Parks & Recreation Commission - Regular Meeting

Yeah, I love the public comment crow. I like it. The mics are hot. How hot? Like are we streaming? We actually are because it actually did it right, right? We never could plan on it starting right up right away. So we So I appreciate the uh the heads up. So starting now can always do this too. at EGR residence Facebook you going nice to see you can do yours but Hi

oh you can right here but then I'm afraid to unmute them we'll just stay It's nice when it works. Yeah, like it's supposed to.

Who knew it wasn't going to take 5 minutes? Crash. Should do a post about the kayak. Yes,

I know, you know, pretty obvious, but you know, Yeah, we got those new things installed that uh to because it had been pretty um warm and for some commission meetings. So, they installed You can barely see them, but they're those things that are Yeah, the new air handlers. Um wow. Oh, they make a huge difference cuz when I came up here 8 minutes ago, I was shivering and and I'd adjusted the temperature. Now I'm like, "Wow, it's getting kind of hot in here."

So, we've been truly testing the like air handling capabilities of this place lately with these meetings. Yes, we have. But it's nice when it reacts like you want it to. It's flipping the temperature now in 8 minutes. Easier to watch it on video after. Yeah. Maybe not easier, but Okay, let's all stare at that clock. Is it going to go faster that way? It does. The countdown. That kid was fast. Disappeared. Yeah. Are Scooter supposed to be out there?

I just I saw him and then I didn't see him. I'm like, he was he just right there. That was um a distraction uh tactic to have you look away from the clock and then if you look back at there you go. Hold your breath right into my feel.

All right, it looks like it is 6:00. So we will go ahead and call this September 22nd Parks and Rec Commission meeting to order. And I guess I'll do our official capital here. Um, so we'll start with public comment by persons in attendance. And seeing no one in the queue for public comment, we'll go ahead and close public comment and move to reporter commissioners, we'll start, I guess, on from uh left to right with Ryan down in the end there. Um the only thing I can think of that's kind of come up on um city commission uh was we had uh that that we we had the schools kind of piggyback onto our turf replacement contract for Lakeside Elementary School. They're doing a part there. Um none of the cost is coming out of the city coffers. They just wanted to get on our same contract and get the same construction schedule that we have currently for Mayfield. Uh that's really the only update that we have right now. Great. I had a um question from a member of the community, a neighbor of mine um about the splash pad. So uh at Manhattan Park and I realized probably best just to discuss it in the spring, but wanted to flag it. um he had asked if it would be possible to consider um having some earlier uh splash pad hours in like peak summer because I think as many of us did and that that was really brutal few weeks in July when it was really hot and humid. I think everybody was trying to get outside first thing in the morning because it was really unbearable by like 10 or 11. Um, so he was wondering if it would be possible maybe in peak summer to have earlier hours or maybe some designated days or or something to get a early splash pad time for little kids out, but probably a discussion in the spring uh since it's the end of the season now.

Yeah. And just to add, Paul Paul had reached out with the questions and um just shared that the um hours for Splashpad were set by Parks and Rec Commission uh last spring or might have even been June um cuz as we're anticipating the park to open um and I could see that being part of another uh discussion uh like in March uh April um ahead of the season opening um it'll open Memorial Day weekend again. um is our uh what we're projecting. Um so certainly available for discussion by the group. Um and I had just shared with Paul, we looked at other um uh splash pads in the area and based on my my experience as you you try to balance the um the users uh versus the like the water consumption. So trying to maximize uh that time frame. Um but certainly um up for discussion um by the group because it's a parks and wreck related input item. Um so um we can uh flag that for um more discussion in the spring. Um and if it likely might make sense to then um have that same pickle ball discussion like we had talked about. I think it was last month where I brought up we've had some uh different requests and comments related to either renting the courts or not renting them or how many to rent. And um so we can um kind of have a a an agenda full of Manhattan Park items um late winter, early spring um unless there's um a request by the group to have that at a different um time frame. So

thanks. Um I've been to Manhattan Park multiple times over the past few weeks and it's been bustling with kids and um playing on the playground equipment in the fields. It looks great. Um something to be proud of. All right. I've got no report for the moment, so I'll go ahead and pass it.

For the school board, we did approve the lakeside turf replacement cost. Um, and then the big focus now for the high school construction project has been finalizing the programming that some of the very details that are going to go into the construction drawings. So, like a level of detail about like how high the tiling will go on the walls and such. And once they have all those programming decisions done, they'll do construction drawings and then it can go out to bid.

I I wanted to comment on the lakeside thing, too. I'm glad I mean it's great that you're doing a section of astral play or field turf, but I'm really glad kids still can find real grass to play on. And I think it's great that a major part of that is going to be real grass. And as we all see, kids are everywhere doing everything right now. Um um so it's an active time of the year. I don't know if it's any busier for Derek and his crew down there. It it sure seems to be um when I'm out and about. Um we're just an active community right now. So it's awesome.

Well, I continue to be happy with Manhattan Park. I love the uh the amount of people that are using the park and uh this time of year is great with all the soccer kids there on the weekend. So that's great to see. Uh one thing specific. I just wonder is there any update on the playground piece that was busted early on? if there's a resolution to that yet.

Yeah. So, we um I'm actually expecting uh a a project update, like a change order to hit my um inbox any day now. We had the uh playground manufacturer rep just and just to back up for those of you that might not um be familiar, uh a couple of this would have been a couple of weeks ago now, multiple weeks ago, we had um an issue with one of the new pieces of play equipment. it it's kind of like a swing but it's anchored to the ground because it's for uh younger aged kids and so it's not meant to actually swing but be more of a play feature. Um and I had uh sent an update to everyone that it was um either had some um excessive misuse or vandalism. One of the two had happened and they damaged the connection um where it anchors into the ground which then also damaged the um the essentially where kids would hold it while they're utilizing it. and um we needed to get that taken out of there um because it just wasn't um up to the safety standards that we have even after taping it and doing some things. Um so we're um we've reached out to the company because um if this happened within weeks of us opening um we were looking for a different solution um not the same thing to go back that could potentially be damaged again. So, I'm expecting to see if if they're recommending either um different um attachment parts as opposed to a heavy duty chain, which we now know um can be damaged by hand presumably if if that's what happened. Um or there might be braided cable or different options um or potentially a different piece of equipment in that space. So, I'm um I'm hoping um that's wrapped through Pinura. You're probably familiar with that, Steve. So, we're um I I should know what they're recommending within the next couple of days.

Sounds good. Thank you. And no report for me.

All right. All right. So, next on the agenda is our approval of the August minutes. Um any uh well I guess first do I have a motion for approval? So moved. So we got a motion. Do I do we have a second? Second. Second. Second. Any discussion? I have one small thing is Steve Kroman. The first line says he's super exited to be serving on the parts. I believe you weren't here for this place. meetings,

but we can make that change administratively if if that gets um approved. All right. Excellent. Any other changes, comments, questions? Nothing. Okay. So, moving on to looks like next item is just the Hey, Patrick. I approve. I'm sorry. And you can just do a vote. I'm sorry. Oh, yep. Sorry, guys. So, so we had our our motion or second. Um, no, we had one change. No other discussion. So, um, let's move to vote. All in favor? I. Somebody. Any opposed? No.

Somebody in a hurry to get the Lions game here on here.

Special event. All right. So, do we have anything to highlight on the special event calendar, Derek, or is that just enclosed for

Yes, just um just enclosed uh for your um uh education purposes. Also, reminders. Um and just wanted to um point out there the the middle school riata. Obviously, we ended up moving that indoors just uh um to improve that experience for the um the kids participating cuz there was some algae in the water and um that did get moved indoors and I don't know if anyone had a chance to go see it at the at the pool, but it was um quite an well orchestrated event. Um we were able to pivot and get some lifeguards scheduled. The Aquinus swim team helped clear the pool after their practice was over to make way for the cardboard boats. uh just a really fun experience to be part of and um lots of positivity can come about when we have the two um the city and the schools working really well together. So

that's cool. But that's the only thing I was u wanted to highlight on the um event calendar um other than just making it um making you all aware of it as uh we do have a special event uh request um as the next agenda item. Cool. Cool. All right. So, moving to that item, we looks like we have um an action item on the request to approve for the 2026 Corwell Health Irish Jig.

Yes. Um so, um just as a reminder, um you know, events like this come before, uh this group for a review and potential approval of uh permits. Um and so um uh renewing events do have the opportunity to um reapply um a year to the day in advance. Uh sometimes just depending on how the planning goes from the um the event organizers that may or may not happen right away. Um but in this case um the Corwell Health Irish Jig um is a returning event um that is put on through the the Corwell Health Foundation. uh they hire um different race organizers to partner with their team members at Corwell Health uh so that their Corwell Health team can uh do the things that they're really skilled at and then the race um director and the race organizing uh groups um come in and um do the things that they're skilled at uh running efficient races. Um so um this would be an event that is very similar to how they've um operated in years past. Um they are our largest uh running event that we have here in the city uh with approximately uh 4,000 participants. Uh depending on actual uh registrations, they do uh sometimes start in waves. Um but um with this being um an event that's taking place, I I forget the exact date here. It's right in front of me. um um in March. Um they're usually pretty motivated to get off the streets and and indoors quite quickly. It's not a um a great hangout after the race. Uh with the exception of um they have been holding their post-race celebration um at Big Bob's for the last couple years in the parking lot. Um and and that is another component of the event this year they'd like to maintain. that seems to have been a great um improvement to the to the race, but also is um good for business for uh for Bobs as well. Um so

happy to answer any questions you might have um about the uh race, but um they are an event that's in uh good standing with the city and um uh we found their application to be in order. I have a question. This is probably a couple years removed at this point, but I think it was two years ago there was like a almost blizzard that canceled the race. Is there for events like this and maybe like the gobble wobble at more uncertain times of the year weatherwise? Is there any risk to the city financial or otherwise from a like a canceled event? Like do we have any anything that we put in any stake or

Sure. So, um it it it depends on the uh the event that we're talking about because we do have um like the Reeds like Run and the Reeds like Triathlon. Those are events that are owned and operated by the the city. Our staff are the ones putting um those events on. And so for those um types of events um we would have um there would be some capital that would be put out ahead of time like securing the um the timing company, ordering shirts, things of that nature. uh for events that are run by outside groups. Uh so the the Irish jig, the gobble wobble, um the resolution run, um the harvest festival, all those other events. Um the city generally other than um staff time to help um facilitate discussions and then maybe um like if if it were canceled the day of, if we had already put out barriers and barricades, things like that. a really low-level investment. Um, we would be out that amount. Um, some of that is covered by the $250 registration fee that we require for this. Uh, but there's no like large uh sums of money that would um we would be out for these outside groups. Um, and then just if in case that the next logical question would be how are how were these cancellations decided? Um, really the um we we do try to lean on the event organizer. Uh so in this case Corwell Health they you know two years ago to your recollection yes they did make that decision to cancel. Um we have a like a phone tree that we uh follow so if there is a decision on the Corwell side of things they're communicating that to myself and the city managers so we can make the appropriate personnel and um commissioners and all that aware. Um but a lot of times those decisions are being made um with support from city staff. So like myself and the public safety would potentially be in involved in those discussions if the um event organizer was um looking for some guidance.

Thank you. Races have been canceled before in East and I would think Corwell has been a great partner for this race and for the community for a long time. You got to believe that a race that's canceled the day before has got 80% of fees have already been collected. I would think if there were any possibility of an outside expense the city incurs it something could be worked out where you know they're going to get the fees from the runners anyway. The runners don't get reimbured. That's it. Um I would think that if there were some unusual fees the city had to pay something could be worked out with the good people at Corwell. Yeah. Happy to be on that committee if needed.

Yeah. To be clear, my question was not skeptical at all. I I love this event. I've been doing it since off and on. I think since 2006 was the first time I did it. But I was just curious from a commissioner standpoint.

Yeah. And then I guess just again another layer to that is um you know sometimes when we have events that do take place in the off uh season uh time frames um we do try to work with the event organizer. I I can't recall if it were the Irish jig or if it were the um gobble wobble event. This would have been back in like 21. We actually like salted some of the trails that um cuz there had been an ice or slush that hardened overnight. And so our DPW team um kind of went above and beyond to help make sure the event could go on and those types of things we um negotiate how those are going to be handled on a case- by case basis.

As the history guy 30 some odd years ago there was there used to be a heart and soul race on Valentine's Day or the Saturday closest and it was 10 below and um I was my son and myself and one other guy did show up u and they had this sign on the middle school door saying no race today. Come on, wimpy people. All right, so we is Are there any other questions or items for discussion on this one? I have just one question. Is the course planned to be the same as last year?

Uh yes. So the course um had changed in recent uh years where it used to start down um by um DNW more so they they did adjust and change the course to limit some of the impact. So we do have like start finish out front and it does go down um by the Canipa um area and turnaround. Um and LA so last year was our first time experiencing uh that course if if my memory is serving correctly. I don't think we've had two years with that course. I think it's just a one. Um and um last year we did identify a couple of areas for them to have some additional volunteers at uh just to help with um getting um residents um across the roads and out of their neighborhoods if if need be. Um certainly we do lock down the course at times like when like the peak when 2,000 people are going by. Uh but when the um the um intensity of runners starts to spread out and there's opportunities to squeeze cars in and out through that, they they do. And they had just found a couple spots that made sense to have some extra there. Any more questions? Do we have It looks like this is an action item. So, do we have a motion to approve this special event?

I'll move. All right. Motion by Paul. And do we have a second? Second. Second. Sh. Excellent. Um, any additional discussion? All right. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion passes. All right. Excellent. Moving on to our next item here. It looks like this is information only, but I suppose if there are any questions, we can take those at this time, too. Yeah, absolutely. Facilities.

Yeah. So, um, just wanted to update all of you since, um, you know, obviously the Manny Field turf replacement is a big deal coming up in the in the very near future. And then also, as uh, discussed by Commissioner Berdick, there was an additional turf, um, uh, project that's coming up that will be along the same timeline. Um, so as just as outlined in the memo, the um, the Manny Field um, turf replacement project is scheduled to kick off uh, next week, Monday. Um so they have um the high school athletic department has worked to reschedu practices and games for their um involved uh high school athletic teams. I know for some sports they they um frontloaded their schedule. They have a lot of home games to start the season and then also um have more away games later in the year uh because they knew it was coming up. Um and then also the um through our collaboration with Aquinus, we were able to get some practice times at Aquinus uh for specifically for the field hockey program to use um just to make sure the um the disruption to the athletic teams was as minimal as possible. Um the um they will be mobilizing next Monday. That's possible. They'll start to deliver some safety fencing um this week, the um the 25th, as um they do plan to fully enclose main field with uh fencing where there isn't already existing fencing. So, they'll utilize the the fencing along the lakeside and then the tennis court fencing, but they'll they'll close that in for safety. So, u middle school students won't be able to cut through the the turf field for a couple of weeks as they make their way this way from school, as we probably all have seen that before. Um, so we'll keep um the public out. Um, there will be impact to the parking lot as noted in the memo. There's a diagram. It it still will be open. Um, but to bring in the new turf and the rubber crumb that's associated with that and then also to remove the old turf. Um,

sorry, feeling like the mic cut out there. Um, they need to get semi-truckss in and out. So, we need to maintain like a a construction um we're calling it a chute that they can back their semis in, load them up or unload and get in and out of there. Um so, just be aware of that generally. Um um especially if you have u middle schoolers that um you know, if you pick up in that area, that's not going to be a great spot for pickup um after school with the construction activity taking place. Um it is um scheduled to be, you know, approximately four to 5 weeks. Some of that's weather dependent. um they need certain temperatures for the uh glue to adhere. Um and then um obviously they're trying to work in um favorable conditions. Um but um really nothing's scheduled on Manny Field until this the springtime. So, if it does um if the project gets completed and um finished earlier than expected and the weather's still nice, there might be some opportunities for some teams to use it this fall, but there's no athletic uh games or practices that specifically would need it um for this fall. Um and then, um kind of switching gears to the next uh project as as noted. Um so, the Lakeside Turf Elementary um in the memo there is also, um a map there that shows the proposed turf area. Um, just as a brief history, uh, before we completed the elementary school playground projects, um, over at Lakeside Elementary for the lower elementary, uh, students, um, they had their playground area and they didn't have a grassy area to play in. They had a a parking lot that was sometimes um was used for recess. Um and so as part of the the playground um improvement project, uh there was a a grass natural grass area that was added in. Um that was part of the whole redesign of the parking lot in that space. Um and it is widely used by those um lower elementary school age kids uh to the point where grass can

just not be maintained in that space. they just get such heavy wear 5 days a week times however many recesses if it's uh muddy, snowy, all those things um that um would tell you to maybe stay off of the grass. Um they don't have that luxury there. So it it gets worn down um and and so as um an an opportunity to maintain a green space area for them to play in um but also have it be um something that they can maintain. Um the schools um have decided to put in um artificial turf in that space. Um again, as noted tonight, we still have our contract with Cedarberg Verhag, the construction company for that project. There's still some um items um that we're working on with them. And so this um artificial turf project will be a change order um as part of that contract. Um but to Commissioner Berdick's point earlier, it's going to be paid for solely by the schools. Um but the city, we were reviewing it because it if it falls under our contract, we pay it, but we'll be reimbursed by the school district. And um and so um one of the questions that was asked of us at the city commission meeting was, well, does that then get put into the the turf replacement fund for the future? How does that work? Um and um we have not had a joint facilities committee um meeting recently. Um and so I suspect that that will be a discussion at their their next joint facility committee meeting. Um but um of course the um district was comfortable moving forward um without those conversations happening first. Um so um sim very similar timeline. I expect the uh Lakeside uh project to maybe um tail the project by a week or so as they'll get mobilized here uh get some initial items done mobilized at at Lakeside. Um I we currently do not have exact dates yet. Um they're still working through that. And I know the um

the school district will be managing communications on this to uh make sure everyone's aware for um school pickup uh purposes, but also just so um like recess uh disruptions, those types of things will be handled by the school district. Um but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about either of those projects if you have any. I do. Yeah. for I consider many field to be a pretty heavy heavily used field. How long does a a field last or how often does it need to be replaced?

Yeah. Um I would say um if the proper preventative maintenance and like annual u maintenance um activities are happening um what we've experienced here and also what we've heard from um professionals in that industry is is that 10 to 12 years um would be um a reasonable timeline. Um if you're um if you're lacking on your preventive maintenance or if there's just excessive wear for some reason um you might be on the shorter end of that. Um but what we've h what we've experienced here like a 10 to 12 years is not um out of the ordinary um with the proper um maintenance practices in place. This is our third field that we'll have. This is the second replacement. So our third time we've had this field in.

Correct. Cuz the first one was like 2009 right in there. And then you know 10 12 years later was number two. And this will be number three normal use. Thank you. Yeah,

I think it's going to be good practice for our community to handle construction traffic. We're just going to have a little preview uh see how we do. Um so don't record me in my car during that time. All right, no other questions on that one. Um looks like Our next item is uh also an update on the vertical alignment pilot.

Yes. So I just wanted to um check in with all of you to give give an update on our new pilot that we are uh working on um in partnership with um the school district. Um so if you may recall um we had um a new position that we were looking at hiring at the city for a sports supervisor position and ultimately we uh ended up accomplishing that in a different way. Um and and that that different way was um by contracting with the school district uh for u some of Mr. Josh Shadock's time um and expertise for him to fill in some of the roles of the um vertical alignment in initiatives that we've been um looking u very excited uh towards uh for implementing. Um and so um you know after the um the initial um hiring process for the sport supervisor that didn't um result in in a hire um we had additional conversations with the school district that led us to this pilot project. Um and I just want to share some of the highlights uh with all of you um because we've um in the let's see it's midepptember right now. We started right around um middle of August on this like right as football season was starting. Um and we have some good traction that's happening already. Um so as you may recall a couple of the deliverables for this would be like a um a coach's handbook um that would be comprehensive um in general in nature. Um that would outline all of like the expectations of our youth and middle school coaches. um general philosophies um that we um all all of the um leadership would support. Um so like for playing time and um different um types of player related items that we should be aware of u player expectations, league rules. Um so Josh had started that initiative. He's made contact with every um varsity coach um that is a coach of a sport that is falling

underneath this year one. Um and just as a reminder, it's football, field hockey, basketball, baseball, softball, and track. Uh so some of our larger sports that we uh have here in East. Um so we got a really great start on that general coaching manual. Um the next phase of that is to uh develop some sport specific uh components to that manual. So, um, so if I have, uh, if we have a community member that has a, uh, a child that's going to play in the field hockey program, um, once this is complete, they'll get a, um, a manual that's specific to field hockey that has all the general components, all the community expectations and all the things that would apply to every sport. But then there would be specific items related just to field hockey um to kind of give that roadmap um to success u for both the athlete um and also our youth coaches. Um also you you may have heard we um are rolling out a new um basketball opportunity. Um so we have our wreck programs um that are not going to be changed. Um those are your traditional Saturday morning basketball um you know playing on teams with your your classmates and um that would allow for buddy requests and those types of things. Um but one of the um the main things we've been hearing on the basketball side is is uh developing like a higher level of uh playing opportunity from like a skill perspective. Um so we have added um we're calling it um until we changed the name to a something final but the East Basketball Club um which would be uh seen as a again a more competitive option um to the Wreck program. Um and we are setting it up so families can if they want to do both they can. They don't have to make that choice to either um to leave Wreck or to jump to the club option. They um they can play in both. Um but one of the main differences is the the club teams um

will be um we will have a try out and the teams will be made based on evaluations that are um that are completed by the varsity coaching staff for both boys and and girls. Um and and then the teams instead of playing um other East Grand Rapids teams like we do for the WCK program um they'll be signing up and uh playing at the Courthouse athletic facility. That's a it's a big gym in in Byron Center. So, it's nothing to do with legal things. The the courthouse is simply because there's lots of courts inside this building. Um, and so this new program would provide um, you know, basketball centric families that are looking for a little bit more competition um, to to sign up for this program and uh, go play other teams from West Michigan that again are um, based more on skill than um, relationships and um, buddy requests, things of that nature. And one of the great things about um the courthouse facility is that they do their scheduling weekly and they try to line up teams with similar records. So um so you're always um having an opportunity to play a balanced game. Doesn't necessarily always happen that way, but that's the way they try to set it up that way. So if teams are traveling from East Grand Rapids or wherever they're um when they're meeting in Byron Center, they're um they're having um as evenly matched games as possible amongst kids within their age group. Um we've had a really positive response to this. So uh right now I know um and this program is for third through sixth graders. Part of the reason why um we did not add seventh and eighth graders is um we're modeling this after um The Rock is the name of a program in Rockford. Um, and we've learned that, um, with the varsity coach involvement, um, it's best to not have middle school involvement, um, just because of MHSAA, um, guidelines. Um, and so we're looking at, um, separate other ways to

accomplish some more opportunities for, uh, middle schoolers. Um but so just for third through sixth um it's looking like we'll have two um third and fourth grade teams for both boys and girls and then at least two um uh fifth and sixth grade teams for both boys and girls and that's on top of all the kids that are playing Wreck as well. So, we're we're looking at, you know, having regular numbers at our wreck program level and then there's another 80 to 100 kids that will be potentially playing in this um basketball um new basketball opportunity. So, I think that, you know, that checks a lot of the boxes of the vertical alignment initiative initiative that we're looking at is um direct ties to the varsity program through the involvement with the coaches. um adding additional basketball opportunities or participation opportunities that keep uh kids in East Grand Rapids together instead of them all going to different clubs. If we can keep some of them playing together, um not having to travel for practices, staying right here locally in East and then when they do travel to games, um Byron Center, I I travel it every day is, you know, 25 minute drive. It's much more reasonable than heading out to the lake shore or some of these other places. Um and then um again without any um major disruption to our our recreation programs that number one that's our our bread and butter. Uh we certainly do understand some families that are looking for more might might on their own choose not to do the wreck program but it's not because um we're not able to allow them to do both. It's just it would just be a family decision at that point. Um and then um just a couple of other notes on the vertical alignment front. Um we do um or we did add cheer um and although there's not a high school cheer program, again we're just trying to find more opportunities uh for um our residents to

participate and we have approximately 120 um girls that ended up signing up for the cheer. Um and then um we are um going to be offering um for softball. Last year we started softball again um and we had one combined team and due to the interest um it's looking like we'll have at least two teams this spring um maybe even a sixth, seventh, and eighth grade separate team um depending on where numbers are at. So quickly we we've been going from not having anything to growing quite large on the cheerleading front, the the softball front, and now uh the basketball front as well. So, uh, but happy to answer any questions you might have about, uh, the vertical alignment stuff or basketball in particular, whatever's on your mind.

I've got one. Um, so we've got cheerleading through sixth grade and crazy participation. What happens next year?

Yes. Uh, so, um, we we talked about that in our office um, a little bit. So, um, sideline cheer is not a, um, a sport that counts for Title 9. Um, so we would be able to add um, sideline cheer at the middle school level um, next year if there was enough interest. Um, this year we have it's first through sixth grade is um, what the ages are. Our our sixth graders are very few. I I I would say less than five probably. So um, it might if it's not next year, we know it might be two years down the road. And that would be the intent is to try to grow at at that level as well is u if we're feeding up um if we have enough interest at the youth levels to have a middle school cheer team um we would offer that

and that would just keep rolling up as the interest is there. It would it would keep rolling up to the um like to the high school level if that continued to grow. Um, I do know the the high school. Um, you know, we connect uh quite regularly. Chris Zystra, the athletic director, and I and they have done interest lists over time for cheerleading with the intent of trying to offer something if the interest was there. They have not quite had that yet, but I think now with the numbers that we have behind us and and the excitement and we're um we've been getting parents wanting to order EGR cheer shirts and actually like going all in on it. Um, and naturally that will be our next step.

And that's why I was asking. I didn't want everyone to get all excited for this and then be like, "Well, that was fun. All right, move on to something else now." If uh like it it'd be nice that if if there's that much interest that they can continue doing it as they they get older like every other sport in town.

Yeah, I think certainly that is our intent is if there if there still is interest, we'll we'll continue to grow. And uh with this being our our first year um even just from some of that advertising and promotion like I think we could have maybe even had 150 girls if this year um but we'll look u towards that and um one piece that I'm always you know as director need to be conscious of is you know as I mentioned just in in this update you know adding basketball adding cheer adding softball some of these things eventually will come with um requests or discussion about extra staffing because although um um you know we have the pilot program with the schools that's that's more of the vertical alignment piece and getting things stood up. Um and then really that the other half of that was the position that we were trying to hire for um that we ultimately did not. And so um we'll we'll continue to keep everyone aware and um informed as to what the needs are to support the activities that we have.

I just had a question. And I know you mentioned obviously some difficulties were, you know, with the MHSAA and when it gets to up into middle school right before high school, what what are some of the vertical alignment opportunities that are still there for, you know, the students in seventh and eighth grade getting ready to go to high school sports? Are there programming opportunities that we can explore that don't kind of uh jeopardize the eligibility and whatever other concerns might be uh with the MHSA? Yes, certainly there are there are other opportunities and and just to speak of basketball for example um last winter um before we had the vertical alignment initiative lined up we actually did offer seventh and eighth grade boys basketball courthouse teams after their regular season um we just didn't involve um the high school coaches and we managed that ourselves in internally um and I I think that's kind of a model that we'll look at um at least in the interim until we've um figure out a better solution. Um but it it does get a little bit tricky and not to um to bore you all with the details, but it's um the way that the sport seasons work. So like uh right now um I'm trying to think here. Right now it would be youth girls um or soon I should say starting um winter 1 would be the youth girls program um and then the middle school um boys program and then that flips in the the winter season. Um but it um so but it makes it hard to try to have um girls middle school courthouse teams organize and play together um before their season starts before they know who's on um which team etc. So that's that's a detail we need to get ironed out. But for unfortunately in this scenario I just shared for boys it works great is

they play their season then when their school season's done they can just roll right into courthouse and it's it's backwards for girls. Um so we'll we'll figure out a solution for that. Um and then I I think a lot of the the things that we're working on from a just that general um raising the bar perspective will will apply to for all the middle school athletics. Um like one of the things that we've talked about is treating all sports as if it were intercolastic um at the middle school level even if it's not. Um and again not to bore you with too many details but we we do uh provide some sports that are not considered inner scholastic. Football is one of them. Baseball is another. Softball is another. And they're not inner scholastic because the um the middle school league that we're part of not everyone has those um sports. So, we have to go find our own own ways to play. Um, but um, as we're developing those programs and coming up with the player handbooks and the expectations of the players, maybe it's game day, uh, dress if, um, hug, how you present yourself on game day, those types of things. Um, we're talking about unifying those across all all sports. So then it's not seen as, oh, well, you're you're playing more of like a a a wreck team and that's not an intercolastic sport. um in eighth grade. We don't want there to be a difference. We want the kids to think, hey, I'm playing middle school and next year it's high school and we have these same expectations no matter what sport we're playing. Um no matter if it's intercolastic or not. I think that's where a lot of our opportunity for improvement will be for some of the existing middle school sports.

And then is the pilot is that a year? It will be evaluated every year in terms of what the additional needs are potentially.

Yeah. So, the first year um or or I should say currently we um we did uh sign a one-year agreement with the intent of next spring um getting together and um with the school district and um we have um very specific deliverables that were outlined and making sure that those are being um those have met or at least made really great progress. Um and um so the discussions for a potential renewal which would then a year in year two would include some of the other sports that weren't included the first time around. Um but it it should be a lot easier in year two because we'll already have all of the the templates and the the general information and all of that established. It'll be a matter of um refining and adding the sport specific details um in year two if if supported by the city and the school district.

Gotcha. Thanks, sir. Yeah.

As um speaking of Mr. Shadic, I'm one of the varsity coaches that is involved in this project from the other end. So, I think I any questions you'd have from that point of view, I'm happy to entertain. I appreciate Mr. Shadic in a couple different reasons. First of all, he's broken up. there's a lot of work here and and so he's putting a lot of homework on coaches and some coaches are extremely busy. Uh I appreciate that he's chunking it out. My second homework assignment is due this Friday if anyone would like to help. Um it's more philosophical right now as far as far as it's not really, you know, what do you do for workout or or whatever. It's more uh our approach and and that type of thing. Um he's been available to communicate with which I also appreciate. he's checked in with me, you know, um I checked in with him. Are you okay with what I wrote kind of thing. Um and so I really appreciate uh so far his involvement and um it's been a good partnership so far, but it's a work in progress. This is going to take a long time to get this all done. Um because these sports are very different, right? You know, what we do in our sport is far different than some other sports. And so he's got a lot of work. Luckily, I the little bit I know about him, he's been involved in a lot of different things. It's not he's not just his background is not just football. Um he he seems to know my sport and I appreciate that. So um it's been a good deal so far.

I just want to um express gratitude for the handbook that he's building that um coach Shadek is building. I think this is going to be a terrific enhancement to the program and um I think it will clarify the expectations for the coaches, for the players, help the parent, guide the parents a bit better. I think there's been a lot of confusion and misunderstandings through the years. Um and I think this is a great idea. So, thank you for that. Yeah.

All right. Um, any other questions on this agenda item? No. So, we can move on to agenda item number nine, which is report of director. Yes. So, I'm going to give you some new info that is not on the director's report. So, to keep it um keep it fresh here. So, a couple of items for you. Um, number one, we are doing a robot mower demo down in John Collins Park. I know. So, if you see I saw that today. I saw it today, too. It's right outside my window.

So, um, so we, that's a, um, a product that we've demoed over at, uh, Remington at the baseball field, now we're trying it, um, at John Collins Park in the green space between the boat launch and Roses, um, it's, you know, the technology is changing in that space and although we have a mowing contract, um, that we're just in year one of year three, we're just trying to see what's out there. And so this is a nocost demo that the company's provided us with a mower and we're able to um you know see how it works and um and just test it out. I was there this morning as they were demoing it. And yeah, sure enough, if you stand right in front of it, it'll stop and decide if it's going to go left or right around you and it's um it's like a neat robot. And we had lots of interested people watching and um a big party coming out of roses and um it it's really neat to see. But um just know that we're u yeah just trying to check on technology that's out there and what um environmentally friendly solutions might be available cuz it is you know just an electric uh mower. Very quiet as well. I don't know if it did anyone that saw it did you close enough to like you can barely even hear it at all. So

I think it works well. Um Patrick, as you know, uh on the community foundation, we're funding or help fund a buyback program to get rid of gas powered equipment in East Grand Rapids. You know, you can get $100 off if you want to turn in your weed whacker or whatever. And this is right in line with that, right? There's it's not gas powered. It's not There we go. I like it.

So, we know technology will continue to change uh for the better over the next couple years in that space. Um, so for example, some of the limitations right now is it it has to mow like almost every day uh because it can only cut a little amount. It's not going to mulch leaves and those types of things. So, it wouldn't completely eliminate the need for us to have uh support from a a mowing uh contractor. It also can only get so close to things. So, weed whipping still would um be necessary in areas, but definitely um something for us to keep an eye on as um as things progress. Are there any more demos coming up?

Um well, so we so it's not just a one day. Um so this one we will have this one for a little bit of time and we'll get to test it out and um hopefully it's there every morning when we come back and so like the next couple days at John Collins Park. Yes. Okay.

Yeah. So if you um and it is currently um even though we were using it during the daytime today, one of the neat things about this is uh since it's so quiet, it can be scheduled to mow at night without disrupting anyone. Um so that's most of the time we'll have it um demoing at night time and we'll be able to come in and check to make sure yes, it um hit the areas it was supposed to and those types of things. So you might not see it in action um but you would see it um at its home base. There's a charging station. Um there's like a power power panel that's in between Roses and John Collins Park where there's some plugs there. You'll you'll be able to see it over there. And the mower is probably about the size of this. It' sit like right here nicely. So check it out if you'd like.

Yeah.

Yeah. Um couple other things. Um so you may recall we did apply for three DNR grants uh this funding cycle for Waterfront Park. Um and so I um we applied for those. Those were due in April. And then over the um the last couple of months, the DNR has been reviewing those applications. Um and the way the process works, they give us a preliminary score. Um and which kind of tells me, hey, this is if you don't do anything, if you don't change anything in your application, this is a score that you're going to get. Um and um we did recently receive those preliminary scores. Um, and I have until October 1st uh to submit some supplemental information to try to um gain some more points. Um, and and we, like I said, we we applied for three. Um, the one that I'm most excited about is the Land and Water Conservation Fund uh grant. That is um a program that we applied for $500,000 in funding. Um the maximum score that any community would be eligible or that any community could get is 380 points. That's the top points. Um as a community here in East Grand Rapids, we're not eligible for the top level of points because we don't have community need financially. Um and then um based on their criteria. Um and then also um this project doesn't involve renovation of an existing facility. So there's 20 points right there that we're not eligible for. Um but um we we scored 300 out of 380 to start and so that means um with my supplemental information um the maximum extra points we could get would be 25 extra points. Um so I'll be providing them with some additional information about some universal accessibility for uh project components um and then also um some sustainability.

um we um we could gain five more points in that category. Um but so that's the good news is that um they've scored us very highly from the start. Um, and I have um received um good note or good news from um the state historic preservation office that um we're no longer going to be required to do additional um digging or preconstruction um um testing for um historical items because that property was filled in in the past. There's a long hundredyear history I learned of of that that property that um so it was filled in and graded and was going to be condos um back um in the '7s, but that's obviously not happening now. Um but so really great scores on that. The other two uh grant programs, the recreation passport and the the trust fund grant, those were two um applications that we submitted just to kind of hedge our bets um if you will um for lack of a better description. Um, and those um, both scored at 125 out of 250, which those are not, uh, great starting points. Um, we do have the ability to gain more points through the supplemental information. Um, but part of um, part of the process or part of my clues is that if that's our initial score, they're obviously not as excited about that project as they are the land and water one. And the reason being for that is um we um put in certain project components in different uh grant applications to kind of see what they would think about them. And the um the land and water grant that that we scored 300 points on. It has the expanded parking lot. It has um a potential playground area and all the trails all packaged together. Um and so it it just checks a lot of the boxes for the things that they're looking at. They they look for access. So, parking expanded parking lot would be important to them. Um they they look for um you

know diversity of amenities within a community or proximity um for community members that so they won't have to travel as far to get to a a certain um type of facility. Um but so I guess I'm just um in general I'm pleased with that initial score and we'll work to get um some more points on those applications. Um, and then last two things for you. Um, number one, the the kayak kiosk. You may have noticed it's it's moved um from its uh location over there by the corner of Manny Field. Um, it's still in service um just with construction coming up at um May Field next week. We wanted to get it out of there so it didn't get blocked in. Um but we're still seeing some really good use from uh that kayak kiosk for rentals. Um, and then lastly, um, I I know I put it in a memo, but just wanted to to verbalize it that we, um, I did have a new hire semi- recently. Um, Elijah Velasis is our newest sports supervisor. He was an intern with us for a period of time and, um, when we had a vacancy from another staff member, uh, leaving, Elijah was able to fill that role. and um so um he's hit the ground running and is helping um establish this new basketball program and and taking over the the wreck program as well. And um we're just really pleased to have him on our team. So

wonderful that um real quick, the kayak kiosk, uh maybe I missed it. Where has it been moved to? Um so it it got moved just down the hill. So it's actually closer to the water now um by the kayak um launch over and I'm I know I'm pointing this way. I'm thinking I got my orientation right. Yeah, it's it's back there just closer to the lake now than it was previously. Okay. Thank you. Yes. Question on the you mentioned on the grants. So, is the plan to have responses on all three grants or just the one that we have the best opportunity to secure?

Yes. So, I I do plan on supplying supplemental information for all three grants um for a couple reasons. one um you know I put in all the effort to apply from the start so we'll I'll see it through but also a lot of the supplemental information for the land and water conservation fund the one that covers everything um I just need to take bits and pieces of that and plug that into the other the grant programs to separate it out okay

um and the strategy behind it even though our scoring for some of those might not have been as high as the one um I do have um semi-regular uh communication with our grant coordinator just to stay in uh the loop on what he's hearing and kind of what our you know funding chances are. It does sound as though there is um there's going to be a large acquisition request in the land and water conservation fund program and um which um in my experience there's not a lot of acquisition requests in that and that's for a community to purchase a new property kind of like the city did for Waterfront Park at at one point in time. Um, and so a $5 million acquisition could take a lot of those available funds for the year. Um, so I' I'd rather um keep our um kind of um applications in the other baskets in case um funding dries up in that area. We still have the opportunity in the other two. Now again um you I'm being realistic. the the chances of funding for those others are are um more slim, but it there's no negative impact for keeping them in there. And um again, it if it were going to be a ton of extra work, I'd likely have that um sort of conversation with the Shay, the city manager, but um it's um they're all related, so it it shouldn't be much replication of of effort.

Cool. Thanks, sir. Yeah. Yeah. I'm happy to hear that there's gonna be followup on all three when we approve the funds to go after the grants. Like I like the idea of like let's put our full effort into it. So happy to hear it. Have you had past experience with land and water grants? And are you curious like what a score? Do you have past experience like to know? Oh, I got a 320 approved once or I got a 280 approved like do you know ballpark?

Sure. So, I actually um directly asked that exact question and um did not get a direct answer because they said it could change from year to year and um and so but um and I was like just tell me I got a chance, right? Um but I I do have past experience working um when I was in Traverse City, we received a couple of land and water conservation fund grants, but unfortunately I just don't recall the scoring and um and and the um that notion of that really large acquisition looming out there, too. Um but um I I have to believe we're in um a pretty good position to start. But that those extra 25 or five points will be really helpful for us if we're able to get those just because you know starting behind um some communities starting you know 50 points behind them there there's a lot of work to make up but unfortunately they wouldn't they wouldn't give me even a number um to try to guess with Sure. Right. Any other questions? Everybody good? And then I think the last item we just have standing communications on here. I don't know if there are any communications today.

Cool. Cool. All right. So, with that, we will go ahead and adjourn the meeting at 6:57 p.m. Thank you to Thanks, everyone. Great. Go alliance, right?