MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE

GIRDWOOD ROADS, FACILITIES,

PARKS & RECREATION

DATE:	3-13-18

TO:	Girdwood Board of Supervisors

FROM:	Kyle Kelley, Municipal Liaison & Margaret Tyler, Parks and Recreation

SUBJECT:	Parks and Rec 2017 Overview

Tennis Courts:
Nets re-hung and new backboards were installed in May 2017. Light maintenance throughout the summer. Area cleaned, leaves blown out, doors locked for season in November.

2018: Purchase and install Wind Screens

Girdwood Park:

Summer long brush clearing to open sightlines and keep them open through the park.

Worked with volunteers to improve disk golf course.

Moved some of the less-used bear proof trash cans to better location. Added system to keep trash cans open in winter.

Nissman Pavilion:

Summer long blowing out and cleanup.

2018:	Replace BBQ Grill

Marlow Pavilion:

Managed rentals throughout the summer season

Summer long blowing out and cleanup

Total revenues of Marlow Rental are up over past years. Created additional guidelines regarding rent-a-cans and dumpsters to meet increased demand.

Girdwood Campground:

Replaced camp site numbers, add material to paths and tent sites

Coordination with campground host regarding projects/campground visitors.

Lots of bear activity throughout the summer.

2018:	Continue improvements of tent sites

Ball Field:

Occasional clean-up inside ball field

Invasive weed spray in ball field for boundary lines.

2018: Replace the outfield fence line as it’s the last section to be replaced and is falling apart.

Little Bears Playground:

Worked with lots of volunteer groups adding wood chips, sand to sandbox, placing new pickets. Springtime cleanup of the grounds and fall leaf collection with occasional blow out of the area throughout the summer.

2018:	Improve picnic area

Repair rotten wood in sandbox area
Repair covers of chain climbing apparatus.

Seal wood on all play structures

Leathers & Associates evaluation of playground and structures

Girdwood Skate Park:

Assisted Friends of the Skate Park in rehabilitation of the park: 3 ramps in spring and half pipe in fall.

Summer long clean-up and blowing out of the area

Assisted in local fundraising efforts: Showdown Throwdown in February, Forest Fair in July, Holiday Bazaar in December.

2018:	Winter fundraiser partnership with Alyeska Resort (Feb)
Friends of the Skate park Work Party in spring

Help in planning and carrying out short and long term goals of FOSP

Assist with raffle of Chair 1 chair

Parking Area:

Coordinated rent-a-can and dumpster delivery/pickup

2018:	TBD planter/landscaping work associated with new Egloff road work and Little Bears Parking.

Soccer Field:

Worked with turf contractor on getting grass to grow more consistently throughout the turf area.

2018:	Continue to consider how to organize the area for better parking & safer access
Move bear proof trash containers that are under-utilized to better locations.

Replace shed with more durable storage system.

Lions Club Park:
Worked with Lions Club to spruce up the park, removing old worn out picnic tables and replacing with new ones that were purchased for that purpose. YEP crew performed clearing of paths, assembly of tables and replacing the Lions Club Park sign.

2018:	Purchase more picnic tables and replace the remaining old ones. Purchase new BBQ grills and install. Purchase park benches overlooking Glacier Creek.

Long Term: Lions Club wants to build picnic pavilion

Town Square Park:

Inside park: Weeding of garden beds, tackling invasive weeds.

Re-establishing outside edge of the park with weed whacking and clipping back plants.

Placed interpretive signs

Perimeter of park: Maintenance of planters around park, weeding of iris beds.

Added bear proof trash can at GVT bus stop

2018:	Continue placing rocks under trees
Consider plan for garden beds that are overgrown with weeds

Add live tree to Town Square Park for Community Tree Lighting.

Beautification:

Coordinated community planting day in June
Watering, fertilizing, deadheading, weeding summer long

Acquired perennials from other sources and moved them to add variety to existing perennial garden beds

2018:	Continue to acquire variety of plants for perennial beds

Nina’s Wall:
Found volunteer to do summer long maintenance of garden beds, staking tall plants, weeding
Assisted volunteer in adding wood chips in early season. Scrubbed out fountain and replaced pump & water.

Community Center:

Purchased and placed white lights for trees outside Community Center.

Removed dead apple tree from north side of building.

2018:	Purchase bulbs to plant in garden bed.

Continue work on drip line project

Community Room:

Handle rentals for public use of Community room

Minor repair of tables and cleanup after rentals.

Worked with Library Boosters to purchase tree and promote Toys for Tots, Girdwood Angel Tree and Girdwood Food Pantry in November/December.

Community Room Rental revenue appeared to decline in 2017, but this is due to budget number based on years when FVCS used the room instead while the school was under discussion.

2018:	Consider improving audio/video capabilities in the room

Consider raising rates

Little Bears and Glacier City hall:

Removing unused junk from Glacier City Hall and making it functioning shop for both Park and Road Maintenance needs

Work with Little Bears to make sure their building is maintained, functional and safe for day care operations.

Both buildings painted by MOA paint crew.

Long Term: Replace these buildings

Trails Committee:

Coordination of Trails Committee projects, including completion of Beaver Pond Trail with help from SCA; completion of the Girdwood Trails Management Plan Document. Applied for grants with KMTA, Anchorage Park Foundation and Recreational Trails Grant program. Removed blowdown trees on Iditarod Trail behind the school.

2018:	Begin new priority project: Iditarod National Historic Trail. Work with USFS and Army Corps of Engineers on permitting and trail work on the Lower Iditarod National Historic Trail. Work on getting trail routes established with GPS.

Community Meeting Attendance:

Girdwood Chamber of Commerce

Girdwood Cemetery Committee

Friends of the Girdwood Skate Park

Girdwood Public Safety Advisory Committee

Girdwood Tennis Committee

Girdwood Trails Committee

Girdwood Trails Plan Working Group

Girdwood Land Use Committee

Title 21 Chapter 9 Review Committee
Girdwood Area Plan Update Committee

Girdwood Board of Supervisors

Hand Tram:
Replaced hand tram haul rope in July, tightened main cable.

Permanent fix of hand tram cart door

Unlocking/re-locking hand tram at season start and end.

Monthly inspections and repairs as needed.

Assist in getting annual inspection complete, work on items addressed in inspection.

2018:	Check welds, sandblast and powdercoat tram cart. Tighten rope and replace tram in May for the summer season. Work on getting a passenger count for summer.

Winter Grooming:

Assist in scheduling and support of winter grooming & training volunteers

Maintenance of snow machine and equipment

Grooming

Social Media & Websites:

Posting as appropriate on social media.

Keep GBOS website up to date.

Other Contracts:

Initiate annual re-establishment of contracts for window washing at community center, invasive weeding and turf maintenance

Parks staff handled mutt mitts and trash collection all year.

GBOS Grants:

Update grant documents, public notice the grant cycle as required.

Work with grant applicants to prepare for GBOS review and revision forms

Issue contracts

Assist with year-end documentation

Other Grants:

Grant programs worked on in 2017:

Anchorage Parks foundation grant for Lower Iditarod Trail ($17,000 granted but requested extension pending permitting process)
KMTA grant for Trails Management Plan ($7,000 granted and reimbursed)

Grants applied for in 2017:

Anchorage Park Foundation grant for Skate Park ($5,000 granted and reimbursed)

Anchorage Park Foundation grant for Beaver Pond Trail $8250 for SCA Crew granted and reimbursed)
KMTA grant for California Creek Bridge on INHT ($5,000 pending permits)

Recreational Trails Grant $50,000 (should hear in January)

2018:	KMTA grant cycle in spring (purchase of GPS equipment to use on trails)
Land and Water conservation Grant (Focus project TBD)