08-12-2009Minutes, Blair Park Board Meeting
August 12, 2009
Roll Call
Members of the Blair Park Board met at 7 p.m., Wednesday, August 12, at Steyer Park. Members
present: Neil Jensen, president; Ann George, secretary; Jeene Hobbs, Roger Petersen, Ardee Pounds.
Blair Parks Department: Pat Long. Members not present: Jim Peterson.
Reading and Approval of May 13, 2009, Minutes
Ardee Pounds's motion to approve the May 13 minutes was seconded by Jeene Hobbs and carried.
Approval of Bills
There were no bills needing approval. Pat Long said that at our next meeting he would probably have a
bill for the two -and -a -half days a UNL graduate student spent at Steyer Park and Arbor Park School
identifying trees for GPS mapping. Pat thought it might be possible to split the cost, depending on how
much it will be, with Friends of the Blair Arboretum.
Old Business
Further discussion of new play equipment for Stever Park. From the vantage point of the lower shelter,
Board members surveyed the playground equipment in the park. Pat Long discussed rearranging the
equipment into two age - appropriate groups at Steyer and mentioned the possibility of requesting Keno
funds next year for several pieces of new equipment in the parks. Noting that none of the playground
surfaces in the park system are ADA compliant, Pat said that he'd like eventually to resurface the
playgrounds with recycled, tan rubber mulch after first testing it at one of the playgrounds. This winter he
plans to audit all of the playgrounds to see what is needed. A new piece of equipment at Steyer Park could
perhaps be a climbing wall. Jeene Hobbs discussed the possibility of new equipment that would be
designed to suggest, for example, an arboretum theme. She described parks she had visited in the
Northwest and Michigan that had playground equipment designed to reflect, for example, unique features
in the community.
Update on Black ElkNeihardt Park. Inc. nroiect for 2009. Pat reported that the City Council at its most
recent meeting had voted to use $8000 in Keno funds, requested by Black Elk - Neihardt Park, Inc., to help
complete the sidewalk/trail around the Tower of the Four Winds. Pat said that in the next fiscal year he'd
like to purchase additional benches for Black Elk - Neihardt Park.
New Business
Next Friends of Arboretum meeting. Friends of the Arboretum will meet on August 19 at City Hall to
continue working on the tree inventory for Black Elk- Neihardt Park.
New Park Board member. Jeene Hobbs was welcomed at the start of the meeting as a new member of the
Park Board. She replaces Kathy Kuster, who resigned from the Board because she had moved to Fremont.
Thank you letter to Kathy Kuster. Ardee Pounds suggested that Park Board members send a thank -you
letter to Kathy Kuster for her many years of service on the Board Ann George will prepare a letter for
everyone's signature at the next meeting.
Adjournment. Roger Petersen's motion to adjourn the meeting was seconded by Ardee Pounds
and carried.
The Board will meet again at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, at Black Elk - Neihardt Park.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann George, Secretary