MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE

GIRDWOOD ROADS, FACILITIES,

PARKS & RECREATION

DATE:	February 20, 2019

TO:	Girdwood Board of Supervisors

FROM:	Kyle Kelley, Girdwood Service Area Manager & Margaret Tyler, Parks and Recreation

SUBJECT:	Parks and Rec 2018 Overview

Tennis Courts:

Tennis Committee hung the nets, purchased and installed the wind screens in May, 2018. Light maintenance throughout the summer. Area cleaned, leaves blown out, doors shut for the season in November.

2019: Repair paint at fence post supports. Tennis Committee may purchase outdoor storage unit for materials. Boy Scouts are completing kiosk for the tennis courts. Recommending various options with FVCS to increase use of the tennis courts by youth and adults.

Girdwood Park:

Continued effort to keep the underbrush cut back to maintain sightlines and maintain disk golf course. Disk golf users did the majority of maintenance related to specific events held at the course.

2019: Assess and remove cottonwoods that are hazards.

Nissman Pavilion:

Maintenance only, summer long blowing out and cleanup.

Replaced BBQ Grill

2019: Replace the other BBQ Grill, remove the artistic chimney. Get campground-style bear proof trash dumpster from Alaska Waste. Remove moss from roof, cedar shake roof may need work.

Marlow Pavilion:
Managed rentals throughout the summer. Increased management of rentals helped reduce bear issue in the park area.

Girdwood Campground:

Blew out paths and camp sites. Coordination with host on campground visitors.

2019: Fathers and sons group has volunteered to spread gravel for the sites and pathways in mid-May.

Ball Field:

Occasional clean up in the ballfield summer long.

2019: Replace the Outfield fence line. Paint the dugouts (? Possible service project)

Little Bears Playground:

Volunteers added wood chips in 2017 and 2018. Sold and added new pickets. Springtime cleanup of the grounds and fall leaf collection with occasional blow out of the area in the summer. Replaced tot swing and tire swing swivel. Replaced cover on climbing chain. Leathers and Associates completed assessment of the playground and made recommendations for work. Overall, playground is in good shape.

2019: Continue picnic area improvements, make repairs on Assessment list. Seal wood on all play structures.

Girdwood Skate Park:

2018 was relatively heavy in staff involvement with Skate Park activities. Assisted Friends of the Skate Park with Throwdown Showdown, Chair 1 Raffle, work party in May to improve the ramps around the 8’ half pipe. Worked with graphic designer to create skate park logo and feather flags for promotional events.

Summer long clean-up and blowing out of the park to keep ramps safe and free of forest and other debris.

2019: Assist with projects determined for this summer by FOSP. Possible box jump and/or rehab of existing ramps. Assisting with Throwdown Showdown coordination and quilt raffle in the fall. Boy Scouts are completing info kiosk for the skate park.

Parking Area:

Roads crew improved the surface and drainage.

Coordinated rent-a-can and dumpsters.

2019: Possible to add some flowers or landscaping to the four corners of Alyeska Highway/Egloff/Hightower?

Soccer Field:

Worked with Turf contractor on getting better grass growth.

2019: planning for better layout and drainage of the park area, replace shed.

Lions Club Park:
Blew leaves out in spring. Light brushing during summer. Added 6 new bbq grills and picnic tables so picnic areas are new and fresh.

2019: Purchase bench to overlook Glacier Creek. Improve social trail to overlook. Work with Lions Club on construction of pavilion for this park, possible project for Anchorage Park Foundation and/or KMTA grants. Assess and remove cottonwoods that are hazards.

Town Square Park:

Inside Park: Weeding of garden beds, tackling invasive weeds. Hired Alyeska Landscaping to help maintaining and fertilizing trees. Girdwood School Day of Service was cancelled, but Mrs. Hickox brought a group anyhow!
Perimeter of Park: Maintenance of planters around Town Square Park, added rocks to corner bed, weeding iris beds.

2019: Continue evaluating iris beds and determine best option. Prune trees that have been damaged by wildlife and snow load. Consider adding lights to one of the life trees for Holiday tree lighting.

Beautification:

Coordinated planting day in June.

Watering, fertilizing, deadheading, weeding all summer. Added perennials and more spring bulbs to library garden beds.

2019: evaluate condition of planters. Continue looking for donations of perennials for garden beds, beautification day in June.

Nina’s Wall:

Staff cleaned out bed this spring and added more mulch, staked tall plants, cleaned out fountain.

Replaced pump and water.

2019: Similar maintenance required. Garden bed gets hit with debris from winter sanding and requires maintenance early season.

Community Center:

Washed windows inside and out in spring. MOA facilities worked on the roof to fix snow anchors.

Community Room/Library:
Purchased modern phone system for teleconferencing. Handle rentals and coordination of groups. Carpet cleaned quarterly but is showing wear.
2019: Room needs A/V equipment: mics, camera, tripod. Community Room reservations will switch to on-line rental system through ActiveNet.

Little Bears & Glacier City Hall:
Ongoing repair of roof leaks and ice damming though the fall. Initiated work on rebuild option, and completed as-built survey and beginnings of study of new building, parking and other code requirements. Assisted with snow removal to ensure second exit and walkway was clear.
2019: Work on rebuild of the Little Bears facility, which will displace the garage, warm storage and equipment storage.

Winter Grooming:
Spring and winter work on the parks and rec snow machine repair. Assist getting materials and fuel for the volunteer groomers.

Hand Tram:
Completed deferred maintenance work on the hand tram in 2018 with welds, cart inspection, and paint. Work Party in June at the Hand tram completed clean up and digging out debris that collected around the tram structures.

2019: re-groove the sheaves so that the rope slides more smoothly.

Plan to re-open the hand tram in mid/late May based on weather, work and inspection.

Trails:

Completed Lower INHT from the trailhead to the bridge at California Creek.

Received 5 year ILMA for State land at California Creek Trail/Beaver Pond Trail on Crow Creek Road. This gives us permission to work on this part of the trail.
Received plans for Lower INHT California Creek bridge installation. Surveyed and staked area for piles to be driven spring 2019.

Completed downed tree removal in spring and fall, particularly on Lower INHT and INHT segment between the Girdwood K-8 School to Crow Creek Road.

2019: Complete bridge and phase 2 construction, which will bring the trail to the Northeast end of the Industrial Park Land. Establish work parties by GTC and Alaska Trails Volunteers for summer months when possible. Hiring interns and recruiting volunteers for trail maintenance projects. Repair of wash-out on Lower INHT phase 1 from fall flooding. Seek agreement with State to work on the south end of the Beaver Pond Trail (about .25 mi from junction with bird/gird trail to HLB land)

Cemetery:

Held public meeting at the Cemetery site in spring, gathering comments. Hired CRW to do Schematic Design and held site visit in October, 2018. Discussed with MOA how to proceed with bond vote.

2019: Public Open House regarding Schematic Design on February 28. Likely on hold while Eagle River cemetery committee catches up for joint bond proposal in 2021.

Social Media & Website:

Ongoing contact and updates.
2019: Shift to subscription service for meeting notifications.

Other Contracts:

Invasive Weeds contract – Group did a great job with regular weeding, handling spraying, and holding an invasive weed pull in summer 2018.

Turf Contract – Weather was a factor in scheduling maintenance. Overall, group is easy to manage and completes the work as contracted.

Window Washing – Used a new service in 2018.

GBOS Grants:

Ongoing cycle, MOA requirement for insurance has changed, but all are working through it.

Other Grants:

State of Alaska, Recreation Trails Program Grants:
$50,000 awarded in spring for Lower INHT, phase 1. Project is closed and reimbursed.
$75,000 applied for in fall for Lower INHT, phase 2. Grant announcement in 2019.
Kenai Mountains/Turnagain Arm Heritage Area:
$5,000 Applied for, granted, closed and reimbursed for Lower INHT bridge plans

$17,000 applied for and granted for Lower INHT bridge and construction

Anchorage Park Foundation:

$17,000 closed and reimbursed grant for Lower INHT

American Hiking Society:

Applied for $1200 grant for tools, did not receive award.

2019 grant plans:

KMTA: trail signage and maybe pavilion for Lions Club Park, if they have plans
Anchorage Park Foundation: Pavilion for Lions Club Park, if ready.

Community Meeting Attendance:

GBOS, GTC, LUC, PSAC, GAP, Cemetery, Friends of the Skate Park, Tennis Committee

As needed: Girdwood Bear Aware, Title 21 Chapter 9, Housing Working Group

Alaska Trails Stewardship Grant Partnership – group working on the Southern Trek of the INHT.
Kyle attends Library Boosters and 2020 as needed
Margaret attends KMTA and Girdwood Chamber as needed

Other:

Clean up of homeless camps summer-long with significant food and trash to be cleaned up.

Year-round issues with abandoned vehicles and/or long term illegal parking/camping in public right of way