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2005/03/21 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes ROHNERT PARK PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES n March 21, 2005 The Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission met this date at 7:30 p.m. for an adjourned meeting at the Rohnert Park city offices, 6750 Commerce Boulevard, Rohnert Park. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. with Chair Bird presiding. OATH OF OFFICE—Recreation Services Manager, Guy Miller, administered the Oath of Office for Commissioner Griffin. ROLL CALL Present: (6) Commissioners Bird, Black, Butler, Griffin, Hansen, and Rogers Absent: (1) Commissioner Stevens Also present for all or part of the meeting Recreation Services Manager Guy Miller. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—Upon motion by Commissioner Hansen and second by Commissioner Butler, the minutes for the meeting of February 28th were unanimously approved as submitted. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT-None SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT -None OLD BUSINESS Parks Master Plan and Community Fields Citizen Advisory Committee—Manager Miller confirmed that the Parks and Recreation Commission is the lead agency for the Parks Master Plan and Community Fields project. He informed the Commission that the City Council ratified the Parks and Recreation Commission and Planning Commission members for the committee as well as the seven citizens-at-large. Manager Miller stated he was asked by the City Manager to prepare a work plan which could be used by the committee, if they wished, to give them a place to start. (A copy of the work plan is attached to the original copy of these minutes.)Manager Miller advised that staff will not be leading the committee. It will be led by Parks and Recreation Commission members. He referred to the handout which he briefly reviewed. Manager Miller said the work plan is on tomorrow's agenda for the City Council's meeting so some direction may come from them. A tentative committee meeting is scheduled at the Community Center on April 6th at 7 p.m. Chair Bird asked if the work plan has gone to the other committee members. Manager Miller said it hadn't since it was prepared for the City Council's discussion tomorrow, and they may wish to make some changes. Commissioner Rogers asked if changes would come from the City Council or the Planning Commission. Manager Miller said it is his understanding that there are 12 members on the committee and all are equal. The work plan was just a guide so committee members would have an idea of where to start. Details have not been worked out. Commissioner Hansen said it is his understanding that the final plan will come Page 1 • Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes March 21, 2005 from the Parks and Recreation Commission and this committee will be serving as an advisory body for the Parks and Recreation Commission, which will be making a recommendation to the City Council. Commissioner Griffin asked if there would be minutes from the committee meetings, and if so, could the Commission members get copies. Manager Miller said he assumed there would be minutes and the Commission can get copies. He said he will be attending the Council meeting tomorrow toanswer questions about the work plan so he may know more after that. Recreation Element of Specific Plan Areas—Manager Miller stated at the last Commission meeting there was a presentation and discussion with developers, and staff still needs an approval of the Specific Plan Recreation and Park Elements before the Planning Department can proceed. Commissioner Black asked if the EIR reports have been received, and Manager Miller replied he didn't know. Commissioner Black said she has some questions before she feels she can vote. Manager Miller clarified that what the Commission would be approving is the ratio of parkland that is required in the city's General Plan and not the specific elements in the parks. Commissioner Hansen said he would like to separate the three specific plans because he feels differently about each plan. Manager Miller agreed that could be done. Commissioner Rogers said he felt comfortable with the Southeast Plan but a little uncomfortable with the other two plans. Commissioner Black said some of her questions overlap on the three plans. She agrees that all plans are not the same,but she still has some questions about the plans and does not feel comfortable approving before her questions are answered. Chair Bird suggested taking a preliminary vote on the three plans. After some discussion, Commissioner Hansen made a motion to postpone the decision on the University Plan. Commissioner Rogers seconded the motion and the motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Black made a motion to postpone the decision on the Northeast Specific Plan area. Commissioner Butler seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Hansen made a motion to postpone the decision on the Southeast Specific Plan. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Black, and the motion was approved by a 4 to 2 vote. Ayes: Commissioner Hansen, Black, Griffin, and Butler Nays: Commissioners Rogers and Bird Manager Miller asked how the Commission wished to proceed. Commissioner Griffin said he has a problem allowing the linear parks on one of the proposals to be allowed as parkland. Manager Miller said it is not allowed in the General Plan. Discussion followed. Commissioner Black referred to the General Plan, Chapter 3, and said the way she understands it, the city or county already owns the area that will be developed as the linear park on Snyder Lane. She asked if the city owns the property,why would the developer receive credit for it? She stated it may be a definition question,but she needs to understand it before making a recommendation. Page 2 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes March 21, 2005 Further discussion followed, and Commissioner Black said she has some questions about park sites that fall in both the transportation or recreation areas. Manager Miller offered to invite Senior Planner Ron Bendorff back to the next commission meeting. Commissioner Hansen suggested that the commissioners write down their specific questions so they would have the answers before making their recommendation. Discussion followed on right of way used in the General Plan and whether land is owned by the city or a developer. Commissioner Griffin referred to the park in the Southeast Plan and mentioned that the park is fewer acres than required by the General Plan. Manager Miller said the difference is paid in in-lieu fees which is standard practice. Chair Bird asked if the Commission could set a timeline by first inviting Senior Planner,Bendorff to the next meeting,referring any additional questions to the Planning Commission at the following month's meeting, and then making their recommendation at the third meeting. Commissioner Black asked about getting a list of questions together so Senior Planner Bendorff would be able to have the answers at next month's meeting, and it would give him some time to do any necessary research. The Commission agreed to get their questions to Manager Miller within the next two weeks to give Senior Planner Bendorff time to prepare. Committee Assignments—Recreation Services Manager Miller referred to last month's meeting and said there seemed to be a number of questions about the different committees and the necessity of some of the committees. The Commission agreed to have Manager Miller read through the list of committees and the purpose of each committee. Aquatics—Manager Miller advised this committee usually meets once a year. He stated that since staff cutbacks,many items have had to be completed on short notice which is what happened with aquatics this year. He had to get the pool schedule to the City Council in January due to the swim club's proposed lease. This happened after the Commission's January meeting but before their February meeting. He stated he will keep the Commission appraised,but due to time constraints or shortage of staff,he will not always be able to run items by them in advance. Commissioner Hansen said he understands the staff shortage,but he wants to make sure the commissioners and committee members do their jobs and that they have access to the decision making. He stated commissioners may have to clear their own schedules to make sure they are available to do their job. Since there are only two to three committee members, they might be able to schedule a meeting on short notice. That way the burden doesn't always get shifted onto staff and the Commission will be doing their job. Manager Miller advised that he has had problems scheduling meetings due to the commissioners' schedules. He apologized for the problems and assured them that he will try to keep them appraised about what is going on. Even though the Aquatics Committee did not meet this year to discuss the fees and schedules, Manager Miller said they could still meet to discuss the aquatics programs and the pools. • Bicycle—Manager Miller stated he attended a meeting of the Bicycle Committee and learned the city engineer is the city's liaison to that committee. This committee meets when necessary and has agreed to keep the Recreation Department and the Commission informed. Page 3 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes March 21, 2005 Manager Miller suggested forming ad hoc committees as needed. He said the Commission can still have standing committees,but they would only meet if necessary. Budget—Manager Miller said this committee would mainly be used to pass information. The committee could assess the Recreation Department, which is done now by the Finance Director and discussed during budget hearings. Commissioner Hansen asked if there is any discretion in the Recreation Department's budget. Manager Miller said there is in capital outlay and capital improvement projects and the entire Commission might wish to participate in these discussions. He stressed that commission members should be the eyes and ears of the department in the community, and if they see something that needs attention, such as tennis court resurfacing,they should report it to the Recreation Department. Manager Miller mentioned the City Manager did ask if the Commission would like to meet with the City Council to discuss the parks capital outlay projects. Children and Families—Commissioner Rogers reported this committee was formed to look at human service issues for the city and to look for possible grant monies that could be used for youth and families. The committee was formed when the Commission on Youth and Families (COYF) was dismantled. Manager Miller said he does have an upcoming project for this committee involving improvements to some city parks, and some meetings will be scheduled. Dog Park—Manager Miller reported the bid has gone out for this project and will be awarded on April 26. The committee will be meeting to discuss amenities for the new dog park. Golf Course—Manager Miller stated this committee meets four times a year. Parks Master Plan & Community Fields Citizen Advisory—This committee will be meeting in the upcoming year. Park Watch/Adopt-A-Park—Manager Miller said the Adopt-a-Park project is stalled right now because of the time of the year. In addition, there are some liability questions about youth participation, and the agreement needs to be reworded. Commissioner Black said she would like to see this committee become more active and she has some ideas. Senior Center—This committee is active and someone from the committee attends the Senior Advisory Commission meetings on a regular basis and reports back to the Commission. Sports &Fitness Center—Manager Miller stated the committee met when they made some fee changes at the Sports &Fitness Center,but this committee is a good example of a committee that only meets on an as needed basis. It may be necessary for the committee to meet again when they discuss adding electronic fund transfers for memberships. Commissioner Rogers asked if the cardio equipment purchased for the Sports &Fitness Center '1 was approved by this committee. Manager Miller said no,but the Commission approved the purchase. Page 4 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes March 21, 2005 Volunteer Program—Manager Miller stated this committee hasn't done anything that he is aware of. Some discussion followed. Youth Sports—Manager Miller said this committee has been active in the past and may need to meet again to discuss field use fees. He can see a purpose for this committee even though they are not active all of the time. Manager Miller said in the future,he will put the committees that were active in the previous month on the Commission's agenda. Chair Bird asked if everyone was happy with their committee assignments and all agreed they were satisfied. Community Garden Arsenic Update—Manager Miller reminded the Commission that he had reported at a previous meeting about the CCA treated wood that was used in the community garden and how it can leach arsenic into the soil. He reported approximately 25 random soil samples were tested from the garden, and only two or three plots tested had a higher presence of arsenic than is acceptable. The gardeners have been notified that had the higher test results, and the city will be removing all the treated posts and replacing them. NEW BUSINESS Playground Equipment Replacement—Manager Miller reported that the city has some playground renovations that will be coming up in the future. He gave a power point presentation outlining the parks where the equipment will be replaced and preliminary plans for three of the parks. (A copy of the presentation is attached to the original copy of these minutes.)Manager Miller said the committee may wish to meet to discuss the design of the equipment and make recommendations to the full Commission. He said the details can be worked out in the future,but he wanted to keep the Commission informed about the upcoming plans. Commissioner Black asked if any of the equipment that is removed would be salvageable so it could be used at a park without any equipment. Manager Miller replied probably not due to changes in the code which have resulted in many of the existing pieces of equipment no longer meeting the required standards,but he could check. Commissioner Rogers asked if the equipment has a life-time expectancy. Manager Miller said he will be scheduling a representative from a playground equipment company who will discuss the types of equipment that can be considered and recommended in each park. The representative would also be able to answer any maintenance questions for their equipment. Since equipment requirements change,the Commission would be able to get input from the representative regarding that. STAFF REPORTS Department Highlights for February—Chair Bird asked about the recent upswing in Sports &Fitness Center memberships. Manager Miller said he believes it may be a combination of new programs being offered, new equipment and an upswing in the economy. Page 5 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes March 21, 2005 COMMISSION COMMITTEE REPORTS Dog Park Committee—Commissioner Black submitted four new membership forms for the Best Friends Canine Club and reported they had another month with no problems. The club is averaging 20 dogs per day. Golf Course Committee—Manager Miller referred to a letter from the Committee chair to the City Council (a copy of the letter is attached to the original copy of these minutes) and explained the reason for the letter. He said the letter is on the City Council's agenda for tomorrow's meeting. MATTERS FROM/FOR COMMISSIONERS Golis Park- Commissioner Black said she was surprised to see all the attention to the Golis Park surveillance camera that was in the newspaper. She said she hasn't seen any problems since the camera was installed,but that could also be due to the rain. She asked about the tennis nets being cut down at Magnolia Park. Manager Miller confirmed that incident did happen, and the Public Works Department and the city's risk manager are looking at installing surveillances camera in other parks. He mentioned that the story even made the wire services, and fortunately Public Works personnel were able to repair the nets in a short amount of time. Commissioner Black said she would still like to see the landscaping improved at the city's parks, and the trees trimmed so there is better visibility to reduce vandalism. ADJOURNMENT -There being no further business before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 9:01 p.m. adecC(:_„ / Ad. "%e"--1, ./.."7K" Chair t ird Guy Recreation Services Manager � ErA^ Secretary Page 6