Parks and Recreation Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday, February 9, 2022 7:00 PM Telepresence Meeting: City Web Stream CALL TO ORDER Chair Giri called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. via teleconference. ROLL CALL Present: 5 - Chair Prakash Giri Vice Chair Gregory Dibb Commissioner Daniel Bremond Commissioner David Kesting Commissioner Dona Mason Council Liaison Din (absent) PRESENTATION A 22-0264 Public Access to the Sunnyvale Drainage Channel Sunnyvale resident, Yair Harel, provided a presentation on Public Access to the Sunnyvale Drainage Channel. Highlights included: purpose, map, and suggestion to open southern part of the Sunnyvale east channel, near Ortega Park and in between Inverness Way and Fremont Ave. Commissioners inquired and staff responded: Is there a reason that the drainage channels are closed to the public? The channels are owned by the Valley Water District. The channels are typically closed off due to concerns regarding public safety and dumping of chemicals into the water. Would capital be needed to open the fence? Yes, the City would need to hire a consultant and do outreach meetings. Additionally, there would be ongoing operating costs. What is staff's suggestion? The Commission can champion a study issue on Yair's City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Final February 9, 2022 behalf, or he can present at an upcoming City Council meeting. Alternatively, Yair can present to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) to garner more support, as that Commission's sole purpose is to increase mobility. Chair Giri opened for public comment. Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the City of Cupertino, Carol S., provided insight on the City of Cupertino's implementation of opening up the drainage channels for the public to access. She noted that it was a lengthy process. One major issue identified was that the neighbors who shared a fence with the channel organized quickly, and there was potential for lawsuits. Nevertheless, the request was supported by many and championed by City Council. The City offered to redo the fencing for neighbors affected by the channel access in an act of good faith. Lastly, she share concerns that the neighborhood had regarding possible homeless encampments. Chair Giri closed public comment. B 22-0221 Sunnyvale Tennis 2022 Status & Plans Lifetime Activities General Manager, Michael Scadden, provided a presentation on Sunnyvale Tennis 2022 Status and Plans. Highlights included: state of tennis, current trends, Sunnyvale facility utilization, screenshots of reservation schedule, demand vs. supply, needs assessment, ongoing improvement efforts, and long-term vision/projections. C 22-0207 Field/Park Usage Report Administrative Aide, Ricky Le, provided a presentation on Field/Park Usage. Highlights included: analysis of usage for fields, park buildings and picnic sites. D 22-0267 Parks and Park Buildings Update Superintendent of Parks and Golf, Jim Stark, provided a presentation on Ortega Park. Highlights included: map, history and amenities. Commissioners inquired and staff responded: Is there a timeline for renovations at Ortega Park? The City's 20-year plan has Ortega being renovated in 2032. City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Final February 9, 2022 Is there a purpose for renovating fields to synthetic? The City plans to convert the three largest fields to synthetic to provide year-round reservations. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1 22-0265 Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2022 Chair Giri moved and Commissioner Kesting seconded the motion to approve the consent calendar as presented. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Giri Vice Chair Dibb Commissioner Bremond Commissioner Kesting Commissioner Mason No: 0 PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 22-0022 Approval of New Agreement Between City of Sunnyvale and Sustainable Community Gardens for Operation and Maintenance of the Community Gardens Located at 433 Charles Street Superintendent of Parks and Golf, Jim Stark, provided a presentation on the Sustainable Community Gardens. Highlights included: background, location and agreement history. Commissioner Bremond moved and Commissioner Kesting for Alternative 1: Approve a new Five-Year Agreement with Sustainable Community Gardens for the operation and maintenance of the Charles Street Community Gardens for five years and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement and to approve up to five one-year extensions of the term of the Agreement. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - Final February 9, 2022 Yes: 5 - Chair Giri Vice Chair Dibb Commissioner Bremond Commissioner Kesting Commissioner Mason No: 0 STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES 3 22-0266 Parks and Recreation Commission Proposed Study Issues, Calendar Year: 2023 Standing item. No study issues approved in previous meeting were proposed. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Bremond congratulated Tony Spitaleri on becoming a Sunnyvale Council Member, and Michelle Perera on becoming the Director of Library and Recreation Services. -Staff Comments None. ADJOURNMENT Chair Giri adjourned the meeting at 9:04pm. City of Sunnyvale Page 4