March 2018 Senior Staff Notes

MARYLAND PARK SERVICE

SENIOR STAFF MEETING NOTES

March 14, 2018

Broadneck Office, Annapolis, MD

Attendees: Nita Settina, Chris Bushman, Amanda Mock, Mary Owens, Mike Riley, Christy Bright, Steve McCoy, Alison Woodfield, Margit Pruitt (next meeting’s manager-of-the-month – Southeast)

REGIONAL REPORTS

Southeast – Mike Riley

·         Old recycled-tire playgrounds in Southeast Region – Riley will follow up with park staff and MDE to determine proper disposal procedures for tire mulch, which will be replaced with Fibar / mulch.

·         Big thanks to other regions for sending staff to assist with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad one-year anniversary weekend event.

·         Maintenance Projects – Each regional manager will provide cost estimate / request, for each park, for upcoming maintenance projects (for projects which do not need project review). There is funding available in the current budget to support spruce-up projects in the parks this spring.

West – Christy Bright

·         Spanish version of Junior Ranger Book has been ordered and should be available for distribution at the May Managers Meeting.

·         Es Mi Parque – Dates have been set for 6 events (Patapsco Valley, Sandy Point, Point Lookout, Cunningham Falls, Greenbrier, Rocky Gap).  

·         Feedback from Town Hall Meeting – Bright will follow up with staff on specific issues.

Central – Steve McCoy

·         Patuxent River – Staff has installed new HVAC in the new nature center – planning for opening to the public on April 7. New LTC Ranger will support Patuxent River operations.

·         Bloede Dam – Contractor will be returning to original design for the wall (includes facade). Park staff will gauge potential noise issues in Hilton campground. Anticipated completion in June 2019.

·         Hart-Miller Island – Gunpowder Falls / Planning staff met with representatives from other DNR units as planning continues for habitat restoration on the island.

·         Boy Scouts of America – Nearly 200 troops / packs have MPS youth group passes – over 25,000 visits from scouts in the state. McCoy has invited leader from Baltimore / Washington Council to join his regional meeting tomorrow to discuss partnership ideas.

·         Historical resource projects – McCoy inquired as to priorities. Robb Bailey is on board as MPS Historical Sites Planner and is working on Point Lookout Lighthouse displays and historic sites inventory. Regional Managers will convey information about Robb’s role to park managers, including the type of projects that should be forwarded to his attention.

·         Update on Elk Neck (Margit Pruett)

o    Northeast Beach Area getting a facelift, including re-mulching the playground and upgrading picnic tables, grills, etc. in turf area to provide more room for picnicking.

o    Exploring use of tire crumbs from the playground for use under camping pads. Pruett will develop a template and pilot at Elk Neck.

o    Need to acquire replacement playground equipment. Senior Staff suggested purchasing individual pieces of equipment as able, within the context of an overall design plan.

o    Pruett shared old photos of the park, from the 1940s.

o    Daughters of American Revolution to have an event on April 8.

o    Issues have arisen with the ongoing campground project, and some areas that have been opened for reservations may now not be completed by camping season on April 1.

o    Discussion of design / new operational plan for Maulden Mountain.

o    Turkey Point – staff is managing heavy visitation and parking problems by using a menu of strategies, Including dedicated staffing, social media, website updates, etc. Senior Staff complimented Margit and her staff for the to-date successes they have had with this very difficult issue.

Reviewed January Customer Satisfaction Survey comments.

·         Survey results continue to show a high number of visitors who are very satisfied with our customer service…100% in several categories.

SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE (Nita Settina)

·         Review February Senior Staff Notes

o    Al Preston has contacted Maryland Geological Survey Director Richard Ortt regarding research on origin of stream name Wolfden Run, on the newly acquired North Hills property. Maps from as early as 1904 show the stream with that name. Research will continue, as Wolfden Run is being considered as a potential name for the new State Park.

o    Potential use of youth group sites as standard / family group sites was assessed by all Park Managers and all were comfortable with current use / operations.

o    Quail habitat restoration project at Sassafras – Owens to ask Chandler for update.

o    North Bay – Three days reserved for November Managers Meeting. No requests for the other available six days. Requests to be made through chain of command to McCoy / Pruett.

o    Healthy Parks / Healthy People – Chandler and Acuti met with staff at Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to get an update on the program. Acuti to share information.

o    Uniform Orders – Mock has worked with her staff and spoken with management at both uniform vendors (RJ has had some staffing issues / Howard shipped some orders from August just last week). Warehouse orders will be filled as needed (there are currently no outstanding orders).

o    Reminder – No net loss of trees! Keep this in mind as staff deals with hazardous tree removal – develop a replacement plan.

o    Dam EAPs should now all be on the P drive. ERPs due to be posted by June 1.

·         Town Hall Meetings – Settina canvassed senior staff regarding feedback from the two meetings held to-date. Regional managers to follow up at regional meetings and report back.

·         May Managers Meeting – Agenda developed (Town Hall meeting follow-up / report out, Forest Pest Update from Department of Agriculture (spotted lantern fly, etc.), Awards and Recognition, SMP presentations). Looking to have another uniform swap. SMPs to be presented are Herrington Manor / Swallow Falls, North Point (including State Battlefield), Cedarville, and Sassafras.

·         Increase in boot allowance – topic came up during both Town Hall meetings. Senior staff is exploring ability to address this.

·         Vehicle Fleet Expansion – Settina canvassed Regional Managers as to the number of additional vehicles needed, with intent of exploring possibility of request to DBM Fleet Management. Senior staff will assess workforce (classified and contractual) to determine additional vehicle needs.

·         Reminder to managers to refer diversity candidates interested in a career with the Maryland Park Service to Fred Banks, for inclusion in his recruitment database.

DEPUTY SUPERINTEDENT (Chris Bushman)

·         Policy Issues: None brought forward for discussion / resolution.

·         NRP Commanders Meeting – At their February meeting, Bushman thanked NRP for their assistance with several recent significant incidents, and reinforced the value of that support to park staff. A recent after-hours vehicle / lost hiker incident at Gambrill was highlighted to demonstrate the value of Rangers reporting after-hours vehicles and NRP officers following up. Area 1 Commander Lt. Scott Simmons was recognized for his efforts to meet with every Park Manager and staff to review emergency response plans and incident response, and others were encouraged to do likewise.

·         Lt. Diane Roschli stopped by to further discuss DNR Communications Center PCO ride-alongs with Rangers, with PCOs already spending a shift with Rangers at Patapsco Valley and Cunningham Falls. Feedback from both MPS and NRP staff has been extremely positive. NRP Sgt. Murray Hunt will be contacting Park Managers to schedule these visits. Park Managers who are interested in hosting a PCO, or having a Ranger visit the Communications Center, should contact Sgt. Hunt. This is a priority for both Superintendents.

PLANNING AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS (Mary Owens)

·         Project Review – 108 projects to-date. Continuing to explore ways to streamline the review process.

·         Dam EAPs – Recent incident (sinkhole) at Greenbrier was handled very well. Regional Managers are reviewing current dam EAPs to ensure proper implementation of emergency procedures. Reminder from Perry Otwell…ensure that emergency contact information is up-to-date. Owens discussed various maintenance concerns for which staff should be vigilant, e.g. keeping brush / fallen trees away from dam.

·         Land and Water Conservation Fund Signs – LAP has a staff person coordinating signs (Ingrid Bergman). When LWCF funds are used to acquire a property, recognition (sign) is required to be displayed where the public can see it. It will not be on, or attached to, entrance signs. Owens will send the complete list of properties to the Regional Managers.

·         Interim Operational Plans – DRAFT plan was reviewed by Senior Staff, and is to be used as the operational plan for new parks until the development of the full Strategic Management Plan.

·         Award Nomination Form – Raquel Brown is finalizing the Google form, and it should be available in the very near future.

·         Strategic Management Plan Review Process – The Planning Team will ensure that draft SMPs are reviewed by appropriate MPS staff before being sent out for DNR internal review. This may expedite the review process and ensure that the SMP is in line with MPS policies, etc. before being reviewed by other DNR units.

ADMINISTRATION (Amanda Mock)

·         FY18 is starting to wind down. Regional managers will be reminding park staff to keep a close eye on spending and projections.

·         Honor System Envelope order will be placed soon. Parks to submit quantities needed to Regional Managers, to be forwarded to Mock.

·         Reservation System – Ordering scanning equipment for camper check-in as a pilot program. Reservation letters will have a bar code that scanners can read, to expedite check-in process.

·         Ranger School – Discussion about timing / dean staff. Regional Managers to follow up with staff nominated to be the next dean / assistant deans.