Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting Thursday, July 19, 2012 7:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBER, FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Baldwin, Marotta, Menendez-Herbst, Perske, Woodward Commissioners Absent: Canepa, McCarthy Staff Members Present: Community Services and Library Director Kim Bui-Burton, Recreation and Community Services Manager Cindy Vierra, Interim Deputy City Manager Plans and Public Works Hans Uslar, Park Operations Manager Louie Marcuzzo, Guest Services Coordinator Andrew Diaz, Recording Secretary Teresa Nash CALL TO ORDER CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 1. Thursday, May 17, 2012 Action: Approved as submitted (5-0-2, Canepa, McCarthy absent). 2. Monday, June 4, 2012 Action: Approved as submitted (5-0-2, Canepa, McCarthy absent). 3. Thursday, June 21, 2012 Action: Approved as submitted (5-0-2, Canepa, McCarthy absent). ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 4. Ryan Ranch Community Park - Review of Proposed Uses Action: Report received. Community Services and Library Director Bui-Burton introduced Hans Uslar, Interim Deputy City Manager Plans and Public Works. Mr. Uslar thanked Director Bui-Burton and said in light of Doug Stafford’s retirement, he wanted to meet the Commission and offer his continued support. Director Bui-Burton said this item is to follow up on the Commission’s recent consideration of an update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, followed by a site visit to the Disc Golf Course, where possible uses of the Ryan Ranch Community Park were discussed. Commissioner Woodward inquired if we plan to add more possible uses to the list. Director Bui- Burton stated at this time this report is to provide information to the Commission. She said the Master Plan status was first presented when Doug Stafford was retiring, and the Commission decided to wait until Doug’s position was filled to consider it again. She said the status of an  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be presented to the Commission at the end of the year. Commissioner Perske inquired about the City’s drilling for water without success and asked how many times we drilled, how deep we drilled, etc. Interim Deputy City Manager Plans and Public Works Uslar stated there is one drilling location and that drilling was done in increments. Commissioner Marotta inquired if the City has considered selling the property. Director Bui- Burton stated the City Council took a field trip to the site because of recent items brought before them to look at possible commercial uses of the property. Commissioner Marotta said someone came to him to talk about this multi-field idea and thought they ran into a road block because of the airport flight pattern issues. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra said that proposal has been given to the Plans and Public Works Department to review the airport and water issues. Interim Deputy City Manager Uslar said the group making the proposal made some very good points and put this area back on the target list for the Council. The Council looked at the parcels out there and is calling for a Request for Qualification (RFQ), which basically asks the development community what would be the best and highest use of this area. He stated it is designated as park area now. Commissioner Marotta said if it’s in the flight pattern, then golf courses and ball fields would probably not be allowed. Commissioner Woodward inquired if the Commission is going to be included in the process. Director Bui-Burton said if the RFQ comes up with good proposals, then Council may refer the project to the Commission. Interim Deputy City Manager Uslar said this proposal has triggered interest in the site and the City needs to determine what is the best and highest use of those parcels. Director Bui-Burton said a subcommittee will be appointed from the Parks and Recreation Commission if this item comes forward. Sharon Dwight, Monterey resident, stated the problem we already have in that area is traffic congestion. Whatever goes out there needs to be limited to a low number of people. She said the disc golf users have created a very nice course, and there is a very real purpose that is being served now. Commissioner Marotta stated the Commission needs to hear more about what is going on with this parcel. Director Bui-Burton said staff will keep the Commission updated on the RFQ process. 5. Approve Installation of a Permanent Metal Fence Surrounding the Train Engine at Dennis the Menace Park Action: The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the replacement of the existing temporary four-foot white plastic fence surrounding the train engine at Dennis the Menace Park with a permanent five-foot, black metal, decorative fence (5-0-2, Canepa, McCarthy absent). Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo stated the white plastic fence around the train will be replaced with a black metal fence making the train inaccessible. The white fence around the sculpture and entrance will remain as is. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 2  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 Commissioner Woodward inquired why the City has to do this. Interim Deputy City Manager Plans and Public Works Uslar stated under the Play Equipment Standards a train engine is not play equipment and has numerous possibilities of causing injuries. The City had initially declared the train engine as a monument and posted signs stating “Climb At Your Own Risk”, but because it’s inside the playground and does not meet the Playground Equipment Standards, it has to be fenced off. He said even with posting signage, the City would still be at risk and liable. He said staff’s solution was to keep the train there and fence it off because of the historical value. One alternative solution would be to move the train out of the El Estero Park complex. Commissioner Baldwin inquired how many injury claims have been filed on the train. Interim City Manager Plans and Public Works Uslar stated he’s only aware of one claim filed. Commissioner Baldwin said the train is “close to my heart and when I think of the thousands of kids that have experienced the train – some have bumps and bruises, but it’s a learning experience – you fall off once, you’ll be more careful.” He said unfortunately the City has no recourse and that it’s a shame. Commissioner Perske agreed with Commissioner Baldwin, and stated the City has to protect itself from liability. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said she played on the train when she was a kid and it’s extremely dangerous and that the City has been very, very lucky so far. She agreed with everything said, but the City could get hurt very badly financially. Manager Uslar stated when this issue was pointed out to the City; we had reports of children under 5 years old falling 12-15 feet. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst reiterated the issue is the train is not a piece of playground equipment and therefore cannot be located in a City park. Sharon Dwight, Monterey resident, said “I too played on the train starting when the park first opened and never fell off; my sister never fell off either.” She said the City has been sued more for uplifted sidewalks than for falls from play equipment. She would like to see a different layout of the fence so that the only access would be from the parking lot and it would not be inside the playground, still have the fencing proposed on the park side but allow people to walk around the train and see it up close; railroads were such a big part of the development of our country. Scott Wiseman, Boy Scout Member, said he doesn’t like the idea of putting a fence around the train, as a kid you see it - you want to hold it or touch it. He said maybe it would be better to move the train and put another piece of play equipment there. Commissioner Marotta said he played on it as a kid and “I didn’t want my kids to climb on it, but they did. I won’t allow my grandkids to climb the train; it’s a dangerous piece of equipment.” He said he fully supports fencing off the train. Commissioner Woodward inquired if the train is fenced off can it be considered an historical monument. Interim Deputy City Manager Uslar said staff looked at a lot of different options but as long as it’s in a park it cannot be accessible to the public. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra stated the entire El Estero Park complex is considered a park and the train could not be located anywhere within that park complex. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 3  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 On a motion by Commissioner Marotta, seconded by Commissioner Menendez-Herbst, and carried by the following vote, the Parks and Recreation Commission approved the replacement of the existing temporary white plastic four-foot fence at Dennis the Menace Pak with a permanent black metal five-foot decorative fence surrounding the train engine: AYES: 5 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin, Marotta, Menendez-Herbst, Perske, Woodward NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 2 COMMISSIONERS: Canepa, McCarthy 6. Request from Commissioner Perske to Discuss the Recreation Division Monthly Activity Report Action: Item discussed. Staff will meet and discuss the Commissioner’s feedback and what information to include in the monthly report. Staff will bring back a recommendation to the Commission for their approval. Community Services and Library Director Bui-Burton thanked Commissioner Perske for his patience on reviewing this item. She said not all City boards or commissions do a monthly report, mostly commissions that are community service oriented and the reports are for information only. The reports are written by several staff members. Staff would like to find out what kind of information the Commission would like to see. She stated the Parks Division works with a lot of “things” and Recreation works with “programming,” which is difficult to quantify like the Parks Division report. Commissioner Perske said that none of his remarks should be considered negative; the staff does a tremendous job on programs. His understanding of the Commission’s role is to advise and assist, and to live up to those responsibilities we need data. He would like to see some data in this report, charts are helpful, and attendance in these programs. He would like to see some surveys of patrons. Commissioner Woodward said she likes both formats; and reading about how many gophers were caught in the Parks Division report. She understands what Commissioner Perske is saying about the flair but it also tells Commissioners what is going right with the programs. She asked what staff feels is best to provide to us without drowning them in additional work. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra said staff from each community center, field sports and the Sports Center writes their own report, then they are combined into one report. She stated the things Commissioner Perske pointed out like surveys, monthly attendance, etc. are already done. She said we can provide whatever the Commissioners would like to see. Director Bui-Burton said we also have to take into consideration what staff will have time to do. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said she enjoys reading what’s going on. She doesn’t want to know every little thing, she likes the overview. She also likes the Parks Division report with statistics on the cemetery, gophers, etc. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra stated that staff is spread very thin and suggested doing a quarterly report. Director Bui-Burton thanked the Commission for their feedback and said staff will meet to see what is possible with the limitations we have now. She said in her experience, recreators will Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 4  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 make it work, they address the issue and move on and have so much enthusiasm, it’s the recreator approach to getting things done, and everyone pulls together. Commissioner Baldwin said being the new kid on the block, he was flabbergasted by the monthly reports – this takes a lot of staff time to put together each month. He agreed with Commissioner Perske and suggested including figures on usage and to list programs and projects that are working well. He also suggested that staff could come back with a specific list of things they could include without a great deal of work and maybe just do a report quarterly. Commissioner Marotta said he agrees and just wants to hear if it’s a successful event or not. Commissioner Woodward stated she would like to be informed on issues before they are in the newspaper. Sharon Dwight, Monterey resident, said one thing you don’t hear is how many people are on the waitlist and that maybe we could support the Division in gaining more space or instructors to accommodate waitlists. She suggested providing a report seasonally instead of monthly. She said recreators do the best they can with what they have, they can do more with nothing than anyone – they just know there isn’t any money, they are so successful with working with so little, money-wise, people-wise, and they don’t complain. Commissioner Woodward said she would like to know our challenges prior to going into a season and then follow up at the end of the season. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said this report shows the enthusiasm of the staff. She feels staff does come to us for ideas, support and recommendations. Director Bui-Burton said we will do our best to keep the Commission informed on upcoming issues or projects and will bring this item back to the Commission for discussion and approval. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 7. Monthly Report - Recreation Division - June 2012 8. Monthly Report - Parks Division - June 2012 Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra shared some great news, Maryrose Rinaudo, Coordinator at Scholze Park Center, had identical twin girls on Thursday night. She said Maryrose will be out until January and staff is pitching in at the center. She reported the 4th of July Lawn Party was very successful and the musical entertainment was great. She said City staff all pulled together and it’s fun providing this event for the community. She reported we received a lot of positive feedback about the Parade and the Monterey Bay Symphony concert at Jacks Park – it was a great day for the community. Manager Vierra stated it’s hard to tell the Commission what our “challenges” are because we try to resolve them quickly or find alternatives. For example, the kiln went out at Scholze Park Center. We had no funds budgeted to replace it and low and behold we get a donation; the freezer went out at Camp Quien Sabe, again no funds budgeted for a replacement, and we received a donation to purchase a new freezer. We’re very fortunate in that way. She reported that summer programs are going great and are full; the new Lego® classes are very successful and the kids are doing a lot of engineering. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 5  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 Guest Services Coordinator Diaz reported the Sports Center is having a very busy summer and that the saunas are scheduled to be ready to go at the end of August. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo commended the Recreation staff on a great job at the 4th of July Lawn Party and it was the largest crowd he has seen in 16 years. He reported they are re-landscaping the Visitor’s Center. Commissioner Perske inquired about public use of the park at Bay View School. He said they have fenced off the grass area and wanted to know if that part of the park is to be open to the public. Interim Deputy City Manager Plans and Public Works Uslar said there is a gate that is open so you can access the play area and the grass area. He said he will give their maintenance attendant a call to make sure this is happening. Sharon Dwight, Monterey resident, said that NIP paid for the installation of the track, soccer field, benches, tables and all play equipment, so there is supposed to be access for the public. Commissioner Woodward inquired if there is a list of projects that NIP funded on MPUSD property. Director Bui- Burton said staff will provide that list to the Commission. Community Services and Library Director Bui-Burton thanked Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra for all her hard work on the 4th of July and for also staying to make sure the Monterey Bay Symphony’s Patriotic Concert at Jacks Ball Park went well. She reported that Bay View Academy will continue at Del Monte School this year and they have asked the Recreation Division to provide an afterschool program. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Baldwin gave thanks and appreciation for the parade and the activities at Colton Hall on the 4th of July. He commended Community Services and Library Director Bui-Burton on her television appearance and said she represented the City very well. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said the parade was amazing, I’ve never seen that many people. She said it was a very proud day for her; there was a lot to be proud of. She thanked OMBA for bringing back the 4th of July Parade. Commissioner Marotta said through our recommendation, OMBA hired a company to do the parade. He said even though this was a community-sponsored event, the City did a lot to help and they were there for every meeting. Commissioner Woodward said she is experiencing more of our parks as her daughter gets involved in different activities. She said her daughter is volunteering at the Monterey Tennis Center this summer and said the tennis court at Via Paraiso is great. NEXT MEETING Thursday, August 16, 2012  The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission is Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., City Council Chamber, Few Memorial Hall of Records. ADJOURNMENT Chair Marotta adjourned the meeting at 8:23 p.m. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 6  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Kim Bui-Burton Mike Marotta, Chair Community Services and Library Director Parks and Recreation Commission Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 19, 2012 7