2.16.21 HR Meeting Minutes-FINAL 02.26HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 PAGE 1 | 3
1. ROLL CALL Present- Committee Members: Chairperson Tom Kiddoo, Vice Chair Pat Nolan and Member Kathy Ryan.
Town Council: Councilor Lindsay Hardy.
Staff: Director of Recreation John Curutchet, Town Manager Eric Heil, Chief of Police Greg Daly, General Government
Manager Ineke de Jong and General Government Intern Emily Myler. Absent-
Committee Members: Member Pam Warren.
Town Council: Councilor Scott Prince and Mayor Sarah Smith Hymes.
General Government Manager Ineke de Jong asked the record to reflect the meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m.
2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Committee Chair Tom Kiddoo made a motion to approve the agenda for 2/16/21. Committee Member Pat Nolan seconded
the motion. Committee Chair Tom Kiddoo declared the agenda approved.
3. APPROVAL OF THE 1/19/21 MEETING MINUTES
Committee Vice-Chair Pat Nolan made a motion to approve the minutes from 1/19/21. Committee Member Kathy Ryan
seconded the motion. Committee Chair Tom Kiddoo declared the minutes approved.
4. PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comments were made.
5. OVERVIEW OF THE TOWN’S I NVOLVEMENT WITH EMOTIONAL WELLNESS I SSUES AND ENTITIES
Chief of Police Greg Daly introduced the history, development and impact of emotional and mental health care in Avon,
Eagle County and Colorado. The presentation slides can be found at www.avon.org\packets. He detailed the support the
Town of Avon provides to county-wide behavioral health efforts and how Avon’s Police Department has adapted to work with
situations involving mental health. The presentation included a video on Eagle County Behavioral Health.
The Committee commented/inquired:
A. How can the Committee help with behavioral health efforts?
B. Are Police officers and firefighters using the Rec Center?
C. Mental health care is expensive in Avon, which feels disingenuous to the mission of these efforts.
D. Community is a factor in mental health and can be a value promoted by the Committee and Recreation Department by
making sure everyone is included in programming.
Chief Daly said reducing the stigma around asking for help and promoting mental health alongside physical health can be a
focus of the Committee and the Recreation Department. The Recreation Center is a place to provide information to those
looking for help. The public safety building has its own gym, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented access for Avon PD
Officers. Many officers also use gyms nearby where they live in the West end of Eagle County, but he said he thinks officers
might want to use the Avon Recreation Center in the early mornings before their shifts. He also said he would check in on
how behavioral health care changes the price of doctor’s visits and the goal of Eagle Valley Behavioral Health is to make
behavioral healthcare accessible to everyone.
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 PAGE 2 | 3
Town Manager Heil said the health side of the Committee should continue to be a focus, including mental health and holistic
forms of health. The Recreation Department can incorporate messaging and information on mental health in the Recreation
Center and Recreation media.
6. STAFF PRESENTATION: COMMUNITY SURVEY
Director of Recreation John Curutchet went over the Health and Recreation Committee presentation (found at
www.avon.org\packets). Topics included:
A. Tile and locker upgrades in the Rec Center locker rooms.
B. Timeline for the 2021 Community Survey.
C. Draft questions for the 2021 Community Survey.
Town Manager Heil asked the Committee their thoughts on proposed Community Survey question # 6 asking participants if
they support further study of expansion for the Recreation Center and Department programs.
The Committee commented/inquired:
A. What is the purpose of this survey? What information is the Town collecting?
B. Question # 6 isn’t as important as questions about COVID-19’s impacts on recreation in Avon and senior programs. The
Community Survey is an example of the Town already studying expansions to the recreation center and department
programs, so it doesn’t make sense to ask.
C. Inline skating and longboarding/skateboarding are missing from question # 9.
D. The survey should ask about expansion of dog-friendly hours/space in Harry A. Nottingham Park and including an adult-
friendly hours/space.
E. Should the survey ask about adding a dismount area in the park, where non-pedestrian travelers are not allowed for
safety?
F. Topics to include could be police presence in the park, swimmer containment in Nottingham Lake, use of the lake for
out-of-town events in July and August, the possibility of membership for Nottingham Beach, regulations on music volume
played by individuals in the park and children under 16 driving electric vehicles in the park.
G. There’s nothing on the survey about health.
H. Committee Member Pam Warren submitted feedback to the presentation prior to the meeting as she was unable to
attend. Her feedback was shared with the committee and staff.
Director of Recreation Curutchet said any information that helps the Recreation Department better serve the public is helpful.
The Recreation Department is planning to design another, much more detailed and recreation-specific survey later to build
on the information gathered in the 2021 Community Survey. Some of the questions proposed by the Committee would fit
better on that survey. They have considered adding dismount areas, but there haven’t been any safety instances to prompt
them. The question can be reopened if the Committee thinks there is a need.
Town Manager Heil said the Community Survey should be bi-annual from now on. The 2021 Community Survey should
serve to get feedback on topics residents feel strongly about in a helpful format so Town Council can set policy and hopefully
begin expansions to recreation in the Fall as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Town staff will consider each question
proposed by the Committee and decide if they should be included on the 2021 Community Survey or saved for a recreation-
specific or neighborhood-specific survey in the future. Staff will send the Committee another draft of the questions with their
revisions for one more review before presenting the 2021 Community Survey questions to Town Council.
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 PAGE 3 | 3
7. ADJOURNMENT
Committee Member Pat Nolan motioned to adjourn the meeting. Committee Member Kathy Ryan seconded the motion.
Committee Chair Tom Kiddoo declared the meeting adjourned at 12:04 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by
Emily Myler
General Government Intern