Summary

• The board selected a consultant for the outdoor pool project and began the process with community input meetings scheduled. The consultant will assess revenue potential and operational costs.
• There was also a discussion about potentially extending lap swim times at the pool, with plans to follow up on this in future meetings.

Full Text

The June 8 2023 meeting of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board was convened at 7:00 pm
in the Oak Ridge Recreation Center Social Room with Chairman Jake Greear presiding.

Roll Call
Present: Jake Greear, Chris Melhorn, Doug Bataille, Terri Daugherty, Dan Robbins,
Absent: Alissa Jones, Kelly Mccampbell, Michele Thornton

Also Present:
Also Absent:
Seth Rodgers, Recreation & Parks, Special Projects, staff liaison
Jon Hetrick, Recreation & Parks Director, staff liaison

Approval of May 2023 Meeting Minutes
Approved as drafted (unanimous).

Unfinished business:
• Signs at parks – Seth says they are still working on that.
• Letter recommending renaming of North Ridge Trail to honor Liane & Bill Russell
per March meeting motion. Jake drafted and sent to Jon. Jon will review.

New Business:
Conference Center construction bids opened on Monday. Took out the plaza, it was an
add alternate, and they took it out. No reason to redo the plaza if they aren’t going to fix the
electric. It will probably end up being phase 2. Thinks bid will be around 4 to 5 million. Still
going to do the roof (of civic center). Redoing half of the civic center building.

Board Work Plan:
• Oak Ridge Pool
o Selected a consultant now. Their process is getting kicked off. Next Tuesday,
June 13th, lunch meeting and community input meeting in the evening.
o She’ll give a presentation starting at 6, then the public will have the opportunity
to fill out comment cards. Probably 10-15 minute presentation. Seth will
announce again at city council meeting on Monday.
o Consultant is also going to do a study regarding what kind of revenue could be
generated. Will come up with 3 options- what it will cost to run it, and what it is
projected to bring in for revenue.

• CIPs Review
o Jack’s (new interim city manager) presentation to the City Council for the budget
is recorded and on FB. 300 something page budget. Monday will be the final
vote for the budget at the City Council meeting.

• North Boundary Greenway
o Nothing new to report

• Greenway System
o Have submitted for a grant for a master plan. That will implement our
greenways. Seth has printed Greenway signs. ACM material – like a plastic
aluminum. 6 foot sign for the park names, 2 foot for the G-Greenway signs.

• Parks & Rec Stewardship, Maintenance and Trail development
o CVTA- trail activities -first race had 55 riders/racers. This Sunday at 2 having
“take a kid mountain biking day.”
o Saturday Crafter’s brew kayaking event. Paddle down to the rowing center, get
out and eat bbq and have beer.
o Ms. Pat Postma – update on Peace Bell pavilion. Scarborough 85. Representing
Ray Smith, who has done research. There’s a wash of rust on the peace bell
right now. Bronze doesn’t rust. So something above that is causing the rust to
drip. She was there and it hadn’t rained for at least 24 hours. Laurel Patrick was
the contractor, she’s going to try to get up there to check it out. Thinks there
must be a cavity that is collecting water up there. Called P & R Dept on a Friday
about the striker/log, and they came and fixed that part. A bronze sculptor said
that it should be cleaned at least once a year. Maria Kirby Smith gave an
estimate/ options of costs. Knows some people who want this to get done, and
would be willing to donate financially.
• 1. Can come and do a demo cleaning and waxing on a portion of the
Bell for the caretakers, for $1200.
• 2. Can show as stated in number 1 above, plus stay on site to oversee
the P & R continue with the cleaning and the waxing. This will take the
better part of a day depending on the weather, for $1800.
• 3. They come to clean, wax and highlight the relief panels themselves,
$2400.
o Seth: Billy went out last week, and found that there was a conduit that was
leaking. They fixed the leak. The conduit is within the construction itself. They
are going to get a lift to see if they can get up there. Have to get scaffolding,
because they can’t put an actual lift on there, or it will crack the concrete. (Ray
had sent Seth a picture of it). There is a plastic conduit pipe that runs into the
concrete, for the electric that hold the lights in.
o Jake made a motion to do a letter to city council, with a recommendation for
continued maintenance of the bell. And to ask city council in the letter to add a
yearly budget item to cover maintenance/ cleaning of the bell. Chris seconded
the motion. Unanimous in favor of the motion.

• Secondary & Long-Term Objectives
o Facilitating community events.
• Summer camp starting
• 4th of July with fire dept. in Bissell park
• New event: new year’s eve event. Using fireworks, doing ball drop, big
hot air balloons that go up 100 feet in the back of the park.
• Halloween- With conference center coming in – not sure where that is
going to be. Can’t have inside, but might have construction stuff set up
outside.
o Rails to trails
• Seth talked to TDOT. They don’t have any comments. 40 something
days, then should be able to move to right away. Unless they have a
comment on day 41.
o Advisory support for conference center design
• Nothing new (aside from new business above).
o Support Melton Lake bridge preliminary design
• Nothing new.
o Support continued development of the peace bell pavilion
• See above. Seth doing something before June 4th re shed.
o Explore opportunities for the continued development of disc golf
• P & R has been doing work clearing brush. They are going to take out 9
holes on the side of the mountain and bring it back to an 18-hole
course. They’ve just been working maintenance on it.
o Support blueways initiatives
• Nothing new to report.

• Appearance and Citizen Comments
o Question – desire to keep the city beautiful, and green. Is that being considered
in all of these construction projects? Yes- Interim City manager recently
addressed this. Saying he wants to clean it up.
• Seth: we have a lot of parks. We’re trying to clean them up, not get rid
of them. We are working on ways to use solar energy, and options for
plug-ins for electric cars.
o Concern about senior center area- a bunch of trees went down, then a building
went up. Over 20-30 years, all of those little projects take away green space.
• Jake: City has landscape ordinance, to help beautify.

• Announcements
o Dan: On Monday, conducted birding event, on Melton Lake Greenway. About
20 people attended. Got lots of good emails and comments back.
o Sat June 24th at 9 am is the East Fork- clean up. Meet at the boys and girls club to
start.
o Lavender festival on the 17th in Jackson Square.
o Concert this Saturday.
o Knox bike race at Haw Ridge this Saturday.

• Director’s report.
o Pool and convention center are the biggest/main project right now. Jackson
square is getting resurfaced next week. Corner of Edgemoor Rd. is getting fixed
up.

Future agenda items:
• Follow up with Seth on checking on extending lap swim times at outdoor pool.

Next meeting: July 13, 2023 – Seth and Jon are both out that day- so may need to be 6th or
20th.