City needs volunteers to plant trees

The Kyle Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers for what it is calling a “Texas Arbor Day Parkland Tree Planting” event at five locations between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday, Nov. 6.

Volunteers are supposed to gather at 9 a.m. at Waterleaf Park, 600 Abundance Lane, where they will be dispatched to either Gregg-Clarke Park, 1100 Center St.; Lake Kyle Park, 700 Lehman Road; Steeplechase Park, 295 Hallie Drive; or Plum Creek Trail between Lake Kyle Park and Waterleaf Park. Some of the volunteers will remain to plant trees at Waterleaf Park. Volunteers will be provided lunch and drinks, the city said.

“The goal of the event is to expand on the current natural beauty throughout the City of Kyle by adding native trees to Kyle’s parklands,” Kyle Trails Division Crew Member Stacy Anderson said. “The work our volunteers will be doing is not only to enhance city green spaces but also cultivate them to give back to the community.”

Anyone interested in participating may volunteer here.

The Parks and Recreation Department is also looking for additional donations for native and fruit trees. All donations are tax deductible and sponsors will receive recognition on the event day signage and community postings, the city said. Persons interested in tree donations can contact Anderson at sanderson@CityofKyle.com. for additional information.

Council approves grant for outdoor fitness court

 

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution that will eventually lead to the construction of an outdoor fitness court to be located either in Steeplechase Park or on Marketplace Avenue between the Burleson Road roundabout and Plum Creek. The ultimate location could be decided by how the park is paid for.

Aimee Garcia, a recreational programmer in the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, told the council the fitness court would cost $130,000, with $25,000 of that cost coming from a grant award from the National Fitness Campaign. Tuesday’s council vote was required to trigger the awarding of that grant. Garcia also said the city’s staff chose the Marketplace Drive location because that was considered “the center of Kyle and that was something NFC wanted to bring as well. They wanted to see something centralized that everyone gets the opportunity to utilize.”

However, Mayor Travis Mitchell and council member Robert Rizo pushed for the fitness court to be located on the east side of I-35, with Steeplechase Park being their preferred location. Council member Dex Ellison also seemed to favor the east side location. Council member Yvonne Flores-Cale, however, was adament in her support of the staff’s recommended location and Mayor Pro Tem Rick Koch and council member Ashlee Bradshaw seemed to be leaning in that direction as well.

The current plan is for the remaining $105,000 of the court’s costs to come from the Park Land Dedication Fund, although Garcia, along with Parks and Recreation Director Mariana Espinoza, said they will be soliciting donations from private sources. Garcia said she has already had preliminary talks with Starbucks about a contribution. Money in the Park Land Dedication Fund comes from developers who contribute to the fund in lieu of installing otherwise required park-style amenities in their own developments.

City Manager Scott Sellers told the council the developer that dedicated the 13.5 acres for the Marketplace location could be seeking to create a public improvement district to cover infrastructure costs at the proposed development and that PID could also include the $105,000 for the fitness court. Mitchell and Rizzo agreed that the formation of such a PID would force them to agree to place the court at the Marketplace location; however, if the $105,000 was going to come from the Park Land Dedication Fund, they would prefer the Steeplechase Park location.

Garcia reminded the council that the Marketplace location would be connected to Steeplechase Park by the Plum Creek Trail which will eventually burrow under I-35. The Marketplace Fitness Court would be located at the trailhead, she said. Garcia added that patrons of the disc golf facility at Steeplechase “want plenty of space,” which was one of the primary reasons staff decided against a Steeplechase location for the fitness court.

She also said the Marketplace location was preferred because “there’s nothing else out there right now. We’ll be bringing something new to this area.” Another plus, she said, was the abundance of trees at the Marketplace location, which would provide shade for the fitness court.

City announces Easter-related activities, summer camp

 City manager Scott Sellers informed the City Council Tuesday about a series of Easter-related events, including an Easter-egg hunt and a photo contest, hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department, and the City followed Sellers’ announcements with an official statement on those events and others Wednesday.

In addition to the hunt and the contest, Sellers said Parks and Rec will also conduct Easter Egg basket giveaway and a summer camp, although the actual dates of the camp were not revealed.

The City, in an official prepared announcement, said Parks and Rec will be giving away free Easter egg baskets to the first 50 families to register here for the Easter Egg Basket Giveaway. Registration closes March 29 or once all spots have been filled.

“When signing up, register only once per household and not per child, then under the enrollment field enter how many children are within the household,” the City said. “Participants will then be able to pick up baskets from the Parks and Recreation Office, 700 Lehman Road, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. by no later than Friday, April 2.”

Those who wish to participate “in the first ever Easter Trail Hop Egg Hunt,” scheduled for Saturday, March 27 along Plum Creek Trail at the Waterleaf Park, may do so by clicking here. Registration closes March 24 or once all 30 available spots have been filled, according to the City’s announcement.

“By registering for the event, attendees will get a 20-minute fun filled egg hunt experience along the Plum Creek Trail,” the City said in its announcement. “The path will be designated by rope and timers will be handed out to help keep track participant time limits. City staff will also be stationed along the trail to assist.”

Up to five children can be included in each registration, which cost $8 for Kyle residents and $10 for non-residents. An additional $1.50 will be charged for an egg basket.

“Participants are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their time slot to allow proper check-in,” the City said. “Masks will be required for this event and the Parks and Recreation Department will provide hand-washing stations and hand sanitizing stations.”

Those wishing to participate in the Easter-related photo contest can do so by e-mailing their photos to agarcia@cityofkyle.com no later than Monday, April 5. The City will select five winners, each of whom will be notified by email no later than Thursday, April 8, and will receive a gift basket. 

Information about the City’s Summer Camp, as well as a link to register for the camp, can be found by clicking here. A special early registration weekly fee of $135 per camper plus a non-refundable registration fee of $20 is available now until Friday, March 26. After that, the weekly fee will be $150 plus a $32 non-refundable registration fee.

“Kyle Summer Camp is a day camp that runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday,” the City’s announcement said. “The weekly fee covers two field trips per week, two pool days, two daily snacks, two T-shirts (must worn on field trip days) and daily supplies for activities.”

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Due to COVID-19, Parks and Rec has reduced the maximum number of campers accepted to 80 — 60 second-to-fifth-graders and 20 who are in grades six to nine.

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“The camp does not supply breakfast or lunch; therefore, each camper will be required to bring a water bottle and lunch each day,” the City’s announcement cautioned. “Parents are asked to make sure their child's lunch contains an ice pack if it needs to remain cool, as the camp is unable to refrigerate camper lunches. Campers will be required to wear a mask, where it is feasible. All Camp Staff will also be required to wear the masks.

“In order to ensure campers receive the requested shirt size, completed forms, payments and/or deposits must be received by 5 p.m. April 30,” the City said. “Participants may register after April 30, if spots are still available, but the shirt sizes for campers will not be guaranteed. Registration remains open until filled or until the payment deadline has passed.

“All cancellations will come with a fee of $45 with no exceptions. To hold a camper's spot for a week, parents can pay a minimum of a $50 non-refundable deposit. Late fees will be added in the amount of $20 to any account that does not pay by the deadline.”