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<br />City Council Study Session - 08/16/04 <br />Minutes - Page 26 <br /> <br />Phil Jennings, Executive Director of the Wildlife <br />Rehabilitation Center <br />Mr. Jennings spoke in support of maintaining the full-time <br />Naturalist/Director at the HANC, and current operational hours. <br />Mr. Jennings noted that their location directly in front of the <br />HANC provided an opportunity to refer numerous people to the <br />HANC, and they were observing increased traffic to the HANC. <br />Mr. Jennings opined that not having a full-time Naturalist at the <br />HANC would eventually hurt the program. Mr. Jennings further <br />opined that, in the last 18 months, tremendous changes had been <br />implemented at the HANC, and it was not headed in the right <br />direction, with changes at the Board level and with <br />progranllning, creating the potential to increase revenues. <br />Liliana Orsi, facilitator at Agricultural and Food Science <br />Academy (B-2 and Rice in Little Canada) <br />Ms. Orsi spoke in support of continuing the full-tin1e Naturalist <br />position and current operations, specifically related to the bee <br />keeping educational program she facilitates, allowing the <br />students to compete at the State Fair level. Ms. Orsi noted that <br />the bee keeping educational program was run as a business and <br />production program, and with full-time staffing, allowed their <br />program to continue at HANC. <br /> <br />Joe Smith, 895 Transit <br />Mr. Smith spoke in support of the environmental education of <br />children at the HANC, noting that it was another facet of the <br />City's outstanding park and recreation progralnlning, and that the <br />programming wasn't all related to athletic venues, but also <br />provided education for youth and adults. <br /> <br />Mr. Smith asked the City Council two specific questions: <br />1) Where do the funds go from park dedication fees; and <br />2) Where did the Arona Site funds, that were initially <br />dedicated to the Parks and Recreation Department, end <br />up. <br /> <br />Prior to staffs response to Mr. Smith's questions, Mr. Slnith <br />concluded his comments by providing an analogy between street <br />maintenance and park maintenance, and how well it would be <br />received by the community to reduce maintenance levels in the <br />