CITIZEN COMMENTS: None

A. Approval of the July 21, 2011 minutes.

It was moved by Commissioner Wingfield and seconded by Commissioner Policicchio.

Voice Vote Unanimous

A. Walkable Novi - Commissioners Policicchio & Torimoto

Commissioner Policicchio stated there was no meeting so nothing to report.

B. Novi Parks Foundation - Commissioners Staab and Dooley

Commissioner Dooley stated the Novi Parks Foundation Golf Outing was very successful and everyone had a great time. Commissioners Staab and Tecklenburg will have more information when the final totals are completed and will have a report next month.

STAFF REPORTS:

A. Administration Division-Director Jason Mangum

Director Mangum stated he agreed with Commissioner Dooley about the success of the Novi Parks Foundation Golf outing and thanked all of the sponsors for their participation in the event.

1. Parks/Programs Update

a. ITC Community Sports Park – Baseline sculpture & irrigation

We are in the process of evaluating the proposals for the updated irrigation system and hope to award that by the first City Council meeting in September. The update will replace the main, pump room and the timers.

There will be a dedication ceremony for the Baseline sculpture on September 20^th. We are working with an Eagle Scout candidate who will do some landscaping around the Baseline marker.

Commissioners will get a formal invitation. The public is invited to also come and meet the artist who has put together this project. This is the third of, hopefully, many sculptures commemorating the Michigan Baseline.

b. Fuerst Park – Lighting

The Fuerst Park irrigation is in and working. The lights are in and the concrete bollards are in but the light fixtures are not yet in. They are working on the electrical to be compliant. Some of the bollards were damaged in shipment and are being replaced.

c. Landings – Design award

As discussed last month, we were in the process of reviewing qualifications for the consultant who will finish the design of the project and prepare bid documents and work with us as we prepare for construction. We are ready to award that contract to Hamilton Anderson. They worked with us as one of the consultants on Fuerst Park. We are planning on proposing to award it at the next City Council Meeting.

Commissioner Dooley asked if Director Mangum anticipated the irrigation project at ITC Community Sports Park was going to take several months and would it be ready for the soccer season in the fall or the spring.

Director Mangum replied it would for certain be ready next year for soccer. The way the contract will be written is any digging will have to be back filled the same day so they could potentially get the project done during soccer season with very little interruption.

2. Current Events

a. Fall Engage!

The Engage! will be going to the Post Office tomorrow. What is nice about this edition is this is the first time we have partnered with Community Education. All of their programs will be in this issue. It is a partnership we are looking forward to continuing and hope it is convenient for our citizens. The registrations will still be separate.

b. FireUp Fest

This is a program for teens and takes place after one of the home football games. This year it will occur on September 16^th. We encourage our student representatives on the Commission to be involved because it is to be a teen run event so that your ideas are being used. Emily Stevens is the staff member who is responsible for putting this together.

c. Outdoor Week

Outdoor Week is also in September and will have a lot of outdoor Programming and a family camp out.

d. Fall sports

Fall sports registration is going on now. Soccer is our big sport in the fall. We would like to thank everyone who is already registered and especially all of the coaches who have volunteered. We had a coach’s meeting this week and it was well attended.

e. Fall for Novi

Fall for Novi will be in September. It is the community open house. We encourage all members of our community to come to the Civic Center and participate in that event on September 24^th. Parks and Recreation will be having a booth or two or three to highlight the many things we do from recreation to cultural services to our Senior program.

f. Sizzling Summer Arts Series

Our "Terrific Tuesdays" has ended with great participation and numbers. Our Friday evenings are still ongoing and this Friday is live music. The Candy Band, which is a band for families, will be playing. Next Friday is our viewer’s choice for the movie. The movie that won was "Tangled".

Commissioner Torimoto asked if there will be an information gathering opportunity at Fall for Novi.

Director Mangum stated at this time there are not any plans right now but after the contract is awarded for Landings that may be an opportunity to get some public input.

Commissioner Policicchio asked who the Farmer’s Market was run by.

Director Mangum stated the Farmer’s Market is an event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. It now takes place at Fuerst Park. It will take place every Saturday through October.

Commissioner Wingfield asked if the FireUp Fest is limited to High School students.

Director Mangum stated it is targeted for High School students but we do not just target Novi students. It is generally targeted for High School students.

Commissioner Wingfield stated that last year this was an issue with Middle School students coming in. He asked if a High School ID had to be shown to get in.

Director Mangum stated it is something which should be addressed.

We will be working with Emily Stevens on that.

MATTERS FOR COMMISSION DISCUSSION AND/OR ACTION:

A. Possible action on City of Novi alcohol policy

Director Mangum stated the one recommendation staff had brought forward was to change the policy from bottles only to also include cans and boxed wine but leave in "no kegs". That is the only change to the policy they are recommending. They wanted the Commission to look at it and see if there were any other changes recommended. Commissioner Staab brought up the insurance and we will have the City Attorney review those as necessary.

Commissioner Policicchio asked if this was Commission supported.

Director Mangum stated it is Commission supported because policy was adopted by City Council. Any changes would have to be made by City Council but we would like Commission support to make that change or any other changes.

Commissioner Dooley stated he wanted to point out in the July minutes a discussion was suggested for this meeting.

Commissioner Wingfield asked if there was feedback from those had events and served alcohol.

Director Mangum stated everything has been very positive. We have about two rentals a month who serve alcohol. One of the changes we are making is in the presentation of the paperwork. The only feedback we have gotten from the renters who served alcohol was asking about cans and boxes and this is why we thought it was important to look at that. He feels the policy has been well thought through.

Commissioner Wingfield asked if someone had too much to drink, where the bottom line of liability would lie.

Director Mangum stated as part of the process anyone who provides alcohol must provide liability insurance. The Police Department signs off on every application for alcohol. They know when the alcohol parties will take place.

Student Representative Kerbrat asked if there is a limit on how much alcohol can be brought in to make it a controlled atmosphere.

Director Mangum stated it depends on the number of people. At a certain number of people attending you must have a licensed bartender.

Commissioner Dooley stated he has been in favor of this policy especially

with the proposal change. He asked for a motion to approve the change

in the alcohol policy.

Commissioner Policicchio made a motion to approve the proposed changes to the Novi Civic Center alcohol policy. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Wingfield.

B. Possible action on City of Novi rental policy

Director Mangum state several changes to the rental policy are being recommended many of them are about the way forms are laid out. There a couple of changes to the policy.

Commissioner Wingfield stated he has never rented here so he has not gone through the process. Having reviewed the recommendations that come from the staff dealing with it from day to day, he supports the adjustments which need to be made.

Commissioner Torimoto stated many of the changes are an increase in fee. He asked if this is because things are more costly than thought.

Director Mangum stated it is an increase of decrease. As an example he stated for a rental which would cost $120 it would not make sense to require a $200 deposit. We are changing the structure so it is fair and makes sense. An example of an increase is whenever there is a deposit for alcohol it is either $500 or 50% of rental, depending on the rental size.

Director Mangum stated that the Atrium fee is being made consistent with our other rooms because many times the Atrium is used as a substitute when the quarters are being used.

Commissioner Dooley asked if there is a motion to approve the changes.

A motion was made by Commissioner Wingfield to accept the proposed changes to the Novi Civic Center Rental Policy. It was seconded by Commissioner Torimoto.

Commissioner Wingfield asked if the rate structure is different for Novi Homeowner’s Association, Novi Soccer or Youth Baseball group or similar organizations get a different rate.

Director Mangum replied that civic organizations have a different rate structure which is much lower.

C. Discussion and possible action on adoption of youth sports guidelines -  policies

Director Mangum stated he believes it is important to be consistent with our services so we have drafted guidelines for participating in outdoor events during extreme heat. Those guidelines were distributed to the Commission earlier and he would like to have the opportunity to discuss those guidelines and make the policy.

Commissioner Dooley stated the only thing he would like to add is that he has thought about heat index versus Celsius and believes that because we are a more northern state perhaps Fahrenheit or Celsius is the governing factor as opposed to heat index.

Director Mangum stated that was brought in to consideration. When looking at the research, the weather might be 90 degrees but when the humidity is really high it affects the body, especially of younger people, in a greater way. We are hesitant in looking at just a straight temperature because of the way it affects the body. We were afraid, for example, of having a temperature of 90 when the heat index is 105 which could be dangerous. If it were relatively low humidity and the heat were 90 then the heat index would be lower and safe to play. That is the reason for heat index. He believes we should educate our parents and coaches as they register for sports in potentially hot weather. We do have a policy but it has not been visited in a few years.

Student Representative Kerbrat stated that she has asthma and has had to spend a lot of time inside because the weather makes it hard for her to breathe outside. Her sister has the same problem she has and has had cheer and soccer with difficulty breathing. She believes that Novi should have a policy about the heat.

Commissioner Dooley stated as an asthmatic she is probably relying more on the heat index than the temperature.

Student Representative Kerbrat stated that is true because the humidity actually makes it more difficult to breathe.

Commissioner Wingfield stated he believes we should adopt these guidelines and make our youth baseball and soccer groups aware of them. He has played and coached 20 or 30 years and he believes that one week of extremely hot weather is something which is going to happen maybe once every 10 or 15 years. We should put the policies in place so they are there.

Commissioner Torimoto stated the guidelines are great but he feels what to do could be clearer.

Director Mangum asked if he means communication in the beginning.

Commissioner Torimoto asked how the information would be communicated and then what to do next.

Director Mangum stated if you look at the second page there are notes on how it will be communicated. This will be included in the coaches’ training for our summer sports. The key is educating the parents and coaches.

Commissioner Wingfield made a motion to approve the heat index guidelines for youth sports as presented, that they be implemented by the department and passed on to all of the groups in the City at this time of year. Commissioner Torimoto seconded the motion.

Voice Vote Unanimous

CITIZEN COMMENTS: None

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS:

Student Representative Kerbrat stated that she is looking forward to helping with FireUp Fest and any other activity in conjunction with the High School.

Commissioner Wingfield stated that this year the blue field, Tom Holzer field, is down because of drainage issues. He asked where it came from and what we are going to do to correct it before next year.

Director Mangum state they have been looking in to it and the maintenance crew have looked at it and feel it is a matter of the extreme amount of rain and a depression in the middle of the outfield that has been holding water. Options are being explored to eliminate the problem and what will be most cost effective.

Commissioner Wingfield stated he talked to many of the tournament participants and at some of the places they have played if there had been as much rain the teams would not have been able to play. Even with the rain delay the teams were able to play there games. There were a lot of compliments on the facility, the fields, the City and the way the tournament was run. He did not hear one bad word about Novi and he is proud to be affiliated with it. He also thanked the Novi Parks Foundation for a great Golf Outing.

Commissioner Torimoto stated that he missed the soccer coach’s meeting last night but he looks forward to a good season of coaching and having his daughter play. He asked if there was any feedback from the people who use the park maintenance standards reports about what might need to be done better. He asked if it could even be something like legibility.

Director Mangum stated that there have been no complaints about legibility. He thanked the Commissioners for being out in the parks. There may be a better process of recording and looking at standards and streamlining the process. It is a huge benefit for us to get those reports. Every time there is something mentioned in those reports that is passed on to the maintenance staff and is taken care of immediately.

Commissioner Policicchio commented on the Engage! magazine as cooperation between the schools and the City creating less duplication and more efficiency. He then asked if the facilities were to be rented only by Novi residents and businesses or can anyone come and rent.

Director Mangum stated we have many organizations on a statewide or regional level that come in and use and rent the facilities. An example is a state business organization that Novi businesses belong to or the City belongs to which use the premises on a rental basis. He would have to look at the policy to see if there is anything that prohibits others from renting. He doubts many do because if they live somewhere else it is not convenient. He will see if there is a policy in place that prohibits people from other communities from using the Civic Center.

Commissioner Policicchio stated he is concerned about some of the kinds of people coming in from outside of the state and causing disturbances.

Director Mangum stated he would check on that and if Commissioner Policicchio has specific concerns he would like an e-mail and he can look in to specific groups or concerns. He knows parks are one of the specific places listed as a freedom of speech place in the Constitution. However, he can look at some of the detail of the concerns he may have.

Commissioner Dooley stated the City of Novi and the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit is going to be showing a free movie on August 20^th. This was not on our original schedule. It is going to be "Howl’s Moving Castle." It will be in Japanese with English subtitles. It will be shown at Fuerst Park beginning at 8:30pm.

The Farmer’s Market is at Fuerst Park. He had an opportunity to be there the past two weekends. The Chamber of Commerce is working hard to get citizens to support local businesses and farmers.

On Friday, September 16^th will be the FireUp Fest but the Novi Athletic Booster’s "Taste Fest" is going on in conjunction with that and the High School football game. He will ask Emily Stevens what the age limits are and if the Middle School students can attend as well.

A motion was made to adjourn by Commissioner Wingfield and seconded by Commissioner Policicchio.

The meeting was adjourned by Commissioner Dooley at 7:53 pm.

DATE APPROVED: ___________________________________________________________