SOUTH SUBURBAN PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING NO. 830 MINUTES Call to order A regular meeting of the Board of Directors of South Suburban Park and Recreation District was called to order at 5:38 pm, Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at the Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 South University Boulevard, Centennial, Colorado. Chair John Ostermiller presided. Present: John K. Ostermiller Susan M. Rosser Pamela M. Eller Michael T. Anderson Scott A. LaBrash Legal Counsel: James P. Collins, Esq. Management Staff: David Lorenz, Executive Director Deanna Heyn, Deputy Executive Director Linda Addison, Chief Accountant Brett Collins, Director of Planning & Development Teresa Cope, Director of Communications Jay Dikeman, Director of Hospitality Services JoAnn Gould, Director of Recreation & Community Services Mike MacLennan, Director of IT Jim Priddy, Director of Parks & Open Space Bill Ramsey, Director of Golf Study Session After the call to order, Mr. Ostermiller convened the Study Session, and the group discussed several of the items on the posted agenda. (See continued discussions during public meeting. /ds) Members discussed a date for a budget retreat (special study session), mainly to address the new 2-mill funds available to the District following the passage of the November 4 ballot issue. Staff will prepare a list of proposed projects. It is anticipated the day-long retreat will occur on February 25, start time 8 am, at the Lone Tree Clubhouse (with proper posting to be accomplished). Mr. Collins referred the Board to his confidential, monthly legal report in the packet tonight. Boardmembers had no questions at this time. The Board paused at 7:11 pm and continued into public meeting at 7:20 pm. Special announcements: Skot Latona, NAI Manager of the Year Mr. Priddy announced Skot Latona, South Platte Park Supervisor was awarded Manager of the Year by the National Association of Interpretation (NAI) at its national annual conference in Denver this fall. Skot has spent 16 years with the District; Mr. Priddy reported that Skot has been the most proficient and productive Park Supervisor he’s worked with, and he does an excellent job day in and out. Most recently, Skot has been working on the Platte River improvements. Skot has an excellent professional reputation in the metro area. SSPRD Regular Meeting No. 830, December 10, 2014 Page 1 MINUTES Mr. Latona stated he was pleased that the award event at the conference was shared with his staff and he had the opportunity to thank them for their hard work. He also thanked South Suburban management and staff. Mr. Lorenz added, this is a well recognized national award. Mr. Latona provides professional training to interpreters every year during a week-long conference. Mr. Ostermiller noted the excellent rating that South Platte Park received in the recent Littleton residents’ survey (December 2014). New employees introductions Mrs. Heyn introduced Mindy Albert, who has transferred from Athletics to Administration recently. Members welcomed her. Mr. Ostermiller greeted Kathy Turley, Centennial Councilmember for District 1. Minutes approval Board members had no corrections, additions, or changes. Therefore, with no objections, the minutes of meeting no. 829, November 12, 2014 stood approved as presented. Citizens’ comments No public came forward to speak tonight. Consent Agenda items Mr. Ostermiller explained that Consent Agenda items are provided for study in the Board’s study packets and introduced in Study Session for the Board’s review. They can be adopted by a single motion. All resolutions and proposed actions must be read by title prior to a vote on the motion. Any consent agenda item may be removed at the request of a Director and either tabled or heard separately. A. APPROVE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FOR NOVEMBER 2014 IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,233,767 B. AWARD THE WILDCAT RIDGE RETAINING WALL PROJECT TO ARROW-J LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $84,921.00. MR. ANDERSON MOVED TO ACCEPT ITEMS A–B. Mr. LaBrash seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. Consent agenda items were approved unanimously (5-0). SSPRD Regular Meeting No. 830, December 10, 2014 Page 2 MINUTES NEW BUSINESS There were no public hearings this evening. November 4, 2014 ballot issue # 4C election results The language of the ballot question was: SOUTH SUBURBAN PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT BALLOT ISSUE # 4C: SHALL SOUTH SUBURBAN PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED $4,539,010 IN 2015, OR BY SUCH AN AMOUNT AS MAY BE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER FOR A TEN YEAR PERIOD ONLY, ENDING IN COLLECTION YEAR 2024 BY THE IMPOSITION OF AN ADDITIONAL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 2 MILLS, FOR GENERAL OPERATING AND OTHER PURPOSES, INCLUDING: • PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE HIGH LINE CANAL TRAIL, THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER TRAIL (MARY CARTER GREENWAY) AND OTHER LOCAL TRAILS; • REPAIR, MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE EXISTING PARKS, RECREATION FACILITIES AND PLAYGROUNDS; • REPLACE OUTDATED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT WITH NEW ENERGY SAVING SYSTEMS INCLUDING SOLAR ENERGY; AND • SAVE WATER BY REPLACING AGING AND INEFFICIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN PARKS AND USING NON‐TREATED WATER WHERE FEASIBLE; AND SHALL SUCH REVENUES BE COLLECTED, RETAINED AND SPENT NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER REVENUE LIMITS PROVIDED BY LAW? Mrs. Heyn, Designated Election Official presented the results. She congratulated the Board and staff involved in the effort of the election for its great success. This election was run by the three clerks of the three resident counties (Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson). Arapahoe County residents (and includes non-resident property owners, all counties) Yes 32,643 No 27,456 60,099 Douglas County residents Yes 4,005 No 4,895 8,900 Jefferson County residents Yes 575 No 645 1,220 TOTALS, Yes 37,223 No 32,996 70,219 ALL COUNTIES, BY PERCENT OF TOTAL VOTES Yes 53.01% No 46.99% Margin 6.02% SSPRD Regular Meeting No. 830, December 10, 2014 Page 3 MINUTES Staff will present additional data and the final costs of the election to share at a future session. Boardmembers expressed interest in receiving the turnout figures by precinct. Mrs. Rosser asked if results could be correlated to voters’ proximity to major recreation centers. Mrs. Eller reported on a conversation with a gentleman who is involved in local campaigns. He congratulated the District on the passage of the 2-mill question, in a rather questionable environment; he thought it was a well run campaign, and the pro- citizens’ committee developed an excellent flyer. She asked senior staff to pass on the compliments to the citizens’ leadership and other staff. Boardmembers thanked District staff for their hard work. Mr. Ostermiller added, it was an election of several “firsts,” including the state-wide mail ballot election. After the Board reviews the costs by county, they may want to consider having the counties run all District elections in the future. MRS. ELLER MOVED TO ACCEPT THE FINAL RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 4, 2014 REGULAR ELECTION, FOR TABOR QUESTION # 4C, WHICH PASSED BY A MARGIN OF 6.02%. Mrs. Rosser seconded the motion. There was no further discussion, and the motion passed unanimously (5- 0). (Copies of the three counties’ final results (Board of Canvassers’ reports) are attached hereto and made part of the permanent record.) Mill levies certification Linda Addison asked for the Board’s approval of the three counties’ certifications. District Finance staff has received final results. The final assessed valuation is slightly down from preliminary assessed valuations. She reviewed the current breakdown and estimated tax revenue in 2015: Operating 4.417 mills, generating $10,142,006 Open Space and Trails 1.000 mills, generating $2,296,130 New 2 Mills 1.976 mills, generating $4,537,153 Refunds and Abatements 0.053 mills generating $121,695 Debt Service 1.362 mills, generating $3,700,550, for a total of 8.808 mills. The total estimated receivable, less estimated abatements and other adjustments, is $20, 797,534. MR. ANDERSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO SET MILL LEVIES AND CERTIFICATION OF TAX LEVIES. Mr. LaBrash seconded the motion. There were no questions, and the motion was approved unanimously (5-0). (Copies of the Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson county resolutions are attached hereto and made part of the permanent record.) Mary Carter Greenway sign design/sign standards discussion Brett Collins introduced Kristin Cypher, president and owner of C+B Design LLC. Brett asked Boardmembers to provide comments to incorporate into the final plan and give staff directions for moving forward. The next step following this presentation will be to develop an implementation plan, initially considering funds available for 2015 signage improvements. Brett briefly reviewed the history of the project and the development process, which included several events with the public and staff-to-staff meetings. The District has been working with the City for several months. C+B Design LLC was engaged by the City of Littleton to consult on and design a new signage system for the City, including the Mary Carter Greenway and Littles Creek trailways within the City. The City has paid the SSPRD Regular Meeting No. 830, December 10, 2014 Page 4 MINUTES C+B’s costs in full. The Littleton City Council is supportive of the plan and process to go forward. The City’s goal is to get people off the trail and into local businesses. The District has $37,500 allocated in the 2015 budget for sign upgrades. The City is planning to provide $112,500 specifically for this project. The South Platte Working Group may match 50% with Arapahoe County Open Spaces funds, for a possible total budget of $225K in 2015, about one-third the total estimated cost for the pilot project. The cost for this sign system will be substantially more than what has been spent in the past; however, the project can be phased, and the staff and consulting group can set priorities and decide in future years whether they want to extend the system to local parks, or even District-wide.