Proposed Intergovernmental Parks Work Group

AGENDA #4f

MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Town Council

FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT: Proposed Intergovernmental Parks Work Group

DATE: August 28, 2000

The attached resolution would respond to a proposal from the Board of Orange County Commissioners to establish an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group. The attached resolution would stipulate representation of both the Town’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Greenways Commission, rather than one or the other.

BACKGROUND

After receiving comments from the Manager, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Greenways Commission regarding the Joint Master Plan Work Group Report, the Council adopted the Report as a general planning document at its April 10, 2000 meeting. At that time the Council also adopted the following recommendations related to the report:

Adopt an Open Facilities Policy
Spend the remaining $2.89 million in Orange County Parks land acquisition bonds for the purchase of park lands as soon as possible in order to maximize value of existing funds and options for selection of sites
Promote inter-jurisdictional work on joint siting, design, and management of school and park sites across jurisdictions
Pursue partnerships with groups such as OWASA and UNC in order to expand parks and recreation opportunities
Pursue opportunities for coordinated expenditures for land acquisition on a case-by-case basis until such time as the idea for more formalized coordination of land acquisition funds can be explored

The Council’s adopted April 10 resolution also recommends to the County that a Working Committee be established to draft recommendations concerning the following issues:

Consider a proposed Inter-Governmental Task Force.
Examine the issue of adopting County-wide standards
Investigate how to assure equitable distribution of land purchases and facilities commensurate to contributions
Examine the level of County funding to support the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department operating budget compared to County’s use of Town programs and facilities

A copy of the resolution adopted by the Council on April 10, 2000 is attached.

After the presentation of the Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group Report this spring, County Board of Commissioner’s Chair Moses Carey wrote to Mayor Waldorf in May to request that the Town Council:

1. Adopt a resolution establishing an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group (IP Work Group) and appoint members for a first meeting in September.

2. Authorize the Town Manager to meet with his counterparts in the County and other municipalities, for the purpose of developing a report for the October 30 Assembly of Governments meeting on ways that the County and municipalities might coordinate and synchronize capital funding for future park development.

A copy of the letter from Chair Moses Carey to Mayor Waldorf is attached.

The Intergovernmental Parks Work Group’s primary charge would be to continue the information sharing and inventory updating processes of the Joint Master Plan Work Group. The proposed Work Group’s charge also recognizes that parks and recreation standards may vary among the jurisdictions.

In June, the Council referred the County requests to the Manager and the Parks and Recreation Commission for reply at the Council’s August 28 meeting.

DISCUSSION

We believe that the charge of the proposed Intergovernmental Parks Work Group would continue the positive steps in County-wide cooperation on leisure issues begun by the Joint Master Recreation and Parks Work Group and the completion of its report. We agree with the report’s central message that the best hope for a strong parks and recreation program lies in partnerships, be it inter-jurisdictional or otherwise. In addition, the completed inventory of existing facilities and parklands is an important component of the document, which should be updated annually. The proposed IP Work Group could be a logical group to continue this process. We believe the proposed charge for the Work Group is consistent with the Council’s comments in its April 10 resolution. The IP Work Group’s primary charge would be information sharing at least initially, and the Group’s charge acknowledges flexibility for each jurisdiction’s parks values and standards.

The proposed composition of the IP Work Group includes one member and one alternate of the Town’s Parks and Recreation Commission or Greenways Commission. We believe that the needs of Chapel Hill must be fairly represented by any such body and recommend that one member of both Town commissions be appointed to the IP Work Group.

Both an examination of how to assure equitable distribution of land purchases and facilities commensurate to contributions and an examination of the level of County funding to the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department’s operating budget compared to the County’s use of Town programs and facilities are important tasks. We believe these issues can best be initially analyzed by the Manager with his counterparts in the County and other municipalities, for the purpose of developing a report for the October 30 Assembly of Governments meeting.

RECOMMENDATION

Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution, which would establish an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group with representatives from both the Parks and Recreation and Greenways Commissions, direct the two Commissions to appoint representatives for a September meeting, and authorize the Manager to meet with his counterparts in the County and other municipalities for the purpose of developing a report for the October 30 Assembly of Governments meeting. The report would address ways that the County and municipalities might coordinate capital funding for future parks, the distribution of land purchases and facilities commensurate to contributions, and the level of County funding to the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department operating budget compared to County’s use of Town programs and facilities.

Parks and Recreation Commission Recommendation: The Commission met on August 16, 2000, and voted unanimously (7-0) to recommend that the Council request that both the Town’s Greenways and Parks and Recreation Commissions be represented on the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group. The Commission also believes that the IP Work Group’s charge should be clarified and should include development of a report to respond to these issues, that all parties should consider accommodations for multi-uses of facilities and land to include lighting, after-hours access to restrooms, phones, and first aid supplies, and that the proposed Work Group should meet as least 3 times per year. Please see attached the recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission.

ATTACHMENTS

April 10, 2000 resolution (p. 5)
May 19, 2000 letter from Moses Carey (p. 7)
Memorandum from Parks and Recreation Commission (p. 14).

A RESOLUTION RESPONDING TO THE BOARD OF ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PARKS WORK GROUP (2000-08-28/R-5)

WHEREAS, the Mayor received a May 19, 2000, correspondence from the Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners requesting that the Council adopt a resolution establishing an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners also requested that the Council appoint Chapel Hill representatives for an initial meeting in September; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners also requested that the Council authorize the Town Manager to meet with his counterparts in the County and other municipalities, for the purpose of developing a report for the October 30 Assembly of Governments meeting on ways that the County and municipalities might coordinate and synchronize capital funding for future parks; and

WHEREAS, these requests were reviewed by the Manager and the Parks and Recreation Commission;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council concurs in the establishment of an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group with one representative each from the Town’s Parks and Recreation and Greenways Commissions included, and directs the two Commissions to appoint representatives to be ready for a first meeting in September.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Manager is authorized to meet with his counterparts in the County and other municipalities, for the purpose of developing a report for the October 30 Assembly of Governments meeting. The report would address ways that the County and municipalities might coordinate capital funding for future parks, the distribution of land purchases and facilities commensurate to contributions, and the level of County funding to the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department operating budget compared to the County’s use of Town programs and facilities.

This the 28^th day of August, 2000.

ATTACHMENT 1

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE JOINT MASTER RECREATION AND PARKS PLAN WORK GROUP REPORT AS A GENERAL PLANNING DOCUMENT

(2000-04-10/R-14a))

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill Council recognizes the importance of inter-jurisdictional coordination and its importance to the provision of recreation and park services and facilities within Orange County; and

WHEREAS, representatives from all governmental jurisdictions in Orange County have worked toward and developed a report on issues surrounding the provision of recreation and park services within the County; and

WHEREAS, this report provides recommendations for the Chapel Hill Town Council to consider in regard to future improvement of recreation and park services for the Town; and

WHEREAS, the Greenways and Parks and Recreation Commissions have reviewed the report and provided comment to the Council;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts the Joint Master Recreation and Parks Plan Work Group Report as a general planning document.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill hereby adopts the following recommendations of the report:

-Adoption of an Open Facilities Policy

-Expenditure of the remaining $2.89 million in Orange County Parks land acquisition bonds for the purchase of park lands as soon as possible in order to maximize value of existing funds and options for selection of sites

-Inter-jurisdictional work on joint siting, design, and management of school and park sites across jurisdictions

-Pursuit of partnerships with groups such as OWASA and UNC in order to expand parks and recreation opportunities in the area

-Pursuit of opportunities for coordinated expenditures for land acquisition on a case-by-case basis until such time as the idea for more formalized coordination of land acquisition funds can be explored

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council recommends to the County that a Working Committee be established to draft recommendations concerning the following issues:

Consideration of a proposed Inter-Governmental Task Force.
Re-examination of the issue of adopting County-wide standards
Examination of how to assure equitable distribution of land purchases and facilities commensurate to contributions
Examination of the level of County funding to the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department operating budget compared to County’s use of Town programs and facilities

This the 10th day of April, 2000.

ATTACHMENT 3

M E M O RANDUM

TO: Mayor Waldorf and Council

FROM: John Covach, Chair, Parks and Recreation Commission

RE: County Board of Commissioners request to the Council to adopt a resolution establishing an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group

DATE: August 17, 2000

The Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the County Board of Commissioners request to the Council to adopt a resolution establishing an Intergovernmental Parks (IP) Work Group. At its August 16 meeting the Commission voted unanimously (7-0) to forward the following comments to the Council:

The Commission is generally in favor of the proposed IP Work Group but believes with the size of the proposed group and the relative financial and facility contributions to parks and recreation in Orange County that both the Town’s Greenways and Parks and Recreation Commissions should be represented, not one or the other.
The proposed charge focuses primarily on information sharing rather than problem solving. The Commission believes that the charge should be clarified and should identify 3 or 4 chronic issues to be addressed in the collaborative effort. The Work Group’s charge should include development of a report to respond to these issues.
The Commission believes that while the groups continue to work cooperatively all parties should consider accommodations for multi-uses of facilities and land to include lighting, after-hours access to restrooms, phones, and first aid supplies.
The Commission believes that the proposed Work Group should meet as least 3 times per year, not be limited to a certain number of meetings per year.