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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19-2014 Approved P&CS Minutes PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Minutes CITY OF DUBLIN May 19, 2014 The May 19, 2014 Regular Meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:00 PM at the Dublin Civic Center, Dublin, California, by Chair Totaro. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Totaro led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners (Cm.) Present: Ballesteros, Elias, Mack, Sung,Totaro Commissioner Absent: Boboc ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 3.1 Annual Report by the Youth Advisory Committee Mr. Kush Rastogi, Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Chair, presented the Annual Report for the Youth Advisory Committee. Cm. Elias asked about the criteria for how the organizations can spend awarded funds from the Youth Mini Grant program. YAC Chair Rastogi stated the groups applying for the grant submit an application which includes information on how the awarded funds would be used. Cm. Ballesteros asked if the money raised by the YAC goes toward any other programs besides the Youth Fee Assistance Program (YFAP). YAC Chair Rastogi stated the money raised generally goes towards funding the YFAP. Chair Totaro asked if the Mini Grant Program met the organizations' needs and if there would be more opportunities if there were more funds available. YAC Chair Rastogi stated that five organizations applied for the grant and of those five, each organization received the full or partial amount of their request. If more funds were available the YAC would be able to distribute larger grants, which may attract more groups to apply. The Commissioners concurred that YAC did an excellent job this year. 3.2 BRIEF INFORMATIONAL ONLY REPORTS FROM THE SENIOR CENTER AND YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEES Senior Center Advisory Committee Ms. Diane Bonetti, Senior Center Advisory Committee Member, reported on the meeting held on April 3, 2014. Ms. Bonetti reported the Senior Center Advisory Committee received an overview of the quarterly report and Staff proposed an increase in drop-in activity fees, effective January 15, 2015. Youth Advisory Committee Cm. Sung reported that at the last meeting, the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) discussed the YAC Annual Report to be presented to the Parks and Community Services Commission and City Council; the P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 2 of 8 Community Car Show; Eggstravaganza Event; and the YAC applications for the 2014-2015 term. Cm. Sung informed the Commission that the Dublin Library will be sponsoring a showing of Girl Rising on May 21, 2014. 3.3 PUBLIC COMMENTS—None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4.1 Joint Meeting April 21, 2014 On a motion by Cm. Ballesteros, seconded by Vice Chair Mack, and by a vote of 5-0-0 with Commissioner Boboc absent, the Commission voted to approve the minutes of the Joint Meeting with the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission on April 21, 2014, as presented. 4.2 Regular Meeting April 21, 2014 On a motion by Cm. Elias, seconded by Cm. Sung, and by a vote of 5-0-0 with Commissioner Boboc absent, the Commission voted to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 21, 2014 as presented. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS— None PUBLIC HEARING 6.1 Amendments to Fee Resolution Ms. Micki Cronin, Assistant Director of Parks and Community Services, presented the specifics of the item as outlined in the Staff Report. Cm. Sung asked about the non-resident proposed fee for the Dublin LEAD program. Ms. Cronin stated that there was an error in the report and the correct non-resident fee proposed for LEAD is $97.00. Cm. Sung asked about the proposed fees for the Adult Lap Swim Pass. Ms. Cronin stated residents receive a slight discount with the swim pass, whereas non-residents do not. It serves more as a convenience pass, which is why the proposed fees would not increase for non-residents. Cm. Elias asked if the Preschool program continues to have large waitlists. Ms. Cronin stated the waitlists are not as long since the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) now offers a Transitional Kindergarten program for free. Cm. Elias further asked if it was appropriate to increase the fees if the Dublin Preschool program is losing students to DUSD's program. Ms. Cronin stated it is not an ideal time to increase the fees. However, with supplies and other costs increasing, Staff wants to maintain the quality of the program and remain competitive. Dublin's Preschool program fees are still low in comparison to neighboring cities. Mr. McCreary, Director of Parks and Community Services, stated the DUSD program is for four year olds, and therefore does not affect the City's three year old program. Chair Totaro asked about the Transitional Kindergarten program, and Mr. McCreary stated it is a State funded program. Cm. Elias asked if it was appropriate to increase fees for Teen Programs when attendance for Teen Programs is currently low. Ms. Cronin stated that at times, when City fees are very low, potential participants may question the value of the program. Increasing the fees provides the opportunity to add value to the program and makes the City more competitive. P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 3 of 8 Cm. Elias asked if the proposed increase in fees at the Swim Center will help with possible increases in water costs due to the drought. Ms. Cronin stated the increase in the fees would not help recover possible additional costs due to the drought. The increase in fees is purely focused on the program and staffing. Cm. Elias asked if fees should be increased even more in order to cover the increased costs caused by the drought. Mr. McCreary stated that for the time-being the City views the Swim Center as a core service and would absorb the additional water costs. Cm. Elias asked about the proposed fee range for non-profit organizations at community events and festivals. Ms. Cronin stated the reason behind charging a fee is due to the "no-show" occurrences, and the fee range would allow for flexibility between events. Cm. Elias further asked if the different City events and festival fees have been determined. Mr. McCreary stated set fees have not been determined as different opportunities are available for different groups at the various events. Cm. Elias asked how the City provides notification of the fees for the different events. Mr. McCreary stated the applications with the different opportunities are sent to everyone. Ms. Cronin added that applications are posted on the City's website in advance as well. Cm. Ballesteros asked how many non-residents are enrolled in the Preschool program. Ms. Cronin stated that during the prior school year there were approximately three non-residents enrolled in the Preschool program; whereas the current school year has increased to approximately 20 non-residents. Cm. Ballesteros asked if the Preschool program is a full-day or half-day program. Ms. Cronin stated the preschool is less than a half-day program; with a morning and afternoon sessions. I Cm. Ballesteros commented that she thought it was interesting how some fees for youth programs are low while others are high in comparison to neighboring cities. Ms. Cronin stated that some of the programs that are more competitively priced, such as some of the summer camps, are new and Staff wants to be able to offer quality programs. Mr. McCreary added that in about two-years Staff will be looking at larger increases due to the predicted financial deficit the City will face. Cm. Ballesteros commented that she likes that the softball season has been shortened and the senior trips will be shorter and local to allow for additional trips. Vice Chair Mack asked about the percent increase for the softball leagues. Ms. Cronin stated the fees will vary as the leagues will be different lengths in weeks, days played per week, and the number of officials needed may differ. Chair Totaro asked about the Swim Team's percent increase for proposed fees. Ms. Cronin stated Staff is trying to increase cost recovery on the program as there is always a waitlist and participant feedback has been that they want more time with the coaches. Chair Totaro asked if Staff feels there is room to increase the fees for vendors at the festivals to enhance revenues. Mr. McCreary stated Staff would not want to increase the fees too greatly at this time. With the St. Patrick's Day festival being in March, where the weather may not be as predictable, vendors may not do as well at the event; "splatter" is still new and does not have as large of a regional draw yet. Vice Chair Mack asked if a Senior Fee Assistance Program would be possible as it may be hard for seniors to attend the special luncheons at the Senior Center. Ms. Cronin stated there has been a drop in attendance at the special lunches. Therefore, the fees increased in order to provide additional lunch options for participants. An assistance fee program for seniors is something that could be reviewed by Staff and the Senior Center Advisory Committee if directed by City Council. Mr. McCreary stated that a P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 4 of 8 Senior Fee Assistance Program was mentioned while Staff was working on the Department's Business Plan. The task would be finding additional revenues outside of the general fund to support such a program. On a motion by Cm. Elias, seconded by Cm. Sung and by a vote of 5-0-0 with Commissioner Boboc absent, the Parks and Community Services Commission adopted the proposed Fee Resolution with the amendment to the non-resident Dublin LEAD fee to reflect the correct fee of$97.00. UNFINISHED BUSINESS— None NEW BUSINESS 8.1 Emerald Glen Cricket Field Conversion and Renovation Ms. Micki Cronin, Assistant Director of Parks and Community Services, presented the specifics of the item as outlined in the Staff Report. Mr. Nick Lusson, Executive Director for Dublin United Soccer League (DUSL), stated that there was a miscommunication between the City and DUSL on which fields DUSL uses most often. DUSL uses Soccer Field #1 more than Soccer Field #2. Mr. Lusson stated there are currently 1,300 children in the organization and DUSL has an approximate 10% growth each year. Losing a field would cause an 8% decrease in revenue during tournaments. When DUSL met with Staff they thought they would be able to work more with the cricket groups in order to figure out the two schedules. Mr. Lusson stated he feels the current field situation has enough fields for both sports groups and that Cricket does not have enough of a demand for two cricket fields. DUSL is requesting to have only one cricket field with the current overlay on Soccer Fields #3 and #4 and DUSL will carve out time to allow cricket groups use of the field with the exception of the two weekends a year tournaments are held. Chair Totaro asked how Staff and the Commission should proceed given the miscommunication with DUSL. Mr. Paul McCreary, Director of Parks and Community Services, stated the plans for the cricket field will need to be discussed again before it is presented to City Council. Chair Totaro asked what information the cricket groups received regarding the cricket fields at Emerald Glen Park. Ms. Cronin stated the Cricket groups were informed that the topic was being presented to the Commission and then potentially presented to City Council in June. Vice Chair Mack stated she appreciates that Staff is reviewing the soccer and cricket situation as she heard the concerns for field space at a previous City Council Meeting. Cm. Sung asked for clarification on transforming Soccer Field #1 into a cricket field if the current plan moved forward. Ms. Cronin stated the current proposal is to allow younger soccer teams to play width wise, on shorter fields if Soccer Field #1 is converted into a cricket field. Cm. Elias commented that he has not seen enough cricket players to need more than one field for cricket. Cm. Elias stated he would like to know the amount of Dublin residents and non-residents using the cricket field. Cm. Elias asked if cricket has a league or if the field use is mainly for pick-up games. Mr. McCreary stated the cricket field is used for some organized use and there are a group of residents in the Positano Development that have an informal cricket group that holds pick-up games as well. The conflict is due to the fact that the cricket field overlays with the premier soccer fields, #3 and #4, which is why City Council directed Staff to find a location for a field that can be multi-use but mainly dedicated to cricket. P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 5 of 8 Mr. Anshuman Sharma, Dublin resident and cricket player, stated he and his fellow cricket players enjoy the current cricket field but they often run into schedule conflicts with DUSL, so it would be nice to have a field dedicated to cricket. Converting Soccer Field #1 at Emerald Glen Park into a cricket field would be a nice solution. There are currently four teams that go to San Ramon to play because the Dublin facilities do not have the space. If more space was available then more teams could be formed or come to Dublin. Cm. Ballesteros asked what the typical playing season for cricket is. Mr. Sharma stated the Cricket groups will play as long as the fields are open as the local weather does not have much of an impact on the sport. Over the last three years, they have booked the cricket field during the City's "open" months of March through mid-December. Cm. Elias asked Mr. Sharma how many members of his cricket team are Dublin residents and how many are non-residents. Mr. Sharma stated his team is made up of Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon and Pleasanton residents. Cm. Elias asked about the length of a typical cricket match. Mr. Sharma stated a cricket match lasts about 3 to 3 % hours. Cm. Elias asked Mr. Sharma about the frequency his cricket group would potentially use the dedicated cricket field. Mr. Sharma stated if Cricket organized their games similar to San Ramon's league, the adults would use it for about four games per weekend, or two games per day. In this format, weekend leagues of 20 teams would last three months. Chair Totaro asked Mr. Sharma if he has walked the fields being discussed. Mr. Sharma stated that he has walked the fields and the ground is slightly sloped and uneven on the current cricket field and there are some pot holes which would need to be fixed. Chair Totaro asked if the proposed dedicated cricket field is large enough for adults to play on, as he has some safety concerns with the field being next to the skate park. Mr. Sharma stated as long as the cricket field has 60-70 yards from the center and 150 yards from end to end, there should not be any concern of hitting the cricket ball into the skate park. Chair Totaro asked if the cricket group has games or practices during the week. Mr. Sharma stated that his team does not play during the week but he has seen other groups play during the week from 6:00- 8:00 PM. Mr. Sharma requested a cricket field with lighting. Cm. Elias asked if Schaefer Ranch Park was considered for a cricket field as it has a large grass area. Ms. Cronin stated Schaefer Ranch Park was considered, but Emerald Glen Park was preferred as there would be two cricket fields together that could allow for a tournament. Mr. McCreary added that a facility with two cricket fields would be a unique amenity in the region as well. Ms. Cronin commented on the field direction for the proposed cricket field. The oval field shape was considered in other directions but it would make it exclusive for cricket as opposed to being able to square off the field to allow for other uses such as youth of pre-soccer age. Mr. Pankaj Gautam, Dublin resident and cricket player, reiterated Mr. Sharma's comments that the cricket users would like to have a dedicated or additional field due to the ongoing schedule conflicts with P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 6 of 8 DUSL on Saturday mornings. The cricket players enjoy playing in Dublin and would like to utilize the fields to the maximum. Cm. Ballesteros asked about the cost estimate for this project. Ms. Cronin stated about $50,000. Cm. Elias asked for clarification on the conflicts between Cricket and DUSL on Saturday mornings. Ms. Cronin stated that if soccer reserves a singular field on either Soccer Field #3 or #4 then cricket is unable to play as they need both fields for their match. Ms. Cronin has been working with the two groups to figure out a schedule and procedure that allows Cricket to play on Saturday mornings. Cm. Elias asked if this process has been working. Mr. Lusson stated that the process is working right now but from time to time there may be communication errors or the rental permits are not updated on the boards at Emerald Glen Park. DUSL is capable of carving out times for cricket, except for the two weekends a year for tournaments that would require the use of the soccer fields that overlay with the cricket field. Chair Totaro asked if the proposed new cricket field will be all natural grass or include the synthetic strip similar to the current cricket field pitch. Mr. McCreary stated the current pitch is concrete with astro-turf on top and the new cricket field would be natural grass with a similar pitch in the middle of the field. Chair Totaro asked if it is possible for Cricket to work around the two tournaments DUSL mentioned. Ms. Cronin stated the tournaments are already booked and there is no conflict at this time. Chair Totaro commented that he thought the proposed plan for the field was a good solution as it would meet City Council's request and help Cricket expand. However, because of the miscommunication expressed by DUSL, Staff may need to review the options again. Ms. Cronin stated that she will need to review the facility rental reports again. Ms. Cronin stated converting Soccer Field #2 instead of Soccer Field #1 would create another overlay field and conflict by impeding on Dublin Little League as they frequently use fields Baseball B and C which currently over lay with Soccer Field #2. Mr. McCreary added that by converting Soccer Field #1 only one field would be taken out of use. Staff wants to make sure there is a plan that works for everyone before moving forward. Ms. Cronin stated she plans to bring an updated proposal to a future Commission meeting. No action will betaken at this time. Mr. Lusson asked if DUSL, the Cricket group and Staff could set up a meeting. Ms. Cronin stated she will contact the groups to schedule a meeting. Cm. Elias asked when Fallon Sports Park's additional synthetic fields will be opening. Mr. McCreary stated the synthetic fields in phase II are scheduled to open in 2016. Chair Totaro asked if adding a cricket field at a neighborhood park is safe. Mr. McCreary stated adding additional amenities such as this would be a regional draw as it would be unique to the area. It should only be done at a community park or a neighborhood park with sufficient parking and distance from neighboring homes and other park uses. 8.2 Appointments to Dublin Crossing Community Park Master Plan Task Force Mr. McCreary, Director of Parks and Community Services, presented the specifics of the item as outlined in the Staff Report. P&CSC Minutes—May 19, 2014—Page 7 of 8 Chair Totaro asked if Commissioners can still volunteer for the Task Force if their Commission term ends during the project. Mr. McCreary stated if a Commissioner terms out during the project, the alternate would take over. On a motion by Chair Totaro seconded by Cm. Elias and by a vote of 5-0-0 with Commissioner Boboc absent, the Parks and Community Services Commission selected Chair Totaro, with Vice Chair Mack as the alternate, to serve on the Dublin Crossing Community Park Master Plan Task Force. OTHER BUSINESS 9.1 BRIEF INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS FROM PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSIONERS AND/OR STAFF Cm. Sung reminded the Commission of the Library's screening of the movie Girl Rising Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Cm. Sung informed the Commission the May 19, 2014 Commission Meeting is her last Commission Meeting. Cm. Elias informed Staff and the Commission that the 2014 Homecoming for Dublin High School will be held on the same date as the "splatter" festival, which will impact the amount of volunteers available for the event. The conflict will also affect clubs and organizations from Dublin High as they would not be able volunteer;therefore unable to earn credits or funds from volunteering. Cm. Ballesteros reported that she attended the Community Car Show, the Grand Opening of Passatempo Park and the special City Council Meeting for the Health and Fitness Roundtable. Vice Chair Mack reported she attended the Community Car Show, the Grand Opening of Passatempo a Park and the Senior Resource Fair at the Dublin Senior Center hosted by the Human Services Commission. Chair Totaro reported he attended the Grand Opening of Passatempo Park and the Commissioner and Board Member Workshop May 17, 2014, hosted by the California Association of Park and Recreation Commissioners & Board Members. Chair Totaro commented that the training was interesting and he recommends it to other Commissioners. Chair Totaro asked if Staff has received any feedback from residents about the Shannon Park water play area opening. Ms. Cronin stated staff has received few comments. The water feature is currently being tested and is scheduled to turn on Memorial Day weekend as long as it is 90 degrees or higher, based on the reduced operational scheduled due to the drought emergency. Chair Totaro asked about the drought emergency procedures regarding the water play areas. Mr. McCreary stated the City has to achieve a 40% reduction in outdoor use of water irrigation. With the 90 degrees or above procedure, the water features in Dublin should operate 60% less compared to 2013. Ms. Cronin stated that there is a webpage available for residents regarding the drought and to be able to check the status of the water play areas. Cm. Elias asked if the Movie Night events are posted on the website. Ms. Cronin stated the Movie Night Events are posted on the City website and are also listed in the Activity Guide. Vice Chair Mack asked for clarification on picking up water from a recycled water plant. Mr. McCreary stated there is a recycled water plant in Dublin that is over producing recycled water so the water can be P&CSC Minutes — May 19, 2014 — Pa' 1 of 8 purchased for a small fee per load. Cm. Ballesteros who is employed by the Dublin San Ramon Services District informed the Commission that the recycled water is only available for commercial use at this time. Resident use is in the process of receiving a permit. The Commission congratulated Cm. Sung on being accepted into the University of California Los Angeles and presented her with a parting gift. Ms. Cronin and Mr. McCreary provided program and project updates. ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:36 PM. Respectfully submitted, r Jennifer Krans Senior Office Assistant APPROVED: Chairperson