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2005/11/21 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes ROHNERT PARK PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES November 21, 2005 The Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission met this date at 7:30 p.m. for a regular 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. ROLL CALL Present: (5) Commissioners Bird, Black, Griffin, Hansen and Stevens Absent: (2) Commissioner Butler(excused) and Rogers Also present for the meeting was Recreation Services Manager Guy Miller. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—Upon motion by Commissioner Hansen and second by Commissioner Black,the minutes for the meeting of October 17th were unanimously approved as submitted. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT-None SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCE/PUBLIC COMMENT-None OLD BUSINESS Status of Playground Renovations—Recreation Services Manager Miller stated that at the last Commission meeting they discussed the Ladybug Park playground design because City Council Member Vidak-Martinez was not satisfied with the proposal the Commission had recommended. He stated he had contacted Ross Recreation and requested that they make some changes. He referred the Commission to the redesigned plans. (A copy of the new designs is attached to the original copy of these minutes.) He pointed out that the new design improves the site lines and the preschool area is designed with a barn theme. If desired, other themes are available. Manager Miller referred to the revised summary of costs and mentioned the original cost was $92,000 and the new design adds about $100,000 to the cost of the project. Commissioner Stevens asked about the playground placement in regards to the street, which Manager Miller clarified. Commissioner Stevens pointed out that Plan B has a huge amount of concrete but said he likes the look of the design. Commissioner Black said she understood that Council Member Vidak Martinez was looking for a design that would provide an additional educational or developmental element to the park and asked where that element was. Manager Miller said he hasn't had enough time to look over the design,but he didn't see that. He mentioned that the problem with adding an educational or developmental element is that it would require a custom design which can be very expensive, so most cities go with the off-the-shelf products since they are limited by cost. Commissioner Black said she has given this a lot of thought and she would rather add some tot lot improvements in Lilac Park and stay with their original design recommendation for Ladybug Park. She suggested looking into improving the Lilac Park landscaping and the possibility of adding a butterfly area or Page 1 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 something similar. Manager Miller explained the city doesn't have the money to do this new more elaborate design nor to make any improvements to any other parks. Commissioner Hansen asked about the costs, and Manager Miller advised he met with the City Engineer and a Finance Department representative because the original thought was that the city would be able to purchase the equipment from Ross Recreation using a piggyback bid,but in retrospect, they will not be able to do the jobs this way and the projects will have to go out to bid. He stated he has gone back to Ross Recreation for the specs for all the projects and then they will have to go out to bid. Commissioner Hansen asked if Ross Recreation is the sole supplier for the playground products, and Manager Miller advised there are other companies that offer similar products. Commissioner Hansen asked if the other companies would be able to do an additional design for Ladybug Park. Manager Miller explained that it can get complicated, and he believes that this would only muddy the waters. He stated that due to rising costs, the city may not be able to afford the new park designs. Commissioner Griffin said he was upset when he heard that changes were being requested after the Commission had spent time talking to residents. He said he doesn't believe the new design adds anything special or extra ordinary. He would like to see the Commission continue with their previous recommendations. Chair Bird said he doesn't see anything that different in the new design, and he believes that the City Council may not accept a new plan with the added costs anyway. Commissioner Black agreed that they should continue with their original proposals,but she would like to see some improvements done at the Lilac Tot Lot even if it is just to clean up the park. She said she believes this is a way where the L Section could be improved that would not cost $100,000 and stressed this is an area that really needs to be addressed. She is happy with the original Ladybug Park proposed design. Commissioner Griffin made a motion to send the original design plan to the City Council based on all their discussions with residents as well as the research they had conducted. Commissioner Hansen said the new design doesn't look that different from the original plan. Manager Miller pointed out that the new plan does incorporate a picnic area which wasn't in the original. Commissioner Hansen said he agrees that something more needs to be done for the L Section residents whether it is to improve the Lilac Tot Lot or to make the Ladybug Park improvements. Following this discussion, Commissioner Hansen seconded the motion. Commissioner Stevens pointed out that most play equipment is the same and doesn't promote physical development but can develop children's imaginations. Commissioner Griffin pointed out that if they continue to try to get whatever improvements they can, further improvements may be possible in the future. Commissioner Black said she would still like to include the Lilac Tot Lot clean-up and maybe add just a few little pieces which wouldn't have to be that expensive. Commissioner Griffin suggested reviewing all the parks and prioritizing the improvements. There being no further discussion, the motion was unanimously approved. Page 2 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 Commissioner Black suggested finding out if the priorities can be restructured, what it would cost to clean up the park and the cost of some small improvements for the tot lot and perhaps a bench for parents to sit. She would like some kind of quiet area where children could play. Manager Miller recommended making an addendum to the previous motion stating that the Commission would like to come back to make further improvements. Commissioner Griffin agreed to amend him motion. Commissioner Hansen said he would like to look at the parks in the L Section to determine if the parks are adequate, including the play equipment and picnic areas. Commission Stevens asked when they looked at the money spent on the parks whether it was based on the number of children living in the area. Manager Miller said no, it was based on a recommendation that was several years old to make improvements to six city parks. Subsequently, the list was pared down to four parks. The Commission's consensus was to approve the amended motion. Commissioner Bird asked about the picnic area at Ladybug Park. Commissioner Black suggested that adding a picnic area would make a great Phase 2 improvement for the park. Report on Internet Registration Program—Manager Miller reported the Recreation Department will be ,.� conducting a soft launch of internet registration in December to see how the system works. Registration will be offered for the department's Dancercise and other aerobics classes beginning in December when the guide is published and then we hope to do a full launch for the spring/summer programs. He reported that he had hoped to have a demonstration tonight,but there are still some security items that have to be corrected. NEW BUSINESS Memorial Recognition Program—Manager Miller reported that Gil Soto, the founder of the Rohnert Park Swim Club and active member of the Rohnert Park Soccer League,had passed away recently. Manager Miller read letter that had been sent to the Mayor that recommended renaming Sunrise Park the Gil and Elaine Soto Park and stated he had received a second request from another resident. He advised the City has received similar requests in the past, which is one of the reasons the memorial brick program was begun. He stated there are times when the city would like to be able to do a little more than a memorial brick, and so he checked with some other cities to find out what programs they offer. He suggested offering a memorial bench program which could include a bronze plaque. Benches typically cost$1,100-1,200, and Manager Miller advised he wanted to get the Commission's input before proceeding. Commissioner Hansen said his only concern is that this could become so popular that they may need something else to offer in case the city runs out of room for benches. Commissioner Griffin responded that he believes it would take a long time to run out of areas for benches since the city has so many parks and pathways. He said he believes this is an excellent idea and stated he was in Tahoe City recently which had a similar program. Page 3 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 Commissioner Black suggested using the bench program as the primary program but offering another plaque program such as purchasing a piece of playground equipment. Commissioner Griffin made a motion to approve the memorial bench program and forward the recommendation to the City Council. Commissioner Stevens seconded the motion. Commissioner Black said she believes they still need to discuss the request for the Sotos made in the letter so that they have a response. Following discussion,the motion was unanimously approved. Commissioner Black suggested that the City Council could implement the program by purchasing the bench in Mr. Soto's honor. Commissioner Stevens said he believes this is a good way to develop the history of a community. Commissioner Black made a motion to recommend to the City Council that they implement the memorial bench program by purchasing a bench, which would include a plaque stating that Mr. Soto is being honored for his many hours of service to the community. Commissioner Hansen suggested there may be another way to honor citizens for their service to the community such as in an area at the library. Discussion followed on whether it would be appropriate for the city to purchase a bench, and Commissioner Hansen stated he is concerned that there could be other people in the future believing their family member should be honored in the '1 same way. Chair Bird said he could also see that this could cause problems with other groups, and he feels it might be more appropriate for a group such as"friends of soccer"to purchase a bench. The motion died for lack of a second. Dog Park/Recreation Department Sponsorship Programs - Commissioner Black reported that after being approached by some businesses that wanted to purchase items for the dog park, she has been working on developing a sponsorship program. At a recent meeting the City Council discussed whether it might be necessary to make some changes due to the City's financial problems. She said she thought about implementing a sponsorship program that would benefit all recreation programs which might help underwrite keeping facilities functional and up to date. Before proceeding she wanted to get some feedback from the Commission about whether to develop a sponsorship program that benefited all recreation programs or just the dog parks. She mentioned doing similar to the Rotary Club sign by the library that would be very tasteful. She said she wants to get the Commission's input and to find out whether another commissioner would like to help her with the project. Commissioner Griffin said he believes this is a good idea, and he would be happy to help. Manager Miller stated this is a problem cities are having all over the state, and it comes down to commercializing city property. He advised the City already has Pepsi machines in the parks. The dilemma is to whether to try tastefully designed items although some people don't like the idea of commercializing city owned property. Commissioner Black reported one business has offered a substantial amount of money for the right to name a park—probably a dog park. She noted the city already accepts ads in our recreation guide and suggested offering a small ad in the Community Voice which would thank businesses Page 4 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 for their help in the parks. She also stated she has found some businesses putting advertising information in the flyer boxes at the dog park and suggested adding more boxes for fliers, so the program could be something as small as an ad or something as large as naming a park and gave some examples. Commissioner Black said the program would have to be structured so it covers all aspects. Manager Miller pointed out that advertising is already accepted at the youth baseball fields. Commissioner Black said she will continue to work on the project and will come back to the Commission with some ideas in January. Discussion.continued. Commission Goals—Manager Miller referred to his memo regarding Commission Goals for 2006. He had promised to come back to the Commission with a list of goals the Recreation Department will be striving for in 2006 and read through these goals. (A copy of the memo and the goals is attached to the original of these minutes.) Manager Miller suggested that the Commission could adopt one or two of these goals, or they could add other ones. He asked for comments and suggested the Commission look over the goals during the next month and then decide in January whether they want to adopt any of these as Commission Goals. Commissioner Griffin asked if any of the goals are time sensitive. Manager Miller said yes,numbers 3 and 6. He explained he would like to have the youth field use fees ready to go to the City Council in January. He said that due to the cost of utilities, he is looking at increasing the cost of light use. He indicated he may reduce the field use fees but increase the cost for lights. Chair Bird asked if he wants to have the fees ready for the annual field use meeting. Manager Miller said he may only be able to notify the leagues of the changes that are coming but suggested scheduling a committee meeting in December so they could have a recommendation in January. Commissioner Black referred to Goal#5: Evaluate swimming pools and make recommendations on decommissioning on or more pool(s), and consider replacing with spray parks. She asked whether they need to get started now since it takes so long to get anything done. Manager Miller said this is something that has been discussed for years, and it may take a year to make a determination. Commissioner Griffin asked about park audits (Goal#4) and whether this is something that should be started now- looking at the parks being considered for playground renovations: Manager Miller said they can start with one park, or more, and they need to look at what kind of reporting method needs to be used. He said he will look at the list and schedule some committee meetings. Commissioner Stevens said he likes goal numbers 1, 4 and 7. Commissioner Griffin Leaves—At approximately 9:00 p.m. Commissioner Griffin left the meeting. Commissioner Stevens said he appreciates the list and this is what he was looking for when the matter was discussed in October. He suggested that the other commissioners may have some goals they would like to include. Chair Bird concluded the discussion saying a vote on the Commission's 2006 goals will be done in January. Commissioner Griffin Returns—At approximately 9:02 p.m., Commissioner Griffin returned to the meeting. Page 5 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 Commissioner Black referred to Manager Miller's Goal#2, regarding creating a Community Calendar, and said she agreed it is a good idea. She asked where it would be kept, and Manager Miller said he was thinking of putting it on the city's website,but further research would have to be done. STAFF REPORTS Department Highlights for October—Manager Miller advised the highlights report for October will be included in the next Highlight Report. Quarterly Report—Commissioner Stevens referred to the Community Center's quarterly report and asked about basketball and soccer fees. Staff responded that all of the fees may not have been paid by the end of the quarter. Commissioner Stevens also asked about the pool rental fees, and Manager Miller said the drop is due to the school district no longer allowing pool rentals due to a drowning in the county in a previous year. COMMISSION COMMITTEE REPORTS Park Master Plan (PROS) Committee—Commissioner Hansen reported the Committee is considering various means of doing a survey of the community and the possibility of using the internet as an avenue for the survey. The Committee received some quotes for an internet survey which were extremely high. At the last meeting Manager Miller put together a survey that the Committee liked, so it looks like they will be doing some kind of survey and will be looking at ways to encourage people to do the survey. They also looked at ways to get hard copies of the survey for those who don't have access to the internet. The Committee is trying to get a sense of focus of city facilities' needs in the future as well as different programming ideas. He said the Committee thinks the survey is a good idea, and they hope to be able to find out what people want in city parks. The Commission requested that they be added to the PROS Committee mailing list so they can be kept up to date on the Committee's activities. Manager Miller reported the Commissioner Rogers hasn't attended Commission meetings for 4-5 months nor has he attended the PROS meetings and suggested that a new commissioner be appointed to the PROS Committee. The Commission discussed the matter and thought they should wait until all the commissioners are present to decide who should be appointed. The Commission discussed whether it would be a violation of the Brown Act for more than 4 commissioners to attend a PROS meeting since they are public meetings. Manager Miller stated the PROS meetings are currently scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month. After further discussion, Chair Bird appointed Commissioner Black as an alternate to attend the December 7t1i meeting. Page 6 Rohnert Park Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 21, 2005 MATTERS FROM/FOR COMMISSIONERS Holiday Meeting Schedule- Manager Miller reminded the Commission that they will not be meeting in December, and due to the Martin Luther King holiday, their next meeting will be on January 23rd, the 4th Monday of the month. Park Watch Program - Commissioner Stevens reported he had made a connection with the Director of Public Safety,but due to scheduling conflicts,they had been unable to meet to discuss the Park Watch Program. He advised he will continue trying to set up a meeting. Golf—Commissioner Stevens said he has a friend who told him he used to golf in Rohnert Park,but when the fees went up drastically,his group of golfers decided they would go to Oakmont since it is a better course. Manager Miller said the City Council did allow CourseCo to raise their fees. ADJOURNMENT-There being no further business before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m. e � Chair :ird Guy iller Recreation Services Manager gift Secretary # I Page 7