Parks and Recreation Committee — Charleston, WV
Date: 2023-11-17
Time: 09:30

CITY OF CHARLESTON
 West Virginia
 Council Member – AT LARGE

Caitlin Cook Parks & Recreation Committee, Chair
1534 Summit Drive Facilities, Vice Chair
Charleston, WV 25302 Public Safety Committee
Telephone: 304.543.4879
caitlin.cook@cityofcharleston.org



 A meeting of the Council Committee on Parks and Recreation will be held on November 17, 2023. The
 meeting will begin promptly at 9:30 AM.
 AV ROOM #308, CITY HALL
 Charleston, WV


 Agenda

 APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES

 1. 6-6-2023

 BILLS

 1. Bill No. 7991 - A BILL to amend the Municipal Code relating to city agencies and boards adopting
 wellbeing and conservation goals for the city.

 DISCUSSION

 1. Department Updates




CC/ns
*Meetings may be recorded and broadcast via internet https://charlestonwv.civicclerk




 City Council | 501 Virginia Street, East | Post Office Box 2749 | Charleston, West Virginia 25330
 www.charelstonwv.gov | 304.348.8179 | 304.348.8038 fax

CITY OF CHARLESTON
 West Virginia
 Council Member – AT LARGE

Caitlin Cook Parks & Recreation Committee, Chair
1534 Summit Drive Facilities, Vice Chair
Charleston, WV 25302 Public Safety Committee
Telephone: 304.543.4879
caitlin.cook@cityofcharleston.org



 A meeting of the Council Committee on Parks and Recreation will be held on November 17, 2023. The
 meeting will begin promptly at 9:30 AM.
 AV ROOM #308, CITY HALL
 Charleston, WV


 Agenda

 APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES

 1. 6-6-2023

 BILLS

 1. Bill No. 7991 - A BILL to amend the Municipal Code relating to city agencies and boards adopting
 wellbeing and conservation goals for the city.

 DISCUSSION

 1. Department Updates




CC/ns
*Meetings may be recorded and broadcast via internet https://charlestonwv.civicclerk




 City Council | 501 Virginia Street, East | Post Office Box 2749 | Charleston, West Virginia 25330
 www.charelstonwv.gov | 304.348.8179 | 304.348.8038 fax

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 MINUTES
 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING
 THE MEETING WAS HELD AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC OVER ZOOM
 AT CITY HALL

 5:00 P. M., JUNE 6, 2023

Caitlin Cook, Chairperson, called the meeting of the Charleston City Council Committee
on Parks and Recreation to order at 5:00p.m., June 6, 2023.

Committee Members Present:
Caitlin Cook, Chair
Bruce King, Vice Chair (arrived at 5:13)
Patrick Salango
Frank Annie
Chad Robinson

Committee Members Absent:
Michael Ferrell
Pat Jones


Other Councilmembers Present:



A roll call was taken, and it was determined that a quorum was not present.




 June 6, 2023

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 1. Accepting Aflac donation –

Councilmember Cook introduced Erin Dempsey, who is working through Aflac with
Health Right through a community grant project. They are considering putting a bench
at Magic Island where it is needed. Councilmember Cook added that Council approval
is not needed, but the Administration does want it to be approved by the Parks and
Recreation Committee.

Dempsey added that their team worked to design the benches. They are responsible for
facilitation the location and installation of the benches. Health Right is the second
recipient of the 2023 Community CareGrants. Aflac has specifically requested their
bench be placed at the specified Magic Island location with a dedication ceremony on
June 21.

Councilmember Cook added that Health Right also wanted the bench to be at Magic
Island as it adds to the park neighborhood and the walkability of the area.

Dempsey added that Aflac would like to install the bench prior to the dedication
ceremony date. They would like the Committee to recommend a spot in that area.

With no objection from members being present, the Chair declared the acceptance of
the bench from Aflac as approved.

As to the specific location, Councilmember Cook advised that the closer to the river, the
more likely the bench would take on water from flooding. She added that there is not a
bench by the bath houses, near the splash pad. Councilmember Annie agreed.

With no objection from members being present, the Chair declared the location of the
new bench to be near the splash pad as approved.




Councilmember Annie motioned to adjourn. Councilmember Salango seconded the
motion. Meeting adjourned.




 June 6, 2023

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 Bill No. 7991

 Introduced in Council: Adopted by Council:

 April 17, 2023

 Introduced by: Referred to:

 Emmett Pepper, Frank Annie , ____ Parks and Recreation and
 Becky Ceperley, Mary Beth Hoover, Ordinance and Rules
 Larry Moore, and Joe Solomon

 1 Bill No. 7991 - A BILL to amend and reenact sections 2-533, 50-172, 65-13, and 82-44,
 2 of the Municipal Code of the City of Charleston, as amended, all relating to city
 3 agencies and boards adopting wellbeing and conservation goals for the city.
 4
 5 WHEREAS, access to parkland, open space, nature, and recreational facilities creates a
 6 sense of community through gathering spaces; and benefits the health, happiness, and
 7 lives of Charleston’s residents; and
 8
 9 WHEREAS, according to the Trust for Public Land, about half of the residents of the City
10 of Charleston are within a ten-minute walk (half mile) of a park, while the national
11 average is 55%; and
12
13 WHEREAS, according to the Living Planet Index by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and
14 Zoological Society of London (ZSL), animal species populations have dropped 20%
15 since the first Earth Day in 1970; and
16
17 WHEREAS, for example, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
18 recently listed the migratory monarch butterfly as an endangered species, further
19 justifying the need for city’s monarch waystation in Spring Hill Cemetery Park and other
20 future waystations; and
21
22 WHEREAS, the City’s own operations can affect wildlife through actions such as utilizing
23 native plant species in landscaping, reducing pesticide and insecticide usage, and
24 operating buildings in a bird-safe manner; and
25
26 WHEREAS, according to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, in order to
27 protect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning services, 30% of lands in the world need
28 to be protected; and
29
30 WHEREAS, the City of Charleston currently has approximately 550 of its 20,890 acres
31 available as public parkland, equal to approximately 3%; and
32
33 WHEREAS, the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the nation’s most
34 prominent and historic biodiversity legislation, occurs later this year, on December 28,




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35 2023; and
36
37 WHEREAS, increasingly, scientists believe that people’s mental and physical health
38 benefit from access to natural ecosystems – for example, a 2019 study in the journal
39 Nature found that 120 minutes each week in nature was associated with good health
40 and wellbeing; and
41
42 WHEREAS, having clear direction to all applicable agencies, the City of Charleston will
43 benefit its residents by having goals for ensuring access to public spaces, including
44 natural spaces; and
45
46 WHEREAS, on this Earth Day 2023, the City of Charleston commits to increasing access
47 for its residents to public parks for recreation, access to nature, and the ecosystem
48 services that nature provides through the declarations in this bill, the changes to City
49 code made by this bill, and future actions of the City Council; and
50
51 WHEREAS, the City of Charleston hereby sets as a goal that 5% of the land in the City be
52 reserved for public parks, with at least 3% of land in the City be preserved as natural
53 landscapes; and
54
55 WHEREAS, the City of Charleston hereby sets a goal that 75% of all residents have a
56 public park within a ten-minute (half mile) walk of their homes; and
57
58 WHEREAS, the City of Charleston commits to utilizing native plant species when
59 landscaping and planting, minimize pesticide usage, and operate bird-safe buildings, to
60 the extent pecuniarily practicable; and
61
62 WHEREAS, the City of Charleston seeks opportunities to locate additional monarch
63 butterfly waystations and to otherwise protect the habitats of species of the greatest
64 conservation need (SGCN), as designated by the West Virginia Division of Natural
65 Resources (WVDNR) ), and species on the International Union for Conservation of
66 Nature (IUCN) Red List, that have been found to live in the City; and
67
68 WHEREAS, in furtherance of these goals and objectives, the City Council hereby adopts
69 this ordinance.
70
71 Now, therefore, be it ordained by the Council of the City of Charleston:
72
73 That Sections 2-533, 50-172, 65-13, 82-44, and 90-33 of the Municipal Code of the City
74 of Charleston, as amended, are hereby amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
75
76 CHAPTER 2 - ADMINISTRATION
77 ARTICLE VII. - BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
78 DIVISION 2. - BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION
79 Sec. 2-533. Duties.
80 (a) It shall be the duty of the beautification commission to advise and




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 81 recommend to the mayor or the city council such programs or projects as would, in the
 82 opinion of the commission, improve the beauty and general welfare of the city, and
 83 conform with the development and conservation goals contained in the city's
 84 comprehensive plan.
 85 (b) The mayor or the council may request the advice or cooperation of the
 86 commission for any project or program connected with the beautification, cleanliness or
 87 general welfare of the city.
 88 (c) The commission shall submit an annual report to the mayor, generally
 89 outlining its program and progress during the previous year.
 90 (d) It shall be the duty of the commission to recommend maintenance and
 91 rules of Davis Park, Shanklin Park, Elk River Park and Ruffner.
 92 (e) The commission shall approve recommendations for expenditures from
 93 the municipal beautification project fund.
 94 (f) The commission shall, upon recommendation of the department head,
 95 approve the citywide consulting horticulturalist and make this recommendation to the
 96 finance committee and the city council.
 97 (g) The commission shall serve as the tree board for the city.
 98
 99
100 CHAPTER 50 - ENVIRONMENT
101 ARTICLE V. - TREES
102 Sec. 50-172. Purpose.
103
104 It is the purpose of this article to promote and protect the public health and general
105 welfare in furtherance of the development and conservation goals contained in the city’s
106 comprehensive plan, by providing for the regulations of the planting, maintenance,
107 preservation and removal of trees within the city.
108
109
110 CHAPTER 65 - LAND REUSE AGENCY
111 ARTICLE II. - POWERS AND DUTIES.
112
113 Sec. 65-12. - Redevelopment division.
114 The CLRA redevelopment division shall focus on properties in residential and
115 commercial areas of the city that the CLRA owns or could own with the goal of
116 rehabilitating the neighborhood and general area, in support of policies adopted by the
117 City of Charleston, including development and conservation goals contained in the
118 comprehensive plan. The redevelopment division may recommend to the board that the
119 CLRA acquire property, convey or lease property owned by the CLRA, create land
120 lease agreements for property owned by the CLRA, work with developers to create new
121 redevelopment on CLRA owned property, or make any other recommendation regarding
122 the acquisition, disposal, or development of property. The CLRA redevelopment division
123 shall work with the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority (CURA) to assist in the
124 planning and development of relevant property owned by CURA.
125
126 Sec. 65-13. Conservation division.




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127 The CLRA conservation division shall focus on properties across the city that the CLRA
128 owns or could own with the goal of rehabilitating the area through land conservation,
129 rather than development, in support of policies adopted by the City of Charleston,
130 including development and conservation goals contained in the comprehensive plan.
131 The conservation division may recommend to the board that the CLRA acquire property,
132 maintain, improve and preserve public trust lands, proposals to foster the donation of
133 public trust lands to the city, to encourage the monetary support for public trust lands
134 and to maintain in trust lands and moneys which are owned by or contributed to the city
135 for the purposes of this division.
136
137 "Public trust lands" for purposes of this chapter shall mean and include: lands,
138 easements, leases or any other interest in real property, whether possessory or
139 nonpossessory, having scenic, recreation, historic, woodland, forestry, conservation,
140 preservation or cultural value which are owned or acquired by the city. Public trust lands
141 may include conservation and preservation easements as provided in W. Va. Code, Ch.
142 20, Art. 12.
143
144
145 CHAPTER 82 - PARKS AND RECREATION
146 ARTICLE II. - PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
147 Sec. 82-44. Construction and acquisition of recreational property.
148 The city council may establish, construct, acquire and set aside for recreational parks,
149 playgrounds and other recreational facilities any real or personal property acquired by
150 the city, in furtherance of existing public policies, including the city’s comprehensive
151 plan and the State of West Virginia’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation
152 Plan (SCORP). Such property shall be under the control of the director when turned
153 over to the director by the council.
154




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