Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting Thursday, November 21, 2013 7:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBER, FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Baldwin, Canepa, Marotta, McCarthy, McEwen, Menendez- Herbst, Perske Commissioners Absent: None Staff Members Present: Recreation and Community Services Manager Cindy Vierra, Park Operations Manager Louie Marcuzzo, Fitness Manager Bill Rothschild, Administrative Analyst Ann Pagan, Recording Secretary Teresa Nash Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra introduced Katja Braun, a German intern who will be working with us through January 2014. Katja is here to learn about how our government works, and said her father is the Mayor of the village she is from. Katja said she is studying in Kiev and will graduate in 2015. She is learning how the Recreation Division plans programs and events, and how they deal with their budget. She also hopes that her English will get better. CALL TO ORDER CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 1. Thursday, September 19, 2013 Action: Approved as submitted (7-0). ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS Kay Payan, Monterey resident, said she is in attendance tonight because her husband, Michael, could not attend. She said that he has been talking to City staff about playing pickleball on one of the Via Paraiso Park tennis courts and he thought that the Commission was going to make a decision on that request tonight. He also wanted to let you know that if you don’t want to paint lines, there is a tape that can be used that does not leave a residue on the court surface. He did get a group to play at the Monterey Sports Center but they would like an outdoor place where you can go anytime and not have to pay a fee. Chair McCarthy thanked Mrs. Payan and informed her that staff will review this request and will follow up with her husband, Michael Payan.  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 PUBLIC APPEARANCE 2. Review and Approve Monterey High School Baseball Request for Fundraising Activities at Frank E. Sollecito, Jr. Ball Park Action: The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the request of Monterey High School Baseball to allow a gate/admission fee not to exceed $5.00 (for those over 18 years of age) for seven (7) ball games at Sollecito Ball Park and approved the request to allow Monterey High School Baseball to have a concession stand inside the ball park during three (3) games (6-1-0, Baldwin voting No). The applicant, Michael Groves, was not in attendance; Chair McCarthy asked if it was acceptable to the Commission if we defer discussing this item and move on to the next item to give the applicant time to arrive. The Commission concurred. At 7:20 p.m., the applicant had still not arrived; the Commission returned to this item for review and discussion. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra reviewed the request of Monterey High School Baseball to hold two types of fundraising activities at Frank E. Sollecito, Jr. Ball Park. The first request is to allow them to charge a gate/admission fee (not to exceed $5 for anyone 18 and older) for seven (7) ball games. The second request is to allow them to have a BBQ/concession stand inside the ball park for seven (7) games. She said the Commission has a letter in front of them from Carol Bruno, who runs the concession stand at El Estero Park through a lease with the City, stating her concerns with allowing a concession stand to be run inside the ball park. She said staff asked for the City Attorney’s Office and Risk Manager to also review this request due to the possible conflict with food sales with Bruno’s lease with the City for concessions. Manager Vierra also said if they are allowed to charge a gate/admission fee that the money collected will go back to the High School’ Associated Student Body Fund, as it did last year. She stated the City Attorney’s Office will be reviewing the issue of charging a gate fee to a City park in the future and will get back to staff with that information at a later date. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra said we understand the High School’s need but we also need to make sure we’re not going against the lease agreement the Bruno’s have with the City. She also noted that part of last year’s approval was that they provide the City with a follow-up report on the number of tickets sold and revenue received from food sales; we did not receive a report from them for last year’s gate fees and concession sales. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said she did the concessions at Sollecito Ball Park for the baseball team for years and it’s completely separate from the snack bar, I don’t see the competition at all. She said the gate fee was a donation, not a mandatory fee. She said she feels very strongly they should be allowed to do have concessions for five (5) games, it’s such a different meal that they cook than what is sold at the snack bar. Manager Vierra stated that Carol and Peter Bruno have always been very supportive of the youth leagues and high school. We have many fundraisers held at El Estero Park throughout the year that sell food for their organization and Carol is supportive of those requests. She looks forward to the baseball games to help balance her slow winter days. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst inquired if fundraising events in El Estero Park are being done by other groups. Manager Vierra stated that non-profit fundraising events are held throughout the year but their events are for one day only. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 2  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 Commissioner Perske wanted to clarify that the money collected from the gate fee goes to the school’s ASB fund. Manager Vierra stated yes. Commissioner McCarthy said that one request is for collecting a gate fee and the other request is the food concession. He inquired if the food profits go to baseball team. Manager Vierra stated yes. Commissioner Canepa stated the City preps ball fields for the high school games and that we provide a lot of non-gratis work for Monterey High School. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo stated the Parks Division also preps Jacks and Ferrante ball fields for their use. Commissioner Perske said this request is important to Coach Groves and the team; I would like to postpone our decision until he can come. Commissioner McCarthy said we don’t want to have to hold a special meeting for this item, but said he is not comfortable making a decision without someone here to speak on behalf of Monterey High School Baseball. Commissioner Canepa stated there are others who could have been here tonight for the baseball team, I’m ready to vote. Commissioner McCarthy asked if we should continue this item to the January meeting and asked for a consensus from the Commission. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst inquired what are we asking him for, to be here and how much money they make. Commissioner McCarthy said it upsets him that they come to us each year with this request and we always ask them to look for other fundraising opportunities and to also provide us with a follow-up report. Commissioner Baldwin stated the ASB oversees the funds of various school groups, the money doesn’t go back to the General Fund, so if gate fees go to ASB then it’s split up among all the school’s sports teams. On a motion by Commissioner Perske, seconded by Commissioner Menendez-Herbst, that the Parks and Recreation Commission continue this item to the Thursday, January 16, 2014 Commission meeting: AYES: 3 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin, Menendez-Herbst, Perske NOES: 4 COMMISSIONERS: Canepa, Marotta, McCarthy, McEwen ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None The motion failed 4-3. On a motion by Commissioner Canepa, that the Parks and Recreation Commission approve the request of Monterey High School Baseball, for this year only, to: 1) charge an Admission Fee not to exceed $5.00 per person (for those over 18 years of age) for the seven (7) ball games to be held at Sollecito Ball Park, with a follow-up report to be provided to City staff by December 2014; and 2) that the Parks and Recreation Commission deny the request to allow food concessions inside Sollecito Ball Park due to the financial impact to the El Estero Snack Bar: Commissioner Marotta asked to amend the motion by splitting the number of games requested to allow food concessions and approve them for three (3) games this year. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 3  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 On a motion by Commissioner Canepa, seconded by Commissioner Marotta, and carried by the following vote, that the Parks and Recreation Commission approve the request of Monterey High School Baseball, for this year only, to: 1) charge an Admission Fee not to exceed $5.00 per person (for those over 18 years of age) for the seven (7) ball games to be held at Sollecito Ball Park, with a follow-up report to be provided to City staff by December 2014; and 2) that the Parks and Recreation Commission approve the request to allow food concession sales inside Sollecito Ball Park for three (3) games but cannot sell the same food items as El Estero Snack Bar, this year only: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: Canepa, Marotta, McCarthy, McEwen, Menendez-Herbst, Perske NOES: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None 3. Potential Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) Projects for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Action: Reviewed potential NIP projects for Fiscal Year 2014-2015. Commissioners submitted their NIP Project Nomination Forms. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra explained the process and said the Commissioners could either pick potential projects from the list provided by staff or submit their own project(s) they would like to nominate. She said the Commission will rank and prioritize the potential projects at their January 16, 2014 meeting. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo said he would like to remove #4 listed under Parks Division (Window on the Bay Park – Remove Turf and Install an Outdoor Basketball Court and Possibly a Bocce Ball Court Between Existing Volleyball Courts) because it may not be consistent with Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Manager Vierra stated that at this time we are not putting a lot of projects on the list because we are going to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which we hope to have done in about eight months. Commissioner McEwen inquired if there were plans for more bike lanes on the Recreation Trail and if that would be considered a potential NIP project. Manager Vierra stated some of those items will have to tie in with the Master Plan update. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo said there was an approved NIP project last year for signage that has not begun yet. Commissioner Marotta inquired what the status is for the Sollecito Ball Park outfield project. Manager Marcuzzo said it’s going to take another $800,000 or more to complete that project. Commissioner Marotta asked if that is a potential project that we could turn in for NIP funding. Manager Vierra stated there has been a lot of discussion about what the NIP should or should not be funding. Manager Marcuzzo said that type of project should be submitted by a group who could match funds given by NIP. The Commissioners turned in their Nomination Forms to staff who will tabulate the results in preparation for the January 16, 2014 meeting, when the Commission will put those projects into their priority order to submit to NIP. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 4  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 4. Recommend to City Council - Proposed Fee Increase Action: The Parks and Recreation Commission recommend approval to the City Council the proposed fee increases of $77,690 for the Recreation Division of the Community Services Department and $22,000 for Veteran’s Memorial Park for the Parks Division (6-1- 0, Menendez-Herbst voting No). Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra presented the proposed fee increases and said last year the Commission approved the proposed fee increases, but the City Council did not approve them except for the increase in picnic/BBQ fees. Administrative Analyst Pagan said that staff reviews fees annually. We looked at the cost of the programs and we looked at the minimum wage increases that are coming. She said the increase in minimum wage will create a ripple effect with the number of seasonal part-time employees in the Recreation Division. Fitness Manager Rothschild stated the proposed increases for this year for the Sports Center are exactly the same fees you approved last year. He said the minimum wage increase will impact us tremendously. Commissioner Perske said he was not clear on how staff determines which fees to raise and which ones do not get raised and if the fees are based solely on expenses. Manager Vierra stated staff reviews the fees annually and last year the Council agreed to increase the picnic/bbq permits only and that the fees for facility rentals are determined by staffing and utilities. She said we also need to increase our fees because of the upcoming mandatory minimum wage increases. She said we do not make a profit from our programs; we’re just basically covering part-time staffing costs and operating costs. She stated that every program has a budget which is where staff gets the necessary information to determine the fees. Commissioner Perske said it seems like some of these could be increased, i.e. bounce house, bbq’s, etc. people would be willing to pay more for those services. Administrative Analyst Pagan stated we also look at what the market can bear. Fitness Manager Rothschild talked about how the Sports Center has dealt with cutbacks and that we need to approve fee increases to offset costs or we will have to reduce staffing again. On a motion by Commissioner Baldwin, seconded by Commissioner Perske, and carried by the following vote, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend to the City Council for approval the proposed fee increases of $77,690 for the Recreation Division of the Community Services Department and $22,000 for Veteran’s Memorial Park of the Parks Division: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin, Canepa, Marotta, McCarthy, McEwen, Perske NOES: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Menendez-Herbst ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 5  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 5. Hosting of Annual Christmas Party 2013 Action: Report received. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra reminded the Commission of their Annual Christmas Party to be held at the Monterey Youth Center on Monday, December 16, 2013 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The Parks and Recreation Commission, staff of the Recreation Division, Parks Division, and City Attorney’s Office host this annual party. 6. Selection of Chair and Vice Chair for 2014 Action: Commissioner Louis Perske will serve as Chair and Commissioner Vance Baldwin will serve as Vice Chair for 2014. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra reviewed with the Commission the selection process of the Chair and Vice Chair for the Parks and Recreation Commission for 2014. The Chair will be Lou Perske and the Vice Chair will be Vance Baldwin, effective January 1, 2014. She stated that the positions of Chair and Vice Chair rotates annually to the member who has the longest current period of continuous service without having served as Chair or Vice Chair. Manager Vierra said that Lou and Vance have both agreed to serve as Chair and Vice Chair for 2014. 7. Parks and Recreation Commission Schedule for 2014 Action: Report received. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra reviewed the Parks and Recreation Commission’s Schedule for 2014. The regularly scheduled Commission meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Also included are the dates for the Mayor’s meetings that the Chair will attend. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 8. Monthly Report - Parks Division - September 2013 Action: Report received. 9. Monthly Report - Parks Division - October 2013 Action: Report received. Commissioner Canepa inquired why we break out the number of homeless campers at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo said it’s just a need to know and keep track. Commissioner Canepa asked if the homeless campers pay camping fees. Manager Marcuzzo stated yes, someone pays the fee for them. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra invited the Commissioners to the Holiday Luncheon at Scholze Park Center on Wednesday, December 18 at noon, and also noted the City Council is also invited. She reported that OMBA and First Night Monterey are doing the Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday, December 6 at 5:00 p.m. and have invited Council and Commissioners to participate; and that Christmas in the Adobes will be held in Colton Hall and Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 6  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 will begin at 6:00 p.m. She stated that the Army Corps of Engineers are removing the building and tanks at Casanova Oak Knoll Park. She also reported the City Council will be interviewing for new commissioners next week; the flag football program is booming; the DLI access has been solved; the community centers are working on summer/fall programs; and new travel programs are being developed. Fitness Manager Rothschild reported that the Sports Center is preparing for the holidays and the new year with program promotions; work is being done on installing a new roof over the lobby and pool area; and the facility is getting spruced up with new paint. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo reported that Sports Center Manager Jeff met with Mr. Payan regarding playing pickleball and said he has had no further requests other than from Mr. Payan to play pickleball on the Via Paraiso Park tennis courts. He said they have no problem with them using tape as long as it’s removed when they are done playing. Fitness Manager Rothschild said they had a group who tried pickleball at the Sports Center, we set up three courts for them to play on Wednesday mornings, we had 10 people the first time and 4 the next time. They can play pretty much any time they want at the Sports Center, especially in the mornings. Commissioner McCarthy said it sounds like they need to do more legwork in gaining more players in Monterey area. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo said he will let Mr. Payan know he can use tape at the Via Paraiso Park tennis courts. Manager Marcuzzo reported a new sister city park was created where they may show some art or history of their city; the Sloat monument project should be finished tomorrow; the fence is up around train at Dennis the Menace Park, chips have been added and the original lion drinking fountain has been repainted; and that we received $15,000 from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District for an artificial turf soccer field at Laguna Grande Park. Administrative Analyst Pagan gave an update on the taxi voucher program; and reported that our online registration continues to grow. Commissioner McCarthy inquired how seniors access the taxi voucher program. Analyst Pagan stated that MST advertises the program. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Canepa asked about the status for the replacement of the split rail fence at Del Monte Beach. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo stated he had to file a CEQA application for this project and is waiting for approval. Commissioner Canepa inquired about work being done by PG&E on Recreation Trail A and if there is an update on the proposed sports complex at Ryan Ranch. Manager Marcuzzo said that PG&E are replacing a couple of valves on the Recreation Trail; and that the City Council went with another group to see what their proposal will be for the Ryan Ranch property – it will probably be 5 to 10 years down the road because of water. Commissioner McCarthy inquired when the PG&E project on Fremont Street will be done. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo stated they are almost done and will begin landscaping. Commissioner Canepa stated the next PG&E pipe project will be on Del Monte Avenue. Commissioner Canepa announced that he is going to step down from the Commission at end of his term this year. He said he is not just going to walk away; he turned in two names of young people with families and who participate in our recreation programs to replace him. Life is beautiful in Monterey, so go visit a park! Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 7  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 NEXT MEETING Thursday, January 16, 2014 ADJOURNMENT Chair McCarthy adjourned the meeting at 8:46 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Kim Bui-Burton Dennis McCarthy, Chair Community Services and Library Director Parks and Recreation Commission Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, November 21, 2013 8