[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, IT'S UH, FIVE THIRTY ONE.
I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UM, JUST TO DO A ROLL CALL.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, A QUORUM OF THE BOARD PRESENT AND WE'RE DISMISSING, UM, COMMISSIONER BEACH.
AND WE'LL START OFF WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE I TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[4. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES]
ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO DO APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES, UM, FROM FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026.THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED IN THE AGENDA PACKET PRIOR TO THE MEETING FOR YOUR REVIEW.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? OKAY.
UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ANYBODY? I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I WAS HERE.
YEAH, I, I I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN FROM FEBRUARY 10TH, 26TH.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, JOHN.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER KLEIN AND SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER NORTON, THAT WE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN FROM THE FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026 RECREATION BOARD MEETING.
I'LL NOW CALL FOR A VOTE AND IF YOU DIDN'T ATTEND, JUST HIT ABSTAIN I GUESS.
I THINK I DID GET ME ON THE GREEN ONE.
YEAH, IT SHOULD BE, NO, I THINK YOU PRESS IT HERE.
[a. AYBA Presentation
Presentation given to the Recreation Board from the AYBA.]
I, UH, JUST CALLED THIS MORNING TO, UH, SHOW OUTTA TOWN.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME.
WAIT A MINUTE, WE LOST OUR SCREENS.
YEAH, I WAS CHARGING YOU WHAT YOU NOW WE THANK YOU.
EVERYBODY SEE THE SCREEN? YEP.
SO, LIKE I SAID, I'VE UH, BEEN AT A YBA, MY SON'S BEEN THERE PROBABLY FOR FIVE YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, I JOINED THE BOARD LAST YEAR.
I JUST JUST BECAME THIS PAST SEASON IN CHARGE OF REC BALL.
SO I'M RIGHT BELOW, I'M VICE PRESIDENT RIGHT BELOW MATT PRINGLE AS PRESIDENT.
SO, UM, HE WANTED ME TO COME HERE AND SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAD AND SOME UPDATES OF WHAT WE HAVE COMING UP.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST YOUTH BASEBALL ORGANIZATIONS IN NORTH METRO ATLANTA.
WE'RE SERVING OVER 1,468 PLAYERS.
THAT'S ACROSS RECREATIONAL AND TRAVEL PROGRAMS. WE ARE VOLUNTEER DRIVEN, ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON DEVELOPMENT, SPORTSMANSHIP AND COMMUNITY.
WE DO LIKE TO WIN, BUT THE MAIN GOAL ARE THOSE THREE THAT WE HAVE A MISSION FOR.
THE PROUD PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF ALPHARETTA IN DELIVERING YOUTH ATHLETICS HERE WITHIN THE CITY.
A PARTICIPATION SNAPSHOT THAT WE HAD, WE HAD, LIKE I SAID, 1,468 PLAYERS.
OUT OF THAT, 87% WERE RESIDENTS, 13% WERE NON-RESIDENTS.
AND A YBA CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST UTILIZED YOUTH PROGRAMS AT WILLS PARK AND WEBB BRIDGE.
WE ARE USING BOTH FACILITIES PRETTY MUCH EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK NOW, GOING BY A SEASON.
EVERY SEASON IS DIFFERENT AND IT CHANGES AS WE KEEP GOING.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES THAT STILL DO SUMMER REC BALL, UM, WHICH IS GREAT 'CAUSE WE PULL PEOPLE IN FROM OUT OF THE CITY.
BUT FALL REC IS MORE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT SEASON AND SPRING REC IS OUR MOST COMPETITIVE.
AND THEN SUMMER REC, WE HAVE DECLINED IN SUMMER DUE TO PEOPLE DOING TOURNAMENTS AND TRAVEL BALL INSTEAD OF THE REC BALL.
AND OUR SPRING TRAVEL HAS ACTUALLY GROWN AS OF RIGHT NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE IN 2024.
UM, THERE'S MULTIPLE REASONS FOR THAT THAT I'LL GO THROUGH, BUT WE ARE DROPPING, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ARE DOWN ABOUT 328 KIDS, UM, IN
[00:05:01]
COMPARED TO 2024.THAT IS THROUGHOUT ALL AGE GROUPS.
WHAT THE PARTICIPATION TRENDS TELL US, TRADITIONAL RECREATIONAL PARTICIPATION FACES, REGIONAL PRESSURES, TRAVEL PARTICIPATION CONTINUES TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY.
TRAVEL BALL WHEN I GREW UP WAS A LOT DIFFERENT.
I GREW UP RIGHT, I PLAYED AT WILLS PARK IS A LOT DIFFERENT NOW.
NOW IT'S WHAT WE CALL TOURNAMENT BALL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTY OR IN CITY.
YOU CAN, IF YOU WANNA GO START A TEAM RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR KID, YOU CAN GO START A TEAM.
SO THERE'S NO GUIDELINES REALLY.
SO A LOT OF PARENTS ARE JUST TAKING KIDS AND STARTING THEIR OWN TEAM AND LEAVING REC BALL TO JUST PLAY TOURNAMENTS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR.
A YBA, WE CONTINUE TO SERVE A LARGE BASE OF THE ALPHARETTA FAMILIES.
THE FACILITY AVAILABILITY REMAINS CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING YOUTH SPORTS PARTICIPATION COMPARED TO OTHER PARKS.
WE DO HAVE SOME OF THE BEST FIELDS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF BEING ABLE TO USE THE FIELDS AND MAKE UP PRACTICES, MAKE UP GAMES DUE TO RAIN OUTS.
A LOT OF THE, UM, LOCAL PARKS CLOSE TO US ARE STARTING TO CHANGE AND GO TO TURF FIELDS, WHICH RIGHT NOW WE'RE, IT'S GONNA COME UP IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE ARE GONNA BE TURFING FIELD FIVE.
BUT, UH, OC ROSWELL'S TALKING ABOUT DOING A COUPLE.
HOPEWELL WAS TALKING ABOUT DOING SOME, UM, SHARON SPRINGS, THEY'RE DOING A HUGE DEVELOPMENT AT THEIR PARK RIGHT NOW AND MOST EVERYBODY'S GOING TO TURF SO THEY DON'T HAVE RAIN OUTS.
UM, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WE HAD IN 2025, WE DID THE POLAR PLUNGE AND WE ACTUALLY RAISED $3,000.
WE RAISED IT FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
SO A LOT OF THE SPONSOR, UM, SCHOLARSHIPS THAT WE GIVE, WE GIVE TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN WHO THE PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD.
WE PAY FOR THEIR, UH, ENROLLMENT INTO THE REC LEAGUE, BUT WE ALSO PAY FOR THEIR GLOVE, THEIR BAT, THEIR UNIFORM, EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND WE USUALLY AVERAGE PER SEASON SPRING, SUMMER REC FALL, USUALLY THREE TO FOUR KIDS PER SEASON.
WE'RE PAYING FOR THE STUFF FOR THEM.
THAT WAY AT LEAST THEY CAN JUST BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
THREE A YBA ALL-STAR TEAMS CAPTURED THE BRAVES COUNTRY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
UM, MY SON'S TEAM, THE NINE U, WE WON A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, THE 11 U WON AND ALSO THE 12 U AGE GROUPS.
WE ALL WON AND REPRESENTED ALPHARETTA.
UM, THE BANNER ACROSS OUR CHEST AND WE ALL REPRESENTED VERY WELL EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALPHARETTA HIGH SCHOOL AND THE LOCAL BASEBALL COMMUNITY.
WE DO HAVE FEEDER TEAMS GOING INTO ALFREDA HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO A COUPLE, A COUPLE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS TRYING TO GET FEEDER TEAMS WITH THEM AS WELL.
BUT THROUGHOUT ALL, WE CONTINUE STRONG VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
OUR STRENGTHS OUTSTANDING BASEBALL FACILITIES AT WILLS PARK AND WEBB BRIDGE PARK.
A STRONG REPUTATION THROUGHOUT NORTH METRO BASEBALL DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED COACHING PHILOSOPHY.
WE HAVE A, UH, LOT OF VOLUNTEER DADS AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE YOUTUBE, BUT IT DOESN'T TEACH THE RIGHT THINGS.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE PROFESSIONAL COACHES COME OUT.
SOME FROM THE BRAVES ORGANIZATION, SOME FROM BRAVES COUNTRY, BUT ALSO FROM OUR TRAVEL TEAM THAT WE'RE PARTNER WITH COME OUT AND TEACH OUR COACHES, NOT JUST THE KIDS.
SO MAKE SURE THE KIDS GET QUALITY COACHING FROM THAT AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED COACHING PHILOSOPHY, WHICH I JUST JUST DESCRIBED, ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING SUMMER RECREATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUES IN THE REGION.
DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND COACHES SUPPORTING THE PROGRAM.
AS I SAID, TRAVEL BASEBALL CONTINUES TO ATTRACT PLAYERS AT YOUNGER AGES.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT REALLY ATTRACTS THE KIDS AS MUCH AS IT ATTRACTS THE PARENTS AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO EXPRESS TO THE PARENTS.
JUST 'CAUSE YOU GO DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GONNA BE BETTER FOR THE KID.
AND WE KEEP CONSTANTLY TRYING TO EXPRESS THAT.
WE'VE HAD MANY EX UM, OR RETIRED, I SHOULD SAY MLB PLAYERS COME AND TALK TO OUR PARENTS AND EXPLAIN TO 'EM THE REC SYSTEM IS THE WAY TO GO AND TO STAY IN UNTIL YOUR KID IS THE NUMBER ONE OR TWO PLAYER IN THEIR AGE GROUP.
IT'S BEST TO STAY WITHIN THE REC AND TO GET THAT GROWTH.
UM, COMPETITION FROM OTHER YOUTH SPORTS IS ANOTHER ONE.
SO LACROSSE HAS GOTTEN REALLY BIG.
NEVER REALLY HAD TO COMPETE WITH THAT, BUT A LOT OF KIDS ARE LEAVING BASEBALL TO GO PLAY LACROSSE RIGHT NOW.
UM, MY KID GOES TO VALOR AND, UH, AMBUSH USES OUR FIELDS AND A LOT OF KIDS ARE STARTING TO GO WITH AMBUSH AND OTHER ONES, WHICH WE CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S ALL RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY.
BUT HE IS TAKING SOME AWAY FROM BASEBALL.
UM, THE NON-RESIDENT PARTICIPATION LIMITATIONS FROM SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES.
SO ROSWELL, MILTON, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STAYING RIGHT THERE AT HOPEWELL AND ROSWELL PARK OF COURSE.
AND THE FAMILY'S INCREASINGLY EXPECTING HIGHER LEVELS OF TRAINING AND COMPETITION.
THEY THINK BECAUSE THEY GO TRAVEL, THEY'RE GONNA GET A HIGHER GRADE OF COACHING, LIKE I SAID, OR COMPETITION, UM, WITH THE IRON SHARPENS IRON, WHICH IS TRUE TO A POINT.
BUT, UH, A LOT OF THOSE, YOUR KIDS NOT PLAYING A LOT AND GETTING AS MANY REPS, SO TO SAY AS THEY WOULD BE REALLY FOR US.
[00:10:01]
OUR FAM COMMUNITY AND IN THE SURVEYS WE ASKED CERTAIN THINGS OF WHAT THEY LIKED AND WHAT THEY DISLIKED AND DEGRADED ON THEM ONE THROUGH FIVE SCALE.AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, FAIRNESS, COMMUNICATION, SPORTSMANSHIP AND ENJOYMENT.
SO THOSE ARE THE SCORES ON AVERAGE THAT WE GOT BACK FROM THE, UH, FAMILIES.
NOT EVERYBODY, UM, GAVE A SCORE BACK OR DID THE SURVEY, BUT THE, WE PROBABLY HAD PROBABLY RIGHT AROUND 35% OF THE PEOPLE WHO DID THE SURVEY FOR US IS WHAT THAT IS.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, A YBA FACEBOOK COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 2200 FOLLOWERS.
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW WEBSITE PLATFORM, IMPROVED REGISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION.
COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST AND WE HAVE REVAMPED OUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS USING DIFFERENT PLATFORMS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
STRONG ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN FAMILIES, VOLUNTEERS, AND THETIC COMMUNITY.
WE, UH, ARE CONSTANTLY DOING EVENTS AND DOING THINGS WITHIN THE BASEBALL FAMILIES TO GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND CREATE THAT OLD FAMILY VALUES AND FAMILY COMMUNITY BACK WITHIN FACILITY INVESTMENT PRIORITY.
AS I SAID, WE HAVE A PROPOSED PROJECT RIGHT NOW FOR ARTIFICIAL ARTIFICIAL TURF INSTALLATION ON FIELD FIVE.
FIELD FIVE IS ONE OF OUR WORST FIELDS ABOUT FLOODING.
IT'S THE ONE THAT WE ALL KNOW AUTOMATICALLY JUST GETS IF IT ONE LITTLE SHOWER AND IT'S GONNA BE CANCELED ALL GAMES ON THAT FIELD.
THAT IS THE AGE GROUPS OF SEVEN AND EIGHT YEAR OLDS.
UM, SO EVERY TIME IT RAINS, WE'RE HAVING TO POSTPONE AND WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE UP THOSE GAMES.
SO TURF WOULD BE EXCEPTIONAL TO HAVE ON THERE.
UM, MORGAN'S BEEN WORKING WITH THAT WITH US AS WELL.
IT INCREASES FIELD DURABILITY, CREATES MORE PLAYABLE DAYS DURING WEATHER EVENTS.
ALLOWS MORE GAMES AND PRACTICES TO BE SCHEDULED.
SUPPORTS TOURNAMENT HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES STRENGTHENS ALPHARETTA'S REPUTATION AS A PREMIER YOUTH BASEBALL DESTINATION.
NOW, AS WE SAID IN THE ALL STAR SUCCESS.
OUR NINE U BRAVES COUNTRY BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONS, 11 U 12, YOU THE 12 WHO ACTUALLY WON THE STATE CHAMPION AND THEY WERE THE RUNNER UP IN THE WHOLE SOUTHEAST.
SO, UM, THEY ACTUALLY ALL BUT ONE PLAYER ON THAT TEAM MOVED ONTO OUR FEEDER TEAM FOR ALPHARETTA.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THOSE KIDS STICKING WITH IT.
THE NINE U TEAM, WE LOST TWO PLAYERS OUT OF, UH, 12 THAT WENT TO TRAVEL.
THE OTHER 10 ARE STILL PLAYING ON THE TEAM.
UM, FOR THIS SUMMER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS TO US, IT'S NOT JUST NUMBERS.
A LOT OF OUR TEAMS PLAY IN THE SAME TOURNAMENTS AND IT'S REALLY FUN TO SEE THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE 12 YEAR OLDS WILL BE PLAYING FIRST, SO TO SAY, WHEN THEY GET DONE IN BETWEEN THEIR GAMES BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE TWO, THREE HOURS IN BETWEEN THE GAMES.
THEY'LL COME AND CHEER ON OUR NINE YEAR OLDS.
THEY'LL BE IN THE DUGOUT CHEERING 'EM ON DOING STUFF AFTERWARDS.
OUR NINE YEAR OLDS WILL GO CHEER ON THE 12.
SO EVERYBODY'S CHEERING TOGETHER AND WE'VE HAD MURPHY CANDLER, WE'VE HAD, UM, NORCROSS, WE'VE HAD MANY OTHER PARKS COME TO US AND SAY THEY WISH THEY HAD THE SAME THING.
UM, THE FEELING AND UH, THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE AT WILLS PARK, WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR.
OUR PARTNERSHIP IS WITH GEORGIA BOMBERS.
GEORGIA BOMBERS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, UM, THEY OWN THE GRAND SLAM UP IN UH, JOHNS CREEK.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE IN ALPHARETTA INDOOR FACILITIES FOR BATTING CAGES.
AND THEY, UH, HAVE RUN THEIR GEORGIA BOMBERS TRAVEL TEAM OUT OF THAT.
WE DO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
THEY GIVE US STUFF ON ONE WHERE THEY DO THE TRAINING.
THEY ALSO SUPPLY, BUT WE LET THEM USE OUR FIELDS, SCHEDULE FIELDS FOR PRACTICE AND THEY USE OUR INSURANCE.
THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM.
UM, IT'S CONTINUED COLLABORATION WITH GEORGIA BOMBERS BASEBALL CLUB, SHARED FOCUS ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, DISCIPLINE AND CHARACTER.
AND IT PROVIDES A PATHWAY FOR PLAYERS ADVANCING BEYOND RECRE RECREATIONAL BASEBALL.
SO THOSE COUPLE THAT REALLY DESERVE TO GO TRAVEL, IT KEEPS 'EM IN CITY OF ALPHARETTA INSTEAD OF GOING AND PLAYING TRAVEL BALL WHEREVER THEY JUST FIND SOMEWHERE TO GO IS THE WAY WE LOOK AT IT.
OUR TRAVEL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THIS IS THROUGH THE BOMBERS.
13 PLAYERS WITH COLLEGE COMMITMENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2025, MULTIPLE PERFECT GAME TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS, CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS ACROSS 12 OF YOU THROUGH 17 NEW LEVELS.
CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH ALFREDA HIGH SCHOOL FEEDER PROGRAMS. ONE THING I WANNA BRING UP, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IN TOURNAMENT BALL OR TRAVEL BALL, IT IS CHANGING A LOT.
UM, SIX YEAR OLDS ARE STARTING TRAVEL BALL.
THEY'RE STILL WEARING VELCRO CLEATS, BUT THEY'RE DOING TRAVEL BALL WHERE THEY PRACTICE THREE DAYS A WEEK AND PLAY TWO OR THREE GAMES ON SATURDAY AND TWO GAMES ON SUNDAY.
SO THE DYNAMICS OF BASEBALL IS COMPLETELY CHANGING.
WHERE BEFORE IT USED TO BE YOU HAD TO BE 11 OR 12 BEFORE YOU EVEN STARTED TRAVEL BALL.
SO THE WHOLE PROGRAM OF BASEBALL IS, UH, CHANGING AS WE, AS WE SIT HERE AND AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
BUT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AT A YBA TO KEEP PEOPLE INVOLVED AND KEEP PEOPLE HERE AT CITY AND HERE AT OUR PARKS.
SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL HERE AT THE CITY OF ALPHARETTA.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM FOR MAINTAINING
[00:15:01]
EXCEPTIONAL FACILITIES.Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT MAINTENANCE CREW AT WEB AND AT WILLS.
THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE KIDS.
AND TOGETHER WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE PROVIDING OUTSTANDING YOUTH BASEBALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, LAST I'D LIKE TO SAY BARRY PIKE, JOY CORNA, NATE HAN, RUBY FLYNN, KURT KIRBY, MATT CASEY, CHRISTINE YOUNG AND MORGAN ROGERS ALWAYS HAVE GIVEN US THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
WE ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL.
CAN WE, UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND PRESENTING.
UM, AND YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT TRAVEL BALL IS CUTTING INTO THE LEAGUE PLAY? YOU KNOW, THE BETTER KIDS ARE PLAYING TRAVEL BALL IN MOST CASES AND THE YOUNGER KIDS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT QUITE AS TALENTED SO TO SPEAK? THAT'S CORRECT.
HAS THAT CUT INTO THAT A LOT? AND SECONDLY, JUST AN OPINION BY YOU? ARE THEY, ARE THEY OVERPLAYING THESE KIDS? SO I HAVE NO OPINION ON IT.
FROM SOMEBODY THAT'S WATCHED IT PLAY.
SO I HAVE A, UH, 10-YEAR-OLD SON AND I HAVE A 6-YEAR-OLD SON AND BOTH OF 'EM PLAY SOCCER.
UM, NEITHER ONE 'EM WILL PLAY TRAVEL BALL UNTIL THEY GET OLDER.
UM, AS THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, THEY STILL DIG HOLES IN MY YARD LOOKING FOR GOLD AND DINOSAUR BONES.
THEY'RE LIVING THE WAY KIDS SHOULD LIVE, IN MY OPINION.
UM, THE KIDS WHO DESERVE TO GO THERE WOULD BE HALF THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL TEAMS THAT THERE ARE NOW.
UM, A LOT OF IT'S THE PARENTS JUST LOVE THE TOURNAMENT ENVIRONMENT, LOVE BEING OUT THERE, THE KIDS LIKE IT BECAUSE THEY'RE PLAYING THE WHOLE TIME AND IT'S THE TOURNAMENT.
THEY'RE GETTING RINGS, THEY'RE GETTING ALL THESE COOL THINGS.
UM, SO A LOT OF KIDS ARE PLAYING.
IT SHOULD NOT BE SO TO SAY THEY SHOULD BE THE WRECK, GETTING THE REPS JUST TO GET BETTER, BUT ALSO LEARNING HOW TO BE A, A, A GOOD HUMAN BEING AND GETTING THE OTHER ASPECTS OF LIFE THROUGH BASEBALL.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO BURNING OUT THE KIDS AND USING 'EM TOO MUCH, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I'VE SEEN KIDS AT 10-YEAR-OLD THROWING 108 PITCHES.
UM, THIS PAST SUMMER I SAW TWO KIDS AT 12 YEARS OLD.
ONE KID'S AT 11 ALREADY HAVE TOMMY JOHN'S SURGERY, SO A HUNDRED PERCENT YES SIR.
I SAW A 12-YEAR-OLD STANDING THERE WATCHING AND HE'D FINISHED HIS 140 FOURTH GAME.
FOR A 12-YEAR-OLD, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MUCH, BUT THAT'S MY OPINION, SO NO, NO, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND, AND WE PLAYED, SO OUR TEAM, WE PLAYED A COUPLE OF TRAVEL TEAMS IN THE SUMMER.
WE LIMIT OUR TOURNAMENTS TO FIVE.
DURING THE SUMMER, YOU'RE GUARANTEED THREE GAMES.
SO WE MIGHT PLAY, IF WE WIN A TOURNAMENT, WE MIGHT PLAY END UP PLAYING MAYBE 20 FOR THE WHOLE SUMMER THAT'S THROUGH TWO MONTHS.
UM, WHEREAS OTHER TEAMS, THEY MIGHT PLAY 24 TOURNAMENTS.
AND SO YES, IT, IT'S, IT'S A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE.
BUT I'VE HEARD COACHES SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE OKAY, THERE'S KIDS NOW GETTING TOMMY JOHN SURGERIES AND NOT NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM KNOWING THAT IT'S GONNA COME.
SO JUST GO AHEAD AND GET IT DONE AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH IS UNREAL.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
IT, IT'S AMAZING TO WATCH THE HOW YOU, YOU GUYS SET THAT THING UP AND MAKE IT WORK LIKE CLOCKWORK.
NO, APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU GUYS DO.
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT Y'ALL REMAND.
FIRST TIME, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT BASEBALL IN A WHILE, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A DIZZY DEAN.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DIZZY UH,
THEY WERE LETTING EVERYBODY PLAY IN THE ASSOCIATION WHERE IT USED TO BE SECLUSIVE FOR REC PARKS AND THEY WERE LETTING THE TRAVEL TEAMS COME IN AND PLAY IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING FOR MORE REVENUE AND FOR MORE BENEFITS TO THEM.
SO BRAVES COUNTRY, WHICH IS PART OF THE BRAVES ORGANIZATION, THEY ACTUALLY CAME IN AND SAID, NO TRAVEL TEAMS CAN PLAY IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
IT'S GONNA BE FOR WHAT WE CALL REC BALL OR FOR LOCAL YOUTH PARKS.
AND THEY SAID, IF YOU'RE A TRAVEL TEAM, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY IN OUR TOURNAMENTS ANYMORE.
BUT THEY ARE THE SAME CONCEPT AS DIZZY DEAN.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE GOT RID OF DIZZY DEAN, UH, DISJOINED THEM AND WE JOINED BRAVES COUNTRY.
SO NOW OUR PARTNERSHIP IS WITH THE BRAVES ORGANIZATION HERE IN ATLANTA, BUT ALSO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEIR TOURNAMENTS AND EVERYTHING IS STRICTLY THROUGH THE REC PARKS.
I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE THREE DIFFERENT STATES THAT ARE PART OF IT, OVER 300 TEAMS. SO WE'RE GETTING THE GOOD TOURNAMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO PLAY THE TOURNAMENT TEAMS, BUT STILL HAVE THE IDEA AND THE, UH, CONCEPT OF A TOURNAMENT STYLE WITH QUALITY TEAMS THAT ARE THE SAME STYLE WE ARE.
HOW'S THAT? HOW ARE YOU PLAYING THAT WITH THE PARENTS? HOW ARE THEY DOING WITH, ARE YOU, DO PEOPLE, IF YOU'RE A WEB BRIDGE, WELL HOW DO YOU MANAGE HAVING TWO LOCATIONS? THAT'S KIND OF, SO IT DIFFERS FOR EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE, MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA LIVE RIGHT ON THIS SIDE, RIGHT BY WILLS
[00:20:01]
PARK.UM, MYSELF, MY SON GOES TO VALOR, SO I LIVE RIGHT BY WEB.
SO OUR TRAVEL TEAM, UM, MOSTLY IS PRACTICING OVER AT WEB BRIDGE.
MOST OF OUR REC TEAMS PLAY WILLS.
HOWEVER, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY TEAMS WE HAVE, WE WILL SPLIT IT UP.
NORMALLY IT'S NOT A PROBLEM 'CAUSE WE'LL DO TWO GAMES ON WHEELS, TWO GAMES AT WEB.
WE TRY OUR, THE PERSON WHO SCHEDULES IS KRISTEN SHEPHERD.
AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB BY SPLITTING IT UP WHERE NOT ALL YOUR GAMES ARE AT WHEELS.
NOT ALL YOUR GAMES ARE AT WEB BRIDGE.
BUT GIVEN A GOOD, WE DO HAVE SOME PARENTS DUE TO TRAFFIC MORE DURING THE WEEK FOR PRACTICES THAN ON SATURDAYS OR, YOU KNOW, FOR GAMES.
BUT MOST PART EVERYBODY'S HAPPY BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DRIVE THERE, IT'S THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE WHILE THEY'RE THERE.
AND, UH, SO IT'S BEEN GOING GOOD SO FAR.
YOU SAID THAT UM, FIELD FIVE IS GETTING TURFED SO WE, YOU CAN PERHAPS HAVE MORE TOURNAMENTS.
HOW MANY TOURNAMENTS DO YOU HOST NOW AND WHY, YOU KNOW, AND HOW MANY MORE DO YOU WANT? SO RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, PERSONALLY, A YBA, WE DON'T HOST ANY.
UM, HOWEVER, LIKE TURF IN THE FIELD, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING UP REVENUE FOR HALF THE TURF IN THE FIELD AND PUT UP OUR, OUR SHARES SO TO SAY.
WE'RE VERY LIMITED ON THE INCOME AND REVENUE THAT WE CAN BRING IN OTHER THAN JUST WHAT WE'RE CHARGING PEOPLE TO, TO JOIN OUR LEAGUE BY BEING ABLE TO HOST TOURNAMENTS, UM, IT WOULD BE A GREAT REVENUE SOURCE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE FACILITIES, UM, WORKUP, SO TO SAY OR UM, UH, BETTER FACILITIES AND HELP PAY FOR THOSE THINGS FOR THE CITY ITSELF.
RIGHT NOW, THE BRAVES COUNTRY THROUGH THE CITY IS DOING ONE OR TWO TOURNAMENTS EVERY YEAR AND THAT'S IT.
HOWEVER, THEY OFFER, I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE SEVEN TOURNAMENTS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE YEAR.
AND I WAS TOLD IF EVERYTHING WAS AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD USE OUR, OUR PARKS, THAT THEY WOULD HOST ALL SEVEN HERE AT WILLS PARK OR AT UH, WEB BRIDGE.
SO THE OPPORTUNITIES, I WOULDN'T DO ALL SEVEN, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S TOO MUCH.
IF WE COULD HAVE THREE OR FOUR THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, SPACED OUT, UM, THROUGH SPRING ALL THE WAY TO BEGINNING OF FALL, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST DEAL, UM, IN MY MIND BECAUSE THAT GIVES YOU A GOOD AMOUNT OF REVENUE, BUT ALSO IT DOESN'T KILL THE FIELDS EITHER.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TOO MUCH PLAY.
THE MAINTENANCE CREWS ARE, ARE, ARE GONNA QUIT, YOU KNOW, SO
REGARDING YOUR REC LEAGUE, IS IT SIX TO EIGHT U IS THE YOUNGEST AGE GROUP OR THE YOUNGEST IS FOUR TO FIVE? UM, THAT'S A T-BALL LEAGUE.
I KNOW OC IS AN EXAMPLE FOR THEIR SIX TO EIGHT U THEY HAVE LIKE A MINOR LEAGUE, AMERICAN LEAGUE, NATIONAL LEAGUE BASED ON SKILL LEVEL.
DO YOU GUYS DO THAT OR DO YOU MIX UP THE SKILL LEVEL? IT'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT 'CAUSE THIS IS OUR FIRST SEASON.
THE ONLY ONE THAT WE'RE DOING AND IT, WE BASE IT ON HOW MANY KIDS ARE REGISTERED ARE NINE U AND 10 U IS COMBINED.
'CAUSE IT'S FIRST YEAR KID PITCH FOR NINE YOU.
SO WE COMBINE THE AGE GROUPS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE A MAJOR MINOR.
AND THAT IS THE ONLY AGE WE WE'VE DONE IT IN.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, ANY AGE GROUP THAT WE HAVE IN LESS THAN A HUNDRED, WE WILL NOT DO IT.
AND THE REASON WHY IS 'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE TOO MANY IN A MAJOR, YOU KIND OF DISPLAY THE BOTTOM.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE TEAMS, LIKE IN TERMS OF THE TRAVEL PIECE WILL MEET UP AND YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE A ROSWELL OR OC THAT'S RIGHT.
BUT HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT DOING MAYBE SOME SORT OF LIKE REC TOURNAMENT OR EXHIBITION TO GET THE CITIES TOGETHER? AND THAT MIGHT CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO, THAT'S POACH IF YOU WILL, BUT LIKE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MAYBE TRY OTHER PROGRAMS? TECHNICALLY WE'RE CLOSER TO OC SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN PLAYING.
BUT WE DID DO A SUMMER AT A YBA AND LIKED IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE WOULDN'T COME BACK TYPE OF THING, THING.
SO NO, IT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO, UH, RYAN LAY, WHO'S OVER AT HOPEWELL.
WE'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT OC, UM, NORCROSS AND UM, SANDY PLAINS.
UM, ALL OF THEM WANT TO START HOSTING TOURNAMENTS TOGETHER.
BUT, UM, DURING SEASON AND AFTER SEASON, ALL THE GROUPS WILL COME TOGETHER.
EITHER THEIR PARK, OUR PARK, KIND OF SHARE BACK AND FORTH AND BE ABLE TO DO THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, WE USED TO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A SELECT LEAGUE AND THAT WENT AWAY BECAUSE BRA COUNTRY CONSIDERED THAT TRAVEL BALL.
AND SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO BRING BACK THE SAME CONCEPT BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO BRING BACK THE, UH, COMMUNITY OF MILTON V ROSWELL, ROSWELL V ALPHARETTA, ALPHARETTA V OSI.
BUT WE'RE ALL TIED TOGETHER IN A WAY.
AND SO WE ARE ON THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THAT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WELL SPENCER, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
[a. DIVISIONS]
ALL RIGHT.NOW WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO, UM, STAFF PRESENTATIONS.
I BELIEVE WE'RE STARTING WITH THE COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION MONTHLY REPORT.
[00:25:01]
DIDN'T HAVE TO STAYUM, SO, UH, MY DIVISION REPORT IS BRIEF THIS MONTH.
UM, LAST, THIS WEEKEND THAT JUST HAPPENED WAS THE GARDEN FAIR.
SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE A COUPLE OF YOUR FACES THERE.
UM, AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU, WHEN I, WHEN THIS REPORT WAS TYPED UP, OBVIOUSLY IT HADN'T HAPPENED YET, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TOTAL NUMBERS, BUT I DO, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE EXCEEDED $9,000 IN SALES.
WE'VE THEN MOVED ALL THE PLANTS FROM THE PLANT SALE TO OUR SELF-SERVE PLANT SALE, WHICH IS AT OLD RUCKER FARM.
AND THAT WILL CONTINUE PROBABLY TILL THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
IT WILL HAPPEN, UM, AT THE SAME TIME, BUT IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF THE PARK AS OUR, UH, GROWERS PICK UP, WHICH STARTS ON SATURDAY.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WE WILL EXCEED, I I I FULLY EXPECT US TO EXCEED $10,000 IN SALES FOR OUR PLANT SALE, WHICH WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT MONEY IS GONNA GO INTO OUR CAPITAL FUND TO GO TOWARD THE EVENTUAL RENOVATION OF THE HOUSE AT OLD RUCKER INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF FUNDRAISING AND MONEY THAT'S BEEN GENERATING, WANTED TO SHARE, UM, I THINK I'VE SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE THAT WE ARE A REFERRAL, UM, LIKE AFFILIATE FOR THE SOIL CUBE, THE BIG YELLOW BAG THAT MANY OF YOU GET.
UM, AND YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN IT IN OUR EMAIL, THAT IF YOU, UM, ORDER A BIG YELLOW BAG USING THE OLD RUCKER FARM 2026 CODE, YOU GET $5 OFF.
BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED IS THAT WE GET PERCENTAGE OF EACH ONE OF THOSE SALES.
AND SO, UM, SO FAR AS OF TODAY, THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN 2026 THAT UM, WE'LL BE RECEIVING IS $4,487 FOR DOING NOTHING BUT SAYING THIS IS A GREAT SOIL FOR IN YOUR GARDEN.
SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY WONDERFUL SOURCE OF, UM, SIMPLE INCOME, SIMPLE REVENUE TO, TO GO TOWARDS THE RENOVATION OF THE HOUSE AT THE FARM.
AND WHILE WE'RE ALSO ON THAT TOPIC, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE THAT'S NOT IN THE REPORT IS THAT AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS TO, UM, SUPPLEMENT AND REDUCE THE OVERALL COST OF THAT PROJECT, THAT RAL PROJECT, WE APPLIED FOR, UH, A MATCH PROGRAM WITH THE ATLANTA LIFECYCLE BUILDING CENTER, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT DECONSTRUCTS HOUSES OR COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.
IF SOMEONE IS DOING A RENOVATION, SO LET'S SAY IF YOU WERE RENOVATING YOUR KITCHEN AND YOU HAD USABLE CABINETS, THEY WILL SEND PEOPLE OUT TO YOUR HOME, DECONSTRUCT YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS, TAKE THEM, AND THEN RESELL THEM.
IT'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE IF YOU ARE DOING A PROJECT, MAYBE YOU NEED CABINETS IN YOUR GARAGE, YOU CAN GO GET SOMEONE'S OLD KITCHEN CABINETS.
WELL, THEY ALSO MATCH NONPROFITS WITH THOSE MATERIALS AT FULLY NO COST.
SO WE APPLIED FOR THAT HOPING THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE RECEIVE SOMETHING.
AND WE'VE, UM, BEEN, WE, WE HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH THEM, THEY DID A SITE VISIT AND WE ARE RECEIVING ANYTHING THAT WE NEED.
THEY SAID ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED THAT COULD BE FROM ELECTRICAL WIRING, DRYWALL, MUD PAINT, UM, TILE, UH, LIGHTING.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO NOT A CASH, UM, CONTRIBUTION, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A LARGE IN KIND CONTRIBUTION.
SO I SHARE ALL OF THIS WITH YOU BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS, UM, MAKING SOME REAL CONCRETE, UM, UM, PROGRESS WITH THAT.
UM, ON, IN TERMS OF THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE OF THAT PROJECT, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE ARCHITECTURAL PLANS FOR THAT PROJECT.
UM, SO THEN WE CAN SEEK NEW, UM, BIDS ON GETTING THAT DONE.
AND I'M REALLY HOPING MORGAN AND I WERE JUST CHATTING ABOUT IT, HOPING THAT BEFORE THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, WE HAVE SOME PHYSICAL PROGRESS MADE ON THAT PROJECT.
OUR SCHOOL GARDEN SUPPORT PROGRAM, LAST TIME THAT WE TALKED, I SAID WE HAD NINE SCHOOLS, WE HAD THE APPLICATIONS WERE OPEN, UM, AND WE'VE HAD, UH, THREE NEW SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN ADDED.
SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WE'LL KEEP THE NINE THAT WE HAVE, BUT NOW WE'VE ADDED THREE MORE.
THESE ARE JUST THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE GARDENS AND WILL BE RECEIVING UP TO 700 SEEDLINGS FROM US EACH SCHOOL YEAR FOR THEIR GARDEN.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING THAT NUMBER UP TO 12.
UM, AND NOW IT BRINGS OUR TOTAL SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH TO 18.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED A SECOND HOA, UH, WHICH IN SIMILAR
[00:30:01]
STYLE RECEIVES PLANTS AND SEEDS THREE TIMES SEVERE, VERY SIMILAR TO OUR HOME GROWERS PROGRAM.SO NOW WE HAVE THE WINDWARD HOA, WHICH HAS A 48 GAR, UH, BED COMMUNITY GARDEN, UM, IN THE WINDWARD COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE GATHERING, WHICH IS A NEW COMMUNITY ON HAYES BRIDGE AND WEST SIDE PARKWAY.
UM, IF YOU'RE IN OUR GROWER PROGRAM OR IF YOU'RE NOT, JUST SO YOU KNOW, OUR SUMMER PLANT DISTRIBUTION STARTS ON SATURDAY.
SO THAT'S ALL THE BIG HITTERS.
UM, TOMATOES, EGGPLANT, OKRA, PEPPERS, LOTS OF PEPPERS, LOTS OF REALLY UNIQUE HEIRLOOM PEPPERS AND LOTS OF REALLY UNIQUE AND INTERESTING, UM, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES.
UH, OUR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM, WE STILL ONLY OFFER ONE HALF DAY SUMMER CAMP, BUT UH, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE ARE SOLD OUT ALL FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO CAMP STARTING.
SO WE SOLD OUT LAST YEAR, BUT IT SOLD OUT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE MONTH OF JUNE.
WE ARE SOLD OUT ALL FOUR WEEKS.
SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT NEXT YEAR WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER EITHER AN ALL DAY CAMP OR OFFER A SECOND CAMP.
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY TELLING THAT, THAT REALLY SAYS THAT, THAT, UM, THIS IS A VALUED PROGRAM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE, I KNOW I'VE MENTIONED THIS A FEW TIMES, THE EXPERIMENT THAT WE WERE, UM, KIND OF TRYING OUT WITH, INSTEAD OF ADDING MAINTENANCE, UM, STAFF TO OUR TEAM, ADDING SOMEONE WHO COULD HOST ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS AT THE FARM, WE DID THAT AND IT'S WORKING REALLY, REALLY WELL.
SO WE HAD THREE VOLUNTEER DAYS A WEEK THAT KRISTEN WAS ABLE TO MANAGE.
AND NOW WITH ADDING MJ TO OUR TEAM, WE HAVE FIVE, SOMETIMES SIX THIS WEEK.
WE ALL HAVE SIX, UH, VOLUNTEER DAYS IN THIS WEEK.
UM, WE HAVE THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MORE, MORE OFTEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
BUT THIS WEEK WE HAVE A SATURDAY DAY.
UM, AND IT GIVES PEOPLE DIFFERENT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES EITHER EIGHT TO 10, UH, 12 TO TWO OR THREE, ONE TO THREE.
SO IT'S GREAT BECAUSE PEOPLE COME OUT AT A TIME THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM.
SO THE EXPERIMENT'S GOING WELL SO FAR.
I MEAN, ARE THEY MOWING THE GRASS BECAUSE YOU HIRED THESE PEOPLE AND THIS VOLUNTEER PERSON IN LIEU OF, SO IN LIEU OF HIRING A PART-TIME PERSON TO COME OUT AND JUST HELP US MAINTAIN THINGS LIKE KEEP WEEDS IN, IN PLACE.
SO IT WAS LIKE WE COULD HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING 30 HOURS A WEEK DOING THAT.
OR WE COULD HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING 30 HOURS A A WEEK, MANAGING A HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS EVERY WEEK.
AND SO WE, THE EXPERIMENT WAS TO SEE IF WE COULD TRY THIS AND IT SO FAR SEEMS TO BE WORKING REALLY, REALLY WELL.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF NEW FACES, WE'RE SEEING THEM COME BACK.
ANY QUESTIONS? I WAS CURIOUS, ANY FUNDRAISING FOR THAT? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO YOUR GOAL? WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND WE WON'T KNOW.
AND WHAT OUR GOAL IS UNTIL WE GET THIS, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REVISING THE PLANS MM-HMM
UM, AND ONCE WE DO THAT AND THEN WE GET, UM, AN ESTIMATE FROM OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR, UM, THEN WE WILL KNOW WHAT OUR GOAL IS.
AND THEN WE'LL KNOW HOW CLOSE WE ARE.
SO I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT NEXT MONTH.
NEXT UP, UM, WE HAVE I GUEST CULTURAL SERVICES DIVISION MONTHLY REPORT.
UM, KIM HAD PUT IT ONLINE FOR EVERYONE TO REVIEW, SO IS ANYONE SPEAKING TO IT? OKAY.
UM, I HAVE A SEMI SHORT REPORT HERE.
UM, WE HAVE OUR SPRING SESSION THAT HAS STARTED.
IT STARTED MARCH 2ND, AND IT IS ROLLING IN ROLLING AND GOT THE KIDS COMING IN AND OUT.
AND, UM, EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE ENJOYING THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
WE HAVE HAD SOME STAFF CHANGES.
I'M GONNA SKIP OVER THAT AND I'M GONNA DEFER TO MORGAN ON THAT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT A FEW MORE MINUTES TO SEE WHAT THOSE ARE.
UM, SUMMER HIRING, AS YOU KNOW, CONTINUES AND WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR PEOPLE.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU KNOW SOME YOUNG PERSON OUT THERE WHO IS LOOKING FOR A SUMMER JOB, PLEASE SEND 'EM OUR WAY.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE RECREATION SERVICES TEAM, UM, AS WELL AS SOME OF YOU UP HERE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY TEAM FOR BEING AT WACKY WORLD.
EVERYBODY ON MY TEAM, AND THAT'S 17 PLUS, ACTUALLY WE HAD MORE THAN THAT.
WE HAD PROBABLY 20 PEOPLE COME OUT FROM MY TEAM.
EVERYBODY WORKED AT LEAST ONE SHIFT.
SOME PEOPLE WORKED MULTIPLE SHIFTS.
WE EVEN HAVE A PART-TIMER WHO CAME OUT AND WORKED,
[00:35:01]
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DAYS.AND HIS WIFE CAME WITH HIM TOO.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME OUT.
AND I MORGAN'S GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, SO I DON'T WANNA STEAL HIS THUNDER ON WACKY WORLD.
UM, JUST A FEW THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP JUST TO GET ON YOUR CALENDARS.
FOOD TRUCK ALLEY STARTS ON APRIL 23RD.
UM, FIVE O'CLOCK OLD ROSWELL PARKING LOT.
UM, SONGWRITERS AT SONG SUNDOWN BACK HERE IN BROOK STREET PARK IS GONNA START ON SATURDAY AP APRIL 25TH AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
THAT SERIES KICKS OFF TASTE OF ALPHARETTA, GET IT ON YOUR YO MAY 14TH STARTS AT FIVE O'CLOCK UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
WE HAVE OVER 74 RESTAURANTS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER.
WE BEAT LAST YEAR'S NUMBER, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
HAVE SOME GREAT ENTERTAINMENT OUT THERE.
WE HAVE A GREAT KID ZONE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE POOL WILL BE OPENING SATURDAY, MAY 23RD, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, SHARK'S PRACTICES ARE GONNA BEGIN.
UM, SENIOR SWIM LAPS, SWIM, WATER, FITNESS AND WATER AEROBICS STARTS MAY 11TH.
AS LONG AS THE POOL IS WARM ENOUGH.
ALL OF THOSE, AS LONG AS IT'S WARM ENOUGH, WE DON'T HAVE A COLD SNAP.
UM, SO THAT IS THE END OF MY REPORT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS GOING ONCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHRISTINE.
[b. DIRECTOR REPORT - APRIL 2026]
RIGHT.SO FOR THE NEXT TWO PRESENTATIONS, I GUESS IT'S ALL ONLINE AND WE'LL SKIP AND THEN WE'LL GO TO MORGAN FOR THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, OR ARE YOU DOING ALL THREE? I'M KIND OF DOING, I'M DOING A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING TODAY.
SO, UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO FIRST, UH, PUT THIS OVER HERE.
UM, CHRISTINE MENTIONED STAFF CHANGES, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST JUMP IN INTO STAFF CHANGES THAT WE HAD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I THINK THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD, UH, KURT KIRBY GET A SHOUT OUT.
HE WENT HEAR
UM, BUT WITH BUT MENTIONING KURT, YOU KNOW, KURT'S BEEN GONE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T TALKED TO HIM, HE, HE'S COME BACK A COUPLE TIMES, CHECKED ON US, I CAN CHECK ON HIM ABOUT ONCE A WEEK.
HE'S FINDING, UH, THAT, UH, THERE ARE POLITICS EVEN IN A SMALL TOWN, SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
BUT, UM, SO BETWEEN THE TIME HE LEFT AND NOW, UH, I WENT THROUGH A, UH, WE, UH, WE KINDA CHANGED HIS JOB A LITTLE BIT.
ONE THING KURT TOLD ME IS THAT HIS JOB WAS TRYING TO DO OPERATIONS AND PROJECTS.
AND HE TECHNICALLY SAID THAT WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH.
HE SAID THAT WAS TOO MUCH BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED IS IF A PO SOMETHING, IF PO, IF A PROJECT NEEDED HIM OR AN OPERATIONS NEEDED HIM, THE PROJECT ALWAYS WON BECAUSE THE PROJECT HAD TO KEEP IT FORWARD.
SO HE SAID IT, IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO SPLIT THOSE.
SO I LISTENED TO THAT AND, UH, WE DECIDED TO GO WITH A SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER THAT IS GONNA BE DOING JUST THAT.
THE OPERATIONS, THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, KEEPING THE WHEEL ON THE BUS IS MOVING.
AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY AFTER, UH, UH, ADVERTISING THAT JOB AND INTERVIEWING, UH, I THINK FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE THAT CHRISTINE YOUNG IS NOW OUR NEW SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER.
SO I'M, I I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH CHRISTINE.
BUT IN THE NEW ROLE, I THINK SHE BRINGS SOME THINGS TO THAT ROLE THAT'S GONNA HELP IN THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO THE OTHER, UH, SO I TOOK THE OTHER, THE PART OF, OF, UH, THE OLD JOB THAT WAS PROJECT AND, UH, TAGGED NATE HAND.
NATE IS A SUPERVISOR, UH, EXTRAORDINARY OUT AT WEBB BRIDGE ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN AND ASKED HIM, WAS HE UP TO, UH, I WAS A PROMOTION TO A SENIOR SUPERVISOR, UM, AND, UH, TAKE IT ON THE PROJECTS.
SO NATE IS NOW OUR, UH, EAST, UH, DISTRICT SUPERVISOR AS WELL AS OUR PROJECTS, UH, SUPERVISOR.
SO HE'S ALREADY JUMPED IN WITH BOTH FEET AS NATE DOES EVERYTHING AND HAS GOT IT IN HAND.
SO YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE FROM, SEE FROM HIM FROM TIME TO TIME.
THAT'LL BE, UM, I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT BY THE WAY, CHERYL.
UM, THE, UM, HE'LL BE HERE TO TALK ON SOME OF THE BIGGER PROJECTS WHEN THE TIME ARISES.
UH, THE OTHER, THERE IS ONE OTHER CHANGE, UH, I WANT TO ANNOUNCE AFTER, AGAIN, AFTER ANNOUNCING A JOB AND GOING THROUGH A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS, UH, LINDSAY PRITCHETT WILL BE OUR NEXT RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER.
UH, AND, UH, SHE'LL BE, UH, STEPPING INTO CHRISTINE'S ROLE AND, UH, WE'RE, WE KNOW THAT SHE'S GONNA DO GOOD THINGS AND WE HAVE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, UH, GOSH,
[00:40:01]
HILLARY, HILLARY, THANK YOU, HILLARY LOU, WHO WAS OUR C OUR SPECIAL EVENT SUPERVISOR, DECIDED THAT HER AND HER FIANCE WERE MOVING TO SPAIN.SO AGAIN, AFTER ANNOUNCING THE JOB IN A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS, UH, LINDSEY, UM, MACON, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW LINDSAY, SHE WAS A, SHE WAS A SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR.
SHE GOT PROMOTED TO SPECIAL EVENTS SUPERVISOR AND SHE'S HIT THE GROUND RUNNING BECAUSE TASTE OF ALPHA IS ABOUT A WEEK AWAY, I MEAN ABOUT A MONTH AWAY.
SO, AND THEN ANGEL CORNA, WHO WAS OUT AT PRESTON RIDGE IS COMING OVER AND GONNA BE THE SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR HERE WITH LINDSAY.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE FILLING THE POS THE POSITION OUT AT, UM, PRESTON RIDGE.
SO THAT'S ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO THAT'S QUITE A FEW AT ONE TIME, RIGHT? UM, SO, BUT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE WHOLE TEAM IS KIND OF ENERGIZED WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, THE NEW POSITIONS.
AND I'VE TOLD ALL THE NEW P PEOPLE IN THEIR NEW POSITIONS THAT REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO BRING IS FRESH EYES, BRING FRESH EYES TO THIS JOB AND LOOK AT IT, UM, UH, FROM THE NEW LENS AND, UH, JUST MAKE THINGS BETTER.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO NOW I'M GONNA SWITCH OVER AND TALK A MINUTE, UM, ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT NORMALLY, UH, KIM ZANE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
KIM, JOHN HYPES, COUNCILMAN JOHN HYPES IS HAVING A, UH, UH, UH, OPEN HOUSE, IF YOU WILL, A FORUM TALK AT THE ART CENTER TONIGHT.
HE ASKED KIM TO BE THERE SO SHE COULD GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE ARTS FOR IT.
SO A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANNA PULL UP.
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU KNOW THAT IF I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ON THE CULTURAL ARTS SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THAT I'M PROBABLY GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC.
UM, SO I, I'M GONNA, I GONNA GIVE YOU, UH, ANOTHER CHANCE TO MAKE, UH, TO HAVE A NICE EVENING OUT.
UH, WE'VE HAD TWO OF THE THREE MATILDA, UH, MUSIC AT THE SPOTLIGHT AT THE, UH, SPOTLIGHT BEING THE, OUR THE, UH, OUR STAGE AT THE MALL.
THE LAST ONE IS APRIL THE 25TH, AND IT IS CALLED AMERICAN ROOTS.
UM, AND I WANNA SHOW YOU PICTURES FROM THE, FROM THE LAST ONE THAT WAS THE, UH, THE AMERICAN ROOTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE LINE IN THE TOP LEFT HAND CORNER.
UH, THERE WAS A LINE FORMING TO GET IN THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE ONE ON THE TOP RIGHT, THAT WAS A FULL HOUSE.
UM, THE, THERE'S GREEN ROOM WAS IN, WAS IN USE.
THE MIDDLE ONE SHOWS THE THREE PERFORMERS ON THE STAGE.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE I WANTED TO TELL YOU IS ABOUT, UM, UH, THIS YOUNG GUY.
HE STARTED OUT WHEN HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD THROUGH OUR MUSIC MATCH PROGRAM.
HE, HE WAS A MUSIC MATCH IN FRONT OF, UM, UH, GOLLY, I'M JUST HAVING THE, THE BURGER PLACE RIGHT HERE.
THE BEACH BURGER PLACE, SINGA, HE STARTED OUT AS 12 YEARS OLD.
NOW HE IS NOW, HE IS NOW 18 YEARS OLD AND HAS MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND IS A SINGER SONGWRITER IN NASHVILLE, DOING PRETTY WELL AND CAME BACK AND, UM, DID THE, UH, SHOW FOR US.
UH, I, I, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND.
BUT AGAIN, I'M GONNA INVITE YOU TO COME ON APRIL THE 25TH.
BUT I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'RE COMING.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR GUESTS COME BE BE OUR GUEST, BUT I NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE IT, WE ANTICIPATE THIS TO BE THE THIRD SELLOUT OF MATILDAS AT THE SPOTLIGHT.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MORE, UH, COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT MUSIC MATCH.
AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU, HERE'S OUR MUSIC MATCH PROGRAM, WHICH IS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE ONLY PLACE IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS IN ENCOURAGING MUSICIANS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES TO GET TOGETHER BY HELPING FINANCIALLY, UM, UH, FUND SOME OF THEIR PERFORMANCES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS JUST IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS OF WHAT WE'VE GOT COMING.
UM, AND IT, UH, IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE LADY IN THE MIDDLE THAT'S GONNA BE AT THE ART CENTER, UH, AND THEN YOU GOT JOHN OSWALD, WHO IS JUST A FRIEND OF THE DEPARTMENT AND A FRIEND OF THE CITY, UH, PLAYING IN JUNE.
SO, UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE ALL FREE SHOWS AT THE WHEREVER THEY'RE AT.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO DO THAT.
COUPLE OTHER THINGS I WANT TO, UH, TALK ABOUT IS, UM, AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT TONIGHT.
I KNOW, I KNOW I WENT OUT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I LIKE, WE TALK ABOUT PROJECTS ALL THE TIME.
AND SO RATHER THAN JUST TALK ABOUT PROJECTS, I DECIDED I WAS GONNA GO OUT, TAKE SOME PICTURES.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA GO ON A QUICK, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO ON A QUICK, QUICK TOUR OF THE PROJECTS.
Y'ALL WANT TO, YES, YOU CAN LEAVE IF YOU WANT TO.
UM, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA GO ON A QUICK TOUR OF THE, OF THE PROJECTS.
UM, LEMME SEE IF I, I CAN TURN THE PHONE THE RIGHT WAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA START OUT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THIS IS THE ALPHARETTA COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT PHOTO THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES THERE.
WE HAVE MOVED, AND THIS IS WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS.
[00:45:01]
WE HAVE MOVED THE HANDICAP SPOTS OUT FRONT.NOW THERE ARE LEGITIMATELY HANDICAP SPOTS.
NOW THEY MEET ALL OF THE, THE PROPER, UH, UH, PERCENTAGES AND ALL LIKE THAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ALPHA, UH, THE SPINE, WHICH IS GONNA CONNECT THE EAST GATE TO THE WEST GATE, IS GONNA RIGHT RUN RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT.
AND THEN THIS IS THAT CONNECTING, THAT CONNECTING SIDEWALK THAT'S GONNA CONNECT THE SIDEWALK FROM OLD MILTON INTO THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WENT, IF YOU WERE AT ZAXBY'S AND YOU HAD YOUR FRIED, UH, A FRIED HOUSE SALAD, UM, WITH HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING IS WHAT I LIKE.
UM, IF YOU WERE THERE AND YOU DECIDED AFTER THAT MEAL YOU CAN WALK OVER TO THE PARK, YOU CAN'T GET TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER WITHOUT WALKING THROUGH MULCH OR IN THE STREET.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONNECT THAT WITH THAT CONNECTING SIDEWALK RIGHT THERE.
UM, SO THAT YOU CAN WALK FROM DOWNTOWN AND GET TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THEN THAT BETTER.
SO THAT'S THE NEW WIDE SIDEWALK BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A WIDE SIDEWALK THAT'S GOING TO GONNA ATTRACT TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CORNER, UH, WHERE ZAXBY'S IS.
UM, THIS IS LOOKING BACK AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE THAT CONNECTION IS GONNA BE MADE OFF OF OLD MILTON.
AND I HAVE TO KEEP TURNING, GIVE YOU THE BEST SIGHT.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A, A, A MEANDERING KIND OF SIDEWALK TO THERE.
SO RIGHT NOW I'M TAKING THIS PICTURE AND MY BACK IS TO THE, TO THE INTERSECTION.
UH, THE TREE WITH THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS IS RIGHT THERE TO THE RIGHT.
AND IF YOU LOOK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT THERE, THAT'S THE ALPHA LOOP.
THAT'S THE ALPHA LOOP THAT GOES DOWN THE STREET, CROSSES OVER, UM, ROSWELL STREET AND GOES DOWN THE NEW STREET THAT THEY JUST PUT IN.
SO, AND THEN THE NEXT PICTURE SHOWS THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT STREET, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT CONNECTING SIDEWALK IS.
AND TO THE LEFT WHERE YOU SEE THE BLUE SIGN, THAT'S WHERE THE PLAZA OR THE GATEWAY ENTRANCE WITH A SEATING WALL AND AN ARCHWAY THAT'S GONNA SAY WILLS PARK EAST GATE IS GONNA BE, SO IT'S GONNA BE A GATHERING SPACE THERE.
UM, UH, WE THINK AS WE MOVE ALONG AND THE, THIS IS THE ALPHA LOOP CROSSWALK.
SO ANYWHERE, UM, IN THE, IN THE CITY WHERE ALPHA LOOP CROSSES THE STREET, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS PARTICULAR CROSSWALK TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON THE, UH, ALPHA LOOP.
AND THE ALSO LET THE MOTORIST KNOW THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING DIFFERENT IS GOING ON HERE.
WAIT, THE GREEN, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE YEAH, THE GREEN, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
AND SO THIS IS A BETTER SHOT OF THE, UH, NEW, UH, UH, FOUR HANDICAP SPOTS AS WELL AS THE NEW ENTRANCE INTO THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE USED TO BE A FLAGPOLE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK.
SO THE FLAG, WE'RE GONNA GET A NEW FLAGPOLE AND IT'S GONNA GO TO THE LEFT OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, IN AN OPEN AREA BECAUSE THE TREE WAS GETTING BLOCKED BY THE, UM, CRATE MERLES.
IT, IT WAS INTERFERING WITH THE FLACK.
MORGAN, DID YOU, WHAT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE, I GUESS THE OLD HANDICAP SPOTS OR THE SPOTS THAT ARE UP FRONT? IT WOULD, THE, THE OLD SPOTS, UM, TO THE, TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARE GONNA GO AWAY AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKEN INTO THE CURVE.
AND THAT'S WHERE ACTUALLY WHERE THE SPINE IS GONNA GO THROUGH RIGHT UNDER THE PORTICO.
WELL, I'M JUST, I WAS THERE IN THE WINTER FOR BASKETBALL.
MY SON PLAYED IN THE MORNINGS AND IT GOT VERY CONGESTED.
ARE THERE, ARE WE MAXED OUT THERE FOR PARKING OR IS THERE EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES? WE'RE MAXED OUT FOR PARKING.
WE, WE, WE, WE, WE MOVED FOUR SPACES, SO WE GAVE UP FOUR SPACES FOR THIS, BUT, UM, WE REALLY, THAT'S NOT THAT.
THOSE LOCATIONS OF THOSE WAS NOT THE IDEAL LOCATION.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY A CERTIFIED HANDICAP SPOT WHERE, WHERE A VAN COULD COME IN.
SO WE MADE 'EM, WE MADE 'EM A DA ASSESSMENT.
UM, SO THE NEXT THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS THIS IS BEHIND THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, WE ARE, IF, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER DURING THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, WE USE ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR, OUR BUILDING FOR, UM, FOR PROGRAMS. WHAT'S HAP WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS THAT THE KIDS, WHEN THEY COME OUT, THEY'RE COMING OUT ON THE GRASS AND, AND DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO.
SO EVERY ONE OF OUR EXITS NOW WE'RE CONNECTING TO A SIDEWALK.
SO WHEN YOU COME OUTTA THE BUILDING, NO MATTER WHERE YOU COME OUT, YOU'RE GONNA COME OUT TO A SIDEWALK THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOU TO, UH, TO THE NEXT SIDEWALK WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO.
BECAUSE WHEN IT WAS RAINING, IF IT HAD JUST QUIT RAINING AND THE KIDS WERE COMING OUT, THEY WERE JUST GETTING MUD AND TRAMPING MUD BACK INTO IT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT CONNECTING THE BUILDING TO THE REST OF THE PARK.
THE WAGGY WORLD, UM, IS, IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IF YOU'VE BEEN BY THERE, YOU WILL KNOW THAT THIS IS THE NEW ENTRANCE.
THEY HAVEN'T FINISHED THE FENCE THERE, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE NEW, THE OLD ENTRANCE
[00:50:01]
IS.AND THAT'S WHERE THE NEW ENTRANCE IS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHERE WE HAVE WATER IN THE DOG PARK WHERE WE'VE NOW PUT A, WE'VE PUT A CONCRETE BASE THERE.
UH, IF YOU WERE EVER AT THE OLD DOG PARK AND TRYING TO GIVE YOUR DOG WATER, IT WAS ALWAYS WET THERE.
SO, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT NICER FOR THE DOG AS WELL AS THE OWNER.
UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE FOUNTAIN, UH, THAT'S IN THAT BOX RIGHT THERE THAT WILL, WILL GIVE THE, THE DOGS A PLACE TO, UH, DRINK.
UM, AND THAT'S THE FENCE YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACK.
BRAND NEW FENCE, UH, FOUR, FOUR POST FENCE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND THE ENTIRE DEAL.
THE, THE FENCE WAS REALLY IN BAD SHAPE.
IT WAS BEING PROPPED UP BY BOARDS.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT WOOD, THIS IS, UH, UH, ENGINEERED WOOD.
IT IS, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO THROUGH THIS ONE IN FOR CHERYL, I JUST WANNA SHOW YOU, THERE'S NINE TREES ALONG THE DOG PART THAT WE, OF OUR, OF OUR 98 TREES, WE'VE, WE'VE PLANT WE'VE PROBABLY PLANTED 23 OR 24 ALREADY.
SO, UM, AND THEY'RE ALL UNDERSTORY TREES AND THERE'S THE RIGHT TREE AT THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT.
UM, WAS THERE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM? IS THAT WHY THEY HAD ALL THAT DIGGING STUFF OUT ALONG IN, IN THE DOG PARK? YEAH.
WELL, THERE WAS A DRAINAGE PROBLEM IN THE DO PART.
WELL, THE PROBLEM WAS IT WOULDN'T DRAIN THAT IT WAS JUST HOLDING WATER.
UH, SO THEY'VE GONE IN, WE'VE PUT IN A HOLE UNDER UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE, UM, PROGRAM, I MEAN, WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL CONNECTED SO THAT WHEN IT RAINS, JUST AFTER IT RAINS, IT'LL PROB THE, THE MULCH OR THE GRASS IS GONNA BE DRY.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THAT MOST PEOPLE THAT GO INTO THE DOLL PART'S GONNA NOTICE IS THAT IT'S GOT DRAINAGE NOW.
SO, AND ALL THAT DIRT THAT'S PILED UP IS BASICALLY WHERE WE PUT THE DRAINAGE ON THE GROUND PLUS THE, THE MULCH HAS JUST BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE IT HAD ALL ENDED UP DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL.
SO THEY PULLED ALL OF THAT UP.
SO THE, UM, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO OVER TO THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER.
UM, WONDER WHY I DID NOT TURN IT THERE.
IT'S, WE'RE AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER.
UM, WE'RE STANDING, THIS IS THE, UM, THE, THE ARENA THAT THEY TORE UP.
IF YOU, WHAT I'M, LOOK WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THE FAR DISTANCE IS THE, UM, GOSH, YEAH.
VILLAGE, VILLAGE VILLAGE, UH, VILLAGE PARK.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE CUTTING INTO THE BANK ABOUT FOUR FEET.
THEY'RE CUTTING OUT ABOUT FOUR FEET AGAIN TO PUT, THEY GOTTA PUT THE DRAINAGE UNDERNEATH THE NEW ARENA, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A WALL THERE.
UM, UH, BECAUSE THAT WE NEEDED THAT EXTRA SPACE FOR THE ADDITIONAL LENGTH OF THE ARENA.
SO THIS IS GONNA GIVE US OUR THIRD COMPETITION ARENA.
UM, AT THE, AT THE HORSE EQUESTRIAN FACILITY, THAT'S WHERE MATT'S OFFICE AND THE ALL SHOW OFFICE USED TO BE, THAT CAME DOWN AGAIN TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE, UM, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE NEW ARENA.
UH, THAT'S LITERALLY THEMS FLYING OUT.
HOW MANYS ARE FLYING OUT WHEN YOU, THAT DAY DOWN? QUITE A FEW.
IT WAS, UH, IT, IT WAS AN OLD BUILDING THAT, THAT HAD IT, IT NEEDED TO COME DOWN.
UM, NOW IF YOU, SO ON, ON THIS, IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT OF THIS, OF THIS PHOTO, THAT'S RING NUMBER THREE IS TO THE LEFT OF THIS PHOTO.
SO THIS NEXT PHOTO IS TO THE RIGHT.
THIS IS GONNA BE THE SEATING WALL THAT'S GONNA OVERLOOK NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS THE SAME THING WE HAVE AT NUMBER ONE, WHERE WE JUST BUILD A WALL AND THEN LEVEL THE SPACE AND BUILD A WALL BECAUSE PEOPLE BRING THEIR OWN CHAIRS NOWADAYS.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST BUILDING SEATING WALLS FOR PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S GONNA GET A, GET A, UH, ROCK FACADE ON THAT AND OVERLOOK ARENA THREE.
WE HAD, WE TOOK, WE TOOK OUT, UH, A FEW, QUITE A FEW TREES, UM, IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE.
AND THIS IS TO SHOW YOU WHY, BECAUSE THIS HANDLES ALL OF THE WATER FROM HIGHWAY NINE, UM, ALL THE WAY, WAY PAST, UM, THE WAFFLE HOUSE DOWN TO THIS LOCATION.
SO THERE'S ONE, UH, TWO, THREE DIFFERENT PONDS.
THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT DETENTION PONDS.
THAT WHOLE WATER, RELEASE IT TO THE NEXT ONE, HOLD IT, RELEASE IT TO THE NEXT ONE SO THAT WHEN IT GETS TO THE CREEK
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE, THE, THE DETENTION PONDS.
THIS IS THE NEW ENTRANCE THAT'S OFF OF WILLERS ROAD.
THAT LINES OF WHERE WILLS LANE.
[00:55:02]
WHAT WHAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS IS WHEN WE GET THIS DONE DURING A HORSE SHOW, THE OTHER ENTRANCES TO THE, TO THE EQUESTRIAN PART'S GONNA BE CLOSED.SO SOMEBODY CAN COME IN, GO BACK TO THE BARNS WITH THEIR HORSE AND THEIR TRAILER, DO WHAT THEY GOTTA DO AND LEAVE WITHOUT INTERACTING WITH ANY OF THE HORSES IN THE HORSE SHOW.
SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO MAKE OUR, UM, TO MAKE IT A MUCH SAFER PLACE.
AND THEN THAT'S ONE OF, THAT'S THE OTHER, UH, DRAIN.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE THREE NEW, UH, PAVILIONS THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE EQUESTRIAN, UH, WILLS PARK EQUESTRIAN FOUNDATION BUILT.
UH, AND THEY ARE ARE REALLY NICE IF YOU, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, IF YOU WANNA SEE HOW TO BUILD A NICE PAVILION, YOU SHOULD GO LOOK AT THESE.
UM, SO WE'RE, THESE ARE THE KIND OF, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AT ALL AROUND ALL OF OUR ARENAS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, THROUGHOUT THE, THE EQUESTRIAN SYSTEM.
NOW WE MOVE OUT TO NORTH PARK AND WE TO TORE DOWN THE RESTROOM AT NORTH PARK IN THE QUAD.
AND THIS IS WHAT'S COMING BACK.
UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UM, INCREASING THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM, GIRLS' RESTROOM BY ABOUT 175% CAPACITY.
UM, AND, UH, IT'S JUST GONNA BE A NICE BUILDING.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE INSIDE OF IT.
UM, WE'RE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AWAY FROM THIS COMING.
AND THIS IS THE CONCESSION STAND.
SO WHEN YOU WALK UP TO, YOU'RE GONNA BE WALKING UP TO THE CONCESSION STAND AND ABOVE IT IS GONNA SAY CITY OF ALPHARETTA SOFTBALL COMPLEX.
SO IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY NICE BUILDING.
NOW WE'RE GOING, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ADULT LEAGUES? I'M SORRY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ADULT LEAGUE FOR THIS SUMMER FOR
YEAH, THEY, WE, WE TALK, WE KNEW, WE KNOW THE GUYS THAT ARE PLAYING WITH MOST OF THE GUYS AND THE GIRLS THAT ARE PLAYING, AND THEY SAID, WELL, LET'S JUST TAKE THE SUMMER OFF.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO USE THE PORT OF JOHN AND ALL LIKE THAT.
SO THEY'RE JUST TAKING THE SUMMER OFF.
UM, NOW WE MOVED BACK OVER AND, AND SO YOU WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT WACKY WORLD WOULD COME RIGHT AFTER THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER, BUT I HAD SOMEWHERE I HAD TO BE.
SO I WENT TO WHERE I HAD TO BE AND THEN WENT BACK BY NORTH PARK, AND THEN I CAME BACK TO WILLS.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S OUT OF ORDER.
UM, WILL, THIS IS THE, UH, A REALLY GOOD SHOT OF, OF WACK WACKY WORLD.
NOW YOU CAN SEE THE GRAY IS THE, YOU, UH, THE, THE, UH, UH, THE BASE FOR THE SURFACE WHERE THE, WHERE THE BROWN IS, THEY JUST HAVEN'T PUT THE BASE IN.
SO DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHERE YOU'RE AT IN WACKY WORLD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE, UH, RUBBER SURFACE IN SOME PLACES THAN OTHERS FOR FALL ZONES.
SO IF YOU'RE OVER BY THE ZIP LINE, YOU GOTTA HAVE LIKE EIGHT INCHES OF, OF THAT.
IF YOU'RE OVER BY THE LITTLE SLIDES, YOU ONLY NEED THREE.
SO IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNLEVEL, IT IS, BUT THE SURFACE ITSELF WON'T BE THAT WAY.
BUT THE FALLS ZONES, UH, ARE TAKEN CARE OF UNDERNEATH THE DIRT.
YOU CAN SEE THE NEW FENCE THAT WENT UP.
THIS IS THE, SO THE, THE FENCE IS COMPLETELY AROUND IT ONE WAY IN, ONE WAY OUT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THIS FENCE, THE, THE VIEW SHED IS MUCH BETTER, UM, ON THAT.
AND THEN, UH, THIS IS THE NEW RESTROOM.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE LARGEST RESTROOM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM.
OF COURSE, THIS IS THE MOST USED RESTROOM IN THE SYSTEM.
IT SERVICES ALL OF OUR BASEBALL PROGRAM, WACK, WACKY WORLD, UH, THE LIONS CLUB PAVILION, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE WALKING IN AND JUST ENJOYING THE PARK.
IT IS, IT'S GONNA HAVE HIGH CEILINGS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S REALLY NICE CEDAR POST, BUT AROUND THE TOP THAT'S GONNA BE TRANSLUCENT, UH, GLASS.
SO DURING THE DAY, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF LIGHT COMING IN.
UM, SO IT'S GONNA FEEL VERY OPEN AND KIND OF AIRY RATHER THAN FEWER.
IN THE OLD RESTROOM, IT WAS KIND OF CLOSED AND COMPACT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE RESTROOM.
UH, THIS IS THE ENTRANCE TO TO WACKY WORLD.
UM, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO COLUMNS THAT ARE GONNA SAY WACKY WORLD ON 'EM, THAT'S BEING DESIGNED, UM, BY, UH, JACKSON HEALTHCARE.
UM, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE PUTTING THEM IN.
UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE WE GOT THE ZIP LINE TAKEN OFF RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE TIRE SWING IN THE BACK.
THIS IS A SEATING WALL AROUND THE DETENTION POND.
JUST BEHIND THIS TO THE, TO ORIENTS YOU TO THE WE TO THE LEFT IS THE RESTROOM.
THE RESTROOM BUILDING IS TO THE LEFT IN THIS PICTURE.
[01:00:01]
BROWN GETS COVERED WITH PLANTS.UM, AND SO THAT'LL BE A CEILING WALL BECAUSE THERE, THERE WILL BE STANDING WATER IN THAT.
UM, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THIS IS THE INSIDE OF THE RESTROOM.
AGAIN, I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SEE HOW THE CEILING IS HIGH.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS A COMMON ONE.
THIS IS, UH, THIS'LL BE FIVE OF THE 10.
WE HAVE FIVE, UH, 10, UH, WOMEN'S, UH, SPOTS AND 10 MEN SPOTS.
SO, AND THERE'S DIVIDED IN FIVE AND FIVE.
SO YOU WALK IN ONE SIDE, THERE'S FIVE WOMEN HERE, AND THEN THERE'S FIVE WOMEN HERE SEPARATED.
SO AGAIN, SO YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND.
THEN WE MOVE OUT TO, UH, ENCORE.
THIS IS THE END OF ENCORE DRIVE, RIGHT BESIDE THE PARKING LOT.
YOU COME OVER 400 ON ENCORE, THE PAR, UH, THE, UH, CAR WASHES TO THE RIGHT.
THIS IS GONNA BE THE, UH, GATEWAY ENTRANCE.
SO YOU CAN START SEEING, IF YOU LOOK RIGHT THERE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE PLAZA.
SO THE, THEY'RE BUILDING UP THOSE CONCRETES.
THEY'RE GONNA COME UP TO STREET LEVEL, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PLAZA.
AND THEN YOU GO BACK HERE AND YOU SEE THESE TALL, YOU SEE THESE TALL PIERS.
THERE'S GONNA BE AN OVERLOOK WALK THAT'S GONNA FOLLOW THOSE THAT AROUND IN A CIRCULAR AREA.
IT'S GONNA BRING YOU RIGHT BACK, BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO WALK AROUND THERE.
OKAY? AND THEN IF YOU GO, YOU CLOSE THIS, YOU CLOSE THIS, AND YOU COME OVER HERE, YOU SEE OVER HERE, THAT'S THE, THE WALKWAY THAT YOU CAN SEE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE DOWN IN IT.
SO ALL THAT'S GONNA BE OPEN, BUT IF YOU SEE THESE LITTLE PIERS HERE, THAT'S GONNA BE HOW YOU GET DOWN TO THE GREENWAY.
SO THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOU FROM STREET LEVEL DOWN, AND YOU'LL EVENTUALLY END UP AT WHAT WE CALL THE FOUR WAY ON THE GREENWAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONNECT ENCORE PARKWAY TO THE GREENWAY, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT, THE NEXT BIG ONE OF THE NEXT BIG PROJECTS IS THE ALPHA LINK IS GONNA GO FROM ENCORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 400 ALL THE WAY TO, UM, HAYNES BRIDGE.
SO NOW WE'RE CONNECTING DOWNTOWN TO, UM, THE GREENWAY.
THIS IS ALL GONNA BE A WOODEN WALKWAY BECAUSE IT'S, NO, IT'S NOT WOODEN.
IT'S THAT, IT'S THE SAME THING AS IF WHEN YOU WALK ON THE ALPHA LOOP, UM, OVER THAT BRIDGE OF THAT BRIDGE, YEAH.
NO, NO WOOD, NO WOOD CEMENT FROM HERE DOWN THE TRAIL.
WELL, WELL THE, YEAH, IT'LL BE THE RAISE BOARDWALK.
WE'RE GONNA, WHEN WE CAN, AFTER WE GET PAST A CERTAIN POINT, WE CAN GO DOWN AND HAVE CONCRETE, UH, ON GRADE AS THEY WILL ON, ONLY COME UP ON A COUPLE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE TO, WHERE WE KNOW IS LOW.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE HIGH THE WHOLE WAY.
WE'RE GONNA GET DOWN AS QUICK AS WE CAN, UM, GET BACK DOWN TO GRAY TOWARDS, NO, IT'LL BE CEMENT.
AND THEN THIS IS JUST ANOTHER SHOT OF THAT, OF THAT SAME, LOOKING AT THAT.
AND THEN THROW IN A PICTURE FOR AMANDA.
UM, UH, SO IY Y'ALL GET, Y'ALL GET MY PHOTO OF THE MONTH, RIGHT? SO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, MAYBE A WEEK AND A HALF AGO BEFORE, RIGHT BEFORE I SENT OUT THE LAST ONE, I REALIZED I HADN'T DONE A PHOTO OF THE MONTH.
SO I KIND OF PANICKED AND I SAID, SO I SENT OUT THE STAFF, I NEED A PHOTO OF THE MONTH.
UM, SO, BUT THIS ONE I REALLY ENJOYED, ALTHOUGH I DID SEND THE OTHER ONE FROM THE MUSIC BECAUSE MUSIC ALWAYS TRUNKS WITH ME.
SO, UM, SO, BUT I GOT THIS ONE FROM, UM, EMILY THAT WORKS AT THE, OUT AT THE FARM.
AND I JUST LOVE THIS BECAUSE IT SHOWS PEOPLE, THAT SHOWS WHAT AMANDA WAS EXPLAINING.
BUT THIS IS OUR BRAND NEW GREENHOUSE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FULL.
AND ALL OF THOSE LITTLE PLANTS ARE GOING TO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHEN THEY GET, WHEN THEY GROW UP AND GET BIG ENOUGH, AMANDA'S GONNA SEND 'EM OUTTA THE HOUSE AND MAKE 'EM STAY WHEREVER THEY'RE AT.
SO IT'S JUST, I JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS KIND OF, KIND OF GIVES YOU THAT WHOLE CIRCLE OF LIFE STUFF AND ALL LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST, I JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, THE FOLKS THAT HELPED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, THE REC BOARD, UH, MEETING THAT NIGHT AND UH, THAT WAS A GOOD NIGHT.
SO, UM, WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING OUT AND HELPING.
UM, AND I THINK THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO FIND, AND I, Y'ALL GONNA HAVE TO, DID, YOU SENT ME THAT THING, THE BIKE SHARE THING.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE LAST THING I'M GONNA SHARE IS IF Y'ALL REMEMBER BACK BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, UM, WE HAD TER BIKE SHARE, RIGHT? YOU COULD GET ON A, YOU
[01:05:01]
COULD GET ON A BIKE RIDE FOR AN HOUR OR SO, AND THEN IF AFTER THAT YOU HAD TO PAY FOR IT, THEN ZAGSTER DURING THE PANDEMIC JUST SHUT THEIR DOORS DOWN, CLOSED UP.WE DON'T, THEY NEVER CALLED US AGAIN.
THEY LEFT THE BIKES, THE STATIONS, EVERYTHING.
WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO GET IT STARTED BACK UP.
BUT, UM, WE NOW HAVE FIVE PARTNERS AND WE'RE GONNA START A BIKE SHARE BACK UP.
TANDEM IS THE GROUP, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY, THEY'RE AT THE NORTH, UH, THE MALL OVER THERE.
AND, AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE BIKE WAY OVER THERE.
THEY HAVE ABOUT 12 STATIONS OVER THERE.
IT'S THE SAME GROUP THAT'S DOING THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH FIVE LOCATIONS ON THE TOP LEFT HAND THAT'S IN DOWNTOWN, UH, THE ALPHARETTA CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU IS SPONSORING THE ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN TOWN GREEN.
UM, UH, NUMBER, NUMBER THAT, WELL, SO THAT'S NUMBER TWO.
SO AVALON'S GONNA SPONSOR ONE.
NUMBER THREE IS AT WHERE THE BIG SKY IS, THE TUNNEL BRIDGE GOING UNDER WEST SIDE.
THERE'S GONNA BE A STATION THERE THAT'S BEING SPONSORED BY TRUE NORTH, UM, TRUE NORTH AS WELL AS THE ONE AT, THIS IS WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, RIGHT HERE IS WHERE THE NEW PARK IS AND IT'S GOING IN AT WHAT WE CALL THE, UM, NORTH POINT PARK.
UM, AND THEN ONE AT ROCK MILL.
SO THE, THE ONE AT ROCK MILL IS GONNA BE SPONSORED BY UM, NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL.
YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE US MONEY EACH YEAR.
SO, UH, WE THINK IT'S A GOOD USE OF, OF THE MONEY FOR THE DO THAT.
SO WE GOT NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL DOING ONE TRUE NORTH, DOING TWO, AVALON DOING ONE AND CONVENTION VISITORS BUREAU.
SO WE'RE NOT USING ANY TAXPAYERS TO BRING THIS SERVICE BACK TO THE, UM, TO THE PUBLIC.
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAVE TO, YOU'LL HAVE TO ENTER YOUR CREDIT CARD TO GET ACCESS TO THE BIKE.
YOU'LL GET ONE FREE HOUR BASED, UM, BASED ON JUST IF YOU JUST REGISTER.
AND THEN IT'S $2 AND 50 CENTS FOR EACH HALF HOUR AFTER THAT.
E-BIKES OR REGULAR BIKES? REGULAR BIKES.
THERE'S FIVE BIKES AT EACH STATION.
SO THE TOTAL WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF, WE'RE GONNA START WITH A TOTAL OF 25 BIKES.
YOU CAN PART, YOU CAN PICK IT UP AT ANY OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
YOU CAN DROP IT OFF AT ANY OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO AND YOU WERE DOWNTOWN, YOU COULD GET ON YOUR, YOU CAN GET A BI BIKE, RIDE IT ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE GREENWAY AND THEN UBER HOME, LEAVE IT AS LEAVE IT OUT THERE OR VICE VERSA.
NOW THE HOPE IS, IS THAT OTHER BUSINESSES AND OTHER ENTITIES ARE GONNA WANT PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND IF THEY DO, ALL THEY GOTTA DO IS SAY, I WILL PAY THE MONEY TO TANDEM.
THEY DROP THE STATION IN AND THEY JUST BECOME PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WE HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BIKE.
TANDEM TAKES CARE OF ALL THE MAINTENANCE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH YOUR PAYMENT, TANAMA HANDLES THAT AND THEY ALSO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THE BIKES ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
'CAUSE EVERY ONE OF THESE BIKES HAS A LITTLE GPS IN IT, SO THEY'LL KNOW WHERE THAT BIKE IS AT ALL TIMES.
I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHAT A SPONSORSHIP WOULD COST FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE SPONSORSHIP IS $12,000 A YEAR.
AND THE, EACH OF THOSE, EACH OF THOSE GROUPS HAS SIGNED ON FOR A THREE YEAR COMMITMENT.
AND SO MOST OF THE FEES THAT ARE, ARE GENERATED FROM THAT GO TO THAT COMPANY? THAT'S NO, ALL OF THE FEES WILL COME BACK TO US.
THAT, THAT THE COMPANY GETS THAT $12,000, THAT'S THE POP THE BIKES IN, TAKE CARE OF 'EM ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE, THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT WILL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA, RIGHT? AND SO ANY, SO IF YOU RIDE IT FOR TWO, YOU RIDE IT FOR TWO HOURS AND YOU PAY $5, THAT $5 COMES TO THE CITY.
AND WE'RE JUST GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT IN, UH, A BIKE ACCOUNT.
SO, AND THEN USE THAT MONEY FOR, FOR SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE PERTAINING TO THIS PROGRAM.
AND WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? WE ARE GOING TO MARION COUNCIL ON MAY THE 13TH.
AND THEN ONCE, IF, IF THEY APPROVE, WHICH I, I THINK THEY WILL BECAUSE IT, IT IS A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM.
BUT IF THEY APPROVE THAT, THEN WITHIN 10 WEEKS THE BIKES WILL BE ON SITE AND READY TO USE.
UH, TANDEM BASICALLY SAID IT MIGHT BE SHORTER THAN THAT, BUT THEY ARE, THEIR, THEIR HEADQUARTERS ARE OUT OF, I WANNA SAY SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDWEST.
SO THEY SAID THEY TRY TO WAIT TILL THEY GET ENOUGH ON THE BUY ON THE, ON A BUS TO MAKE IT ON A TRUCK TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, BUT THEY GUARANTEE IT WITHIN 10 WEEKS, BUT THEY THINK IT'LL BE A GOOD BIT SOONER.
SO WE'RE PRETTY, AGAIN, EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THIS, WE GET, WE'VE BEEN
[01:10:01]
ASKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S THE BIKES COMING BACK 'CAUSE THEY WERE BEING IN HEAVILY USED, UH, WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY MAY HAVE.
CHANTEL, I, ARE Y'ALL STILL PLANNING ON DOING THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR WACKY WORLD ON MAY 16TH ON THAT SATURDAY? WELL, IF YOU REMEMBER, IF I, IF I THINK I PROBABLY GAVE YOU THAT DATE AND I TOLD YOU THAT WAS SIMPLY CIRCLED ON THE CALENDAR.
RIGHT? SO TAKE YOUR PENCIL AND ERASE THAT OFF OF THE 16TH
IT'S PROBABLY BEING GONNA BE CLOSER TO THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH ICAN, THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
WE REALLY WANT TO, WE REALLY WANT TO GET THE RESTROOM OPEN AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, UM, BECAUSE THEY SHARE ENTRANCES AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS ONE COMPLETED AND PEOPLE, THEN WORKERS ARE GONNA BE COMING IN AND OUT OF THAT.
WE REALLY DON'T, WE REALLY WANT TO TRY TO GET THAT.
AND WE THINK, UM, IT'S, UH, MARK, UH, WITH, I CAN TOLD ME TODAY HE THINKS THE END OF MAY, THAT'S DOABLE TO OPEN THAT.
SO THAT'S, WE'RE LOOKING MAYBE AT THAT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING, I DIDN'T SAY WE WERE GONNA DO THAT.
I SAID WE'RE TRYING TO HIT THAT DAY.
WE WANT TO GET IT OPEN AS SOON AS WE CAN FOR SURE.
OH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE PLANTING ANY TREE? OH, SORRY.
WE PLANTING ANY TREES IN A HORSE RINK AT ALL, OR? YES.
WE'RE SO NOT JUST PAVILIONS FOR SHADE, LIKE THEY'RE GONNA PLANT OH NO.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA PLANT, YEAH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE MOVED, THERE WERE, WE MOVED NINE MEMORIAL TREES.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, YEAH, THERE'S A WHOLE LANDSCAPE PLAN.
SO THERE'S OTHER TREES GOING IN, A GOOD NUMBER OF TREES.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT.
AND, AND AROUND WHERE THAT, WHERE THOSE UM, UH, DETENTION PONDS ARE, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME TREES, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT LOCATION, UH, THERE'S NOT GONNA TAKE AWAY THE INTEGRITY OF THE, OF THE YEAH, NO, I KNOW WHEN WE BUILD DETENTION PAN AND WE HAVE TO DO SPECIAL TREES, BUT OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THERE'S THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE A, THERE'S QUITE A FEW TREES GOING IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S SO OPEN NOW.
AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR NATE.
NATE COULD TELL YOU WHAT SPECIES STREET'S GOING IN THERE AND ALL LIKE THAT, RIGHT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE ONE, UH, I SAW A CVB CAME OUT WITH A GRAY VIDEO ABOUT THE WORLD CUP AND ALPHARETTA RECENTLY.
ARE, ARE WE PLANNING, I DON'T KNOW IF PARKS AND REC OR THE CITY OR ANYBODY, ARE WE PLANNING ON DOING ANY KINDA EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD CUP, LIKE WATCH PARTIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UH, THERE IS, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW I AN ANSWER THIS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T USE THEIR NAME IN ANYTHING UNTIL THEY HAVE SANCTIONED THAT.
SO AGAIN, UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE IS CONVERSATION BEING HAD ABOUT POSSIBLE WATCH PARTIES, BUT LICENSES HAVE TO COME INTO PLAY AND WHERE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HAS TO, HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S JUST HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO, TO TELL YOU OTHER THAN IT'S BEING CONSIDERED.
UH, YEAH, MORGAN, I'LL JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE REC DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL PULLED OFF THAT WACKY WORLD THING, HOW ORGAN ORGANIZED, HOW ORGANIZED IT WAS.
BUT ME TO, TO YOU GUYS AND I'M SURE THE ENTIRE BOARD HERE, WE THANK YOU GUYS.
YOU, YOU GUYS WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND CALL OF DUTY.
WELL, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU JOHN.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WE PUT IT OFF
I FIGURED THAT WAS GONNA BE THE ANSWER MORGAN
BUT I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU PUT A GOOD TEAM TOGETHER AND THAT THOSE 10 AND THAT TEAM HAS A SHARED VISION THAT GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AT WACKY WORLD.
EXACTLY WHAT, UH, AND I, AND I DON'T WANNA START CALLING OUT ANY NAMES BECAUSE THEN I WOULD BE, BE REMISS, PROBABLY MISSED SOME, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, OUR TEAM RESPONDED.
EVERYBODY ON OUR TEAM RESPONDED WHEN THEY NEEDED TO.
AND IT REALLY SHOWED BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU HOW, HOW THAT SAUSAGE WAS MADE.
NOBODY, IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE THAT SAUSAGE, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
IT WAS THE, JUST THE, IT WAS THE UNDERTAKING.
BUT I'M TELLING YOU, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, I HAVE JOKINGLY SAID, IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'D DO.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, I'D STILL DO IT.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T BUILD A PLAYGROUND.
WE BUILT, WE WERE BUILDING COMMUNITY AND WE GOT A PLAYGROUND OUT OF THE PROCESS.
AND I'M TELLING YOU REALLY WAS WORTH THE EFFORT PROCESS THOUGH.
EVERYBODY, YOU GOTTA AGREE ONE, IF YOU WERE TOLD I THINK ORANGE ONE IF YOU WERE HAMMERING OH YEAH.
SO IT, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, YOU KNOW, GOT, YOU GOT, GOT, GOT LET SEE, A LOT OF OLD FRIENDS, THAT MAKES A LOT OF NEW FRIENDS.
SO, UM, AND THE, THE WACKY WORLD STORIES CONTINUE AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY KIND OF WARMS YOUR HEART WHEN YOU KNOW, THOSE STA WACKY WORLD STORIES ARE GONNA CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 30 OR 40 YEARS.
[01:15:01]
TO YOU GUYS.I'LL MAKE SURE THE TEAM, I PASS THOSE THANKS ALONG TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE? WHAT DO Y'ALL PLAN ON DOING WITH THE BRICKS THAT YOU SOLD FOR WACKY WORLD? WHERE WOULD THAT OH, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING
UM, AND SO ARE THEY GONNA MAKE A PATHWAY OR ARE THEY GONNA MAKE YEAH, THEY'RE GONNA BE RIGHT THERE IN THE PATHWAY.
SO, UM, THE ENTRANCE, WE, WE'VE LINED UP THE ENTRANCE TO WACK WORLD TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE, OF THE RESTROOM.
SO RIGHT IN BETWEEN THAT IS GONNA BE A PLAZA AND THOSE BRICKS ARE GOING RIGHT THERE IN THAT PLAZA.
AND I THINK WE SOLD, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER, FOUR OR 500 BRICKS.
SO, AND ARE THOSE, ARE THOSE STILL FROM SALE? YES, THEY ARE.
NOW, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU NOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA, WHEN WE OPEN, THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THING ABOUT BRICKS IS, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WE CAN PULL UP A BRICK AND PUT IN THE, PUT IN THE A GRAVE BRICK.
SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS ALL THE SPONSORS AND THE BRICKS, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE BRICKS THEMSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE SPELLING IS RIGHT.
THAT EVERY NAME THAT IS THAT WAS ON THERE IS RIGHT.
UM, UH, BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN BE REPLACED, BUT IT CAN'T BE REPLACED.
ONCE THEY SEE IT'S WRONG, THEY ALWAYS KNOW IT'S BEEN, IT WAS WRONG EVEN WHEN YOU REPLACE IT.
THE FIRST TIME WAS VERY CLEAR.
95% OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE CLEAR.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
I WAS GONNA ASK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PURPLE PLAYGROUND AT WILLS PARK? IT WAS CLOSED OFF A WEEK OR SO AGO.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE, THERE WERE ONE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THAT.
THERE'S A, THERE'S LIKE A, A, A SLIDE THAT MM-HMM
ONE OF THOSE HAD COMES, HAD GOT A SPLIT IN IT, SO WE HAD TO CLOSE.
THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS TO CLOSE THE PLAYGROUND AND GET THAT REPAIRED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY IT WAS COOL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR ROGERS.
UH, NOW IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'LL COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ABOUT ONCE TWICE.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT ON? ALL RIGHT.
AND THEN I WILL ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BEACH.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY BOARD MERAN AND SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER BEACH THAT WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6:49 PM I'LL NOW CALL FOR A VOTE.
HOW VOTE? I'M NOT ON THERE, CAN YOU? ALRIGHT.