Minutes - July 24, 2019
NOBLE COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MINUTES OF THE JULY 24, 2019 SPECIAL MEETING
NOBLE COUNTY PARKS SUMMIT
Board Members Present: Scott Allen, Jim Haddock, Jeff Boyle, John Metzger, Doug Keenan.
Guests: Lori Gagen (Noble County EDC), Kenneth Hughes (Noble County Plan Commission), Justin Stump (Noble County Commissioner), Emily Schneider (Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau), Steve Hook (Noble County GIS Coordinator), Heather DeLorenzo (Chain O Lakes State Park), Casey Myers (Albion Parks Department), Judy Laur Bish (Elkhart Township), Donna Schwartz (Elkhart Township Trustee), Matt Getts (KPC Media), Megan McClellan (Fort Wayne Trails), Ken Schuman (Ligonier Park Board), Deanna Spidel (Noble Trails), Nestor Gonzalez (Town of Albion).
The July 24, 2019 meeting of the Noble County Parks and Recreation Board Parks Summit was called to order by Facilitator Lori Gagen at 10:00 AM. Introductions by those present were made.
Scott Allen thanked the participants for attending, and gave a historical perspective of the Noble County Parks Department and the reason for the Parks Summit. Scott noted that it will be beneficial moving forward for all of the Parks Departments and recreational groups to work together for the promotion of parks and recreation in Noble County, as well as seeking funding.
County Promotion:
Lori Gagen noted that there is a great need to promote the recreational opportunities in Noble County. Lori has been working on several resources that will assist visitors in finding information on what to do in Noble County. A Community Calendar is available, that uses a Spin Go platform. The Noble County EDC is working to bring calendars of other organizations into one community calendar that will reach more people more effectively. Google Place is another resource for posting locations for recreation. Noble County EDC, KPC Media and Noble County Thrive are already using the Community Calendar.
Kendallville Parks Department: The Kendallville Parks Department is working on Phase 2 of the Outdoor Recreation Center. They are also putting together an Endowment Fund for parks maintenance. The tennis courts will be renovated soon, and a disc golf course in being developed.
DNR Launch Site: Kenneth Hughes reported on the status of new boat launch sites on the Elkhart River. The Cosperville site is cost prohibitive, but a different site on the South Branch of the Elkhart River is being pursued.
Northeast Indiana Regional Water Trails:
Megan McClellan, Executive Director of Fort Wayne Trails and Board Member of Indiana Greenways reported that there is a group called Northeast Indiana Regional Water Trails. The Elkhart River and the Chain O Lakes State Park would be great additions to the Water Trails.
Albion Parks Department: Casey Myers, Superintendent of the Albion Parks Department, reported on several recent projects. The Croft Ditch, that runs through Hidden Diamonds Park, is going to have repair work and erosion control work done in the near future. There are plans for expanding the trails at Hidden Diamonds. The Pickle Ball Court is being used regularly, and the Splash Pad has been extremely busy this year. Baseball and Soccer leagues are also doing well.
Ligonier Parks Department: Jeff Boyle reported that some changes have been made to the Ligonier Parks Board, and improvements are coming to the use of the ball diamonds and the parks. There are six parks in Ligonier. The Splash Pad has been very busy this summer, as well as disc golf. A second phase of trail development is in the works, which will bring another 1 ½ miles in the Strawberry Valley Cultural Trail. A video for Ligonier has been created and launched, with 20,000 views in the first day. Ken Schuman noted that the video is very effective, and will bring people to Ligonier. Outlooks and pavilions are being planned along the Elkhart River in Ligonier.
Chain O Lakes State Park: Heather DeLorenzo, Assistant Director of Chain O Lakes State Park, reported that the park receives 300,000 visitors each year, with an annual income of $1.2 million. Kayaking and canoeing are very popular. There are 23 miles of trails in Chain O Lakes State Park. The Ignite Trail group help each year with trail maintenance, and sponsor the 100 mile and 40 mile runs.
Noble Trails Program: Deanna Spidel reported that the Fishing Line Trail now connects Rome City to Kendallville. Noble Trails is working with the City of Kendallville for further trail development in Kendallville. Also, another section of trail is being planned in the Rome City area. Scott Allen noted that Noble Trails is willing to work with other parks and organizations in Noble County for trail development. Megan McClellan noted that the Indiana Greenway Project has funds available through grants.
Albion Learning and Recreation Community Center: Lori Gagen reported that a group is working to develop the Albion Learning and Recreation Community Center, which is located west of Albion at the former golf course. Funds are being raised for a recreational and community building to be located on the six acre site.
Elkhart Township:
Donna Schwartz, Elkhart Township Trustee, noted that the Elkhart River is a great recreational opportunity for Elkhart Township and Noble County. Elkhart Township will be renovating the ball diamonds and park in Wawaka. Judy Bish is working with Donna on making Wawaka a more attractive place to visit and live.
Noble County Recreational Inventory: Steve Hook, Noble County GIS Coordinator, reported on the Noble County Recreational inventory and interactive maps. The maps for the county are layered, so visitors can view the locations of different recreational options by category, such as fishing, golfing, hiking , etc.
Roundtable Discussion: Jim Haddock noted that we have many great hiking trails in Noble County, and our emphasis moving forward should be the development and promotion of our water trails. Jim noted that the South Branch of the Elkhart River needs a great amount of work to be navigable. The North Branch is in better shape, but still requires a lot of cleaning to make it more navigable.
Emily Schneider, Interim Director of the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau, reported that the CVB is promoting outdoor recreational opportunities in Noble County. Their new logo feature water recreation.
Next Steps: The consensus of the group was that this was a valuable meeting, and should be held twice each year, once in the spring and once in the fall. An important topic for the next meeting would be funding and grants. Perhaps a representative from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources could share with the group tips for funding.
Scott Allen and Lori Gagen thanked everyone for coming, and noted that comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to noblecoparks@gmail.com .
Meeting adjourned at 11:50 AM.