Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting Thursday, January 19, 2017 7:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBER, FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Baldwin, Carnazzo, McCarthy, Menendez-Herbst, Panetta, Spangler Commissioners Absent: McEwen Staff Members Present: Community Services Director Bui-Burton, Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra, Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo, Recording Secretary Nash CALL TO ORDER PRESENTATIONS 1. Presentation to Former Chair Ellen McEwen (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Continued to February 16, 2017 meeting. CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 2. Thursday, November 17, 2016 Action: Approved as submitted (6-0-1, McEwen absent). 3. Monday, January 9, 2017 Action: Approved as submitted (6-0-1, McEwen absent). ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS Sharon Dwight, NIP representative, followed up on the NIP caboose project at Dennis the Menace Park and felt the motion made by the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) was very clear; but the Council interpreted that the PRC did not want the money held. She suggested that in the future when making a motion, to make your motion 2 or 3 different ways so what you want is clear. Esther Malkin, Villa Del Monte resident, said she has been working with the City and the Police Department’s CAT Team to improve Laguna Grande Park. The park has a lot of vagrancy issues and we feel that side of town doesn’t get the attention other areas in Monterey do. She noted the park is unique to the State as an Audubon area. This park is shared with the City of Seaside and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District with a lot of unwanted activity  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 occurring. We are trying to shed a positive light on the park. She invited the commissioners to a Nature Walk at Laguna Grande Park on February 4. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 4. Review and Approve 2017 Parks and Recreation Work Program (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed and approved the 2017 Parks and Recreation Work Program (6-0-1, McEwen absent). Community Services Director Bui-Burton said this work program is the result of tremendous work done by the Commission last year in developing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP); and also the result of their retreat where the PRC looked back at work that had been done and what the community priorities are. She reviewed the proposed work program and said that based on community input the PRC’s priority projects are Operations & Maintenance, Partnerships, Hilltop Park Center Study, Recreation Trail Renovation, Dennis the Menace Playground, Monterey Youth Center, Teen Center, and Dogs in Monterey. She suggested that commissioners attend their own neighborhood association meetings and also attend NIP meetings. Commissioner McCarthy said staff did a great job of capturing what came out of the retreat, very impressive. Commissioner Carnazzo said a new teen center is a great concept and asked about operations and maintenance for a new facility. Director Bui-Burton stated that the PRMP community input expressed concern about how are we going to take care of our current facilities; restrooms which are very heavily used; concerns about the age of community centers; and whether the City will have enough funding and staffing to maintain what we currently have. She reported there has been no increase in operating budgets in 10 years. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra said we will have to take that next step with future projects to determine if they will cause more or less maintenance. Commissioner Panetta said she would like to learn more about how the NIP chooses projects. Director Bui-Burton noted there is an NIP Manual on the City’s website and attending NIP meetings through their process would be helpful. Esther Malkin said she has questions about how NIP funds that have been spent in the Laguna Grande/Del Monte Grove neighborhood; for example the soccer field at Laguna Grande Park was paid for by NIP and is located in Seaside. This needs to be addressed before any more NIP funds go into that park; nobody seems to have clear boundaries; it’s a shared park with Seaside and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District; those lines need to be clearer to avoid a similar situation. NIP funds are for neighborhood improvement, so I don’t understand why neighborhood funds would be spent on citywide projects. DTM improvements should come from City funds not NIP funds; there’s a lot of reliance on NIP funds. Inga Waite, Library Director, said on behalf of the Library Board, we want to express our interest on meeting teen needs and to partner with the Recreation Division. The Library offers numerous programs; have a teen council; and we have run out of room for activities; we actually have to turn teens away after school. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 2  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 Sharon Dwight, NIP representative, said that looking at the proposed list doesn’t show exactly what you want to accomplish; it looks kind of broad. She noted there are roof problems at both Hilltop Park Center and the Monterey Youth Center and inquired if the City is waiting until the interior of the facilities are redone to address the roof. She said the submittal deadline for NIP projects is Friday, February 17 and their Kick-off Meeting is February 26. She noted that City staff is negotiating with the City of Seaside to realign the city boundaries around Laguna Grande Park. On a motion by Commissioner Carnazzo, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin, and carried by the following vote, the Parks and Recreation Commission approved the 2017 Parks and Recreation Work Program: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin, Carnazzo, McCarthy, Menendez- Herbst, Panetta, Spangler NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: McEwen 5. Review and Approve Recreation Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) Projects and Provide Guidance to Staff (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: The Parks and Recreation Commission approved combining the Dennis The Menace Park and the Monterey Youth Center projects with the provision that they can be split out if both projects will not get funded; remove the Teen Center for this year, and submit the Monterey Sports Center video wall; and that we adopt the City Council priorities: ADA at Scholze Park, Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements, and the Monterey Bay Park restrooms as the highest priority (6-0-1, McEwen absent). Community Services Director Bui-Burton reviewed the NIP process; the PRC will review all park and recreation related projects in March; and will review again in May to forward a recommendation on to Council. At the Council’s December 20 meeting, they recommended three recreation projects as priorities: Scholze Park Parking Lot ADA Upgrade, Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements, and Supplemental Funding for Monterey Bay Park Restrooms; she noted these projects had all previously been submitted. She reviewed the potential NIP priority projects based on the PRMP and commission retreat to include: Dennis the Menace (DTM) Playground Improvement Study, Phase I, Monterey Youth Center (MYC) Improvement Study, Phase I, Teen Center Study, Phase I, and Sports Center LCD Video Wall Information Center. Commissioner Panetta asked for clarification on the video board for the Sports Center. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra stated we are trying to find different ways to market programs; one of the key ways is getting away from paper; a video wall will allow us to put up a quick blurb to advertise recreation programs and services. Commissioner McCarthy asked if the video board would it be interactive where you could push a button to see what classes are available. Manager Vierra stated it would not be interactive, but would keep up with the digital world and how people receive information. Commissioner Carnazzo inquired if there would be an app for this. Manager Vierra said the City has an app but there would not be one specifically for the video board. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 3  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 Commissioner McCarthy inquired how the proposed Teen Center will progress if it’s taken off the NIP submittal list for this year. Director Bui-Burton stated the Work Program talks about doing a study and we would potentially seek funding through the budget process or look for other types of funding. Commissioner Carnazzo said there’s obviously something the teens like about going to Library, they love the technology. He suggested we also talk to 7th and 8th graders for their ideas. Director Bui-Burton stated there are many activities for teens at the Library; but noted we want to reach all teens in the community, not just Monterey High. Commissioner McCarthy inquired if there has been any discussion on the Ryan Ranch property; he feels this should also be on the list because it has a lot of potential. Director Bui-Burton said staff has not looked at it recently and suggested doing another field trip. Sharon Dwight inquired if all community centers have Wi-Fi and if not, that should be on the list; she suggested not combining the Youth Center project with the Dennis The Menace Playground study because these two projects are very different and costly; funding for the teen center is available through NIP if the project is defined; the Jacks Ballpark project could cost anywhere from $200,000 - $400,000 and questioned whether it is needed or not; the location for the Monterey Bay Park restrooms approved was by the Monterey Bay Kayak side of the park. Inga Waite, Library Director, said we need to partner on a needs assessment and get a funding source for a Teen Center; then once we have a more concrete idea we can go to NIP. She noted the Library staff is going to visit a San Jose library where they have a Teen Headquarters that the teens helped develop. Commissioner McCarthy proposed that the Teen Center project come off the list for this year and fund the study a different way. He inquired how to structure the project if we combine the DTM and MYC studies; and said the bathrooms are a high priority. Commissioner Spangler stated we really need to advocate for these projects during NIP meetings. Director Bui-Burton noted the Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements project was submitted by the Youth League. She said that Recreation staff also has concerns regarding City compliance with Title IX noting that Jacks Ballpark is primarily used for girls softball, and we have already installed artificial turf at Sollecito Ballpark where the boys play. Commissioner Baldwin inquired what would the advantages be if we combined the DTM and MYC projects. Director Bui-Burton stated the economy of scale, if you’re looking at one area they are right there to look at the other. The park comes up to the back of the MYC; one project is a structure and one is a playground. Commissioner Spangler said she likes the idea of looking at them together with flow and parking; doing both may save us money in the long run. Commissioner Carnazzo said we need to define how we want it; how it works with the Youth Center; and look at it together as a unit. Manager Vierra stated how we see the Youth Center will be defined after a study; when working on the PRMP we talked about El Estero as a complex and how do we make all components of the park connect. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo said there is an option to submit the projects together and to note in the Project Submittal Form that the PRC is flexible on splitting them if funding is an issue for either proposed project. Commissioner McCarthy said priority projects should be the Council projects: Monterey Bay Park Restrooms, Scholze Park Parking Lot ADA Upgrade, and Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements; and the Recreation priority projects should be: the Dennis the Menace Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 4  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 Playground Improvement Study, Phase I combined with the Monterey Youth Center Improvement Study with a provision that these projects can be split out depending on funding; and the Sports Center Video Wall Information Center. Commissioner McCarthy motioned to approve combining the DTM and MYC projects with the understanding that they can be separated out if both projects will not get funded; submit the MSC video wall; and remove the Teen Center for this year, and that we adopt City Council priorities: ADA at Scholze Park, Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements, and the Monterey Bay Park restrooms. Commissioner Baldwin noted the PRMP and the community says the restrooms are very important. Commissioner McCarthy stated the restrooms are the highest priority. On a motion by Commissioner McCarthy, seconded by Commissioner Menendez-Herbst, and carried by the following vote, the Parks and Recreation Commission approved combining the DTM and MYC projects with the provision that they can be split out if both projects will not get funded; remove the Teen Center for this year, and submit the MSC video wall; and that we adopt the City Council priorities: ADA at Scholze Park, Jacks Park Infield Turf Improvements, and the Monterey Bay Park restrooms as the highest priority: AYES: 6 COMMISSIONERS: Baldwin, Carnazzo, McCarthy, Menendez- Herbst, Panetta, Spangler NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 1 COMMISSIONERS: McEwen INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 6. Monthly Report - Parks Division - November 2016 (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Report received. 7. Monthly Report - Parks Division - December 2016 (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Report received. Recreation and Community Services Manager Vierra reported that Scholze Park Center had 75 attendees at their New Year’s Eve party; the Flag Football season is ending and was held at Sollecito Ballpark this year; staff is working on the Summer/Fall 2017 Activities Guide; another major LEGO event will be held in May; and the play! Monterey travel program has a lot of upcoming trips. Staff is working with some outside groups to bring in new events; more beach volleyball tournaments for juniors by the California Beach Volleyball Association. Park Operations Manager Marcuzzo reported the Jacks Ballpark batting cages are top of the line, there are two cages back to back with artificial turf; the whale climbing structure is being installed at Monterey Bay Park; Dennis The Menace Park will be closed for the installation of ADA sidewalks; and the Ferrante Park fence is being repaired. Commissioner Spangler inquired how long DTM will be closed. Manager Vierra stated the project is to be completed by April 1. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 5  Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 Community Services Director Bui-Burton reported at their meeting on Tuesday, the Council rejected the DTM caboose project; they agree that a study should be done for the entire El Estero complex. She said the Council also approved the Pecos League request; and that the alcohol ordinance amendment will be on next Council agenda. She said the Council approved the first phase of improvements at Montecito Park. She said there is a great deal of interest in Laguna Grande Park and suggested scheduling a field trip. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Panetta said the new water station at the Sports Center is great. She said she enjoyed the Holiday Party and that she met Col. Lawrence Brown and he is very interested in the Lower Presidio Historic Park projects. Commissioner McCarthy said the new basketball court is being well used; great job on that. He asked for an aerial map of Laguna Grande Park before we go on a field trip. Commissioner Spangler said her family is really excited about the whale climbing structure; and that her son played flag football this season and had a great time. She asked staff if there are some smaller projects that they would like the Commission to advocate for. Commissioner Baldwin commended Director Bui-Burton on the way she responded to the City Council questions at their last meeting; she is a wealth of knowledge and background. He suggested taking a short break during our meeting. Commissioner Menendez-Herbst said she is so excited about the things we’re doing at Montecito Park; she has been spending a lot of time around Laguna Grande Park and they are having a lot of issues. Commissioner McCarthy said “Visit a park!” NEXT MEETING Thursday, February 16, 2017 ADJOURNMENT Chair Spangler adjourned the meeting at 8:49 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Kim Bui-Burton Lacy Spangler, Chair Community Services Director Parks and Recreation Commission Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2017 6