Parks & Recreation Advisory Board - Regular Meeting

Okay. I call this meeting of Veterans Park Ad Hoc Committee to order. Roll call. David? David Rambo. Kevin. Kevin Burris.

Melanie Wilson.

Don Bailey. Go Hadowski.

Chuck English.

Jeff Nelson.

And Jeff Nelson. Alright. Our roll call. Pledge of Allegiance. William, what'd you say? Do the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag 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. Thank you, sir. Alrighty. Public comment. No public comment? Okay. Sir, are you here to make public comment or just to listen? I'm just too. Okay. I just wanted to make sure. And take it all in. Alright. Okay. Just wanted to make Okay. Approval of minutes. Need a motion to approve the 09/24/2025 budget department ad hoc committee meeting minutes.

Make a motion to approve the minutes from September 24.

I'll second it.

Motion is made and seconded. All those in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimous. New Business 6A discussion and possible action regarding approving the Veterans Park Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for 2026.

2026, yep. It's every other month again. And I think that was on there starts January 28 would be the first one and then March 25 would be the next meeting. So every other month.

Any discussion on this issue? Hearing none.

We probably need to approve that.

Need a motion to approve.

I'll make a motion to approve it. I second the motion.

And we have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries unanimous. Okay.

So when things get moving a little faster and some of the structure materials start coming in and whatnot, can we envision some point after March then that we would go back to monthly meetings to?

We could. I mean, if we need to do that or we can send updates, we can take a look at that as we get into that next year. A lot more will be happening at Yeah, that point

it's a

little slow right now, but probably after that March meeting, it probably will pick up. So we can look at that and adjust as we need.

Okay. You. Alright. Anything else on that issue? Okay. Item b six b, discussion and possible action regarding content to include on Veterans Park Committee annual report.

So first of all, happy Thanksgiving to everybody. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday. Each year, we do an annual report. Last year, I will change some of the photos, but it was included in our packet. But, some of the things that we had discussed that, you had completed, the committee had completed is what I jotted down.

I just want to make sure that I've captured everything that you want to include in the annual report. So FY 2025 annual report, the committee recommended additional funding for the full design to commission for approval. That was one thing. Brick pavers and additional sponsorship opportunities were added to the tribute program. And the committee participated and attended the Circle of Honor groundbreaking.

So those were the biggest highlights that I could recall from the minutes and last year. Is there anything else that the committee would like to talk about adding taking something away or changing anything. So this is just something we have to do for the annual report. Get get the committee's approval, and then I'll put it together like we did last year.

Any discussion on this issue?

Yeah. Seeing so it's an annual report. Is it proper to have something in there how we're setting money wise? F for what? How we're setting money wise? Like, you know, are we we, okay, you know, running on budget? Are we go you know, do we need more money or anything like that?

Yeah. And I think that's what the the first one, the recommended the additional funding to complete the full plan instead of scaling it back. So that that's what that number one category was capturing. It doesn't really have to share the numbers. It's just that the committee recommended additional funding to be put into the project to complete it as the design was shown.

But how do we know the project is tracking on budget?

I'm sorry?

How do we know the project is tracking on budget? Or do we have to know that?

How does the committee know that? Yeah. That's a I guess we would take a look at that at our meetings as we start getting into some of those payments coming through.

I mean, are we going to see something where

it's Are

you a part of the court?

Are you one of the alternates?

Yes. Okay. Okay.

5% completion and 75%

As we get those, those will be we'll bring those up at the meeting. We'll do that. Yeah. But we'll usually get them at 30% completion and then periodically through the project. Okay.

Anybody else? We do

have a we we do have a gross maximum price, though Yeah. For this job. So it's

Yeah. If run out of money, they'll let us know.

I just yeah. I I just don't want no surprises.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Don't Yeah. Yeah. Being in

that construction industry for so long, it as you know from previous meetings, I'm always talking about money and where we're sitting and and how we doing and stuff like that.

And the cost of material can go up.

But that's a good thing. And I anticipate, you know, to find out before we run out.

Right. Yeah. Exactly. Good deal. Anything else? No? Okay. What do you need?

Let's see. Probably need to go ahead and do a motion and vote that those three topics would be okay to include in the annual report.

Okay. You need a motion to that effect?

Make a motion to include the items in the annual report.

Second the motion.

I have a motion made and seconded.

To ex

can I just go there? That's my thought. Sorry. It goes there.

It is. It is.

To move it forward to the commission. Sorry. Alright. Okay. Item seven updates. A, update regarding Circle of Honor, Mr. Nelson.

Probably most of you have been out there. There's just a lot of groundwork going on. I have some other projects. It's the same thing. What's been done is the base grading is pretty well done and compaction has been completed. The rough grading underneath the hardscape areas is is going on right now. I did notice that they have, sand brought in, so we're getting ready for that final compaction piece on top where where pavers and any of the hardscape will be going. The front sidewalk area is roughed in. They've cut it back down and the lights have been relocated. There's deliveries started, I think, in the last week or two.

I think what's out there now is the, shade structure, is starting to come in. So we're starting to see some things start to come in. So I think after we get through the holidays, it'll be a little slow for the next probably month. There'll be work out there, but it won't be really take off until probably the first of the year, and then we'll start to get in more delivery. So if you've been out and looked at it, it looks pretty nice. The area is larger when you actually walk out in there than it appeared at first. It's a nice size, I think. I don't know if anybody else has any comments on that. Yeah.

It looks larger than I thought initially. Being out there and standing in front of it, it goes back their ways.

Yeah. Yeah.

It'd be a nice tie in too to the

The holding facilities over there and that. Yeah. And the wetland.

Yeah. No, it nice. Would

If we can tie it into the wetland, it would be super. So,

yeah, that's unfortunately, that's all the updates I have right now. Getting that initial dirt work and subgrades and compaction in is is is a little slow going sometimes. But, I don't think they're really in a huge hurry yet because they don't have the equipment the the materials coming in for for a little bit of time. But that it will speed up once they start. It's, when the materials come in, I think it'll go pretty quickly.

And it's the holidays. Right. Anything else?

I I got maybe a dumb question. No such thing.

Yeah. Well,

The as materials start coming in and they're going to be putting it all over there, are there any security concerns about it walking off or anything like that?

Well, I mean, that's the contractor's responsibility. I mean, they shouldn't be bringing anything in that they can't secure. I mean, I don't think anything is going to walk off that's out there now unless somebody really wanted to get pretty aggressive, but that will be their responsibility, I would imagine. So on most projects, they're not required to fence the entire project off. Have to have a construction entrance.

They have to sill fence the sides, but they're really not required to, unless it's issue to to fully enclose it with fencing. But we'll keep an eye on it too. If anybody sees anything, if you happen to be buying, you go, hey, there's something out there that looks like it should be secured. Shoot me an email.

I think cameras are out here. What? Did you say shoot?

Well, you know,

I've seen dumber stuff at construction sites and stuff. You have like, they have a a pallet of pavers delivered. Right. The next day, go back and there's only half a

pallet Part of it gone. Yeah. It it could happen for sure.

Yeah. That's that used to happen a lot with sod. Yeah. Anything else?

I'd like to bring up at this point the public communication part of this that we've talked about previously about getting the public awareness out there about what's going on in the park and what we're going be looking at as far as donations and the paper program and things like that. It's going to be upon us before we know it as far as looking for, you know, donations and things like that. So Yeah.

We we we have started a some of the campaign is out there, and we're starting to get more and more tribute donations, bricks and things like that. I'll bring the number next time, but I do get them periodically that I get through an email that says an attribute brick was bought at the Circle of Honor. So there is some communication going out because people are starting to do some donations. So we'll see that ramp up as we start getting further along, I'm sure. Is

that on the City of Northport site?

I'll have to check with our communication manager to see where she's doing that. It's probably on some social media things and should be on also the city website. But I'll double check.

Have we sent a nice letter out to all the veteran organizations? Yeah.

Yeah. I'll I'll remind them. We have had that discussion as well.

They did.

They did.

Yep. Thought I thought they

were doing some communication. Don't know that. I'm sure. And it was psych general. So I think probably all the veterans organizations received one. It came to our generic, American Legion, email.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much, We

had talked about it like a couple months ago, like how did these people know about it.

Right.

What was the content of that Melanie? I mean, it requesting donations or just information?

You get a copy. Well, the the letter? Yeah. It's the letter that went out.

Explain the program.

I can see the program.

Yeah. Go ahead.

But that's essentially it. Explain the tribute program.

Yeah. Got the one for the tribute program.

For the park though. It was specifically for the park. Yeah.

Did it have any anything on there that?

Didn't it have a

hold on. There we go.

Because I'm wondering if I had a list like pavers and benches and stuff like that.

You you probably have it, but I'll I'll I'll take a look.

Was it the red, white, and blue one? That was the one explaining the trip before. Yeah. That was a fly. No. I didn't get this letter. No. Okay.

I'll double check.

Is there anything else I'm sending?

I had one more thing. For the groundbreaking, has there been any more applications from anybody? Have we reached out to Stuve or

anybody I like have not heard of any additional, yet. I think we still have to make sure that we have a firm date. And I think that's what we're awaiting. But, we'll continue to look for through that and see who else we can have come in and do some speaking.

Because I know Stubby does a lot with the veterans organizations. I get a I get a a email from him every Sunday, a newsletter. Okay. And he's always telling veterans. And I was at this place giving a talk the other day and all veterans organizations. I think it'd be a good one to try and get.

Okay. Yeah. We'll keep that as well.

So what I see on the website, it says tribute program at the Circle of Honor. Mhmm. Circle of Honor Flag Assembly Court, Liberty $2,500 Freedom $1,500 Patriotic $250 Paver is $100 Now there's other things that say you can pick the tribute and buy a tree, a bench, body bench and paver. Cool.

That was a tribute flyer.

Are we going to have the pavers etched at all with your name, rank and all that?

Yeah, if you buy a paver, get it.

There's a certain amount of Program setup. Characters you can have on the letters.

Yeah. We should line that up as to what exactly is going to be on there, I guess, or what they want as far as the wording on a

paver. The application. It you exactly It's how many years pretty well spelled out. I

was kind of surprised at the $100 it makes sense. Everything was money. It was, like, 55 or something when we first started here. But Right. But, I mean, whatever. It's okay.

Anybody else? Anything else? Okay. Eight future agenda items. General update.

One I'll put on there just, after discussion is the number of tribute, donations that we have so far. I'll bring that in at the next meeting and then whatever else that you think we want to have for that.

Anything else? But is there a public comment? No. Any other board member have anything they would like? No? I adjourn this meeting.