STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF TARRANT S CITY OF BEDFORD  S  S  The Bedford Parks and Recreation Board met on May 2, 2024. The following Board members were present: Mr. Terry Lewis, Mr. Lynn Grado, Ms. Misty Whitchurch, Ms. Heather Lopez Velarde, Ms. Donna Hanson, and Ms. Marguerite Allen. Mr. Mark Long, Mr. Don Henderson, and Mr. Hunter Hardeman from the City of Bedford team were also in attendance as well as Mr.  Rich Steves from Bedford City Council.  CALL TO ORDER  Ms. Heather Lopez Velarde, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.  PUBLIC COMMENTS possible pickleball courts.  Several City of Bedford residents asked questions about Fire Station No. 1, a skatepark, and Mr. Mark Long confirmed that Fire Station No. 1 questions should be sent to Chief Bill Walker. Any questions pertaining to a skatepark or possible pickleball courts should be directed to City  of Bedford staff as a future agenda item. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  Mr. Lynn Grado approved the minutes as presented. The minutes were seconded by Ms. Donna  Hanson and approved unanimously.  NEW BUSINESS  1. Council and staff updates  Mr. Mark Long, Mr. Don Henderson, Mr. Hunter Hardeman, and Councimember Rich Mr. Henderson received the prestigious Honorary Life Membership award at the Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS) annual conference. This award is given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through their service and devotion to H-E-B, LP is expected to open its first grocery store in the Furst-Euless-Bedford area in Construction has begun on the Generations Park monument signs. Work is expected to  Steves provided several updates.  advancing the field of parks and recreation.  2026.  be completed by Fourth Fest.  1of4  Parks and Recreation Board Minutes from May 2, 2024    The City of Bedford installed new lightning detectors at Generations Park, Stormie Jones Park, and Meadow Park, key areas where athletic events take place. The lightning detectors will signal when lightning has been detected within 10 miles. Once 30 minutes have passed without additional lightning strikes, the lightning detector will signal safety. Construction on the new playground at Harris Ryals Park was expected to begin by the The City of Bedford was accepting bids for the Senior Center. More than 22 contractors showed upi fori the pre-bid meeting. Bids will be opened on May 13 and the recommended bid will be taken to the City Council on May 28. Improvements to the Senior Center were Anew concert series, Bedfordi in Bloom, will take place on Friday, May 10 and Friday, May 24 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in Generations Park. Art at the Park will take place on Saturday, May 18 from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Pacific Islander Fest will take place on Saturday, Int terms of Parks and Recreations staffing, a new Cultural Arts Supervisor was hired, and a Coordinator was expected to be hired in the next couple of weeks. 18 staff members went through AED, first aid, and CPR training. The Parks and Recreation Department is ADA equipment should be installed at the YMCA within the next few weeks.  end of May with a late June opening.  expected to be completed by December.  May 4.  hoping to have everyone certified.  2. Discussion on the future of the Bedford Bark Park  Mr. Long gave the presentation. He reminded the Board that the City of Bedford had leased the Meadow Park facility from HEB ISD since the 1980s. During that lease, the City of Bedford made several improvements, including the sports fields and Bark Park. In the case that HEB ISD decides to sell the property, the Bark Park would need to be relocated. Staff had proactively begun looking for alternative locations for al Bark Park. Mr. 3. Update on the baseball field management agreement at Generations Park  Long would continue to provide updates as they were available.  Mr. Hardeman gave the presentation. He explained that the City of Bedford was bringing in good revenue from the baseball fields and that the management agreement was working well. The fields had been well taken care of and were getting a lot of use. Mr. Grado suggested that the sports schedules be shared on the City of Bedford's Facebook page to generate additional interest in case residents were interested in attending.  4. Update on Bedford Commons  Ms. Lopez Velarde asked about the City of Bedford's plans for the public open space within Bedford Commons. Councilmember Steves explained that the City of Bedford was just at the beginning stages of the planning process. The new developer out of Houston, TX was expected to do a study and provide options for consideration. Options were expected toi include green space and a water feature due to the property's location.  5. Update on allocated funds for Performing Arts Center  2of4  Parks and Recreation Board Minutes from May 2, 2024    Mr. Long gave the presentation. He explained that the Parks team was working on a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). While many improvements were funded through the Parks Maintenance Fund or supplemental approvals, there were several higher-cost items that needed to be addressed, such as lights at Stormie Jones Park and other safety items. These items may be able to be funded through unused bond funds.  Mr. Long would continue to bring updates to the Board. Discussion on 2025 Arbor Day event  There was an opportunity to host an Arbor Day event in 2025, perhaps in conjunction with the Beautification Advisory Board. The Board discussed several options, including tree  planting, flower planting, and sapling giveaways for residents.  REPORTS  7. Discuss individual park assignments  a. Bedford Trails Linear Park-L Looks good. b. Brook Hollow Park - Bollard lights have been fixed. C. Carousel Park- Looks good. d. Central Park - Looks good. f. Dewey Tenant Park - Looks good. g. Generations Park- - Looks good.  e. Cheek Sparger Trails - Standing water continues to be an issue.  h. Harris Ryals - Looks good. Additional play material may be needed under the  swings.  Meadowpark. Athletic Complex - Looks good. OBS Park - Looks good. k. Stormie Jones Park - Looks good.  NEXT MEETING  8. The next scheduled meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will be  June 6, 2023.  ADJOURNMENT  AI motion to adjourn was made by Ms. Allen. The motion was seconded by Ms. Whitchurch and  passed unanimously, adjourning the meeting at 7:21 pm.  Héatherkopez elardé, Chairperson  3of4  Parks and Recreation Board Minutes from May 2, 2024