MINUTES OF THE LACOMBE & DISTRICT RECREATION PARKS & CULTURE BOARD -- JANUARY 18, 2006

MINUTES OF THE MAY 17, 2006
Lacombe and District Recreation, Parks and Culture Board Meeting
Held in Town Office Conference Room

Present:	Bill Nielsen Steve Christie Casey Kooyman Carla Weidner Dale Guest Christina Lust, Recreation Community Coordinator Calvin Bennefield, Facilities Manager, Ken Kendall, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Regrets:	Terri Jardine, Christine Martin

CALL TO ORDER	Chairman Bill Neilsen called the meeting to order at 4:35 p.m.
DELEGATIONS/ PRESENTATIONS
ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
ADOPTION OF AGENDA	MOTION: THAT the agenda for May 17, 2006 be adopted as circulated. Moved by: C. Weidner Seconded by: D. Guest Carried: Unanimously
ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES	THAT the minutes of the March 15, 2006 meeting of the Lacombe and District Recreation, Parks and Culture Board be adopted as circulated. Moved by: S. Christie Seconded by: C. Weidner Carried: Unanimously
ITEMS FROM COUNCIL	No report
INFORMATION	Recreation Services Monthly Report C. Lust reported the Art Exhibit & Sale went well. Attendance was down about 20% but there were more artists in the show than in previous years. Registrations for the summer creative arts and drama program are now being accepted. The fundraising campaign for the Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre is going well. The committee has reached 50% of its goal to date. The public launch will be held May 18 and Board members are invited to attend. The Minister of Gaming, Gordon Graydon is expected to attend. The Kinsmen Aquatic Centre celebrated its 10th year at the Birthday Bash with 250 attending. The Regional Tourism Committee is working on a new website. The community calendar for the chamber and tourism sites will be drawing from the same data base which will provide a central calendar for community activities. The Arts Endowment Committee has had a planning session and will be bringing additional interested individuals together to brainstorm ideas for fund development and marketing plans. The Committee has set a goal of $50,000 for the endowment by 2008. From Dot Adamson's painting and the Gourmet Cafe approximately $2400 was raised for the endowment. The summer children's programs (drop-in and day camps) will be offered again this year through the partnership of Neighbourhood Place, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, FCSS, Lacombe Recreation Services and the Lacombe Daycare. C. Bennefield reported parks activities include the campground opening, bookings for the gazebo, ball diamond bookings, treating the ball field for gophers. There has been a fair amount of vandalism this year. In June playground equipment will be installed at Iron Wolf and Wilson's playgrounds. Inline hockey and lacrosse has been schedule in the arena. On May 25 a Sawyer Brown and Gord Bamford concert is being held at the arena followed by the grad on the weekend. The curling rink is booked for the Rotary Lobster Boil in June. K. Kendall that Recreation Services has a very busy summer coming up and staff are being spread very thin. Consideration will need to be given to bringing on more casual staff . The Town is presently being faced with two law suits. It was noted that the we have accomplished many of the goals identified to date and it is time for the Board to review and update its goals and direction for the next few years. A board retreat was suggested for the fall. Kinsmen Aquatic Centre Monthly Report The monthly statistics were circulated to the Board as information. It was noted that there is a lot of school use. Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre Project The footings are in and excavation has started. Additional excavation costs were incurred as a result of finding concrete from the old foundation buried under the parking lot and an area had a substantial amount of loam that had to be removed as well as an old leaking sanitary sewer line. The steel has been ordered and is expected to be delivered June 22. The proposed opening date for the facility is March 2. The project is over budget due to increased excavation and mechanical costs. Additional funding sources are being sought to address the extra costs. A tour of the facility will be arranged for the next Board meeting. Henner's Pond Terms of Reference One meeting with the stakeholders has been held to review the general requirement of each party. The planning department has just received the contours of the site for the area. Trans Canada Trail The section of the Trans Canada Trail from Red Deer north is moving forward with the rural municipalities support of the trail through their jurisdictions. An application for designation of the Town of Lacombe portion has been submitted to Alberta Trail Net. Town Council are forwarding a resolution to other municipalities that would be presented at the next AUMA conference supporting trail networks in the local, regional, and provincial context and provincial funding to support municipal initiatives. MOTION: THAT the Lacombe and District Recreation, Parks and Culture Board accept the following items as information: 1. Recreation Services Monthly Report. 2. Kinsmen Aquatic Centre Monthly Statistics 3. Lacombe Regional Centennial Centre Project 4. Henner's Pond Terms of Reference 5. Trans Canada Trail Moved by: C. Weidner Seconded by: C. Kooyman Carried: Unanimously
BUSINESS ARISING	Location of Dog Run At the last meeting a site for a off leash area for a dog run in the flood plains of Wolf Creek near the fish pond was proposed for the Board's consideration. General consensus was that this would be a suitable area. There was further discussion that all other green spaces would be on leash use only. Installation of bag dispensers for dog owners was also discussed and will be looked into.
NEW BUSINESS	Communities In Bloom Committee The Communities in Bloom Committee has asked for representation from the Recreation Board. Dale Guest agreed to represent the Board.
NEXT MEETING	Date: September 20, 2006 Time: 4:30 p.m. Place: Town Office Conference Room
ADJOURNMENT	The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.