10/11/2004 - Minutes Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Monday October 11, 2004
7:00 p.m.
Tigard Water Building
Members Present: Shelley Richards, Kathy Meads, Scott Bernhard, Michael
Freudenthal and Jason Ashley
Members Absent: Carl Switzer, Barry Albertson, David Baumgarten, Ethan
Brown, Darrin Marks
Staff: Dan Plaza, Steve Martin, Twila Willson, Barbara Shields
Visitors: Norm Penner and Joan Patterson (Friends of the Tualatin
River National Wildlife Refuge)
1. Roll Call
Shelley Richards called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Kathy Meads (Planning
Commission Representative) introduced herself to the Board.
2. Approval of Minutes — September 13, 2004
Michael Freudenthal motioned to accept the minutes, Scott Bernhard seconded the
motion, and the vote was unanimous to accept the September 13, 2004, minutes.
3. Comments from the audience
Barbara Shields from Long Range Planning introduced visitors Norm Penner and Joan
Patterson who were representing Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.
Mr. Penner proceeded to familiarize the Board with information about the Wildlife
Refuge, which, in part, is included as follows:
Refuge is currently closed to the public; hopefully it will open next summer
Trails will be built, observation sites, natural blind points, restrooms
Visitor's Center will come later
Property owned by federal government
Refuge currently is approx.1280 acres
Refuge originated in 1800's when 12 acres were donated - additional property
has been bought up over time
Their organization removes barbed wire and any other buildings on the site —
returning it to the original conditions before the white man settled the area
Wildlife refuge system basically provides a protected area for wildlife, but also
includes deer, elk, fowl, etc.
No vehicular traffic permitted
Ideal area for fowl to settle during migration
Uplands and lowland wetlands exist; ponds are seasonal, water in wet months
and dry out producing natural plants from the area
Projected visitor patterns anticipate 250,000 visitors per year
Parks&Recreation Advisory Board -1 - October 11,2004
Representatives of the Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge will go to
Washington DC in February 2005 to advocate for the refuge and would like to add
Tigard to the other agencies that partner with them such as Duck's Unlimited, Audubon
Society, Tualatin River Keepers, Cities of Sherwood and Tualatin.
4. Discuss Parks and Recreation Assessment Survey
The board members discussed the survey, including the fact that a good majority were in
favor of a skate park. The Board suggested looking into property acquisitions with Metro
and perhaps forming an Intergovernmental Agreement with the school board to acquire
property through a trade-off of services, such as mowing Fowler.
The Board further discussed taking the survey results to the public to educate them and
possibly get more input in another survey. They want to create several 10-minute
presentations to present to PTAs, Rotary clubs, Chamber of Commerce organizations,
etc. They would select several aspects to present the information and develop multiple
presentations to use in varying combinations with different groups.
The board members wanted to meet between now and November to set a date to begin
work on subject recommendations, presentations, handouts, and visual displays. Dan
Plaza would contact everyone for their availability for a meeting date for the workshop.
They would also identify the groups they wanted to target. Dan Plaza would also work on
board member's availability to make presentations.
5. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
NOTE: Shelley Richards will be absent in November.
Parks&Recreation Advisory Board -2- October 11,2004