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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000 01 24 Consent D Installation of Weatherproof Box COMMISSION AGENDA CONSENT x ITEM D INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING 1/24/2000 Meeting REGULAR MGR.~/DEPT C. Authorization REQUEST: The Parks and Recreation Department requests Commission approval for Elizabeth Bevc and the Senior Girl Scouts and Brownie Troop to install and maintain a weather proof box to hold pamphlets identifying plants and numbered posts along the Bear Creek Nature Trail. PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is to receive Commission approval for the installation and maintenance of a weatherproof box to hold pamphlets identifying plants and numbered posts along the Bear Creek Nature Trail by Elizabeth Bevc and the Senior Girl Scouts and Brownie Troop. CONSIDERATIONS: . The installation and maintenance of a weatherproof holder for information pamphlets about the plant life along the Bear Creek Nature Trail with appropriate posts would improve the educational aspect of the Trail. . Parks and Recreation staff and Mike Mingea, City of Winter Springs Arborist, will assist them and assure proper placement and aesthetic quality of the improvements. . The City of Winter Springs will be participating in a partnership to improve the Bear Creek Nature Trail and also assist Elizabeth Bevc to receive a gold award and appropriate recognition for the Winter Springs Senior Girl Scouts and Brownie Troop. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Commission approve the request of Elizabeth Bevc to install and maintain a weatherproof box to hold pamphlets identifying plants and numbered posts along the Bear Creek Nature Trail and direct that she coordinate this with appropriate City of Winter Springs staff. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE: February of 2000 meet, discuss and plan out the project. Late February-March 2000, install improvements Upon Approval FUNDING: N/A ATTACMENTS: Attachment #1- Letter from Elizabeth Bevc COMMISSION ACTION: Agenda96 2 " .j;:. ';I -." 9> . ~ ,. ATTACHMENT 81 ELIZABETH BEVC 1511 BLACK BEAR COURT WINTER SPRINGS, FL 32708 407-359-7075 January 10, 2000 Chuck Pulla City of Winter Springs Parks and Recreation 1000 East State Road 434 Winter Springs, FL 32708 Dear Mr. Pulla: I am a Senior Girl Scout and am currently working on the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. I have completed the five requirements leading up to this Award by demonstrating organization, time management and other important life skills. I am ready to start working on the community service element of the Gold Award. My community service project must take at least 50 hours to complete. Because I have satisfied the necessary requirements and received approval by the Citrus Council of Girl Scouts, I can now begin my project. However, I need permission from the City of Winter Springs to do the actual work. In the following letter, I have tried to explain exactly what is involved in my project in hopes of gaining approval to start. I would like to do my community service project in Tuscawilla, where I have lived for the past six years. I have hiked, biked and jogged on the Bear Creek Nature Trail off Winter Springs Boulevard for years. Recently I realized that the trail has the capability for educational use as well as recreational. I volunteer with a Girl Scout Brownie troop, which meets in Winter Springs. We recently took a nature hike at the Bear Creek Nature Trail. The girls enjoyed the hike but I felt something was missing. The leaders and I did not know enough about the plants and the wildlife along the trail to provide any background about the inhabitance of the trail. I have kept this experience in mind as I looked for a community service project to complete my Gold Award work. For the past several months, I have worked for consent from the Gold Award committee at Citrus Council. After a written application was received and an interview conducted, my idea for a community service project was approved. I wish to improve the experience of all visitors to the Bear Creek Nature Trail. I would like to create a pamphlet with information on the native plants along the Bear Creek Nature Trail. The pamphlet will be directed at elementary school children and include a small map of the trail, ideas to help the environment and numbered paragraphs containing information on the plants. These numbered paragraphs would correspond to numbers on posts placed along the trail. The posts would be 4"x4" , the top cut at a 450 angle with a number grouted into the top and painted for easy readability. The information in the pamphlet would contain the scientific and common name of the plant being identified as well as background on flowering, growth patterns, and other interesting facts. These pamphlets will be stored ina weatherproof mailbox in the parking lot area at the head of the trail. t." I "~' ~ - -2- January 10, 2000 I have already visited the sight and done some preliminary work with my sponsor, Michael Mingea. Mr. Mingea is the aborist of Winter Springs and has been my consultant since the beginning of the project During one of these visits, we began to identify some of the plants and got an idea of many posts would be needed, about 20. After the City of Winter Springs approves this project (I am hoping for the best), I will begin to implement my project I am planning to request donations for supplies from hardware stores, printing sources and other local businesses. My Senior Girl Scout troop of ten girls has volunteered to help with painting the posts and hole digging. I have brought this project to a variety of people/organizations and most have been concerned about vandalism, mainly destruction of the posts and upkeep of the pamphlets. I would like to use wooden posts because of the durability and the simplicity of the design plus the minimal costs involved with replacing them if needed. My Senior and Brownie troops are committed to the upkeep of the-trail, keeping the mailbox full of pamphlets as well as repainting posts and other aspects of the upkeep. If you have any questions or if I need to meet with you or members of the City Council, please feel free to call me at 407-359-7075 or Michael Mingea at 407-327- 1800 ext #327. I hope this information is sufficient I am very interested in getting started on this project The sooner the signs and informational pamphlets are available, the sooner more people can enjoy all that the Bear Creek Nature Trail offers. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, ~~ Elizabeth Bevc Senior Girl Scout cc: Mike Mingea, City of Winter Springs ---'---