Regular Park & Rec meeting scheduled on Mon., Dec. 16, 2024. Agendas & packet are not posted online. Scroll down for video of the meeting. This is a happy community group that feels comfortable serving our community and sharing their thoughts.
STAFF REPORTS AND UPDATES
City P&Z Administrator Scott Kochendorfer said Dog Park development will be sent to P&Z to handle. Brief comments about a website Sniffspot, possible fitness court, ice rinks, Trezona Trail, Hidden Valley, and public access issues after fire at local trailer park.
NEW BUSINESS
Chair Morgan Sauls is stepping down from the Board. Her seat is now open. Abby Dare was elected as the new Chair. Look at previous Citizens for Transparency recordings to see how Morgan Sauls conducted welcoming meetings, encouraged open discussions and input from all, and lead all in kind, cheery, and passionate service to the community.
January 6, 2025, is the meeting date.
Abby Dare suggested Park & Rec be actively involved in the Grand Opening of the Trailhead Center. Her goal is to “bring Ely together” by involving ALL groups. Great discussion.
Park vandalism was also discussed later on.
OLD BUSINESS
Great discussion about the “Draft of Comp Plan.” Tremendous list AND work behind it.
This is a list of short-, mid-, and long-term projects. They are not changes to the Comp Plan.
Both this list and all the discussions over 2024 reflect the idealism, passion and active involvement of this Board in the Ely community. The Comp Plan should be revised to incorporate their vision and intent. Otherwise, this isn’t officially Ely’s vision or plan.
The Park & Rec Board will continue to work on their plan. Share YOUR thoughts with them. Get involved with the Board by attending meetings and also with our local community organizations. “Bring Ely together” also means real outreach. Look at their web
With all due respect, this list and 2024 discussions seem to indicate that some voices from the community are not fully represented on the Board. Yes, any and all are truly welcome at Park & Rec meetings. Stronger advocacy voices need to voiced louder and more consistently OR officially seated (= appointed) to the Board when seats become open.
Seniors are 1/2 + of our population. What Park & Rec activities and funding involve seniors? Look at the list. Who on the Board advocates for seniors? Yes, all the Board Members care and want to be inclusive. But that is not the same as advocacy. Yes, seniors participate in many of the activities on the list. What Senior Center recreational activities are supported by Parks & Rec? What do seniors and non-active-in-traditional-sports adults want and need for recreation and health needs – inside and outside of the Senior Center?
Active sports (individual and team sports) are absolutely essential for physical, mental and social health. Add economics. But not everyone wants to or can participate in active sports activities currently supported and proposed by Park & Rec. Why isn’t accessibility a priority?
Health and Fitness need to have a louder local advocate on the Board. Why is Park & Rec and P&Z talking about some outside corporation coming in to build a Fitness Center within a park? All these outside organizations and corporations want to make money. If someone from Ely’s local health care system had a seat on the Park & Rec Board, maybe activities, projects and funding supporting health care would have been on the list, maybe even just mentioned in Ely’s Comp Plan. Get a health care advocate on the Board who continually will remind everyone about mental health, healing, building community, thinking outside the current mindsets. For example: What role and (wall and physical) space can health care professionals have at the Trailhead Center’s Grand Opening . . . and beyond?
Who on the Board advocates for the Ely Field Naturalists and other passive nature hobbyists? Obviously, Bill Teft frequently attending and speaking at Park & Rec meetings over the years hasn’t been enough for EFN to be mentioned on the list. Who’s the voice for community-wide native pollinator fields? The Garden Club and Incredible Ely have important visible roles in Ely (and their volunteerism should get more good press), but that is not the same as advocating for nature. Again. all the Board Members care about these things. But who on the Board is actively advocating for them?
It is the responsibility of Council to actively seek and appoint commissioners to reflect all the voices of the Ely community. Park & Rec Board Members are doing FOR MORE than their fair share to advocate for ALL voices.
THINKING DIFFERENTLY
(1) Earth Day/Week/Month should be more than trash pickup. BTW, shouldn’t community trash pick-ups be sponsored by the Sanitation Committee, their focus. Also, Council officially wants Sanitation to have a permanent reserved seat on the City’s Green Team, not Parks & Rec.
(2) Why is Park & Rec listing “Inner City campground development” as their responsibility in Comp Plan? That should be for Projects, EEDA, or P& to handle, not Park & Rec. Park & Rec can’t be on City’s Green Team but is involved in promoting private campground developments? Doesn’t make sense.
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