City Council Study Session Summary 2011 11 22

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City Council Study Session Summary November 22, 2011 Page 2 of 5 The consultants reported that residents have access to all amenities, access to open space and a huge network of trails. The City is blessed with a trail network that is the best in the area and well connected. Council Member Sackett suggested a new trail be added on the ridgeline through the jointly owned Warembourg property. Everyone agreed the views are fantastic from that location, however, since the jointly owned open space is categorized agricultural it is not open to the public, but the idea is an excellent one and there may be an opportunity to explore in the future. In summary, the consultants reported the City provides a high level of service, but the City infrastructure is aging and recommends improvements to existing amenities such as the Recreation and Senior Center which is currently at peak capacity and irrigation systems in parks which are deteriorating rapidly. All Parks and Recreation amenities were scored and some amenities that were below expectation are open space issues, multi - purpose fields, and playgrounds. 83% of the system scored as meeting expectations and those amenities scoring as exceed expectations were open space habitats /vegetation, ball field complex and tennis facility at the Recreation Center. Park, Open Space and Trails Improvement Recommendations identified a need to enhance the trail user experience through improved way finding which essentially is figuring out where you are on a trail and how do you get where you want to go. The findings also recommended the City continue to provide connections from Louisville trails to regional trails and neighboring cities. The portion of the consultant's presentation that received the most attention was the discussion of the City's multi - purpose field and the GRASP® Index which is a measure of the service provided when quality and quantity are combined. One field located at Annette Brand Park and one at Community Park scored a "2" for quality, however, nine fields in the City scored a "1" because they are in poor condition or are shared with a ball diamond outfield. Council members and staff had many questions related to the GRASP® Index scoring and asked for clarification on the system. After a lengthy discussion with the consultants, Council and staff determined that one way to improve the rating system for these nine fields was to have new fields built. Other improvement options exist, such as re- purposing existing fields, however this could negatively impact the original use of the field. These types of weighted decisions will be common as improvements to the system are implemented. It was noted that Steel Ranch is not included in the maps that have been created through the master plan process. City staff will be able to update these maps internally after the master plan project is complete as they will have the map files to make any future edits.