HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-2025 Parks & Recreation Commission - CancelledIowa City
Parks and Recreation Commission
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
5:00 p.m. '
The Ned Ashton House CITY OF IOWA CITY
820 Park Rd, Iowa City, IA 52240
Public Comment for each item will be limited to 3 minutes for each person and a total for no more than 30
minutes per item. Written comments submitted to parksondrecreation@iowa-city.org, prior to 4 p.m. on
Monday, February 10, 2025, will be distributed to the Commission in advance of the meeting.
[CANCELLED] AGENDA
THE FEBURARY 12, 2025, PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING HAS BEEN
CANCELLED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
The Commission cannot engage in discussion or debate. However, once the
commenter has left the stand, the Commission may ask staff to respond to
a concern or question posed by the public, or to follow up with the speaker.
a) Parks and Recreation Director —Juli Seydell Johnson
b) Recreation Superintendent — Brad Barker
c) Parks & Forestry Superintendent —Tyler Baird
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this program/event, please contact
Gabe Gotera, Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department at 319-356-5210 or ggotera@iowa-city.org.
Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Iowa City
Parks and Recreation Commission
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
5:00 p.m. '
The Ned Ashton House CITY OF IOWA CITY
820 Park Rd, Iowa City, IA 52240
Public Comment for each item will be limited to 3 minutes for each person and a total for no more than 30
minutes per item. Written comments submitted to parksondrecreation@iowa-city.org, prior to 4 p.m. on
Monday, February 10, 2025, will be distributed to the Commission in advance of the meeting.
AGENDA
ITEM 1 CALL TO ORDER
ITEM 2 APPROVAL OF JANUARY 08, 2025, MINUTES
ITEM 3 PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
The Commission cannot engage in discussion or debate. However, once the
commenter has left the stand, the Commission may ask staff to respond to
a concern or question posed by the public, or to follow up with the speaker.
ITEM 4 REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF
a) Parks and Recreation Director —Juli Seydell Johnson
b) Recreation Superintendent — Brad Barker
c) Parks & Forestry Superintendent —Tyler Baird
ITEM 5 CHAIRS REPORT
ITEM 6 COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
ITEM 7 ADJOURN
After adjournment, the Commission and the public are invited on a tour through the Ned
Ashton House after its transition into a hub for Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation.
If you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this program/event, please contact
Gabe Gotera, Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department at 319-356-5210 or ggotera@iowa-city.org.
Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
IOWA CITY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION PRELIMINARY
MINUTES OF JANUARY 8, 2025
MEETING ROOM B — ROBERT A. LEE RECREATION CENTER
Members Present: Connie Moore, Brian Morelli, Missie Forbes, Virginia Hayes, Michael
Gaunt, Jeff Mallory, Caleb Recker
Members Absent: Rachel McPherson, Alex Stanton
Staff Present: Juli Seydell Johnson, Tyler Baird, Brad Barker, Gabe Gotera
Others Present: Jill Fishbaugh, Justin Fishbaugh, Mitzi Read
CALL TO ORDER: Director Seydell Johnson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (to become effective only after separate Council
action):
None
OTHER FORMAL ACTION:
Moved by Recker, seconded by Gaunt, to approve the November 13, 2024, minutes. Motion
passed 6-0 (McPherson, Morelli, and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Mallory to elect Connie Moore as Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Haves to elect Brian Morelli as Vice -Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
Commissioner Morelli arrives.
Jill Fishbaugh shares that on December 5, the National Park Service approved the community -
led application to place the Iowa City Community Recreation Center on the National Register of
Historic Places. As co-author of the application, Fishbaugh details the key reasons for the
nomination. The Iowa City Community Recreation Center is an architecturally significant
building located in an area of the city, first designated as a public space in 1839 and is an
example of a community recreation facility designed in the midcentury modern style. It is a rare
example of municipal planning in Iowa, where its central location supports the city goals of a
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 2 of 12
walkable livable vibrant downtown. Fishbaugh says that saving a structurally sound building that
has proven to be versatile and adaptable rather than demolishing it favors sustainability goals and
honors the visions of Recreation Superintendent Robert A. Lee and Architect Roland Wehner.
Fishbaugh explains that being listed on the National Register provides access to federal and state
funding streams specific to preservation and restoration. Fishbaugh hopes that the designation
encourages city leaders and decision makers to continue investing in the maintenance of the
facility.
Dir. Seydell Johnson notes that the National Register plaque has been installed at the recreation
center.
COMMISSION BUSINESS — Parks and Recreation Dir. Seydell Johnson
Introduction of New Commission Members
Dir. Seydell Johnson welcomes new Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Michael Gaunt and
Jeff Mallory.
Commissioner Gaunt introduces himself as having been raised in Iowa City before leaving for 35
years and returning in 2022. Gaunt has been a professionally licensed landscape architect since
1999 with a background in park design and maintenance. Gaunt's family still lives in the local
area and his favorite park is Hickory Hill Park.
Commissioner Mallory introduces himself as being originally from California but has lived in
Iowa City for five and a half years alongside his husband and cat. Mallory says one of the most
exquisite parts of living in Iowa City are the birds, animals, and trees of Hickory Hill Park and
Pappy Dickens Preserve.
Election of Officers
Commissioner Forbes nominates Connie Moore as Chairman and Brian Morelli as Vice -
Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission for 2025.
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Mallory to elect Connie Moore as Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
Moved by Forbes, seconded by Haves to elect Brian Morelli as Vice -Chairman of the Parks
and Recreation Commission. Motion Passed 7-0 (McPherson and Stanton absent).
CITY PARK UPDATE — Parks and Recreation Dir. Sevdell Johnson
Dir. Seydell Johnson presents the attached PowerPoint over the City Park Pool Update.
Commissioner Recker, regarding lawn maintenance, asks if it is being considered to use artificial
turf within the fence line as opposed to grass lawns. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that using turf
is still an option on the table and may be bid as an alternative
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 3 of 12
Commissioner Hayes asks if the current fence line on the western side of the pool matches up
with the rendered fence line. Dir. Seydell Johnsons confirms that the current western fence line
does match the rendered fence line. Seydell Johnson notes that the rendered eastern fence line
will extend a bit past the current fence line towards the parking lot.
Commissioner Mallory asks if the children's wading pool will be entirely removed. Dir. Seydell
Johnson confirms this, clarifying that the entire current pool and pool deck will be demolished
and replaced.
Commissioner Hayes asks if there will be enough room for lounger chairs between the fence line
and the lap -lane pool. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms that there will be enough space for lounger
chairs between the fence line and the lap -lane pool.
Commissioner Recker asks how many parking spots are lost when making the service lot for the
mechanical/filter building. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that two parking spots will be lost for
the construction of the service lot. Seydell Johnson explains that the new separate filter house
will be a great improvement to both safety and efficiency. Currently, the filter house is in the
basement of the building and is accessible via confined space entry. This makes for a difficult
space for maintenance staff to work around and means that the chemicals are stored not too far
from where patrons shower. Having the filter house in its own separate space makes the delivery
process for chemicals such as chlorine and CO2 much easier. Delivery trucks would be able to
connect their hose to outside of the building to fill the tanks on the inside. This also keeps the
chemical storage further away from rest of the pool.
Commissioner Mallory asks where the children play feature will be located amongst the three
pools. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that children's play feature will be in the middle of the zero -
depth -entry. Mallory asks if this would put the feature in the center of the leisure pool. Seydell
Johnson clarifies that it would not be in the center of the pool, but closer to the shore of the zero -
depth -entry. The feature will be located at the depth of 1 ft while the deeper part of the pool
extending to a depth of 3-1/2 — 4 ft will be used for open swim.
Commissioner Recker asks if the new park restrooms that are attached to the bathhouse will be
open year-round. Dir. Seydell Johnson confirms that both park restrooms and the community
meeting room will be open year-round and will be accessible from the larger park, without
admission through the bath house.
Vice -Chair Morelli asks if the pool -water water -heaters listed as bid alternates would extend the
season that the pool is open for. Dir. Seydell Johnson responds that it could have the potential to
do so, but that a larger factor for determining the start and end dates of the season is the
availability of lifeguards.
Commissioner Mallory asks how the entrance of the pool will operate and if it will be a single or
multiple entry points. Dir. Seydell Johnson explains that there will be only one entrance to the
bath house. Behind the cashier there will be a hallway where patrons can choose to use either the
men's changing area, the women's changing area, or a single -use change area before making
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 4 of 12
their way to the pool deck. Mallory says that this structure should make it easier to keep track of
who is entering the pool.
Vice -Chair Morelli, regarding bids, asks if it has been considered to separate the project into
multiple phases. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that the option to phase the project was considered
but that it was not found to be feasible.
Commissioner Hayes says that she likes the plan and thinks that it looks great. Dir. Seydell
Johnson agrees with this, saying that the project is in a good place and is moving in the right
direction. Seydell Johnson says that that it can be difficult to predict the bidding climate and
iterates that, if necessary, the pool can be reopened for one more year but clarifies that would not
be the desired outcome.
Recreation Pro2rammin2 Update — Recreation Supt. Barker
Supt. Barker gives an overview of what the Recreation Division does and where it currently
stands. The main thing that Recreation does is provide leisure and recreational opportunities to
the community and ensure that needs of the community are met. Barker says that Recreation staff
are typically the public face of the department and when people have experiences with the Parks
and Recreation department, it is usually with a Recreation staff member in one of their facilities.
Barker takes pride in his staff providing great experiences through the programs offered to the
community. These programs are curated, meaning that there are people doing the planning,
procuring the supplies, instructing the course, and implementing the program.
Supt. Barker details the different facilities used and managed by the Recreation Division.
• There are two indoor recreation centers, the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center (RALRC)
and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Scanlon Gymnasium (MPAC), each with an
indoor pool.
• City Park Pool, an outdoor pool typically open during the summer season.
• The Ned Ashton House, which was formally used as an event rental facility, was recently
modified in the last year to act as a central hub for Adaptive Recreation,
• There are two dog parks, Rita's Ranch Dog Park and Thornberry Dog Park.
• The Terry Trueblood Lodge, located at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, is an event
rental facility.
• Community Garden Plots located, at four different parks, are managed by Recreation
staff.
• Park Shelter rentals are managed by Recreation staff.
• The Iowa City Farmers Market in the Chauncey Parking Garage on E Washington St.
Supt. Barker explains that both recreation centers are open 361 days of the year. Out of an entire
week, both facilities are open for 97 hours. At RALRC, the indoor pool is available for open
swim for 49 of those 97 hours. At MPAC, the indoor pool is available for 92 of those 97 hours.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
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Supt. Barker states that in 2024, the Recreation Division offered 1,300+ programs and events to
the public. These numbers are consistent with the numbers recorded in 2019. Barker defines a
program as something that has a code and can be registered for in the ActiveNet recreation
software used by the division. Barker explains that when the 2022 Recreation Masterplan was
put together, 58% of those programs were in Aquatics and were mostly made up of swim lessons.
For each different level of swim lessons, there are different instances of lessons offered on
different days of the week. Each of those individual weekly lessons would be defined as a
separate program. Within each different program area, there are roughly 200 different programs
offered.
Supt. Barker says that from a staffing perspective, the Recreation division has 8 full-time staff,
including himself, and approximately 170 hourly staff through the year. This number inflates to
around 220 people during the summer, due to the large amount of summer programming, such as
Summer Camp and City Park Pool. Except for seasonal employees, hourly staff are generally
limited to no more than 25 hours per week or 1300 hours out of the year. In 2024, hourly staff
logged 85,759 hours, which is the full-time equivalent of 41 people. This highlights that the
division relies heavily on the hourly staff, supervised by the 8 full-time employees, to provide
the experiences offered in Parks and Recreation.
Supt. Barker details the eight full-time employees and what their position entails.
• Brad Barker, the Recreation Superintendent, oversees the entire operation side of
Recreation and its supervisors.
• Matt Eidahl, the Assistant Recreation Superintendent, has worked for the division for 25
years. He has been in that role for five years and was formally the Youth Sports Program
Supervisor. Eidahl assists with the oversight of the full-time employees and handles the
facility operations at MPAC, where his office is located. Eidahl also oversees the —30
Customer Service staff at both recreation centers and organizes the rental and
management of the Community Garden Plots. Eidahl develops the seasonal activities
guides by coordinating with Program Supervisors to include all programs descriptions
and dates into the three guides released per year. In short, he helps to keep the
administrative operations running smoothly.
• Malory Smysor is the Adaptive, Inclusion, and Outreach Program Supervisor and has
been with the division for over two years. Smysor has done well to change the game with
the adaptive programming offered. Barker recalls that five years prior, Adaptive
programing was primarily Special Olympics. While Special Olympics is great, it focused
heavily only on the competitive sports element. Now, alongside sports programming,
there are courses on life skills, cooking classes, and arts and crafts activities. Smysor has
started offering youth programming in the adaptive world which has been well received.
Smysor also oversees the inclusion programming, where if someone is needing
accommodations or assistance to participate in other programs, she has staff that can
provide that assistance on a one-on-one experience, helping the patron have the
accommodations to enjoy any programs offered by the division. Smysor also does
Community Outreach. Barker refers to the upcoming MLK Day of Service, which
Smysor is responsible for programming and implementing. Smysor also introduced the
Indigenous Peoples Day, which has been well received. Smysor is the contact person for
any ADA program accommodation requests.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
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• Jeff Sears is the Sports and Wellness Program Supervisor and has been with the
department for 16 years. For many years, Sears only oversaw Adult Sports, but recently
took over Youth Sports from Asst. Supt. Eidahl. Sears is an expert on the recreation
programming software, ActiveNet, and can assist other staff members with any problems
that arise. In addition to Sports and Wellness, Sears oversees contract administration for
Terry Trueblood Lodge reservations, staffing both dog parks, and managing ball field
reservations. As such, Sears has connections with a lot of different sports organizations in
the community and can communicate their needs with Parks staff regarding the ball
fields.
• Bill Lane, a newer employee from Sioux City Parks and Recreation, is the
Communications and Special Events Program Supervisor and has worked for the Iowa
City Recreation Division for just under a year. Lane oversees the communications for
Recreation, including social media posts, website editing, and press releases. Lane has an
hourly Content Creation staff member that assists him with planning, making, and
scheduling his social media posts. Lane also oversees and the Farmers Market and its
operation. Lane is currently preparing to open registration for the 2025 season of the
Farmers Market. Lane also works on bigger special events.
• Caylea Housh, Aquatics Program Supervisor, has been with the division for five years.
Housh initially worked as a lifeguard, before being hired as Recreation Assistant for a
few years, then in the last year earned her way to Aquatics Program Supervisor. Over the
years, Housh has developed a lot of institutional background knowledge on the Iowa City
Pools. Housh oversees all three swimming pools, including their staffing, operations, and
programming. Housh coordinates swim lessons, water fitness programming, and
certification for lifeguards and water safety instructors. Housh organizes special events
such as Hydrant Parties, located in different neighborhoods during the Summer. Housh
acts as liaison with the Iowa City Community School District swim teams and the Iowa
City Eels swim club.
• Nolan Butkowski worked for several years in Recreation Customer Service before being
hired as Recreation Assistant. Recreation Assistant is a non -supervisory position that
assists primarily Aquatics and Customer Service. Butkowski oversees scheduling and
provides general leadership to both areas of staff. Butkowski acts as a point of contact
should any trouble occur and aids with training and certification.
• Joyce Carroll, recently retired, was the STEAM, Arts, and Nature Program Supervisor
and had worked for the division for 45 years. Over the years, Carroll had garnered a list
of a lot of different responsibilities. Carroll oversaw the Potters Studio including the
staffing, programming, and general passes. A big responsibility for Carroll was
organizing Arts and Crafts programs and Nature Education for both youth and adults.
Nature Education was something that Carroll has pushed for more of over the last five
years and was one of the focuses for the Recreation Masterplan. Carroll oversaw
gardening in both the Discovery Garden and the Edible Garden. The Edible Garden and
other edible forests were a creation of Carroll working with Backyard Abundance. Carroll
also introduced a lot of STEAM programming such as robotics/drones, engineering,
music, and more. Carroll organized the Free Roller -Skating on Saturdays, an event that
brings in a lot of people to use the facility. This program starts with a beginner program
in the beginning of the afternoon followed by an Open -Skating event in the evening. This
event is held on most Saturdays except for Winter Break and the summer. Patrons can
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 7 of 12
rent out roller skates from staff at no fee. Carroll oversaw staffing for the maintenance
and rental of the skates and contracted music entertainment for the program. For the
entire 45 years that she worked, Carroll oversaw the Summer Camp, a program that has
gone through different iterations and locations over the years. The Summer Camp
program kept Carroll busy between organizing the required number of certified staff and
appropriately managing any communication with the parents of participants to resolve
issues and address behavioral issues at the camp. Recently the summer camp was held at
the Ned Ashton House. Now that AIR programming is hosted at the Ashton House, a
different location will need to be found for the Summer Camp. Carroll introduced and
oversaw the Play Daze program and its predecessor the Playground program. The
Playground program had staff scheduled during the summer on most days of the week at
several different park locations around the community, providing games and arts and
crafts in a drop -in setting. When numbers for the Playground program diminished over
the years, Play Daze was introduced. The Play Daze program has more consistent
scheduling and is centralized at a different park location each week. With its condensed
format, more resources could be committed towards providing musical entertainment.
Barker compares Play Daze to a miniature Party in the Park that is dedicated to getting
kids out to a variety of parks.
Supt. Barker states that Program Supervisor Carroll had retired the previous Friday. Barker says
that the department had recently learned that the position is not going to be hired right away, that
there is some uncertainty regarding it, and that this stems from larger things regarding the City
budget. Dir. Seydell Johnson says that one of her upcoming items would be to update the
Commission on the operating budget. Seydell Johnson explains that while nothing is new or
different about the Parks and Recreation budget, the City budget overall will be lean and will
depend on what the State of Iowa Legislature may or may not do with property tax. Currently,
there are five or six positions across the city that are open, and while not eliminated they are
frozen, meaning that the hiring process cannot begin.
Seydell Johnson states that these positions vacancies will be handled on a case -by -case basis,
referring to maintenance and public works positions that were deemed necessary to fill to keep
services operating. Seydell Johnson says that while the STEAM, Arts and Crafts, and Nature
Program Supervisor position is put on hold, a level of programming will be continuing through
the Summer. Carroll had left behind part-time staff that are trained and ready to continue
operating the programs that were scheduled and planned for the Winter/Spring. Staff are
planning for Summer Camp to be offered during the Summer. After the summer, if the position is
eliminated or not filled, the Recreation division will have to be refocused among the remaining
supervisors and prioritize what programs will stay. If there is one less supervisor, the total
supervisors are reduced by 20% and there will have to be programs cut as a result. Seydell
Johnson says that the department has been told that the decision to rehire or restructure will come
after the IA Legislature session closes and will be dependent on the results of said session.
Commissioner Mallory asks if the relationship between the Iowa City Community School
District and Iowa City Parks and Recreation is more recent or longstanding. Dir. Seydell Johnson
explains that the school district and the department have been longtime partners on several
programs and facilities. Mallory asks about the relationship between the Iowa City Public
Library and Parks and Recreation. Supt. Barker responds that there are partnership programs that
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 8 of 12
Recreation offers alongside ICPL. Barker says that ICPL is a staple at a lot of summer programs
such as having the bookmobile at Party in the Park. Barker adds that both departments take part
in each other's Halloween Events.
REPORT ON ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF:
Parks and Recreation Director — Juli Seydell Johnson
Parks: Dir. Seydell Johnson announces that the department is receiving two new park
dedications. The first dedication is land from the Lindeman subdivision on the east side,
specifically the trail that runs from Lower West Branch Rd to Anna St, connecting to the Scott
Park Greenway. The second dedication is officially adding new land to the North-East corner of
Hickory Hill Park from the Featherstone senior living development.
Facilities: Dir. Seydell Johnson says that the Robert A. Lee pool has been successfully drained,
cleaned, painted, and spruced up. The maintenance went well, and the pool was back to full
operation and business in a timely manner. Seydell Johnson says that a lot of Government
Buildings maintenance staff have been working at the Senior Center. Seydell Johnson explains
that while the Senior Center is its own entity, Parks and Recreation maintains the building and
provides custodial services.
Ned Ashton House: Dir. Seydell Johnson refers to the Ned Ashton House, which had recently
transitioned from a rental facility to the hub for Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation. Seydell
Johnson tells Commissioners to plan to have the February 2025 Parks and Recreation
Commission meeting at the Ned Ashton house.
Recreation Superintendent — Brad Barker
Events: Supt. Barker announces the following upcoming Recreation events:
• The MLK Day Of Service will be hosted from 9:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. on Monday,
January 20, 2025, at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center. This will be a free event offering
different activities.
Freeze Fest will be held from 1 — 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at the Terry
Trueblood Lodge. Staff have been organizing with a lot of different partnership groups to
provide different kinds of indoor and outdoor experiences and education.
The Winter Playday event will be hosted from 1 — 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 at
Happy Hollow Park. Barker explains that this event does rely on some snow fall for
sledding, hot cocoa, snowshoe walking, and other related activities.
Parks and Forestry Superintendent — Tyler Baird
Winter: Supt. Baird says that staff have been removing snow but notes that there has not been
much snow fall yet this season. Baird says that this can be nice as staff on new routes can get
used to it first. Baird explains during a snow event, Parks staff will help clear areas all over town,
not just in the parks. This includes downtown Iowa City, areas where the City owns a piece of
property, and the entire trail network. Baird says that during the only measurable snowfall this
year, Parks staff only missed two tiny sections across the whole City, which he credits to his staff
training on their new routes. Baird commends his staff for prioritizing to keep the sidewalks clear
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
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and safe before clearing the trail networks, including the eight miles of trails that have been
added since 2020.
Supt. Baird announces that the Ice -Skating Pond in Lower City Park has officially opened for the
season. Baird explains that it took until earlier that day for the ice layer to reach the desired
thickness. Baird says that in his 10 years of working for the city, he can recall only 3 years
during which there was decent ice for a prolonged period. Typically, there is either a lot of snow
before the ice is think enough, resulting in a non -workable surface, or there is not a sustained
enough period of cold temperatures. Baird says that staff will keep it open for as long as it can
but makes no guarantee on if it will last. Baird recalls the previous winter where temperatures
rose right after the Ice -Skating Pond opened.
Parks & Forestry Maintenance: Supt. Baird says that staff have been busy working on the trail
network, clearing away undergrowth with a focus on honeysuckle. The Forestry crews have been
busy with lots of pruning and mulching along the trails. Baird adds that there are some Parks
staff that had previously worked in Forestry who have been doing the same thing through the
park system. Baird explains that staff try to get through 1/4 of the city's street trees per year. At the
current rate of work and snowfall, Baird says that this goal should within reach. This goal helps
for the trees to be healthier and for longer, while keeping the summer workload manageable.
Supt. Baird says that there is a lot planning for the next year of tree planting. Baird explains that
for the Spring tree planting, staff have applied for a grant worth $40,000 and another for
$10,000. If the grants aren't received, then the tree planting will have to be scaled back. Baird
says that staff are looking to have a tree planting in the neighborhood around Fairmeadows Park,
then if funds allow for it, a tree planting in a new section of neighborhood on the North-East side
of town without much tree canopy.
Supt. Baird says that the division is in the planning stages for prescribed burns during the
upcoming spring. One of the locations to receive a burn will be Sand Prairie Park, which had a
prescribed burn in Spring 2024. Regarding Sand Prairie Park, Baird explains that staff have been
collaborating with many different partners, of which includes the Fish and Wildlife Service
Nature Conservancy, Johnson County Conservation, and an expert in Iowa plant biology, Dr.
Rosberg from Drake University. Dr. Rosberg has conducted an inventory and is finalizing a
report that should help staff with the burn and additional work in the park. The Fish and Wildlife
Service has provided funding and will have a team building work day with Parks staff to remove
woody material in the park. Baird says that while Sand Prairie may not be the most developed
park, it is a gem within the community.
Staffing: Supt. Baird announces that the Parks seasonal positions will go out for hiring within the
next few weeks. Baird expects to hire 50-60 seasonal employees. During the previous year,
seasonal staff had 25,000 hours of work, greatly supplementing the 23 full-time staff. Dir.
Seydell Johnson adds that there is no hold on the part-time positions and encourages the
commission to spread the word for the summer -time seasonal positions. Baird says that there will
be a focus on recruiting Iowa City youth to have their first job in Parks.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
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Commissioner Mallory asks Supt. Baird to reiterate about the underdeveloped gem. Baird
explains that he was referring to Sand Prairie Park, which is located across South Gilbert St from
the new Public Works Facility. The park has some remnant Prairie on it, which makes it special.
CHAIRS REPORT:
None
COMMISSION TIME/SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
Chair Moore thanks the Commission for entrusting her with the Chair position and states that she
will do her very best job.
Commissioner Forbes suggest for a meeting to be a Parks field trip. Dir. Seydell Johnson
responds that this could happen during the June or July meeting when there are longer sunlight
hours in the day.
Commissioner Mallory appreciates the welcome he has received and thanks staff for the
overview that they have presented.
Commissioner Gaunt thanks Chair Moore and Vice -Chair Morelli for serving as officers for the
year.
Vice -Chair Morelli says that it is amazing that Joyce Carroll had worked for the city for so long
and asks if there are any considerations for a kind of thanks for all that she has done. Dir. Seydell
Johnson says that there can only be as much done as the employee will allow, explaining that
Joyce was very specific to not have much fanfare as she left. Seydell Johnson confirms that there
was a small staff gathering on Joyce's last day.
Vice -Chair Morelli passes on appreciation from several members of the public, regarding how
quickly the trails were cleared of snow.
Vice -Chair Morelli refers to Sand Lake at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, asking if the
water is low due to silting or if it just dry. Supt. Baird responds the lake is not substantially
silting in and that there is very little watershed, which is partly by design as a former sand quarry.
Baird explains that this reason along with the sand bottom of the lake make it a challenge for the
lake to hold water and is very reliant on the water table rainfall. Bair notes that while there is a
some gain from the river, even when the river rose last year the lake did not raise back up. Baird
says that by looking at aerial photos one can see it is normal for the lake to go back and forth in
elevation but acknowledges that is it at the dryest point since the park opened.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 11 of 12
ADJOURNMENT:
Moved by Gaunt, second by Forbes, to adiourn the meeting at 6:13 p.m. Motion passed 7-0
(McPherson and Stanton absent).
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
January 8, 2025
Page 12 of 12
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
ATTENDANCE RECORD
NAME
N
o
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
N
0
�
N
0
N
0
�
N
0
kn
N
0
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
TERM
EXPIRES
Aaron
12/31/24
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
O/E
NM
X
NM
Broe e
Missie
12/31/25
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
X
O/E
X
NM
O/E
NM
X
Forbes
Michael
12/31/28
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
X
Gaunt
Alex
12/31/24
X
NM
X
NM
NM
O/E
X
X
NM
X
NM
Hachtman
Virginia
12/31/27
X
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
O/E
NM
O/E
NM
X
Hayes
Jeff
12/31/28
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
X
Mallory
Rachel
12/31/26
X
NM
X
NM
NM
X
O/E
O/E
NM
X
NM
O/E
McPherson
Connie
12/31/25
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
NM
X
NM
X
Moore
Brian
12/31/25
O/E
NM
X
NM
NM
X
X
X
NM
X
NM
X
Morelli
Caleb
12/31/26
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
X
O/E
X
NM
X
NM
X
Recker
Alex
12/31/27
X
NM
O/E
NM
NM
O/E
X
X
NM
X
NM
O/E
Stanton
KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No meeting
LQ = No meeting due to lack of quorum * = Not a member during this meeting
Parks & Recreation Commission
January 8, 2025
Juli Seydell Johnson, Director of Parks& Recreation
City Park Pool Update
Project Goals
Provide community recreation experiences for a wide range of users.
Provide increased independent accessibility to all water experiences.
Provide shade in several areas of the deck and some in the water areas.
Provide design and operating efficiencies that support the City of Iowa City climate action goals.
Maximize efficiency of lifeguards.
Promote the vision "Every child learns how to swim."
Welcome users of all backgrounds with specific attention to facility entry patterns, shower /
changing and restroom design.
Evaluate the potential merging of the outdoor park restrooms and year-round recreation
rprogramming space into the swimming pool facility.
Limit the construction area generally within the fence line/site plan of the current pool.
What We Learned
Design Considerations
r;
Preserve
History
Trees
Open Feel
..►qo
........
Focus
Learn to Swim
Multigenerational
Safety
What We Heard
How We Listened...
495
Idea Generation
Participants
G)-
Avoid
Overlapping
Functions
Community Input Touchpoints
Online Idea
Generation
Submissions
Representative
Focus Group
Participants
44
Electronic Focus
Group
Submissions
' I566 Feedback Touchpoints I + I 1,� Survey Responses
VIEW OF MAIN ENTRANCE FROM ROAD
Design Updates:
• New water and sewer lines from Park Road.
• All Electric Heat for Bath House and Community Room
• Water bodies shifted closer together. Slightly less paved deck space.
Bid Alternates:
• Limestone Raised Bed Planters— Exterior and Pool Deck
• Water Heaters for Pool Water - Choice can be made to heat 1, 2 or 3 pools.
• Climbing Wallin Diving Well
• Third Diving Board
• Shade Structures (Plan is to have them but may need to be purchased
separately.)
• Continuing to discuss architectural materials and finishes.
• Demolition of Park Restroom Building
City Park Pool Timeline
• Schematic Design —Complete
• Design Development & Construction Documents — Fall 2o24i
• Set Public Hearing — February 4, 2025
• Public Hearing — February 18, zoz5
• Bids Due —March 11, 2021;
• Anticipated Award — March 18, 2025
• Construction —April zoz5 —April zo26
• Grand Opening — May 2026
Robert A Lee Recreation Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals - January 2025
Day
Date
6-7a
7-8a
8-9a
9-10a
10-11a
11-12p
12-1p
1-2p
2-3p
3-4p
4-5p
5-6 p
6-7p
7-8p
Daily Rec Totals
Water Fitness
Swim Lessons
Event # Count
Event Name
Wednesday
1-Jankik—
0
City Holiday
Thursday
2-Jan
4
1
4
1
2
13
0
25
Friday
3-Jan
4
2
2
13
2
8
2
0
16
5
1
33
18
22
$2 Swim
samrday
4-Jan
5
1
4
7
5
1
8
0
3
34
1
sunday
5-Jan
0
2
0
0
0
2
$2 Swim
Monday
6-Jan
10
1
6
7
6
8
3
41
21
Tuesday
7-Jan
3
3
8
6
6
10
2
38
21
Water Mindfulness
Wednesday
8-Jan
8
2
0
6
4
9
5
34
13
Thursday
9-Jan
5
2
3
4
8
11
6
39
Friday
10-Jan
7
1
6
6
5
8
4
5
2
0
0
37
19
7
$2 Swim
samrday
11-Jan
4
1
3
3
4
4
2
6
2
29
1
Sunday
12-Jan
5
9
5
1
0
20
$2 Swim
Monday
13-Jan
4
3
3
6
7
8
5
36
21
Tuesday
14-Jan
2
3
7
5
4
11
7
39
20
Water Mindfulness
Wednesday
15-Jan
6
1
2
7
8
7
6
37
17
Thursday
16-Jan
2
4
4
3
7
8
2
30
Friday
17-Jan
4
2
4
6
11
11
4
0
1
1
0
42
7
2
$2 Swim
samrday
18-Jan
7
0
5
7
7
2
2
7
1
38
4
sunday
19-Jan
0
0
5
2
0
7
$2 Swim
Monday
20-Jan
5
4
1
6
3
11
9
39
16
Tuesday
21-Jan
2
4
9
3
5
9
3
35
11
Water Mindfulness
Wednesday
22-Jan
3
5
1
5
6
12
2
34
17
Thursday
23-Jan
4
4
3
2
4
9
2
28
Friday
24-Jan
7
2
3
10
4
10
2
0
6
1
0
38
20
7
$2 Swim
samrday
25-Jan
0
StaffTraining
Sunday
26-Jan
0
6
4
0
0
10
$2 Swim
Monday
27-Jan
7
5
2
7
7
13
1
42
18
Tuesday
28-Jan
5
5
6
4
8
14
4
46
19
Water Mindfulness
Wednesday
29-Jan
3
6
1
7
2
9
4
32
15
Thursday
30-Jan
4
4
5
2
7
8
2
32
Friday
31-Jan
5
3
4
4
13
15
1
0
4
3
0
45
21
7
$2 Swim
Hourly Totals:
120
69
96
137
145
229
88
13
6
10
46
24
Grand Total
Total Scans: 862 Totals: 903 229 0 155 1287
Averages: 29.1 7.4 0.0 5.0 41.5
Activenet issue that impacted user status and pass scan numbers in system
$2 Swim. This quantity is not included in Daily Rec Totals
Facility closed for events/maintenance/holiday
Mercer Park Aquatic Center - Indoor Swimming Pool Totals - January 2025
Date
6-7a
7-8a
8-9a
9-10a
10-11a
11-12p
12-1p
1-2p
2-3p
3-4p
4-5p
5-6 p
6-7p
7-8p
DailyRecTotals
WaterFitness
Swim Team
Event# Count
Event Name
7ty
1-Jan0
City Holiday
2-Jan
9
9
7
12
42
13
6
5
3
1
4
10
4
1
72
3
54
$2 Swim
3-Jan
6
9
7
16
20
10
16
8
7
4
103
2
Swim Meet
Swim Meet
4-Jan
4
3
5
12
13
13
3
15
11
25
15
10
1
3
133
130
s�nday
5-Jan
16
10
11
11
5
2
3
0
1
102
Monday
6-Jan
9
12
16
17
9
8
16
8
5
7
6
4
9
3
129
130
Tuesday
7-Jan
6
8
6
18
12
15
10
9
3
6
6
9
13
2
93
3
130
30
$2 Swim
Wednesday
8-Jan
7
10
10
12
14
7
12
3
7
14
11
4
6
2
119
130
Thursday
9-Jan
4
13
7
8
11
13
5
4
6
3
4
6
10
1
76
5
130
19
$2 Swim
Friday
10-Jan
4
13
10
14
14
9
6
8
6
4
8
2
4
1
103
2
130
Saturday
11-Jan
3
3
6
9
10
10
7
9
13
7
8
7
4
6
102
130
Sunday
12-Jan
31
12
24
11
6
12
16
4
7
174
Monday
13-Jan
8
12
12
11
10
8
7
6
12
4
5
9
2
0
106
130
Tuesday
14-Jan
3
9
9
7
20
4
9
5
4
4
47
2
Swim Meet
27
$2 Swim
Wednesday
15-Jan
9
9
12
11
12
3
17
12
9
8
1
0
5
2
110
130
Tnursday
16-Jan
7
16
10
9
9
9
11
5
2
4
2
7
7
7
87
4
130
18
$2 Swim
Friday
17-Jan
10
16
8
13
11
12
13
6
9
4
3
18
7
1
131
3
130
Saturday
18-Jan
0
0
0
7
13
10
6
6
4
6
6
2
2
2
64
130
Sunday
19-Jan
21
9
14
43
13
7
5
6
2
161
Monday
20-Jan
4
5
6
10
19
8
8
9
17
8
10
5
6
2
117
130
Tuesday
21-Jan
4
6
3
4
6
8
6
7
7
10
5
4
1
3
64
2
130
10
$2 Swim
Wednesday
22-Jan
4
9
8
5
5
9
10
5
9
5
3
5
12
3
92
130
Thursday
23-Jan
5
10
8
8
10
8
15
8
5
5
6
4
4
2
80
2
130
18
$2 Swim
Friday
24-Jan
8
9
14
12
15
14
12
7
6
6
9
2
2
2
118
2
130
samrday
25-Jan
0
Staff Training
Sunday
26-Jan
39
17
21
21
9
11
6
0
2
167
Monday
27-Jan
9
13
14
10
18
8
9
7
10
3
10
6
3
4
124
130
Tuesday
28-Jan
5
9
14
10
12
11
7
5
5
5
7
6
9
2
85
4
130
22
$2 Swim
Wednesday
29-Jan
7
15
8
7
14
6
11
9
13
9
8
7
8
1
123
130
Tnursday
30-Jan
4
12
7
10
8
11
8
7
7
2
4
3
3
1 1
69
2
130
18
$2 Swim
Friday
31-Jan
10
11
8
9
14
12
11
7
1 9
6
4
2
13
1
117
4
130
Hourly Totals:
169
292
247
296
379
346
289
250
275
193
177
1 162
145
64
Grand Total
Total Scans: 2750 Totals: 3068 40 2860 216 6184
Averages: 99.0 1.3 92.3 7.0 199.5
Activenet issue that impacted user status and pass scan numbers in system
$2 Swim. This quantity is not included in Daily Rec Totals
Facility closed for events/maintenance/holiday
ICE = 92 (includes masters)
Community Foundation of Johnson County
City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Accounts
Statement Activity
Iowa City Parks and Rec Charitable Giving Fund
December 01, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Beginning Balance:
$42,026.32
Total Fund Income:
$100.00
Total Fund Expenses:
$3.20
Ending Balance:
$42,123.12
Statement Activity
Iowa City Parks and Rec Endowment Fund
December 01, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Beginning Balance:
$242,818.83
Total Fund Income:
($7,131.99)
Total Fund Expenses:
$58.57
Ending Balance:
$235,628.27
Iowa City Parks & Recreation Staff Report
February 2025
Upcoming Events
• Tot Time Season — M-F, January 6 — April 25, 9:30-11:30 am, MPAC
• Rollerskating — Saturdays, January 11— May 17; 3-5 pm, 5:30-7:30 pm; RAL
• Dog Sweater Party — Saturday, March 8 - 2-3:30 pm, Thornberry Dog Park
• She Speaks: Iowa City —Saturday, March 8, 1-3 pm, RAL
Notable from Parks & Recreation Staff
Parks:
• Winter street tree pruning is ongoing.
• Crews have removed invasive, dead, and encroaching vegetation along trails at Waterworks Prairie Park
and the Court Hill Trail.
• Brush removal is underway at Terry Trueblood Rec Area on the south end.
• We have finalized planting plans for trees for spring and fall and trees for spring plantings are ordered.
• We have also ordered perennials to be planted in multiple areas this spring to fill in gaps in planting
areas.
• Staff have utilized cold days to clean and organize the shop as well as complete trainings and continuing
education for their certifications.
• Seasonal hiring is in full swing and we have 1/3 of our positions filled.
Recreation:
• Many full-time and hourly recreation division staff have been assisting with STEAM/Arts/Nature
program development and implementation and summer camp planning while the Program Supervisor
position remains vacant.
• Recreation Division staff have begun planning summer programming and hiring staff. Farmers Market
registration begins in February, Summer Camp registration begins in March and Summer program
registration is in April.
Facilities:
• Ashton House roof-
o Materials have shipped. Waiting on a delivery date.
Iowa City Parks and Recreation Staff Report I City of Iowa City
• Robert A Lee & Mercer/Scanlon-
o Winter overall has been mild with no major issues. Staff has been working a little more diligently
to keep buildings comfortable with the large temperature swings.
Cemetery:
• Staff has been busy cleaning the shop/office and removing clutter and obsolete materials.
• Staff is also working on replacing the upstairs lighting with ballast bypass LED lights.
Top Staff Issues
Parks
• High equipment and material costs and budget uncertainties are keeping us creative and at times
slowing progress on planned projects.
Recreation
• An unresolved issue with our registration software, Activenet, has caused some issues with passes and
customer accounts. Staff have been actively engaged with Activenet staff on a resolution.
Cemetery:
• Staff has utilized the warmer weather to do some raking around the cemetery.
Iowa City Parks and Recreation Staff Report I City of Iowa City
Oakland
Cemetery
FY 25 Revenue Report
** shaded areas represent previous 5yr average
Revenue from Lot Sales
Lot Sale 5yr
Average
# of
Interments
Interments
5yr avg.
Revenue
from
Interments
5-year Avg.
on
Interments
Total
Revenue
5yr Avg. on
total
revenue
July
$2,700.00
$3,690.00
8
5.4
$4,885.00
$3,106.50
$7,585.00
$6,796.50
August
$4,950.00
$7,871.50
7
7.2
$3,520.00
$4,106.50
$8,470.00
$11,978.00
Sept
$900.00
$8,082.50
7
7.0
$3,027.50
$3,919.75
$3,927.50
$12,002.25
Oct
$10,350.00
$12,342.00
7
7.6
$3,427.50
$4,103.50
$13,777.50
$16,445.50
Nov
$1,800.00
$6,111.50
14
6.2
$7,287.50
$3,958.00
$9,087.50
$10,069.50
Dec
$13,050
$2,745.50
3
5.0
$2,235.00
$3091.00
$15,285.00
$5.,836.50
Jan
$1,800.00
$4,789.50
5
4.4
$2,567.50
$2,482.00
$4,367.50
$7,271.50
Feb
March
April
May
June
Totals
$35,550.00
$45,641.50
51
42.8
$26,950.00
1 $24,767.25
1$62,500.001
$70,399.75
Iowa City Parks and Recreation Staff Report I City of Iowa City