February Meeting Minutes

2/2/22

• Minutes approved
• Treasurer’s Report approved
• Next meeting: JROC elections
• HFW 
  • Renewed focus from contractor; progress being made. Pumping out lower water areas. Putting in rebar and footers
  • Planning to take it one section at a time instead of the entire dam area.
  • They are aware of the area’s flooding potential. Lower spots are the priority. 
  • Mid-April at the latest completion date according to contractor
• JRPS 
  • Potentially $30m for JRP master plan in state-amended budget
  • $78m dedicated to Richmond parks n rec, especially Reedy Creek greenway, James River Branch, and Texas Beach tower
  • Close to adding another 122 acres to the 408 acres of conservation easement- protected in perpetuity
  • ADA path at Pumphouse. Estimates coming in for ballroom and roof repair, bridge construction. 
  • We are under the impervious surface percentage maximum. Next 120+ acres need to be surveyed and will need grants; complex properties. DCR should provide some assistance. 
    • HFW parking lot and new ramp considered impervious. EnRichmond Foundation, etc. have to approve projects in areas w/in conservation easement. 
  • Ancarrow’s ramp closed. Turbidity curtain around it. Next week or so a large silt removal happens just in time for the shad run. 
  • Visitation
    • 73,549 – lowest since 2018 in January. Counter malfunctions do not cover this (but Reedy Creek counter needs replacement – $500 or so per counter). Could be due to challenging weather this year. Comparison to 2021: 116,770. 
    • Counters: hardware needs updating. Need to research.
• VOF grant updates
  • English/Spanish river safety map brochures- first draft is done. Minor updates to go.
    • QR code brings up a safety website in the works with more activity-specific info (tubing, etc.)
  • Flip signs: waiting for more feedback for Spanish translations. Almost done- on the verge of being ordered. Change of plans in how they’re going to be mounted- safety signs (always visible) will get mounted somewhere else to get as close to ADA sight-line specs as possible. 21st St tower, for example, will have different safety regs.
• Gear Swap – April 23rd (same day as Monument Ave 10k). OAP Students will be helping plan and put on the swap as part of a class. They will be taking over promotion, organizing, layout, etc. Save The Date will be coming soon to get the word out. JROC and students will be there. JROC will handle transactions; students will help with gear mgmt and tagging prices, etc.
• Magazine
  • Will email out to Board for feedback / edits. One week after that, up for publishing in MagCloud.
• Friends
  • $30m will get a list of projects as a unified front to the city from the master plan – $15m a year for 2 years. 
  • Wood River Run- surpassed initial fundraising goal of $30,000; increased to 50k. Split between scholarships to Passages camp, operating costs, park projects etc. Dominion has made it a priority; will do a relaunch of the event on Feb 16. Race course is Pony Pasture to Huguenot and back. Leashed dogs and strollers allowed.
  • Reedy Creek HQ outdoor classroom- bench installation – ready for camps this summer. Legend’s new beer launch: Raging James Pilsner to benefit Friends. Bill Draper photography- another edition of a parks book which will be wildlife-focused, upcoming. Have sold 1900 of the existing books. $28 from each goes back to Friends. 
  • 50th anniversary of the Park- Aug or Sept festivities!
• Falls
  • Missing Link project- working on concept review then funding
  • Access ramp under I-95 in Master Plan but not listed in parks projects; ramp would take pressure off 14th St lot as a fishing area.
  • Bill in GA to move forward the timeline for CSO issue from 2030 to 2035. Need to watch.
• Projects
  • Past: Tredegar invasive removal successful; rocks spread at 14th St. 
  • Upcoming / proposed: Outdoor classroom, timbers at 14th St steps, building sign posts for new flip signs, cleanup after HFW construction complete