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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-07-15 Agenda NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS & GARDENS 896 Airlie Road · Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 798-7620 · (910) 798-7621 FAX · www.nhcgov.com PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD AGENDA July 15, 2025 5:30 P.M. Airlie Cottage 896 Airlie Road 1. Call to Order Dana Lingenfelser 2. Approval of May Minutes Dana Lingenfelser 3. Financial Report Sean Olds 4. Staff Report Tanya Gurganious 5. Old Business/New Business 6. Adjournment Next meeting: September 15, 2025 NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 2 REGULAR MEETING MAY 20, 2025 ASSEMBLY The Parks Conservancy Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 3:00 pm. The meeting was a parks tour meeting that took place off site. Staff toured the parks in the northern section of the county. Present: Wood Flynn, Dave Ellegood, Walter Whaley, Dana Lingenfelser, LeAnne Pierce, and Mark Ihnat Excused: Nivine Richie, Sean Olds, Hillary Stevens, Monty Hobbs, Cassidy Santaguida, and Rex Burford Staff: Janine Powell and Latashia Smith WELCOME AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES Dana Lingenfelser welcomed everyone in attendance and called the meeting to order. She asked if everyone had a chance to review the minutes and asked if there were any changes. Hearing none, the following motion was made: MOTION: Rex Burford MOVED; Wood Flynn SECONDED, to approve the March minutes. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Financial Report. Received $200 for Plant an Azalea. Food Truck Rodeo payments were received. Will have a breakdown of the amount received from Food Truck Rodeo. Staff Report. Janine provided a summary of survey feedback from the recent Food Truck Rodeo. Key takeaways included the need for a stronger social media presence to increase community awareness. She noted that for the next event, staff will designate individuals to manage and enhance online outreach efforts. Another suggestion from the survey was to group food trucks offering similar types of cuisine closer together to improve visitor experience. Additionally, a few vendors expressed concerns about their assigned locations, particularly those situated in the parking lot. Wood Flynn inquired about the possibility of charging an entrance fee as a means to generate additional revenue for the board. Janine explained that adding an entry fee, in addition to the cost of food, could make the event cost-prohibitive for attendees. She also noted that a previous proposal to sell tickets for food samples was not supported by the food truck vendors, who preferred to manage their own direct sales. There was also discussion around introducing a new fundraising event, such as a gala. Janine shared that while this idea had been considered, the cost of hosting such an event would be high, and several nonprofits in the area already offer similar events. The original intent of the Food Truck Rodeo was to create a unique, no-cost community event that encouraged visitation to County parks. Staff will conduct a follow-up analysis to determine if any adjustments should be made to future events. NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARKS CONSERVANCY BOARD PAGE 3 REGULAR MEETING MAY 20, 2025 Janine informed the Board that the Parks Department is working to acquire a software program called Placer, which uses data from mapping applications to estimate park usage. The software has been vetted by the County's IT department. A pre-application has been submitted for the Trails End bulkhead replacement project. It was proposed that, as part of the replacement process, a dedicated kayak launch be installed to enhance recreational access. She also noted that Trash Mob, the community trash pickup initiative, occurs quarterly and invited Board members to participate as volunteers. Staff is currently in the acquisition phase for an easement to support the development of a multipurpose trail and sidewalk that will connect the Northchase area to the new library. Mark suggested exploring ways to expand the Plant an Azalea program to increase revenue. Old Business/New Business: The Board engaged in a brief discussion regarding the possibility of adding pickleball lines to the existing tennis courts at Ogden Park. Due to the high demand for the courts by both organized tennis programs and the general public, it was determined that accommodating pickleball at this location is not feasible. It was noted that Northern Regional Park currently offers six dedicated pickleball courts. In response to community interest, Leanne suggested exploring the option of allowing citizens to make targeted donations specifically in support of future pickleball amenities. ADJOURNMENT Since there was no further business there was a motion to adjourn. MOTION: Susanne Werner MOVED; Dave Ellegood SECONDED. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 3:55 pm. Next meeting: July 15, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Latashia Smith -Please note that the above minutes are not a verbat:im record of the New Hanover County Parks Conservancy Board meeting.