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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4 DRAFT minutes from 07-10-2014 j HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Draft Minutes CITY OF DUBLIN July 10, 2014 The July 10, 2014 Regular Meeting of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission was called to order at 7:01 PM at the Dublin Civic Center, Dublin, California, by Chair Deets. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Cm. Minniear led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners (Cm.) Present: Carr, Deets, Iharosi, Minniear,Tutino Commissioner Absent: King, Vanderpool ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 3.1 PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Deets congratulated Cm. Minniear on being appointed as President of the Dublin Historical Preservation Association. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4.1 May 8, 2014 On a motion by Cm. Minniear, seconded by Vice Chair Iharosi, and by a vote of 5-0-0, with Commissioners King and Vanderpool absent, the Commission voted to approve the minutes of May 8, 2014 as presented. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS None PUBLIC HEARING None UNFINISHED BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS 8.1 Spring Quarterly Report Ms. Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager, presented the specifics of the item as outlined in the Staff Report. Cm. Tutino asked about Frederiksen Elementary being listed as "closed" on the school tours comparison chart. Ms. Mottola stated she will need to look into the matter for clarification. Cm. Tutino suggested that Staff contact the 3�d Grade lead teachers at each Dublin Unified School District elementary school at the start of the school year to help increase school-tour participation. Cm. Minniear asked if there is a staff member that could perform the school outreach rather than Ms. Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Center Director. Ms. Mottola stated that Ms. Isles wishes to continue doing the outreach as she has good rapport with the schools. As Ms. Isles was previously the only full time employee at the Heritage Museum, she was often taken away from her work to help with opening doors and other facility tasks. There are now facility attendants available to help alleviate those tasks. Ms. Stephanie Mein, Recreation Coordinator, will be taking on different responsibilities at the Heritage H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 2 of 7 Museum, including operations and programs; Part-Time resources will be able to address some of the task work to allow Ms. Isles additional time as well. Chair Deets commented on Rita Szollos's website, "Dublin Then and Now." Chair Deets asked if the website will have prominence similar to other Parks and Community Services events. Ms. Mottola stated the specifics are unknown at this time, but once Ms. Szollo's website is linked to the City's website, there will be a "roll-out" similar to the public relations used for other Department programs and events. Cm. Minniear recommended the "Dublin Then and Now" website receive the same prominence as the City's All American Car Show and the Spring Faire as the website is more than just a map; the website talks about the development of Dublin. Ms. Mottola stated the website information will be emailed out to residents and distributed to students in the Dublin Unified School District. Cm. Minniear asked if the City has a social media or technology representative. Ms. Mottola stated the City has a website manager. Cm. Minniear stated he feels the schools should be informed about the website or an event should be held to highlight the website. Cm. Tutino commented that sending the website link to all the 3rd grade teachers will help to promote the website as well as the school tour participation at the Heritage Museum. Cm. Tutino commented that there are a lot of great class options available for kids but adults have only a few options. Ms. Mottola stated the class coordinator continues to work on increasing adult classes. 8.2 Review of Findings of the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Ms. Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager, presented the specifics of the item as outlined in the Staff Report. Ms. Mottola expressed many compliments for Ms. Isles, Heritage Center Director. Ms. Isles is very committed to historic preservation and engages in continuing professional development to ensure the Heritage Museum remains relevant and innovative within the museum industry. Ms. Mottola mentioned Ms. Isles' impressive expertise and efforts were specifically acknowledged in the assessments as were the efforts of the Lead Archive Volunteer. Chair Deets stated he enjoy the complimentary statements from the assessors' reports about Ms. Mottola. Chair Deets commented on the small repairs needed at the Heritage Park and Museum. Ms. Mottola stated the smaller items are on current work orders to address the repairs. Cm. Carr asked if the listed priorities in the reports are current. Ms. Mottola stated the priorities are current. However, Ms. Isles would have more information on the progress of current projects and work j orders. I Cm. Tutino asked about the wooden bollards in the Architectural Assessment Report. Ms. Mottola stated the bollards were a part of the original park design in the Heritage Park Master Plan. That plan was composed by a Historical Architect. The bollards were reflective of the Historical Architect's interpretation. H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 3 of 7 Cm. Tutino asked if the City is in possession of the original altar from St. Raymond Church. Cm. Minniear stated that generally, decorations or original pieces would have been returned to the church. Cm. Tutino stated that having the altar replaced with a TV does not keep with the historical integrity of the building. Cm. Carr asked if the TV could be placed in a cupboard. Ms. Mottola stated the TV is mounted to the wall. Cm. Tutino stated that the TV compromises the atmosphere of the Church during weddings and funerals. Cm. Minniear asked why there were no observations listed on the assessors' reports for St. Raymond's Church and how Staff came up with the action points. Ms. Mottola stated that she would ask Ms. Isles as she is the technical expert and can report back to the Commission regarding the Church. Cm. Tutino commented that she has an issue with the confessional at St. Raymond Church being used for refreshments. Ms. Mottola stated the confessional is no longer being used for beverage service and stated that regarding the altar being Ms . Mottola st g the Visitor Center has moved to the Little Classroom. g g removed, moving objects does not impact the historical integrity of the building. Ms. Mottola indicated the reports contain a lot of information outside the scope of the assessments. Many comments in the Architectural Assessment Report were not necessarily referring to the historical integrity of the architecture, and were outside of the purview of the assessor; therefore, those comments were not addressed in the Staff priorities. Furthermore, the report contained recommendations that would actually compromise the historical integrity of the architecture. For example, the assessor recommended the skylight be removed from the staircase of the Kolb House. The skylight is an original part of the house and would not be removed as recommended. Ms. Mottola asked the Commission if they would like to add items to the list of priorities. Cm. Tutino stated she wanted more information regarding the TV in the Church. Ms. Mottola stated she would find out more information about the TV and the altar. Cm. Minniear stated he would like to know the idea behind the confessional and the altar, and would like all the Church items to be presented to the Commission as they were not addressed in the priorities. Ms. Mottola stated Staff would look into the matter and report back to the Commission. Cm. Minniear asked about the crypt and the sound wall as it was not mentioned in the report that the historical architect presented. Ms. Mottola stated she would look into the inconsistency and report back to the Commission. Cm. Minniear informed the Commission, in regards to the Architectural Assessment Report, the side entrance was originally planned to be the main entrance for visitors and there was a mechanism put on the door to meet American Disabilities Act standards. The architect stated the mechanism is not needed if the door is staffed during hours of operation. Therefore, Cm. Minniear asked Staff why the mechanism will not be removed. Ms. Mottola stated the mechanism is required to meet the California Building Code. Cm. Minniear stated that the California Building Code information should be noted in the report. I i I i H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 4 of 7 Vice Chair Iharosi asked if the preservation items will be completed. Ms. Mottola stated the items marked as "urgent" and "important" are all items the City could address within the current maintenance budget. Staff would put together a plan to identify potential funding for non-urgent items. There are also items not within the purview of the assessors, but ideas that will be addressed in the future master plan process. Cm. Minniear asked if an item is given an "A" priority, can the City address it within the current budget. Ms. Mottola stated the City can address items with an "A" priority. Cm. Tutino asked about the landscaping issues with St. Raymond Church. Ms. Mottola stated the landscaping was designed as part of the Master Plan process and also not within the purview of the assessment. Cm. Tutino commented that the landscaping seems valid because the Church is blocked by trees and developing the landscaping would be beneficial. Cm. Minniear stated there are existing plans to improve the landscaping. Cm. Minniear stated it is hard to discuss St. Raymond Church since it is not listed on the Conservation Assessment Report or the Architectural Assessment Report. Cm. Tutino asked about the eucalyptus tree mentioned in the report. Ms. Mottola stated the tree was taken down because of a large split. Cm. Tutino suggested that additional subsequent information would be helpful to include in the report. Ms. Mottola stated that if the Commission felt the report was incomplete, the Commission could move to table the discussion and Staff could bring it back to the Commission with additional information at a later date. Cm. Minniear stated he does not want to table the report, but without Ms. Isles it is too difficult to understand the reasoning behind the different priorities. Cm. Minniear stated he did not like the assessment reports the City received from the assessors. Cm. Tutino complimented Ms. Isles and stated it was unfortunate she was not able to attend the meeting as she has knowledge on many of the little details. Cm. Minniear stated that when the Commission makes a motion on the Findings of the Conservation Assessment Program he would like the report to include some of the important omitted items. Chair Deets invited Mr. Rich Guarienti, Dublin Resident and Heritage Park and Museums Volunteer, to provide public comment on this item. Mr. Guarienti stated that he agreed with the Commissioners and commented on his experience with reading other assessment reports and his knowledge of the history of the site. Ms. Mottola clarified that the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) is not a precursor or resolution to a Master Plan. The idea of the report is to identify best museum practices for the preservation and conservation of the City's historical assets. These reports are required for accreditation, which the City is aspiring to achieve. Cm. Minniear stated he is more interested with the Conservation Assessment Report as he liked more of the recommendations. Cm. Minniear stated he was one of the persons that met with the evaluators. Cm. Minniear stated he has some concerns about the Conservation Assessment Report in regards to the lack of staffing and questioned whether the City has the appropriate amount of resources to do the H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 5 of 9 conservation and what is still needed. Cm. Minniear further stated that the Commission needs to know, on a larger scope, what the City is trying to accomplish at the Heritage Park and Museum for the community. On a Motion by Cm. Minniear, seconded by Cm. Tutino, and by a vote of 5-0-0, with Cm. King and Cm. Vanderpool absent, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission unanimously voted to postpone the consideration of Agenda Item 8.2 until Ms. Isles is available with further information. On a Motion by Cm. Minniear, seconded by Cm. Tutino, and by a vote of 5-0-0, with Cm. King and Cm. Vanderpool absent, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission unanimously voted to request that Staff provide information on how the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) priorities were determined, why St. Raymond Church was not mentioned, and specific evaluation on what Staff will do about staffing issues as discussed in the report. OTHER BUSINESS 9.1 BRIEF INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS FROM HERITAGE& CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSIONERS AND/OR STAFF Cm. Minniear commented on the Heritage Park Office Center on Dublin Boulevard. He mentioned the proposed housing development and stated he has a lot of issues with the development. Cm. Minniear stated the Historical District Specific Plan, which lays out what is allowable in a particular space, needs to be updated because the Kolb House was not originally planned for its existing location. The Kolb House location changes the district. It is now a Historic District. He is flabbergasted that a development of that size is going to be put in a Heritage, History Center and was not brought to the Commission prior to the decision. Cm. Minniear stated he has issues with how the project went forward with minimal public knowledge. Cm. Minniear stated he wants clarification of the role of the Commission in regards to any developments in the Historic District Specific Plan; and why the Commission was not included in the Challenge Development. Ms. Mottola confirmed that the Commission was in consensus on placing an agenda item on the Commission's role at a future meeting. Cm. Carr requested a copy of the Historic District Specific Plan be included along with the report. Cm. Minniear stated that if anyone wanted more information on the housing development, the reports are available on the .City website under the Planning Commission. Cm. Minniear commented that the developer made noticeable efforts to comply with the City. He also commented that the housing development will affect traffic and parking on Dublin Boulevard. Cm. Carr asked if the Commission could make a motion or recommendation to City Council. Ms. Mottola stated that the Commission cannot make a motion on a non-agenized item. Cm. Minniear commented the Commission can go to City Council to make a comment. Cm. Carr asked for a brief update on the status of the Camp Parks Collection and building location. Ms. Mottola stated a Request for Proposal (RFP) was released for consultants to develop an exhibit design, interpretive plan and storage plan for the Camp Parks Collection. The RFP deadline is mid-August, with a consultant contract to start in mid-September, and project completion is scheduled for March of 2015. Cm. Minniear asked for clarification on the Camp Parks Collection process. Ms. Mottola repeated the timeline. Cm. Minniear asked about the project's funding. Ms. Mottola stated there is current funding to j H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 6 of 7 develop the exhibit design, interpretive plan atid-ttorage plan. The proposal will also include a budget for the building of the exhibit. There is currently no funding identified for that phase. Cm. Minniear stated he has seen the Camp Parks building and it is nice, but it is a shell. He commented that he is concerned that at the rate the City is moving, the project could fall apart. He asked about the status of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Camp Parks. Ms. Mottola stated the Camp Parks Military History Center is not the only project that the City is working on with Camp Parks. There are other partnerships being developed with them as well under the MOU. Cm. Carr asked if the Commission will receive a copy of the Camp Parks Collection report and the timeline for the project. Ms. Mottola stated the Commission would receive the final report. The contract would begin mid-September and is scheduled to be completed in March 2015. Cm. Carr asked about the Camp Parks Collection's current plan. Cm. Minniear commented that the collection is being stored at the Library. Ms. Mottola stated that the Military History Center will be the permanent home of that collection. Cm. Carr reported the Alameda County Art Commission has reviewed all the submissions for the art awards and there were no submission from Dublin. Cm. Minniear asked if the Dublin Crush event took place in the spring quarter. Ms. Mottola stated that the event took place in the winter quarter. Ms. Mottola stated Todji Kurtzman's contract for the Emerald Glen Recreation and Aquatic Complex Public Art project will be going to City Council on July 15, 2014 for approval. The final contract includes the sculpture of the figure element increased to a scale of eight feet. Ms. Mottola reported she has been working with Linda Jefferies and Linda Rigge from the Pleasanton Art League to partner in several upcoming City events. Cm. Tutino reported she attended the opening for the Dublin High Performing Arts Center. She stated the Center is very impressive, includes great technology and the theater is exciting to see. I Cm. Carr reported that she and Chair Deets attended the Commissioner and Board Member Workshop hosted by the California Association of Park and Recreation Commissioners & Board Members. It was informative and interesting. Chair Deets commented that the workshop gave a better understanding of the roll of Commissioners and their interaction with Staff and the City. i Cm. Minniear asked if the City has ongoing conversations with the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) for shared use of the Performing Arts Center. Ms. Mottola stated Mr. Paul McCreary, Director of Parks and Community Services and Ms. Micki Cronin, Assistant Director of Parks and Community Services, are the liaisons to DUSD and have ongoing conversations about various facility use topics. Cm. Minniear asked how art organizations will be informed if the Performing Arts Center will be a potential venue. Ms. Mottola stated DUSD wants to make sure all of the components are operating as planned for a year before possibly being available to others. Staff is working with DUSD to define the use by outside users. H&CAC Draft Minutes—July 10,2014—Page 7 of 7 Cm. Minniear commented on the video technology and suggested it would be interesting to use that program to gather oral histories. Cm. Tutino also commented on a video technology class at the building. Chair Deets stated he was part of a Public Interaction Committee with Las Positas College and the Livermore Bankhead Theater. In comparing the two facilities' operations it became apparent, that since Los Positas is as an educational institution, a school will have priority which will limit the availability to outside organizations. Also, a price breakdown between Las Positas College and the Bankhead Theater revealed that the rental costs were comparable or Las Positas was more expensive. If the DUSD Performing Arts Center pricing is similar to Las Positas, community groups may have a difficult time affording the space. Ms. Mottola provided program and project updates. ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:44 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Kransky Senior Office Assistant APPROVED: Chairperson I I i