Field Recreation Advisory Association Board Meeting Minutes February 18, 2019
In Attendance: Sally Watson, Paulina O’Brien, Greg Dowman, Sonya Leenders, Kathryn Cameron, and Charisse D’hamers
Excused: Karen Schmidt, Flint Palmer
1. Meeting Schedule Review – Trip plans for the next couple of months: who’s here, who’s away.
Kathryn – away February 19 to 22, April 25 to May 6 and May 10 to 17.
Paulina – away for a week in May.
Sonya – away May 3, 4 and 5.
Charisse – away April 10 to May 10.
Sonya to chair Town Hall Meeting on May 13.
2. Event Recap and Reports
Hockey Tournament (January 18 and 19) hosted by Kurt Devlin was great. Role of the FRAA in the event is to pay for liquor; Kurt manages all other parts of the event, including volunteers.
Yoho Blow 2019 (February 1, 2 and 3) was a memorable event. Really great community participation and winter celebration – until the real Yoho Blow started late Saturday afternoon. Cancelled the Anything Goes Downhill Race due to extreme cold weather and rescheduled the Pot Luck Supper to Sunday, February 10 due to power outage on February 3. All other events went ahead. Congratulations to all the teams and people who excelled in contests. Event organizers excelled in the challenge making! Event checklist seems like a functional tool. Template to be circulated to board members – will be added to the FRAA Operations Manual.
Groove is in the Heart, Valentine’s Day dance with Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra. Good music, good turnout, great dancing! Our arrangement with the band is that they receive door admissions and the FRAA receives all bar profits.
Sally to present event financial reports at the Town Hall Meeting on March 11.
3. Volunteer Appreciation
FRAA relies on volunteers to make community events and programs succeed. Thank you to all the people who find the time and energy to help build the community. Discussion on how to say thanks and ways to encourage increased volunteer participation so we don’t burnout the current willing cadre of volunteers.
Volunteer appreciation could include a drink ticket or (a drink at end of shift), event entry, a paid out for night of fun somewhere for bowling, curling, a great fun evening at @ High Rollers; purchase a ticket for Field Summer Music Festival; host a supper event for volunteers. Suggestions? Requests? FRAA will pay for ‘Serving it Right’, a $35 value. Apply for grant money to seniors’ Federal Government New Horizons Grant. Paulina to make a list of folks to approach directly to ask if interested in helping us in bar shifts and cleanups during and after events.
4. Winter Programs and Upcoming Events
Tuesdays 3:30 pm – St. Joseph Project meeting at Truffle Pigs
Wednesday 6:00 pm – Just Breathe Yoga with Hayley Markel at the Community Hall
Thursday 7:30 pm and Sunday 6:30 pm – Tabata High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)with Laura Penner on Thursdays and self-directed on Sundays at the Community Hall
Early Childhood Programming: Charisse meeting with resource people in Golden to tap in to available programs that can be offered in Field. Currently, the local group gets together as schedules permit. Use of Community Hall not limited to room downstairs.
Monday, April 22, 2019 – Earth Day Community Clean-Up and Easter Potluck Brunch. Clean-Up starts at 10 am. Potluck at noon. Sonja will take lead on this event. Candy for the kids; Easter Egg hunt in the Community Hall.
Sunday, June 2, 2019 – Spring Fling. Paulina will take the lead for this event. Will ask Flint if he can do tunes for door receipts, or if he knows of a band that may be interested. FRAA to run the bar. Yoga rental until early afternoon this date; to decorate and set up after rental group has finished.
Monday, July 1, 2019 – Canada Day. Kathryn will take the lead for this event. $500 grant received from Canadian Heritage. Will follow same model as last year.
Note: Organizations, like the FRAA, are allowed to apply for up to 3 liquor licenses per month, not to exceed more than 24 liquor licenses per year.
Hall Bookings for 2019 to date:
March 11 – Parks Canada
May 31, June 1 and 2 – Yoga
June 21, 22 and 23 – Jill Drader
August 16, 17 and 18 – Erin Evans
October 18, 19 and 20 – Jill Drader
November 8, 9 and 10 – Jill Drader
5. Emergency Preparedness Update
Kudos to Field Fire and Rescue and engaged residents who responded so positively to make certain all people in Field were in warm, secure housing during the power outage Feb 3, 2019. Thank you to BC Hydro crews who worked in extreme weather conditions to restore power as quickly as they did. This event highlighted the need to update protocols and contact info.
Field Emergency Services Questionnaire circulated to community to update contact information and residence information, i.e. people who live in the home, rental suite, heat sources. If you have not filled out a questionnaire, they are available at the Post Office. If you have not returned your completed questionnaire, you can return it to the Post office.
BC Hydro Conference Call Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 9:30 am to 10:30 am to discuss specific power outages of February 3 and February 8, and outages in Field in general; communications protocols and distribution lists; Field Emergency Plan status and update timeline; vegetation management update; and Energy Storage Facility (back-up battery).
FRAA offers condolences to families of the three men who died in the CPR derailment on February 4, 2019, and to our neighbours who work at the bunkhouse and knew the men.
6. St. Joseph Project Development Update
Board continues to research grant options/eligibility. CBT Heritage Grant deadline for application is March 15, 2019, the final intake for this grant. Kathryn and Craig in discussion with Jennifer Dunkerson, Heritage Planner Columbia Basin Region. Grants preferable to loans for the project.
Meeting with Kathleen Wilker, Parks Canada Development Officer on March 11, 2019 to discuss plans for the redevelopment and development application process. Next step with the design phase is engineered drawings if our proposal meets guidelines.
7. Field Summer Music Festival (FSMF)
Flint has signed Whitetooth Brewery as a sponsor for the event, responsible for Beer Garden staffing and project. Will make a donation to FSMF.
Scat Cat on board as partial sponsor. 4 porta-potties for $940 plus tax.
Volunteer Coordinator to manage 25 volunteers from security to runners, ticket handlers, etc. Brings FSMF to 4 volunteer staff.
How can people purchase tickets?
8. Constitution Update and Operations Manual
Sonya, Kathryn and Andrew Bartels working on draft. Suggested that we look at FFRD constitution for template.
9. Contribution Agreement Status
The Contribution Agreement between FRAA and Parks Canada expired March 31, 2018. New agreement is in process.
10. Field Utility Board Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 10:30 am at Field Admin
1. Quarterly Reports for 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters
We haven’t had a FUB for several months and I don’t think we’ve seen any reports for this fiscal year.
2. Where is Parks Canada at with billing for water, sewer and garbage?
3. Field Emergency Plan – What is the timeline for updating the existing document?
4. Field Fire and Rescue – Currently a ‘volunteer’ organization. Field Recreation Advisory Association supports a shift to two full-time positions for FFRD, and upgrades to the Fire Hall to accommodate needs of the department. This option has been in discussion for over three years now. Volunteer firefighters in the community provide excellent service in emergency situations to national park visitors, people travelling through Yoho National Park en route to other destinations to the east and west of Field, to CPR and to residents. It’s a big commitment for people who have jobs, families and full, rich lives. The FRAA feels it’s important to acknowledge the amount of time involved in administration of the department. What are Parks Canada plans for these positions and hall upgrades?
5. Snow Removal – 1st Avenue is down to one lane of traffic, and snow banks are so high that sight lines are impacted and it’s difficult to get in and out of driveways safely. Stephen Avenue downtown also has very high snow banks and limited parking for businesses. Who is the current manager of Highway Service Centre?
6. The contribution agreement between Parks Canada and the FRAA expired on March 31, 2018. What is the status of the new agreement?
7. FRAA insurance invoices have been submitted to the Townsite Office in Field. Have they been sent for payment?
8. What is the status of Facilitated Meetings and the MOU between Parks Canada and the FRAA?
9. 2019 is year for spring bin(s) for the community. Generally they are here the first two weeks in June. Please confirm this will happen this year.
11. Town Hall Meeting Agenda
Monday, March 11, 2019 7:00 pm at Field Community Hall
1. Presentation School District No. 6, with support from Parks Canada to provide additional information if necessary and answer questions
2. Presentation Parks Canada Fire and Vegetation Manager Greg Walker
3. Information Update Peak Broadband
4. FRAA Report
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Parks Canada Reports
Townsite Manager
Highway Service Centre
7. Friends of Yoho
8. Field Fire and Rescue
12. Round Table
Paulina hopes to offer Zoomba this summer. Best option is as an FRAA program, admission fee to cover instruction, license fee to Zoomba and 20% fee to use the hall. Greg interested in providing live percussion for classes.
Charisse working on Early Childhood Development grant application and programming for next year.Sonya proposed holding a garage sale and plant swap in the Community Hall on June 8, 2019. Details to follow.
