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I CALL PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12,

[DECLARATION OF A QUORUM AND CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:10]

2022, AT 5:30 P.M.

PERFECT. YEAH.

SO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE REGULARLY CALLED MEETING MINUTES ON JUNE 13TH, 2022.

[1.Minutes from Regular Called meeting on June 13, 2022.]

YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MEETING MINUTES.

I'LL SECOND IT.

THAT MOTION CARRIES.

PERFECT. AND THE SECOND AND LAST AGENDA ITEM THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS EVENING IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

[2.Discussion and possible action on Parks and Recreation Board roles and responsibilities.]

SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW, ON JUNE 28, CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSED REDUNDANCIES AND STAFF WORK, AS WELL AS REDUNDANCIES IN ABLC IN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AGENDA ITEMS. CITY COUNCIL DID GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO ASSESS WAYS BOTH BOARDS COULD BE RESTRUCTURED TO ELIMINATE REDUNDANCIES AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.

ON JULY 26, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE BROUGHT BY RANDALL LAW OFFICE AND PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL.

SO CITY COUNCIL, UPON FURTHER DISCUSSION, DID REQUEST THAT WE GO TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND ABLC TO DISCUSS THESE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS ARE REALLY JUST WHAT YOU ALL WOULD ADVISE MOVING FORWARD WITH REGARDING THE STRUCTURE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. SO WITHIN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION REVOLVES AROUND WHEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WAS CREATED.

I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE BOARD WAS CREATED IN 1965 AND THAT WAS PRIOR TO A DEPARTMENT BEING DEVELOPED.

SO A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WAS CREATED IN THE 1990 ORDINANCE.

SO I DID WANT TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT PART OF THE REASON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WAS DEVELOPED WAS TO REALLY PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE CITY AND CITY COUNCIL WHEN THE CITY LACKED A DEPARTMENT.

SO THERE ARE DESIGNATED PURPOSES FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.

CURRENTLY IT IS TO SUBMIT ANNUALLY AND ADMINISTER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING PARK ACQUISITION, PARK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND BUILDINGS, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DUTIES CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES.

YOU CAN SEE THE INFORMATION, ACTUAL FORMAL STRUCTURE WITH OUR SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS BEING APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL.

SO I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL THERE.

AND I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.

AND CHRIS MAY HAVE A COUPLE OF POINTS TO ADD AS TO WHY WE CAME TO THIS DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HIM.

YES, WE ARE.

FLIP YOUR SWITCH MAYBE AT THE.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M CHRIS BOOKER, THE ANGLETON CITY MANAGER.

SO I JUST WANTED TO.

SO WE'VE BEEN, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

AND SO WORKING WITH STAFF DURING THE TIME, KIND OF AS THE OUTSIDER LOOKED AT A LOT OF PROCESSES AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT UNDERSTANDING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND.

YOU KNOW. SO AS I WATCHED THE TWO BOARDS, THEY BASICALLY WERE REQUESTING THE SAME THING.

PARKS WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND ABLC WANTED TO DO THE SAME THING.

SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT ALL THESE BOARDS AND THEN STARTED LOOKING AT WHAT THEY'RE REALLY WHAT THEIR ROLES WERE, WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DUPLICITY.

AND SO AND YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, I MEAN, IT SEEMED LIKE BASICALLY EVERY MONTH OR SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S ABLC PARKS AND SOMETIMES THERE'S BOTH BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO A SPECIAL MEETING TO TALK ABOUT A BUDGET AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

AND IT'S EXTREMELY BUSY FOR STAFF.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT A MEETING AND ALL THE PREP WORK THAT GOES INTO A MEETING AND ALL THOSE THINGS, WE SAID, HEY, WE NEED WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO WE BROUGHT THAT UP TO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION.

AND THIS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BACK IN 2000 WHEN ALBC WAS FORMED AND SHOULD HAVE SAID, HEY, WHAT ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR IS THERE ANY OVERLAPPING? IS THERE ANY THING THAT'S CONTRADICTING AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS? BUT IT WAS NEVER DONE.

WE ALWAYS GET OVERCOME BY EVENTS.

[00:05:02]

SO HERE WE ARE 22 YEARS AFTER FORMING ABLC AND JUST TRYING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE. AND SO SOME OF THE DISCUSSION, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING IT, IS REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT ABLC DIFFERENCES ABLC IN PARKS.

ABLC HAS MONEY.

THAT THEY CAN SPEND, WHETHER IT'S PURCHASE OF LAND, GO OUT FOR BOND TO PROJECTS THEY HAVE AND THEY HAVE THREE FOCUS, THREE FOCUS AREAS PARKS, RECS AND DRAINAGE.

AND THEN WHEN YOU AGAIN LOOK IN THAT LITTLE MATRIX IN THE BACK OF YOUR PACKET.

YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE PARKS? WELL, THE DEFINING ROLE OF THE PARKS BOARD REALLY IS POLICY.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST ABOUT BUDGET OR THIS AND THAT, WHATEVER REALLY ARE NOT PARKS BOARD ROLES ANYMORE BECAUSE OF ABLC.

AND SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT POLICY.

SO YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN POLICY RIGHT NOW FOR PARKS AND REC, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOTHING.

SO THEN AGAIN, YOU SAY, WELL, WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE PARKS BOARD AGAIN? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATISTIC IS, BUT 99 OUT OF 100 CITIES HAS A PARKS BOARD IN THEIR IN THEIR ORGANIZATION THAT REPORTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

WELL, WE'RE LIKE ONE IN PROBABLY 1499 CITIES THAT HAD THIS ABLC FUNCTION THAT REALLY NO OTHER CITY HAS.

THEY ALL USER HAVE SENT SALES TAX, MOSTLY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND 4A, 4B OR SOMETHING.

AND SO WE'RE, I THINK, OUR 4A, 4B, BUT OUR ROLE IS SPECIFICALLY NOT, IT'S NOT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR PACKET, IT'S SPECIFIES CANNOT BE USED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TYPE ACTIVITIES OR FUNDING.

SO WE'RE INTERESTED IN SOME FEEDBACK.

LIKE MEGAN SAID, WE'LL GO TO ABLC NEXT, GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THIS BACK TO COUNCIL.

BUT REALLY, I THINK WE'RE KIND OF THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN PARKS BECOMES A REALLY A SUBCOMMITTEE OF ABLC.

AND SO IF WE REVISE THE PARK STANDARDS MANUAL OR CREATE A NON SMOKING POLICY OR SOMETHING, THEN THAT WOULD GET DELEGATED THROUGH THE ABLC TO THE PARKS MAYBE PARKS COMMITTEE AS THE FUTURE.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WITH THAT.

SO IF WE GO DOWN THIS PATH, THERE'S AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS THERE'S A PARKS BOARD THAT WAS ORIGINATED IN 1965, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO GO MODIFY THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FOLLOWING.

THE WAY WE WANT TO DO BUSINESS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY ALBC IS BEING RUN RIGHT NOW, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.

YOU KNOW, I'VE KIND OF DUMPED IT ON MEGAN TO KIND OF TO RUN THINGS.

BUT THEORETICALLY, I SHOULD BE RUNNING THE MEETINGS FOR ALBC AND THE CITY SECRETARIES, THE SECRETARY AND AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES IN THAT AREA, DO WE ADDRESS THE BYLAWS TO MAKE THINGS FUNCTION THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT NOW, OR HOW DO WE REALLY WANT TO RUN THE ORGANIZATION? AND SO IT'S KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE ROOTS OF.

WHAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS WERE FORMED FOR.

HOW DO WE RUN THEM? AND THEN HOW DO WE.

THROUGH THIS FORWARD IN 2022, 2023 AND UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE.

SO I'LL STOP TALKING FOR NOW.

OKAY. I HAVE SOME COMMENTS.

BUT ANYONE ELSE? YES, BILL.

I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE.

WITH THE BENEFITS, HOW IT WOULD IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCY.

IF WE BLEND INTO ONE.

WELL. SO IT WILL BLEND THE STAFF SUFFICIENCY BECAUSE INSTEAD OF RUNNING, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF OUR MEETINGS BOTH IN PARKS AND ALBC.

AND REALLY WE'RE REGURGITATING THE SAME INFORMATION.

IN A LOT OF CASES, IT THE WAY WE'VE BEEN KIND OF FLOWING, IT IS IT BECOMES.

PARKS GETS THIS, AND THEN WE TAKE THE SAME STUFF TO ALBC AND THEN WE TAKE THE SAME STUFF TO SOMETIMES CITY COUNCIL.

FOR BOTH ACTION AND OR UPDATES.

AND SO REALLY IT'S MORE NARROWING FOCUS.

THE PARKS PIECE TOWARD THE POLICY.

SO IF IT'S A POLICY THING THEN THAT COMMITTEE WOULD GET THE TASK TO REVIEW A POLICY AND PROVIDE A REPORT BACK TO ALBC

[00:10:03]

AND THUS THE COUNCIL.

ANYONE ELSE HAVE A THOUGHT? I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF ADDRESSED IT, BUT I'M JUST SURPRISED THIS JUST NOW CAME UP WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT THE REDUNDANCY ISSUE HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, REALLY.

WELL, HAVING PARTICIPATED ON HAVING PARTICIPATED ON THE PARK'S BOARD IN ONE FASHION OR ANOTHER FOR.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING ON TEN YEARS NOW.

I CAN TELL YOU WE NEVER HAD ANYTHING THAT APPEARED TO BE AS DUPLICATIVE AS IT HAS RECENTLY, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HAPPENING.

SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES WHERE IT HAPPENED.

IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, WE ALL KIND OF GOT FRUSTRATED WITH THE LONG MEETINGS, AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE STAFF OVER WORKING ON IT. HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND WHEN THIS THOUGHT CAME UP AND I KNOW, CHRIS, I'M SORRY, WHEN YOU FIRST BROUGHT IT UP TO ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE WE WERE IN ALL THAT CHAOS.

BUT AT THIS POINT, HAVING HAD EXPERIENCE OR KNOWING SOMETHING MORE ABOUT FOUR B CORPORATIONS AND WHAT THEIR ULTIMATE PURPOSE COULD BE.

AND. GETTING THE PARTS KIND OF LOST IN ALL OF THAT.

I GUESS I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT TODAY.

THE PURPOSE OF THE PARKS AND REC IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST ADVISORY.

BECAUSE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO RECOMMEND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS PARK ACQUISITIONS, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN PARK DEVELOPMENT, THE PROGRAMS REVIEWS, LAND USE ACQUISITION.

I THINK AS A CITIZEN BOARD, WE NEED TO CONTINUE.

DOING THAT AND LET ABLC CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE FUNDING PART OF IT INSTEAD OF GETTING INTO, I GUESS, THE WEEDS OF WHAT THE THINGS THAT WE COULD HANDLE. JUST.

I THINK THE PARKS BOARD REALLY NEEDS TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE LONG RANGE PLANNING.

I GET IT THAT WE COULD DO IT AS A SUBCOMMITTEE.

BUT. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ABLC TO BE A FUNDING MECHANISM.

AND AT SOME POINT, HOPEFULLY WE WILL GO BACK TO THE VOTERS WHEN WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER TAX BASE AND USE THAT FOR B FOR WHAT THE STATE OF TEXAS REALLY INTENDED IT TO BE USED FOR, WHICH IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY ELSE ON THIS BOARD IS AWARE, BUT THAT'S PARKS AND RECREATION AND DRAINAGE WAS THE ONLY THING THAT THE CITIZENS OF ANGLETON AT THE TIME WOULD AGREE TO. AND THAT TOOK AT LEAST TWO ATTEMPTS, I BELIEVE.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE UNUSUAL.

SO JUST SOME OF MY COMMENTS AND I'LL JUST STATE THIS IS CHRIS WHITAKER'S OPINION.

SO YOU MENTIONED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, RIGHT? SO PARKS BOARD SAYS, HEY, THIS IS OUR 1 TO 50 LIST.

SO WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT? NOW, LIKE YOU SAID, ABLC SEES A FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THAT.

SO WHEN YOU SUBMIT THAT LIST TO ABLC FOR FUNDING AND THEY DON'T WANT TO FUND THAT OR THEY WANT TO FUND IT, NUMBER 50 TO NUMBER ONE.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE JUST ADDING A LAYER AND NOW IT'S GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL AND YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, TWO DIFFERING OPINIONS AND YOU'VE GOT THE COUNCIL.

SO WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS BASICALLY THE PARKS BOARD WOULD BASICALLY BASICALLY BECOME NON-EXISTENT.

ABLC WILL MAKE ALL OF THE? IT COMES TO COMMISSION TO BUILD A ABLC.

IT'S A COMMITTEE TABLES.

RIGHT. HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW? RIGHT. SO IF WE LOOK AT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, LET'S JUST SAY WE DID NOTHING.

SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS THE CITY MANAGERS, I WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE OTHER THAN POLICY.

RIGHT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT POLICY.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT? SO BASICALLY YOU'RE CHANGING THE PURPOSE OF, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PARKS BOARD BE CHANGED . SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED BY CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS THAT GET DONE, THERE'S A BIG OVERLAP.

AND SO, AGAIN, WE NEED TO MAKE A POLICY CHANGE AT THE CITY TO DECIDE WHAT THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.

[00:15:09]

RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT DOING THE SAME THING LITERALLY THREE TIMES.

SO AGAIN, IF YOU TAKE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, ITS PARKS, AND THEN YOU TAKE IT TO ABLC, AND THEN YOU TAKE IT TO THE CITY.

AND YOU KNOW, AND PART OF, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ON A BLOCK.

SO. SO WHY ARE WE.

WHY DO WE KEEP GOING THROUGH THOSE MOTIONS? SAME THING WITH BUDGET.

YOU KNOW. HOW'S PARKS GOING TO SYNC THE BUDGET PROCESS WITH ABLC? RIGHT. SO YOU'RE ALL GOING TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO BUDGET FOR PARKS AND WE WANT TO DO X, Y AND Z.

WELL, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO SYNCHRONIZATION BECAUSE ABLC SAYS, WELL, THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO.

AND THEN IT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND THE CITY COUNCIL COULD SAY, WELL, THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO.

AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO TAKE SOME OF THAT REDUNDANCY OUT OF HERE FOR THE STAFF.

AND SO EVEN IF WE KEEP THE PARKS BOARD, I THINK WE NEED TO DEFINE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO THAT THE PARKS BOARD HAS A CLEAR AND DEFINED ROLE.

AND IT'S NOT. AND AGAIN, I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN BEING TALKED ABOUT IN BOTH PARKS AND ABLC.

AND IF YOU GO BACK AND DO A, YOU KNOW, OVERLAY, I BET 75% OF THAT OR 60% OF THAT IS THE SAME STUFF.

AND SO, AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COUNT, THE STAFF TIME THAT THEY'RE SPENDING, CREATING THOSE AGENDA ITEMS AND DOING THE RESEARCH AND PUTTING OUT AN AGENDA, I MEAN, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK.

AND SO ARE WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, DOING OUR ANALYSIS AS A STAFF TO MAKE THINGS BETTER OR TO MOVE THINGS ALONG, OR ARE WE JUST SPENDING TIME DOING STAFF WORK FOR THE SAKE OF DOING STAFF WORK? AND SO, AGAIN, ALL I'M SAYING IS YOU'VE GOT A 1965 DOCUMENT THAT SAYS ONE THING.

YOU'VE GOT A 2000 DOCUMENT THAT SAYS SOME OF THE SAME STUFF.

AND I THINK WE NEED TO SORT THAT OUT AND GET SOME DIRECTION AND OPTIONS.

FROM OUR ATTORNEY PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AGAIN, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND GET SOME FEEDBACK.

SO JUST THINKING ABOUT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS OR SOMETHING, BUT.

YOU'RE SAYING LIKE THE POLICY MANUAL OR THE STANDARDS? IS THAT THE ONLY THING WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS IS TALKING ABOUT THE PARK STANDARD? IS THAT IT? WE DID THE NAMING POLICY, THE PARK STANDARDS.

STANDARDS OF CARE OR.

SMOKING REGULATIONS, STUFF LIKE THAT.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF WORK IN.

SO WE WOULD HAVE NO SAY ON LIKE PRIORITY, LIKE WHERE THE, LIKE, THE ACTIVITIES I GUESS SHOULD BE FOCUSED? WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY INPUT, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.

WHETHER WE ARE DECISION MAKERS OBVIOUSLY IS PROBABLY THE DECISION MAKER ANYWAY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN WANT OUR INPUT ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS ANYMORE.

WELL, AGAIN, THE COUNCIL CAN DEFINE THAT ROLE.

SO IF THEY WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THAT, GIVE THE PARKS COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, SOME OF THAT ROLE.

BUT I THINK WE HAVE TOO MANY OPTIONS FOR GOING DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND, YOU KNOW.

IS THE PARKS BOARD AND EQUAL WITH ABLC? WHAT'S THAT? WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. OBVIOUSLY NOT.

I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T CONTROL THE MONEY.

RIGHT. BUT WE I GUESS WE FELT LIKE WE HAD THE VOICE AND THE INFLUENCE ON THE PRIORITIES AND WHERE THE FOCUS SHOULD BE. I MEAN, DID WE DISAGREE THAT MUCH WITH ABLC? IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE KIND OF ALL ON THE SAME PAGE MOST OF THE TIME.

I DON'T KNOW THAT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU JUST FROM AGAIN, I'LL CALL MYSELF AN OUTSIDER.

I SAW A LOT OF JUST AGAIN, TIME SPENT RUNNING OVER THINGS AND THEN WORKING IT THROUGH A CHANNEL TO GET TO GET THINGS APPROVED, WHETHER IT'S A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN OR A BUDGET OR BUDGET DISCUSSION ABOUT PARKS AND PRIORITIES.

I MEAN. I THINK WE WERE KIND OF ALL OVER THE BOARD AND ALL SUMMER.

ALL I'M SAYING IS I THINK THERE'S A BETTER SOLUTION, BUT I DISAGREE WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU VERSUS THEM. I MEAN, THOSE ARE ALL.

PEOPLE THAT ARE APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL JUST AS JUST AS THIS GROUP IS.

[00:20:01]

SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT MINDSET ABOUT WHAT PRIORITIES ARE.

I THINK THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT BROADER.

REACH BECAUSE THEY ALSO DO DEAL WITH WRECK THE WRECK PIECE TOO, AND PROGRAMING IN THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

I MEAN, THIS IS JUST PARKS.

PARKS AND REC.

PARKS AND REC. SORRY.

PARKS. BUT SO, AGAIN, WE'RE JUST HERE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN NO DECISIONS MADE.

WE'RE JUST SOCIALIZING THIS.

WE'RE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK.

IT'S NOT ABOUT NO ONE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB OR PURPOSE IN LIFE AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

IT'S ABOUT EFFICIENCIES AND THE WAY THE STAFF DOES BUSINESS AND ALSO HOW OUR GOVERNMENT DOES BUSINESS.

AGAIN, I THINK IT'S JUST IT'S VERY DISJOINTED WITH AGAIN.

YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW, SO WHAT'S THE PARK'S PRIORITY VERSUS REX AND WHO SORTS THAT OUT? I MEAN IS THAT GO TO CITY COUNCIL THEN TO BE THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE.

SO LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

ABLC, IT HAS SEVEN MEMBERS AS WELL? SAME, AND THREE OF THEM ARE COUNCIL OR CITY, JUST TWO? SO THERE'S A MAJORITY CITIZEN REPRESENTATION ON THAT COMMITTEE? RIGHT, THERE'S NO STAFF.

BUT THE LEADER OF THE COMMITTEE IS CITY, RIGHT, WHICH I DIDN'T REALLY EVEN UNDERSTAND.

TECHNICALLY IT'S ME, BY ALL THE DOCUMENTATION.

MM HMM. SO I'VE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I'VE KIND OF DELEGATED THAT TO MEGAN TO RUN THE MEETINGS BECAUSE IT'S ALL BETWEEN ABLC AND PARKS AND REC.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL SORT OF IT'S THE SAME THING.

AND SO SHE'S GOT THE BEST INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE ON THIS.

ABLC IS A CORPORATION, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE DO.

BECAUSE. WE'RE JUST A BOARD.

I GUESS FOR THE CITY WHERE THE CORPORATION IS UNDER THE CITY, BUT IT STILL HAS ITS OWN IDENTITY.

YEAH. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.

SO, CHRIS. AGAIN, HOW WOULD WE BENEFIT FROM COMBINING THEM? SO. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE PROPOSING THEY COMBINE.

YEAH, NO, WE'LL BE A COMMITTEE.

WE'LL PROBABLY MEET ONCE A QUARTER AND IF YOU NEED US AND WE'LL HAVE ONE AGENDA ITEM OR NOTHING, I MEAN SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE HIKE AND BIKE COMMITTEE.

IT'S A AS NEEDED PERIODIC UPDATE.

AND AGAIN, LIKE YOU ALL JUST ARTICULATE, IT'D BE, HEY, WE HAVE NO POLICY UPDATES.

OR MAYBE NEXT MONTH WE'RE GOING TO RAMP UP A REVISION OR ADD A NEW POLICY.

AND AGAIN, THE DIRECTION WOULD COME FROM ABLC TO SAY, LET'S GIVE THIS TO THE PARKS AND REC COMMITTEE TO WORK ON AND REPORT BACK WHAT YOUR WORK IS WITH THE STAFF.

SO ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE TIME THAT THEY'RE SPENT SPENDING, DOING RESEARCH AND THAT THEY'RE DOING COLLECTIVELY ON THESE ITEMS, THEN WE WOULD KIND OF TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY AWAY FROM THEM.

BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING IT EITHER.

MEGAN IS DOING ALL THE WORK.

I MEAN, THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, MEGAN, YOU'RE DOING IT ALL AND COMING TO US AND RECOMMENDING IT.

I MEAN, MOST OF THE LEGWORK DOESN'T COME FROM THESE MEMBERS OR EVEN ABLC.

SEE, WE'RE TAKING YOUR DIRECTION AND AGREEING WITH YOU OR NOT.

SO I DON'T SEE THAT THAT'S CHANGING ANYTHING.

IT'S NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THEM.

BUT IT'S A CITIZEN REVIEW ON THAT POLICY.

AND SO YOU'RE PROVIDING THAT FEEDBACK.

YEAH. SEPARATE FROM AN ABLC MEETING THAT WOULD SAY, HEY, WE AGREE WITH THIS OR YOU GUYS ARE OFF BASE OR LET'S MAKE THIS CHANGE.

AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF PARKS AND REC COMMITTEE MET QUARTERLY IN BETWEEN, THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY ANOTHER MEETING OR TO WHERE YOU ALL WOULD WITH THE STAFF OR WHOEVER'S ON THE BOARD WITH THE STAFF, DO THOSE REVIEWS AND THEN PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK.

ONE OF THOSE NEXT QUARTERLY OR WHATEVER THE MEETING TIME FRAME IS.

SO ESSENTIALLY WE'LL BE DOING THE POLICIES GUIDELINES.

ANY QUESTIONS? LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL DISCUSSIONS LIKE THAT FOR THE PARKS BOARD OR PARKS COMMITTEE?

[00:25:06]

MM. OKAY.

SO THOUGHTS? GOOD, BAD, UGLY.

I AGREE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REDUNDANCY.

I CAN SEE THAT IN BOTH OF THE BOARDS LATELY.

I DON'T I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PAST HISTORY OF IT.

SO I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, AND I THINK IT'S GOOD TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT.

BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF ARE WE EVEN HAVING ANY VALUE AT ALL? I MEAN, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE IT ALL TO ABLC? WELL, I KNOW MEGAN'S COME TO US ABOUT BUDGET QUESTIONS AND SO FORTH.

WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER.

EXACTLY. SO IT REALLY HAS.

WE SHOULDN'T BE COMMENTING ON THAT.

WELL IT'S IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE.

SO WE KNOW WHEN WE PRIORITIZE THINGS LIKE WHAT MONEY IS THERE TO DO THINGS.

THEY'RE STILL WELCOME TO COME TO ABLC MEETINGS.

I MEAN, THEY'RE PUBLIC. YOU'RE WELCOME TO ATTEND THOSE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO HELP THEM ON THEIR STAFF AS FAR AS THE WORKLOAD.

HAVE YOU I MEAN, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED JUST GIVEN EVERYTHING TO ABLC? I MEAN, IS THERE ENOUGH THERE FOR A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD TO DO ANYTHING? SO WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CHARTER AND THE BYLAWS AND ALL THAT STUFF OF ABLC TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF POLICY IS WITHIN THAT WHEELHOUSE BECAUSE IT PRETTY WELL DEFINED LIKE ACQUISITION OF NEW PROPERTY THAT'S IN ABLC'S WHEELHOUSE TO DO SO. WE'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND THEN GET A LEGAL REVIEW TO SAY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT DIRECTION DO WE WANT TO GO? DO WE WANT TO RETAIN THAT AS A PARKS AND REC'S CAPABILITY? AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE THEN IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER FROM THIS SIDE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO GO OFF OF THAT.

SO I FEEL LIKE, YES, IT'S WORTH A DISCUSSION FOR THE REDUNDANCY ELEMENT ALONE.

BUT I MEAN, FURTHER THAN THAT, LIKE SHE SAID, WE MIGHT YOU MIGHT GO AHEAD AND DO SOME DISCOVERY ON IT AND FIND OUT THAT.

WELL, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHAT ALL THEIR BYLAWS AND EVERYTHING ELSE STATES, MAYBE THERE ISN'T A PLACE HERE, YOU KNOW.

SO I THINK BEFORE ANYONE CAN REALLY MAKE A GOOD, LOGICAL DECISION THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS IT'S WRITTEN RIGHT NOW.

WELL, SO, AGAIN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK NEXT FROM ABLC.

AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THIS BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, COUNCIL, LIKE YOU ASKED, WE WENT OUT AND SOUGHT FEEDBACK.

AND IN THE TWO MONTHS SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, YOU ALL MAY SOMEONE MAY WAKE UP TOMORROW AND SAY, HEY, I'VE GOT A COMMENT.

ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT BE A RECOMMENDATION OR SOMETHING AND YOU CAN TELL US THAT SO THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO COUNCIL AND LET'S SAY TWO MONTHS FOR AN ITEM, WE'VE GOT SOME FEEDBACK, RIGHT? AND WHEN WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH ABLC ON THEIR AGENDA, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ATTEND THAT MEETING AND LISTEN TO THEIR COMMENTS.

AND AGAIN, SOMETHING MAY STRIKE YOU AND SAY, LIKE BONNIE SAID, HEY, I WAS FOR IT BEFORE, NOW I'M AGAINST IT.

OR I HAVE A SUGGESTION AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PICK ON, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S FAIR.

BUT WE'RE HAVING THIS WE'RE HAVING THIS PUBLIC DISCUSSION TILL AND ALLOW TIME FOR EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND SAY, WELL, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? WHAT DO WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED LIKE? AND THEN WE'LL PROPOSE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THAT MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL, OUR ATTORNEY WILL BE THERE.

AND SO WE'LL ALL SAY OR NOT, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, THE PATH AND DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO.

AND THEN OUR ATTORNEY WILL SAY, WELL, WE CAN OR WE CAN'T OR WE CAN, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THERE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO REWRITE THE BYLAWS.

WE HAVE TO CHANGE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, WHATEVER, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT PERSON, THAT THAT SPECIFIC TASK.

AND SO.

WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

AND AGAIN, 2 TO 3 MONTHS DOWN THE LINE, WE KIND OF HOPE TO GET TO WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED OFF OF FEEDBACK, WHAT YOU ALL THINK YOU WANT TO DO OR WHAT YOUR OPINION IS.

SO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND THEN SEEK COUNCIL DIRECTION.

THEY MAY WANT TO DO NOTHING AND SAY WE'RE GOOD, RIGHT?

[00:30:01]

AND AT THAT TIME WE'RE GOOD.

OR THEY MAY SAY CHANGE X, Y AND Z.

AND THAT MIGHT BE A SIX MONTH PROCESS BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS AND TASK FORCE TO CHANGE THE BYLAWS FOR ABLC.

NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

WE'RE JUST MERELY HERE JUST TO GET SOME FEEDBACK.

YOU KNOW, BEING STUNNED OR HAVING NO COMMENT IS OK, TOO.

WE'RE JUST ONLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION SO FAR AT SOME POINT, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR IF WE NEED TO MEET AS A GROUP AGAIN, WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. I GUESS, IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE? I MEAN, CAN WE COMBINE THE BOARDS OR IS THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH? YEAH, SO SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY INITIAL THOUGHTS LIKE CAN WE COMBINE THE BOARDS? SO BY STATE STATUTE FOR APPEALS, THE NUMBER IS SEVEN.

AND SO THAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE STICKING WITH NOW, WHETHER IT'S SIX RESIDENTS AND A COUNCIL MEMBER, WHETHER IT'S I MEAN, THAT MIX CAN CHANGE AGAIN.

THAT'S ALL WRITTEN IN THE INCORPORATION ARTICLES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

BUT THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A VOTER CHANGE TOO.

SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO ON ABOUT, SAY.

DO WE WANT TO CHANGE THE NUMBER? AND AGAIN, OUR ATTORNEY SAID AT THIS POINT, SEVEN IS THE LUCKY NUMBER THAT THE STATE LIKES.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY RECOMMEND TO US, IS THAT WE STAY WITH THAT NUMBER.

AGAIN WHAT THAT COMPOSITION IS.

YEAH, WE COULD CHANGE THAT.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS FOR AN INCORPORATION CHANGE.

WELL, I GUESS IF THE PRIMARY REASON FOR DOING IT IS STAFF REDUNDANCY, I MEAN, WHAT IF WE JUST COMBINE THE MEETINGS AND HAVE.

IS THAT NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE SAME MEETING? I MEAN, WHERE YOU LITERALLY GAVEL IN BOTH BOARDS AT THE SAME TIME AT MEET SO STAFF ONLY DOES AT ONE TIME.

WE'LL WRITE THAT COMMENT DOWN AND WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO OUR ATTORNEY AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS.

BUT BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT.

YOU MIGHT GET INTO AN ISSUE OF SO AGAIN YOU GOT.

14 PEOPLE TRYING TO DECIDE ON AN ISSUE AND THEN IF IT'S A FUNDING THING.

RIGHT. SO AND WE DON'T GET A VOTE.

RIGHT. SO THIS IS A FUNDING THING.

THIS IS ABLC ONLY.

I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO COMPLICATE, YOU KNOW.

AGAIN. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AS A CITIZEN TO COME IN AND SPEAK ON ANY ITEM AT ABLC.

BUT IF NOW IF YOU'RE ON A BOARD.

OR IT'S A JOINT MEETING. I MEAN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I MEAN, I JUST WONDER IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, PUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ASIDE FOR PROPOSALS AND THOSE BE POSSIBLY THE FOCUS AT THOSE.

SO INSTEAD OF IT BEING A COMBINED MEETING, THEN THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE WE'RE ONLY FOCUSING ON THESE SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT MAYBE IS OUR FORTE.

RIGHT? AND THEN THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE IN SOME SORT OF A DISCUSSION WITH, I MEAN, WHICH I GUESS YOU SAID IT'S PUBLIC.

SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT'S PUBLIC.

SO REALISTICALLY WE COULD DO THAT ANYWAY.

BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S NOT A WAY TO KIND OF WIGGLE THAT IN TO WHERE WE'RE ALL PRESENT AND THAT WAY THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE AS A COMMITTEE, SO TO SPEAK. AND THAT WAY MAYBE WE'RE ELIMINATING SOME OF THE REDUNDANCY BECAUSE WE'RE THERE TO TO CONTINUE THAT FEEDBACK AND THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM IN PERSON, RATHER THAN THIS IS WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH. SEND IT OUT.

NOW. THEY'VE COME UP WITH THAT.

IT'S SENT BACK, IT'S SENT HERE.

IT'S PLAYING TELEPHONE MOST OF THE TIME, I'M SURE.

RIGHT. SO INSTEAD THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE MAYBE NOT IN A CAPACITY OF A MEETING BECAUSE WHAT KIND OF WOULD.

WHERE I WOULD GO WITH THEM.

BEING A COMBINED MEETING IS SIMPLY THAT THERE'S USUALLY SOME SORT OF I MEAN, IF WE'RE ALL TOGETHER, I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AS THAT.

THERE'S NOT 3 TO 7 CITIZENS, SO THERE'S NOT 1 TO 2 COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE WE ARE THERE IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING AWAY FROM IN A WAY FROM WHAT THE CODE IS THERE.

SO I GUESS THAT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD SAY IS JUST MAYBE BEING THERE AS A COMMITTEE, BUT ONLY THERE TO DISCUSS THOSE SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW. WHERE WE SHINE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE CAN EXCUSE OURSELVES WHEN THOSE TOPICS ARE DONE.

SO MAYBE BE ON THE AGENDA AS A COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

AND THEN WE SEE OURSELVES OUT AFTER THOSE AGENDAS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.

WELL, AND SO AGAIN, I THINK THE THEORY WOULD BE A ABLC WOULD RUN THE MEETING, IT WOULD BE A COMMITTEE UPDATE FROM THE PARKS AND REC BOARD EXACTLY WHERE MAYBE IT'S THE FIRST THREE ITEMS OR THE UPDATES FROM THE BOARD, THE BOARD CHAIR OR WHOEVER IT IS.

[00:35:07]

AND THEY PROVIDE THAT UPDATE OR ACTION ITEM TO ABLC AND THEN.

YOU KNOW, ABLC CONDUCTS THE REST OF THEIR BUSINESS AFTER THAT.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A JOINT MEETING.

IT'S JUST IT WOULD BE AN ABLC.

AGAIN, THE WAY I WOULD SEE IT, ABLC MEETING WITH THAT.

THEY'RE SITTING UP HERE, WE'RE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND WE GET UP TO THE PODIUM AND ONE PERSON SPEAKS, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH, WE REVIEW THIS.

WE AGREE. EXACTLY. EXACTLY.

SO IT'S NOT ELIMINATING ANYBODY.

IT'S NOT TRYING TO FORCE TWO SUBJECTS TOGETHER.

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY JUST THAT WE'RE AN ITEM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THERE FOR.

WE'RE THERE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

AND THEN WE ELIMINATE THE TIME CONSUMING AND THE REDUNDANCY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO WHEN IT COMES BACK TO AN ABLC ITEM AGAIN, IF YOU ALL.

INDIVIDUALLY OR AS.

WHEN YOU MEET HIS COMMITTEE OR SOMETHING FELT LIKE YOU NEED TO TALK ON THAT, THEN YOU WOULD BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND OR MAYBE YOU KNOW, IS THE IS DONE IN THE PAST.

ABLC OR COUNCIL THE COUNCIL WOULD REACH OUT AND SAY, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? OR BILL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OR WHATEVER, HAVING EXPERIENCE WITH PARKS AND REC AND YOU PROVIDE INPUT.

BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD BE AN ABLC ITEM, RIGHT? AND THEN ULTIMATELY A COUNCIL, POTENTIALLY A COUNCIL ITEM DEPENDING ON WHAT IT WAS.

SO AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.

WE HAVE SOME RECOMMENDED AND THOUGHTS ABOUT PATHS FORWARD.

AND AGAIN, OUR INTENT IS JUST TO PROFESSIONALLY HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

AS FOR FEEDBACK ON RECORD AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THIS PROCESS ALONG FOR ULTIMATELY WHAT THE ACTIONS ARE.

AND AGAIN, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT WHAT THAT.

TIMELINE WOULD BE AND WHAT THE ULTIMATE ACTIONS WOULD BE OF THE COUNCIL.

LIKE I SAID, SOME THINGS ARE CHANGES BY ORDINANCE.

SO. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE PARKS BOARD IF IT'S STILL AN ORDINANCE? BUT WE DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW. RIGHT.

AND AT WHAT TIME WOULD IT BECOME A SUBCOMMITTEE? LISTENING TO ALL OF THIS, TWO THOUGHTS, COORDINATED THOUGHTS CAME TO MIND.

I THINK FOR ANY OF THIS TO WORK, WE NEED TO CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITIES AND WE NEED TO CLARIFY POLICIES.

AND I THINK IF WE START WORKING FROM THAT POINT, WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHETHER THINGS CAN WORK TOGETHER.

THEY NEED TO BE SEPARATED AND TO WHAT EXTENT.

KIND OF KNOWING THE HISTORY OF THE PARKS AND.

HOW IT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS ARE CONFUSING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DID IT A CERTAIN WAY, WAY BACK WHEN THINGS HAVE GOTTEN MORE.

SORRY, I DON'T HAVE A BETTER WORD TO SAY FOR IT, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE PROFESSIONALLY DONE INSTEAD OF IT BEING MORE ORGANIC, WHICH IS WHAT PARKS BOARD STARTED AS IT WAS ORGANIC BECAUSE IT WAS PARENTS WHO WERE INVOLVED.

PARKS WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY HAD THEIR KIDS INVOLVED IN SPORTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN WHERE IT CAME FROM.

SO WE'VE REACHED THIS POINT.

YES. MAYBE TIME TO EVOLVE AGAIN.

BUT WE NEED CLARIFICATION ON WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

THAT HAS NOT BEEN THERE, BEEN REALLY WELL DEFINED, I GUESS, OVER THE YEARS, AT LEAST NOT WHILE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHO DOES THAT, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.

WE HAVE BOARD APPOINTMENTS AND PEOPLE, AS YOU KNOW, SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO BE ON BOARDS.

SO WE THINK THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARENTS WITH KIDS UNDER TEN OR WHATEVER.

WHATEVER THE CRITERIA IS, THEN WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO GO RECRUIT THOSE PEOPLE AND MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR BOARD.

YES, MA'AM. OKAY.

BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THIS BIG LONG BENCH OF PEOPLE WAITING TO GET ON A BOARD COMMITTEE.

SO. MAYBE IT'S THE REDUNDANCY.

JUST KIDDING.

I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE.

LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY IN RUNNING OR MANAGING THE PARKS.

[00:40:06]

YOU KNOW. WOULD WE LOSE ANY OF THAT? ABILITY TO TO EFFICIENTLY RUN PARKS.

IF WE WERE COMBINED WITH THEM AND WE GET BETTER.

BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF BIG CHANGES COMING UP.

BUT I'LL TELL YOU, MEGAN, HER STAFF ARE THE ONES THAT RUN THE PARKS.

RIGHT? YOU ALL AND ABLC AND THE CITY COUNCIL PROVIDE THE POLICY AND THE GUIDANCE.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE REC CENTER, IF WE'RE NOT FUNDED TO THE LEVEL WE NEED TO.

I MEAN, THAT'S A THAT'S A DIRECTIONAL THING TO US.

AND WE PROVIDE THE DATA, WE PROVIDE THE OPTIONS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

YOU ALL NEED TO TELL US THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED TO GO.

YOU KNOW, AS MEGAN SAID, THE PARKS BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS.

AND SO I THINK THE PARKS BOARD, IF YOU WENT BACK THAT FAR IN HISTORY, WOULD FIGURE OUT THAT THEY WERE PROVIDING DIRECTION, PROVIDING OVERSIGHT, PROVIDING WHATEVER. BUT, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONALLY, MEGAN AND HER STAFF ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.

OUR ROLE WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS TO PROVIDE THAT DIRECTIONAL STUFF AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE AT SOME LEVEL THE RESOURCING TO GET TO THAT, WHATEVER THAT DIRECTION IS.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MOTION FROM HERE OR JUST JUST OUR COMMENTS? THIS IS JUST AGAIN, WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR SOME FEEDBACK.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TODAY AND WE'VE TAKEN SOME NOTES, BUT COME BACK TO US TOMORROW OR COME BACK TO US NEXT MONTH, OR COME SIT IN THE ABLC OR COME SIT IN THE COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE DISCUSS THIS AND SAY, HEY, WE HAD THIS MEETING TWO MONTHS AGO AND MY COMMENT IS X.

TELL US. TELL THE COUNCIL.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO HAVE A BOARD IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO MAKE DECISIONS ON POLICIES.

AND REALLY THAT'S THE COMMITTEE WOULD DO THAT.

BUT AND THAT'S ONLY ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, PROBABLY IF NEEDED.

BUT THAT'S REALLY THE BOARD'S ROLE IS POLICY.

TRUE. I MEAN, YOU GO OUT, LOOK AT PARKS, YOU GO OUT AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND AT LEAST YOU HAVE INPUT.

SURE. YEAH.

IT'S ALWAYS HARDER TO HAVE THE THOUGHTS SITTING IN THE MEETING THAN IT IS LATER.

YEAH. I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE ROLE OF EACH GROUP WOULD BE.

IF THEY WERE COMBINED.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WOULD THERE BE ANY CHANGE IN THE RULES OF WHAT THEY DECIDE AND.

WELL, MAYBE THAT'S THE POINT, THOUGH, IS TO HAVE YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE ADDING ITS OWN UNBIASED BECAUSE AS A SEPARATE, YOU KNOW, GROUP HERE.

IT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT SET OF EYES, LIKE TALKING ABOUT THE CORPORATION VERSUS WHERE WE'RE AT AND THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN.

AND MAYBE LIKE YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WHAT THE BOARD WAS CREATED AND WHAT IT DID.

AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT EVOLVED INTO THE ABLC KIND OF IN ITS OWN RIGHT OVER TIME WITHOUT BOUNDARIES.

SO I STILL THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS MENTIONED NOW SEVERAL TIMES IS, IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST POINT IS WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE ROLES DEFINING THOSE ROLES AND THEN FINDING OUT FROM THERE WHETHER OR NOT.

WHAT CHANGES, I SHOULD SAY, NEED TO BE MADE.

SO UNTIL THEN.

I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT ALL WE CAN DO.

YEAH, WE'RE STARTING THAT JOURNEY.

AND SO WE, AGAIN, IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, HOPE TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO LAY OUT, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS, THE LAW, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS A BETTER PROCESS FOR THE CITY.

WHERE WE'RE NOT DOING THE SAME THINGS IN SOME CASES.

SO I GUESS WE'LL WAIT THEN UNTIL WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION.

[00:45:02]

PARDON ME NOW. IT'S ME.

SORRY. HE PASSED IT ON.

YOU KNOW THAT. THAT WILL JUST.

I THINK IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

THEN WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF TABLE AND AND REVISIT.

IT'S JUST IT'S HARD TO CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE.

I MEAN, ALL WE CAN SAY IS, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE COULD DO THIS OR WE COULD DO THAT, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, BUT.

I MEAN, THAT'S NULL AND VOID WHEN YOU DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW.

SO SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS JUST JUST LIKE I'VE DONE WITH THE TABLE THAT'S IN THE BACK THAT MEGAN PROVIDED, THAT OUR ATTORNEY DREW UP AS THE COMPARISON. SO I'VE LOOKED AT THAT LIKE 25 TIMES.

AND SO EVERY TIME I HAVE TO REREAD IT AND SAY, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS SAYING.

RIGHT. AND DRAW DRAW THOSE CONCLUSIONS.

AND THEN AGAIN, I'M ADDING MY TWO AND A HALF YEAR EXPERIENCE OF WHAT I'VE SEEN THE BOARDS DO AND NOT DO.

I THINK WE JUST NEED TO GET THEM RIGHT FOR THE CITY.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, PROBABLY IN 2001 OR 2002 OR 2003, THE CITY SHOULD HAVE SAT DOWN AND SAID, OKAY, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS ABLC ORGANIZATION.

YOU KNOW, HOW ARE THINGS RUNNING? ARE THERE EFFICIENCIES OR NOT? HOW ARE WE DOING BUSINESS? TAKING A LOOK AT THAT. AND MAYBE, LIKE YOU SAID, DEFINE THOSE ROLES A LITTLE BIT MORE THROUGH OTHER LANGUAGE, LIKE AN ORDINANCE OR OTHER CHANGES THAT WOULD CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

DO WE KNOW WHY, IF THE BOARD WAS CREATED PRIOR TO DEPARTMENT, DO WE KNOW WHAT EXACTLY INITIATED THE CREATION OF THAT? SO THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A VOID FROM ONE SIDE THAT FORCED THERE TO BE ANOTHER THING BORN FROM THAT.

SO I JUST KIND OF WONDER AT THAT POINT WHAT WASN'T EXISTING IN THE BOARD THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

RIGHT. THIS IS IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS FOR THE 1990 WAS CREATED BY THE 1990 ORDINANCE AND THEN FOR THE ANGLETON BETTER LIVING WE'RE AT 2000.

SO I THINK CREATION OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND YOU CAN DISAGREE IF YOU WANT, BUT IT REALLY IS TO PROFESSIONALIZE THE CITY OPERATIONS SO YOU DON'T HAVE A BOARD OF.

YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS DOING WHAT PAID EMPLOYEES SHOULD DO, WHICH IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING PREVIOUSLY.

RIGHT. IN A LOT OF CASES.

RIGHT. AND AGAIN, BOARDS ARE DESIGNED JUST TO PROVIDE POLICY AND POLICY GUIDANCE WHERE THE THE MEAT AND BONES OF OPERATIONS SHOULD BE DONE BY AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE CITY. BUT IN THAT CASE, THEN WHEN YOU HAVE THE MAJORITY OF CITIZENS STILL THERE.

THEN. I GUESS I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW MUCH THAT PROFESSIONALIZED IT TO STILL HAVE CITIZENS BEING THE PRIMARY MAJORITY OF THAT GROUP.

WELL, THE CITIZENS SHOULD GUIDE THE GOVERNMENT.

THE RESIDENTS SHOULD, JUST LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL.

IT'S JUST LIKE ABLC, JUST LIKE PLANNING AND ZONING.

ALL THOSE BOARDS SHOULD PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ULTIMATELY TO THE COUNCIL WHICH IS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.

SURE. BUT FOR THE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

IT'S JUST FOR THE GROUP TO HAVE BEEN INITIATED AFTER THE FACT, WHAT, TEN OR SO YEARS LATER, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST WHAT INITIATED, WHAT WAS WHAT WAS ONE GROUP NOT ABLE TO DO THAT. ANOTHER GROUP HAD TO BE REINSTATED OR CREATED TO DO.

AND THAT'S WELL AGAIN.

GO AHEAD, BOB. JUST TO CLARIFY, SINCE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE AND I HAVEN'T MET, YOU DO THAT SORT.

IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT WAS CREATED IN 1990.

WE HAD A PARKS BOARD, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A DEPARTMENT.

NO, NO DEPARTMENT HEAD.

I THINK THEY HAD HIRED.

THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS PARKS AND REC DIRECTORS OVER THE YEARS SINCE THAT TIME.

GOTCHA. I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. THAT MAKES SENSE.

RIGHT. THAT MAKES SENSE.

JUST BEING VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE DOING ALL THE WORK.

THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

AND THEN WITH THE HALF CENT SALES TAX IN 2000, WITH THE APPEALS BOARD, THE I THINK THE VISION WAS BONNIE MAYBE YOU CAN HELP OR SOME SMALL CAN HELP WAS THE CREATION OF THE REC CENTER.

RIGHT. I MEAN, AND I IMAGINE WHAT THE POPULATION INCREASE AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RATHER QUICKLY HERE THAT.

I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE WORK ESSENTIALLY THAT'S KIND OF COMING OUR WAY WHEREVER IT'S AT NOW.

I KNOW IT WAS LIKE, WELL, WE'VE ONLY GOT THESE THINGS SPORADICALLY.

AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY I'M NEW TO THIS, SO I DON'T KNOW OR FAMILIAR WITH YOU ALL'S WORKLOAD PREVIOUSLY, BUT IN TERMS OF POLICY, I REALLY ONLY SEE THAT.

[00:50:03]

YOU KNOW, BECOMING A MORE.

JUST A HAPPENING MORE THAN NOT AT THAT POINT.

THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.

I WOULD JUST THAT WOULD BE WHAT MY THOUGHT IS.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN EXPECT THERE TO BE A LOT MORE STUFF THAT'S THAT'S COMING UP AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND AS NEEDS CONTINUE TO NEED TO BE MET.

YOU KNOW. SO I DON'T THINK THIS DISMANTLING THIS WOULD BE WE'VE DEFINITELY GOT MORE WORK COMING.

RIGHT THING. NO, WE'VE GOT LAKESIDE COMING ON HERE SHORTLY.

WE BOUGHT LAND FOR ABIGAIL ADAMS SORRY PARK.

AND SO WE'VE GOT MORE THINGS COMING AND AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL, THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AND WE'VE CHANGED POLICY WITH MEMBERSHIPS AND HOURS BASED ON REVENUE AND BETTER WAYS TO DO BUSINESS.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A CHANGE IS CONSTANT IN THAT AREA. THAT'S ALL I HAVE UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE POSITIONS TO FIND AND.

WELL, I'VE RUN OUT. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY? COMMENTS. SO CAN I CALL FOR AN ADJOURNMENT? ARE WE AT THAT POINT? ALL RIGHT. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.