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Minutes of a Meeting of the North Olmsted Parks and Recreation Commission September 12, 2005 Mr. Kelley brought to the attention of the Commission and the visitors the March 7, 2005 meeting where Dr. Stanic, Dr. Sebring, Vera Breuer, Becky Shank, Kim Wenger, Mr. Raig and Mr. Matson were here to go over that proposal. There again, you’re putting things in the voters’ hands, as Mr. Carras said. At this time, Mr. Kelley did not know what would happen, but for a temporary fence to be put up on that ball diamond up top is a quick fix. Mr. Baxter admitted that he hasn’t been at a recent game, but he knows that when there’s a lot of activity at the Park, the cars are parked solid on West Park and pulling down Evergreen. He said that he’s surprised someone hasn’t been injured from the traffic and cars parked on West Park. Granted, the high school games is not the only thing to cause traffic there, but anything that brings more traffic into the area is not a good thing, not when they have to park along the street or that they have to park way in the back and walking from the back parking lot. Mr. Carras said that the addition of a fence is not going to add more parking. People are going to go to the games anyway – people who are going to the Hot Stove games are still going to go; people who go to the North Olmsted High School games are still going to go. If you’re really concerned about that situation, then something like what went on here last weekend should be eliminated with the scrimmages for the West Side Football League. Mr. Carras was here because his son plays in it, and he was thrilled with it because there were a million people doing a million things in the Park in the City of North Olmsted. He never saw so many cars in the Park at one time. He would certainly not be one to eliminate an activity like that where there were a bunch of kids from a bunch of different communities doing good things. So, the addition of the fence will not add more parking. Mr. Baxter said that is true, though it makes the Park look more like a “Softball World” situation. He would like to see the Park be more than baseball fields and, frankly, it is a little bit more, but not much. Mr. Baxter is not being critical of our Rec Department, but the Park and the recreational facilities other than ball diamonds, they are pretty weak. The Rec supports the ball fields, and Mr. Baxter played in the ball fields for 25 years, so he understands the matter. The Park’s picnic area is mediocre, the children’s playground is just O.K. and certainly not up to the standards of other places. What Mr. Baxter is saying is that there is a lot of emphasis put on ball fields at the Park. Other things are minimized. To the extent we encourage use of the Park for ball fields indicates an incomplete Park; it’s a ball field. The more it’s used for ball fields, the more it becomes ball fields. Mr. Baxter understands the need; he was expressing his view. One last question, because he knows that some of the nearby residents are concerned about dust: will there be steps taken with that field, and all the fields, to control the dust more than has been done in the past. Mr. Carras replied that not only will the Schools buy the fence for the City (which will cost about $14,000), there has also been budgeted for “diamond dust” that is a moisture gatherer and helps prevent the dust and helps build the diamond. The idea is to get the fence up and get the diamond dust down so that it can settle and mix in, eliminating those problems and getting it done it the Fall. The Schools do not have the money to do all the ball diamonds, but they would like to do the two varsity diamonds if possible, costing additional money. The Schools want to make the diamonds as best as they can and are willing to put their money where there mouth is so to speak to make it possible, not only for the school children, but for the children of North Olmsted who deserve the best they can get. Page 4