Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee

Prospect Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee 

Meeting Minutes

April 10, 2023, 5:00 pm

Members Present:  Ron Cundiff, Carolyn Embry, John Evans, Doug Farnsley, Lynn Granger, David Holmes, Linda Wardell

Members Absent:  Tina Beavin, Stuart Miles, Sallie Schneider

Others Present: Don Gibson, Chris Gorman, Herb Shulhafer, Lee Tucci

The meeting was called to order at 5 pm.

• Minutes from the March 15^th meeting were approved as written.
•  Mayor’s Update:  Mayor Farnsley reported that the work in Little Hunting Creek Park continues.  The rubber playground surface will be poured later this week and the walkway from the pavilion to Fox Harbor Drive is in progress.
• Parks Update:
  • Little Hunting Creek Park Pavilion—Repair of damage to the roof has begun.
  • Little Hunting Creek Park Playground—The playground will be opened after the rubber surface is installed and the walkway construction is complete.
  • Little Hunting Creek Park Landscape—Landscape will be installed after other construction is complete.
  • Harrods Creek Bridge Project—There will be a pre-bid meeting with contractors who previously bid on the project.  We are inviting them to explore ways to reduce the construction cost and re-bid the project.  New bids will be due at the end of business on May 12.
  • Parks Programs
    • The first wildflower walk was attended by 35 community members.  Carolyn reported that it was a beautiful day, and everyone in the park seemed happy.  The second walk will take place on Sunday, April 16 at 1 pm.
    • John Evans reported that in addition to the Shakespeare in the Parks production of Hamlet on April 30^th, additional programs have been arranged.  The Oldham County Band will perform in June, the “Most Wanted Band” in August, and the “Sherryl Rouse Band” in September.  The July 4^th celebration in Cowley Park will once again feature a swing band.
  • Trail Improvement Projects
    • Lynn Granger will work with the scouts to set a date for repairing the path between the parking circle and the woodland trailhead in Putney Pond & Woodlands
    • Ron has requested a quote from Earthbound Landscaping to install stone steps at the far side of the first bridge on the Putney Pond & Woodlands trail.  The trail is too steep to be sustainable, and there is not enough room to create a switchback.
    • Ron presented a diagram of the Putney Pond & Woodlands trails with locations for new signage in the park.  To avoid confusion with the color named trails in Harrods Creek Park, he suggested that the trail be given word names.  The committee approved names for each trail.

• Invasive Plant Removal—Linda reported that there is a new invasive plant of concern in both Putney Pond & Woodlands and in Harrods Creek Park.  Lesser celandine, also known as fig buttercup, has been present for several years in the marshy areas along Little Hunting Creek Park.  This year, however, it has been spreading into the woodland trails of both parks.  This plant cannot be easily uprooted because the roots are shallow, and the plant produces many tubers.  The plant can spread from the tubers, seeds, or from pieces of the plant broken off during heavy rain events or flooding which travel downstream and re-establish.  We cannot eliminate it in the marshy areas, but spraying with herbicides in late January-early March can be effective to keep it from the woodland trails.  We have already talked with our environmental contractor to schedule a few days for this purpose early next year.

• The Parks & Recreation budget request will be submitted by the end of the week.  A draft budget was previously sent to committee members.

• Scout Update—There are no Eagle Projects currently in the planning stages.  It is hoped that one of the next projects will be an information kiosk in Little Hunting Creek Park near the pavilion and playground.

• The meeting was adjourned at 6pm.  The next committee meeting will take place on Monday May 8, at 5 PM in the Prospect Library of City Hall.