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09/11/2000 - Regular Agenda Packet - Wolf Pen Creek Oversight Committee
WOLF PEN CREEK OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2000 ' NOON CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1101 TEXAS AVENUE Agenda Call to Order 1. Approval of Minutes 2. Approval of Member Requests for Absences 3. Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action Regarding the Wolf Pen Creek Oversight Subcommittee Meeting held on August 29, 2000 4. Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action Regarding the Riparian Restoration Project WP0001 5. Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action Regarding Future Directions for the Wolf Pen Creek Corridor 6. Adjourn The building is wheelchair accessible. Handicap parking spaces are available. Any request for sign interpretive services must be made 48 hours before the meeting. To make arrangements call (979) 764-3517 or (TDD) 1-800-735-2989. Agendas posted on Internet Website http://www.ci.college-station.tx.us and Cable Access Channel 19. *tr. 44.4, ,,„ 44. „ 4,4 s,. .„ 4,, ,44.4.,4 4,4 P. 0. Box 9960 1101 Texas Avenue - College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 MEMO' A NOUM TO: Wolf Pen Creek Oversight Committee FROM: City Staff DATE: August 28, 2000 SUBJECT: Implementation Strategies Recommendation Staff recommends that the implementation of the Wolf Pen Creek Master Plan move forward as quickly as possible. To accomplish this end, four specific proposals are offered: A. Upper Reach Trails - Trails between Dartmouth and Texas Avenue be designed and constructed wherever land ownership permits. B. Lower Reach Trails - Designate trail locations and secure land needed for construction. Design and construct trails as soon as possible. This portion of the creek will not be "channelized" and will receive minimal drainage improvements. This may require some ordinance changes to implement. C. Develop a request for proposal to\market the city-owned four-acre tract on Holleman Drive for commercial development. RFP's will be received and ranked to determine the most appropriate project for the location. D. Conduct the design charette for project elements concurrent with trail development and the RFP process. This information can then be incorporated into the completed trail system, public improvements and private development concepts as they occur. We feel that this process must move forward as soon as possible. The master plan implementation has moved from the "conceptual" phase into the "design and construction" phase. To complete this process, we feel the above-recommended proposals are essential to success. Thank you for your support and assistance in this project. Home of Texas A&M University CONSTITUTIONAL BY LAWS of the LINCOLN CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE City of College Station Texas ARTICLE I -- RULES OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Section Purpose The "Lncoln Center Advisory Committee" hereinafter referred to as the Committee, shall be composed of seven (7) members and (I) alternate member. The purpose of this co mittee is to interpret the needs and interest of this community and advise the recreation center staff and the Parks and Recreation Board concerning recreational programs, ideas and activities that satisfy these needs and/or interests. The committee will participate in formulating plans, assist in recommending policy, and evaluating programs. Section II Terms of Office The terms of office for the Committee shall commence on September 1, and shall be two (2) years in length and the members thereof shall be appointed by the Parks and Recreation Board. The Board will commission three appointments in odd years, and four appointments in even years. Section HI Termination Any Committee member appointed by the Parks and Recreation -- oard shall forfeit that membership if absent for more t an three (3) meetings, or 25% of the meetings, whichever is greater, in one appointment year, unless the absenteeism is for medical reasons. Absenteeism may also be excused by the Committee or by the Parks and Recreation -oar*. If a member goes beyond this absenteeism limit, the Parks and Recreation oard shall be advise, to declare the position vacant and aptoint a new member to fill the vacancy. Section IV Organization Said Committee is authorized to establish its own constitution an• by-laws and shall provide for regular and special meetings necessary to carry on its business, separate and apart from the City of College Station, except as herein provided. Section V Limitations The Committee shall not be authorized to incur on behalf of the City of College Station any expense incident to the operation of said parks and recreation programs, unless expressly authorized to do so by the City Council. The Committee shall not knowingly conduct business that has been assigned by ordinance to any other governing or advisory body of the City of College Station. LC Advisory Co miftee By-I- Page 1 of 4 0: •• aincoin\byl- 97\30-0c1-98 ARTICLE II MEETING Section I Annual Meetings The annual meeting of the Committee shall be held at a date and time to be designated by the Committee. Section II Regular Meetings The regular meeting shall be held on the first Monday of each month at the hour of 5:45 •.m. at the Lincoln Recreation Center. Section III Notice of Meetings Notice of all regular meetings shall •e delivered to each member of the Committee and one Parks and Recreation oard liaison at least five (5) days s dor to each meetin . Notice of all meetings shall be posted at City Hall and delivered to the news media in compliance with all state and local news. Section iV S ecial Meetings Special meetings may e called at any time by the Chair of the Committee or by three (3) members of the Committee. Section V Place of Meeting The r.lace of the meeting shall be at Lincoln Recreation Center unless other wise stated in the call. Section VI Quorum Four(4) members of the Committee shall at all times constitute a quorum. Section VIII Rules of Order General parliamentary rules, as given in Robert's Rules of Order, as modified by the rules an• regulations of the Committee shall be observed in conducting meetings of the Committee. Section VIII Order of Business The following shall be the Order of Business of the Committee, but the rules of the order may be suspended and any matters considered or postponed by action of the Committee. 1. Call to Order 2. Hear visitors, petitions, and/or communications. 3. Pardon. LC Advisory C-0 mittee By- Page 2 of 4 0: •• rdMincoinMaylaws97‘30-Oct-98 Section VIII Order of Business (Cont) 4. Approval of minutes from previous meeting(s): 5. Discussion item(s): 6. Re ort. 7. Consent item(s): 8. Adjourn ARTICLE 111 --OFFICE 8 Section 1 Appointment of Officers The Parks and Recreation Foard shall appoint one member of the Co,- mittee to serve as Chair and one member to serve as Vice-Chairman on an annual basis. 8cfion 11 Mules of the Committee Chairman The Chair of the Committee shall preside at the meetings of the Committee, and shall perform the other duties ordinarily performed '4,y the officer. Section in Duties of the VceChairman The Vic—Chairman of the Committee, in the absence of the Chair, shall perform all the duties of the Chair of the Committee., In the absence of both the Chair and the Vice-Chairman, the Committee shall elect a Char pro tempore who shall perform the duties of the Chair of the Committee. Section IV Duties of the Center Supervisor He/She shall act as the chief executive officer of the Committee, but shall NOT be a member. He/She shall attend all regular meetings and participate in discussions, but shall not be entitled to vote. ARTICLE IV --COMMITTEES 4,Fs THE COMMITTEE S,7-ctin I Appointment of Special Committees Special Committees shall be appointed by the Chair for consideration and study of any matter not covered by the Committee during regular or special meetings. The Special Committees shall report their findings to the Committee. Section 11 Amendments LC Advisory Committee By-1s Page 3 of 4 0: rdklincoin% 91‘30-Oct-*• These bylaws may be amended at any regular meetings of the Committee by a majority vote of the members present, provided previous notice of the nature of any proposed amen*ment shall have been given at least one regular meeting before the action thereon shall be taken. LC Advisory C mittee Byr Page 4 of 4 0: • rd‘lincoin\byt. 97130-Oct-98 Section i Amendments (Cont) These by-laws shall be automatically amended by any future ordinances i.assed by the parks and Recreation :oard dealing with matters relating to the Lincoln Recreation Center Advisory Committee. APPROVED: Lincoln Center Advsory Committee Chairman Date Attest: Lincoln Center Advisory Committee Secretary Date Approved I.y the College Station Parks and -ecreation Ioard on the day of 1997. Parks & Recreation foard Chairman Date Attest: Parks & Recreation Board Secretary Date LC Advisofy Cs mittz, Bylaws Page 5 of 4 0: • 4dVincoMbyl. 97‘30-Oct-98 From: Lance Jackson To: Kris Startzman Date: 8/17/00 4:41PM Subject: Parks Board Agenda Kris, the subject of advisorj term limits wsdscu -d at part of the LRC advisory committee meeting on August 14, 2000. It was by consent that this advisory committee felt as though we should move towards extending the length of public service to another term,with an option to serve. Meaning that they are willing to serve at least one to two more years. I am vely proud and honored to be ann.cated with a fine, caring and dedicated group of -ople. We have never had at the Lincoln Recreation Center, folks who have een committz to helping in all aspects of the Centers potential growth and capacity to b sme a facility to be use 'oy all citizen's of zrazos Valley. They are concerned about the Centers future as well as the City of College Station, At this juncture,the committee stressed that they were now beginning to jell as a team and desired to serve the mission of the Center and our Department goals. Can additional terms be a consideration? What are all the steps involved with this? Please convey my thoughts to this to the Parks Board? Thanks, Lance CC: bac©purchase.ta -u.edu; cfwilliamsspaoars.usda.gov; Steve Beachy; Watson, Cathy-RGS Fr m: Lance Jackson To: Kris Startzman Date: 8/29/00 8:49AM Subject: Re: By-laws As pros • by the LRC committee, they would like serve an additional and optional one or two year term as approved by the Parks Board. The purpose by consent will be to maintain continuity, sense of purpose, and stability. Some want to continue to serve. So, it would read: serve tw• year terms with an option for a one or two year term as approved by the Parks board with our rece mendations. Also we wanted to change the m ling to the sec.nd Monday of each month @ 5:45 p.m. Thanks, Lance >>> Kris Startzman 08/28/00 01:56PM >>> Lance, Please send me a copy of your .ropos y-1, for the Lincoln Center Advisory Committee to put in Octobers Board •ackets. Electronically w.uld •e great! :-) Thanks Lance! Ms CC; dgerling Petition in Favor Of a Skating Park We, the undersigned kids of College Station, Texas, want to have a skating park including ramps,j ps,etc. for skating recreation and competition for the youth of our community. We believe that such a park would be good for the following reasons: 1. Skateing is fun. 2. Really good skaters in College Station don't have anywhere to skate except on streets andpblic areas. 3. Skateing at aupark will give kids a chance to be more active and watch less TV. 4. It is a good way to exercise. 5. Skating and skate boarding is getting more popular around the country. 6. Skating at a skating park would be safer than skating on streets. This petition was started by Andrew and Scott Meyer. Printed Name Signature Address Phone No. Aqi ---7-wc_t , ' O I .._,„1, /VI . 4 ', i , Li** ÷ c"F rl rd B . 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X 1 , / j / '.,. ,.4, ' . .. .., fin.:11' r-V.J.1 i'l 2 i A f j x .„,.. ( 71. fr'r- ........"± „,_. ,,,..,r 1„,,,,, i / )\ --t Li 1 v ,,,.. int I, ,...,„ ( 1 _,,i s,...b,' . 7 t ,, 0 / ,---- 1 L7t)k k-.. L--;; ' -1 5- 1:01,43 74.---- Mayt, t41-71 ,-/V4de_ ,6(' A14'24 *--f--I) 165 ___s-3 s) .) '1 1 ) x , , , i ., ,,_ J -,/ '' 7 \4A/--rx_ i ,,, ,....., .....,, f.,.._ i X X X t„,..,/ L/L . /1 . _ . . _ x x x x x x x x x x 4,,,, - _ .. _ - TEXAS- PARKS &_ WILDLIFE August 31,2000 Mr.Pete Vanecek City of College Station COMMISSIONERS LEE M.BASS 1000 Krenek Tap Rd. CHAIRMAN,FT.WORTH College Station,Texas 77840 CAROL E.DINKINS VICE-CHAIR,HOUSTON ERNEST ANGELO,JR. MIDLAND Dear Mr.Vanecek: JOHN AVILA,JR. FT.WORTH RICHARD(DICK)DALLAS HEATH I am pleased to info you that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has awarded ALVIN L.HENRY National Recreational Trails Grant funds and your Lick Creek Trail project was HOUSTON awarded$80,000 of gi t funding. Congratulations,competition for funding was fierce KATHARINE ARMSTRONG IOSAL DALLAS with over three times the request for funds as funds available. NOLAN RYAN ALVIN We will begin enviror ental and historical resource reviews of the awarded projects MARK E.WATSON,JR. SAN ANTONIO and may contact you for additional info ation, if needed. These reviews should be PERRY R.BASS CHAIRMAN-EMERITUS completed within two months. After these reviews are completed, I will make FT.WORTH arrangements to meet with you and view the trail site and proposed work to be accomplished with the grant funds. At this time, you will receive copies of our billing ANDREW SANSOM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR procedures and a project agreement to execute. Please remember that this program will only reimburse you for 80% of the project cost, up to the amount approved, for costs incurred after the project agreement has been fully executed. Do 4 ot start your project or incur any costs until this agreement is signed by all parties. By law,you can not be reimbursed for costs incurred prior to the execution of the project agreement To manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources Please feel free to contact me at (512) 389-4737 if you have any questions. Again, of Texas fir the use and congratulations for developing such a worthy trail project and compiling a successful enjoyment of present grant ipplication. and fitture generations. Sincerely, C1 Andrew Goldbloom Program Manager 4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD AUSTIN,TEXAS 78744-3291 512-389-4800 www.tp wd.s tate_tx.us PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT C1P PROJECT LIST FY 2001 Revised September 5, 2000 PROJECT FUNDING PRIORITY& PROJECT STATUS NUMBER BUDGET SOURCE 3 Brison Park Improvements $54,600 '98 G.0. Brothers Park Improvements Underway $32,000 '98 G.O. 1 Business Center Landscaping Project $250,000 1 Cemetery Land Acquisition Underway GG9905 $275,000 '78 G.O. 3 Central Park Improvements $17,000 '98 G.0. 2 Community Park Acquisition Underway PK9948 $520,000 '98 Bond 3 Gabbard Park Improvements $78,000 '98 G.O. Budget Hallaran Pool Filters & Coatin• (FY '01) Request $120,000 FY '01 Budget 2 High School Tennis Court Lights (FY'01) Request $91,500 FY '01 Indoor Grant Application for Joint CS1SD Project Due 7/31/01 Lemontree Park Playground In Construction PK0066 $22,000 '98 G.O. In Progress Lick Creek Grant Application Due 1/01 '98 G.O. Grant $126,265 Grant Funds 2 Lick Creek Trails Grant Project Submitted 2 Lincoln Improvements $90,000 FY '01 Replacement Merry Oaks Improvements $37,000 Funds #1 Merry Oaks Playground Replacement Underway $25,000 '98 G.O. Budget 2 Millenium Winds Improvements (FY'01) Request $7,195 FY '01 2 Oaks Park Bridge PK0067 $28,000 '98 G.O. Parking Garage Landscape Plan In Design Raintree Park Improvements In Design PK0068 $44,000 '98 .0. 3 Shenandoah Park Development $48,000 Ded Southwood Soccer Field Budget FY '01 Renovation (FY '01) Request 1 Thomas Park Improvements In Construction PK9931 $84,000 '98 G.O. 2 Thomas Pool Improvements $19,000 '98 G.O. Thomas Pool Leak Investigation & Budget PRIORITY& PROJECT STATUS PROJECT BUDGET FUNDING NUMBER SOURCE 1 Repair (FY '01) Request $25,000 FY '01 Veterans Park Phase I In Design PK9941 $2,120,000 '98 G.O. Budget 2 Veterans Park Water Feasibility (FY'01) Request $25,000 FY '01 West District Maintenance Shop In Construction PK9927 $501,000 '98 G.O. Willow Branch Tennis Courts In Construction PK0074 $125,000 DED 2 Woodway Park Development $468,600 OTHERS #1 City Center Concepts 1 City Hall Atrium George Bush at Wellborn Road to Texas 3 Avenue Medians Historic Lighting Project (FY'01) Budget Request 2 Northgate Park (FY '01) 2 Raintree Land Acquisition 2 Venue Tax Issue 1 Wolf Pen Creek trails In Design PRIORITIES - In progress currently or will be in progress before January I, 2001. #2 - In progress before August 1, 2001 #3 — In progress after October 1, 2001 a/parks/Projects/CIP/cip2001.doc CITY OF COLLEGE STATION PARKS AND RECRE,TION DEPARTMENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROD RA PROJECT STATUS September 2000 VETERANS PARK&ATHLETIC COMPLEX MASTE- PLAN Project Number: PK9941 Budget: $2,038, 000 Contract Amount: $168,200(O'Malley Engineers) Project Manager: Eric Ploeger Project sesign: 0 alley Engineers Comments/Status: The Master Plan was approved by the City Council on May 25, 2000. Design of Phase I began June 6, 2000. dvertisement&Awar ': February 2001 Cm 4 eton: November 2001 2 WEST DISTRICT MAINTENANCE SHOP Project Num, er: PK9927 Budget: $501,600 Design Contract Amount: $30280 Project Manager: Eric Ploeger Project Design:. Holster and Associates Comments/Status: Consti uctionan on July 31, 2000. Task- Project Design: March-February 2000 Advertisement&Award: April-June 21100 Completion: January 2001 3. COMM :MITYPA''K AND CEMETERY SITE ACQUISITION Project Number: N/A Budget: $500000-Park $275000-Cemetery Contract Amount: N/A Project Manager: Eric lioeger 4. WILLOW RANCH TENNIS COURTS Project Number: PK0074 Budget: $125,000(Park Land Dedication Fund, Zone 6) Contract mount: N/A Project Manager: Eric Plo-ter, Asst. Director Project Design: Municipal Development Group-for CS1SD Comments/Status: Interlocal agreement approved by City Council on June 22, 2000. Completion is expected by December 2000. CIE, Report MAYGROUND !'.'',.PLAcE!'",E ,!TS R.P.T'-'E PO MeRRY..0;',0 Project Number: PK0068 Budget: Brothers($32,000), Raintree&Merry Oaks($25,000/each) Contract Amount: N/A Project fdanavr: Pete Vanecek Senior Park Planner Project Design: Parks and Recreation Department Staff Iesflgn May 2000 to July 2000 Adverstisement Aware September 2000 Co:Tipeton: December 244, Council approval of bid is expected September 14 200. 6„ PLAYGROUND AND t/-SKETBALL COURT REVCEENT:: 'LE:\iONTREE AND THOMAS Project Number: Pkt:,86 and PK9931 udget: Lemontree $22,0** Thomas=$88,000 Co,-,tract $101,**0 RM Dudley Constnictiltr, Project Manager: !Pete Vanecek, Senior Park Planner Project*,esgn: *arks and Recreation Department Staff Desitn: February 2000 to April 2000 Award: May 200* Competion: Septem*,-r 2000 PLIMRE$5 CENTER LANDSCAPNG MP;'- 11EMP 'T4; Project Number: 009705 B;J,Iget: 25000* Contract Amount: N/A Project Manager: Pete Vanecek Project 3tesgn: PARD Staff Desgn: September-October 2010 Award: Novel, er 2000 Competion: March 2+01 CI? Report WOLF PEN CREEK OVERSIGHT COMM IITEE REGULAR MEETING N*ON, AUGUST 71, 2OO COLLEGE STATION Crr HALL COUNCIL CHAN ER. Members Present: James Massey, # _nnis Maloney City Council; Kay Henryson, Design Review Board; Kart Mooney, Judith Warren, Alternate — Planning & Zoning; Sharon Colson, Marsha Sanford, Alternate — WPC TIF .Td; Glenn Schroeder, George Dresser, Alternate — Parks & Recreation hard Members Aaentg Phillip Kellby,Alternate sign Review .0,rd; Staff Present: Glenn 'a.rown — City Manager's Office; Steve iachy, Eric Ploeger, Pete Van- k, David Wo Parks & Recreation; Mark Smith, Bob Mosley - Public Works; Kelly Cole— Communications & Marketing; jim Callaway, Jane Kee — Development Services; Charles Cryan — Fiscal Services; Kim Fou tz — Economic 110 veil opment; Pa la Springfield, Committ- Secretary Visitors: Mike McClure, McClure Engineering; Paul Clarke — Clarke & Wyndham, Inc.; Chuck Ellison, Attorney at Law eft,allar Nee:in 1. Call T. •rdqr: James Massey called the meeting to order at 12:08 .m. 2. A r sval of Minutes. George Dresser made a motion to approve the minutes from the July 10, 2000 meeting. Kay Herllyson secondeJ the motion. All were in favor and the minutes were unanimously approved. 3. val Memb r Re.uiMslor Abse,.ces: James stat-o that ithilllip Kelby hatsi turn o in an absence request form and would not be pr nt at the meeting. 4. Dis ;0_ n n A r Ei.;!ar in t Directi•n r -f Pon +reek relivr„, James stated that since the last meeting there had been changes to the dynamics of the WPC districtHe explained that the recent approval of the Adams ,,roperty out n Highway 60 as a hotel/conference center site by the City Council in Executive Session, was a dedsion made for the betterment of the City and the ofloportunities that it would bring. A lot of thought and discussion had taken place about what it would mean to WPC, but it all came down to the fact that there was someone ready to build something that woukil ie a tremendous asset to the City of College Station. James said the district without the hotel/conference center is going to be different but the op..rtunities for the sistrict are still there. The TT monies are still there and McClure Engineering has a good design effort going. He added that Mike McClure's drawings didn't even include the conference center. James informed the members that the design charette had been cancelled. The Adams project influence, this decision as did the fact that Tom Woodfin's graduate assistant, who was to have taken over the running of th- charette this fall in Tom's absence (administrative leave), received a better offer and would not be able to participate either. James said he had met with Tom Woodfin, who feels that there are still enough op ertunities that the isroject can be an asset to the City WPC Ov- ight • mitt ev August;2 4 Minutes Page 2 through a pu•lic/private environment. Tom Woodfin's summer class project ended up not being related to VVPC. Dennis said that the consultants had stated that the environment in the WPC area as it is right now, would not support a full-service hotel. That doesn't mean hotels can't go in —just not full service hotels. James asked the members for their feedback. Some of the comments were: • The perimeter, as well as the core of the project, needs to be looked at. Firm steps need to be taken right away towards providing a continuous vision for future development. There are opportunities to purchase property that will keep the connection going east of the bypass® Sorry to see the arts center leave that area. It is good that the hotel/conference center will go somewhere else, since it was never a part of the initial concept for WPC® It's better that the traffic and everything associated with large conferences, will not be in that area® • This is a parks, arts, and commerce district and that's the way it should se marketed, capitalizing on what we have - not what we don't have® • There absolutely has to be infrastructure there and it needs to come quickly® A marketable theme is needed for the area. gi Everyone felt the design charette should still take place with a different facilitator. • Projects currently in progress will not se delayed. Interested in the plans of the pro•erty owners adjacent to the corridor and how this affects them and their timetable. This project is in the same parallel as the Business Park. It took a I eng time, but at some point it will just take off. There will be a restaurant/clue going into the old Wolf Nursery location which had been presentee to DR' as being family-oriented, with volleyball courts and athletic facilities. James asked for Paul Clarke's feedback: He greatly a predated and thanked the group for volunteering their time and doing what they'd been challen+led to do to - further the corridor. Moving the hotel/o nference center to a location where it wouldn't be supported by retail and within walking distance of restaurants is not a good idea. Credit should be given to the private sector — those who've held property and paid taxes in that corridor for many years trying to further this vision. Eve hing that has occurred out there has depreciated pros-rty values. Concern about what the vision is and how the project will look due to FEMA and the US Army Corp of Engineers' (The Corp) involvement. Killing all the trees and creating a wetland environment won't create a draw. He challenged McClure Engineering, the City engineers, and the Parks Department to look at another NWP (National Wetland Permit) tvhile the project was in the conceptual phase that would provide incentive for businesses to locate facing the creek. Create cluster developments. Mike McClure addressed some of Paul Clarke's concerns: This being a slopes stabilization and drainage project, the solution endorsed by the Corp is to clear a 100i-wide slough meandering through project, which will be cleared of trees. The slopes will be laid back, but trees will be replanted on those slopes. In order for the land at the lower end of the project to be developed, the trees would have to be cleared and the fringe area replanted, so you'd lose the trees anyway® • There are small pockets of wetlands that the Corp doesn't want changed, but everything else would be left intact and could more or less be developed and better enhanced. There is control over the meandering of the creek and there are ways to jog one way or another in order to WPC ov gilt Committee—August,2000 Minutes P -3 preserve some of the tree specimens that are there. Vertical retaining walls can be used in some areas to save vegetation but it can't be uniform throughout the project. That is why there is no permit now, because the project is still in the conceptual stage as far as the Corp is concerned. All that has been done for the downstream area so far, are the boundary surveys and the floodway information, which is being put on the recent revision that Paul Clarke's engineer, had put together. A meeting will be held once that is completed, to discuss which tracts have been impacted and if there are any discrepancies. Paul Clarke stated that he has problems with the fact that metes and bounds fescriptions are written based on aerial photography. They have been ç.roven wrong in the past, holding up projects® Kona's Steakhouse and Johnny Carino's were shown originally as floodway and would never have gone in if the City's model had not been sisproved. Now they are on the same track again. Paul stated that Mike's group is spending a lot of time and energy working on something inaccurate, which will be disputed. James said from w at he was hearing everyone wanted to go forward with the charette. James stated that if the charette waits until Tom Woodfin can do it in spring, 2001, this will put the project .ack another year. He asked Kay Henryson to look at options for another facilitator to help with the charette in a ti -ely manner. James stated that there was money available and asked everyone to think of projects that could be done as soon as possible. James said there were a lot of technical aspects he knew nothing about and suggested forming an action subco ittee to work on the pu Iliciprivate relationship. The intent the subcommittee would be to find out what the private sector wants so that a ha spy medium can be reached and ground can be broken as soon as possi le. He said he'd like to do this right away so that a report can be brought back to the September meeting. George asked that the committee be kept advised of the actions of the subcommittee. James sail the subcommittee will not act independently of the committee but will come lack with recommendations. James Massey, Paul Clarke, Mike McClure, Marsha Sanfor Jane Kee, Mark Smith, Karl Mooney agreed to be on the subcommittee. James invited anyone who would like to attend the meetin to do so. 5. A.journ. The meeting aljourned at 1:29 p®m College dial/on 91/sioric cPreservalion Comm//lee %pity Wee/frig (Wednesday, (Sep/ember 6, 2000, 5:15 p.m College dial/on Conference Gelder 1300 george aitsb cDrive, 9oonz10-1 glgenda 1. Call to Order 2. Consideration of Member Requests for Absences 3. Approval of Minutes 4. Hear Visitors 5. City Historic Home/Building/Subject Plaques — Presentation, Discussion, and Possible Action on Submitted Applications 6. Neighborhood Recognition Program — Discussion and Possible Action 7. Update on Brazos Heritage Society's Historic Film and Book Project — Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action 8. Election of a New Chairperson & Co-Chair — Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action 9. Brison Park Bonfire Memorial — Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action * Update on Status of Narrative for Bonfire Memorial Plaque — Shawn Carlson 10. Southside Lighting Project — Discussion, Consideration, and Possible Action 11. Agenda Items for Future Meetings 12. Adjourn The building is wheelchair accessible. Handicap parking spaces are available. Any request for sign interpretive services must be made 48 hours before the meeting. To make arrangements call (979) 764-3517 or (TDD) 1-800-735-2989. Agendas posted on Internet Website http://wvvw.ci.college-station.tx.us and Cable Access Channel 19. Colie • c9 ,.._ Statton ' L'i. ' I i .,,,, ::-.., Historic . . . . _ knlStoric ( eservatt mittee (Pr on Cs August 10, 2000 Dear Mayor and City Council Members, As members of the Historic Preservation Committee, we feel that the recognition and documentation of the role of College Station and Brazos Valley veterans is a very worthy endeavor. Veterans have always played an important role throughout the history of College Station. The roots of College Station, with the then-military college known as Texas A&M, ensured the role of the military and veterans in the city's own history. This role continues today in the form of the 8,000 plus veterans who call Brazos County home. At . atime when many of our veterans are dying in large numbers, it is essential that their story and deeds be documented for posterity so that generations of future residents know of their courage and sacrifice. We want to thank the City Council and Parks Board for honoring veterans through naming the new athletic park the Veterans Park and Athletic Complex. We also want to publicly voice our support for the construction of a Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. This type of memorial will not only honor the veterans who served their country; it will also serve as a tool for educating future generations of their service. We respectfully request that the City Council support this endeavor as well. Funds spent to document and honor our local veterans and heroes will be money very well spent. Sincerely, College Station Historic Preservation Committee i 4Ig ' / Deborah Jasek, Chair Bill Lancaster 2 , k ' •i ept......„_, on-te Trerickmann Mar- - Sanford * :!,„,„, * TO.(Box 9960 4, College Station, gexas TF842-9 9604' (409)(76.43773 /, , i i 1/ 6 t (IL'. ► ti IP .; t Griffith Shawn Carlson 4- 'ssi F ; f I ., "271,--6, - - , of F' R b rt McGee ee Thor as Taylor . r 1.. •r 411 lee' Senior Advisory Co ittee Regular Meeting Monday, August 28, 2000 Minutes Members Present: Phyllis Dozier, Wendell Home, Betty Home, I ill Lay,Mary.To Lay, till Kling, Florace Kling, Bill Lancaster,Mary Lancaster, nnie Lee Finch, Joanna Yeager, Value Brouss,,-d and Carol Parzen Members Absent: James Boone and Helen Siegel Staff Present: Marci Rodgers I. Welcome: Bill Lay called the meeting to order at 10:05am IL Approval of July 24, 2100mutes: The minutes were approved as circulated. III. Guest Speaker: Wiley Lecture Series Rani Hauth, Chair, explained that the Memorial Student Center houses approximately 30 student organ° tions including the Wiley Lecture Series. The focus of the lecture series is foreign policy and global events. Several events are free and Rath encou raged the coin .ittee to attend. The first lecture this semester will be held on October 18th and the program is International Terrorism starting at 7:00pm. This is free and will be held in room#206 at the MSC. Matt Trembles spoke on a new progrin that includes wordi with the Bush Foundation. He is seeking ways to promote the events, which are sometimes hosted by the past President Matt stated that they have had low attendance in the past from students and community due, in part, from not Imothe guest until a few days before the progr,ni date. The con n ittee offered suggestions such as adverti&',g in the Golden Eagle and if dates could be listed with senior organizations such as with the College Station Senior Services Coordinator and with retirement con nunities. The Wiley Lecture Series operates with the help of an endowment through the Wiley Family and also raises funds. The co:nmittee was given a copy of the An ual Review which includes budget and co ii iittee structure. The following dates were given for this year's schedule: October 18,November 15, some tine in February and April 6. IV. Sub-Co n Itee appointments for award/recognition of"senior friendly" businesses: Bill asked for volunteers interested in serving on this co mn ittee to develop guidelines and name for the award. Carol Parzen, Helen Siegel,'Warne 1roussard and Wendell Horne agreed to serve and Helen will be asked if she would like to chair the co is,, ittee. They will give a report at the next meeting. V. Name for Senior Center Meeting Room: The coi ittee was asked to name the meeting room to give identification to the senior progr being held at the Parks and Recreation Annex. The following names were suggested: Crossroads COMA - Center of Mature Adults KOKO - Keep On Keeping On R&R - Rest and Relaxation seniors.com seniors.org Senior U. corn Senior U The corn nittee will vote at the September meeting. VI. Volunteer Job Fair 2000: Marci explained that the City of College Station, RSVP and Brazos Valley Volunteer M tgement and Mike Mullen, Volunteer Coord.- '.tor for the City will be hosting this event on September 14th at the College Station Conference Center. The fair will offer infor, tion on volunteer job opportunities with local organizations. The fair is free to all an will run 1m 9:00 am— 1:00pm. VII. Fall Classes offered for Seniors: Marci referred to the new Xtra Educatitn brochure, which is now available an, lists all the fail classes for seniors. VIII. Senior Services Coorcl° .tor Report: report on file The co ittee expressed an interest in a Citizens Police Academy designed for seniors. Phyllis Dozier said that she would be interested in a single progr. # presented by the College Station Police Department to seniors. IX. Next meetin oz:niday, September 25, 200 X. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 10:50am KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON COMMITTEES TEXAS APPROPRIATIONS COMMERCE,SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION nitel ' gflJjfRULESANDADMINflSTRATION ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS WASHINGTON,DC 20510-4304 August 29, 2000 Mr. Chris Barzilla Chairman College Station Parks & Recreation Board P.O. Box 9960 College Station, Texas 77842-7960 Dear Mr. Barzilia: Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 25,the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999. I am glad to hear from you on this issue. As you know, this bill provides funding to meet the outdoor conservation andrecreation needs of the American people. Protection of our environment and natural resources is deservedly a national priority. I support the concept of the bill, and am working with the sponsors to ensure it gives the states sufficient authority in the conservation process and protects the constitutional rights of private property owners. We all share responsibility for protecting our world'snatural resources and wildlife so that future generations may enjoy them as we have. I am confident we can develop legislation that meets this goal in a responsible way. Thank you for your commitment to enviro ental conservation. I appreciated hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to contact me again on this or any other issue of concern. Since Kt" Bailey Hutchi KBH\mag L000646311 Web=http://hutchison.senate.gov 2000- 2001 Kids Klub Enrollment Update September 5, 2000 Current Enrollment College Hills 108 South Knoll 109 Southwood Valley 103 Rock Prairie 137 Pebble Creek 133 Cypress Grove 43 Oakwood 23 Total Enrollment 656 Reduced Enrollment Free Meal Students 37 Reduced Meal 40 Total Reduced 77 (12% of Kids Klub enrollment) Attached are the CSISD (district wide) Child Nutrition Free and Reduced Student Percentages. COLLEGE STA ''ION 1., EPEND&': ''SCHOOL DISH 'ICT Child Nutrition F, 7,e and i''educed. "row S , ient Pe , ,t , e September I.,2040 F'' ii-- FP t-.4}iced Total Total F,,;,i'' R,,* ed Meal ,,‘,..al Ff•-;, ;', Reduced School P.- entage of Sclas I-1 ,,,A,es S,,,tents S' *lags Students Enro,'LI,,,....it Etc ollrast AgMagrAsana.....0.092 . , ,, -._, - ,,„,,........===ts,,,.,....=.,.....o....„,,..., ................. , .............A=i4.4...M....... - - 61..........14.4.. HIGH SCHOOL 9-12 262 05 347 2163 1604% COLLEGE STATION MIDDLE 74 79 37 116 590 1946% A&M MIDDLE 74 77 27 1 -i, 613 1697% Ss GatvE 5-6 Ile 41 151 1 t,::,: 1310% OAKW o*, 54 119 39 150 517 30.56% SOUTH KNOLL ', 1(4 198 64 258 599 43.07% COLLEGE HILLS Pre 1(4 169 46 215 605 35.54% SOUTHWIXO VALLEY Pre 1(4 169 31 24 t 506 39.53% It(ri.PI' 'p ,E Pre K-4 165 29 194 611 3 L75 A PEBBLE CREEK Pro 1(4 124 18 142 594 23.91% Ti' 'ER ACADEMY 5-12 16 0 16 33 4848% TOTAL 1481' 413 1901 7919 24.01% From: "JOHN CROMPTON" lcrompto@rpts.tarnu.edu> To: "Kris Startzman"<KSTARTZMAN@ci.college-station.bc us> Date: 9/7/00 4:59PM Subject: Re: Parks and Recreation Board Thanks Kris, please fill out an excuse form for me, I am out of town. John Crompton Distinguished Prof- r Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Scien Texas A&M Univ- ;::'ty . tI,LGE STK ili -, 1NDEPEqD .'- - - .. Q0L,DIS t CT ,---, Chiki N‘-: 7tiou F: : - t t,'Red -- s Prop'. CV -,, S‘, ..0 . , Per bim tage -4-4 Se°14-: Is Ws' 1, 41_11 Lu w a_ li Free ::-, : Td Total ..,...• & : .- i . . k ..-...•-; Eltie a -`,.-.!. ,, S 0• I .., , ,-,.., of \, z, .'1tr., sum ,.,:. . Si &nts . . s-,I:" .: Euro Ilsteift, , 11 V3 - - -- . _ - . : ' , _ , „.., - . . 7- . - • . . _ _ - - - HIGH Kai* 942 262 SI 347 2165 14.03% I,. .......„ STATICM AI 1,r B 7-8 79 37 116 510 19.69% D Y. k cn A&M L_i I DIE 74 77 27 I 449 *11.2114 GROVE 56 110 44 I51 575 26,26% c: o o OAK''''4 a D 54 119 3-9 158 514 30.74% < :‘ z < i '-'3 i. 141111 " KNOLL Pre- --, 195 60 251 600 431e% 1.... •e! . L$ list K4 169 46 215 603 35.66% SO ,ii ' 'a a VALLEY rge K4 10 31 _t,t 1 3$099% It.. p,) ,, i ,,- Pre K:-.4 165 29 1.94 615 3L544 ..taLE t '- Pre....1 12-4 11 142 595 co r--- ro Lo . 11'I R.AC i * . S-12 16 0 16 • : 33 43,4814 Lo I-- 1 :: 413 1901 7291 21.0714 r--- crl to ,--4 N r-i (S) CD CSD 04 --,. N CS) -,_ cri csa file:///Pj/GROUP/AGEN-CAL/Council a... Loop Phase II/coversheet 00-85 Agenda Item Cover Sheet Agenda Item #12.3 Regular Item X Consent Item Workshop Item Brett McCully, Asst. City Engineer Item Submitted By: Cheryl K. Tumey, Purchasing Manager Council Meeting Date: August 10, 2000 Mark Smith, Director of Public Works Director Approval: Charles Cryan, Director of Fiscal Services City Manager Approval: Item: Bid No. 00-85 - Discussion and possible action on a resolution approving a construction contract for the Bike Loop Phase II Project. Recommend award to the lowest, responsible bidder meeting specifications, Jerdon Enterprise, Inc. in the amount of$704,911.30 for the alternate bid. Funds are available and budgeted in Capital Improvements, Bike Loop Project® Item Summary: This resolution is for the second phase of the College Station Bike Loop and includes off street paths within Lemontree, lee Creek and Central Parks® The project also includes constructi o n of a raised median where the two parks meet at Southwest Parkway, which will act as a crossing refuge for all users of the proposed path. Construction documents were prepared by Klotz Associates and approved in accordance with the Bike Loop Development Agreement with TxDOT® Also in conformance with this agreement, this aw..rd must be conditioned upon TxDOT's review and approval of the bid received® The base bid included paths constructed of new portland cement concrete as is commonly used in street and sidewalk construction® In response to a request from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), and in support of Community recycling promotion, an alternate was added to construct two test sections within Lemontree park where recycled materials would be included in the bike path construction. One section would be constructed with concrete that included fly ash (a by-product from coal combustion) as a substitute for some of the cement normally used. The other section will be constructed with an asphalt paving mix that includes post consumer rubber particles. It is the intent that these sections be constructed so they could be evaluated in pedestrian and bicycle environment® These products have been used within Brazos Valley by TxDOT and local contractors, but not normally used by either Bryan or College Station. Staff recommends awarding the contract based on the alternate bid due to the lower cost and in support of recycling research and awareness. Phase III of the bike loop is pending due to permitting of the Bee Creek Channelization Project which will create the pathway adjacent to the creek for the final connection. Budgetary and Financial Summary: Sealed competitive bids were solicited from twenty-four(24) 1 of 2 8/11/00 11:4 file:///11/GROUP/AGEN-CAL/Council a...Loop Phase II/coversheet 00-85 firms® Three bids were received and opened on June 29, 2000® Summary results follow: Base Bid Alternate Bid Texcon $789,763.00 $795,696.00 Young Contractors $720,879.40 $707,242.75 Jerdon Enterprises $739,578.05 $704,911.30 Funds are available and budgeted in Capital Improvements, Bike Loop Project (ST9409). This project is 80% funded by a Federal Grant administered by TxDOT, so up to $563,929 will be reimbursed by TxDOT. The original budget for all phases was $1,348,000. The City's portion (20%) equals $269,600. Design of Phases I, II and III $160,600 Construction of Phase I $122,95811 Construction of Phase II $704,911.30 (Proposed) Construction of Phase III $359,529.99 (Budget). Staff Recommendation. Staff recommends award to the lowest, responsible bidder meeting specifications, Jerdon Enterprise, Inc. in the amount of $704,91130 in acceptance of the bid alternate. Council Action Options: 1. Approve staff recommendation 2. Direct Staff to award based upon base bid 3. Reject bids and redirect staff Supporting Materials: 1. Tabulation, Bid No. 00-85 2. Contract Resolution 3. Vicinity Map 2 of 2 8/11/00 11:4 !t rupuig` x F rt. 11111111111:401 : m • • a 01111 O 1 i sea g 1 x 1111 iii ` • .... E _ p .. t 04. a eiTi. . No NO .b 0 r UNI ini 0 o— • Py r r r Hbp x s .. V ,. i' v 11111r � FF?ANCIS 1.' A fi 0 � l 1 1::::;tirx4) ftt......‘ 1 �s � t )A* • �w OR. 6...qhfrii. iim is INII, nog [8 rBow 4.1 ' IN WI IIIIIIII*. iii 3 _.....................„ _ �_--___ �_� — —_siumiumum �� obi £ YA ��� �- rp ' 1 ,aassagali _ci «.� t ir_ mil. ' . k Air, Q;. d 0 v ry - RD- ,. S�. T.. - �z_4 . �� jyR t<Y ! ...., { t ii Tm. 4 P as} ...,!! t } r, _ a �9 r «..._.ALL. e m w --t i r SF ,, e c„ . a. jags i } Ir* : —1 I 111 III I 4.ini ttz.,awl , .5.00777, 14,esri„, • N a llit 13 rn UTfIIoe ! II — el '<RENCK rAP III ._ . 0 • a 8 1 I tialli ✓ O 2818 111VALLEY VI _r 1 } ANN" iiii YIII a1 yy 1 ._ � .._,�..9...-.._ ` .,.., , est 4444 000 ilik 001 u COLLEGE STATION P. O. Box 9960 . 1101 Texas Avenue . College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 Youth Services Goals 20002001 O Expand program base O Increase overall number of visitors O Increase feeling of teen ownership O Expand staff training O Continue to research similar programs around the state and nation • Survey parents and participants O Expand the role of Youth Services Action Plan Although Exit participation has exceeded initial expectations, a year's experience has taught us a great deal about what specifically College Station teens are interested in. Time has also revealed areas for improvement. Each of the above goals are interrelated in that they each effect the other. This overlap is reflected below in the action plan for achieving these goals. Expand program base O Field Trips This past summer we began taking participants on field trips. This was very popular so we are going to continue this activity through the fall. We'll let the kids decide for the most part where we go. Past trips include rock climbing, camping, swimming, paintball, fishing, water parks, Imax, and play performances. We call ahead to trip destinations and arrange a discounted fee then each participant is responsible for payment. None of the additional costs are paid by the City. Drama Plays have long been a popular activity. We have recently expanded by adding a dedicated improv troupe. Next we would like to do an acting workshop as well as adding kids to aspects backstage such as lighting, set design, costumes, make up and directing. We are working toward offering opportunities for student-directed plays. Special Events Dances continue to be our biggest draw on the weekends, in an effort to broaden the variety of events we will have some theme dances (hawaiian, hippy, costume, etc...). We recently brought in Neo Swing (TAMU swing dance group) to perform and give lessons. In the future we will have the Aggie Wranglers do the same. Other planned activities are Karaoke, live bands, play and improv performances from our productions as well as external. Increase number of visitors O Expand program base (above) • Expand marketing Home of Texas A&M University 1. Keep parents better informed a Mailouts a PSAs o Channel 19 a Utility bill insert o Radio and TV show spots 2. Keep participants better informed a Same as above a Fliers a Announcements � Word of mouth 3. Begin advertising in private schools a Fliers a announcements 4. Target specific interest groups a Drama a Computer Sports � Lincoln center a Church youth groups a Extreme sports � Private and home school 5. Increase teen ownership (see below) � Increase access 1. Beginning this semester we have dropped the price of a membership to $10 per year at Parks Board Fee Committee direction and to be in line with Lincoln Center membership fee. 2. Honor Lincoln Center membership at the Exit. 3. Promote the use of Parks Bucks. 4. We have also started providing transportation after school from AMC High School and AMC Middle School. Increase feeling of teen ownership � Wall murals In response to participant requests we are seeking proposals and design ideas for wall murals to decorate the interior of the Exit and make it less like a school building. a Kid'o'the week Every week at the staff meeting we decide which participant has been the"best"that week. That individual gets to decorate a ceiling tile as they see fit and we put it up in the meeting room. a Junior staff Every Friday night we have participants who have completed "DJ schoo|"take turns being the DJ for the dance. Also, throughout the night several rotate through and help run the front door. These are both excellent opportunities for one on one interaction between staff and participants. a Inlist participants forstaff training We will try to work out a way for some of the participants to help train us. The most obvious way would be to solicit their advice about what they like most and least about our policies | � and procedures. We will also look into other ways, perhaps some role play scenarios. | '' O Suggestion box We have always listened to ideas and feedback from participants, but maybe a more formalized means would be helpful. Increase staff training ® Beginning this fall we have expanded staff training to include specific classes taught by experts in the following areas; conflict resolution, mediation, de-escalation, recognizing signs of physical and sexual abuse, suicide intervention techniques, with emphasis on fostering positive relationships, mentoring, and positive re-enforcement. O We have been working toward more consistency in rule enforcement both between participants and between staff members. Better communication between staff, log sheets to improve sharing of information day to day, weekly staff meetings, and overlapping weekend shifts have all been working together to improve in this area. Continue research of similar facilities O We are currently contacting all Texas Parks Departments through TRAPS membership to locate as many teen programs as possible. Both dedicated teen centers and community centers offering teen programs are being researched. We have also contacted 47 other departments around the Southwest that participated in a previous survey. Questions being asked include interesting programs they offer, successes/failures they have had, staff training, use of volunteers, staff roles as mentors, policies and procedures, separation of middle and high school, and participant rules. (attachment) • We have also attached a case study conducted by a Texas A&M student as a class project. This is our first external evaluation and brought out many good points. All recommendations have either been implemented or incorporated into these goals. Participant and Parent Survey O We are also finalizing a survey to be sent to all Exit members and parents and as many visitors as possible. We are seeking input on the programs, entertainment, equipment, staff, and rules. We also leave plenty of room for comments as well as ask open-ended questions such as"what do you like most and least about the Exit". We are also seeking input on the possibility of ending the current separation of middle and high school age participants. (attachment) Expand the role of Youth Services ® We will continue to work with and seek ways to expand our cooperation with the following organizations CSISD, Teen Court, Transformational Youth Leadership Seminar, Lincoln Recreation Center. ,,,,,,, COLLEGE STATION 1400 0 u0' P. O. Box 9960 • 1101 Texas Avenue • College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 September 5, 2000 Dear Recreation Professional, My name is Angela Long, I am an intern for the College Station Parks and Recreation Department Youth Services. I am researching several aspects of Teen Centers and Teen Programs to apply here at the College Station Teen Center (The Exit). We have been operating for 1 year and are trying to fine-tune our program. I need your input regarding participant rules and regulations and would appreciate a copy of your center's rules. Thank you in advance for a few minutes of your time. If there is anything we can do to help you, please do not hesitate to contact us. Also, if you have time we would like to obtain information on the following: • Staff Policies • Interesting Program Ideas, and • Problems/Successes you have faced We are collecting this information to improve our Teen Center and make the adjustments necessary. Your responses are appreciated and we are grateful for your time. Shannon Waddell is my advisor and can be reached at(979) 764-3441. Your responses can be sent by e-mail to (angiefielder@hotmail.com) or you may return them in the enclosed SASE. Thanks again for sharing your information! Angela Long Home of Texas A&M University COLLEGE STATION ,,,..„,,,, 1%10 004 P. 0. Box 9960 - 1101 Texas Avenue - College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 TEEN SURVEY To help us serve you better, please rate the following areas of our program. 1. How do you rate your satisfaction with the service provided by the Exit Teen Center staff? Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Friendliness 0 0 0 0 Professionalism 0 0 0 0 Attitude 0 0 0 0 Interaction 0 0 0 0 Dependability 0 0 0 0 Supervision 0 0 0 0 Overall 0 0 0 0 Comments: 2. Are the materials and equipment enough for your needs? Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Pool Tables 0 0 0 0 Foosball Tables 0 0 0 0 Home of Texas A&M University Computers 0 0 0 0 Internet 0 0 0 0 Tutoring 0 0 0 0 Music 0 0 0 0 Sport Facilities 0 0 0 0 Games 0 0 0 0 Television 0 0 0 0 Play Station 0 0 0 0 Overall 0 0 0 0 Comments: 3. How do you rate your satisfaction with the entertainment we provide? Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Field Trips 0 0 0 0 Live Bands 0 0 0 0 Karaoke 0 0 0 0 Plays 0 El 0 0 Improv 0 0 0 0 Aggie Swing Cats 0 0 0 0 Dances 0 0 El 0 Overall 0 0 0 0 Comments: 4. In your opinion are the rules and regulations at the Exit Teen Center? Too lenient Lenient Fine As Is Strict Too Strict Comments: 5. When you visit the Exit Teen Center do you feel safe? YES NO Comments: 6. What do like least about the Exit Teen Center? 7. What do you like most about the Exit Teen Center? ii,.,,, COLLEGE STATION 414,4144.01d P. 0. Box 9960 - 1101 Texas Avenue . College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 PARENT/GUARDIAN SURVEY To help us serve you better, please rate the following areas of this program. 1. How do you rate your satisfaction with the service provided by the Exit Teen Center staff? Very satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very unsatisfied Friendliness 0 0 0 0 Professionalism 0 0 0 0 Attitude 0 0 0 0 Interaction 0 0 0 0 Dependability 0 0 0 0 Supervision 0 0 0 0 Overall 0 0 0 0 Comments: 2. Are the materials and equipment enough for your child's needs? Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Pool Tables 0 0 0 0 Foosball Tables 0 0 0 0 Computers 0 0 0 0 Home of Texas A&M University Internet 0 0 0 0 Tutoring El 0 0 0 Music El 0 El 0 Sport Facilities 0 0 El CI Games El 0 0 0 Television 0 0 0 0 Play Station 0 0 0 0 Overall 0 0 0 0 Comments: 3. How do you rate your satisfaction with the entertainment we provide? Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Field Trips 0 0 0 0 Live Bands. 0 0 0 0 Karaoke 0 0 0 0 Plays 0 0 0 CI Improv 0 0 0 0 Aggie Swing Cats 0 0 0 0 Dances 0 0 0 0 Overall El 0 0 0 Comments: 4. We have included a copy of the Exit Teen Center rules and regulations, please read and circle the answer you feel best describes our rules in your opinion? Too lenient Lenient Fine As Is Strict Too Strict Comments: 5. Do you feel the Exit Teen Center is a safe place to leave your child? 6. What do you like least about the Exit Teen Center? 7. What do you like most about the Exit Teen Center? EXIT TEEN CENTER RULES AND REGULA TIONS • No one over 19 admitted without teen supervision. • No foul language or behavior. • No alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. • No weapons of any kind. • No personal music. • No food or drinks in computer lab. • No food or drinks on pool tables. • No sitting on pool tables. • No horseplay. • No public displays of affection. • All visitors must sign in. • Participants may leave at any time, but may not return again that day. • No one will be allowed internet access without a signed access form from parent. s Any inappropriate activity on the Internet (websites or chatrooms) will not be tolerated. • All EllTequipment (balls, pool accessories, games, & software) will be checked out to participants. Some form of collateral must be exchanged, and the borrower will be held responsible for its safe return. • All electronic equipment will be operated by Staff only. • Only staff is allowed in the DJ booth. • Disrespect for other participants, staff or EXlTproperty will not be tolerated. • The EX/Tis not responsible for personal property brought into the facility. • EX/Tparticipants will abide by the rules. • Staff will enforce these rules. • No exceptions to these rules will be made. I have read these rules and understand them. Signed Date: ii,,i14,1,';', ;,,,,Ei1;4,, A Third Place: 0 A Case Study of the College Station Teen Center 14 4) t Peter A. Witt Elda K. Bradberry Chair of Recreation and Youth Development A ... Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism I '' 4 Texas A&M University a 1 0. and ,..,.. Emily Towers 41 Graduate Student Student c Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Texas A&M University 4 4 0 Submitted to -al , 0, III College Station Parks and Recreation Department zi , 0 A ,,,--- fi ; 0 1 1 , A 4 A 4 1 le: 4 zit il '41 il - .. July, 2000 ?-44 ti tgeid::,f,r vs f::,-.-aw,-).,;::.of-r-vo.=,ty,,,-.x;::';' -iTala,, —,-"le ,-;,,,,,,,k ,,,,,,„:4;,,,a,„,„.„ 4,Zal-: ',--, ' . Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................... ......— .............................................. l ^ .. ----------. 4 Descriptionof Setting ' ------------------------'' ' Definitionof Terms .................................................................................................................. 5 Study Methods ------------------------------------------' 5 MethodologyOverview ........................................................................................................... Methods Applicable to Research Question l ----------------------- b Methods Applicable to Research Question' 2 -----.---------------_—. 6 Methods Applicable to Research Question 3 ----------______—______ 8 ��z�ol� �i�� --.-----'-----'------'----------------------'' 8 Ethical Consicierations ` ` .---.-----.----.--.-------------------.--------. � ------------------------------------. 9 - I}ata —.----.--------'--.------------------------ lO l���ol� —.—.----.---.------------.----------.------------- Il History and Goals of the of the Center ...................................... 11 ImpactofCenter ooYouth —.................... ........................................................................... 13 8taf� ---..,----------.----------------.-----.----.. l� PlaceImpacts ......................................................................................................................... I6 Relational Impacts .---------.---------------------------- 17 � \ Role of the Teen ]���r� ------------. 18 Advisory ---.--------------. Recommendations .____________________________.____-------. 2O Youth Recommendations ----------------------------------. 20 Researcher Recommendations ------------------_--------.----. 22 Conduct Staff Training ---------------------------------' 23 Enlist Participant Help ioStaff Training --------____—_.---------. 24 Setup Consistent Disciplinary' Procedures ------------.—__—_------. 24 Create Opportunities for Youth to Have Jobs, Responsibilities Within the Center ......... 26 Changethe Center Rules .................................................................................................. 26 (�on�looioom -------------------------------------------' �/ I��i�r��c�� ------.-------------------------------.------. 2g The Exit Page 1 Introduction In his book, the Great Good Place, (1989) Ray Oldenburg attributes many of society's problems to the lack of a "third place" besides home and work, where people can relax and enjoy a simple, unassuming social life. This creates problems for adults, and even more so for teenagers, who feel they have no choice of their home or school settings. Oldenburg (1989) defines a third place based on concepts of neutrality, conversation, accessibility, and familiarity. Third places are not usually someone's home, freeing all involved from the tedious burden of hosting. Third places are typically close to the individual's homes, known more for the excellent conversation than cheap drink prices, and a place one can go often enough that each time he enters; at least one other person will know him. Many establishments for youth can and do meet these criteria. Oldenburg argues, however, that specific places for youth are predisposed toward failure, as youth will always want to be where the adults and "action" are, and will shun any place designed specifically for them. Despite this criticism, attempts to create a third place for teens have multiplied across the country. Based on community surveys or advocacy by teens, recreation and park departments and other youth serving organizations have developed an array of "hang-outs" (teen centers), from full-service"home away from home" facilities to places offering simple weekend activities (Witt, Towers &Fox, 2000). As the interest in developing teen centers increases, more municipal governments, youth serving organizations, and communities want more solid justification for funding such places. Previous studies show that youth centers can provide a safe haven for youth (Witt&Towers, 1999), that delinquent activity in the surrounding community often decreases during the hours of The Exit Page 2 center operation (Witt & Crompton, 1996), and that centers provide excellent places for youth to find positive role models and develop social and leadership skills (Baker& Hultsman, 2000; Carruthers &Busser, 2000). However, many other questions concerning teen centers remain unanswered. For example, * What are the actual outcomes of teen center development, when recreation planner ideas, teen expectations, and limited funds and resources are combined? * Why do some centers, despite broadly shaped by teen input, fail to attract significant portions of the youth community? * Does the use of teen leadership in centers ensure that centers provide what teens want/need? While researchers and practitioners have an intuitive sense that teen centers are beneficial, they do not know exactly how, why, or even if positive outcomes occur (Henderson & King, 1999). Thus, more case studies of actual centers are needed to provide guidelines for those seeking to plan new centers or improve extant facilities. With the need for further information in mind, the current study sought to develop a case study of the design, programs, and impacts of a specific center, The Exit, in College Station, Texas. While teens, staff, and local community members were used as the units of analysis (Babbie, 1998), the main focus of the research was on the Exit itself.' Stake (1998) emphasizes that case studies look at both commonalities of the case to similar cases, and particular details that pertain uniquely to the case under study. Further, he explains 1The study was initiated by the Department of Recreation,Park and Tourism Sciences as part of an ongoing effort to study the development of teen centers. Staff at College Station Parks and Recreation did not request the study, but gave full cooperation in providing access to the The Exit,center participants and staff, and teen center records. The Exit Page 3 that the case's uniqueness should be considered on six different levels: the nature of the case; its historical background; the physical setting; other contexts; other cases; and informants for the particular case. This study will address all of these levels. Thus, the study was designed to explore how and why the Exit was created, what impact The Exit has on participants, why some teens choose not to participate at the center, and how teen leadership impacts the center. By better understanding the teen and community dynamics at the Exit, this study can make specific recommendations for program improvement. The issues of youth involvement and teen leadership impact the Exit significantly, and a better understanding of these issues could help staff modify programming and structure to best serve youth. On a broader level, the results will help other teen centers facing similar issues. By understanding how one center has evolved, perhaps other youth workers can use these results to improve their centers as well. Additionally, available literature does not provide in-depth information on the impact of teen leadership in teen centers. The Exit opened in September 1999, so background information and key people involved in the center's creation were still relatively easy to locate. Teens helped design the center, the center has high attendance rates by certain segments of the teen population, and the center uses a teen advisory board to guide the development and activities at the center. These factors made the Exit a good case study and potential showcase for other centers with similar goals. Specific research questions explored during the study were: 1) What (if any) are the differences between the original goals and purposes of The Exit and the actual purposes and day-to-day programs currently offered at the center? Do these perceptions of differences, if any, vary according to stakeholders? The Exit Pacre 4 2) How does the center impact local youth? 3) How does the Teen Advisory Board function in theory and in practice? While the study results could have relevance in similar settings in other communities, the main applications will likely only pertain to the Exit. Description of Setting College Station, Texas, is a fairly homogenous community, closely tied to Texas A&M University. According to the 1990 Census, the community is 78.12% Anglo (non-Hispanic), 8.92% Hispanic, 6.21% African American, 6.46% Asian, .81% Native American, and .1% other. The Exit Teen Center is located at the Southern end of College Station, in a municipal athletic park next to a middle school. The center is approximately 5000 square feet large, with 3500 feet of usable space. Built in 1998-99, the center cost about $365,000. The center operates after school on weekdays from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.; from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m for clubs, meetings and planned rehearsals; and from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays (middle school night) and from 7 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays (high school night). Activities offered on the weekends include live bands, improvisational performances, Karaoke, dances and plays. For unstructured daily activities, the center has a computer room with Internet access, a meeting room where students can work on and get help with homework, and a clubroom with pool tables, foosball tables, and a large-screen television. Youth use the small fenced-in backyard for football and soccer games, as well as for hanging-out. Youth can also play on the outdoor basketball courts in the surrounding athletic park. Youth have two fee options for gaining entrance to the center's program: they may attend by paying a dollar for each day they use the center, or by paying a$10 membership fee (formally The Exit Page 5 $25) that gives them access to all events at the center for the year. The center is staffed by college students, some of whom are Recreation, Park and Tourism Science majors at Texas A&M University. Other college students volunteer at the center fQr class requirements, and some high school youth volunteer for community service. Staff go through an interview process before hiring, but do not appear to receive any significant staff training. Definition of Terms Teen - any youth between seventh and twelfth grade. Teen center - a building dedicated to structured or unstructured, supervised teen activities. Participant- a teen that has some association with the center, either as a leader, and/or as a frequent or infrequent attendee. To keep the sample size representative, youth do not need to be a member of the center to be in this category. Non-participant- a teen who chooses not to associate with the teen center. This encompasses teens who have never attended the center, and those who attended previously and have decided to discontinue participation for a specific reason. Teen Advisory Board (T )- The leadership core of the Exit, comprising staff, an executive board of youth officers and representatives for each grade level, and extended councils for each grade level. Currently, about sixty teens serve on this board in some capacity. Study Methods Methodology Overview One of the main characteristics of a case study is gathering data from "multiple sources of information" (Cresswell, 1998). Thus, this study utilized six different methods, depending upon the research question studied, to aid in data triangulation. These methods included: background The Exit Page 6 research, participant observation, formal interviews, informal interviews, and peer interviews. Methods Applicable to Research Question 1: Background information pertaining to the Exit's creation came from documentation of pre-Exit programs, the survey that shaped the Exit's design, and various newspaper articles about the creation of the Exit. Additionally, key contributors to the Exit were interviewed, including College Station Youth Services staff, College Station Parks and Recreation Department leaders, and teens who participated in advisory boards before the center opened. Interviews were conducted by a graduate student associated with the project (referred to in the report as the researcher) and an undergraduate research assistant.2 Understanding of the current center and its daily usage and programs was determined through staff and participant interviews, as well as through extensive participant observation. Methods Applicable to Research Question 2: A variety of qualitative and quantitative measures were used to gain information pertinent to the second research question. -Formal interviews of participants were designed to determine what encourages youth to participate in the center. These interviews were conducted on-site by the researcher. -Informal interviews were conducted in group or individual conversations with the researcher during participant observation. The researcher sometimes asked specific questions, and sometimes pursued random comments made about the center by various participants. -Peer interviews were conducted to triangulate results from the formal interviews. Use of peer interviewers was intended to help remove biases where youth may not be completely candid 2 The researcher has previous experience working with youth in informal, club-like settings through other research(e.g.Witt&Towers, 1999)and through several summer jobs working with city recreational youth programs. The undergraduate research assistant had previous experience working with the Exit,and therefore contributed to understanding some of the data collected relative to this question. The Exit Page 7 about telling the researcher their motivation for participation (or non-participation). Henderson and King use this method of interview in a case study of two teen clubs, and found the method helpful in several ways. First, the peer interviewer was able to get consent forms back more quickly than the principle researchers. Second, she obtained more honest information from the teens interviewed than the researchers felt they could have, and she was able to help explain phrases that the researchers would not have understood on their own. The main problem they encountered with this method was a lack of up-front training for the peer interviewer(Henderson & King, 1999). Teens participating in the TAB were asked to assist as peer interviewers. The researcher conducted a formal training session with thirteen board members, which included discussing interview practices with the youth, highlighting salient points the researcher wanted to emphasize, and a brief discussion of ethics. Youth were provided with a packet containing interview tips and guidelines, and separate worksheets for each interview. The board members were asked to interview four youth within their same grade, two (preferably one male and one female) who participated at the Exit, and two (preferably one male and one female) who did not participate. Peer interviewers were given two weeks to conduct interviews, and had the researcher's phone numbers and e-mail as ways to contact her if problems or questions arose. At the conclusion of these two weeks, the researcher held a focus group with interviewers to determine the interviewer's perceptions of the interviews. -Participant observation by the researcher was conducted to understand the daily dynamics of the center. The researcher observed for two and a half months, from two to three times each week (approximately 12-15 hours per week). The observation was intended to help answer questions of group dynamics, the impact the center has on participants, and how leaders and The Exit Page 8 participants interact. The observation also helped identify candidates for formal interviews. Methods Applicable to Research Question 3: Finally, clarification of teen roles was conducted through formal interviews and participant observation. Interviews of TAB members was intended to provide answers to why teens chose to hold leadership positions, explain their level of participation in the center, and what they hope to accomplish through their leadership roles. Interviews of participants was intended to explain why they chose not to participate as leaders, what they see as the role of the TAB, and how much of a voice they feel they have in the center. Participant observation focused on finding out how closely the leaders in the center's daily activities correlate to the official leaders of the center. The participant observer also attended bi-monthly TAB meetings to get an idea of how the board works, who participates, and the overall goals of the board. Sample Size Approximately 150 youth attend the center for the larger weekend event programs, and about 20 youth attend on a daily basis. Typically, only junior high youth attend on the weekdays, which resulted in more information gained about junior high youth than high school youth. Fifteen middle school youth were formally interviewed (in small focus groups of three or four youth each). Youth for interviews were selected based on their participation level at the center, and their interest in helping with the project. Staff input was considered in determining whom to approach for interviews. Staff members were asked to recommend youth who had a long history of center attendance, and youth who would be likely to take an interview seriously. Reliance on staff input may have biased the study in that staff presumably only recommended those youth The Exit Page 9 they knew would say positive things about the center. However, participant observation minimized this bias by adding a outside perspective with a more objective focus. Logistics Through the course of the study, the researcher followed a pre-determined protocol to ensure that the process of gathering, coding and using information did not harm participants. The participant observer worked as a volunteer staff member at the center, but not"undercover." All staff and TAB members were provided with a basic description of her role and work, and a summary of the goals the study hoped to achieve. When asked about her role during interactions with youth, the researcher expressed an interest in working with youth, and explained that she was also volunteering as a part of a larger study to understand how teen centers worked, and how they could be improved to better meet youth needs. Ethical Considerations Several ethical issues arose during the course of this study. For example, the researcher discovered unforeseen implications of working as a staff member and researcher. As a staff member, she felt compelled to follow center procedures and be a "representative" of the center to youth and parents. However, in situations where this role involved disciplining youth, she was in a difficult position, trying to balance disciplinary procedures and maintaining rapport with youth she intended to interview. Furthermore, in several instances throughout her research, the researcher had opportunities to discuss discipline and staff issues with other staff members. Since an active research role was not intended at the outset of this project, she had to participate in discussions carefully, so as not to bias staff actions with her own opinions and recommendations. The Exit Page 10 Data Analysis The researcher completed over 80 hours of participant observation. Formal interviews were conducted with sixteen junior high youth. High school youth were not interviewed for several reasons. They did not participate in center activities with any degree of frequency, so rapport was difficult to develop. When they did participate, they generally came in distinct groups for specific purposes (i.e., to see their friends play in a band). After the purpose was fulfilled, they did not remain at the teen center, or"hang out." However, the researcher did have an opportunity to bring up issues relevant to the study during several games of pool with three high school youth who came one Saturday night to play pool. Four TAB members returned information from 11 peer interviews. Three interviews (one over e-mail) were conducted with original TAB members, and four interviews were conducted over e-mail with current staff members. Data was analyzed by a method of constant comparison. The researcher drew emerging categories out of the data by frequently re-reading notes and transcripts, taking notes on the re- reading, and summarizing those notes into broad categories. Then the researcher went back through the data to find examples and support for each category, and to make sure no other information was left out during the categorizing process. At the conclusion of this process, the researcher's faculty advisor also went through the data to double-check the categories and look for any information missed. The Exit Page 11 Results History and Goals of the Center/Current Perceptions of the Center In 1997, College Station began to take an interest in youth-related services. Due to a national trend in youth-related crime, the city council ranked youth-related interests as their number 11 priority. Executives within the Park and Recreation Department began researching effective ways to provide youth services in the community. In 1997, the Park and Recreation Department, in conjunction with the school district, distributed a survey about youth services to obtain input of youth in 7th through 12th grade. Youth who were interested in helping plan youth services in the community were invited to write their name and home phone number at the end of the survey. The youth who did this formed the initial Teen Advisory Board. Several of these original TAB members were interviewed for this study. They gave similar reasons for joining the TAB, including seizing the chance to make a difference in the community, and looking for new experiences. As one of the founding members said, "I think it was one of the first times in College Station history in which students were given an opportunity to influence/decide upon the available activities for a college community with few outlets for youth not of the college age. We had a chance to be listened to, and we had resources that were made available to us by people who were interested in listening/acting. That was so new to me that I couldn't pass it up." "I was one of those kids that wanted something to do. I knew the college kids, but I also knew I didn't want to get caught or anything like that. . . After going to the movies and mall every weekend, that gets really old. We were really interested in getting something new started." These initial TAB members began meeting to discuss how to best meet youth needs in the community. They eventually decided on the need for a designated youth space, and went before the city council to request funds for a teen center. The concept of the center was approved and The Exit Page 12 funded, and the EXIT opened in the fall of 1999. Some youth and community members expressed concern at such a fast-paced chain of events. As one TAB member said, "I did have one worry though. I was afraid that the teen center was going to be constructed to quickly. We did not want to forget what we are using it for. I would have liken to taken a little bit more time to figure out exactly what it is suppose to provide for us." Others expressed concerns that College Station youth did not need a teen center. One community member said, "My concerns with the issue, is that it did not go through any of the normal channels. It was also a response to what I thought was a hypothetical rather than a real need. To me, the proper channels for something like are the hearings, capitol bonds issues and the voters voting on it. The city did not do any of this. The money came out of operating money for which council decided it was going to do. Some people thought on the council that it was an issue; it was not an issue to me. There is no evidence to me in this town that youth was a major problem. To me what this was going to do was accommodate 50 to 100 youth, with an investment of 400,000 dollars." Others, however, saw the creation of the Exit as a purely positive action to help youth. One former TAB member commented, "Being one of the first members, people like myself and Ben Fox, etc, tried to lay a framework for how the student representatives could interact with the City representatives and then return to the youth population with activities. We also essentially did the trial and error process of seeing how realistic our vision was for the TAB. I would like to think that all of our many mistakes were learned from, and in so doing, we set the stage for what is today (in my opinion) one of the most successful (if not most fulfilling) actions the City of College Station has ever taken for youth in the area." Current perceptions of the Exit seem generally positive. A former TAB member who has been to the Exit commented, "I have been out there a couple of times and saw kids working on the computer, playing pool or soccer. They are just hanging out, having fun and staying out of trouble. They are in an The Exit Page 13 environment to where they have fun and can don't get looked down upon. The dances get packed out and it is like wow. I know about the skepticism on the city council about the center. One member drilled me about "what are they going to do just dance every weekend" and I said well yes, if that is what they want to do. But this is a place where the kids are staying out of trouble, studying and having a good time." Youth attending the center generally agree that the Exit is more fun than other potential hang-out spots like the mall, the skating rink, or their homes. As one frequent participant says, "It's better than at the skating rink. Because here, you can go out in the back yard, you can go dancing, play pool, play that little rugby thingy, get cokes and drinks, and have a nice time listening to music, and you can have a lot of fun." -female, 7th grade. Impact of Center on Youth This question was perhaps the most difficult to address in a cross-sectional study. (For example, more long-term impacts could be observed if the youth were tracked through the next three to five years of their lives and the center had only been open about 6-8 months during the period when this study was conducted.) However, participant observation and youth interviews revealed several areas where the center had both positive and negative impacts on youth. These were categorized into three areas: staff impacts, place impacts, and relational impacts. The issue of high school youth attending the center is addressed in the place impacts section. The other two sections relate primarily to junior high youth. Staff Impacts Staff had both positive and negative impacts on youth attending the center. Witt, Towers and Fox (1999) found in a survey of teen centers that supervisors often listed "staff' as both a positive and negative aspect of the center, as perceived by participants and the community. While this seems impossible, one must consider different aspects of staff/participant relationships. On the positive side, youth perceive some of the staff as people they can trust. The Exit Page 14 Observation showed examples daily of youth (junior high) talking to staff about their personal problems. This tended to occur more with particular staff members, not all of them "warmed up" to the youth as easily. One of the participants stated in an interview that all staff should be more "connected" to youth at the center. She said, "Like, because I think if you get more into the kids, then more kids will come, they'll be like 'Oh, they aren't uptight like our parents, they're tight like us, and you know, can relate to us more." (female, 7th grade) The researcher noted that only a couple of weeks after she began work at the center, youth would come up and talk to her about a range of issues, from family problems to social problems with peers and personal problems. Often, the kids were not looking for solutions, but for a sympathetic ear and someone to simply listen to them without criticizing. Additionally, the researcher observed on a more subtle level the depth to which staff cared about youth. In the few instances when youth were permanently kicked out of the center for extreme misbehavior, the researcher talked with staff who were extremely upset over the situations. They worried about issues like what the youth would do now, and what would happen to them if a positive influence like the teen center was no longer available. As stated in field notes after a particularly disturbing day, How does all of this relate to my questions? This teen center has a"tough love" impact on the kids. The staff love these kids so much that they will not stand by and tacitly condone choices the kids make that will ultimately harm the kids. They love these kids enough to sign the arrest papers when the kids are risking harm to themselves. How that impacts the kids, I don't know. But I don't think they get this kind of love from just anyone. (Field notes, 2/25/2000) On the other hand, youth frequently criticized the staff for being too strict. On several occasions, youth compared staff members to school officials, complaining that they were too strictly supervised. Different participants noted: The Exit Page 15 "All the staff members have a strict problem. They're like kick you out, don't do that, I'm gonna kick you out, don't do that. Hey, watch that!" (male, 7th grade, interview) "Write me up? That's like a school term! Do you know how many times I've been threatened with that?" (male, 7h grade, field notes 3/24/2000) "Most of the staff is like the school board." (male, 7th grade, field notes 3/7/2000) The third quote was in reference to an episode where a staff member threatened to write up a youth who teasingly threatened to spit his gum wrapper at her. The last two quotes came from only two of the instances where the observer noted staff using their authority over the youth for ambiguous or what she perceived as unreasonable situations. Youth were kicked out of the center, or put in time out for no better reason than"disrespecting me [staff]." Oftentimes, the youth were confused at why they were being punished, but questions to that effect only resulted in the staff getting madder at perceived insolence. In all the instances where the observer noted staff kicking out youth, the reason for kicking the youth out was disrespect to staff, not breaking specific rules. The junior high youth resented the rules the staff upheld in general. Many times, staff spent so much time enforcing small rules that the youth saw them only as disciplinarians, not as mentors. One participant remarked about staff rule enforcement: "[A staff member] doesn't want us to have any body contact at all, he doesn't want us to have any foul language, no running, no horseplay, nothing, it's just like going home to our parents and they've been all mad and stuff everyday." (female, 7h grade, interview) In an interview, one participant remarked, "[the] rules chop kids into little pieces and make them into perfect cubes" (female, 7h grade). Perhaps one of the implicit goals of the teen center is to provide youth with specific definitions and regulations of conduct. If so, this directly conflicts with the youth's perception of the center as a place to help them get away from home and school. The Exit Pagj Finally, staff members often threatened worse punishments than they could carry out. The researcher frequently observed other staff members threatening to kick youth out for various behaviors. If the youth continued acting in such a way, and did not leave the center, staff members often threatened to call the police. Such threats not only made the situation worse, they also weakened the authority of the staff members. By threatening to call the police, staff members implied that they could no longer handle the youth. Since the youth continued in misbehavior after that point, one can assume that the youth picked up on this idea of staff members not being able to discipline them as well. Place Impacts Overall,junior high youth had much more ownership of the Exit than did high school youth. High school TAB members provided some insight on this phenomenon. As one high school TAB member said, "I really think that the teen center was born too late for our generation, like other people our age. I think it will be really good in high school when these junior high kids are in high school, because really, our kids, it's not that they don't like the teen center from experience, but they don't have the experience." During a focus group interview with TAB members, younger members agreed with this idea, and expressed continued interest in participating at the Exit once they reached high school. When high school youth did come to the Exit, they participated solely for the activity offered, and not to "hang out" at the center. Junior high youth, on the other hand, came to the Exit regardless of whether anything was going on or not. As one participant explained in an interview, "If you take off your shoes, they're like "Get your shoes back on!" It's like, why? This is our home!" (female, 7"grade). Junior high youth also expressed a desire to gain more The Exit Page 17 ownership of the center. In response to a question about how to improve the Exit, one youth said "Like murals. Have everybody come one Friday and just paint the walls. Just paint them. That would be like our creation. Then it's like THE teen Exit." (female, 7th grade, emphasis hers). Relational Impacts Peer and formal interviews showed that the Exit impacts youth differently based upon their social groups. Youth typically classified themselves as either"bangers" or"preps." Based on observation and informal dialogue, the researcher determined that"bangers" are more alternative, liberal youth who tend to wear dark and accessories with hard-rock band names. Banger youth were also more likely to claim liberal viewpoints such as atheism and feminism. Overall, this group had more conflicts with staff over rules than any other group. The "prep" group included youth dressed more "socially acceptably", with some guys in slacks and button down shirts with clean haircuts. One participant in the banger group explained the way preps dress. "They wear the tank tops, you know like, stuffed bras. They wear these little mini-skirts, and they wear there hair up in these cute little, neat little braids" (female, 7th grade). Preps generally referred to bangers as "crack-heads, pot-heads, people that make-out" (female, 7th grade). The two groups obviously did not mix well. In interviews, the two groups usually attributed the reasons why more people did not go to the center to the other group. For example, one "prep" female noted that her friends did not go to the Exit because "They just think all the bangers go here" (female, 7th grade). One non- participant noted through a peer interview that the Exit should not exist because "Because crack heads hang out there" (female, 7th grade). A group of banger girls expressed their dislike for preps,explaining that preps only came to check out guys, and recommended that the staff let The Exit Page 18 bangers spray paint on preps, or write an X on their backs to make them stand out. Overall, bangers did appear to have a little more ownership of the center. Preps used the term"Exit people" as a derogatory term for teen center participants, and bangers used the phrase as a positive description for themselves. The researcher was unable to determine from observation or from interviews why the two groups both continued to participate at the center after expressing such dislike for the other group. Role of the Teen Advisory Board The current Teen Advisory Board (TAB) started out this semester with 65 members, and ended with a dedicated group of 25 members. Most of the junior high youth involved with the TAB also participated in weekend and weekday activities at the center. High school TAB members did not, and their reasons for not participating were discussed previously in the "Place impacts" section. The TAB planned and conducted two major activities, a joint meeting with a youth council in a nearby city, and a spring banquet for TAB members. Proposals discussed at meetings included planning a youth summit for youth councils throughout Texas, an open forum discussion on the pros and cons of building a half pipe skate park at the teen center. The main functions of TAB meetings included: promotion of Exit programs (especially high school nights), and keeping the TAB members informed of other events in the community pertaining to youth (i.e, the supervisor kept youth informed of breakfasts with the mayor and other opportunities for the TAB members to make appearances). Other TAB responsibilities included community service like a canned food drive and youth volunteering in the community. High school youth tended to be more vocal at meetings than junior high youth. Junior high recommendations did not tend to be taken as seriously at meetings. Usually, their suggestions The Exit Page 19 were acted upon, but the general joking, teasing tone of the meetings appeared to be less conducive to younger members participating than older members. Some of the junior high members attended the Exit on weekdays, and most came at least some Friday nights. No high school board member came to the center on weekday or Saturday nights during the observation period. At the last T A g meeting of the year, the researcher conducted a focus group session with the eight youth present. The focus group provided insights into the youth's perceived role as TAB members. Applications for TAB were distributed through the schools, so some youth joined without even knowing much about the teen center. They joined T because it offered them a chance to participate in city government. They believed their responsibilities as TAB members included being a role model to other youth in the community. As one member commented, "Yeah, I thought it would be cool to be in an organization that is actually a city-sponsored commission, you know, and even though you're students and children that don't usually have such great responsibility, I mean tremendous responsibility and power we have, I mean, okay I just can't speak today. Mostly teenagers don't have a lot of responsibility, and they certainly don't have a hand in building or programs, or beneficial services for other people in the community like the Teen Advisory board allows students to do that and that's why I was interested in it. It seemed like a really great way to participate in your local government." T I saw themselves as youth representatives to the whole community. One TAB member said, "They don't know what we do, really, and they don't care what we do, they just know we're doing something good. They're like 'Oh, we support you. We don't know what you're doing, but way to go'"(TAB member, 12th grade) During interviews, the researcher asked each group of kids if they had heard of the TAB, what they thought of the TAB, and if they would be interested in being a part of the TAB. Most of the youth had heard of the TAB, but none expressed interest in joining. Some of their perceptions about the TAB are summed up in the following quotes: The Exit Page 20 "We were never asked to join [TAB]. All they talk about is teen problems. We would be the only bangers [if we were on the TAB] they wouldn't listen to us." (female, 7th grade) "They're not really part of the Exit, they meet here." (male, 7th grade) Other youth commented that they would not want to be on the TAB because kids would not like their ideas, or because they do not like planning. Most of the youth interviewed, however, were enthusiastic about sharing their ideas for how to improve the teen center. One group asked the researcher to give the tape recording of the interview to the supervisor, and approached the researcher the following week to see if she had told the supervisor about their ideas. Evidently, the kids have ideas, and would like to have them expressed, but they do not see the TAB as the means of expressing such ideas. Recommendations Youth Recommendations The following is a brief summary of ideas expressed by youth in the interviews about how they would like to see the teen center changed. These ideas must be balanced with the counterpoint several youth contacted through peer interviews would like to see the center remain as is with no changes. Overall, a pattern emerged of youth wanting more responsibility at the center. Several youth wanted to volunteer as DJ's for Friday night dances (according to the director some already do), and suggested having a class to help them learn how to DJ. Several groups also wanted to work as junior staff at the center, with responsibilities including working the DJ booth and handling the check-in table. The youth were clear that they only wanted to work"part-time" in the evenings, with time to spend with friends as well. The researcher probed this idea, and asked The Exit Page 21 how the kids would feel about the responsibility of making sure their peers followed center rules, a responsibility that would naturally go with such a position. The youth maintained that neither they nor their friends would be uncomfortable with such a situation. Youth also had several recommendations pertaining to staff. They expressed a desire for the staff to "hang-out" with kids more, making an effort to get to know the kids better and telling the kids more about themselves. The youth also wanted the staff to ease up on their disciplinary roles and act more as mentors. Specifically, they asked that they be able to handle conflicts with other kids by themselves. They do not like staff breaking up confrontations (verbal confrontations, not fights) and making the parties involved sit in time out. Youth expressed some concern about volunteers working at the center. Volunteers come from Texas A&M University. (Several education classes require students to volunteer as youth workers for a specific number of hours.)3 One participant commented in an interview "Volunteers are weird. They come in groups, they sit and talk to each other and don't do anything. That's not right. Why have them working here? Some of them are cool. Volunteers need to go through an interview, like for a job." (male, 7th grade) The kids expressed a range of ideas pertaining to center and program improvement. Many of these may be impossible due to monetary constraints, but each of these recommendations would increase teen's sense of ownership of the center. They want the center open for longer hours. They want to be able to come to the center on Saturday nights (when there are no bands) so they can hang out with their friends in high school. Apparently, this idea was tested before, and no 3The center directors notes that volunteers at present are a"vastly underutilized resource. At this time, education majors from TAMU enrolled in TEFB 201 are required to get 15 hours of observation in order to complete the course requirements. These students are allowed to come in and observe to help them out. They are not staff members and do not carry out any duties of staff members. They observe and play with the kids. We call them volunteers because we have to call them something,but the reason they don't do much is because they aren't supposed to do much. This may be a good source of the mentors we so desperately need. This will be up to the course professors, who I will contact for their input." The Exit Page 22 youth came on Saturday nights. They do not like having numbers drawn on their hands in permanent marker when they enter on Friday nights. The want the backyard of the center expanded and leveled to make football games easier. They would like to decorate the walls of the center and turn the upstairs into a soundproof room where they can watch television or play video games. This use of the upstairs may not be feasible for monetary reasons. Additionally, ADA standards demand equal access for all youth, and the center currently only has stairs to the second-floor room. Thus the Exit would have to put in an elevator to use the upstairs room. However, the smaller room in the center could be converted from its current purpose as a meeting room (youth do not use the room often) to a television room(note: center director indicates this has been done) where youth could hang out and play video games. Youth also stated that they would like black lights in areas of the center, and would like to have two dance floors. Finally, they think the shed behind the teen center should be torn down to ensure greater security at the center. (Currently, some youth use the shack as a place to smoke, and climb over the Exit fence to reach the shed.) Researcher Recommendations The Exit has won an award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for its theater program. In addition, the junior high youth attending the center voiced many positive comments about the center. They liked having a place to hang out with friends, they liked getting away from their parents, and they seem to find the location convenient. Additionally, the researcher had the opportunity to talk with several parents informally, and they appreciated having a place their kids could go where the parents knew they would be safe and supervised. However, even the best programs can always benefit from improvements. The researcher would recommend The Exit Page 23 improvements primarily in the difficult areas of staff and rules. These recommendations can be summarized into the following list: * Conduct additional staff training. * Enlist participant help in staff training. * Make disciplinary procedures more consistent. * Create opportunities for youth to have jobs, responsibilities within the center. * Change the center rules. Conduct Staff Training: There seems to be some disagreement about the initial level of training provided to staff. Based on discussions with several staff, it was felt that new staff begin working at the center with little more training than a quick tour of the facilities. On the other hand, the director provided the following information about the current training procedures. "Beginning in the interview, individuals are selected that have experience working with kids and have a strong desire to continue working with kids. They must then pass a background check and drug screen to be hired. All staff members go through a two hour training session that covers the policies and procedures manual so they will know what to expect. Once they are oriented, they are placed on the schedule to "shadow" the experienced staff for a minimum of two weeks learning first hand all their duties and expectations. During this time they all go through first aid and CPR training as well. Then and only then are they allowed to work a shift. Further, they are scheduled with the supervisor and the most experienced staff for several weeks. All staff meet every week with me (the director) as an ongoing training tool." At present training does not include areas such as conflict management, mediation, counseling, and center policies on how to handle problems. As one staff member said, "We need staff training; only people who really desire to help kids and see it as more than a job should work at a teen center." Additional formal and ongoing training would increase staff confidence in their abilities, help them best understand what is expected of, and help maintain consistent The Exit Page 24 policies among staff members. Such consistency will also help kids understand exactly what is allowed at the Exit and what is not. Enlist Participant Help in Staff Training: Several possible ideas seem pertinent to alleviate problem situations with described previously. Most staff(the observer included) needed a break-in period to warm-up to the kids and become comfortable with them. This transition time could be shortened and staff could be put more at ease by having youth help train staff. To elaborate, perhaps certain frequent participants could come to a short segment of staff training and give new staffers tips for working at the Exit. This would benefit both staff and youth. It would help staff wa -up to youth, and also make them more confident by knowing what the kids expect and need from them. It would make the youth feel more responsible and more integral to the Exit by giving them responsibility and a chance to help the staff. Judging from interviews, youth have little qualms about telling staffers their strengths and weaknesses, and exactly what they can do to improve. From the researcher's perspective of a staff member, this advice was extremely helpful and reassuring. Setup Consistent Disciplinary Procedures. Throughout the course of observation, the researcher noticed many instances where staff would selectively enforce rules and discipline youth with varying degrees of severity. Enforcement of rules depended upon who the staff member was (some were notably more lax than others), who else was working (enforcement of rules was generally more strict when the supervisor was around) and who the youth were(i.e., some youth do not even know the teen center has rules, because they are seldom disciplined, and some youth were disciplined nearly much more frequently. This latter group tended to get in trouble for not being respectful enough, or for small offenses like throwing paper airplanes that The Exit Page 25 turned into power struggles with staff) Additionally, paid staff tended to enforce the rules much more stringently than did volunteers. Whether this was because the volunteers felt less comfortable with the youth, or because the volunteers did not know the rules is uncertain. This complex combination of rule enforcement frustrated the youth and baffled the researcher. The youth did not like getting yelled at by one staff member for things another overlooked. The researcher did not appreciate other staff expecting her to stand by their time-out judgments for ambiguous disrespectful behavior. This also caused problems on Friday nights with the"no re- entry" policy. According to the rules, youth who leave the teen center are not allowed back in under any circumstances. Several times, while manning the check-in desk, the researcher refused to let youth come back into the center. Then other staff would allow youth to come back in, which undermined the researcher's authority and allowed the youth to see that rules were not necessarily always upheld at the center. This happened with other staff as well. Thus, more consistent rule enforcement would help youth by letting them know exactly what they can and can not do. It would also prevent youth from seeing some staff as "mean" and others as "nice" based solely on how individual staff enforce the rules. Additionally, the center needs a more consistent disciplinary system. While the center has a"three strikes and you're out policy" (meaning the youth get kicked out for the day after breaking three rules), many youth did not seem to know about the policy, and staff did not enforce the policy uniformly. Some staff would simply tell the youth they had a strike for a particular behavior, and others would sit youth in time out for strikes. Generally, such discipline would increase in severity if the youth moved out of time-out, or made "back-talking" comments at the staff member. The Exit Page 26 Create Opportunities for Youth to Have Jobs, Responsibilities Within the Center. This idea came from youth suggestions (see section on youth responsibility). The researcher strongly recommends opportunities in this area be increased, since it will benefit both youth and the center in a variety of ways. Jobs would give youth more ownership and responsibility in the center. Youth participating in this manner would feel more connected to the center, like they have an outlet to express their ideas about the center, and that they belong to the center. The junior staff positions would also free adult staff from responsibilities like working the DJ booth and check-in table, enabling them to devote all their time and attention to interacting with the youth. This would help with discipline and mentoring. Change the Center Rules. Many of the youth expressed concerns that rules were too restrictive. If the Teen Center intends to be a place for youth, youth must feel comfortable there. While some rules are a necessity, the center does not need as many specific rules. Many of the youth noted that some rules are unenforceable, and some are simply too restrictive. As some of the youth commented in interviews, "And y'ail say the staff will enforce these rules, but every area you look you see people horse playing and stuff. So why did they put it on the list?" (male, 7th grade) "It's like you're going to break the rules anyway, no matter what you do." (female, 7th grade) "I mean, people here, we're supposed to be pre-adolescents, or adolescents, and then we come here, on junior high night, it's like coming to a place you can't do anything." (female, 7th grade) Rules could be changed to be broader and simpler. This would ensure that youth know codes of conduct are expected, but would not make them feel as if they are in a school situation. Such rules like "no horse play" are directly contradictory to the purpose of a recreational facility. The Exit Page 27 Finally, the no re-entry policy on weekends restricts facility use. The Exit is located in the middle of a park with basketball courts, tennis courts, and an outdoor pool. Teens cannot go back and forth between these facilities because they are supposed to stay inside the Exit once their parents drop them off. Perhaps having a more thorough sign-in, sign-out policy could compromise by allowing kids to come and go, but still maintaining a record of where kids are for concerned parents. Conclusions The Exit Teen Center, while still relatively new, provides a place some teenagers in the College Station area a place they can call their own. As the youth and staff have stated above, the facility is not enough. Youth are also looking for a place to escape the supervision and rules of their daily lives, and they are looking for positive role models beyond their parents and teachers. The Exit has every opportunity to provide this through increased staff training and programmatic changes. The Teen Advisory Board provides a highly unusual opportunity for youth in the community to make their voices heard. Undoubtedly, as the TAB redirects its focus, it will continue to provide such opportunities. Further studies should be targeted at determining long-term impacts of the Exit on youth and on the community. As a new junior high school opens next fall, opportunities will arise for interesting comparative studies between a school with a teen center nearby, and a school without. The Exit, although unique in many respects, provides a good example of how youth and adults can work together in a community to meet youth needs. While other communities may not be in a situation parallel to College Station, the emergent themes from this study of teamwork, listening to youth, and providing for youth needs on a variety of levels can and should The Exit Page 28 be applicable to nearly all communities. Perhaps such youth empowerment, and obvious concerns for youth needs and wants will give youth a positive outlet for their individuality, and help curb the national trend of youthful high-risk behaviors. The Exit Page 29 References Babbie, E. (1998) The practice of social research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Baker, D. & Hultsman, J.(2000) Thunderbirds Teen Center Program Evaluation. Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library&Arizona State University: unpublished project report. Carruthers, C.P. & J.A. Busser. (2000). A Qualitative Outcome Study of Boys and Girls Club program Leaders, Club Members, and Parents. University of Nevada: unpublished Project Report. Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Henderson, K. A. & King, K. (1999). Youth spaces and places: Case studies of two teen clubs. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 17(2), 28-41. Oldenburg, R. (1989). The great good place: Cafés, coffee shops, community centers, beauty parlors, general stores, bars, hangouts and how they get you through the day. New York, NY: Paragon House. Stake, R. E. (1998). Case studies. In Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry. Ed. N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Witt, P.A. & J.L. Crompton. Recreation Programs That Work for At-Risk Youth- The Challenge of Shaping the Future. State College PA: Venture Publishing. Witt, P.A., Towers, E. &Fox, J. (2000) Teen Centers: A Place of Their Own. Texas A&M University: unpublished project report. Witt, P.A. & Towers, E. (1999) Evaluation of the 1999 Summer Teen Recreation Academy. Texas A&M University: unpublished project report. C F C 01. LEGE LINco STAT1 _ D LN RECREATION CENTER AV7SNORY R©AR Regular Mintstes Monday, August 14, 2000 Lincoln. Recreation center 1000 Eleanor CS TX. 5:45 PM oard Members Present: Carolyn Williams, Debra Thomas, Eleanor Williams, Cathy Watson, Barbara Clemmons, Joe Dan Franklin, Mabelene Robinson, Merilyn Rucker Board Members Abse,:;--;:t None Staff Present! Lance Jackson, Neal Donovan LFS James Steen Visitors Present: None L Can to F:ii-i-rderTHe Meeting was called to order by LRCr:or'f-oard Chairperson Carolyn Williams at 5:45 pm 2. Hear visit:lirs- None present Jackson introkduced Neal Donovan, Program Director for the Lincoln !----'ecreation Center (LRC) to the Boarri. 3. Pardon Consider requests for absences of members from meeting Everyone #resent Approvals f minutes from Regular June 5, 2000 MeetingThe June 5th Minutes were atioproveci as read. 5. Discussion on De-l-,.sit Stamp for LRC checksMotion was made Aky Clemmons and carried to -)urchase a Lincoln Center stamp imprinted, Deposit Only. 6' Discussion and Possible Action on Post Office box for LRC Ads° Board- Motion was made and carried for the rental of a Post Office BoxvaattghVe College Station Post Office for the Lincoln Recreation Center Advisory Board. It was also established that the Treasurer and President would maintain the keys. 7 Report Discussion and Possible Action on T s tutorial at LAC- Clemmons informed and members that the target d to for implementation of the 1- tutorial was two weeks fro today's date of August 14, 2000. 8. Report Discussion and PossibleAction on Procedure for request of donations from the LRC — Motion was made and carried for the establishment of for requesting funds from the LRC Board. Request for Donation procedures g 9 form be and that form would become art of the L C Advisory Board's op records. Reuests for donations must be submitted on the form for •oard consideration ,p urin the regular meetings. Recipients will provide a follow u• 9 9 report of activities® Discussion on the City of College Station hears new request for Lincoln Renovations on August 10, 2010 — Jackson told the Board that the amount f $91,400 was approves for renovations at the LRC. 10® *isc ssion on City of College Station new concessions vendor policy and acceptance of donations — After discussion of the afore-mentioned, Jackson suggested that The LRC seek special consi l erations from the Parks Board. 11. Disc ssion on Prospective Advisory Committee mem s ers Motion was mace and carried to petition the Parks 'pard for special consideration for the current LRC Advisory ard to remain intact for another year. Motion was mae and carried to make t e following modifications to the LRC Board bylaws: amend bylaws to read members will serve two year appointments ith t e option for an additional two years, with LRC Board meetings being held on tee SecondMonday of each mont with the starting time of 5:45 p.m. 12 Subcommittee Reports 13 Consent Item (s) Treasury Report Quarterly Pr gram Report 14 Adjourn ext LRC Advisory 0 and Meetin tentatively schedule i for Wednesday Se•tem r 13, 2000 5:45P.m. at the Lincoln Recreation Center. The building is wheelchair accessible® Handicap parking spaces are available. 07/31/00 14:59 f1409 764 3513 COL STA CONF CTR Z002 CITY OF COLLEGE STATION CONFERENCE CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE Regular Meeting Wednesday,August 9,2000, 12 p.m® College Station Conference Center AGENDA 1. Call to order 2. Roll call 3. Pardon—Consi er requests for absences of members fror meeting 4. Hear visitors 5. Approval of minutes from Regular Meeting of June 9, 2000 6. Presentation, discussion, and possible action of Co ittee Member Positions 7. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on proposed accomplishments for the upcoming year 8. Presentation, discussion, and possible action on Revenue Reports • June 2000 N July 2000 9. Adjo *The building is wheelchair accessible. Handicap parking spaces are available.Any request for sign interpretive services must be made 48 hours before the meeting. To m iice arrangements call (979)764- 3720 or TDD I-800-735-2989. Agenda posted on Internet Website http://www.ci.college-station.tx.us and Cable Access Ch el 19. AMP% COLLEGE STATION ol Cq.0Proo 'iokr04 P. 0. Box 9960 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 August 7, 2000 Christina Everitt Parker 904 Montclair St. College Station, TX 77840 Dear Ms. Parker, The College Station Parks and Recreation Director, Steve Beachy, received your letter and asked that I address your concerns pertaining to Tarrow Park. I hope your son has recuperated from his injury. The glass in the park is a continuous concern for Parks Operations. We cleaned the glass from the playgrounds on August 2, 2000. There is a "No Glass Containers Allowed" ordinance that is in effect in all City parks, but visitors to this particular park heavily ignore this ordinance. I am hoping to get with Lance Jackson, the Lincoln Center Supervisor, about using Community Service Workers to routinely remove glass from the park. The missing bench slats will be replaced this week. Vandalism of the benches is another continuous problem in the park, although not as major of a problem as the broken glass. The small posts sticking up in the playground are actually the support posts for the spiral slide that was broken by vandals. There was a protective cover over the posts, but someone had removed it. The protective covers have been reinstalled and the spiral slide sections have been ordered. They should be delivered in about 3 weeks and the slide will be reinstalled by the end of August. en the slide is reinstalled, we will replace the old pea gravel around the play structure with new pea gravel. Also, we will mix recycled rubber with the pea gravel to create a softer fall surface. Thank you for voicing your concerns for the park. Please contact me if you have any other concerns or if you wish further discussion on the concerns you have mentioned. Sincerely, Curtis Bingham Parks Operations Superintendent Home of Texas A&M University Christina Everitt Parker 904 Montclair College Station, TX 77840 The City of College Station Parks and Recreation 1000 Krenek Tap Road College Station, TX 77840 To Whom It May Concern: I am iting regarding the park at the corner of Luther Street and Montclair Ave. I have on several occasions made telephone calls conce *ng the maintenance of the park. Last fall, I reported that my son was injured by the glass in the rocks by the slides. In addition,the concern of many other parents has been brought to my attention. I have enclosed the photographs, which show some of the ajor pro lens we have dealt with at this park. The glass in the rocks is the most obvious and immediate problem. The children from the apartments on Luther Street play barefooted in the gravel and I have witnessed children being injured on several occasions. There are several metal posts sticking out of the ground and broken park benches. I have visited several other park locations in the College Station area and find this park to be the most deplorable. The park located on Harvey Road is an excellent example of what I would like to see at this location. I feel that the location of this park is the reason it is not being properly maintained. However, it is probably the most utilized park for exactly the same reason. I request that immediate action be taken to correct the deficiencies at the park and to take steps to prevent future vandalism and neglect. I trust that you will respond to my letter as soon as possible and let me know when cleanup and repairs will be initiated. Sincerely, ) Christina Parker r. • , • - - = • , _ „,„„;•• •„„•litit ,•,•,,,„„• . -..,:,•-.:• , •, .-• " _ •,„ • •••••„,•• •••„••••„•:,•••,•••<„,„ r• „,„,•••„‘••••,•r„.„,••• ,••„„ „„,•„•••••„,,.,„„r ._ „•,„, •••••„: ,• , ,„„ •, •,•••• • .„..,;„„ _ •• ••,•„•„•,„,••,,:„,,„ . _ • •„.„,„,„ •• r 4*-4-• , ,•• •-•••..„„ • •,•••• _ • - , ir 414.011 lak ,•• u COLLEGE STATION P. O. Box 9960 . 1101 Texas Avenue . College Station, TX 77842 Tel: 409 764 3500 September 1,2000 Steve Smith 1003 Dexter Drive College Station,Texas 77840 Dear Mr.Smith: The Parks&Recreation Advisory Board researched pertinent information regarding your letter. The Board charged staff to investigate the points referenced in your letter.Staff took extra trips to the facility and researched the legal aspects of banning alcohol at a city facility. There has not been an increase in the number of alcohol related incidents this year. The altercation referenced in your letter was not alcohol related as you inferred,but rather a feud between two individuals that . e to a head in the parking lot at Central Park after their game. The City of College Station cannot usurp the Texas Alcohol&Beverage Commission's authority and place its o restrictions Ialcohol in public places. The City could restrict use at City facilities by av® the College Station Police Depa sent issue trespassing tickets. During the time period between Board meetings,staff visited the Central Park Softball Complex an additional 9 times(8-week nights and 1 weekend tournament). There were several groups observed in the parking lot each night,gathered after their g.I es,but very little alcohol was observed being cons ed inside the complex. The City League has the following preventive measures in place: 1. There is a section in the league rules relating to alcohol that is- phasized d 1* g each coaches meeting. 2. There is an ASA rule that prohibits alcohol and tobacco products in the playing field. 3. There is a local rule and penalty for offensive lan .ge that the local umpires association enforces. It should be noted that over 1,700 g. es,involving 3,400 teams have played softball at Central Park so far this year. At this time we feel that through continued monitoring of incidents at Central Park,continued education of coaches,continued enforcement by the umpires association and the inclusion of an alcohol related question on the next adult softball survey,the desired results can be achieved. Thank you for your time and interest in our progr. s. Sincerely, / ,-- , Steve Beachy E Director of Parks and Recreation cc: Parks and Recreation Board Home of Texas A&M University In ,A A A ID w Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol& Substance Abuse August 9, 2000 Mr. Lance Jackson Lincoln Recreation Center 1000 Eleanor College Station, Texas 77840 Dear Lance: The Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA) thanks you for sharing your facility space with Camp KANDU during the week of July 10 14, 2000. You and your staff were immensely helpful in many ways, which in turn assisted us in providing a positive and successful program for the campers. As you know, Camp KANDU is an enrichment program designed for 3rd graders in the Brazos Valley. Its goal is to help kids learn how to make good choices through enjoyable, creative and educational activities. BVCASA is a non-profit agency, providing education, prevention, and treatment services relating to alcohol and drug abuse. The primary mission of the Council is to combat alcohol and drug abuse in Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington Counties. Once again, thank you for partnering with BVCASA in this essential program. Backing from the community is important to our organization and we truly value your support. Sinc- -ly, 00. Audrey Re Prevention/Intervention n;in terven4ftio:::ecialist Camp KANDU Coordinator CC: Steve Beachy, Director, CS Parks and Recreation I. P.O.Box 4435,Bryan,Texas 77805 01' Unibed -y •* 979/776-7070 or 24 Hour Hotline 979/775-TALK Voelker Construction Building Contractors 14401 FM 973 Manor, TX 78653 Telephone (512) 272-5458 Fax (512) 272-5500 August 1, 2000 Texas ASA District 30 1000 Krenek Tap Road College Station, Texas 77840 Attn: Tony Dear Tony: Just a short note to say thanks again for a great State Tournament. Thank you for allowing us the oppoit ity to play in the to u ament, having previously qualified. Once more, the fields, concessions and the cordial ma er we were treated were your usual best. Thank again and good luck on your"A"Nationals. Sincerel _ St. Voelker flLGRAMM TEXAS ife' 411 fah'ie ASHINGTON, D.C. 21,5104302 August 11. 2000 Mr. Chris Barzilla Chairman College Station Parks and Recreation Board Post Office Box 9960 College Station, Texas 77842 Dear Nil. darn..la: Thank you for contacting me about legislative proposals to allocate revenues for federal and state resource acquisition and protection. 1 appreciate having the benefit of your views on this important matter. As you may know,the traditional source of federal funding to support federal, state, and local efforts to acquire and proteet natural resources is the Land and Water ConservatilyA Fund (LWCF), created in 1964. Aside front the furlds collected through the motorboat thel lax and federal outdoor recreation user fees, federal lt,..)yalty fees from oil and gas teases on the riutcr Continental Shelf(OCS)have provided all LWCF revenues for the past tniko'deeads. Annually,the fund is credited with revenues tending $900 million. liov,esveln in 0-der for such funds to be spent for land acquisition, (-ongiess must authorize such spending If specific designations are not made from the fund. the revenues remain in the U S Treasury and may he appropriated for other federal activities. Currently, a number of conservation and preservation bills, such as the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 (I-1.R. 701/5. 25) are being considered by Congress. These bills would, in part, provide full,permanent funding for the LWCF, as well as dedicated funding fof other censerttation prc.gr?..-rns. including coastal stew:2rdship, L41 Cc 112bitaIne—teric preservation, and forestry conservation. Most bills would also fund restoration and protection of coastal resources, and provide funding for related purposes, such as urban parks, historic preservation, public and Indian land restoration. and acquisition of easements. You may be interested to know that the House of Representatives passed its version (HR 701) on May 11, 2000, and has sent the bill to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. I understand the various issues involved in this debate, and I appreciate your input on this important matter. You may be sure that T will keep your views foremost in mind as issues related to resource allocation and protection come before the Senate for consideration.: I appreciate having the opportunity to work with you on behalf of the people of Texas. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Yours respectfully, PHIL GRAMM United States Senator PG:mdm •