Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting - March 9, 2023

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, March 9th, 2023, in the Westshore Room

PRESENT: Directors Damian Kowalewich, Leslie Anderson, Shelly Donaldson, Kimberly Guiry, and Dean Janzten

ABSENT: N/A

STAFF PRESENT:

• Grant Brown, administrator
• Ron Dietrich, manager of operations
• Geoff Welham, manager of recreation
• Wei Wu, manager of finance and administration
• April Luchinski, manager of human resources
• Chantelle Bremner, recorder

STAFF ABSENT: N/A

PUBLIC PRESENT: N/A

CALL TO ORDER

1. The chair called the meeting to order at 5:33pm.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

2. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS DONALDSON AND ANDERSON THAT THE AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

3. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND DONALDSON THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 9TH, 2023, BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NO ERRORS, NO OMMISIONS. CARRIED

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

4. N/A

CHAIR’S REMARKS

5. N/A

STANDING COMMITTEES

6. N/A

OLD BUSINESS

7. N/A

NEW BUSINESS

8. a) Parks department presentation

Bryan Wood presented a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the following:

• Team is comprised of the parks supervisor, assistant greenskeeper, mechanic, irrigation tech, horticulturist, F/T parks worker, two P/T parks workers, and two summer attendants.
• Facilities include:
  • Grass fields
  • Baseball diamonds
  • Lawn bowls *four bowls – one of the only ones in Canada like it
  • Velodrome/turf
  • Lacrosse box
  • Tennis courts/pickleball courts
  • Beach Volleyball Courts
  • Basketball Courts
  • Play parks
  • Cenotaph
  • Jogging trail *converted from chip trail to gravel 10 years ago – usage increased since then
  • 9-hole golf course
    • Lights available for most outdoor spaces
    • All spaces can be multipurposed i.e. child soccer on lawn bowls
• Assets – 120 pieces of equipment - $3.2 million dollars in value
  • Sprayer – new equipment cuts the spraying time of the fields to 6 hours
  • Mower
  • Backhoe
  • Asphalt cutter and rough cutter
  • Snow removal equipment – 1.5 km of sidewalks to blow
  • Lights controlled by manual controls or electrical panels
  • Generators
  • Irrigation pipe
  • Satellite controls the sprinkler heads
  • Blow irrigation out in winter
  • Maintain water pipes
  • Drain lines
  • Sewer system
  • Flora and Fauna
  • Bat boxes
  • Bluebird boxes
  • Mason bee boxes
• Capital 2023
  • Looking at resurfacing the tennis courts
  • Replacing a variable speed motor

The board discussed showcasing the flora and fauna to the public through social media and commended parks on their manicured gardens.

PARKS STAFF LEFT THE MEETING AT 6:01PM.

b) Major User Group Statistics

Grant Brown commented on the following:

• Usage stats provided by both hours and revenue
  • The highest user groups based on hours:
    • Drop-in users
    • JDF Soccer
• Improving and customizing our reports to provide better reporting

c) Tennis Club of Canada Proposal

Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

WSPR approached by the Tennis Club of Canada to consider the addition of a bubble during winter months. The following items were noted:

• Operate air structured tents in the East – looking to expand to the West and considered WSPR due to its growing community and that the current courts are outside.
• Would turn the courts from a 7–8-month facility into a 12-month facility.
• The Tennis Club of Canada would be responsible for all costs associated while the bubble was up including setup and tear down, storage onsite or offsite, programming, and operations. WSPR would be responsible for ensuring that electricity hook-ups would be made available.
• Program revenue split potential and possible remediation of courts by the club.
• The bubble can be made longer should the outline of the current courts change or other facilities needing coverage be added.
• The life of the courts will be extended by covering them during the winter months.
• Great reviews of the club and the bubble given by a current user in Ontario.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS JANTZEN AND GUIRY THAT THE WSPRS STAFF PURSUE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE TENNIS CLUB OF CANADA FURTHER. CARRIED

d) BC Growing Communities Fund

Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

WSPR wanted to provide options within the recreation industry that could benefit from a portion of the funding being received by each municipality.

• The addition of outdoor pickleball courts
• Upgrades to the pool
• Twinning the arena

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT WSPRS STAFF PROVIDE THEIR TOP PICK, GIVING ALL 5 MUNICIPALITIES A UNIFIED ASK WHEN APPROACHING COUNCILS. CARRIED

FOR INFORMATION

9. a) Skatepark update

Geoff Welham, manager of recreation, commented on the following:

• The project is behind by two weeks due to the loss of two concrete shapers, but the construction team is working hard to complete the project by March 31st.
• The grand opening is scheduled for late May.
• All finances for the project will be completed by March 31st which is the timeline provided by the federal government.
• A washroom in the bottom of the Fieldhouse will be made public for the skaters.
• An RFP for programming for the skatepark has been posted.

The board and staff discussed when the skatepark would be made available to the public and it was concluded that after curing of the concrete has been completed giving a tentative timing of the end of April.

b) Administrator’s report

Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

Administration/Human Resources

The skatepark project is now moving into the installation of the forms and first concrete pours. The three sections of the park are becoming recognizable. Three teams from NewLine Skateparks are onsite to assist with keeping the project on track.

Currently 5 procurement competitions are in progress. A Request for Expressions of Interest was held to short list vendors for the offering of sport programs. Four potential vendors were selected and have been invited to a closed Request for Proposal (RFP) process which closes March 8th. Three additional RFPs have been posted to BCBid, one seeking a consultant to review and cost potential pickleball court sites on Society property, a second seeking a vendor to operate out of the old Café space and an invitation seeking a vendor to provide catering services for onsite rentals, making use of the Fieldhouse kitchen. Lastly, an Invitation to Quote has been posted for the pool and fitness area roof replacement work.

The finance team has continued working on the 2022 year-end. KPMG will be onsite the week of March 6th to conduct the annual audit and working with staff to finalize the 2022 financial statements by March 31st. KPMG staff will present the audit finding report and financial statements at the April board meeting.

The human resources manager conducted a training session with twelve supervisors on the Society’s Recover at Work program. Key points of the program as well as the steps to take from the time a staff member is injured to fully recovered were addressed. Job descriptions are being developed for a few new roles in human resources and reception to increase operational support. Furthermore, all open labour relation items have been addressed and are awaiting union response.

Operations

Maintenance

February saw safety work addressed as the annual fire safety equipment inspection was completed and the wind flags at both arenas were replaced as the old ones were ripped. Exterior receptacles have been inventoried and are being disconnected or covered to discourage campers from using our power onsite. The pool alarm panel had a new antenna installed to repair an ongoing communication issue.

Yearly maintenance continues as staff moved into the Fieldhouse for its annual shut down. To reduce costs on the skatepark project and to meet the funding responsibilities, the lower Fieldhouse washrooms were shut down for updates as the floor, walls and counters received upgrades, with the work done by staff. Prep work has started for the pool shut down. There are some large items that will be addressed during the 3 weeks, including the installation of a climbing wall, removal of the diving board and a filter change to the leisure pool. Compressor #1 in the JDF Arena compressor room was rebuilt and the JDF 55+ Centre deck now has a new roof with new flashing all around.

A few pieces of equipment broke down and required immediate attention including heat pump 2 at the Library which had a frozen coil due to a small leak (this was repaired and recharged), heat pump 6 and heat pump 4 at the library had their economizers calibrated for correct operation to provide adequate fresh air and cooling in the mechanical service area, the thermometer for the JDF plant compressor cooling pump and the return brine were replaced with digital units, the pool reception entrance pot lights were repaired as they had a dead short in the conductor, the exterior lights around the pool failed due to a dead short underground, a tech cable was installed to bypass the short and get the lights working again, and finally the Upper Clubhouse had its wheelchair ramp rebuilt due to rot.

The process of filling maintenance positions that started in 2021 is almost at an end. Two important positions, including a new refrigeration operator, have now been filled and only one vacant position remains.

Parks

Parks is gearing up for spring as seasonal staff return and fertilizing greens, top dressing, and over seeding starts. Fields continue to be deep tined for the month and will be done again in the coming weeks, which helps with recovery and drainage. Our horticulturalist has started to plant trees along the JDF Arena and the library.

The lawn bowl project has restarted as the crew completes the replacement of the retaining wood (plinth and back boards) that encompasses the pitches. Project work also started on the ball diamond fencing and infield to meet the needs of Triangle Little League. Our irrigation specialist has installed the new main line irrigation to the skate park in preparation for landscaping around the skate park. Staff will be doing this work to reduce project costs and enhance the design. One of the three pump motors for the irrigation system has been removed and is being rebuilt, work is also being done on the Variable Fan Drive computers that control the speed of the motors.

The Parks mechanic is fixing a couple of issues that have come up on fleet vehicles including the replacement of the cylinder head on the Zamboni, suspension on a golf cart and some body damage on one of the buses.

The Parks Supervisor attended the Western Turfgrass Association conference. Dr. John Sorchan from the University of Tennessee is the NFLPA director of player safety, and he is one of the researchers that will be consulting on all the FIFA World Cup stadiums for World Cup 2026. He talked about how most difficulties in the industry can be overcome by a solid peer group that you can bounce ideas off. Another good presentation was Dr. Clint Mattox from the USDA who talked about the use evolution of herbicides and where the industry is going. New technology was displayed by companies that are using lasers guided by AI to kill weeds.

Programs

Community Recreation

In January, the Afterschool Care program welcomed 9 new children from John Stubbs, Ruth King, David Cameron and Savory schools. In February, the Afterschool Care program welcomed 5 new children from John Stubbs, Eagle View and Wishart Schools. Registration for the Afterschool Care Program for September 2023-June 2024 begins on Wednesday March 1st running until Sunday, March 12th for current families, siblings, and current day-care or preschool families. New family’s registration will start on April 19th. Our Afterschool Care program can accommodate up to 140 children and we service 8 different schools in the Westshore community. We are anticipating a lot of applications again this year.

The Youth night’s popularity continues with an average of 93 youth attending the Friday night activities. As well, the new youth registered programs such as fitness, pickleball and dodgeball are running this season, with the dodgeball program at full capacity. The youth programmer attended the regional Middle Years Youth Strategy Planning session with the Village Initiative. The focus was on the development of a comprehensive, multi-year prevention and early intervention strategy for middle years youth (10-16 yrs). Collaboration is key to this work. The Village Initiative is a network of more than 40 community service organizations, including the Sooke School District, Island Health, WSPR and United Way South Vancouver Island

In February, we hosted 35 kindergarten students for an Aspiring Artists pottery field trip. All children created a fish dish out of clay that will be fired in our kilns and delivered to the school in a few weeks. Art-focused birthday parties continue to have strong interest at Centennial Centre, 5 were scheduled in January and February and another 5 are booked in March. The pottery studio currently has 75 members registered in drop-in pottery and Open Studio time. Currently, the pottery studio is full and will not be welcoming any new members until May 2023.

French programming restarted in the day-care and preschool programs. A new instructor, Madame Estelle, from the Société Francophone de Victoria visits each program for 30 minutes, every other week to provide songs, games and activities in French. This is thanks to a $7,500 grant from the Province of BC, Francophone Affairs Program. Preschool registration for the 2023/24 school year was available online for the first time this year. Registration took place on February 21st, with current 2022/23 families given priority registration. New families are able to register commencing March 6th. One third of the sports available were filled on day one of registration.

Fitness and Weights

The fitness department continues to see a large, sustained surge in attendance in both the weightroom and in group fitness classes. Average weightroom attendance during peak times has reached 87 participants at a time.

Aquafit classes also continue to grow with record high attendance peaking at 67 participants in the regular Shallow Fit class.

The demand for youth weightroom orientations has increased along with growing numbers of youth weightroom users. The Regional Youth Weightroom Orientation is designed for youth ages 13-15 years of age and provides an introduction on how to use the equipment safely along with exercise guidelines and etiquette. The orientation is recognized at participating regional recreation centres including Esquimalt Recreation Centre, City of Victoria’s Crystal Pool, Saanich’s three Recreation Centres, WSPRS’ Juan de Fuca Recreation, Oak Bay Recreation Centre, Panorama Recreation Centre and SEAPARC.

The fitness & weights department hosted a staff in-service on Thursday, February 16th to provide staff updates and training followed by an educational session on the new Olympic Lifting platform. Guest presenter, Chris Hinton, Performance Coordinator at the Pacific Institute for Sport Education demonstrated proper lifting technique, cueing, spotting, and safety while using the platform. The session was well received and appreciated by staff.

Aquatics

On Family Day (February 20th), WSPR hosted a successful free swim (first time in 4 years), with participation numbers hovering around 200 swimmers. Staff welcomed 3 new aquatic staff, and hope to hire more by the end of February. Swimming lessons are about half-way through the current lesson set and staff are now focusing on communicating results with parents and creating end of season evaluation material.

Spring break schedules are being finalized, which will focus on Swim Club rentals and public swims. Staff are also starting to prepare for the upcoming 3-week pool maintenance closure running April 3rd to 23rd.

Arena, Events and Golf

The golf course ended with 1,502 rounds in January which was the 7th best January since 1999. February has started with 757 rounds in the first 15 days of the month.

Grizzlies’ fans were treated to a fantastic hockey game on February 4th vs the Penticton Vees. Over 800 people attended. The Grizzlies beat the best Junior A team in the country in a shootout. Penticton had only lost 3 times all season coming into that game. The Wolves and Grizzlies have planned their spring Identification camps for April. Minor hockey has started playoffs and Juan de Fuca U15 Tier 1 and U18 Tier 1 have advanced to Island finals.

The skating staff are halfway through this lesson set and are busy now with planned spring break programs. Program and bookings staff started birthday parties in January with 2 options. One being a straight rental of space and the second being a rental with a host. Both have been very popular to start the new year.

The spring and summer rental request deadline has closed. Staff are excited with the number of requests that have come in.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The JDF Seniors Association has reached a membership of 1,044 members.

A grant funding request through the CPRA for a maximum of $14,000 has been submitted to support a youth employment experience program. WSPR has been successful twice with this funding in 2021 and 2022. This position incorporates a large customer service component which assists people using WSPR programs and services. Youth in this employment experience will be familiarized and have meaningful interactions with the following sectors:

• sport and community user groups
• arts and culture events and programming
• community partners such as School District 62, Island Health, Indigenous communities, ethnocultural and equity seeking groups and youth service providers
• interactions with specialists in skateboarding, sport and fitness
• opportunities to collaborate with their peers
• onsite partners such as the JDF 55+ Centre, WildPlay and the Greater Victoria Library

WSPR staff participated in a BCRPA Strategic Snapshot session on EDI. Three speakers from equity seeking groups presented their experiences in the community and how recreation supports their communities. These examples provided valuable insight through their lived perspective as well as examples of what can be done in this community.

• Grant Brown, administrator verbally added to the report:
  • Grant for $27,000 received from Fortis for energy study which will enable reheat claim opportunities for the pool.
  • An AEW Wrestling event may occur during late summer/early fall.
  • Next round of registration is on April 5th for general courses, April 12th for preschool aquatics and April 13th for school age and adult aquatics.
  • Heavy usage within the fitness gym continues.
  • RFPs currently posted for café operation and preferred catering services and an ITQ for the replacement of the pool roof.

IN CAMERA

10. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT THE MEETING MOVE IN CAMERA. CARRIED

THAT there is a need to have a meeting closed to the public and persons other than the West Shore Parks & Recreation Board of Directors, and staff and those identified under section 1. (2)(b) negotiations between West Shore Parks & Recreation and a third party.

WSPRS STAFF (GEOFF WELHAM, RON DIETRICH, WEI WU AND APRIL LUNCHINSKI) LEFT THE MEETING AT 6:39PM.

ADJOURNMENT

11. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND GUIRY THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED AT 7:17PM. CARRIED