Board of Parks & Recreation - Regular Meeting

All right, we'll go ahead and get started. We're going to call to order the Board of Parks and Recreation meeting for October 27th, 2025. Uh going to go ahead and do an opening prayer. Everybody, please bow your heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this wonderful day. We thank you for the life that you've given everybody here on this on this um on this panel. We ask that you please give us wisdom and uh help us do your bidding each and every day. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Miss Helman, we do the pledge please. All right. I need everybody to take a look at the agenda and need a motion to accept the agenda, please. U Mr. Pike motions first. Uh Mr. Perry, Mr. Highlighter Perry is the second. All in favor say I.

I. All opposed. All right. And we have the uh minutes from last month. Take a look at that for a second. And I'll take a motion if anybody's ready. Mr. Pike's first, Mr. Head is second. I'll get you next time. Okay. Any questions? All in favor say I. I. All opposed. All right, Mr. Chairman, can you go back?

I can. We had uh Mr. P. The agenda was Mr. Pike and Mr. Perry and then we had Mr. Pike on the minutes and Mr. Head has a second on the minutes. All right. Are there any I see the public comment sheet way over there. Are there any public comments that we can see? Uh, yeah, there are none tonight. There are none. Okay. All right. Thank you. Good, good, man. All right. Items for approval. We'll get started with that. Tennessee Premier Girls Fast Pitch, Gary Hedrickk. He is on Zoom. Hello, Mr. Hedrickk. Please state your name and what can we do for you? Hello, I'm Gary.

I'm Gary Hedrick. I'm girls. has date.

Okay,

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hedrickk, we used to have Tennessee Girls Fast Pitch as a tourn his connection's unclear, so I thought I'd help everybody. That' be great. We used to have Tennessee girls fast pitch as a approved tournament director that had a week-long tournament in July. They uh the tournament Scott Greer was the tournament director for that. They removed their affiliation with Tennessee Girls Fast Pitch and Mr. Hedrickk is out of Georgia. Uh Tennessee Girls Fast Pitch is trying to make a presence back here in Tennessee again. So what's before you tonight is an application I believe just to approve him as a tournament director and the organization as a tournament organization that we recognize like UTSA or game seven.

Uh the dates that we have are not necessarily um something that we have on the calendar at this point. We're we're doing the we will work with them to accommodate them at some point. Okay. All right. So, we're basically just bringing him up here to approve him as running this organization's tournament up here. Tennessee Girls Fast Pitch and then they would It's not in your packet, but they would partner with the Civotan Club. That needs to be part of the motion since that is not in your packet. Okay. All right. But Andy, you do feel like there's there's room in the calendar. I know it's pretty packed uh as it is.

Um room in the calendar is the optimal uh word. What what we're down to now basically is we we just spent time as a staff. A couple weeks ago, Natalie sent out to all the groups running events, tournaments for next year. And then we sat down with the staff with the Civotan Club to look at, okay, we have this date. We have three or four people that have requested this date. How do we accommodate that? Can we give one of them five fields, one of them six fields, uh one of them no fields. That that happened there. There were requests that were made that we couldn't fulfill. Um all our dates basically from what late February through November when it comes to softball with the exception of one or two in the fall and maybe one or two in August, they're booked. um all the way from veterans when it comes to making time for our local leagues to tournaments is pretty much booked. But there are some times when we might have three or four fields that we could give somebody. And with them trying to to regain a presence here, especially with him being a tournament director from Georgia, that brings in opportunity for people to come from out of town to Nashville that that might stay in hotels and eat at the restaurants. So, I I think that's a good thing.

Let me interject. I've been doing this for 25 plus years. Uh some of our tournaments here in Georgia have as many as 120 to 140 teams and a lot of those teams do come from all over the country. We have teams that fly in from as far away as California and Oregon State play in our tournaments. Thank you, M. Right. Um I just noticed that they typically don't provide any medical provisions. Do we need that or require that?

We don't require when it comes to baseball and softball tournaments, even soccer. We don't require that. Um, we have recently in the larger community events, we've gained back the UTV in the park. Um, my hope is that at some point we'll start having the UTV back in there full-time again when the fire department gets fully staffed. Okay. Okay. All right. Um, so before us we have the approval of bringing Tennessee Premier Girls fast pitch as well as if we're going to make a motion uh for them to benefit the Civotan organization uh to do so. So any questions? Yes.

No. I was just going to make a motion that we approve this as long as they partner with Civotan to bring back the tournament that we are talking about. Tennessee Tennessee Premier Girls Fashion. Thank you. Got it. Thank you, Mr. Head. We have Mr. Head uh with a first. I have Mr. Pike with a second. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. I. Opposed. All right. All right. Mr. Hedrickk, come on back. I don't appreciate it. Thank you all. Thank you, sir. Take care. Okay. Ball hockey women's boot camp. Ashley Muzon. I hope I said that right.

Hello. Yes, you did. Thank you. Yeah. All right. All right, Ashley, go ahead and let us know what we can do for you. Um, yes. So, Ball Hockey Boot Camp has partnered with the city of Hendersonville before for the um Ball on Broadway women's ball hockey tournament that happened in 2023 and 2024. So, now that we are permanently here in the Middle Tennessee area, we are looking to start a full-time women's hockey league. Um, specifically focusing on women's ball hockey. Ball hockey. Okay. We got any um scheduling conflicts? Anything? Everything look good on this?

Um, this is not a special event. This is a program that she's applying for a league. Okay. So, if you look in your packet, page 13 to 16, it talks about an actual league that she's going to try to operate. Um, so it will be between her and Keith and the Inline Hockey Association and Natalie and our tournaments that we have to work them times in at the rinks. I think they've already kind of settled on some some dates that might work, but it will be an ongoing move and target. Um, and Ashley, correct me if I'm wrong. Y'all have already looked at some certain Sundays and other times when this league might occur.

Yes, sir. That is correct. We looked at Sunday since that seems to be the day that there's no kids leagues or um roller hockey leagues that we would be um in contention with. So, we wanted to make it as easy as possible, but that they'll work with our staff on actual set dates. Okay. All right. Miss Rather makes a motion for approval. I have a second. Anybody? Oh. All right. We got a second a second over here. Um, all in fa any other questions? All in favor say I. I. All opposed. All right. Congratulations. Let's get ball hockey boot camp going. Thank you so much.

Yes, ma'am. All right. Third item is J and Zeke Foundation Bench. Mr. Gilly.

Thank you, sir. Um, the Jay and Zeke Foundation uh approached us as you'll see in your packet page 17. There's not an email with it, but they have [clears throat] asked for permission to put a memorial bench in the park near Kids Kingdom in memory of Jesse Bankley and her son uh Zeke, who were tragically murdered. A few years ago, we did a concert with Live Love Nashville in the park to raise money for this foundation. They have since helped other people, other families with the funds that were raised that night who have had tragic deaths. They offer a free ice cream event every year on Zeke's birthday. They are offering to put this memorial bench in the park in memory of Jesse and Zeke. They they've done a a really good job of staying connected to the community and trying to honor their memory, I think, is a good thing.

I don't think there's any discussion needed. Um, Miss Helman makes the motion for first. I have a second by Miss Rathert. All in favor say I. I. All opposed. Better not be. All right. Thank you, Mr. Gilling. Um, uh, I guess we've got updates for the programs. We've got the recreation coordinator, Miss Hamblin. Anybody want to read one from her? I have her report. If I can pull it up on my phone. I was going to say prove it.

Bear with me. Preschool track meet was held on Sunday, October 19th. Due to the weather, we were able to move it inside to Hendersonville High School gym. Um, a a big, this is Miss Hamlin's words, a big shout out to Mr. Massie and Dr. Sawyers at Hendersonville High School for allowing us on the spur of the moment to move into the gym and working with us on getting it inside. All participants did the 25 yard dash, the tennis ball throw and hurdles and mini mile run entire length of the gym floor. Uh Morris Orthodontics once again was a major sponsor as uh providing goodie bags providing t-shirts and then we had goodie bags from Lightbridge Daycare in Durham Farms. Water bottles from Little Sunshine Playhouse

and bang sticks. I'm not sure what that is from Crumble Cookies. I know Dallas is a big crumble cookie uh patron. So maybe not a big fan of the bang stick. Does not like the bang sticks. Bang stick.

He did have a participant in the track meet. he can tell us how that person did later. Uh we had great workers. We had a big group of volunteers from uh the schools from Beach High School, Liberty Creek High School, Station Camp, and White House High School along with Ellis Middle School, Liberty Creek Middle School, Station Camp Middle School. And uh we also had our uh our own program supervisors and others working the event. Um we got a few surveys back and everyone felt that it went well. loved watching the children run, jump, and say their child would participate. Again, was even asked if we would do this for the older kids, six plus. I think we we may leave that to the elementary schools for field day. Uh we don't want to take away from that. Uh, tomorrow night at Trickor Treat at Drake's Creek Park, the special needs friends can meet at the end of the baseball number three field at 5:00 and we will let them early at 5:15 as gates open later for others. Um, co come join in the fun. Get lots of candy and bags will be provided for candy. Breakfast with Santa will be December 6th at Whitten Elementary. Once again, this is free and sponsored by the Hendersville Civotan Club and the parks department as the uh Civotan Club helps us provide chicken biscuits from Wendy's for that event.

That's always a hit. Uh there will be three different sessions, 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30. And registration begins November 3rd, and it does sell out in less than a week. So, I would encourage you to let your folks know if you're one of the millions watching at home to sign up early. Following that, on December 6th, we will have on December 8th, that Monday night, the special friends visit with Santa here in the main meeting room at city hall. Uh registration will begin for that on November 3rd. Make sure you register for the correct the correct uh event and session. There is no fee for the special needs uh special friends visit with Santa. Just need people to register so so we can get a headcount. Again, that is sponsored by the Hendersville Civotan Club. So, thank you to the Civotan Club. And that is Miss Hamlin's report.

Great job, Miss Hamlin. You had me at Wendy's Chicken Biscuit. So, congratulations. All right. Any questions? Okay. Uh we are going to I guess skip over the recreation coordinator athletics spot and go to the special event supervisor, Miss Langster.

Thank you. Uh this past week was a busy one as you guys all know. Uh Pigfest was this past Thursday through Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came out for that. Uh tomorrow night, as Andy said, is the trick-or- treat in the park. Uh it starts for everyone else at 6 p.m. Uh thanks to Morris Orthodontics for also handing out the bags for that. Um tomorrow at Sanders Ferry during the day, morning and afternoon, there'll be two sessions. Uh the TWSSA cross country sectional race will be going on. Uh this upcoming Saturday, November 1st, is the Tunnels to Towers, which is also at Sanders Ferry. Uh next Sunday, November 9th, we'll be having the Power Wheels Grand Prix at the hockey rinks. I think Dallas also has a participant in that. Um and then November 9th will also be the Veterans Day parade. And that's all I have. Thanks.

Thank you. Any questions? All right. Thank you, Miss Langster. All right. Parks Maintenance Superintendent, Mr. Trevor Cole.

Yes, sir. Uh within the last few weeks, we were able to get all of the ry grass out on the fields [clears throat] that um that we were going to do this year with the exception, you know, we took out soccer a few years ago, so those did not get it, but everything else has got the ry grass on it. Um, we met with insurance a few weeks ago and kind of went around with them and we are now working on more detailed inspections of the parks to kind of curb some issues that come up so that hopefully we can find those before any patrons do. So, you know, we're working on getting that rolled out and everything. Um some of the playgrounds we went through uh like with insurance and everything we you know with them being 30 years old some of them they're going to have issues and um so we're we're working right now with Little Tikes trying to find the parts for them and everything. So I think that we've got a a good track on them but it's one of those things that you know it's going to cost money. So, we're we're trying to figure out a way that best fits our needs to to get that. And, you know, it's mainly the steps of these these playground equipments. So, we're working with them to get that. Um, we've been we've installed, I believe, three benches, one Parker Strong, a couple of them over at Memorial. Um, and we also got the rotary fountain back up and going over there. And we're working with the lighting company. We got a couple lights out on that fountain, so that's not something that we can really fix. So, I'm working with them right now to get that fixed and uh get all the lights back up and going on that.

Awesome. Thank you, sir. Any questions for Mr. Cole? All right. Do we still have that metal rolling slide at Memorial Park that used to pinch people's hands all the time and kids? No, that one is a frowned upon. Um there's several several of the fun things that they make us take out now. Um got to be safe. Uhu. I get So we that one had to come out. It was a big metal slide. Took a lot of kids down. Okay. [laughter] All right. Assistant director, Mr. Dallas Long.

Thank you. Um rec [clears throat] soccer tournament begins next week. Um so they'll we've got about two weeks left of games for them. Um for the adult soccer league and Tennessee United, we're looking at about three three and a half more weeks for both of those programs. Um, next weekend we'll we'll host the Rugby State Championship out of the rugby complex. Um, flag football, we have one more week of the regular season. They got rained out this yesterday and then uh we'll start up the tournament. Tackle football is done with games at at the park, but we do still have one team um yet to play in the championship on November 8th. Um, and then this week, basketball starts up for us uh for the next three or four months. Um, high school practice begins tomorrow night. Adult league games begin on Wednesday night and then our youth practice will begin on Saturday and we have roughly about 175 total teams between all the different divisions. So, it's going to be a busy few months for us all with basketball. And that's it. Awesome. Thank you, Mr. Long. Any questions for Dallas?

All right. Um, anybody got a report from assistant director Mr. Keith Bruce? I have that, sir. Okay. Um, Mr. Bruce is over at Drake's Creek handling the finals of the adult softball, co-ed and men's tonight. So, appreciate him kind of

taking that on this fall. Um, his report, senior men finished up last week. I think we had uh a good I I think that was the end of the the spring and summer and whatever fall league they call it. Sometimes their spring turns into fall and so they never end. And m Mr. Perry I think suffered a minor injury but he was he was a able to overcome it in time to get in the ring on Thursday to be the guest referee. So that was good. Um adult co-ed and men's softball ends tonight. As we just said, they've had a good season. It's been good to have the co-ed league back for the first time in a few years. Uh, and we had more adult men's teams than we we had in a long time. So, I'm glad to see the slow pitch uh adult softball growing back again. I think that's good. Uh, fast pitch fall has their tournament this week. Um, our hockey league has their tournament mid November. Civotan Open League goes through the first part of November. That's baseball. Uh, we have this coming weekend Echo Hockey Tournament at the hockey rinks. That's uh teams from all over the southeast and beyond. And we also have 67 teams for a UTSA softball tournament this week at at Drake's Creek Park. So big weekend there. And then that concludes Mr. Bruce's report.

Good job, Mr. Bruce. Thank you so much. Any questions for Mr. Bruce?

We're good. All right. Roll right on. Mr. Parks Director Andy Gilly. Um, we are at the 90% mark of getting the heritage park plans ready to go to the planning commission. So, we're kind of on target there to hopefully still start moving dirt in the spring. We are in the contract phase of the skate park at Veterans Park. So, that is getting close to getting ready to go out to bid. Um, we have signed contracts for work to begin for LED lights in several areas of the park and turf fields at Veterans and Field 5. The goal for both of those will be to be ready for play in midFebruary with the leagues in front, you know, LED lights, front soccer, field 12, field five at Drakes Creek, and then turf at Vets and field five maintenance shop. We are we're like the uh the tortoise slowly crawling to the finish line where we are almost ready to go to the planning commission for that final approval. So that's good. And then I want to thank everyone who came out this past weekend to Pigfest or this past week. Last last week was a long week but it was a good week. It was um in some ways a historic week for our city naming naming a bridge after the Oakidge boys and then having them perform in the park for the first time as a headliner since the 80s and then to have Jeff Jared in the park for the first time ever and other things that went on. You know, I don't have I'll have I'll have the Saturday numbers on uh tomorrow. As of right now, I know that according to our Placer program, which we subscribed to on Thursday night, it's it said around 7:30, 8 o'clock, we had about 2.2,000 people in

the park. That's that doesn't include all the kids who were on the rail giving the wrestlers the business all night long. That's what they call it in in the in that industry. I think Mr. Perry is giving them the business, I think. Yeah, that's what I thought. And then uh Friday night it said about 8:00 we had 3.5,000 people in the park for the Oakidge boys. I I'm going to guess just based on me being there the last few years, I'm going to guess Saturday is going to be upwards of 7 to 10 probably. It felt like um like fire ants when you sit on the beach and they start crawling around your feet is what it felt like Saturday. So it was a great weekend. and we'll know all the final numbers of how much we're able to give away to charity later this week hopefully when we add up all the bills and get everything everything collected. But, uh, that's become a big deal in our city and our our staff does a great job. These these folks, especially these three that are sitting here to my left, were the main ones of our our staff working it and directing people and helping make sure everybody got where they need to be. And they did a great job. So, that's all I have. How did Saturday go with the competition of Pigfest?

Uh Saturday we had 50 teams uh from places here in Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, as far away as Indiana. Even some of them came and it was a good competition. Um it's it's become a it's become a great contest. Our our competition is not sanctioned. We're not professional. There are some professional teams that participate in it and to be honest, some of them finish worse than some of the amateur teams. Um, that doesn't mean anything really that day. It's hard to it's hard to know who's going to taste the best that day. But we had a great day and that's that's about all I can say.

Sound like we had a really good week in this city. And before we get into the round table, we have Mayor Clary in the audience. Is there anything you would like to bring up to the to the board or say for us if you don't mind? [laughter] Come on up, mayor. So, email I sent out today to Andy Alderman and some staff uh was not really just about Pigfest. It was while all that was going on, we had a hundred games of everything else going on

and nothing fell through the cracks. You couldn't tell that you had a big event going on as far as the parents in the parks and what they expected to happen every week. And I think that says a lot that um we've got staff that can focus on what's going to happen every day and then staff that can understand that we have something special going on too. So I really appreciate that. Um appreciate that we're bringing people in town. We're also satisfying the people who live here every day. I think that's wonderful. Thank you all. Appreciate that. All right. Uh let's go round table. I'm going start at this end. Miss Garton, we're glad to have you back. Um anything you would like to say for the good of the order? Great job.

Awesome. Thank you, Miss Rather. Um, same. Just great job on the pigfest. I was telling Jeremiah and Bubba earlier that all the different people that have involved is like church or social circ circles or JSL or school parents or whatever. That's what my Facebook and social media feeds, Instagram, were flooded with. All comments about all different parts of the Pigfest, whether it was the concert or the people that could hear the Oakidge Boys concert from their homes, the barbecue, the the wrestling was big. I saw all sorts of pictures and I wasn't even there. So, I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but kudos to y'all. Pulled off a great event and can't wait to do it again next year.

Thank you, Miss Rathley. Miss Helman. Yes, same for me on the pigfest. That was the talk at school today about how awesome it was. The the wrestling um the Oakidge boys just all great things and the teachers um really appreciated those tickets. Dr. Golden. [laughter] Thanks, Doc. All right. Uh Mr.

Go back to talking about the barbecue competition. I'm honored to be a judge in that. There was not a bad piece of meat that came through in front of me. Uh they I don't there was I I don't know how you can do from first to last. They were all tied for first with me. Um that team right there you have at the end here. This whole bunch, the staff, the crew, everybody from the the weekenders, they were so nice to all the people that were coming through. U people that never been to our park before going, "Man, this is the nicest place I've ever been." And that's because of all of y'all and thank you for what you do. It makes us all look good, but y'all do the work.

Yeah. I I'll try to make it quick. I a couple things. I I do want to thank the staff and everybody who's involved from promoting that to putting it doing the behind the works, the behind thescenes works that people don't see. I mean, that's a big deal to try to put all that together. was talking to Trevor about the cleanup Saturday and what they were going to have to do and to get it to get it back to where nobody where it would look like there wasn't even an event there. So kudos to all of y'all for for for doing that. But I did want to share one thing we I thought was really neat Saturday from a guy who comes from the area when I went to the fairgrounds and watched wrestling the all the time and that was as much as close to that as atmosphere as you can tell. But I watched a little girl who had never been to a wrestling match and she watches wrestling every week with her mom and dad. So I watched her go from rail to rail, from rail to rail, up by the ring over to where they were walking down so excited, so pumped, trying to get a handshake. I mean, she was really into it. So I asked her dad and they were they were kind of giggling at her and he was proud watching her. And that's that to me is part of what it's about, guys. being able to give somebody something that's never been to anything like that. So, kudos to everybody who made all that happen.

Well, it was a blast over the weekend. That's all I'll say. I don't know how we're going to top next year, but I'm sure we'll figure something out and we'll top pigfest this year next year. Uh, but great job everybody and uh and like I said it was a blast. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say I was I was backstage when the concession stand brawl was about to happen and um the ring announcer started to talk and I thought it was Michael Buffer, but it was Jimmy Head announcing all the wrestlers. He sounded real good.

Wow. Were there was there any concession equipment hurt in any of this? Was everything okay at the end? Um there there was a trash can that was dented. There was a table that was broken that was not ours. And then u there was barbecue and lazed potato chips. And a a lady was handed a bag of hamburger buns that she promptly hit a wrestler with multiple times. [laughter] And then there was uh two two cartons of mustard that was donated from the beach pig that got used. Wow. You forgot the cheese grater. Yes. And there was a cheese grater that someone got hit.

Tongs and cheese grers. Those cheese hit. I don't remember us using a cheese grater in the concession stands. But hey, if it was there, it's it can be used. It's it's it's legal. Y

that's right. Uh well, let's wrap this up. [laughter] Uh it seemed like to me this was a fantastic week for our city. Um I'm I've been in this city 49 years now and uh so proud of this city and proud of everybody that does the work to make it great. So thank you all for being excellent at what you do. Uh board members, thank y'all for being here for this city. Mayor, thank you. And um without that, after that, let's uh ask for a moment um motion to journ. Mr. Pike motions. Mr. Head have all in favor I meeting adjourned. Thank you. [music]