IT'S AN OUTSTANDING FACILITY WITH A LOT TO OFFER CENTRALLY LOCATED RIGHT ON THE FREEWAYS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, JUST GOT A TON TO OFFER.
SO I THINK NOW WE ARE FINALLY ON THE RIGHT PATH AND, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS, UH, MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WE'LL TAKE A MOTION, UH, AND A RESOLUTION FOR SHARED SERVICES FOR RICH FIELD.
[c. 2024 Resolution: Resolution Confirming the Washington County Community Development Providing Municipal Planning Services to the Village of Richfield as Part of Shared Revenue of the County Sales Tax]
MOTION BY PAM, SECONDED[00:25:01]
BY TINA PRIDE MORE, EXCUSE ME.MOTION BY SUPERVISOR CONRAD AND SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR PRIDE MORE, AND DEB'S HERE TO SPEAK.
UM, DEB DEBRASKI, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SAME, UM, RESOLUTION THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, LAST MONTH, UH, FOR K*M AND JACKSON.
UH, BUT FOR THE VILLAGE OF RICHFIELD IS FOR SHARED SERVICE, UM, FOR PLANNING SERVICES, UM, WITH THE VILLAGE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BOARD? COULD SUPERVISOR KREBS, WITH ALL THESE POSITIONS, I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE GONNA HAVE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES, THE POSITION IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FROM THE COUNTY'S PERSPECTIVE FOR AS FAR AS THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, OR WHAT LEVEL INVOLVEMENT THEY WILL HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, SO THE, THE, UM, COVER REPORT PROVIDES A KIND OF A GENERIC OVERVIEW OF, OF BULLETS OF WHAT THEY COULD PROVIDE.
UM, BUT IN THE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT THE COUNTY HAS WITH EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, UM, I SPECIFY, UM, WHAT PROJECTS THAT THEY MIGHT BE WORKING ON FOR 2024.
UM, AND FOR RICHFIELD, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UH, WORKING WITH SEWER PACK, UM, ON THE VILLAGE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, INCLUDING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT COMPONENTS, UM, ASSISTING WITH THE UPDATED VILLAGE APPLICATION FORMS, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, JUST TO HELP UPDATE THOSE AND MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO ASSISTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIREMAN'S PARK MASTER PLAN.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE, THE THREE PROJECTS THAT, UM, THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR AND I HAD, UM, UH, IDENTIFIED, UH, FOR THIS POSITION.
BUT, UH, THE SPECIFIC WORK, UM, IS SPELLED OUT FOR EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AGREEMENT.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, END OF EACH YEAR, THEN I'LL BE, UM, MEETING WITH EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THEN PRIORITIZE OVERALL FOR THE COUNTY.
SO FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S STANDPOINT, IN THAT COMMUNITY, WILL THEY BE, WILL, WILL THIS POSITION BE THE FACE OF THAT COMMUNITY FOR PLANNING AND ZONING? OR, OR WILL THERE BE, ARE THE COMMUNITIES EXPECTED TO HAVE KIND OF NO, THEY WILL NOT.
THEY WILL NOT BE DOING THE DAY TO DAY, UM, ZONING ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT.
UH, THEY WILL REALLY BE HELPING EACH OF THE VILLAGES ON A MORE LIKELY SPECIAL PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, HELPING UPDATE THE COMM PLAN, HELPING UPDATE MAYBE THEIR ORDINANCES BUT NOT THE ACTUAL DAY-TO-DAY ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE.
UM, WHEN A PROJECT LIKE THINKING COMMERCIALLY, LIKE IS BROUGHT TO A VILLAGE FOR A DEVELOPMENT OR SOMETHING, WOULD A PROJECT LIKE THAT START TO GET PASSED ON TO THIS POSITION? OR WOULD THAT STILL, OR WOULD THAT I THINK, I THINK THAT IT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE.
SO IN SOME MUNICIPALITIES, UM, THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE MAY NOT BE AS SOPHISTICATED AS WHO I HOPE TO, UM, HIRE FOR THIS POSITION.
AND SO THEY MAY HAVE, UH, PROVIDE, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH THAT, UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE THE, THAT FACE OF THE COMMUNITY.
QUESTION, HOW ABOUT SUPERVISOR CONRAD? I'M SORRY.
HOW MUCH BANDWIDTH DO WE AS A COUNTY HAVE TO TAKE ON, UM, TO ASSIST MORE MUNICIPALITIES WITH THEIR PLANNING? RIGHT.
SO, UM, THIS IS ONE FULL-TIME POSITION, UM, FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, AND, UM, I ANTICIPATE THAT, WELL, WE HAVE THE, THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE SIGNED ON ALREADY.
UM, AND, UH, WHEN WE DO, UM, HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL, THEN I'LL BE SITTING DOWN AND PRIORITIZING ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, THEY ONLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST OVER 2000 HOURS A YEAR.
UM, WE WANNA MINUS A COUPLE HUNDRED HOURS JUST FOR, UM, INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AND TRAINING AND PTO.
UM, SO WE'RE LEFT WITH PROBABLY ABOUT LIKE 1700 UM, HOURS.
UM, FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES, IT JUST THINK OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW IT MIGHT WORK, UH, FOR A PLANNING CONSULTING FIRM, YOU KNOW, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, TRACKING THEIR HOURS THAT THEY HAVE FOR EACH ONE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND, AND DETERMINING HOW MUCH TIME, UM, IT WOULD TAKE TO DO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE VILLAGE OF RICHFIELD ON THIS PROJECT WHILE HELPING THE VILLAGE OF JACKSON ON A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
AND, AND JUST IDENTIFYING AND TRACKING WHAT THAT TIME IS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AND THE TIME THAT THEY SPEND WITH EACH MUNICIPALITY WILL CHANGE AS, AS THE PROJECTS CHANGE AS THE
[00:30:01]
YEARS GO BY.BUT I'LL BE, I'LL BE LEADING THAT, UM, PRIORITIZATION OF ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SAY ALL OF A SUDDEN NEXT MONTH WE GET EVERYBODY LINED UP, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, UM, WE WANT ASSISTANCE TOO.
MM-HMM,
SO WE WOULD, UM, CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE GET TO IT
SO YEAH, RIGHT NOW HAVING THREE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE, UH, PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED, UM, MAKES SENSE.
UM, AND CAN CERTAINLY FILL ONE FULL-TIME POSITION, UH, ONCE WE START GETTING ADDITIONAL MUNICIPALITIES ON BOARD, UM, THEN THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE.
ANYBODY ELSE? AND, AND I WOULD JUST KIND OF ADD TO THAT, THAT KEEP IN MIND THE OVERALL GOAL HERE IS TO, UH, WORK WITH OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
IT, IT SAVES THEM A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, UH, WHICH THEY CAN THEN UTILIZE FOR A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE HAVING, SUCH AS ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THIS WHOLE PLAN, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD RESOURCES HERE AT THE COUNTY, SO EVEN ADDING AN EMPLOYEE IS STILL A HUGE SAVINGS.
WHILE IT COSTS US AT THE COUNTY MORE, IT'S HUGE SAVINGS FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES, AND WE ALL ARE TAXPAYERS, WHETHER WE'RE PAYING OUR MUNICIPALITY OR THE COUNTY.
SO IF, IF WE CAN FIND WAYS TO SHARE SERVICES OVERALL, WE'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY AS TAXPAYERS.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA OF THIS, UH, WHOLE SHARED SERVICES THING.
UM, SO VERY IMPORTANT FOR THAT.
WITH, UH, NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I GUESS WE'LL VOTE ON THIS.
UH, ALL, UM, ALL AFFIRMING SAY AYE.
[d. 2024 Resolution: General Fund Transfer – Support for Washington County Agricultural and Industrial Society (AIS) for Fair Park Initiatves]
MOVING ON.WE WILL TAKE UP GENERAL FUND TRANSFER, UH, SUPPORT FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY FOR FAIR PARK INITIATIVES.
UH, FIRST I'LL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION BY SUPERVISOR KREBS, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR PRIDE MOORE.
AND I AM GOING TO ASK THE CEO OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR PARK, STACEY HOLLAND TO STEP UP AS WELL.
UM, BUT I, I WANNA JUST START BY SAYING THIS RESOLUTION, AND I HOPE YOU HAD THE CHANCE, A CHANCE TO READ THE PACKET AND THE HISTORY THAT WENT INTO THE HIRING OF THE CEO AND THE NEW MISSION AND VISION OUT AT THE FAIR PARK.
UM, BECAUSE THIS RESOLUTION REALLY BOILS DOWN TO DOING WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO, UM, WHICH DURING THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME, IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO WHEN WE WERE MAKING THOSE COMMITMENTS, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THREE THINGS, FINANCING THE AUDIO VISUAL PROJECT, WHICH WE HAVE DONE, UM, SUPPORTING THEIR, THE HIRING OF STAFF OUT THERE, WHICH WE KNEW THEY NEEDED TO DO.
AND SO THE, THE CONVERSATION AT THE TIME WAS THAT THEIR BUDGET DIDN'T ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP OR ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
AND SO WE WANTED TO, TO BASICALLY, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SHOWMAN USE THE TERM TAKE MONEY OFF THE TABLE.
UM, BUT THIS IDEA THAT WE NEED YOU TO, TO BE BRAVE AND TRY TO EXECUTE ON THE PLAN YOU'VE COME UP WITH.
UM, AND SO WE PLEDGED AND WE USED AS JUST AN EXAMPLE, $150,000 A YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND SO THIS RESOLUTION IS THE 2024 AND 2025, UM, AMOUNT OF THAT KIND OF COMMITMENT TO THEM.
UM, NOTING THAT ANY FUTURE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD REQUEST, WE WOULD BE ASKING THEM TO REQUEST AGAIN, UM, AS PART OF FUTURE BUDGETS.
AND THEN KIND OF THAT THIRD PIECE IN THERE, UM, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE SILVER LINING AMPHITHEATER.
I DO WANNA POINT THAT OUT AS WELL, UM, BECAUSE WE, WE DO PLAN TO, IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WITH THIS COMMITTEE, BE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WE ARE, UM, KIND OF COMING BACK IN A, IN A HEALTHIER POSITION.
AND SO WITH THAT KIND OF INTRODUCTION, I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR CEO AT THE FAIR PARK TO JUST PROVIDE US WITH A, A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE.
I KNOW THAT SHE HASN'T BEEN BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE, UM, OR MAYBE SHE HAS, I CAN'T RECALL.
UM, AND AN INTRODUCTION OF KIND OF HOW IT'S GOING, HOW THE TRANSITION IS GOING, WHAT IS THE
[00:35:01]
STATE OF THE FAIR PARK AND THE A IS FINANCIAL OPERATION AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THIS REQUEST.LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBERS, I WANNA, UH, SAY HELLO.
I MET SOME OF YOU PERHAPS AT THE COUNTY MEETING, UM, BEFORE THE, THE MOST RECENT ELECTION.
UM, THIS BOARD HAS OBVIOUSLY CHANGED IN TERM OF, IN TERMS OF ITS MAKEUP.
UM, I DID ADDRESS THE PREVIOUS, UM, I FIRST WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY AT ANY TIME TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, UM, AS YOUR SCHEDULES ALLOWS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE VIEWS THAT WERE SHARED EARLIER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, UM, REGARDING THE FAIR PARK AND THE OPPORTUNITY THERE.
SO AT ANY TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'D BE WILLING TO, UH, MEET WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, A IS, UM, IN MORE DETAIL, THE STATE OF AFFAIRS, UM, THERE AND, AND MAYBE JUST SOME INSIGHTS OR I IDEATION YOU ALL MAY HAVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO, HAVING SAID THAT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE NOW BEEN WITH THE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY SUPPORTING THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR PARK AND CONFERENCE CENTER, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE, THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR, UH, FOR FIVE MONTHS NOW.
UM, DURING THAT TIME, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE STOCK OF, UM, I THINK WHAT THE CURRENT STATE WAS.
SO TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, TO THE COUNTY BOARD, TO THE LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE, MAYBE NOT THESE MEMBERS, UM, IN ADVANCE OF BRINGING ME ON AND HAVING THIS VISION SOME 18 TO 24 MONTHS AGO, UM, I THINK IT WAS A DECIS DECISION WELL RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, NOT BECAUSE I HAVE THE JOB, BUT BECAUSE AS I SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE, I SEE THE OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF US RELATIVE TO THE ASSET THAT IS AT THE COUNTY.
AND THE, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE WAY IT HAS BEEN RUN, BUT WHAT HAS EVOLVED THERE IN TERMS OF, UM, THE TYPE OF EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE AND REALLY BEING VISIONARY AS TO WHAT THE FAIR PARK CAN BE AND WHICH STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS WE CAN GO IN.
SO HAVING BEEN HERE AGAIN JUST FOR FIVE MONTHS, UM, THERE WERE OBSERVATIONS AND WE'VE SHARED THOSE WITHIN THE, THE A IS BOARD.
I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THOSE HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, WOULD BE HAPPY AGAIN TO SHARE THAT.
UM, THE, THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF, A IS AND HOW IT WAS STAFFED, I THINK WAS VERY EFFECTIVE AT PUTTING ON A, AN AMAZING COUNTY FAIR.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE THING THEY DID WELL.
I THINK RUNNING AN EVENT CENTER AND A CONFERENCE CENTER AS A BUSINESS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS THEY WERE EQUIPPED TO DO, UM, AND, AND NOT, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THEM FOR ANY REASON.
IT WAS THE STRUCTURE AND IT WAS THE DIRECTION, UM, THAT WAS MISALIGNED.
SO AGAIN, TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE, THE COUNTY BOARD TO HAVE THE VISION TO SAY, WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN AS, AS AN ORGANIZATION IN ITS FORMER STRUCTURE AND ITS FORMER STAFFING OF FAIR PARK WAS NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME BOLD STRATEGIC DIRECTION THAT WILL COME IN THE MONTHS AFTER THE COUNTY FAIR.
ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS BIG EVENT WITH OUR GROUP.
UM, I FULLY INTEND TO BRING FORWARD TO BOTH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THROUGH THIS LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AS WELL, AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO THE BOARD IDEATION OF WHAT THE FAIR PART CAN BE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT YOU WERE HERE AND MOVED INTO THE COUNTY WHEN THE FAIR PARK OPENED.
WE HAD THE FIRST FAIR 25 YEARS AGO.
SO THIS SUMMER WE WILL BE CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUNTY FAIR AT FAIR PARK.
SO I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE FOR THAT MONUMENTOUS EVENT, AND I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINING THE ORGANIZATION AND PUTTING FORWARD ID IDEAS FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS ON HOW THE FAIR PARK CAN BE A MORE INTEGRAL PART OF THE COUNTY.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE IS A LOT OF CIVIC OPPORTUNITY THERE, BOTH THROUGH FOUR H THROUGH A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTY, SUCH AS THE UNITED WAY, PERHAPS THIS OTHER ORGANIZATION YOU REFERRED TO IN THE LETTER.
I THINK THE UTILIZATION OF THE FACILITY, UM, CAN BE EXPANDED TO REALLY HELP SERVICE CIVIC MINDED OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT THEN BEYOND THAT, WE DO NEED TO MAKE THE FAIR PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, A BREAKEVEN ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? IT IS HERE FOR THE BUSINESSES, IT IS HERE FOR AGRICULTURE, AND IT CURRENTLY HAD NOT BEEN OPERATING UNDER A IS AT A BREAKEVEN LEVEL.
AND MY FULL INTENTION IS TO PUT FORTH BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANS THAT WE CAN EXECUTE TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE IN THE COUNTY, TO SUPPORTING INDUSTRY IN THE COUNTY, TO BEING A FORWARD FACING CIVIC USE FACILITY IN THE COUNTY, UM, AT, YOU
[00:40:01]
KNOW, A BREAK EVEN OPPORTUNITY AND NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, REQUIRES THE TYPE OF FUNDING WE'RE LOOKING HERE TO PROVIDE, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE TODAY.UM, AND THAT, THAT IS A VERY TRUE STATEMENT.
THE AMOUNT OF, UM, BUSINESS AND CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY A IS FOR THE EVENT CENTER ARE NOT FAVORABLE TO THAT END GOAL OF BEING A NOT-FOR-PROFIT BREAK EVEN.
AND WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND I, AND PROVIDE THE CONTENT AT THE FAIR CENTER THAT ALIGNS BOTH WITH THE MISSION OF THE COUNTY, THE MISSION OF IS, AND ALSO WHAT SERVES AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PROFITABLE ENOUGH EVENT CENTER THERE THAT IT DOES BREAK EVEN.
UM, BASED ON THE, THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND, AND TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN PUT IN THERE, WE CAN GET THERE AND I THINK WE CAN BE A NEXT GENERATION.
SO IT'S NOT AN ADD-ON, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S, I THINK A STEP CHANGE AT THE FAIR PARK.
WAIT AND SEE, GET THROUGH THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY AND, AND GO FROM THERE.
THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE FOR CERTAIN THIS, THIS WILL NOT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, 12 MONTHS AND IT'S ALL BETTER, BUT I ABSOLUTELY, WITHIN TWO TO THREE YEARS, WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THINGS STABILIZED THERE THAT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT WE HAVE LINE OF SIGHT TO THAT.
UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT JUST NEEDED TO BE TENDED TO THERE, AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THOSE.
THEN I THINK WE CAN BE BOLD IN TERMS OF HOW WE'D LIKE TO GO FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FAIR PARK IN TERMS OF ITS UTILIZATION AND OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT BE THE THINGS THAT I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY DRIVE BY AND, AND THEY WISH WERE THERE.
WHETHER THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT OR WHETHER THAT'S A, A GREATER INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE, WHETHER THAT'S A GREATER INVESTMENT IN SOME OF THE, UM, AGAIN, CIVIC INTERESTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES AND WE, ONCE WE DECIDE WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THAT AND GO.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE? ANYTHING TO SAY? NO, WE'RE GOOD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 23RD ANNIVERSARY AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
AND I, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW, UM, ONLY A FEW YEARS BACK, THE RELATIONSHIP WAS VERY POOR.
UM, BRIAN WILL REMEMBER THE, THE MEETING WE HAD,
UM, SO I THINK THAT THIS IS, IT'S REALLY KUDOS TO THEM.
AND, AND THEY'RE STEPPING UP AND, AND SAYING, YES, WE, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER THAT THIS IS NOT, UH, US VERSUS THEM.
THIS IS ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.
I, I LIKE TO SEE THAT KIND OF COOPERATION, UM, BECAUSE IT, IT, IT WAS A BIG ASK ON OUR PART AND A BIG ASK ON THEIR PART TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE MOVING THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU.
I WOULD DEFINITELY DESIRE A ONE-ON-ONE, SO WE CAN, UH, THANK YOU.
I, IF I MAY JUST ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK JAMIE AND, UM, I'VE DONE THIS PUBLICLY, BUT, UH, I THINK SHE'S BEEN A BIG PART OF WHY THAT RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN SYMBIOTIC, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE JOINED.
AND I THINK IN THE MONTHS PRIOR TO THAT, UM, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING ASSET HERE IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP, AND I WILL SAY, NOT ONLY DID SHE HAVE THE SKILLSET CAPABLE, AND, AND I THINK WE SEE THAT THROUGH HER WORK, BUT SHE HAS SOMETHING THAT'S EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S THE PASSION.
AND SHE BRINGS THAT TO EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO, UM, I AM EXTREMELY THANKFUL THAT, UH, SHE IS WORKING WITH US.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, UM, WE'VE GOTTEN A A WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AND SHE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A COMPLETE ASSET TO THE RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH THE IAS BOARD FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY AND ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.
SHE'S VERY WELL REPRESENTED, SO THANK YOU.
OKAY, SO I GUESS WE, UH, NEED TO MOVE ON WITH THE VOTE, UH, HEARING.
UH, THIS WILL BE BASICALLY TO AUTHORIZE THE, UH, FUNDS.
[e. Update on Heritage Trails Mountain Bike Plan]
WE[00:45:01]
WE WANT TO, UM, UH, MOVE ON.WHAT'S THAT? NO, NO, I'M GOOD.
UM, SO FINALLY WE'RE AT THE UPDATE ON, UH, HERITAGE TRAILS.
NOW WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE TAKING ACTION TODAY, UH, AS THE PLAN STILL HAS A FEW MORE TWEAKS TO GO.
UM, SO WE MOVED THIS TO, UH, JUST AN UPDATE AND KIND OF GET AN IDEA.
THERE'S, UH, A FEW THINGS WITH SAFETY AND TRAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE STILL WANNA WORK OUT.
SO, UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, YEP.
I'M GONNA ASK OUR PARKS AND TRAILS MANAGER LOGAN BLISS TO JUST KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS.
BUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU JUST OUTLINED IS CORRECT AND WE ARE INTENDING A RESOLUTION TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH, UM, AND THEN TO THE FULL COUNTY BOARD.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS TO BE LISTENING FOR AS HE TALKS IS REALLY, UM, WHAT YOU ALL MIGHT NEED, WHAT OTHER DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE YOU SEE THIS PLAN IN FRONT OF YOU AND ARE ASKED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME APPROVAL OF IT.
UM, AND I THINK WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE TOOK THAT TIME AND WE'RE GONNA KIND OF GO THROUGH, UM, KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
UH, WHAT WAS THAT? I APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, SO YES, AS STATED, WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING? THERE WE GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, I GUESS DELAYED THE, THE PROCESS OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL FOR A FEW REASONS.
AND REALLY THE THREE BIG ONES ARE ADDITIONAL PLANNING OR WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT ADDITIONAL PLANNING IS NEEDED FOR FUNDING NECESSARY SAFETY AND RESCUE EQUIPMENT, UH, AT HERITAGE TRAILS.
UM, THERE IS CONFLICTING PARK USER INTEREST EXPRESSED IN OUR COMMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING, UM, SINCE REALLY BOTH OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, BOTH IN JANUARY AND EVEN MORE SO, UM, AFTER OUR, I THINK IT WAS JUNE 6TH, I HELD A PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION.
AND THEN, UH, WAS IT THE ONE ON NINE? YES.
AND THEN, UM, SOME OF OUR NEIGHBOR CONCERNS OVER THE EXPANSION OF THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS, WHICH, UH, SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS ARE, YOU KNOW, ADDED NOISE IN THE PARK, THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE PARK, AND THEN THE TRAIL PROXIMITY TO PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.
THOSE ARE REALLY THE THREE, YOU KNOW, MAIN CONCERNS THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO WE WANTED TO, AGAIN, TAKE SOME TIME AND REALLY MAKE SURE WE GET SOME OF THIS RIGHT BEFORE COMING FORWARD WITH A PLAN APPROVAL.
SO BEFORE I GO INTO, I'M GONNA, MY NEXT SLIDES ARE GONNA KIND OF GO THROUGH JUST A REAL BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED TRAILS IN 2024 THROUGH 2026 THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING.
BUT BEFORE WE GO THROUGH, THERES, I WANNA MAKE A FEW POINTS THAT I THINK WERE, HAVE BEEN COMMONLY MISCONSTRUED, UM, SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HAS SEEN SOME OF THESE, AND THAT IS, THE LOCATIONS ON THE MAP ARE NOT EXACT AND THEY WILL NEED TO BE FIELD VERIFIED.
YOU'LL SEE ON, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOME OF THOSE TRAILS WILL, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY GO ACROSS THE ROAD ON THE PICTURE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO JUST PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UH, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL NEW MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS BE CONSTRUCTED OVER EXISTING DISC GOLF HOLES.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A HUGE MIS OR HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY THAT, OH, WE'RE GETTING RID OF DISC GOLF HOLES AT THE PARK.
WE'RE NOT GOING OVER DISC GOLF HOLES.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT WILL BE FIELD VERIFIED.
WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY, UH, ON TRAILS IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE BUILT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK.
UH, WE'RE CURRENT DISC, GOLF HOLES ARE.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE IS TRAILS WILL BE BUILT WITH A MINIMUM 20 FOOT BUFFER FROM ALL PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH LATER ON.
UH, BUT JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO AGAIN, YOU MIGHT SEE A TRAIL THAT GOES RIGHT NEXT TO A PROPERTY LINE.
IT'S NOT GOING ON THAT PROPERTY LINE.
THERE IS GONNA BE A 20 FOOT BUFFER.
SO FOR 2024, UM, NOT PICTURED ON HERE ARE, UH, THE FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS FINISHING, UH, THE TRAIL CALLED FLOW RIDER, WHICH WAS ALREADY APPROVED, UH, FOR 2023 AND THAT CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT FINISHED.
UM, SO THAT WAS ALREADY AUTHORIZED.
WELL, SHOULD I SAY THAT WAS THE SECOND STEP.
THE FIRST STEP WAS FINISHING OUR EMERGENCY ACCESS ROUTES, UM, WHICH HAVE BEEN, UH, THE, THE TWO MAIN ONES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, CAN YOU SEE MY MOUSE? YES.
SO THESE RED LINES ARE EMERGENCY ACCESS ROUTES.
WE HAVE ONE HERE OFF THE PARK, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE ON THE NORTH END OFF OF SHERMAN ROAD.
UM, WE IDENTIFIED IN COLLABORATION WITH SLINGER FD THAT WE NEEDED A
[00:50:01]
AUXILIARY ROUTE OFF OF THIS, UM, EMERGENCY ACCESS ROUTE LEADING BACK TO THE TRAILS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT IN KIND OF THE SOUTHERN WING OF THE PARK.SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT, THAT WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE WE OPEN THE FLOW RIDER TRAIL.
SO THOSE WERE THE FIRST TWO STEPS FOR 2024.
UM, THE THIRD ONE OR THE THIRD PLAN TRAIL IS THIS BLACK FLOW TRAIL HERE, KIND OF ON THE WESTERN BORDER, THAT NORTHERN HALF AND THEN STRETCHING ACROSS THE NORTHERN BORDER.
AND THAT PARALLELS ARE THE EXISTING DOUBLE DRAGON TRAIL AND THEN THERE'S A BLUE FLOW TRAIL TO THE SOUTH.
UM, AGAIN, THAT KIND OF, THAT WILL HOOK UP WITH THE EXISTING FLOW RIDER TRAIL.
AND THEN A PLANNED, UH, YOUTH SKILLS AREA LEARN TO RIDE AREA, UM, IS ALSO IN 2024.
SO SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH THESE TRAILS THAT WE'VE HEARD, UM, THERE IS SOME NEIGHBOR CONCERN AND DISC GOLF INTEREST, UH, OR THE DISC GOLF GROUP, UH, OVER THE BLACK FLOW TRAIL LOCATION.
I'M LOSING MY MOUSE AGAIN IN THIS NORTHERN HALF OF THE PARK.
UM, YOU'LL SEE IN THAT PACKET THAT I PROVIDED YOU, WHICH WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT ENTIRE PACKET TONIGHT, UM, THE, THE, UH, DISC GOLF COMMUNITY HAS, UM, ASPIRATIONS OF ADDING HOLES TO THIS, TO THE EXISTING 18 HOLE COURSE.
AND SOME OF THAT AREA WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD HOLES IS IN THE AREA WHERE, UM, THIS BLACK FLOW TRAIL EXISTS.
SO THEY'VE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS.
THEN OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME NEIGHBOR CONCERNS WITH THE PROXIMITY TO THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY THERE ARE CONCERNS WITH RESCUE OPERATION FEASIBILITY FOR THIS BLUE FLOW TRAIL, UH, TO THE SOUTH, IF, IF THERE IS NOT A WAY TO FUND THE NEW NECESSARY EQUIPMENT AT THE PARK.
UM, AND THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO DO IS UNDER OUR EXISTING MOU IS APPROVE THE SKILLS AREA.
UM, THIS AREA IS, HAS BEEN REALLY NOT CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THIS TRAIL.
AND IT WILL GIVE WHILE THIS PLAN IS IN A DELAYED STATE, IT WILL GIVE SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH TO THE PARK THAT THE COMMUNITY GREATLY WANTS THE MOUNTAIN BIKING COMMUNITY.
UM, COMING OUT OF OUR JANUARY 30TH MEETING, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF RIDERS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN WANTING.
THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS THAT USE THIS PARK AS A LEARN TO RIDE FOR YOUNG KIDS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY REALLY WANTED.
IT'S CLOSE TO OUR PARKING AREAS.
UH, IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE AN INJURY, IT'S REALLY EASY TO GET TO.
UM, SO TO AT LEAST KEEP SOMETHING NEW.
WHILE THIS IS, THIS PLAN IS UNDER REVIEW, UH, WE ARE PLANNING TO MOVE FORWARD UNDER OUR EXISTING MOU, WHICH GIVES US THE ABILITY TO APPROVE BUILDING THIS AREA AT LEAST IN 2024 IF WE RUN INTO MORE ROADBLOCKS WITH OUR FULL PLAN.
UH, OKAY, IF I COULD COMMENT ON THAT QUICKLY.
UM, SO I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT RIGHT HERE.
UH, THIS SKILLS TRAINING AREA, I BELIEVE ACTUALLY MAKES OUR TRAILS SAFER BECAUSE YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO, UH, DO THESE, UH, JUMPS OR TRICKS OR HILLS OR HOW TO, YOU KNOW, GET OVER 'EM AND STUFF PROPERLY BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GO OUT ON THE TRAIL AND START DOING IT.
I THINK THIS IS VERY NECESSARY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE UTILIZING THESE TRAILS.
AND, AND A LOT OF 'EM I MET OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND ARE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE LEARNING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND I'M PLANNING ON GOING OUT THERE WITH MY BIKE REAL SOON AND, UH, AND SEEING FOR MYSELF AS WELL.
AND I HAVE NO WAY OF LEARNING, YOU KNOW, HOW TO, HOW TO DO THOSE ROCK JUMPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THIS WILL, THIS WILL HELP WITH OUR SAFETY OVERALL.
UH, SO I'M, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT I REALLY LIKE THIS PART OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE HAVING THE SKILLS BEFORE YOU HIT THE TRAIL IS GONNA BE NECESSARY FOR THE SAFETY OF THAT TRAIL.
UH, MOVING ON TO 2025, UM, THE FIRST PRIORITY IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE FINISHING ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT GET COMPLETED IN 2024, WHICH, UH, AT THIS POINT I ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE THE CASE.
UH, MOVING ON TO NEW TRAILS IN THE 2025 PLAN.
UM, IS THIS BLUE SINGLE TRACK TRAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK? UH, IT REALLY JUST GOES AROUND THE BORDER OF THE PARK.
UM, THIS TYPE OF TRAIL WAS THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER TRAIL COMING OUT OF OUR JANUARY 30TH MEETING.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD ON OUR, UH, AGENDA FOR ALL THE
[00:55:01]
BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS.UH, PEOPLE REALLY WANTED A TRAIL WITH DISTANCE AND THAT WAS AT AN EASY INTERMEDIATE LEVEL THAT THEY COULD RIDE.
THIS ONE IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES.
UM, SO IT REALLY, THAT SIDE OF THE PARK, UH, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE PARK, IS REALLY FLAT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH TERRAIN.
IT'S BASICALLY WOODED ON THE BORDERS, WHICH IS WHY IT'S KIND OF SHAPED THE WAY THAT IT IS.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THESE, THESE LITTLE WHITE AREAS ARE THE EXISTING DISC GOLF HOLES.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING AROUND THEM, WE'RE NOT GOING THROUGH THEM.
UM, SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UH, NEXT, UH, FOR 2025 IS THE BLUE FLOW TRAIL AGAIN IN THE WESTERN PART.
LOGAN, WHAT WAS THAT? A SUPERVISOR CONRAD? YEAH.
EXCUSE ME, LOGAN FOR THE BLUE FLOW TRAIL.
UM, YOU KNOW THE BORDER, IT YOU MEAN THE BORDER IS ONE OF THE CON THE ONE ON THE EAST SIDE, THE SINGLE TRACK ON THE EAST SIDE.
BORDER IS ONE OF OUR, UM, CITIZENS WHO HAS SOME STRONG CONCERNS AND HAS THE HORSE FARM.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO, UM, MOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, FURTHER AWAY FROM THEIR PROPERTY LINE TO HELP DECREASE THOSE CONCERNS OF HER HORSES BEING SPOOKED OR, IT'S SOMETHING I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, I KNOW THAT THE NUMBER HAS BEEN THROWN OUT THERE AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN YOUR COMMENTS.
WELL, THERE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM 300 FOOT BUFFER.
WELL, THAT IF YOU AND I, IF I HAD OUR BOUNDARIES ON GIS RIGHT NOW, I DID THIS BEFORE, UH, COMING TO THIS MEETING 'CAUSE I FIGURED THAT WAS GOING TO COME UP.
IF YOU TAKE A 300 FOOT BUFFER AND YOU LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, THAT PROBABLY GOES ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN INTO OUR PROPERTY.
EACH OF THESE ARE, UH, SO IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THIS TRAIL, I MEAN, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUILDING IT.
UM, AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, WHY ARE THE DISC GOLF HOLES ALLOWED TO BE THAT CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY BUT NOT THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS? UM, SO THAT, THAT IS IN CONSIDERATION.
AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DELAYED THIS PLAN.
THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY STILL HAS CONCERNS WITH THIS TRAIL AS WELL THAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH MORE BEFORE COMING FORWARD WITH AN APPROVAL.
WHERE, WHERE'S THE NOISE COMING FROM? UH, THESE ARE MOUNTAIN BIKES.
THEY'RE NOT MOTOR BIKES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
MOTOR BIKE, I THINK IT'S MOTORS.
MOSTLY NOISE FROM THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE BREAKING ON THEIR BIKES.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET SOME DUST IN YOUR BRAKES, YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE SQUEAL FROM YOUR BRAKES.
UM, THIS IS A SPORT WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET EXCITED.
THEY'RE, THEY YELL, THEY SCREAM, UM, THEY'RE HAVING FUN OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET A KID THAT GOES OFF A JUMP, THEY, THEY'RE GONNA YELL AND SCREAM ABOUT IT.
I I'M JUST WONDERING WHERE THE NOISE, I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IS THE NOISE.
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF, I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME REQUESTS LAST YEAR.
THE TOWN OF PO POLK, UM, IS IN CHARGE OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE OUT HERE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS SOME REQUESTS LAST YEAR TO HAVE THEM GO OUT THERE, UH, AND TRY TO ENFORCE THAT TO SEE IF THAT WAS AN ISSUE, IF THERE WERE NOISE ORDINANCES BEING BROKEN.
I NEVER GOT ANYTHING BACK FROM POLK.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS DONE.
UM, BUT I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THE NOISE ORDINANCE WAS BEING BROKEN OUT THERE AND THE LEVEL OF NOISE WAS THAT HIGH.
AND I WAS OUT THERE THIS PAST SATURDAY FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS AND, UH, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY SCREAMING OR ANYTHING, AND THERE WAS ABOUT 40 BIKERS THERE.
I MEAN, UH, AND A FEW DISC GOLFERS TOO.
I WAS THERE FROM APPROXIMATELY, I WANNA SAY 11 O'CLOCK UNTIL ABOUT THREE RIGHT AROUND THERE.
UH, SO IT WAS PRETTY PRIME TIME.
AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE'S, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY INCREASED NOISE OUT THERE AND YOU KNOW, I, YOU'LL SEE IN SOME OF MY LATER SLIDES, WE TALK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN PARK USAGE.
I MEAN, THIS PARK HAD VIRTUALLY NO USAGE PRIOR TO OUR TRAILS COMING IN.
AND NOW WE, YOU KNOW, WE SAW, I THINK THINK IT WAS A 286 OR 268% INCREASE.
SO NOW INSTEAD OF HAVING A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE OUT THERE OVER THE COURSE OF THE ENTIRE YEAR, YOU NOW HAVE THOUSANDS MM-HMM.
AND SO YOU ARE, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE NOISE AT THIS PARK.
IT'S NOT REALLY LIKE BREAKING A, AN ORDINANCE TYPE OF NOISE.
IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, INTERMITTENT, LIKE WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, YAHOO, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THE JUMPS AND STUFF YEAH.
KIDS THAT, UM, WHICH COULD SAY POTENTIALLY STARTLED THE CITIZENS HORSES AND, UM, BUT YEAH.
[01:00:01]
CHAIRMAN TOO HAS BEEN, I'M LISTENING TO THE CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS AND HAS, HAS BEEN OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, HAS HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CONSTITUENTS.UM, SO WHAT, I HAVE ONE MORE THING.
IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN PUT LIKE A BARRIER OF LIKE, TREES OUT THERE THAT, THAT COUNTERACT SOME OF THAT NOISE? YOU KNOW, UM, I MEAN THIS TRAIL IS GOING TO BE IN THE WOODS.
UM, I'M JUST THINKING MORE TOWARDS THE LAND WHERE THE, WE HAVE, UM, PROPOSED CERTAIN OPTIONS THAT WAS A COST SHARE NOISE BARRIER OPTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR NEIGHBOR ON THAT SIDE OF THE PARK FOR THE EXISTING DOUBLE DRAGON TRAIL.
UM, BUT OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, IN THAT AREA WHERE YOU'RE ALREADY IN A WOODED SETTING, OUTSIDE OF ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTING A, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL FENCE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW, YOU KNOW, A TALL FENCE, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK PLANTING ADDITIONAL TREES NECESSARILY DO THAT NOW.
I, I WOULD BE, YOU'RE ALREADY IN A MATURE STAND OF TREES PLANTING YOUNG TREES IS THEY'RE GONNA BE SHADED OUT, NOT GROW OUT.
AND LOGAN, I'LL JUST CUT IN BECAUSE CERTAINLY A FENCE IS AN OPTION.
I MEAN IT, I KNOW BACK FROM THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH OTHER USES IN THIS PARK, SOME, UM, HIGHER LEVEL ACTIVITIES JUST RECOMMEND THAT, RIGHT.
BECAUSE IT KEEPS THAT VISIBLE BARRIER.
SO CERTAINLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IF, IF THAT WAS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS CAN BE DONE RIGHT.
AND IT'S, I WALKED THIS TOO JUST, UM, YESTERDAY WITH A COUPLE OF THE CITIZENS AND, AND THEIR LAND AND THE WHOLE AREA.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HEAVILY WOODED, SO IT IS HEAVILY WOODED.
SEE, I WASN'T ABLE TO GO THERE WITH MY LEG.
I CAL MUSCLE AND WE CAN, WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT AS WELL.
BUT JUST TO NOTE THAT IN THE PAST, THE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY CONVERSATION THAT THE NEIGHBORS DID NOT WANT A PHYSICAL BARRIER.
I THINK THAT THAT'S PART OF THAT CONVERSATION OF IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT FOR THE NEIGHBORS, WE WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD ALSO WANT.
UH, THE, UH, CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR GUNDER, WHO IS, UH, A COUNTY SUPERVISOR WITHIN THE AREA, UH, SUPERVISOR GUNDER.
UM, HOW MANY OTHER COST SHARING, BECAUSE I, I'M NOT AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, COUNTY PUT UP A BIKE TRAIL, AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY TO A RESIDENT, NOW YOU NEED TO PUT IN, UH, AN EXPENSE FOR A FENCE.
UM, IT OUGHT TO ALL BE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT UP, IT OUGHT TO BE A COUNTY EXPENSE, NOT A COST SHARE.
BUT DO YOU HAVE OTHER COST SHARING, UM, AGREEMENTS IN PARKS WITH OTHER CITIZENS YEAH.
WHO HAVE CONCERNS AFTER PARKS BEEN BUILT AND THE, UM, UTILIZATION HAS INCREASED? YEAH.
AND JUST, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, I KNOW THAT WHEN THEY PUT UP THE HOMELESS SHELTER, UM, THE COST OF A BARRIER WAS BORN BY THE COUNTY, UH, NOT, NOT BY THE RESIDENTS OR PEOPLE USING ABUTTING PROPERTIES.
I, I BELIEVE WE OFFERED TO PAY THE DEFENSE, DIDN'T WE? I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS FULL PAYMENT OR, UM, IF IT WAS PARTIAL.
BUT THE REST, GETTING BACK TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THAT QUESTION TOO, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER BARRIERS THAT WE'VE CONSTRUCTED BESIDES HEKE HILLSIDE, THE BOAT LAUNCH.
DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT WAS? WE WOULD, WE WOULD AS PART OF A PLAN THAT IS PART OF THE PURPOSE OF A PLAN, RIGHT? IF IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE WANTED TO DO X, THEN WE WOULD DO X.
AND EVEN NOW GOING BACK, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, I, I IT'S JUST THAT YOU SAID COST SHARING, RIGHT? AND, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER, I WOULD WANNA CHECK THE VERBIAGE OF THAT ORIGINAL OFFER, BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS SOME COST SHARING AS IT RELATED TO LANDSCAPING ON THE OTHER PROPERTY RIGHT ALONG, WHETHER IT WAS THEIR HOUSE OR THEIR, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WAS GOING VERSUS INSTALLING A FENCE ON OUR PROPERTY BOUNDARY, RIGHT? SO I THINK THERE'S SOME DIFFERENTIATION THERE.
I THINK WE HAD OFFERED EVEN COST SHARING FOR LANDSCAPING UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT THE PERSON WOULD WANNA DO ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO, UM, REALLY GIVE THE, GIVE A GOOD OPTION TO THE NEIGHBOR THAT WOULD WANNA PURSUE SOMETHING.
SO I, YES, WE CAN DO, HONESTLY, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF MITIGATION IF THAT THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE COMMITTEE AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
THAT'S WHY WE WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
[01:05:01]
REVIEW THE MATERIALS AND LOOK AT IT.AND IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MONTH, FOR EXAMPLE, GO LOOK AND MEASURE EXACTLY HOW FAR AWAY RIGHT THAT TRAIL IS, OR, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THESE THINGS.
BECAUSE WITHOUT GOING OUT THERE LOOKING, IF THERE WAS ROOM FOR A FENCE OR YOU KNOW, HOW THAT WOULD WORK, IT'S HARD TO COMMIT TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND WE WOULDN'T WANT A MOTION WITHOUT HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE.
AND THAT'S A GOOD JUMPING OFF POINT FOR ME.
UH, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR OFF THE TRACK HERE.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN UPDATE, SO I WANT TO KEEP TO THE UPDATE PORTION OF THIS AND NOT GET TOO FAR INTO SPECIFICS ON PROBLEM SOLVING AT THIS TIME.
SO LOGAN, IF YOU WOULD CONTINUE.
UH, SO OFF THE TRAIL ON THE EAST, THE BLUE SINGLE TRACK ON THE EAST SIDE, WE, UH, WOULD, UH, INSTALL ANOTHER BLUE FLOW TRAIL.
UM, AGAIN, IF YOU REMEMBER THE SLIDE PREVIOUSLY, THERE'S ONE TO THE SOUTH, SO THOSE WOULD CONNECT.
AND THEN IN THE FAR SOUTHERN PART OF THE, UH, PARK, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN OUT THERE, THERE'S KIND OF LIKE A WOODED KNOB IN THERE WHEN YOU FIRST DRIVE IN.
AND, UM, THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO PUT A, UH, PRO STYLE JUMP LINE SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WE HAVE THAT PARALLELS, UH, OUR EMERGENCY ACCESS ROUTE DOWN IN THAT SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PARK.
UM, AS FAR AS ISSUES WITH SOME OF THESE TRAILS WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HERE, THE ONE ON THE EAST SIDE, THE BLUE SINGLE TRACK, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL CONCERN WOULD BE RESCUE OPERATIONS AND HOW THEY WOULD BE FEASIBLE AGAIN WITH THAT BLUE FLOW TRAIL, UH, IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE FUNDING FOR THE NEW EQUIPMENT, SINCE THAT IS A REMOTE AREA OF THE PARK WITH SOME TOPOGRAPHY CHALLENGES.
THERE IS ONE THING I DID WANT TO ADD TO IN MY LITTLE TRIP OUT THERE JUST FOR, I ALREADY TALKED TO JAMIE ABOUT IT, UM, WHILE I WAS OUT THERE AND I WAS, I WAS BASICALLY CANVASSING THE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
THERE WAS ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS KIND OF INTRIGUING, WHICH WAS AREAS WHERE PEOPLE COULD SHOOT VIDEO SAFELY OR POSSIBLY TAKE PICTURES.
UM, AND IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY TO WORK WITH METRO TO SEE IF THERE'S PLACES WE COULD ADD THAT IN, UH, KINDA LIKE LITTLE STOP OFF POINTS.
AND IT WASN'T, I MEAN, THEY, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD A OBSERVATION DECK OR A PLACE WHERE WE COULD DO VIDEO OR TAKE PICTURES, UH, ESPECIALLY WHERE SOME OF THE MORE HEAVY TECHNICAL SKILLS AREAS ARE, WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND I'S THOUGHT POINT, WELL, THAT'S AN INTRIGUING IDEA.
UH, MOVING ON TO 2026, UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A PROPOSED BLACK SINGLE TRACK IN THE NORTH, UH, PORTION OF THE PARK, WHICH WOULD CONNECT TO THE EXISTING DOUBLE DRAGON TRAIL.
AND THEN THE BLACK, UH, SINGLE TRACK THAT YOU SAW IN 2024.
UH, MOVING ON FROM THAT WOULD BE THIS CONNECTOR ROUTE.
UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT TOO ABOUT THAT BLACK FLOW TRAIL.
UM, YEAH, REGARDING THE CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS IS, YOU KNOW, BORDERING THEIR LAND AND, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY HOW IT'S PLANNED, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK LIKE DIRECTLY INTO THEIR BEDROOM AND IF TO, IF IT CAN BE BACKED OFF THAT PROPERTY LINE AS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AT LEAST.
SO THEY CAN'T LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THEIR BEDROOM FROM THE TRAIL.
JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER OVER THIS NEXT MONTH.
UM, SO MOVING ON, THIS, UH, CONNECTOR ROUTE THAT YOU SEE HERE, WHICH IS THE RED DASH LINE.
UH, THIS ROUTE IS REALLY ESSENTIALLY JUST GONNA BE A SINGLE PATHWAY THAT REALLY CONNECTS EVERYTHING IN THE PARK.
UM, IF, IF THIS PLAN IS FULLY APPROVED, IF YOU, IF THIS EASTERN PORTION COMES IN, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THAT AND THEN YOU CAN RIDE BACK UP TO OUR EXISTING TRAILS IN THIS AREA OF THE PARK.
UM, THERE'S ALREADY THAT, UM, UH, KIND OF BEGINNER TRAIL THEY CALL FRAGGLE ROCKS, UH, THAT TRAVELS THROUGH HERE THAT YOU COULD CONNECT, UM, UP TO THESE SINGLE BLACK, UH, SINGLE BLACK SINGLE TRACK TRAILS.
SO REALLY THAT KIND OF JUST IS IN HERE TO CONNECT EVERYTHING TOGETHER SO A RIDER CAN COME TO THIS PARK AND NOT HAVE TO GO ACROSS THE PARKING LOT TO GET SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT CAN CONTINUOUSLY RIDE ACROSS ALL THE TRAILS.
AND THEN, UH, CAPPING OFF 2026 IS AN INTERMEDIATE FLOW TRAIL THAT ESSENTIALLY GOES AROUND THAT PRO JUMP LINE IN 2025.
UM, AGAIN, THERE IS, AS, AS, UH, SUPERVISOR CONRAD MENTIONED, THERE'S NEIGHBOR CONCERNS, UM, WITH THE LOCATION OF THIS BLACK, UH, BLACK SINGLE TRAIL AS WELL AS DISC GOLF CONCERNS.
[01:10:01]
UM, THE PROXIMITY TO OUR EXISTING DISC GOLF HOLES UP HERE IN THE NORTH, AND AGAIN, THEIR DESIRED EXPANSION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.UM, AND THEN RESCUE OPERATIONS AGAIN WITH THIS INTERMEDIATE FLOW TRAIL.
UH, THERE IS TOPOGRAPHY HERE THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING.
IT IS VERY CLOSE TO OUR ROAD, BUT IF SOMEBODY WERE TO GET HURT ON KIND OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT HILL, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE, UH, EITHER, YOU KNOW, NEW EQUIPMENT OR REALLY GOOD ACCESS ROUTES BROUGHT IN THERE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN RESCUE PEOPLE IN A TIMELY FASHION.
UH, CAN I, A QUESTION CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERVISED PRIDE BEEN INJURED ON THESE, UH, TRAILS? YES.
UH, HOW MANY THIS YEAR? SEVEN.
JUST, WAS IT MAJOR OR JUST, UH, THEY WERE SEVERE ENOUGH WHERE IT REQUIRED, UH, OKAY.
I MEAN, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO ACTUALLY COME GET THEM OUT.
SO THOSE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CONSIDER THOSE RECORDABLE ACCIDENTS WHERE EMS AND FIRE HAD TO BE CALLED TO RESCUE PEOPLE.
THE, THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IS REAL.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TREES AND YOU KNOW, YEAH.
THIS, I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS A SPORT AND RIDERS RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ISN'T A RIDER OUT THERE THAT EXPECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, SAFE SPORT LIKE WALKING, I MEAN, YES, YOU CAN GET HURT WALKING, BUT RELATIVELY IT'S SAFE, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, PEOPLE WHO RIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A RISK SIMILAR TO IF YOU'RE GONNA GO SNOWBOARDING OR SKIING, THERE IS A RISK THAT YOU CAN BE HURT SEVERELY.
SO THE PACKET THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, HANDED THAT WE HANDED OUT TO YOU GUYS, UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUR ORIGINAL AND THEN OUR RENEWED MOU WITH METRO MOUNTAIN BIKERS.
UM, THE ORIGINAL WAS SIGNED IN 2020, I BELIEVE, AND THE UPDATED ONE IN 2022.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE, UH, SLINGER FD, UH, PROVIDED US WITH A LETTER HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW RESCUE EQUIPMENT AT FOR THEM, SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, EFFICIENTLY GET TO PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INJURED.
UH, YOU WILL ALSO SEE THE PROPOSED DISC GOLF EXPANSION.
YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF COMMENTS IN THERE, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC ASKING FOR, UH, MORE DISC GOLF HOLES OUT THERE.
AND THEY ARE IN CONFLICTING AREAS WITH SOME OF THESE NEW PROPOSED MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS.
SO YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR PROPOSAL IS FOR DISC GOLF AND WHERE THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS ARE, AND WHERE THE LAND THAT WAS DESIGNATED ORIGINALLY FOR THE POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS, UM, THAT CONFLICTS WITH WHAT THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE OUT THERE.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE LETTERS FROM THE PUBLIC, KIND OF THIS CONFLICTION OF, WELL, WE WANT DISC GOLF HOLES HERE INSTEAD OF MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THE MOUNTAIN BIKERS WANT MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS INSTEAD OF MORE DISC GOLF AT THE PARK.
SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL KIND OF SEE THAT AS YOU READ THROUGH SOME OF THESE LETTERS FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT ARE IN THERE.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, THERE'S, THERE'S LETTERS FROM BOTH THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY, THE MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY, AND THEN OUR NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE PROXIMITY TO THE TRAILS, UH, AND THEIR LOT LINES.
SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF ALL IN THERE.
I TRIED TO ORGANIZE IT, SO YOU'LL SEE KIND OF SECTIONS OF EACH, UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF 'EM.
I THINK THERE'S LIKE 120 PAGES IN THERE.
SO, SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY WE WANT TO OR EXPAND THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS AT THE PARK AND BY WE, THE COUNTY AND METRO.
UM, I ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED THIS PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION OF OUR FIRST MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS IN 2021.
UH, HERITAGE TRAILS COUNTY PARK WAS THE LEAST UTILIZED PARK OUT OF OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR BIG SIX, WHICH IS HERITAGE TRAILS, HOMESTEAD HOLLOW, GLACIER HILLS, SANDY, NO, ACKERMAN'S GROVE AND LEONARD JR.
UM, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT 2020 FOUR'S DATA, BUT IF HERITAGE TRAILS IS NOT THE MOST USED PARK, IT'S RIGHT THERE WITH OUR MOST USED PARK.
UH, WE WERE 286% SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THESE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS IN 2021.
UM, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE AMENITY TO SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY KIND OF A RARITY.
YOU DON'T SEE MANY MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS LIKE THIS, BECAUSE A LOT OF LAND DOES NOT OFFER THE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE WOODED SCENERY THAT HERITAGE TRAILS DOES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU, A LOT OF PARK SYSTEMS HAVE HIKING TRAILS.
[01:15:01]
HAVE, THERE'S A LOT OF DISC GOLF COURSES IN THE AREA.WE HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL DISC GOLF COURSE AT SANDY, NO COUNTY PARK, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF REALLY HIGH QUALITY MOUNTAIN BIKING OPPORTUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO EXPAND, UH, UPON THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS TRAIL SYSTEM WILL LEAD TO FURTHER PARK USAGE, NOT ONLY FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN WASHINGTON COMMUNITY, BUT REALLY THE GREATER COMMUNITY OF WISCONSIN.
WE HAVE PARK DATA PARK PASS SALE DATA SHOWING HOW MANY USERS COME IN FROM ALL OVER THE STATE AND THE REGION.
I MEAN, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, UM, THEY COME HERE FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING.
SO KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, JAMIE AND MYSELF, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE, REVIEW SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, THE CONCERNS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A FULL PLAN.
UH, WE HAD, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE ARE DOING AN UPDATE HERE AND NOT AN APPROVALS BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, US AS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH SLINGER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND THE NEW EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS, UH, A BIG PART OF THIS PLAN, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT AVAILABLE IN CASE OF AN INJURY.
UH, AND THEN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, WITH METRO, WITH OUR OTHER PARK USER GROUPS AND SEE IF THERE'S A COMMON GROUND THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE DESIRED STEP IS TO GET SOMEWHERE THAT EVERYBODY CAN LIVE WITH.
UH, WELL, LET ME INTERJECT HERE, LOGAN, IF I MAY.
YEAH, I DID MENTION TO JAMIE AND SOMETHING I THINK MIGHT BE USEFUL AS FAR AS OUR DISC GOLF VERSUS MOUNTAIN BIKE.
UM, WHILE I WAS THERE, AND THIS WAS ONLY ONE DAY, I PLANNED ON GOING OUT AGAIN SOON.
UM, THERE WAS ABOUT 40 MOUNTAIN BIKERS ON SATURDAY, UH, IN AND OUT.
I MEAN, PROBABLY EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE COMING AND GOING, AND I REALLY ONLY SAW LIKE A SET OF DISC GOLFERS.
UM, SO IF, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF WAY OR AT LEAST THINK ABOUT, UH, KIND OF GETTING A CENSUS ON JUST THE UTILIZATION, UH, ONE VERSUS THE OTHER.
UM, UTILIZATION I THINK IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
HANDLING THIS PARK MORE LIKE A BUSINESS THAT SERVES CUSTOMERS AND CUSTOMERS WANTS AND NEEDS THAT THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY SHOW UP, UH, I THINK IS, IS PROBABLY A BETTER UTILIZATION OF THE LAND.
NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD NECESSARILY GO WITH MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS VERSUS DISC GOLF, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF DETERMINE, OR AT LEAST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT'S DEFINITELY, UH, A PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO BE SENSITIVE THAT THERE OBVIOUSLY IS A GROUP THAT REALLY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE DISC GOLF OUT THERE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AND YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T REALLY A, A PLATFORM FOR THE DISC GOLF DISCUSSION, BUT OUR, MY MAIN CONCERN, AND I THINK JAMIE SHARES THIS, IS THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CURRENT DISC GOLF COURSE.
UM, YOU'LL SEE IN, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LETTER IN THERE HIGHLIGHTING THE ISSUES, THE WEEDS, THE TRASH IS NEVER PICKED UP.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE RELY ON THE DISC GOLF COMMUNITY TO POLICE METRO HAS PROVEN THAT THEY HANDLE THEIR MAINTENANCE, THEY DO ALL THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO CUT THE GRASS FOR THE DISC GOLF COURSE OUT THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEN THE COMPLAINTS COME IN ABOUT THE WILD PAR SNIP WHEN SOMEBODY THROWS A DISC OUTSIDE THE FAIRWAY AND TAKING CARE OF THAT.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY JUST MAINTAINING THAT ALREADY, WHEREAS THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS, WE'RE NOT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, FIXING THEM AFTER IT RAINS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S, THERE'S THAT ASPECT AS WELL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE EXISTING COURSE, WHICH IS WHY I'VE BEEN HESITANT TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL HOLES OUT THERE.
UM, SO ONCE WE KIND OF TAKE THE NEXT MONTH TO WORK THROUGH THIS, UM, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THIS FIGURED OUT WITHIN THE MONTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL THEN BRING A FULL PLAN TO THIS COMMITTEE.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF LAURA'S OPEN? UH, SUPERVISOR KREBS.
UM, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS FOR YOU GUYS TO BUILD INTO YOUR FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE ANY NUMBERS ATTACHED TO IT, BUT FOR THE RESCUE EQUIPMENT, IS THERE ANY BUDGETS PUT TOGETHER FOR THAT YET OR ESTIMATED PRICE TAG THAT, THAT'S ON THE WISHLIST? UM, YES.
[01:20:01]
PLEASES THE BOARD, I KNOW THAT THE FIRE CHIEF FROM SLINGER FD IS HERE TODAY AND COULD MAYBE ANSWER THAT EVEN BETTER THAN THAN I COULD.UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF, UM, HOW MUCH FUNDING THAT WASHINGTON COUNTY PARKS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EQUIPMENT AND, UM, BOTH AS IT RELATES TO OUR, THE AFFORDABILITY WITHIN OUR BUDGET AND OUR USER FEES, AS WELL AS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE EQUIPMENT.
UM, BUT I HAVE NOT TO RECEIVE YET.
I AM YET TO RECEIVE THE SPECIFICS ON THE EQUIPMENT AND THE SEE THE COST OF THE EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN A VERBAL CONVERSATION WITH THE FIRE CHIEF.
UM, THE OTHER THING RELATED TO THAT TOO IS, IS, AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE OTHER COMMITTEE, BUT RIGHT NOW THE, THE COUNTY IS EXPLORING OR HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT FIRE SERVICES COUNTYWIDE.
I'M WONDERING IF LIKE SOME OF THIS TYPE OF EQUIPMENT COULD BE BUILT INTO THOSE TALKS TOO.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S THIS VERY SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC NEED FOR THIS LOCATION, BUT IS THERE A CHANCE FOR A USE FOR THIS EQUIPMENT TO BE USED ELSEWHERE? THAT WOULD BE A SHARED, SHARED TYPE EQUIPMENT.
UM, SOMETHING TO BRING, BE BROUGHT UP AT THAT COMMITTEE TOO.
LET'S, UH, HEAR FROM THE CHIEF REAL QUICK.
UH, IF YOU, IF YOU DESIRE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, UM, SO WE CAN PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM, UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY NEGOTIATE ON ANYTHING HERE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT, UH, WE JUST AT LEAST WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON, ON, ON THE, UH, EQUIPMENT.
UM, LET, LET ME ANSWER THE QUESTION REAL QUICK OF, UM, USE BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO MAUSS, UH, IS A CONTRACT THAT IS DONE THROUGH WASHINGTON COUNTY, STATE OF WISCONSIN.
ALSO, UH, ANY EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE OR OBTAIN IS AVAILABLE FOR REQUESTS FOR ANY OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS PART OF THE MAUSS CONTRACT.
UH, WE'LL JUST SAY WEST BEND GETS A CALL TO SANDY NOLAN, THEY WANT THAT SPECIFIC PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS OFF-ROAD ANGLE RESCUE.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS REQUEST IT AND WE SEND IT.
SO THAT INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS IS AN OPEN INVITATION TO ANYBODY, WHICH ONCE THAT IS OUT TO THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS, THAT WILL BE A GOOD PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT IS UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC, NOT JUST TO THIS, UM, SHE IS CORRECT.
I HAVE NONE, NOTHING MORE THAN A VERBAL CONVERSATION OF WHAT THE NEED IS OUT THERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CHALLENGED WITH, AND I'LL JUST KEEP THIS VERY BRIEF, IS LIKE LOGAN SAID, THIS PARK HAS BEEN VERY MINIMALLY USED.
WE'VE HAD MAYBE A SINGLE CALL OUT THERE EVERY THREE YEARS, WHICH HAS BEEN TRADITIONAL.
NOW WE'RE GETTING 13 CALLS A YEAR, YOU KNOW, TOPOGRAPHY, RESCUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS, PEOPLE WRAP AROUND TREES OR IN ROCK FACES, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A, A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO DO THE RESCUE BASED UPON CALLING OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN MISSOURI, CALIFORNIA, WHEN THEY HAVE OTHER BIKE PARKS, HOW DID THEY PROVIDE RESCUE TO IT? AND UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE CAME UP WITH IT.
RIGHT NOW, I WOULD SAY THE CONVERSATION OF NEED HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AND RECEIVED VERY WELL, AND WE'RE JUST WORKING THROUGH IT AT THIS POINT.
SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF AT BEYOND THAT? I WANNA PUT THOSE NUMBERS OUT THERE.
UH, I DON'T WANT TO PUT THOSE NUMBERS OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT KIND OF HURTS BOTH SIDES NEGOTIATION, SO I DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY, I WOULD AGREE AND I WOULD PREFER TO STAY WITH THE COM.
THE COMMUNICATIONS WE'VE GOT GOING NOW, WHICH HAVE BEEN VERY HEALTHY, AND IT'S, AND IT'S OPEN TO IDEAS, IT'S OPEN TO OTHER MEANS BY WHICH TO DO IT.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST LET, LET HER DO EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S GOOD AT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE IMPORTANT PART IS FOR THE COUNTY, THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE NEED IS FOR US AND TRY TO FIND AN AMICABLE SOLUTION.
SO, AND THE CHIEF IS VERY PRUDENT.
UM, YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT GOES INTO IT.
I, I'VE BEEN OBVIOUSLY PRIVY TO A LITTLE BIT OF IT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY JUST TOO MANY THINGS OPEN AT THIS POINT TO BE, YOU KNOW, REALLY SUCCINCT ON CERTAIN YEAH.
PARTS OF IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UH, NAILING DOWN A NUMBER WOULD BE A
SO, UM, AND, AND IN USAGE AND THAT STORE, I MEAN, THERE'S A MILLION THINGS, SO I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO ENTERTAIN THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY I DID WANT THE CHIEF TO EXPRESS HIS, UH, UH, IDEAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THIS.
'CAUSE WE'RE OBVIOUSLY ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT KEEPING IT SAFE, UM, BUT REALIZING WE ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDS AND HOW WE'RE GONNA RAISE 'EM AND STUFF LIKE THAT WOULD ALSO BE DIFFICULT FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
BUT, UM, ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO ADD CHIEF? UH, JUST, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE, I THINK YOU GUYS GOT THE MAGNITUDE, BUT THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE HIGH RISK ACTIVITY.
[01:25:01]
AND IT'S TAKES A LOT OF MANPOWER RIGHT NOW TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THERE AT THAT POINT.SO WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE FLUENT FOR THE RESCUEE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SAFE FOR US.
SO IT DOESN'T TAKE 15 PEOPLE TO CARRY SOMEONE OUT OF 120 ACRE PARK TO AN AMBULANCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S PRUDENT AS WELL.
UH, SUPERVISOR KREBS, YOU STILL HAVE SOME OTHER POINTS? I ALWAYS GOT MORE, YES, SIR.
UM, I DID NOT TEST THAT FEATURE AND IT APPEARS YOU NEED SPECIAL ACCESS FROM OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO RECORD MEETINGS ON MICROSOFT TEAMS. SO I DID NOT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY TO RECORD THE MEETING, UNFORTUNATELY.
I HAVE, I HAD THE INVITE, BUT I, WELL, UH, SUPERVISOR PRIDE MOORE AND I WERE BOTH ON THAT MEETING AND, UH, AND YEAH, THE SUPERVISOR CONRAD AS WELL.
UM, I FORGOT YOU CAME IN A LITTLE LATE, DIDN'T YOU? OR SOME ONE OF US CAME IN LATE, I DON'T REMEMBER.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, REALLY IT WAS JUST THE SAME UPDATE YEAH.
THERE WASN'T REALLY ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD'VE REALLY MISSED ON THAT ONE.
YEAH, IT WASN'T INTERACTIVE OR YEAH, IT WAS STRICTLY, UH, HE GAVE HIS PRESENTATION AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT.
THERE WASN'T ANY PEOPLE COULD ASK QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENT SECTION, WHICH I DID ANSWER DURING THE, AND THERE WAS A FEW AND THEY WERE REALLY NOT ANYTHING MAJOR.
SO, UM, AND I'VE GOT THIS PACKET STILL TO REVIEW, BUT, UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN THERE OR NOT IN THE OPERATING AGREEMENTS OR THE, THE M USE, BUT, UH, MAINTENANCE OF THE TRAILS AND ALSO AND OR A DISSOLUTION OF THE TRAILS AT A POINT IF IT WOULD COME TO THAT.
I THINK THOSE ARE SOME, SOME DETAILS NO ONE'S WANT, NO ONE WOULD WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT DEFINITELY WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT'S EXPANDED FURTHER.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I REALLY, UH, LIKE THE POINT THAT I BELIEVE YOU MADE WHEN WE WERE OUT ON SITE WHERE, YOU KNOW, HAVING, GETTING METRO'S BOARD TO ALSO APPROVE THIS PLAN IS VERY IMPORTANT SO THAT THEY HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME THAT IF, YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID THAT SCENARIO EVER CAME UP WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, WE'RE DONE WITH HERITAGE TRAILS, THAT THEY HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME, THAT THAT WON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT IS EXACT, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE SEE THAT NOW WITH THE DISC GOLF COURSE OUT THERE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT MAINTAINED, IT'S NOT IN GOOD SHAPE.
PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, AND YOU'D HATE TO SEE THAT TO AN AMENITY LIKE THIS, THAT LITERALLY THEY HAVE INVESTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN AND IT WOULD, THEY'VE MOVED DIRT, SO MM-HMM.
CONDITION WOULD BE TENS TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
SO, UM, SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER DOWN THE ROAD OR HOW LONG WILL THIS CONTINUE? SO JUST SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT SUPERVISOR CONRAD.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE IS SAFETY THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR, YOU KNOW, CONSTITUENTS CONCERN.
UH, YOU FOR HORSES, SP SPOOKED, YOU KNOW, I HAD A, UM, FAMILY MEMBER WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, KILLED BY A BOAT ON A FARM THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS SPOOKED AND THINGS.
AND WE, WE DO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THINK OF THAT, UM, THOSE POTENTIAL RISK AND THINGS OF, OF HORSES BEING SPOOKED AND THEN TO, UM, TO THE POINT OF RESCUING THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT REALLY SAFETY NEEDS TO BE OUR TOP PRIORITY HERE, UM, WITH WHATEVER WE MOVE FORWARD WITH FIRST.
ANYBODY ELSE? JUST ONE QUESTION.
HOW LONG HAS SUPERVISOR PRAGMA AROUND THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS? YEAH, 2021 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT CONSTRUCTION STARTED.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THERE'S CURRENTLY, I THINK IT'S LIKE SIX, JUST OVER SIX MILES OF TRAILS OUT THERE TODAY THAT ARE OPEN.
UM, SO YEAH, IT'S, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
BUT YEAH, VERY HIGH RISK SPARK
WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THESE HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED WELL, UM, AND HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WON'T BE CONSTRUCTED WELL MOVING FORWARD.
[01:30:01]
COULD BE THE LAST WORD ON IT,SAFETY, ACCESS POINTS, EQUIPMENT, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE.
UM, AND, AND I, I'VE BEEN REALLY DIVING INTO THIS PRETTY HEAVILY.
UM, I'VE BEEN THERE, I'VE SPENT TIME THERE TWICE NOW, AND I'M GOING AGAIN AND THIS TIME I'M GONNA RIDE IT, UH, AT LEAST PORTIONS OF IT.
UH, AND I'VE CANVASSED A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE ACTIVELY USING THE PARK.
SO I'M THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT AND, UH, UH, A LOT OF THINGS I'M VERY PLEASED WITH.
I TALK TO THE PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY IS JUST GLOWING ABOUT THE TRAILS.
AND I TALKED TO PEOPLE FROM ILLINOIS, UH, KENOSHA, OZAKI.
I MEAN, THEY WERE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO EVERYTHING THAT LOGAN HAS SAID IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
UM, I'VE TALKED TO HIM A LITTLE BIT.
I INTRODUCED MYSELF AS THE CHAIRMAN OF LAND USE AND PLANNING AND ALSO, UH, TOLD HIM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS PLAN HERE, THE YOUTH SKILLS AREA OR THE SKILLS AREA, UH, POSSIBLE SHELTERS IN THE FUTURE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY, BESIDES THEMSELVES THRILLED.
SO THEY'D LIKE TO DEFINITELY SEE THAT THEY'RE VERY EXCITED.
UM, I DID TALK TO A GROUP THAT ACTUALLY WAS DONE MOUNTAIN BIKING AND THEN WENT TO THE DISC GOLF COURSE.
IT'S NOT JUST TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
UH, THEY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO USE IT MULTI, UH, PURPOSE AND, AND UH, AND ANOTHER THING THAT I DISCUSSED WITH THEM WAS COST.
UH, OUR, OUR PRICE FOR USING A COUNTY PARK IS SO RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP.
I MEAN, THE, IT IS THE, THE BEST VALUE ON THE PLANET.
IT IS, UH, YOU CAN GET IN THERE, YOU KNOW, A CARLOAD OF PEOPLE FOR $35 A YEAR OR WHATEVER IT IS NOW.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
I MEAN, AND, AND LITERALLY SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY THERE.
YOU CAN'T GET ENTERTAINMENT THAT CHEAP ANYWHERE.
SO I THINK THE VALUE IS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING THAT.
JUST A QUICK ADD THAT THAT IS A CONVERSATION AS IT RELATES TO, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FUNDING METRO FUNDING THE NEEDED FIRE EQUIPMENT RELATED TO MOUNTAIN BIKING SPECIFICALLY THAT WE ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT, IT LIKELY WON'T BE AS PART OF THIS PLAN INITIATION, BUT THE BROADER SENSE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A HEALTHY, UM, FINANCIAL STATUS FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY PARKS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
SO AS WE LOOK AT 2025, THAT BUDGET IN 2026, UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY AN APPETITE THAT RECOGNIZE THAT.
I THINK THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HEAR IT FROM METRO ALL OF THE TIME AS WELL, THAT OTHER MOUNTAIN BIKE CHIP PARKS ARE CHARGING MORE AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE COME TO US AND SAID THEY'D FULLY SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN FEES FOR USAGE OUT THERE.
SO, YEAH, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE 268% INCREASE IN THE CENSUS, THAT MONIES ARE USED NOT ONLY AT HERITAGE HILLS BUT AT GLACIER HILLS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YA ALL THESE MONIES ARE COMBINED INTO OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THIS HELPS FUND A LOT OF THE THINGS WE DO THROUGHOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM.
SO HAVING A, A HEALTHY HERITAGE HILLS MEANS A HEALTHY GLACIER HILLS AND A HEALTHY YARD AND, AND ALL THE REST.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE PLAN BEING DONE AND, UH, WITH THAT I WILL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.