Committee discusses parks master plan and HVAC zoning to improve building tenant comfort

Unidentified Speaker (S2) briefed the Buildings & Grounds committee on two related long-term facility topics: a parks comprehensive-plan study and a continuing HVAC zoning project.

On parks planning, the speaker said the city’s recreational programs — driven in part by a large soccer program — have reached capacity and that staff want engineering quotes to develop a long-term parks plan with public input and staffing recommendations. The speaker noted the city capped soccer registration at 700 participants this season because staffing and field capacity are strained.

On HVAC, staff said the municipal building has a multi-year CIP allocation to split thermostat control so tenants can control their own spaces; ‘‘we've got 20,000 every year in that budget to split it up where every tenant can have their own thermostat,’’ the presenter said. The speaker said staff will return with a resolution in the coming months so council can appropriate the work.

Committee members supported getting public input for the parks plan and asked staff to bring cost estimates and staffing assessments during the next budget cycle.