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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-Parks-2015-08-11Approved – 11/10/15 1 CITY OF ITHACA PARKS COMMISSION Tuesday, August 11, 2015, Noon to 1:30 p.m. Cornell Cooperative Extension, 615 Willow Avenue, City of Ithaca MINUTES Present: Commissioners: Margaret Hobbie Dan Krall Ellen Leventry Roberta Moudry Larry Fabbroni Stephan Schmidt Staff: Megan Wilson, City Planner Jim D’Alterio, Recreation Facilities Director/Cass Park Minutes of July 2015 passed with revisions. Ellen Leventry reports on several upcoming events taking place in the Ithaca City Cemetery: Historic Ithaca’s Work Preserve Team has been doing restoration work in the City Cemetery for the past two months and will have a demonstration tomorrow, Wednesday, 10-noon. They will also host an open house this Saturday from 11-1. The cemetery cleanup is scheduled for September 29, 9-noon. Cornell University Preservation and Landscape Architecture students will participate in this event. A Halloween flashlight tour is also being planned, as well as the Cemetery Sprint which was very successful last year. The Esty vault has collapsed, and the area has been stabilized. The cemetery sprint will raise money for its repair. Roberta urges Ellen to get the West Campus houses involved. Historic Ithaca provides insurance for the sprint, and a certificate of insurance is filed. Runners complete a release. Dan Krall Ribbon reports that the ribbon cutting for the Waterfront trail is August 29. There will be music and other activities as part of this celebration. Approved – 11/10/15 2 NEW BUSINESS SUPPORT FOR 2016 PARKS BUDGET REQUESTS Email from Jeanne Grace attached. She has submitted request for supplemental funds to retain current employees and seasonal employees whose salaries have been raised due to the City’s new living wage policy. Departments submit budget requests within mayor’s guidelines. Jim D’Alterio has submitted a capital project, and the parks commission should endorse both separately. Jim is submitting a request to resurface tennis courts, and to do work on lights and roof of rink (roof membrane and ceiling work). Dan asked if the fees for the rink are reasonable (could they be raised?). Jim noted that there are several rates, based on residency, but are comparable to other facilities. The rink makes money on rentals ($190/hr). The space is rented out for roller skating, etc. Jim feels that if the space is more attractive, there would be more renters. Dan proposes two letters of support be created, one for Jeanne’s salary needs, and one for Jim’s improvement budgets. Roberta seconds, all approve. Megan will write letters, Ellen will sign and return to Megan. MURAL PROPOSAL FOR CASS PARK BY RAMIRO DAVARO-COMAS Walls at Cass Park and other walls proposed. The current idea is for the mural to go on the big pool filter house. The artist is preparing an exact sketch for the mural and will distribute it. Contract says that once mural is completed, it can be painted over. The city has no obligation to necessarily maintain or repair mural, and can paint over if there is another need. Mural project has been active for about seven years, and none have been replaced. The estimated life of a mural is about 10 years. Attached proposal. MEMBER AND STAFF REPORTS REPORT ON ITHACA FALLS ENHANCEMENT MEETING Margaret Hobbie went on July 27. Fall Creek neighbors were there and Natural Areas Commission. Purpose was to bring people up-to-date on proposed changes to area south of the creek/falls. There is an interest in creating accessibility to the area. Natural Areas Commission also concerned about amount of paving. Approved – 11/10/15 3 One theme that emerged: cut down trees and open up view from bridge and open area. People were concerned about gates being locked and access to gorge be further limited. Other concerns were about parking. Ellen noted that the Parks Commission had discussed gates. Is the presence of a gate a mark of danger? Jeanne had noted that gates would be closed with high water. Dan notes that he agrees with the need for opening the view. He also notes that there are old building foundations below, and that it would be a place for a platform or for interpretive signage. He also noted that the current design shows two fences. At present there is just a wall. Margaret noted that two people at the meeting said they hoped that this would be part of a trail that would extend along the Ithaca Gun site and that the trail could continue to Stewart Park. Discussion included recollection that the area is partly designated as a park and partly designated as an open area. What are the next steps? The plan will be tweaked and there is a gap in funding. The city’s Planning Committee did not endorse the current plan. But there is still work to be done on design. GOOSE COMMITTEE! Jim and Larry Fabbroni reported that the committee is in research mode. All agree that we would like to find a humane solution to the problem. It is also known that the geese are a chronic problem. Research to determine long and incremental action that would require large-scale regional participation. This is not a problem that can be eliminated or solved, but managed. Additional bird business, the osprey signs were created without the corrections that Ellen proposed.