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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6.1 Parks & Rec Report • • MEETING DATE: September 21 , 1983 CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT Cont ' d From - MEETING DATE: August 22 , 1983 SUBJECT Report from Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee EXHIBITS ATTACHED Committee Report and Attachments ; Parks & Recreation Committee Guidelines RECOMMENDATION C�`�: � � 1 ) Direct Staff to notify the Murray School District of the City ' s position with respect to the City ' s interest in purchasing the Fallon School site 2 ) Consider Parks & Recreation Report & Recommendations FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Facility acquisition and improvement - cost unknown at this time ; Program cost - estimated at $107 ,000 ; Reduction of User Fee - $16 ,000 - $20 ,000 DESCRIPTION In accordance with City Council direction in March 1983 , a group of citizens appointed by the individual members of the City Council , met as a Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee to identify the recreational needs in the City of Dublin which were not presently being met ; identify various alternatives in meeting those needs and the associated cost of each alternative ; and recommend an alternative to the City Council and a suggested timeline for accomplishing that alternative . The Parks & Recreation Committee has completed its report ( see attached) , and will present that report to the City Council at its meeting. The report represents the culmination of 5 months work on the part of the Committee . Staff assisted the Committee in developing those cost figures which are presented in the report . It is Staff ' s position that these cost figures are quite representative of the costs to the City providing those programs proposed. The Committee and Staff did have a difficult time identifying the costs associated with securing and improving the Fallon Site along with Kolb Park, as recommended in the Committee ' s report . It is believed that this could not be accomplished until a property appraisal was conducted and the City determined whether or not it was interested in purchasing or leasing the site . • It should be pointed out that the development of a program as proposed by the Parks & Recreation Committee must go hand-in-hand with the use of a Services District and/or School District site . It would be very difficult to undertake the programs proposed by the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee unless the City had sites available to use to implement those programs . -y COPIES TO : Parks & Recreation Committee / ITEM NO. • / - M E M O R A N D U M• DATE: August 16 , 1983 TO : City Council FROM: Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee SUBJECT : Parks & Recreation in the City of Dublin BACKGROUND • On February 28, 1983 , the City Council adopted a set of guidelines and established a Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee . The City Council ' s objective was to have the Committee investigate whether it is appropriate for the City of Dublin to participate in the provision of parks and recreation services to residents of Dublin. In order to facilitate this investigation, the Council charged the Committee with the following specific assignments : 1 . Identification of those recreational needs in the City of Dublin which are not presently being met . 2 . Identification of alternative means of meeting those needs and the associated cost of each alternative . 3 . Recommendation of an alternative to the City Council and a suggested timeline for accomplishing the alternative . The City Council appointed 10 citizens to serve on the Committee and invited representatives from those public agencies which presently own recreational facilities and/or are responsible for recreation programming to appoint liaisons to the Committee . The Committee ' s first meeting was March 29 , 1983 , and since then has met eight times to accomplish its assignment . METHODOLOGY In approaching its assignment , the Committee first set out to identify park and recreation needs in the City. The Committee undertook the following tasks in order to develop the data base which was needed to identify parks and recreation needs . (A detailed description of these tasks along with the materials gathered by the Committee is included in the Appendix. ) 1 . Developed and distributed a recreation questionnaire to identify needs (See Appendix A) . 2 . Developed an inventory of facilities that are or could be made available for recreation activity (See Appendix B) . 3 . Met with Director of San Ramon Valley Community Center and staff regarding Shannon Center availability (See Appendix C) . 4 . Met with Director Covello and Dublin San Ramon Services District staff regarding parks & recreation costs incurred by the District (See Appendix D) . 5 . Met with Dublin San Ramon Services District Directors Covello and Jeffery regarding availability of DSRSD facilities for recreation use by City (See Appendix E) . 6 . Interviewed organized sports and senior groups ( See Appendix F) . 7 . Held a public forum to receive input from the general public regarding parks and recreation (See Appendix G) _ 8 . Received comments regarding needs from individual committee members based on the information gathered above • .. 1 • • • • IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS As a result of- the passage of Proposition 13, parks and recreation programs have been curtailed in the Dublin area . The Dublin San Ramon Services District provides only a summer aquatics program. The San Ramon Valley Community Center offers recreation classes to all age groups . All other recreation needs are met by organized private groups or go unmet . With respect to facilities , the Dublin San Ramon Services District no longer maintains Kolb Park and Cronin Park. These facilities were developed by the Services District but are owned and presently maintained by the Murray School District . The Dublin San Ramon Services District does contract with the San. Ramon Valley Community Center for use of the Shannon Community Center. The Center is operated by the San Ramon Valley Community Center (SRVCC) . The SRVCC has not utilized the Center to full capacity and has not indicated a willingness to identify unused space which could be utilized by the City for ' recreation programs currently not provided in the City. The availability of the Shannon Community Center to the general public is quite limited. The Murray School District has facilities which are available to the public for recreation. However, due to declining enrollment , some of these facilities may be sold as surplus property and lost to the community. Properties which the School District is presently considering selling include the Dolan School Site and Fallon School . A detailed inventory of facilities in the community are identified in Appendix B. As a result of the data gathered by the Committee , the following needs were identified as being unmet : . AGE GROUP NEED - Pre-School 1 . More neighborhood parks with play equipment - Elementary School 1 . Same as above 2 . After school and summer school playground programs 3 . Summer day camp - Teens 1 . A gathering place for drop-in activities - Adults 1 . A gathering place for educational , scoial , class activities and meetings 2 . Adult athletic facilities including a par course , lighted tennis courts , horseshoe pits , etc . - All Age Groups 1 . Annual community celebration 2 . Improved coordination of recreation programs and facility use 3 . Information clearinghouse for available rec- reation programs and facility use 4. Picnic facilities (barbeque pits , picnic tables , etc . ) 5 . Park restroom facilities 6 . Better utilization, maintenance and improvement of existing recreational facilities 7 . Reduction of user fees ALTERNATIVES • In view of the needs identified above , the Committee identified a number of alternatives which might be considered . These alternatives identified are not necessarily mutually exclusive , and are broken down as follows : NEED: 1 . MORE PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY FACILITIES ALTERNATIVES : a ) Add play areas , and equipment to any or all of the following facilities : _ Kolb Park Cronin Park Mape Park • • • . „ 2• • Shannon Park Maintenance would still be provided by DSRSD or the Murray School District b) Same as in a) above , except City maintains facilities c ) Work with DSRSD to upgrade facility maintenance d) Arrange with Murray School District for improved accessibility to kindergarten play area NEED: 2 . AFTERSCHOOL, SUMMERSCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS AND SUMMER DAY CAMP ALTERNATIVES : a ) City pays for cost of program; arranges for program to be run by another agency, and arranges with School District for use of facility b) City runs program and arranges for use of school facilities . NEED: 3 . GATHERING PLACE FOR TEENS AND/OR ADULTS ALTERNATIVES : a) Bid for lease of Shannon Community Center b) Make arrangements with School District for use of school facility • c ) Lease private building space d) Make arrangements for use of Camp Parks Officer ' s Club NEED: 4. MORE ADULT ATHLETIC FACILITIES ALTERNATIVES : a ) Add facilities to 1 ) DSRSD sites 2 ) Historical Center property 3) School District sites b) Require private developers to build facilities as a condition of development NEED: 5 . COMMUNITY CELEBRATION ALTERNATIVES : Hold ONE community wide event on St . Patrick' s Day which would be jointly sponsored by the City, School Districts , Chamber of Commerce ,Service Groups , and other interested groups . NEED: 6 . IMPROVE COORDINATION OF RECREATION FACILITIES ALTERNATIVES : a) Hire a Parks & Recreation Director to schedule facility use b) Contribute funds to DSRSD to provide improved scheduling c ) Hire a private contractor to schedule facilities NEED: 7 . DEVELOP A PARKS & RECREATION CLEARINGHOUSE. FOR FACILITY USE AND RECREATION PROGRAMMING ALTERNATIVES : a ) Develop a mailing such as a City newsletter b). Purchase an answer phone for a recorded message c ) Hire or contract recreation staff person to provide such information NEED : 8 . ADD PICNIC FACILITIES AND PARK RESTROOM FACILITIES ALTERNATIVES : Consider adding improvements on school sites , DSRSD park sites , and/or other appropriate sites accessible to the public , i .e . Dublin Historical Center NEED : 9 . BETTER UTILIZATION, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ALTERNATIVES : a) Contribute funds to DSRSD for improved maintenance b) Negotiate taking over recreation facility maintenance from DSRSD NEED: 10 . REDUCTION OF USER FEES ALTERNATIVES : a ) Reduce user fees and pay DSRSD the difference to _ make up revenue loss • b) Reduce user fee and negotiate takeover of maintenance of recreation facility maintenance from DSRSD • • 3 • • RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the extensive data which the Committee has gathered , the Committee has concluded that there are recreation needs which are not being met at this time . Given the financial condition and policies of the Dublin San Ramon Services District and both school districts , it appears that the City is the only entity at this time that has the ability to meet some of those recreation needs . The Committee recognizes that all of the unmet needs which have been identified , cannot be met by the City in the near future . Therefore , the Committee recommends that the City Council consider undertaking a number of short range recreation goals which could be accomplished by December 1984. • It is recommended that the City Council give consideration to the following actions : 1 . Secure an accessible facility to be used both as a recreation center and park. It is the Committee ' s position that the City should invest in existing facilities rather than creating new facilities . It is possible that improvements to Fallon School and Kolb Park would facilitate meeting the need for additional park facilities , a gathering place for teens and adults , and . a central location for a recreation office . The Committee has not discussed the- cost of leasing or acquiring the Fallon or Kolb . sites from the School District . Therefore , the cost of securing this site is unknown at this time . The cost of improving this site may be partially offset with park dedication fees collected by the City in the future and/or park dedication fees collected by the Dublin San Ramon Services District . Since the School District has notified the City of its intent to sell the Fallon site, it is further recommended that the City Council consider entering into negotiations with the School District for the Fallon site ( lease or purchase ) . The Committee does not recommend that the City acquire or improve any site unless it adequately maintains the facility. 2 . It is quite evident that central coordination of facility scheduling and recreation programming is needed in Dublin. The Committee recommends that the— City Council employ a Parks & Recreation Director or Coordinator and appropriate support staff to provide that coordination, and also develop programs including : a . Afterschool playground program at Murray, Cronin and Nielsen Schools . b. Coordinate field scheduling c . Participate in the Camp Parks Gynmasium Consortium. d . Develop a Summer Day Camp Program e . Develop a parks & recreation facility and program information clearinghouse . f . Coordinate a community celebration. The estimated cost of undertaking these programs is as follows : - Director & Secretary and necessary supplies $ 70,000 - Afterschool Playground Program ( 9 months ) 6 , 500 - Summer School Playground Program ( 3 months ) 10 , 500 - - Summer Day Camp Program (Recoverable through Fees ) - Camp Parks Gynmasium Consortium 15 ,000 - Information Clearinghouse (Cost covered under Director & Supplies ) - Coordinate a community celebration 5 ,000 Total $ 107 ,000 Those costs identified above would not be recoverable through fees unless otherwise indicated . • • 4. • • 3. As a result of discussions with organized sports' groups , the Committee recommends that those user fees which are presently paid to the Dublin San Ramon Services District for field usage be reduced. This could be accomplished by either the City assuming responsibility for field maintenance , which would be extremely costly, or contributing to DSRSD a set amount to offset those fees currently charged which would be lost . The latter option is recommended. The estimated loss in revenue to DSRSD would be approximately $16 ,000-20 ,000 per year for field usage fees in Dublin. 4. The Commitee recommends the establishment of a permanent Parks and Recreation Commission. This would improve communication between the public . • and a public entity such as the City, on recreation issues . The cost incurred for such a commission would include primarily the Recreation Director ' s time in providing staff support . The recommendations identified above represent the unanimous consensus of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee . These recommendations provide an immediate improvement in the level of recreation services and further, form the base upon which a long range program can be developed . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee would like to express its gratitude to members of the City Council for the opportunity it has had to serve the City in reviewing its recreation needs . During the course of collecting and evaluating the information presented in this report , each member of the Committee learned a great deal about the community. The experience has been _ extremely valuable for all who participated . Respectfully submitted, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee Joan Allen Fred Drena Elizabeth Schmitt Norb Hudek F . K. (Skeet ) Taigen George Zika May Hernandez James Kohnen Georgean Vonheeder Janet Lockhart • * 5 .