HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-15-2003 Approved PCSC Minutes •
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PARKS AND COMMUNITY,SERVICES/COMMISSION
MINUTES OF September 15;:2003
The September 15, 2003 meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:10
p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center,Dublin, California,by Chairperson Flores.
Pledge of Allegiance
Chairperson Flores led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call
Commissioners Present: Flores,Jones,Hildenbrand, Cain, Guarienti and Pawlowski
Oral Communications-None
Approval of Minutes
Cm. Pawlowski referred to Page 1, Oral Communications, stating that he is a senior at Dublin High School, not a
junior.
ON A MOTION BY CM. HILDENBRAND, SECONDED BY CM. GUARIENTI AND BY UNANIMOUS
VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 21, 2003 AS CORRECTED.
Written Communications-None
Public Hearing-None
Unfinished Business-None
New Business
8.1 2003 Day on the Glen Festival
McCreary introduced Bonnie Leonard,Recreation Supervisor at the Shannon Community Center.
Leonard reported that the 3rd Annual Day on the Glen Festival will be conducted on Saturday, September 27 from
10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, September 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This year's event focuses on
family and children. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Leonard walked the Commission through the site and
outlined the various components of the event.
City Hall Tent
This year's City Hall Tent will be larger allowing more open space and room to include maps and visual displays.
The Parks and Community Services Depaitment will provide a children's area to engage kids in fun activities and
Staff will be dnsite to answer questions on programs, services, current and future projects. Alameda County Fire
and Alameda County Sheriff will be adjacent to the City Hall Tent with their bomb squad and S.W.A.T. team
vehicles on display. The Fire Department will be on site with their Paramedics.
Entertainment
The Community Stage will feature Benny and BeBe's Magic Circus, Bill the Magician, an exhibition dance by Hui
O Kalani E Aloha Hula, Sandie Stevie and the Insects, Spotlight Arts Academy, Cheerleading and Juggler Larry
Lariat. The Main Stage will feature Warner Brothers' Scooby Doo and other characters. Lori and RJ from the WB
will provide a variety of family entertainers. Afternoon and evening entertainment will include Double Funk
Crunch and The Parrotheads. This year a misting tent will be adjacent to the Community Stage.
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Food and Beverage
Restaurant Row will feature Hamburgers,Hot Dogs,Tri-Tip and Chicken Sandwiches, Clam Chowder,Deep Fried
Seafood, Teriyaki Chicken Bowls, French Fries, Fried and Steamed/Marinated Artichokes, Smoothies, Lemonade,
Hawaiian Shaved Ice,Funnel Cake,Fresh Coconut,Kettle Korn,Ice Cream,Beer, Wine, Soda and Water.
New Event Components
A SportsZone is a new feature this year sponsored by SBC and featuring live televised sports broadcasts.
On Sunday, the Dublin Lions Club will host the "Lions Grill" at the SportsZone to conduct a Community Pancake
Breakfast from 8:00-10:30 a.m. to raise funds for a Public Safety Memorial in Dublin.
Other Event Components
On the grand promenade, a Community Marketplace will feature booths for community groups, commercial
vendors and sponsors. The Tri-Valley SPCA will have some animals and information available on pet adoption.
An expanded Children's Zone will be located on the grass area between the two ball fields and will include a Craft
Tent featuring free crafts and activities, a large shaded play area sponsored by Toys R Us, and a carnival area with
bounce houses and games.
Marketing
The Contra Costa Newsgroup is the official print sponsor,the WB Channel 20 is the official television sponsor and
KKIQ 101.7 is the official radio sponsor. Over 3000 postcards have been mailed to Dublin residents.
The marquees at Shannon Park and Dublin Auto Center will list event information. Flyers will be distributed
through the local schools. Banners will be hung throughout the City. Advertising in the ANG newspapers will be
purchased. The website has been revamped to include information for this years event.
Festival Volunteers
Volunteers this year include the Dublin Irish Guard Band Boosters, Dublin High and Wells Middle School
Leadership Classes, Eastern Star, Dublin Youth Advisory Committee, Dublin Senior Foundation, Job's Daughters,
the California Christian Academy and Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission.
Parking and Transportation
The central plaza area will be the location of the shuttle stop, the passenger loading zone and information booth.
MicroDental Laboratories, Sybase and Zeiss Humphrey have pledged 1800 parking spaces for the event.
Blaze Network Products and Opus One will provide an additional 800 parking spaces with an additional 600
spaces on City streets currently marked as "No Parking" zones. Many spaces in the Emerald Park parking lot will
be designated as handicapped parking.
Sports Competitions
The Youth Skateboard Competition this year is co-sponsored by Hardtails, a local skateboard shop. They have
arranged for pro-skaters to conduct demonstrations and will also provide an emcee and judges for the competition.
The adjacent basketball courts will be a TeenZone featuring rock climbing, inflatable obstacle course, disc jockey
and karaoke, food and beverages, and a video arcade sponsored by Blockbuster Video.
The City's 1S`Annual Tennis Championships will be conducted. The championships will be determined through a
single elimination tournament.
Volleyball tournaments will be conducted on the flat turf area behind the tennis courts. Saturday's tournament will
feature 4-person Business Coed and 4-person Reverse Coed A&B competitions and Sunday will be for Men's and
Women's doubles.
Cm. Hildenbrand asked if many applications are being received for the Skateboard Competition. Leonard stated
that the flyers are scheduled to go out this week. Staff believes that the sponsorship for this event is really going to
help participation this year.
McCreary reported that on-line registration was setup for the Skateboard Competition to make registration easier.
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Cm. Flores asked if the Lion's Club Grill and SportsZone would be opened to all ages. Leonard replied,yes.
8.2 New Format for After School Enrichment Program
Leonard reported that the After School Enrichment Program last year had a low enrollment of forty-four students.
Surveyed customers prefer inexpensive one-day presentations. The program for the 2003-2004 school year has
been modified to include bi-weekly one-hour educational enrichment presentations, which include Mad Science,
Marine Science Institute, Clowning and Costume Make-up and Wildlife Associates. The program has been moved
to the Dublin Public Library to gain exposure.
Cm. Guarienti asked if each class would have the same number of participants. Leonard stated that each program
is limited due to the size of the room. However the contractors are willing to bring additional staff if needed.
Cm. Hildenbrand asked if it would be possible to include Kindergarten children in this program or develop a
program just for that age group. Leonard stated that Staff could look into the matter.
Cm. Flores stated that she loves the format and that her son Justin plans to attend the Mad Science and Marine
Science Institute programs.
Cm. Guarienti stated that he is glad to see Wildlife Associates as part of the program.
8.3 Spring 2003 Quarterly Report
McCreary summarized the programs conducted during spring 2003.
Shannon Center Preschool
The Shannon Center Preschool is a co-op program. All three of the preschool level classes filled with 20 students
in each class. The new Kinder-Prep level had 12 participants. Staff is monitoring the waiting lists and developing
a long-range plan for accommodating increased demand for the program.
PLAYGROUND PROGRAMS
After School Recreation
There were 266 children registered in the spring, which is the most the program has ever served. This year a
"Homework Help Time"was added to the program allowing participants about 20 to 30 minutes of homework help
at the beginning of the program. This has been really well received by parents.
Shamrock Spring Break Camp
Spring Break Camp Shannon is a full-day camp program for children in first through fifth grades. Camp was held
during Spring Break. There were 18 children registered for the camp.
After School Enrichment(A.S.E.)
The After School Enrichment program was new this year and offered a variety of classes. Classes were offered at
each of the five public elementary schools on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Each school featured a new class
every five weeks. A total of 44 children participated in the ASE classes during the spring. After conducting some
market research, Staff felt that one-time enrichment assemblies with a lower registration fee would be more
popular than ongoing classes. In response Staff arranged two special ASE Assemblies at the Community Center
during the spring. Twenty-two (22) children participated in the March assembly,which featured marine biologists
and fish from the Marine Science Institute. Fourteen (14) children participated in the May assembly, which
featured live reptiles.
TEEN PROGRAM
Recreation on Campus (R.O.C.)
r
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Registration for the spring sessions decreased by 10% compared with the previous year. This was primarily due to
the fact that the number of spaces in homework club was limited to 60 to keep participant ratios low and maintain
the program quality. The volleyball program was no longer offered, as a qualified instructor could not be found.
Teen Events
During the spring quarter the City offered four events including a Karaoke and Pizza Night, Q-Zar Night, Youth
Music Showcase and the Dub Town Jam event. A total of 480 teens participated in the spring events.
Wells Middle School Lunchtime Sports Program
The Lunchtime Sports Program continued during the spring at Wells Middle School. The program is funded by the
City and operated by the school district faculty. Over 80 students participate in the program each day.
SENIOR CENTER
The Annual Volunteer Banquet was held in April. Over 8,000 hours of volunteer time was documented at the
Center last year. Over 50 seniors participated in the 2nd Annual "Step Out for Senior Centers" event in May.
The Trips and Tours program continued to be popular with 195 registrations during the spring quarter. The Trail
Trekkers program continued to grow in popularity with 120 hikers participating this quarter.
LEISURE CLASSES
A total of 574 participants registered for classes during spring 2003. Popular classes this quarter for youth
included Terrific Twos,Ballet,Little Buddy Bowling, Cheerleading,Karate, Gymnastics and Irish Dance. Popular
adult classes included Country Western Line Dancing, Aikido, Golf, Hatha Yoga, Belly Dancing and Kickboxing
for Women.
ADULT SPORTS
Adult Basketball Leagues
The Adult Basketball Leagues had a total of 19 teams participating in three divisions. The Men's 4-on-4 leagues
had a 30 years and older age requirement and this season marked the largest turnout ever for this league. This may
be attributable to the fact that registration fees are lower for this division and games were played on a shorter, full-
length court.
Adult Softball Leagues
During the spring a total of three softball leagues were conducted with a total of 17 teams. The Business Coed
league did not have enough registration and was cancelled. Other cities are also experiencing lower registration
for business leagues which may be due to the economy.
YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS
Youth Volleyball
A new Youth Volleyball program was offered during the spring for girls and boys in 5th through 10th grades.
Twenty-six(26)youth participated in the program.
Contracted Youth Sports Programs
During the spring the City offered youth sports programs through Kidz Love Soccer and East Bay Roller Hockey,
independent youth sports program contractors. A total of 94 youth participated in the contracted sports programs.
AQUATICS
The Swim Center opened in February for the Dublin High School Swim Team and the Physical Education
Department used the pool to teach swimming to freshman. The facility opened to the general public in March for
Competitive Stroke Lessons, which provided instruction to 57 youth. Recreational Swimming began in April and
drew 820 people. Learn-to-Swim Lessons were offered in May and June with over 175 people registered, the
largest number of students in the spring program during the past five years. The Fitness Program registration
decreased due to cancellation of the spring Water Exercise Program. A certified instructor could not be found.
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SPECIAL EVENTS
St. Patrick's Day Festival
The 2003 St. Patrick's Day Festival was highly successful despite the rain that was in the area the entire weekend.
Both Festival attendance and vendor participation increased this year.
Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk
The City sponsored the 5th Annual Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk as part of the St. Patrick's Day weekend
activities. Despite extremely rainy weather, 988 people were registered for the event, which broke the record for
the most participants registered in the history of this event. The Fun Run is getting an excellent reputation in the
running world as being a fun and well-organized event with great giveaways. Staff hopes to break the 1,000-runner
mark next year by partnering with Special Olympics and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team.
Spring Eggstravaganza
The Spring Eggstravaganza was held at Shannon Park and included egg hunt areas, crafts, face painting, carnival
games, inflatable party jumps,refreshments, and a visit from Peter Rabbit. Registration for the event increased by
87 participants this year.
Cm. Jones asked if Staff is still looking for an instructor for volleyball. McCreary stated that the volleyball
program was very popular with the middle school students and an instructor is needed so if the Commission has
any leads to let him know.
Cm. Jones asked how long the pool is open for lap swim. McCreary stated that he believes that lap swim ended
Labor Day weekend.
Other Business
9.1 Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks & Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff
Cm. Jones stated that a lot of people are asking him if Dublin is ever going to have a dog park. Lowart stated that
the City Council awarded the bid at their last meeting for the construction of Bray Commons in eastern Dublin.
It is a 4.8-acre park of which one-half acre has been designated for a dog run for small dogs. In addition, in
January or February 2004 a study will be done of the area at the base of Dougherty Hills Open Space on Amador
Valley Boulevard. It is approximately a 3-acre site. If it is determined that the location is feasible for a dog park
and the residents are OK with it, the City will look into the costs and possibly include it in the capital improvement
program.
Cm. Hildenbrand asked if the residents would oppose it. Lowart stated that she does not believe they will,but you
never know. One of the challenges for the site is parking.
Cm. Jones inquired as to the possibility of getting some bocce ball courts in Dublin. Lowart stated that Staff has
been directed by the City Council to find a location for bocce courts. There are two things coming up that may be
feasible. First, Staff will be starting the Master Plan process for the sports park in eastern Dublin, which would be
a possible location. Secondly there may be space in Phase III of Emerald Glen Park on the west side of the park
adjacent to Tassajara Creek.Both planning processes will include public participation. Staff will recommend to the
Council that a Task Force be appointed for the sports park Master Plan. Public meetings will be conducted for
Phase III of Emerald Glen Park. Lowart pointed out that at the Day on the Glen,there will be signup sheets in the
City Hall tent for those interested in providing input on the planning of future parks.
Cm.Hildenbrand asked if representatives from the Commission would be appointed. Lowart replied,yes.
Cm. Guarienti reported that he attended the Pleasanton Parks Commission meeting on September 3. The agenda
included discussion regarding improvements on the Iron Horse Trail. It was a very well run meeting. He stated
that when discussion is held regarding new trails in Dublin,he would like to see that the Parks Commission be part
of that process. Lowart stated that there is nothing on the horizon right now. Cm. Guarienti stated that Tassajara
Creek Trail is an issue.
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Cm. Pawlowski asked if Dougherty Hills is City property. Lowart replied, yes. He stated that the improvements
that have been made to the Dougherty Hills are great.
Cm. Guarienti reported that on September 11, the Trail Trekkers conducted a memorial walk at Martin Canyon
Creek Trail. Thirteen people participated. He reported that at the end of the trail there is still some seepage
coming from the ground building up and creating a ditch. Lowart indicated that she would follow up with Public
Works.
Cm. Hildenbrand reported that she attended the Artists Reception on September 19 to view the artwork presented
for Dolan Park. The Art Selection Committee will be meeting next week to select the finalist. She encouraged the
Commissioners to take a look at the art displayed in the lobby and to vote.
Cm. Flores asked if there would be VIP parking at the Day on the Glen. McCreary stated that there would be
permit parking in the center area of the park and a parking permit will be mailed to Commissioners.
Cm. Flores reported that she noticed that the artists are working on the mural on Amador Valley Boulevard,
however they still have not changed the colors of the soccer uniform. Lowart stated that the artists have been
notified and when they complete the mural they will go back and make the change.
Cm. Flores asked when the lighting for the mural would be done. Lowart stated that it is scheduled to be installed
for October.
Cm. Flores reported that when her son was attending the Skyhawks program at Emerald Glen Park, there were
hundreds if not thousands of yellow jackets swarming above the grass. This is the same area planned for the
volleyball tournament for the Day on the Glen. Lowart stated that she would forward it on to Public Works to
check the area out.
Staff Reports
Lowart reported that Staff is almost done with the update to the Parks Master Plan. However there are two areas
requiring direction from the Commission and City Council. Therefore Staff would like to know if the Commission
would consider having a special meeting this month, either Monday, September 22 or Monday, September 29. She
indicated that they would be contacted for availability.
+McCreary advised that on Tuesday, October 7 before the City Council meeting there will be an unveiling of the
new Senior Center van. Invitations will be sent to the Commission, Senior Center Advisory Committee and City
Council.
Adjournment
Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 8:02p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Char J.Young / I
Administrative Tec ician
AP OVED:
7)-4 0 .
Chairperson
I