Baseball field #4 at Veterans Memorial Park will be among fields at three parks that will be renovated, if the Ann Arbor city council approves a recommendation of the park advisory commission. (Photos by the writer.)

PAC unanimously recommended awarding a nearly $1 million contract to RMD Holdings of Chesterfield, Michigan, for renovation of ballfields at Veterans Memorial Park, West Park and Southeast Area Park. If approved by the city council, work would begin after the 2012 summer season. Ann Arbor Rec & Ed – a unit of the Ann Arbor Public Schools – plans to cancel its fall season in light of the project. Teams playing in Rec & Ed programs are the primary users of these fields.

Commissioners also got an update on the status of West Park renovations – specifically, how problems with an underground stormwater system are being addressed. City engineer Nick Hutchinson described plans for repairing the system, saying that legal issues are still being worked out, but the project will likely be completed by July of 2012. A public forum will be held on Feb. 13 at Slauson Middle School to update residents. At a similar meeting held in mid-January, residents raised concerns over whether the situation in West Park has caused flooding in nearby basements.

Also at PAC’s Jan. 24 meeting, commissioner Gwen Nystuen urged the group to consider taking action on the Allen Creek greenway, in light of remarks made by mayor John Hieftje at the city council’s Jan. 23 meeting regarding the city-owned 415 W. Washington property. Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, reported that there’s been discussion about possibly applying for a state grant to help fund the greenway, but the timeline for applying this year is tight. He also suggested that an initial step would be to develop a master plan for the greenway, as recommended in the city’s parks, recreation and open space plan.

Near the beginning of the meeting, commissioner Sam Offen introduced the new executive director for the Leslie Science & Nature Center, Susan Westhoff, who spoke briefly to commissioners. Offen is a board member of the center, a nonprofit that’s located on city property.

Ballfield Renovations

The main action item on the Jan. 24 agenda was a resolution recommending a nearly $1 million contract to renovate softball and baseball fields at three city parks.

If approved by the city council, the $982,333 contract would be awarded to RMD Holdings of Chesterfield, Michigan. That amount includes a $893,030 base bid plus a 10% contingency of $89,303. It was the lowest of four bids received for the project, which will focus on the fenced ballparks at Veterans Memorial Park, West Park and Southeast Area Park. Originally, the city had intended to include fields at Allmendinger Park as well, but bids came in higher than expected, and that work was eliminated from the project.

The renovations have been in the works for more than two years. At PAC’s September 2010 meeting, commissioner David Barrett gave a report on the condition of the city’s ballparks after personally surveying them. [.pdf file of Barrett's ballpark report] According to a staff memo accompanying the Jan. 24 resolution, no major restoration work has been done on the fields in more than 10 years.

Staff from Ann Arbor Rec & Ed, a unit of the public school system, will work with city staff on this project – Rec & Ed programs are the primary users of these fields. Construction will likely begin in mid-August of 2012, with fields ready for use again in early spring of 2013. Rec & Ed plans to cancel its fall season to accommodate the project.

Funding will be drawn from three sources: (1) $250,000 from the approved FY 2012 parks maintenance and capital improvements millage budget; (2) $64,000 from an unobligated remaining fund balance in the expired park repair and restoration millage; and (3) $668,333 from the unobligated fund balance of the existing parks maintenance and capital improvements millage.

Deputy parks manager Jeff Straw and Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations, briefed PAC on the proposal. Straw noted that in collecting feedback for the 2010 update to the parks, recreation and open space (PROS) plan, the city heard loud and clear that people wanted better maintenance of the fields. The fields – used for baseball, softball and kickball – drew more than 5,000 players during the summer and fall seasons in 2011, Straw said.

Warba noted that when the city had a larger parks staff, renovations of the fields occurred every 10 years. Now, that’s no longer possible to do in-house, he said. Describing the current conditions of the fields, Warba said they are poorly graded, with poor drainage that results in water pooling in the infield, which limits play. The material used for the infield makes it dusty in the summer, and doesn’t allow water to drain quickly when it rains.

For the outfields, the playing surfaces are uneven, Warba said, the turf is in poor condition, and the warning tracks are filled with weeds. Fencing is deteriorating and damaged, and many of the backstops don’t have overhangs.

Upgrades will include regrading the infields, removing the infield lip, replacing the existing infield material with red clay, and installing drainage around the infield’s perimeter. Fencing will be replaced, automated irrigation systems will be installed, field turf will be restored, and concrete will be used for floors of the dugouts and bleacher pads.

Warba told commissioners that Stantec had drawn up designs for the project, and that the lowest “responsible” bid came from RMD Holdings, a company with prior experience doing this work.

Ballfield Renovations: Commission Discussion

Karen Levin asked whether other fields in the city’s parks system can be used to play on during the renovations. Warba said there are 24 other neighborhood fields available. The next phase of this project will be upgrading those as well, he said. Straw added that Rec & Ed decided to cancel its fall season in part because lighting would be a challenge – most of the other ballfields don’t have lights.

Colin Smith, the city’s manager of parks and recreation, noted that no matter how the renovations are handled, it will be inconvenient. Rec & Ed staff felt this would be the best approach, he said. Rec & Ed director Sara Aeschbach told commissioners that players had been surveyed about their preferences, and the strong preference was to preserve the summer season. Using the neighborhood ballparks is too difficult in the fall, because it gets dark earlier. She said players are excited that the fields will be improved.

Gwen Nystuen asked about the material that would be used under the team benches. Will it be a pervious surface? Water drainage is important, she noted. Warba replied that the area will be designed with an angle to allow water to flow off the surface. Pervious materials weren’t considered, he said, though there’s still time to make changes.

Colin Smith, Ann Arbor's parks and recreation manager.

Smith noted that the majority of players wear cleats, which would create problems for any pervious surface. He also pointed out that significant stormwater improvements will be made in that section of Veterans Memorial Park, as part of the Dexter-Ann Arbor street repair project.

Nystuen said that in general, whenever they can install pervious surfaces, it will make a difference in helping address stormwater runoff.

Christopher Taylor asked whether the ballpark renovations would coordinate in any way with the possible skatepark construction at Vets. Smith replied that it’s unlikely the skatepark construction will begin by August – it’s more likely that work on the project will start in the spring of 2013. In response to another query from Taylor, Smith indicated that construction equipment used to build the skatepark isn’t expected to damage the work done on the ballfields.

Mike Anglin said he assumed that the parks staff had coordinated this project with the road work being done along Dexter-Ann Arbor. Yes, Smith said. The stretch of Dexter-Ann Arbor along Veterans Memorial Park, east of Maple, will likely be closed from April through November. That’s another good reason for the fall season to be canceled, Smith said, adding that a lot of coordination will be needed.

Julie Grand observed that rates for using the fields at Fuller and Olson parks increased after those fields were renovated. Would rates also be increased at the ballfields after renovations?

Aeschbach said that Rec & Ed charges fees to cover the cost of prepping the fields for play, and those costs won’t change. It’s up to the city, she said, to set the actual rental rates for the fields. Many user groups no longer play on city fields because of the damaged conditions, she said, so demand isn’t high. Perhaps after the fields are renovated, the city can check to see if those groups will return and pay a higher rate.

Smith noted that this project is in line with the philosophy of taking care of and restoring what the city already owns. The ballfields are eyesores, he said, and not good for playing. In addition, Veterans Memorial Park is located at one of the major entry points into town – the corner of Maple and Dexter-Ann Arbor roads. The area needs attention, he said, and the city is undertaking a major effort to do that, in part to respond to feedback from users.

Outcome: Commissioner voted unanimously to recommend approval of the $982,333 contract with RMD Holdings for ballfield renovations at Veterans Memorial Park, West Park and Southeast Area Park. The recommendation will be forwarded to city council for consideration.

West Park Update

Commissioners had received an update on problems at West Park nearly a year ago, when Craig Hupy – head of systems planning for the city – spoke at PAC’s February 2011 meeting. At that time, Hupy had described the situation with the stormwater infrastructure there as a “catastrophic failure.”

PAC got a more detailed briefing at its Jan. 24 meeting. Parks planner Amy Kuras introduced Nick Hutchinson, a civil engineer and one of the project managers in the city’s public services unit, who was on hand to give an update on the status of swirl concentrators at West Park. It was a shortened version of a similar presentation he’d given at a public forum on the topic earlier in January. Kuras reported that forum had been well-attended.

Nick Hutchinson, an engineer and project manager with the city of Ann Arbor, updated PAC on the status of infrastructure renovations at West Park.

Hutchinson began by giving a brief history of stormwater management in West Park. Originally, north and south branches of Allen Creek flowed over the surface through the land that’s now West Park. In the early 20th century, Washtenaw County built drains through the park to collect stormwater, and directed the flow of Allen Creek into underground pipes. There’s also a sanitary sewer main that runs underground through the park. Hutchinson showed a map that indicated the location of the floodway and floodplain running through the park, as well as the location of the sewer main and county drains.

Over the years, conditions worsened. Deteriorating recreational facilities and uncontrolled flooding in the park led to certain areas being underused.

In 2010, the city renovated West Park, including its bandshell, basketball courts and pathways. The project also included upgrades for stormwater management, Hutchinson said. [The total project, supported in part by federal stimulus funds, cost about $4 million.]

The stormwater portion of the project included installation of some water treatment units – swirl concentrators – on the west side of the park, in the north and south branches of the Allen Creek drain. The purpose was to divert some of the water from the stormwater system, treat it, and remove pollutants before reintroducing it into the system to flow eventually into the Huron River.

Another part of the stormwater management was to remove a nominal amount of water from the stormwater pipes by disconnecting the inlets from North Seventh Street and sending some of the water back to the surface, as it had flowed historically. Water was diverted to a series of bioswales that led to wetlands and ponds as it flowed east through the park.

When construction was being completed around November 2010, Hutchinson reported, a sinkhole appeared on the west side of the park near the drain’s north branch, where the swirl concentrators were located. “These are maybe some of the things that didn’t go quite right on the project,” he said, “that we are still trying to address now.”

The contractor investigated and discovered that the lid on a swirl concentrator had caved in. Cameras were sent down into the other units and it was discovered that all four units on the north branch were in some stage of failure.

This photo, part of the meeting packet for the Jan. 24 park advisory commission, shows the installation of a swirl concentrator at West Park in the summer of 2010.

Hutchinson explained how the swirl concentrators are supposed to work. Water is diverted from the main stormwater pipe through a device called a diversion manhole, containing a 3.5-foot “weir wall” that prevents the water from flowing directly into the main stormwater system. Instead, the diverted water flows into a large cylinder, where it swirls around in a vortex. The solids in the water are forced to the center of the unit, where the velocity of the swirling is slower and the solids settle down to the bottom. The water exits into a pipe on the other side of the unit and is reintroduced into the stormwater system.

During normal conditions or a light rain, most of the water is diverted. But in heavy rainfall, only a portion of the water is diverted – the rest flows over the weir wall and continues directly through the stormwater system, without passing through the swirl concentrators.

A total of eight swirl concentrators were installed – four on the north branch, and four on the south branch. Each unit cost about $66,000, including construction. They were initially installed in June of 2010.

In August of 2010, the four units in the south branch were taken offline because of concerns that the weir wall wasn’t operating correctly, Hutchinson said. The wall wasn’t allowing higher flows to pass through the system during heavy rains. Then in November of 2010, after the swirl concentrator collapsed on the north branch, all four of those units were also taken offline. The weir wall was removed from the diversion manhole, and a bulkhead was installed to block the pipe that led to the swirl concentrators. Since then, water has flowed directly through the stormwater pipes – none of it is diverted to the swirl concentrators. The stormwater system is functioning as it did prior to 2010, Hutchinson said.

In late 2010, the city hired Orchard Hiltz & McCliment (OHM) to look into the situation. OHM began by doing a forensic investigation of the swirl concentrator failures, and determined that the lids of those units were too thin, causing the collapse. ”It was essentially a manufacturing flaw,” Hutchinson said.

OHM also reviewed the prior design of the diversion manholes and weir walls, and conducted some site-specific stormwater modeling to get an understanding of how stormwater behaves in the system. They used that information to present some ideas for improving the system, Hutchinson said. [In November 2010, city council authorized an additional $119,000 for OHM to complete these tasks. That brought total payment to OHM for the West Park project to $324,000. An August 2011 city staff memo indicated that the city expects to recover any additional costs due to the failures, either from the manufacturer or the firm that made the initial design, Beckett & Raeder Inc.]

With a failure of this magnitude there are legal issues, Hutchinson said, including disputes regarding who’s at fault – the contractor (Site Development Inc.) or the manufacturer (AquaShield Inc. and L.F. Manufacturing). He said he couldn’t discuss those issues, except to say that the parties seem to be getting very close to reaching a resolution. The legal issues shouldn’t hold up completion of the project, he said.

Next steps include refining the design of the diversion manholes and weir walls. In addition, residents have raised concerns about manhole covers being popped off during heavy rains, because of pressure from excess water in the system. So OHM is looking at redesigning the system to provide some relief options so that pressure will be eased during storms.

Another public meeting will be held on Feb. 13 at Slauson Middle School. At that meeting, city staff will review OHM’s draft design, and discuss the technical issues that led to the design, Hutchinson said.

In May and June of 2012, the manufacturer will make repairs on the units. Following that, the city will hire a contractor to make the changes that OHM proposes to the diversion manholes and weir walls. City staff hope to have that work completed by July of 2012, Hutchinson said.

West Park Update: Commission Discussion

John Lawter asked whether there are concerns that the shutdown of the swirl concentrators is affecting water detention capability, making it difficult to control floodwater. No, Hutchinson said – the purpose of the swirl concentrators isn’t water detention, but rather to improve the water quality as it flows through.

Are there problems in terms of how much water the units can handle? Lawter asked. If too much water is sent through the units, Hutchinson replied, the water will simply bypass the units and flow over the weir wall, going directly into the stormwater system. Capacity is not a concern. The redesign of the weirs and diversion manholes will ensure that the right amount of water gets in, he said.

Lawter raised the issue of basements flooding in that area, and wondered whether that problem is related to the situation at West Park. An improperly designed weir structure could cause back-ups upstream, Hutchinson said. Any design that’s installed in the future will be studied to ensure that it doesn’t cause any upstream disturbances, he added.

Sam Offen noted that this concern was raised by residents at the January public meeting on West Park. Offen agreed that the issue either needed to be resolved through the new design, or that information should be provided to residents to explain the situation.

Offen also asked how construction would affect the active areas of the park. The work will happen on the park’s west side, Hutchinson said. Access to the ballfield, bandshell and paths will be undisturbed. Kuras added that there are three entrances to the park off of Seventh Street. The north and south entrances will be closed, but the middle entrance will remain open.

Mike Anglin asked whether there was any data related to water flow through the system that was collected prior to the installation of the swirl concentrators. OHM collected flow data in the spring and summer of 2011, Hutchinson said, by putting monitoring devices in the stormwater pipes.

Anglin asked whether the city was making an effort to talk with residents whose basements have flooded. Hutchinson replied that the current project doesn’t entail working with residents. The project is specific to West Park infrastructure.

Kuras added that at the recent public forum on the West Park situation, some people brought up the issue of basement flooding. City staff knows that they need to address the broader issues related to the entire Allen Creek area upstream from West Park, she said.

Hutchinson noted that some neighborhoods – like Maple Ridge – experienced flooding in 2011. At that time, the pipes had been returned to their pre-2010 condition, he said, so the flooding they experienced wasn’t related to changes at West Park, he said.

Report on Fuller & Olson Athletic Fields

Commissioners received an update on conditions of the city’s Fuller Park and Olson Park athletic fields, which were renovated in 2009-2010. The first post-renovation scheduling of play occurred in 2011, from March through November.

From left: Jeff Straw, Ann Arbor deputy parks and recreation manager; Matt Warba, supervisor of field operations; and Jessica Black, parks and recreation customer service manager.

Jessica Black, parks and recreation customer service manager, described how the six Fuller Park fields were used during the spring, summer and fall playing seasons. [.pdf of Fuller fields layouts in 2011] She noted that the two fields at Olson Park are always used as full fields, but that some Fuller Park fields are split into half fields. There are also seasons when the fields are taken out of play and allowed to “rest.”

Black provided a breakdown of the types of users, noting that “soccer is definitely our No. 1 use.” Teams playing soccer accounted for 65% of the use of fields, 15% were lacrosse teams, and the remaining 20% was split between flag football and ultimate frisbee.

A total of 15 teams used the fields throughout 2011, including eight teams that returned from previous years and seven new teams. There were youth and adult teams, and University of Michigan club sports.

City staff had determined that 35 games per field per season was the maximum number of games that should be allowed, in order to maintain the condition of the fields, Black reported. For the three seasons in 2011, Olson and Fuller fields were used at about 79% capacity, she said. At the six Fuller fields, 679 games were played out of a possible 875. At Olson’s two fields, 175 games were played out of 210 possible games.

Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy manager of parks and recreation, briefed commissioners on revenues from the fields. Rates were set at $60 per hour for most of the full fields at Fuller and for the two Olson fields. Half-field rates at Fuller were $40 per hour. For field #6 at Fuller, the rental fee was $32 an hour for a full field, and $20 an hour for a half field. [Previously, rates ranged from $16 an hour to a high of $31.50 an hour, depending on a variety of factors, including residency (Ann Arbor residents were charged lower rates) and time of day (rates for prime time, between 4-8 p.m., were higher). PAC recommended rate increases at its January 2010 meeting.]

Based on the maximum number of games allowed, the six Fuller fields could have brought in a maximum of $70,280. But because the fields were not used at full capacity, Fuller fields recorded $54,608 in revenues during 2011. Of that, $5,400 was later refunded due to weather cancellations, Straw said.

For Olson’s two fields, $21,000 in revenue was collected, but $1,500 was refunded because of cancellations. Those two fields had the potential to bring in $25,200 in revenues, if played to capacity.

Factoring in refunds, the eight fields at Fuller and Olson had a total of $68,708 in revenues during 2011.

Total estimated expenses were $82,688. Major line items were administration and scheduling costs ($25,000), mowing ($18,368) and fertilizing/aerification/overseeding ($18,800).

Commenting on the financials, Matt Warba – the city’s supervisor of field operations – said he didn’t think it was anyone’s intent to make the fields self-sufficient. But it’s getting close, he added, and that’s encouraging.

Warba also noted that April and May of 2011 were especially rainy months – the city had to cancel play on 25 days out of a 45-day period because of rain. Warba also noted that the irrigation system at Olson failed during the summer, resulting in turf loss. That system has been repaired.

Report on Fuller & Olson Athletic Fields: Commission Discussion

Karen Levin asked how 2012 expenses are expected to compare to 2011. Warba replied that costs generally are expected to remain static.

Sam Offen wondered how revenues compared to previous years. Colin Smith, manager of parks and recreation, said it would be difficult to compare since the rates were lower in the past, prior to the renovations. He hadn’t asked his staff to bring those figures.

Gwen Nystuen asked how long it would be before the city would need to invest in another major renovation of the fields. Warba replied that it would be possible to maintain the fields without major renovations. They’re taking a cautious approach, he said, by resting fields periodically so that they can be kept in good condition. The city staff has to balance demand for the fields against maintenance.

Julie Grand, chair of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission.

Nystuen noted that because the fields are fenced in, that keeps people off when it’s raining. That was the intent, Warba said. Olson fields aren’t fenced, however, and in some cases players have jumped the fences at Fuller, he said. One field had to be taken out of play for a month because of the damage caused when people played on a field that was supposed to be closed. Warba said the city will likely hire a temporary worker next season to patrol the fields – it would be cheaper than having to repair damage to a field if players jump the fence.

John Lawter asked whether the city is meeting the need for this kind of play, or could they do more? Smith noted that the fields are at 79% capacity, so there’s space available. However, there’s more demand than capacity for prime time slots – between 4-8 p.m. Black reported that the staff has set the maximum number of games at 35 per field per season. If the city were to add more games in order to accommodate more teams, that might not ultimately meet the teams’ needs, because the condition of the fields would deteriorate. “It’s a balancing act,” Black said.

Smith said the city wants to avoid having to make another major investment in renovating the fields. If demand is high, it’s possible to look at adding fields in other parks, he added, or possibly to acquire more land for that purpose.

Julie Grand asked if the city is doing outreach to groups that might have a lower impact on the fields – sports that don’t involve as much running and kicking as soccer, for example. Black said that at this point, there hasn’t been that kind of outreach.

Gwen Nystuen called the overall report encouraging.

Communications: Allen Creek Greenway, Leslie Science Center

Every meeting includes opportunities for public commentary and communications from commissioners and staff. No one spoke during either of the slots for public commentary at the Jan. 24 meeting.

Communications: Allen Creek Greenway

Gwen Nystuen brought up the issue of the Allen Creek Greenway. She noted that mayor John Hieftje had mentioned there might be action taken soon on the city-owned 415 W. Washington property, which has been identified as a potential part of a greenway. He’d made these comments at the Jan. 23 city council meeting. She wondered if there was any additional information about that.

[Hieftje had indicated that talks were continuing with the group that had been formed to look at the city-owned 415 W. Washington lot. The council passed a resolution giving direction for the effort at its Feb. 1, 2010 meeting, nearly two years ago. The resolution calls for the arts and greenway communities to lead fundraising and development of a vision for the parcel’s use. The site, across from the YMCA, is currently providing revenue to the city as a surface parking lot. It was previously the city’s maintenance yard. At the Jan. 23, 2012 council meeting, Hieftje said the group continues to meet – the biggest challenge remains the building. He said a report on the status of the project would be given at the end of February.]

Christopher Taylor, an ex-officio member of PAC who also serves on city council, said he didn’t have any further information at all. Nystuen then reminded commissioners that the greenway is one of PAC’s priorities. The City Apartments project at First and Washington, by the developer Village Green, is moving ahead, she said. That residential development will include parking spaces, she added, which will free up the need for spaces at the city-owned First and William surface lot that’s located in a floodway. That lot could become part of a greenway, she observed.

Park commissioner Gwen Nystuen and city councilmember Mike Anglin, an ex-officio member of the commission.

The time has come for PAC to actively pursue the greenway, Nystuen said, adding that the city council passed a resolution recently in support of a greenway.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, noted that a council resolution was passed on Aug. 4, 2011 expressing general support for the idea of a greenway. There have been conversations, he said, about applying for a grant from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund, to turn the 415 W. Washington site into a park. The city staff is looking into that. The process would be similar to the way that the trust fund application for the skatepark had been handled, Smith explained. Staff would first come to PAC for a recommendation to apply. That recommendation would be forwarded to city council, which would need to approve the application.

Smith noted that one issue for the 415 W. Washington property is that it’s located in a historic district – the Old West Side. So in addition to PAC, the city would need a recommendation from the historic district commission too, he said.

Finally, Smith reminded commissioners that the parks, recreation and open space (PROS) plan, which PAC approved, recommends that the first action should be development of a master plan to guide the creation of a greenway. That point bears consideration, he said.

Nystuen responded by asking what PAC could do to move this process along. This year her term on the commission ends, she said, and the greenway has been a priority for her for both of her terms on PAC. That’s why she feels some urgency about this issue, she added.

What PAC decides as a body is up to commissioners, Smith replied. They can give direction to develop a greenway master plan, or tell staff to move ahead on the grant application before a master plan is developed. Nystuen asked how other commissioners felt – should they put forward a resolution?

Mike Anglin, a city councilmember who’s a non-voting ex-officio member of PAC, noted that the city’s environmental commission – on which he also serves has previously served – sometimes deals with issues related to parks. Perhaps a subcommittee of the two commissions could be formed to discuss the greenway, he said. There’s federal funding available for water management, he said, which might be one aspect of the greenway. Anglin also noted that the arts community has been interested in that site – they should be included in the dialogue, too.

There are several interested parties, Smith said – parks, the county drain commissioner, the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, the railroad owners, the Arts Alliance and others. That’s why having a master plan would be useful.

Julie Grand asked about a timeline for the grant application. It’s due April 2, Smith said. That means it would be necessary to secure a PAC recommendation in February, and city council approval in March. It’s also unclear how the historic district commission would fit into this process.

No doubt there’s strong interest in the community, Smith said. But it’s uncertain how to manage the project at this point. He noted that a task force had been formed in 2007 to evaluate development of a greenway that might incorporate the 415 W. Washington site as well as city property at 721 N. Main and First & William. The group couldn’t come to a consensus for the best use of 415 W. Washington, he said, so no decision was made. It seems like a public dialogue is needed to figure out the best option, he said.

Nystuen said she wanted to point out that the near-downtown area on the city’s west side has a shortage of green space. New residential developments will be bringing hundreds of young people downtown, so there will be an increased interest in recreational areas, she said. It makes sense to move forward with a greenway adjacent to downtown. Nystuen said it sounded like the best approach would be to put together a resolution for PAC’s February meeting.

Smith said he’s still waiting on direction regarding whether to apply for the grant. If he gets that direction, then of course the staff would bring a resolution to PAC, he said. Separately, PAC can do what it wants regarding the greenway – that’s not for him to say, Smith told commissioners.

Communications: Leslie Science & Nature Center

At the beginning of the Jan. 24 meeting, commissioner Sam Offen introduced the new executive director for the Leslie Science & Nature Center, Susan Westhoff. [Offen is a board member of the center.]

Sam Offen, an Ann Arbor park advisory commissioner, and Susan Westhoff, executive director of the Leslie Science & Nature Center. Offen also serves on the center's board.

Offen said that Westhoff started about a month ago and is already doing an excellent job. He noted there had been a recent public meeting at the center to discuss a master plan for pedestrian access there. [The center was previously part of the city's parks system, but was spun off as a separate nonprofit in 2007. The city continues to own the center’s property and buildings.]

Westhoff spoke briefly to commissioners, noting that the center and the city had a long history. She said she’s been working in nonprofit administration for about 15 years. She grew up in Canton and graduated from the University of Michigan. Her first nonprofit experience was at the University Musical Society, and she said she’s glad to be back in Ann Arbor.

Westhoff said she’d be happy to share the plans for the pedestrian pathway improvements that are being developed. Among other things, it will make paths to the center’s raptor enclosures ADA compliant. She also noted that the center has many great public programs, and highlighted the Feb. 12 “Hoo’s Your Valentine?” event that features the center’s barn owl.

Julie Grand, PAC’s chair, thanked Westhoff for coming and said she looked forward to collaborating.

Present: Doug Chapman, Julie Grand, Karen Levin, Gwen Nystuen, John Lawter, Sam Offen, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio), councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Tim Doyle.

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 begins at 4 p.m. in the city hall second-floor council chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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Sam Offen of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission hands off his ballot to Christopher Taylor, the Ward 3 councilmember who's an ex-officio representative on PAC. Per its bylaws, the commission elected officers by secret ballot, though only one person was nominated for each position. (They seemed to appreciate the irony.) Offen was re-elected chair of PAC's budget committee. (Photos by the writer.)

A financial report for the most recent fiscal year, which ended June 30, included news that Ann Arbor’s two golf courses performed better than expected – though one commissioner calculated that the city still paid a $10 subsidy for each round of golf played during the year.

Later in the meeting, Colin Smith – the city’s park and recreation manager – reported that an RFP for the Huron Hills Golf Course has been issued, with a pre-bid meeting to be held on Monday, Sept. 27. Several members of the public turned up at last month’s PAC meeting to argue against the RFP, which is soliciting ideas for a possible private/public partnership at the course. No one spoke during public commentary on Tuesday.

Another RFP – this one for reconstruction of the Argo Dam headrace – has yielded two responses that are being reviewed. A recommendation will likely be brought to PAC next month, Smith reported. If approved, it would change the shape of the embankment.

And an RFP for the Ann Arbor Senior Center has nearly reached the end of the selection process. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to recommend hiring Hooker/De Jong, a Muskegon consulting firm, to develop a strategic plan for the center, at a cost of $34,570. It now goes to the city council for approval.

A council directive issued last year – asking PAC to prioritize 30 recommendations made in the Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan (HRIMP) – was raised during Tuesday’s meeting by Julie Grand, the commission’s chair. She noted that the year-end deadline for completing this task was fast approaching, and they needed to carve out some time to address it. Commissioner Tim Berla said he’d like to see the council form a river stewardship committee – that’s one of the HRIMP recommendations.

The commission also heard a report from David Barrett, a PAC member who’s been assessing the conditions of the city’s ball fields. “With a few exceptions, most are in need of help,” he told his PAC colleagues.

Financial Reports: Open Space Millage, Fiscal Year Update

Commissioners heard two financial reports during Tuesday’s meeting, for 1) the open space and parkland preservation millage, and 2) the city’s overall parks and recreation budget. Both reports covered 2010 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

FY2010: Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage

Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund gave a presentation on financial statements for the open space and parkland preservation millage for the fiscal year. Trocchio serves as support staff for the millage-funded greenbelt and park acquisition programs. [A similar presentation was made at the greenbelt advisory commission's Sept. 8 meeting.]

Revenues coming from the 30-year millage, which Ann Arbor voters passed in 2003, were slightly higher in FY 2010 – $2.262 million, compared to $2.232 million in FY 2009. Two-thirds of the millage proceeds fund the greenbelt program, with the remaining third – $793,000 in FY 2010 – allotted to parks.

In FY 2006, the city took out a $20 million bond that’s being paid back with revenue from the millage. The fund balance from the bond stands at $15.427 million, down from $17.1 million in FY 2009. Millage revenue exceeds the amount needed to make debt service payments on the bond – the surplus is accruing in a separate account. Of the $15.427 million fund balance, $12.475 million is the accrual of funds from the millage and $2.952 million is the remainder of the bond monies.

The $15.427 million fund balance is divided between parks and the greenbelt in the same one-third/two-thirds allocation. The fund balance available for parks is $4.77 million.

On the expense side, during FY10 $281,020 in millage funds were spent on park projects. The city bought the Patrician Homes property at the southwest corner of Miller and Chapin, adjacent to West Park. A house on the property will be torn down, with the intent of giving West Park greater visibility and access from that side. Later in the meeting, Smith said that the city would soon be soliciting bids to demolish the house, which he expects to happen later this year.

In addition, Dr. Lev Linkner donated land along Huron Parkway, between Packard and Washtenaw, that connects Redbud Nature Area and Scheffler Park. The parcel is roughly a third of an acre, and crosses Malletts Creek.

After Trocchio’s presentation, PAC chair Julie Grand told Trocchio that she shouldn’t be offended that there weren’t questions – it reflected the clarity of her report, Grand said.

FY 2010: Parks and Recreation General Fund

Colin Smith, manager of parks and recreation, gave an update on year-end finances for FY 2010, which ended June 30. He began by saying that the recreation managers did a great job of managing revenues and expenses for the year. [.pdf file of financial summary spreadsheet] The report did not show comparative data to previous years.

Smith first reviewed 12 parks and recreation line items in the general fund budget. Only three areas had been budgeted to show a surplus, and they achieved that result: Veteran’s fitness center ($3,059), Argo livery ($19,376) and Gallup livery ($59,779). The Argo livery surplus was lower than budgeted by $36,620, while Gallup’s surplus was $42,566 higher than budgeted – Smith attributed that to a staff allocation issue, with more time than anticipated spent on Argo by facility supervisor Cheryl Saam, and less of her time spent on Gallup than had been budgeted.

Revenues were higher than budgeted in four of the 12 line items. Facility rental revenues were up nearly 13% compared to budget, because of an increased interest in renting Cobblestone Park, the farmers market and other facilities, Smith said. Also outperforming the budget was the Ann Arbor Senior Center, which brought in $65,767 in revenues – about $10,000 more than expected. Revenues at Veteran’s Pool and for the administration line item – which includes revenues from leasing parking lots to the University of Michigan – were up slightly more than expected too.

Revenues were down significantly at Buhr Rink, Smith noted, because the facility didn’t open until January due to renovations there. The rink brought in $76,491 in revenues, 39% less than what was expected. However, expenses of $106,151 were also lower – 37% less than budgeted.

Overall, parks and recreation general fund line items brought in $2.109 million in revenue, with total expenses of $3.288 million – for a loss of $1.179 million during the 12-month period.

FY 2010: Parks and Recreation Enterprise Funds

The two enterprise funds for parks and recreation – the farmers market and golf – were reported  separately. Enterprise funds are operations that are expected to be self-sustaining. The farmers market brought in $161,262 in revenues, with $155,993 in expenses for the year – resulting in a $5,269 surplus.

Colin Smith, manager of Ann Arbor parks and recreation.

The golf enterprise fund includes operations at Huron Hills and Leslie Park golf courses. In total, the fund reported revenues of $1.122 million for the year, with $1.645 million in expenses – for a $523,529 total loss. Huron Hills revenue of $304,541 was 19% higher than expected, while expenses were lower than budgeted by nearly 8%.

At Leslie Park, revenue of $817,638 was 1.5% higher than budgeted. Expenses of $1.067 million were on par with budget.

Commissioner Tim Berla asked how many rounds of golf were played last year, and was told about 30,000 rounds at Leslie and 20,000 rounds at Huron Hills. Berla then calculated, based on the roughly $500,000 loss, that the city is paying about a $10 subsidy for each round of golf. He noted that this was his perspective and that others look at it differently, but he found it troubling. It seems out of balance to subsidize something that only a small percentage of residents use, he said. It might be the case that more people play soccer, Berla said, but the city pays perhaps 10 times as much for its golf courses than it does for its soccer fields. “I just wanted to note that, that’s all.”

Smith pointed out that the subsidy came from the general fund, not out of the parks and recreation budget – though he conceded that if the city council decided to change the accounting for golf, it would significantly impact the parks and recreation budget. But regardless on your perspective about a subsidy to golf, Smith said, both courses as budgeted were doing a fantastic job in an overall market that saw declining revenues and rounds played statewide.

Berla asked Smith to remind them of where the courses stood in terms of the long-range plan that had been laid out by a consultant hired to assess the city’s golf operations. FY 2010 was the second year in a six-year forecast, Smith said. For that year, the forecast had anticipated a $519,000 loss for the courses. So they’re on track with the forecast, he said, adding that the courses were never expected to eliminate their losses completely over that six-year period.

Gwen Nystuen recalled that PAC had recommended Huron Hills not be an enterprise fund. Smith confirmed that of the two courses, Leslie was more likely to be self-sustaining. Nystuen pointed out that the rest of the parks weren’t self-sustaining, and the city is willing to subsidize them. Do they calculate how much it costs someone to walk across a park? she asked. The city shouldn’t put something into an enterprise fund if the operation can’t support itself. Smith replied that the golf courses “will be part of very robust discussions come budget time.”

PAC chair Julie Grand, who serves on the city’s golf advisory task force, noted that the strategy right now for Huron Hills is to make rounds affordable so that they can draw in seniors and youth, by making play more accessible. And David Barrett pointed out that Leslie now has a liquor license – he asked if revenues from alcohol sales were “baked into” the total revenues for Leslie. Smith replied that total revenues did include alcohol sales, which were about $40,000 out of $79,000 in concession sales at Leslie during the year. Barrett asked if the liquor license had been a plus for Leslie, and Smith said that it was, especially for bringing in more leagues, outings and traveling golf groups.

As an overall comment about the budget report, Sam Offen – who chairs PAC’s budget committee – complimented Smith and the parks staff. Not only did they do a good job in sticking to their budget, he said, but they also produced a report that could actually be understood, “which wasn’t the case five or six years ago.”

Consultant for Senior Center Strategic Plan

During the previous budget cycle, the city administrator initially proposed closing the Ann Arbor Senior Center, which operates out of a building in Burns Park. It was part of a broader effort to cut expenses from the budget – at the time, the center’s operating deficit was about $150,000.

But the community rallied, and the city formed a task force to identify ways to raise revenues and cut costs. Among a raft of recommendations made – which ultimately convinced the city council to keep the senior center open – was the suggestion to develop a long-term strategic plan. The city received a $16,949 grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation to help pay for a consultant to develop the plan, and earlier this year a request for proposals (RFP) was issued to solicit proposals. [For an update on other recommendations, see Chronicle coverage: "Shoring Up the Ann Arbor Senior Center"]

At Tuesday’s PAC meeting, Colin Smith – the city’s parks and recreation manager – told commissioners that three consultants responded to the RFP. [The three firms were Schumaker & Co. of Ann Arbor, Hooker/De Jong and The Woods Consulting Group of Muskegon, and The Kittle Group of Auburn Hills.] Two were determined by a review committee to be viable, but both were too expensive. After asking the consultants to resubmit, the committee – which included PAC chair Julie Grand – selected Hooker/De Jong for a total cost of $34,570.

In addition to the community foundation grant, Smith said the cost will be covered with $10,000 from the city’s community services administration general fund, and $7,621 from the parks and recreation services administration general fund.

Smith said Hooker/De Jong was selected because of their experience working with senior groups, their enthusiasm for the project, and their proposed approach. Jeff Straw, deputy manager of parks and recreation, reported that the consultants will begin by assessing current conditions, doing market research and talking to stakeholder groups. They’ll look at national trends and at what similar centers are doing in other communities. They’ll explore possible partnerships, rebranding, use of the center’s website and possible changes to programs and services offered at the center.

One of the challenges is the center’s building, Smith said, and because Hooper/De Jong also provides architectural services, they’ll be in a better position to make recommendations on possible changes to the buildling. Commissioner Gwen Nystuen noted that the space was originally a shared facility for theater and dance, as well as seniors – that, in part, explains its “strange” shape, she said.

If approved by council, the consultants are expected to start their work in November, with a strategic plan developed by February or March. With that timeframe, the plan’s recommendations can be considered as part of the FY 2012 budget process, Straw said.

Nystuen asked about the nearby Eberbach building, at corner of South Forrest and Wells. Smith said it’s owned by the city but being used by Ann Arbor Rec & Ed, which is part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Sara Aeschbach, director of Rec & Ed, was in the audience and told commissioners that under an agreement with the city, it’s leased for $1 a year. AAPS covers expenses associated with the building, and sets aside roughly $10,000 each year for future capital needs.

Outcome: PAC unanimously approved a recommendation to select Hooker/De Jong as the consultant to develop a strategic plan for the Ann Arbor Senior Center. The proposal will be forwarded to city council for its approval.

Report on Ball Field Conditions

Commissioner David Barrett gave an update on his work to assess the city’s ballparks, and thanked commissioner Tim Berla, parks manager Colin Smith and Matt Warba, supervisor of field operations, for their help. It was a simple process, Barrett said – he just went to each field and walked around it. There are 28 fields at Ann Arbor public schools, and 26 owned by the city. “I may have missed a couple, but not many.”

Barrett also went to surrounding communities to look at the condition of their ballparks. For each field, he recorded his general impressions, as well as the conditions of the infields, outfields and backstops.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Barrett read a 1.5 page memo he prepared about the condition of the fields. [.pdf file of Barrett's ballpark report] An excerpt:

From the general to the specific, the larger canvas of their state is that many fields appear to be worn down and dog eared. Some simply need some work around the edges; others need fundamental renovation. Some fields need dirt and a refashioning of the drainage from the fields so that every rainstorm does not stop play for days; others need new backstops. Some need the outfields to be fertilized so the grass in the outfield grows evenly versus in clumps; others simply need more frequent mowing. Some need decent rubbers on the mound so the pitchers have something decent to push off of when they throw the ball; others have infields that are so hard that sliding would be inadvisable if not dangerous.

The interrelationship between the City, the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and Rec & Ed is a complex tapestry that was woven together organically over the years when monies were more plentiful – but as the budgetary stresses touched all of these organizations, there was a need to clarify the exact maintenance responsibilities of each. Recently, these responsibilities have been formalized in an agreement between all parties. Whether this has helped or hindered the maintenance of the existing fields remains to be seen. That said, this on-going dialogue should aid in figuring out how to best use limited resources.

Barrett – best known outside of Ann Arbor as a songwriter, whose repertoire includes “One Shining Moment” – told his fellow commissioners that he approached this project through the eyes of a nine-year-old who used the fields. It was heartening to him that the city staff recognized the need for improvement. Ann Arbor can do better, he said.

David Barrett is spearheading an effort to improve the conditions of the city's ball fields.

The fields are well-used, and some have been in place for 30-40 years. Smith reported that in the 2009 fall season, there were nearly 14,000 participants playing baseball, softball or kickball on the fields. In the summer of 2010, that number reached nearly 40,000. The fields are maintained by the city and public schools, Smith said, and this is just the start of a conversation about how to do a better job of that.

Warba praised Barrett for his approach – not placing blame, but trying to do something positive. It was similar to Barrett’s work on the city’s soccer fields, which led to major renovations of the fields at Fuller and Olson parks. It’s not lost on the staff that maintenance has been deferred, Warba said, but they are working with limited resources. Both Warba and Smith said it made sense to add the city-owned ballparks to the capital improvements plan (CIP) – funds might be available there to upgrade the facilities.

Barrett said there were other possibilities too, like recruiting neighborhood or civic groups to adopt a field – the new volunteer outreach coordinator for parks and recreation might help with that, he said. As an example, Barrett said the field at Forsythe Middle School was in bad shape when he visited there a year ago. But recently, he’s been by there and seen an improvement, though he’s not sure who’s taking care of it. “Someone adopted this field,” he said, “and the difference was night and day.”

HRIMP Recommendations To Be Reviewed Again

Saying she almost hated to bring up the topic, PAC chair Julie Grand reminded commissioners that last year, the city council had directed PAC to take another look at the 30 recommendations made in the Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan (HRIMP). By the end of the year, PAC needs to report back to council with a list of the recommendations that are financially feasible to implement, she said.

By way of background, the HRIMP committee was established by the city’s environmental commission in March of 2006 to develop a plan for protecting and maintaining the portion of the Huron River that flows through the city of Ann Arbor. Beginning in early 2009, a series of public engagements were held as the committee entered the final stages of its work. [Chronicle coverage: "Not So Gently Down the Stream"]

The Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan produced by the committee contains 30 recommendations labeled “consensus recommendations,” with two others on which there was no consensus. The two non-consensus resolutions contradicted each other, with one calling for the removal of Argo Dam and the other calling for its preservation. Much of the public engagement focused exclusively on the dam-in/dam-out question. Part of the context for that question was a problem with toe drains, identified by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, in the earthen embankment adjacent to the concrete and steel dam, which separates the headrace from the river.

In May of 2009 the city’s environmental commission voted in support of dam removal, while the city’s park advisory commission voted for its preservation. [Chronicle coverage: "City Council To Weigh Mixed Advice on Dam"] The resolution to accept the committee’s plan was first considered at the council’s Nov. 16 meeting, but postponed until Dec. 7.

At that Dec. 7 meeting, the city council held an extensive discussion about the plan, including a somewhat tortuous debate about whether the council would “accept” it or “receive” it. Ultimately, council voted to remand the plan back to the environmental commission and PAC.

At Tuesday’s PAC meeting, Colin Smith read the directive given by council:

RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council directs the Park Advisory Commission and Environmental Commission to evaluate the 30 consensus recommendations, and to present options for implementation to City Council for those that can be acted upon at little or no cost; and

RESOLVED, That the Park Advisory Commission and the Environmental Commission complete their recommendations and report back to Council within one year.

When he read the phrase “at little or no cost,” commissioners laughed.

Grand said she hoped they could schedule a working session on the topic in October or November. A regular PAC meeting didn’t seem the best forum to take a first stab at the task, she said.

Gwen Nystuen asked whether this involved the dam in/dam out decision. Grand replied that although council never voted on that, it appears that the decision has been made to leave the dam in. PAC’s task is to look at the 30 consensus recommendations that didn’t address the dam in/dam out issue.

Tim Berla noted that PAC had voted on a resolution to recommend keeping the dam in, but that they’d dropped the ball on the other 30 recommendations. He said he wanted them to craft a resolution calling for council to create another commission that would regulate all things related to the river: noise; rules regarding motorboats; relationships between rowers, canoeists, kayakers, fishermen and others who used the river; and plant management, among other things. It’s like the sheriff’s out of town, he said, and no one’s in charge to enforce the rules.

Smith pointed out that one of the 30 recommendations calls for creation of a river stewardship committee. But they weren’t going to go over the specific recommendations at this meeting, he said.

Berla said he wanted to make sure the public had the opportunity to get involved before PAC took action regarding the HRIMP recommendations. So if PAC plans to vote on it at their Nov. 16 meeting, he wanted to get something out to the public before then. Sam Offen suggested that they talk about it at their October land acquisition committee meeting, of which all commissioners are members. Then they could draft a resolution for the Oct. 19 PAC meeting.

Grand observed that some of the issues are quite complex, and that they might need more time. In response to an email from The Chronicle on Wednesday, Grand said they hadn’t yet decided when to discuss the recommendations.

Julie Grand was re-elected chair of PAC at Tuesday's meeting.

Election of PAC Officers

The commission quickly dispatched its annual election of officers – none of the three positions were contested, and each officer was re-elected.

Julie Grand was re-elected as PAC chair, a role she has held since Scott Rosencrans left the commission when his term ended at the end of April. John Lawton was re-elected vice chair, and Sam Offen was re-elected as chair of PAC’s budget committee.

According to PAC bylaws, the elections are held by secret ballot – on Tuesday, those took the form of yellow slips of paper distributed by Colin Smith, parks and recreation manager.

There was no suspense as he counted the ballots – everyone was re-elected unanimously.

Report from Parks and Recreation Manager

Colin Smith relayed several updates to commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting, including a few that prompted discussion.

Argo Dam Reconstruction

The city received two responses last week to its request for proposals (RFP) to reconstruct the headrace at Argo Dam. They received three bids for repairing the toe drains. [Details of the RFP were presented at PAC's July 20, 2010 meeting. See Chronicle coverage: "Two Dam Options for Argo"] A committee that includes PAC commissioner David Barrett will be reviewing the proposals, Smith said. If there are any they’d like to pursue, they’ll hold interviews in early October, then bring a committee recommendation to PAC’s Oct. 19 meeting.

Also related to Argo Dam, Smith reported that a contractor had started removing dead and dying trees along the dam’s embankment. It’s part of a consent agreement that the city reached with the state in May, laying out steps that the city must take to address some of long-outstanding issues with the dam. The path along the embankment is closed every Monday through Thursday while the work is completed. About 100 trees are being removed, and the work is expected to be finished later this month.

Tim Berla asked whether PAC would receive a recommendation at its next meeting on the Argo Dam proposals, and whether they’d be asked to vote on the recommendation at the same meeting. Yes, Smith said. Berla said his understanding was that the selected proposal would likely change the shape of the dam. Smith confirmed that it would – one of the requirements listed in the RFP was removal of the portage, which would change the shape of the embankment.

Berla asked whether information about the embankment would be made public before the meeting, so that the public would be informed. The information will be available, Smith said.

Sam Offen asked whether a public hearing could be held, given that it’s unclear how controversial the proposals might be. Smith said they were working under a tight timeline because of the consent agreement with the state. That means PAC needs to make a recommendation at its October meeting, he said.

David Barrett agreed – his understanding is that the state is driving this compressed timeline. “There’s no shell game here – we simply have a gun to our head to get it done, or bad things happen.”

Berla suggested putting out a press release about the proposal at least a week before the meeting, so that people could email staff and commissioners if they wanted to “rant or rave,” and that they’d know to come to the meeting for public commentary. Smith said that the city put out a press release to notify the public about the previous PAC presentation on Argo Dam, and they might do that again.

Huron Hills Golf Course RFP

The request for proposals (RFP) for Huron Hills Golf Course has been issued, Smith told commissioners, and there’s a pre-bid meeting for potential responders on Monday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. [For background on the Huron Hills RFP, see Chronicle coverage: "Public Turns Out to Support Huron Hills Golf"]

Responses are due Oct. 29, followed by committee review and interviews in November. If the review committee finds a response worth recommending, they’ll send it to the golf advisory task force, then PAC, Smith said. Any proposal would have to obtain city council approval before being implemented.

Fuller Road Station

As an FYI, Smith passed out a copy of the planning staff report for the Fuller Road Station site plan, and noted that the city’s planning commission would be reviewing and voting on the project later that night. [At its meeting – which included three hours of staff presentations, a public hearing and commissioner deliberations – the planning commission voted to approve the project, with two of the nine commissioners dissenting. The joint city of Ann Arbor/University of Michigan project calls for building a five-level, 977-space parking structure on city-owned property that’s designated as parkland. The site would include a 44-space parking lot and bicycle parking. The city hopes eventually to build a train station at that location as well, but that isn’t part of the current site plan.]

Smith noted that in their report, the planning staff strongly recommends that a shared use path for bicyclists and pedestrians to the Fuller bridge be incorporated to the project’s design. This was a recommendation that PAC commissioners had discussed at previous meetings.

Sam Offen said that when mayor John Hieftje had attended PAC’s May 18, 2010 meeting, he had mentioned that the city was still negotiating an agreement with UM over use of the structure. What was the status of that – does it accompany the site plan?

Smith replied that work is still being done on the agreement, and that the administration is aware that PAC would like to see it before it goes to city council for approval. From The Chronicle’s report of that May 2010 meeting:

Heiftje’s presentation had not been on the agenda, but the commission was set to discuss a resolution that called for city council to stop the project, or at the least negotiate better terms with its partner, the University of Michigan. Several commissioners have expressed concerns about the project, which would be on city-owned property designated as parkland. Under proposed terms – which Hieftje said are not finalized – the city would receive less revenue from UM for parking than it currently gets from the surface lots it leases to the university on Fuller Road. Those revenues support the city’s parks operations.

On Tuesday, Offen said it would be useful to see the agreement before negotiations were finalized with UM – otherwise, there wouldn’t be opportunity for real input.

Berla mentioned that he’d read a comment online from someone who said there would be a 75-year lease agreement with the university. He wondered what kind of ongoing obligation the city would have to UM. Christopher Taylor, a city councilmember who’s an ex-officio member of PAC, said that he hadn’t seen a draft of the agreement and didn’t know its terms, but it was his understanding that the land and facility would always be owned by the city. The university would certainly have contractual rights under a use agreement, but Taylor didn’t know the length of the agreement being contemplated.

Given that some community members believe a long-term lease is a defacto sale of land, Berla said he hoped the city would make it clear how long the use agreement would be in effect.

Volunteer Outreach Coordinator

Gayle LaVictoire has been hired for the newly created position of volunteer outreach coordinator for parks and recreation, Smith reported. It was an internal hire – she previously served as facilities supervisor for Buhr pool and ice rink. Smith described her as energetic, enthusiastic and forward-thinking – the kind of qualities they were looking for in that position. She’ll be working with Jason Frenzel, volunteer and outreach coordinator for the city’s natural areas program. Smith said she’ll be coming to introduce herself at a future PAC meeting.

Bandemer Park and Punk Week

Smith said that Berla had requested a report on the incident during Punk Week at Bandemer Park, which runs along the Huron River north of town. A resident near the park had called police about people who were swimming naked, engaging in “lewd acts” and letting their dogs run off leash. An officer responded, and was surrounded by the group. Another resident called police after hearing someone in the group threaten to set a dog on the officer. A second officer responded and they went after the main instigators, Smith said. Park rules were being broken and the police responded appropriately, he said. Seven people were arrested for disorderly conduct, Smith said.

Berla said it was obvious that police needed to respond. If people had dispersed, he posited, then it likely wouldn’t have escalated into arrests. Smith said that was a fair assumption.

Punk Week has been part of Ann Arbor’s summer culture for more than a decade, occurring in the third week of August and including events like shopping cart races and zombie walks.

Present: David Barrett, Tim Berla, Julie Grand, John Lawter, Karen Levin, Sam Offen, Gwen Nystuen, councilmember Mike Anglin (ex-officio), councilmember Christopher Taylor (ex-officio). Also Colin Smith, city parks manager.

Absent: Doug Chapman, Tim Doyle.

Next meeting: PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19 begins at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]

Sign at the entrance to the Fuller Park soccer fields, next to Fuller Pool. (Photos by the writer.)

Three speakers during public commentary, all representing groups that use the fields heavily, said they didn’t have a problem with the fee hike, but hoped that the change could be phased in over three years, rather than implemented this season. The recommendation for an increase, along with changes in how the fields are used, will be forwarded to city council.

Commissioners also approved recommendations from the task forces that are working to raise revenues and cut costs for Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center. Commissioner Tim Berla clarified that the PAC resolution was primarily an “atta boy!” for the work of the staff and task forces, and support of the direction they’re headed. The recommendations – which aim to keep those operations open – will be presented to city council at their Feb. 8 meeting.

And finally, as a bonus for readers who stick with this report until the end: One commissioner is championing an urban dog park, and has identified a potential location within the city.

Fee Increases for Fuller, Olson Fields

The city has invested $1.3 million in renovating some of its athletic fields: Seven at Fuller Park, near the University of Michigan medical complex, and two at Olson Park, on the city’s north side at the corner of DhuVarren Road and Pontiac Trail. In May of 2008, PAC formed a task force to evaluate how these fields would be used and maintained after the project was completed.

The task force is recommending rate increases for these fields, as well as changes in the way the fields are used. The proposed rates are:

• Fuller fields 1-5 and Olson fields 1-2: $60/hour (full field); $40/hour (half field)
• Fuller fields 6-7: $32/hour (full field); $20/hour (half field)

Previously, rates ranged from $16 an hour to a high of $31.50 an hour, depending on a variety of factors, including residency (Ann Arbor residents were charged lower rates) and time of day (rates for prime time, between 4-8 p.m., were higher). The lower fees at Fuller fields 6-7 reflect more minor renovations done there and less need for upkeep, according to city staff.

The task force provided some examples of fees for other outdoor fields. Locally, outdoor fields at the WideWorld Sports Center cost $90 for a full field and $60 for a half field. Fees in other cities – including Kalamazoo, Mich., Madison, Wisc., and Boulder, Colo. – are comparable or higher. East Lansing is a notably lower exception, with fees in the $17 to $33 range. Commissioner David Barrett said that’s likely because the East Lansing fields are in poor shape.

Staff also noted that fees to use other fields within the parks system – including Allmendinger, Southeast Area and Buhr Park – remain unchanged.

Public Commentary on Field Fees

Three people spoke about the athletic fields during the time set aside for public commentary.

Dave Morris of Ann Arbor Ultimate said he appreciated the new fields, and said the players in his group were okay with the new fees. He wondered how the city would be maintaining these fields – so far, he said, maintenance hadn’t been great. Players also had concerns about cancellations. Last year, the number of times that city staff had canceled play because of bad weather had been onerous, he said, especially because cancellations occurred several days in advance, when conditions might have improved by the originally scheduled date.

Todd Mercer of the Ann Arbor Soccer Association also praised the new fields, saying the renovations were excellent. His question concerned the goals and nets – currently, those used at Fuller fields were owned by the association. The task force was recommending that the city take ownership of that equipment. If it does, Mercer said, the association would like some kind of consideration for those that it owns. Mercer also cited an issue with the configuration of the fields. The proposal calls for fees based on the use of full fields and half fields. AASA has been renting six to nine half fields at a time, he said, but in the new configuration, there will only be five half fields available. Finally, he said that proposed fees represent four times the amount that was charged in the past. [The AASA had been charged a special rate of $16 an hour.] He suggested phasing in the new rates over a three-year period, for groups that rented the fields in 2009.

Chris Cristian of i9sports, a youth sports franchise, said he didn’t have any problem with the new fees, but supported the idea of phasing them in over three years. Last year had been difficult, he said. His business is trying to keep costs down for its participants while increasing the amount that the firm pays their employees. Phasing in the new rates would help, he said.

Commissioners’ Deliberations on Field Fees

Tim Berla began by asking about the field configurations, which had been questioned during public commentary. In the past, some groups had divided the fields into thirds, he noted – would there be any accommodation for that? And since the Ann Arbor Soccer Association needed more half fields, would there be any flexibility for them?

This sign, located near Fuller field #5, describes the the city's renovation project.

Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy parks manager who also served on the task force, said they’d evaluated the usage of the fields and determined the current approach as the best way to maintain the quality of the fields and prevent over-usage. [A cover memo for the PAC resolution states that a maximum of 30 games per season would be scheduled per field. Periodically, fields will be temporarily taken out of play, on a rotating basis, to allow for maintenance and "rest." Because of these changes – and the fact that three of the fields won't be ready for play this spring – the parks staff estimates that 750 games will be scheduled during the combined spring, summer and fall seasons in 2010. Last year, about 950 games were scheduled.]

Straw described the approach as a work in progress. As they assess the conditions of the fields during the upcoming year, they might adjust the number of games allowed in future years. In response to another question from Berla, Straw said they could consider phasing in the fee increase.

Dave Barrett praised the staff for its work, and reiterated Straw’s comments about the administration of the fields as a work in progress. The city invested a lot of money in these renovations, he said, and have raised the quality of the fields significantly. He noted that some of the work hasn’t even been completed yet. There will be some sticker shock about the fees, he cautioned, but everyone he’d talked to in the soccer community acknowledged that the previous fees were inordinately low – and the fields previously reflected that. He encouraged residents to go and look at the fields, describing them as “a thing of beauty,” with the quality 100 times better than in the past.

Barrett also commended AASA for providing the goals and lining the fields. He wondered whether the city would be willing to buy the equipment from the association. Straw said that might be possible.

Gwen Nystuen asked whether there would be signs telling people about the changes. Straw said they had put out signs last summer, which would remain this season. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said it was also important to convey to the public that this work was paid for out of the voter-approved parks millage.

Julie Grand asked if the staff had received feedback on the fact that there’d be 200 fewer games scheduled on those fields in the coming year. Not yet, Straw said. The upcoming season will be somewhat unusual because three of the fields – Fuller fields 1-3 – won’t be ready for play in the spring, which will affect the number of total games scheduled. Straw said they’re hoping to encourage people to use other fields in the parks system – the Fuller and Olson fields will be top tier, but others are available for play.

Doug Chapman wondered why the task force had decided not to offer different fees for residents versus non-residents, as they’d done in the past. In general, Straw said they were trying to move away from that approach, given the amount of staff time required to confirm the status of large user groups. Smith added that it’s difficult to determine the status of large groups – if half of the team is from Ann Arbor, does that give the entire team resident status? What if only a few players are residents? It would require a staff member going through the team roster each time, he said.

Grand said she hoped that in scheduling games, there’d be a way to give priority to residents who’ve used the fields in the past.

By installing a fence and gate around the athletic fields at Fuller Park, city parks staff can regulate how much the fields get used.

Scott Rosencrans asked how the maintenance of the fields would differ from the past. That question was fielded by Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations. He said their biggest challenge prior to the renovation was that they didn’t have a handle on how much the fields were actually used. There was also no way to prevent people from using the fields even when they weren’t scheduled – there was no gated fence to bar entry, so fields never had the chance to “rest.”

Simply limiting the number of games, Warba said, would be a dramatic improvement in their ability to maintain the condition of the fields. Faulty irrigation systems have been fixed, he added. The parks staff plans to aerate the fields more and fertilize more initially to make sure the grass is established. All of this hinges on the ability of the staff to control access to the field, he said.

Outcome: The commission unanimously approved the resolution recommending a fee increase and usage changes for Fuller and Olson fields.

Mack Pool and Senior Center Recommendations

Several supporters of Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center attended Tuesday’s meeting, but only two people spoke on those topics during public commentary.

James D’Amour began by saying that he served as a park commissioner in 2002-03, and that he’d also been a planning commissioner. He had been part of the previous review of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan, known as PROS, and he wanted to let them know that he’d be interested in participating in the upcoming PROS review as well. D’Amour also described himself as a master swimmer who was an avid user of Mack Pool, and that he hoped the commissioners would approve the recommendations of the task force, including the suggestion to raise fees.

Lisa Dengiz said she’s lived in Burns Park for 25 years, and was concerned that the senior center might close. The community is aging, she said, and needs a place like the center. She was very impressed that the nonprofit Ann Arbor Seniors Inc. was stepping forward to help, and urged the commissioners to support the center until it can become a sustainable 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Presentation: Mack Pool Recommendations

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, presented the recommendations from the Mack Pool and Ann Arbor Senior Center task forces. The groups had been formed by city council last year after city administrator Roger Fraser recommended that the facilities be closed. [For background, see previous Chronicle coverage: "Task Force Floats Ways to Save Mack Pool," "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool," "Seniors Weigh In on Fate of Center" and "Task Force Tries to Save Senior Center"]

Smith first walked PAC through the list of recommendations for Mack Pool, which faces a projected $102,413 deficit for FY 2010, beginning July 1. Roughly $40,000 in new revenues and expense cuts are identified – staff and the task force are still working on ways to address the remaining $60,000 or so deficit.

The Mack Pool recommendations are:

• Purchase and install a thermal blanket for energy savings: $10,000. Next to personnel, energy costs are the highest expense, Smith said. The gas bill at Mack is about $40,000 annually.
• Install LED lights on the pool deck: $2,000
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Raise fees 25% for masters swimming and for season passes: $8,375. This suggestion came out of one of the public meetings, Smith said, and was supported by a survey that asked if respondents would be willing to pay more to swim at Mack. Of the 192 people who completed the survey, 96.9% said yes.
• Add a masters Saturday morning class: $2,080. This change was already implemented earlier this year.
• Hold an annual fundraiser: $1,000
• Increase pool rental: $9,500. Smith said Club Wolverine Swimming is interested in renting 12-14 hours weekly. Regular rentals are important, he said, because they provide a dependable source of revenue, with a good profit margin.

Additional revenues may come from the change in a 1974 agreement between the city and Ann Arbor Public Schools, which governs the use of Mack Pool. The pool, located inside of Ann Arbor Open school, is off limits to the public for most of the time that school is in session. A new agreement would incorporate cost-sharing with the school district and provide 14 more hours for city programming, Smith said, ranging from water aerobics to swim classes to longer times for lap swimmers. More programs would allow the city to generate more revenue at the pool.

Another major source of potential revenue could come from allowing a swim school to operate at Mack Pool. The city hopes to find a group or individual to operate a swim school at Mack, which could bring in another estimated $50,000 annually.

Smith said the schedule would be adjusted based on additional hours of programming, which meant that some people would be moved into slots they aren’t used to, “and that’s just the reality of it,” he said. To accommodate an evening lap swim, for example, synchronized swimmers had been bumped to a later evening period. Staff responded to concerns raised by parents about the late hour by freeing up an earlier slot – from 3-6:30 p.m. – but only on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Commissioners’ Discussion on Mack Pool

In response to a query from Dave Barrett, Smith said that the school system is not under any obligation to pay the city, based on the 1974 agreement. Even so, AAPS does pay a portion of the operating costs, he said, including water and janitorial service. Terms of the new deal weren’t disclosed – it hasn’t been finalized.

Tim Berla noted that personnel costs were the biggest expense, yet there were no recommendations for cuts in staff. Staff costs account for about 60% of the Mack Pool budget, Smith said, but they had trimmed down over the years and didn’t think they could go any lower without affecting safety and customer service. There are always two lifeguards on duty, and one other staff member in the office collecting fees, among other things.

Scott Rosencrans, PAC’s chair who also serves on the Mack Pool task force, said he can’t recall any success story that involved reducing customer service. He also noted that USA Swimming recommends having two lifeguards at all times.

Berla said he thought the task force would also address the possibility of Mack Pool closing, and what would happen to the programming if it did. But these recommendations were just about raising revenues and cutting expenses. Smith said the task force was following its charge from the city council. If at some point the council gave them different directions, they’d address those questions.

Dave Barrett asked whether Smith was prospecting for swim schools. Smith responded by saying he was calling people asking if they wanted to visit the pool to see if they could use it as a swim school. Sam Offen said he was more concerned about Mack compared to the senior center, because there’s a larger gap in funding – getting revenue from a swim school was crucial, it seemed to him.

Rosencrans agreed, saying the key to Mack’s viability was getting more people to use it. Given the lack of public pools, he said he didn’t understand why it wasn’t mobbed. “I think it’s a real gem in the community.”

Berla said there were actually a lot of indoor pools, if you counted those at the public schools and the University of Michigan. But a building is just a means to an end, he said. It’s the programming that counts, and that’s where the discussion should focus. Given that the city is at the point where every dollar counts, programs should be the high priority.

Presentation: Senior Center Recommendations

The senior center faces a projected $151,687 deficit for fiscal 2010. The task force has identified $97,872 in savings and revenues, leaving roughly $52,000 that would still need to come out of the city’s general fund.

Smith said that in addition to three public meetings, about 600 people responded to a survey about the center and its services – those results were also factored in to these recommendations:

• Increase programming by adding new classes and other activities, including fitness classes, educational lectures and bridge games: $13,076
• Expand the trip program: $3,390
• Restructure agreements with instructors who teach courses at the center: $1,985
• Decrease the number of computers and applications: $4,000
• Reduce staffing levels for the lunch program by using volunteers: $3,078
• Reduce temporary staff time: $3,955
• Implement a membership fee: $12,500. Smith said that 68% of survey respondents said they’d be willing to pay a fee. The suggested annual fee is $25 per person, or $35 per household. There are funds available to offset costs for low-income residents, Smith said.
• Shift Friday and Sunday programming to other days, making the center available for rental: $5,555
• Increase the number of rentals: $6,500
• Increase fundraising: $3,500
• Increase advertising in the center’s newsletter: $3,000
• Use a portion of the Flinn bequest to help offset operating costs: $37,333

Smith also told commissioners that the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has awarded a $16,949 grant to develop strategic plan for the center, and to help implement it over the next two years.

Commissioners’ Discussion of the Senior Center

Commissioner Sam Offen asked whether staff or the task force had talked to the Turner Senior Resource Center about partnering. Their Osher lecture series is popular, he noted, and there might be some opportunities to share expenses and programming. Jeff Straw, the city’s deputy parks manager, said staff had talked to representatives from Turner, who were concerned that they couldn’t accommodate additional groups. Offen suggested exploring partnerships with other senior centers in the area.

Offen also asked for more details about the community foundation grant. Smith said it needed to be spent by July 1, 2010. Commissioner Julie Grand, who serves on the senior center task force, said they’d held off using it because they didn’t yet know if city council would keep the center open.

Commissioner Tim Berla summarized the resolutions as an “atta boy!” for the work that’s been done so far, and support of continued efforts. Commissioner Gwen Nystuen said the results were encouraging, and she praised the amount of work that had been done by staff and the task forces.

Outcome: The commission unanimously approved both resolutions supporting the recommendations for the Mack Pool and Ann Arbor Senior Center task forces.

Financial Update

Colin Smith gave a brief quarterly financial report to commissioners. Halfway through the 2009 fiscal year, the parks and recreation operation is very close to its estimated net cost to the city’s general fund of $1.55 million.

He cited two areas that have lower-than-expected revenues to date: the Buhr Park and Veterans Memorial Park ice rinks. The rink at Buhr opened later than usual because of renovations there. At Vets, revenue from instructional skating is down about $25,000. They’ve seen gradual declines over the past few years, Smith said, but this year was lower than projected.

Revenues are up in some operations, Smith said, citing facilities rental and the senior center, which has seen an increase in donations.

Smith said he’d give PAC a report on canoe livery operations at next month’s meeting. If the headrace at Argo Dam remains de-watered, he said, that will affect revenues from canoe rentals this coming season. The city has a meeting scheduled with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality later this month to assess the dam, and it’s possible the state agency will allow the city to use the headrace again, Smith said. [The city has been in a multi-year dispute with MDEQ over the stability of Argo Dam, and whether to remove it. Most recent Chronicle coverage: "More to Meeting than Downtown Planning"]

Sam Offen and Gwen Nystuen, who serve on PAC’s financial subcommittee, both complimented Smith and Matt Warba, the city’s supervisor of field operations, for the fact that revenues were coming in close to their estimates. Offen said he was surprised by the drop in skating instruction, and that if the trend continues, the city will lose a valuable revenue stream. He said it was good to see an increase in golf revenues, but the big question was what will happen to golf operations in the coming budget cycle. Parks and recreation, along with all other departments, will be making budget recommendations in the coming months to address the city’s projected deficit.

Fuller Road Station

As she has at previous meetings, commissioner Gwen Nystuen raised the issue of defining the city’s “parkland” designation, in the context of the proposed Fuller Road Station. That project, a joint city/University of Michigan effort which initially includes a parking structure for about 1,000 vehicles, is located on city property that’s designated as parkland. It’s been leased to UM for several years and used as a surface parking lot.

[Chronicle coverage of the city council's Jan. 19, 2010 includes public commentary on the issue of  parkland and the Fuller Road station, including a brief look at the city and state prohibitions against sale of parkland without a voter referendum.]

Building a parking structure on parkland “raises all kinds of questions and precedents that we should fully discuss,” Nystuen said. She requested that the topic be added to a future PAC agenda for discussion. PAC chair Scott Rosencrans suggested forming a task force or asking someone from the city attorney’s office to come to a meeting and brief the commissioners.

Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said he asked to be included in the Fuller Road Station’s facilities planning committee, so that the parks perspective would be represented. The committee had recently met to talk about the impact of construction. He also has asked that the project leaders give PAC an update, possibly in March or May.

Nystuen asked Smith when he’d been consulted about the project. He reported that he’d first talked about it when Eli Cooper, the city’s transportation program manager, made a presentation to PAC in September 2009 about the project.

Commissioner Tim Berla voiced support for forming a task force, and for holding a public hearing on the issue. He said he could tell that Nystuen was serious and that there were members of the public who were very concerned as well. It was important to have a process to address those concerns.

Smith noted that neither of the city councilmembers were present, but said it would be good to get their perspective as well. [Mike Anglin (Ward 5) and Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) are ex-officio members of PAC. Anglin was absent from the Jan. 19 meeting, and Taylor left to attend a city council budget committee meeting before this discussion took place.]

Misc. Updates

In his manager’s report, Colin Smith said that the Buhr Park ice rink had reopened on Jan. 9 after renovations that were made possible by the parks millage. He said it was a difficult project. The new refrigeration in the subfloor includes about 13 miles of pipes. [See Chronicle coverage of the Dec. 7, 2009 city council meeting when council approved additional money to rectify a problem with the pipe specification.]

Smith also reported that the city was trying to raise $25,000 from individuals and businesses for its scholarship fund. They awarded 800 scholarships last year, he said: “It’s one of the most important things that parks offers.” The donations are tax deductible.

Smith gave an update on the departure of his boss, Jayne Miller, the city’s community services director, whose last day with the city will be Feb. 11. She has taken a job as head of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, which oversees regional metroparks. He noted that she’s been with the city for 22 years, and previously held his job. Filling in on an interim basis will be Sumedh Bahl, who is head of the city’s water treatment plant. Smith quipped that he’d spent a lot of quality time with Bahl related to discussions about Argo Dam.

Finally, Smith said his staff had been working to prepare answers to several parks-related questions that councilmembers had asked during their December 2009 budget retreat. Sam Offen requested that PAC members also be provided with the information that staff gives to council – Smith agreed to do that.

In communications from commissioners, John Lawter said he’s championing the development of an urban dog park. He’s talked to park planner Amy Kuras about possibly using the property recently acquired by the city on Chapin, near West Park. She told him that one of the first steps would be to hold a neighborhood meeting about it, he said, adding that he also hoped to put the topic on an upcoming PAC agenda.

Present: John Lawter, Gwen Nystuen, Sam Offen, David Barrett, Scott Rosencrans, Julie Grand, Doug Chapman, Karen Levin, Tim Berla, Christopher Taylor (ex-officio)

Absent: Mike Anglin (ex-officio)

Next meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. in the Washtenaw County administration building boardroom, 220 N. Main St. [confirm date]