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Antrim County |
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September 23, 2004 |
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Minutes |
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Members Present: |
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Jerome Dobrzelewski, Al Pecar, Stan Moore and Jerry Basch |
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Members Absent: |
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Al Luurtsema, Russ Blasdell, Mike Crawford, Mike Meriwether and Mark Stone |
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Staff Present: |
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Eileen Wallick, Howard Yamaguchi, and Mark Randolph |
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Others Present: |
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Janet Person and Kent Reynolds |
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I. Call to Order |
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Jerry Basch called the meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission (Parks & Rec) to order at 9:08 a.m. Only four members attended the meeting today. There is no quorum. It was decided to hold the meeting anyway, without approving the previous month’s minutes. |
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II. Comment by Janet Person |
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Janet Person noted that Al Luurtsema resigned, in part, in protest against the Antrim Conservation District (ACD) not giving any credit to Parks & Rec for their part in the Wetzel Lake project and to the Solid Waste Council for the Household Hazardous Waste program. Janet informed Parks & Rec that she was merely listing the activities in which the ACD had taken part, not taking all the credit for those projects. |
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She further noted that as of October 1, ACD will be laying off staff. Staff layoffs will be reversed if the millage proposal passes in November. |
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III. Grass River Natural Area 5-year Plan |
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Mark Randolph distributed the proposed capital improvement plan for the Grass River Natural Area (GRNA). He explained each of the plan items in some detail, and noted that progress on the Grass River Bicycle Trail is hampered by the lack of a steering committee of volunteers who contribute time to the project. A goal for 2005 may be establishment of such a committee. |
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Kent Reynolds stressed the need for a county-wide committee to complete a vision for the Antrim County segments of a regional trail system. Janet described the Bellaire trail system and the possibility of starting the Bellaire-Fisherman’s Paradise Road segment. |
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IV. Barnes Park 5-year Plan |
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Eileen Wallick, Barnes Park Manager, distributed a proposed capital improvement plan for Barnes Park. She described each item of her proposal and the proposed timing for the improvements. The Chairman asked her for some estimated costs of the major improvements to facilitate the planning process. He also noted that Eileen had included Elk Rapids Day Park items in the list, and for the most part, they were based on the list produced by the Elk Rapids planning committee. |
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V. Elk Rapids Day Park |
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Jerry Basch reported that the recommendations of the planning committee will be incorporated in the 5-year plan for the Day Park. He also noted that he will inactivate the group until further notice, when the need arises to reactivate the committee. |
VI. Barnes Park Forum Agenda |
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Parks & Rec decided that presentation of the rough draft of the 5-year plan will be a major agenda item. Visuals showing the facilities affected will be produced. Allen Pecar volunteered to produce and coordinate the visuals and overheads for the Forum. |
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Trails will be another major agenda item. Kent Reynolds and other suggested using the forum to solicit volunteers to start a county-wide trails committee to work on the vision for a trail system. The consensus was that it is essential to include the snowmobile interests in planning implementing a successful county-wide trail system. Each group could work on an overhead slide describing their vision. |
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County road-ends and access sites will be a part of the agenda as well. Jerry Dobrzelewski informed Parks & Rec that the Antrim County Road Commission has concluded that transferring the road-ends to townships control would be the most efficient method of managing the public access sites. |
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Howard informed Parks & Rec that the County cannot pay for food. Funds for food should be requested from donors and participants. |
VII. Rec Plan Update |
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Stan reported on the substantial completion of Sections A and B. Howard reported on the returns thus far of the inventory sheets (only five). |
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VIII. Other Matters |
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Janet informed Parks & Rec that the DNR is processing grant agreements, and that we should be receiving the Barnes Park grant agreement soon. Realistically, construction may not be until next spring.
Janet further noted that ACD and Barnes Park will put on a spook trail at Barnes Park.
Janet also updated Parks & Rec on the progress of GPS-ing public access points. Due to funding constraints, further GPS work may have to be done by Parks & Rec.
Finally, Janet described the Wetzel Lake shut-down schedule for the season. |
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Meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m. |
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Next Meeting |