11_14_2019 Parks Advisory Board Meeting
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOCC
Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Advisory Board
Thursday, November 14, 2019

PRESENT:
Anthony Sanchez
Jack Berlin
Nathan Gennara
Roland Guidry Jr.
Aaron Casteel
Harold Jackson
STAFF:
Rick Valdez
Forest Turbiville
Adrienne Rouse
Ross Dickerson
Greg Brown


Sign in sheet available upon request.

I.
WELCOME/CALL TO ORDER
a. This meeting was called to order at 12:06 p.m. by Anthony Sanchez

II.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
a. Paul Rosenbloom spoke about Fishhawk Youth Sports Association (FYSA) and facility
access issues. He presented challenges he is having with the league and stated that FYSA
is not making reasonable accommodations for public access. Discussion ensued
between the Board, Staff, and Paul Rosenbloom. The discussion included:
 Challenges that FYSA is facing with capacity
 The need to ensure there is a field available for public use
 The need to identify opportunities for smaller groups of athletes, such as
cheerleaders, to share fields during practice
 Access being denied to members of the public even when fields are not in use
 The absence of a minimum number of hours designated for public use
b. Discussion shifted to focus on the upcoming Field Use Agreement changes. Rick Valdez
informed the board that other municipalities have one unlocked field for public use and
the public field is rotated. Jack Berlin inquired if the new Field Use Agreement needs to
include minimum public access percentages.

Motion: Jack Berlin made a motion for staff to prepare recommendations on
accommodating public access and present at the next meeting. The motion was
seconded by Roland Guidry Jr. and passed with no opposing members.

c. Discussion continued between the Board and staff on finding a compromise. Paul
Rosenboom stated that he became involved in this issue after being aggressively
removed from fields at Fishhawk, which led him to contact his County Commissioner.






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III.
PRESENTATIONS
a. Friends of County Parks has provided lunch for us today- Thank you!

b. Welcome

c. Sports Facility Advisor (SFA) update
i. Greg Brown has been working to update the Field Use Agreement (FUA) and the
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). There have been updates on the
language regarding public access. Both documents are complete and in the final
editing stages. He has reached out to the leagues and the Commissioners to
provide updates.
ii. Anthony Sanchez inquired as to when the new agreement will be effective. Greg
Brown answered that both documents need to go back to the BOCC. Rick Valdez
stated that we want to get these documents to the BOCC by the end of the year.
We need to meet with the county attorney and internal auditor to discuss
findings from several years ago, and want to ensure that we have the correct
language to hold the leagues accountable and be in compliance with the
auditor’s findings.
iii. Anthony Sanchez stated that we cannot keep delaying to wait for perfection and
this can be a working document. Greg Brown stated that the Sports Facility
Advisor is reviewing both documents.

d. Defibrillators in Parks Update
i. James Crouch reached out to Risk Management. There was misnomer that grant
money was available for the procurement of Automated External Defibrillators
(AEDs). Operating funds will need to be used to purchase our own. AEDs at
athletic complexes must be stored in an air-conditioned space and must be
within three minutes of where people are playing.
ii. Rick Valdez stated that the next step is to assess each site and install AEDs as we
can. Discussion ensued between the staff and the Board about AEDs and
liability. Some points include:
 Concern regarding the three minute rule
 Concern about if the department are in a more liable situation if a
facility has an AED and it does not pass the three minute rule
 Some sites may require more than one AED
 Concern about lack of training on how to use an AED
 How CELM is handling AEDs in their parks
 Which sites currently have AEDs
 Some leagues possess their own AEDs
iii. Aaron Casteel stated that it is better to have an AED, and potentially have an
issue, than to not have one at all. The Board recommends we get them.






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e. Bakas Equestrian Center Update
i. Forest Turbiville stated that there has not been any change since the last
meeting. Mr. Pepin still needs to submit a formal proposal.
ii. Anthony Sanchez stressed that before we trade for this we need to know the
value of the property.

ACTION ITEM: Anthony Sanchez requested that Forest Turbiville bring the
appraisal to the next meeting.

iii. Forest Turbiville states that we are holding our ground on trading for two
facilities--instead of one large facility--to better serve the residents of the
county. Discussion ensued between the Board and staff about placing a
conservation easement on the space to protect the space from future
development

f. Open board position: any feedback or suggestions?
i. Anthony Sanchez began by informing the group that he has been reappointed
by Commissioner Kemp and is awaiting paperwork.
ii. Anthony Sanchez requested feedback on the new position. Jack Berlin stated
that he saw Commissioner Overman but there wasn’t any news. Jack Berlin
stressed that he wants to be sure we have someone who understands their duty
to entire county and not just a single issue.


IV.
BOARD ACTION
a. Approve minutes from the October 3, 2019 meeting.

Motion: Anthony Sanchez made a motion approving the October 3, 2019 meeting minutes
and the motion was seconded by Jack Berlin. The motion was passed with no opposing
members.

V.
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
a. Jack Berlin asked Forest Turbiville if there is a replacement coming for a CELM section
manager.

ACTION ITEM: Forest Turbiville will provide an update at the next meeting.

VI.
ACTIVITIES
a. Greg Brown presented information about trees in the parks. The University of Florida
has visited 68 sites and evaluated 3,608 trees. They are approximately one-third of the
way through their project. A handout outlining tree diversity is available on request. This
information will be used in the future to make decisions on what kind of trees to plant,
where we can get shade opportunities, how we can use trees for beautification, and
which trees should be proactively pruned and monitored. Discussion ensued between



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Jack Berlin and Greg Brown regarding what happens with dead trees and what the
county’s tree goals are. Forest Turbiville explained how CELM manages their trees.
CELM will be planting over 20,000 trees thanks to a sustainability event last night.

ACTION ITEM: Forest Turbiville will brief the board on conservation actions at least
annually.

b. Greg Brown gave an update on sodding up of athletic fields. We are currently taking a
break for the winter. He also stated that the Tree Fund came in and we have four
bidders. We have 1 million dollars to spend from the Tree Fund on parks. Data from the
University of Florida will be used to see where to plant. Also, there are ten parks
designed and ready to be built.
c. Adrienne Rouse gave a Hiking Spree update. Over 1,000 people have signed up already.
The Kickoff Party, which took place November 9th, had several activities, encouraged
people to hike with pets, and was overall a great event. The Northdale Turkey Bowl is
coming up and will wrap up this flag football season. Staff training for basketball is right
around the corner, and the department has many holiday events planned. Counters
have been installed in some parks, and Carrollwood Village alone has seen 9,000
vehicles. Finally, Danielle, one of our Paralympic athletes, will be competing in Thailand.
Friends of the County Parks is funding a portion of her trip, but she is still seeking
sponsors.

VII.
ADJOURNMENT
a. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:03 p.m.










Respectfully submitted,
Alison Hughes, Acting Parks Board Secretary