The council chamber was full and busy last night as the regularly scheduled White Settlement City Council meeting was followed by a joint meeting between the council and the EDC. The major issue being discussed was Central Park. EDC Director Jim Ryan introduced Mike Spencer of Heartland Park and Recreation. Members of the council first engaged Spencer while at a conference in Houston, and Spencer and Heartland have since met with city staff and spent time working on a proposal for Central Park. 
As part of a program known as Tips/Taps, something the council voted to join at a previous meeting, Heartland is able to save cities like White Settlement money. This is in part because it allows the city to engage directly with a company like Heartland without having to first do expensive engineer designs. “We’re really excited about what we can propose to you guys today,” Spencer told the council. Spencer went through an in-depth presentation over a drawing he had done with the proposed changes to Central Park.
“You’re going to get more bang for your buck working with us,” Spencer said. “This doesn’t mean we’re not going to use engineers; we’re going to use engineers where we need engineers. We’re park design people, we understand parks.”
Heartland’s proposal included four baseball fields which would back up to one another and a large concession and restroom facility between them. In order to accommodate the four fields, George Street would need to be shifted to the North. That would do away with the longstanding city maintenance building as well as the sand volleyball court.
There would be a focus on Gibbs as the main entrance to the park. Several new parking lots would be arranged within the park, as well as a street that would connect both sides of the park together. A trio of softball fields would be built near the location of the current softball field, with restroom facilities in that area. The current t-ball and other small field near it would be redone. All fields would include mesh backstops instead of chain link.
The proposal calls for nearly ten thousand linear feet of a fitness trail. This trail would snake throughout the park and would include a fitness station rest stop that included outdoor fitness equipment.
A new soccer/football field would be put in near the Gene Hatcher pavilion, with plans for a second in that same area possible. As for landscaping, Spencer mentioned bringing in one hundred trees and over seven hundred shrubs.
Wooden lighting poles would all be gone, but Spencer indicated a desire to recycle and reuse as many materials as possible, saying that current light fixtures could be repurposed to light parking areas.
Responding to the concerns of one EDC member that the scope of the project was rather large, Spencer acknowledged that this was the dream list.
“This is the full monty, this is the whole ball of wax,” Spencer said.
Spencer commented that this was a work in progress and voiced his desire to have more meetings and get more input moving forward to get the proposal to a place that made everyone happy.
“We’re in the talking stage,” Jim Ryan agreed, responding to the same concern.
As it currently stands, the price for this project is $2.16 million. That doesn’t include field lighting, parking lot lighting, trail lighting or electrical to those features, as Heartland is still working with Oncor on those issues. Spencer estimated that cost to range anywhere from $400,000 to $1 million, bringing the total project cost up to the $3 million range.
Another concern mentioned was the lack of any plans to improve the existing football field or the restroom area at that field. Spencer indicated that it was something that could be looked at.
The project was said to be doable over a four month period, meaning if positioned and phased correctly it could be done between youth baseball seasons.
“I’m excited about what y’all presented us,” Councilmember Mike Arnold said.
Councilmember Elzie Clements participated in meetings with Heartland earlier in the day, and he voiced his appreciation to them and their staff for the work they have done and are doing for White Settlement.
As the presentation concluded, EDC passed a motion to “engage Heartland to continue working with staff for upgrades and master plan for Central Park.”
The EDC also passed a motion to allow staff to move forward with needed repairs at Central Park so the upcoming youth baseball season could happen. It was said that with their participation in this process, Heartland will be saving the city money on these repairs.
SMOKING BAN POSTPONED
At the request of City Attorney Warren Spencer, the proposed smoking ban ordinance was tabled until the next meeting. This is so he can continue to work on it.
BUDGET TRANSFER APPROVED
Two budget transfer items were also discussed at the meeting, the first brought up by Clements. He stated that he had been approached by Helen Warner and informed that there was a budget line item for the Community Chest but that this year there was no money allotted for that item. Clements said that in past years there was usually $1,000 to $1,500 set aside for Community Chest.
“We didn’t get the budget in time,” City Manager Linda Ryan explained. “She did not submit a budget, that’s why it’s not in there.”
Ryan did give council a plan to see to it that the Community Chest gets funded for the year.
“What we will do is as the money gets expensed out, we’ll have receipts for what she needs,” Ryan said.
Ryan suggested moving $1,000 to this line item to cover those expenses. The council passed the $1,000 budget transfer by a vote of 4 to 1, with Arnold voting against.
There was another budget transfer discussed, this one for $50,000 from the city’s oil and gas money to cover ongoing remodeling to City Hall. Visitors to City Hall have seen these changes, with security glass added around the reception area, as well as a secure door added that leads deeper into the building.
Some of this work was paid for out of the prior year budget, but there are still upgrades and remodels going on that need to be paid for. Ryan indicated that there was also a need to cover the outdoor employee smoking area and mentioned possibly covering the parking area on the side of the building where the council members park.
Clements voiced his opposition to the covered parking, and it was decided that the council would consider that item at a later time. They then unanimously approved the $50,000 budget transfer.
INSPECTION ORDINANCE APPROVED
Council passed a motion 4 – 1 to approve a new ordinance that would see buildings and homes require a checklist inspection be done on them anytime they become vacant. If severe safety hazards are found, no one else will be allowed to move into that building until it is fixed. If only minor issues are discovered, they will be allowed to move in and the owner will have a window of time in which to fix the issues.
Councilmember Garry Wilson voted against this motion.
