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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-2023 Fairhope Recreation Board Minutes Fairhope Rec Board Meeting & Summit Agenda – January 17th, 2024 6:00 p.m. James P. Nix Center 1 Bayou Drive, Fairhope, AL 36532 • Approval of Minutes for o December 13th, 2023 • Recreation Update – Pat White • Youth Recreation Summit • New Business/Old Business – Lisa Atchley Schedule of Future Meetings Note: Regular meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:15 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Recreation Center, 803 North Greeno Road, Fairhope, AL Next meeting: February 21st, 2024 City of Fairhope Recreation Department Mission Statement: To offer the citizens of Fairhope the best and safest recreational facilities in all sports and leisure. Minutes of the Fairhope Recreation Board The Fairhope Recreation Board met on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, at 5:15 p.m. in the Rec Center at 803 North Greeno Road. Present: Lisa Atchley, Pat White, Charlie Langham, Cathy Hudson, Debra Flowers, Maurice Morrisette, and Corey Martin. Absent: Jack Burrell, Josh Warren, Scott Berry, Haden Giddings, and Dan Hoover. The meeting was called to order by Lisa Atchley at 5:15 p.m. The minutes of the November 15th, 2023, meeting minutes were considered and approved on a motion by Charlie Langham, seconded by Corey Martin, none opposed. Guest(s): Gary Gover Recreation Updates: Pat White informed the Rec Board that the city has officially hired a new Youth Sports Coordinator, Cole Wagner, who will start on December 18th. He is the son of Dustin Wagner, the voice of Pirate Nation Live and is a lifelong Fairhope resident. Pat also informed the Rec Board that our annual Rec Summit meeting is coming up after the 1st of the year. This is something that we do every year with the youth leagues. We always ask for them to come with their financials, ready to discuss and this also gives the Boards the opportunity to go over any needs /requests they may have for the new year. Pat mentioned this year it might be better to do one large Rec Board Meeting and Rec Summit together, so the Board can meet our Youth Sports Board Member, which will be held on January 17th, 2024 @ 6 pm at the Nix Center. Pat informed the Board that he has a meeting @ 10 am tomorrow (12/14/23) with the high school coaches and principals to have a Rec Summit meeting with them, as he has never done this before . He will be speaking with them about the importance of communication with the city, what the city does and provides for the schools’ athletics. Pat expressed again the need for the Board to produce different ideas for the 5-year plan. He met with Charlie Langham and Josh Warren last week and they had a great meeting with ideas. Pat mentioned he could come up with several items for the 5-year plan, but would think it would be more beneficial for the Board to write down their own ideas of where they see Parks & Rec moving towards and would love to sit down and discuss any ideas the other Rec Board Members may have. Pat also presented a small slideshow presentation, showing all the facilities that fall under the Parks & Rec Department, so that the Board can become familiar with our locations and what projects are already in the works for 2024 . Pat spoke to the Board about 2 action items he would like the Board to consider. 1st is travel baseball/softball teams and the use of City fields. Right now, the City only requires that 80% of a travel team’s roster be made of Fairhope Feeder Pattern kids, in order not to pay for the use of the fields. Pat would like the Board to consider changing the requirements to 100% of a travel team’s roster must be kids that are registered with youth rec baseball/softball leagues, to not be charged the facility rental fee. Lastly, Pat would like the Board to consider turning the 2 existing baseball/softball fields at Barnwell’s sports complex into practice football fields, but still allowing these fields to be multi-purpose fields in the future. Recreation New Business: General discussion was had regarding the critical areas of need for the 5-year plan, which includes more gym space for youth basketball and youth volleyball for children and multi- purpose practice fields. Debra Flowers made a motion to recommend to City Council to mandate all travel baseball/softball rosters consist of 100% registered City of Fairhope youth recreation baseball/softball players, to use fields at no cost, with Lisa Atchley second the motion, none opposed. Charlie Langham made a motion to recommend to the City Council that the two softball/baseball fields at Barnwell be converted into youth football practice fields, with Maurice Morrisette second the motion, none opposed. Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:33 p.m.