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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-15-2004 Approved PCSC Minutes CITY OF'DUBLIN PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MINUTES OF: NOVEMBER 15,2004 The meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center,Dublin, California,by Chairperson Flores. Pledge of Allegiance Chair Flores led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call Commissioners Present: Flores, Guarienti, Cain,Hildenbrand, Jones and Smith Commissioners Absent:None Oral Communications Barbara Gifford, Senior Center Advisory Committee Member, advised that the seniors are all trying out the new chairs for the new Senior Center and having a lot of fun doing so. Gifford advised the Volunteer Dinner held to honor the 100 Senior Center volunteers was a great success and approximately 80 volunteer participants showed for this event. Gifford stated that she wanted to make a special thank you to Cm. Richard Guarienti, Cm. Burr Cain and Paul McCreary, Manager, P&CS, City of Dublin, for their ongoing participation and support of the Senior Center, the Senior Center Advisory Committee and all senior services provided to the community. Gifford stated that everyone is looking forward to moving into the new Senior Center when it is ready. Cm. Smith stated that the Capture the Cauldron night, held at Shannon Park and sponsored by the Youth Advisory Committee,was recently held and approximately 40 youth attended this fun event. This month's teen event will be Pizza and Karaoke Night at Lucky's Pizza. Promotion by the Youth Advisory Committee is currently taking place for this event. Gerard Davidson, Dublin Little League, asked the Commission who was responsible for overseeing the batting cage installation-at Dublin Sports Ground. Davidson is trying to locate the agreement regarding the batting cage project, which has been in the planning stages for a few years now. Davidson also asked whom he would speak to about having lights installed on all fields at Dublin Sports Grounds. McCreary stated that Recreation Supervisor Rich Jochner would be his contact. J Approval of Minutes ONA MOTION BY CM.HILDENBRAND,SECONDED BY CM. JONES AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 18,2004,AS PRESENTED. Written Communications-None Public Hearing-None Unfinished Business-None New Business 8.1 Evaluation of Day on the Glen Festival Recreation Coordinator Lorri Polon advised the Commission that the 2004 Day on the Glen Festival was held at Emerald Glen Park on September 25th and 26th. This was the fourth year the City sponsored the event. Attendance was similar to last year, with an estimated total of 9,000 for both days. Polon summarized the various components of the festival for the Commission including the Festival Layout and Components, Entertainment, Skateboard Competition,Volleyball Tournament,Tennis Tournament,Parks and Transportation,Festival Vendors, Advertising,Festival Sponsors and Festival Volunteers. Polon indicated that Staff has the following recommendations for next year: Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 2of8 • Based on the popularity of the roam ing entertainment, this type of entertainment should be expanded in 2005. • Explore option of addition more divisions to the tennis tournament. • Keep the non-profit and commercial booths together and increase the number of Arts and Craft type booths. • Increase the number of food vendors to 10 or 12 and have food booths in two separate locations in the park. Include more snack type items such as nachos,corn dogs, and cotton candy. • Utilize the same media outlets in 2005 but distribute flyers through the elementary schools. Polon also asked for Commission direction on the Skateboard Contest as the event serves a small portion of Dublin residents and registration for the competition has continued to decrease from year to year. In conclusion, Polon stated that based on the success of this year's event, she recommends that the festival continue to focus on sports and family type events with dynamic activities for children ages ten and under. These include: • Toddler Olympics • Sports Zone. -non-competitive athletic competitions (fast-pitch/putting green/basketball shoot) • Discovery/Science Area with hands-on learning activities • The addition of a Teen Stage featuring youth bands • Incorporate/highlight these"new' activities in the poster/postcard/newspaper • 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament for Teens,Adults and Seniors Chair Flores stated that revenue for the skateboard competition decreased this year and asked Polon if they would be offering this activity next year. Polon stated that although the actual skateboard competition had a fairly good turnout, overall, this component did not perform well fiscally. Polon also said that this year, she included having Live 105 onsite during both days of the event. Polon felt that Live 105 was a great way to help promote this event to bay area teens. Polon stated that some of the vendors complained that they were not getting enough exposure so, on Sunday,they were moved to alternate areas of the event. Polon stated that they really tried to incorporate the skateboard area with the Teen Zone Area which they hoped would help with participation in this area. Polon stated that she also handed out flyers to this event at local skateboard parks on the weekends to promote this event. Cm. Guarienti stated that while he visited the event, the skateboard area was fairly empty and should have been more integrated into other activities to make it a successful area. Cm.Hildenbrand felt that the skateboard area was set up off on its own and felt it was important to incorporate this event with the rest of activities to ensure success of this event. Cm. Hildenbrand also stated that the booth set up this year was kind of confusing. She felt that it was really hard to locate the non profit entities she wanted to visit and suggested putting non-profit entities and organizations in one area and commercial vendors in a separate area to alleviate this problem. This set up makes it easier to determine where you want to go within the event to make sure you stop at all the booths you are interested in. Cm. Hildenbrand stated that she did enjoy the event and had a good time with her child. Chair Flores agreed with Cm. Hildenbrand and felt that the booths and activities needed to be spread out further and not packed in with so many booths/activities in one location. Chair Flores stated that she would like to see more interactive activities and games for children 6-12 years old. She loves the idea of a science discovery zone and felt that Mad Science of Mt.Diablo would do a great job. Cm.Hildenbrand agreed with Chair Flores and felt we needed more interactive booths and games for children. Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 3 of 8 Chair Flores also stated that she would like to see a petting zoo continued next year. Chair Flores stated that she and her child also had a great time at the event. Chair Flores asked Polon if she was aware of any vendors operating at a loss. Polon stated that service vendors usually set their price so, if someone is being under compensated, they need to bring this to her attention. Chair Flores stated that Crackers the Clown has been operating at a loss at the Day on the Glen event for the past three years. Polon stated that she would review compensation with Crackers the Clown to discuss this issue with her in further detail. Cm. Guarienti asked Polon if she had a resident/non resident participation breakdown for this event. Polon stated that since there is no admission fee charged for this event, she does not have that information available to her. Cm. Guarienti stated that the audience for the Volleyball and Tennis tournaments seemed very poor and he would like to see these competitions marketed more next year. He also stated that he would like to see youth more involved in these events. Lowart stated that typically, tennis and volleyball are family events and not spectator sports, especially at the level we are offering them to the public. Cm. Smith stated that we should deliver flyers to Dublin High School for next year's event. Cm. Smith suggested having a special appearance by a pro skater next year, who could perform EXTREME skateboard demonstrations both days to encourage participation and create a bigger audience for this area of Day on the Glen. Cm. Smith felt that having Live 105 on site and advertising for this event was great and should continue for next year. 8.2 Summer 2004 Quarterly Report Parks and Community Services Manager Paul McCreary advised that the Parks and Community Services Depat tment develops and implements quality programs that strengthen community image, provide recreational experiences, encourage healthy lifestyles and preserve the City's heritage. This is accomplished by providing innovative recreation, social and cultural programs in the areas of playgrounds, preschool, teens, sports, special events, leisure classes, seniors and aquatics. McCreary summarized the programs conducted during summer 2004 for the Commission. Leisure Classes Leisure Classes serve customers of all ages and cover a wide variety of activities such as Fun for Ones, Hatha Yoga, Woodcarving and Belly Dance. Classes provide an opportunity for attempting new experiences or refining current skills as well as providing a venue for meeting new people and sharing experiences with friends. Leisure Classes are taught by contracted specialty instructors. Most classes are taught in eight-week sessions but some are less than eight weeks and others are offered as one-time workshops. A total of 644 participants registered for Leisure Classes during summer 2004,which was a decrease of 10%. This is attributable to the closure of the Shannon Community Center,which limited the number of classes that could be offered. However,the cancellation rate was at a five-year low and the average registration per class increased over last year. Senior Center The Dublin Senior Center offers a variety of classes, activities, and programs that engage the mind,body, and spirit of active adults. These diverse activities strengthen participants' cognitive, physical and emotional abilities and provide critical social connections to the community. Average Daily Attendance for the summer months was 102 with total attendance of 6,606. The total volunteer hours were 2,074. Popular programs this summer at the Senior Center included Food Distribution, Bridge, Hula, Bingo, Trips and Tours,Trail Trekkers and the Dinner Dances. Minutes-November 15,2004 Page 4 of 8 The June Luncheon drew a crowd of over 80 people who enjoyed the great bluegrass sounds of the Banjo Express, a four-piece band. The day trips in June included a visit to the Santa Cruz,Bay Meadows, and a BART trip to the musical The Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. The July Luncheon drew a crowd of over 80 people who enjoyed the sounds of the singing trio, The Swing Notes. The trip offerings in July included a trip to a William Florian Lunch and Show in Santa Rosa and the Presidio in San Francisco. The Dinner Dance drew a record number of 69 dance enthusiasts who danced to the sound of Manny Gutierrez and his Quartet. Hula Lessons for seniors began in July with instruction provided by Nani Lozier. Nani and Friends provided the Senior Center with Polynesian dancing and entertainment at the Special Luncheon in August. Seniors from the various hula classes from neighboring Senior Centers joined Nani and her ukulele ensemble to provide a fun-filled hour of dance and music. Trips offered during August included a Bamboo and Begonias trip in Capitola, a trip to the Russian River in Guerneville, and the Wild Things trip to Salinas. Preschool Program - Tenderfoot Day Camp is for children who are three-years old to entering Kindergarten. Each two-week session has a special theme. Children participated in activities that were not only fun, but also prepared many of them for entry into preschool in the fall. Participation in Tenderfoot Day Camp fell from 128 in 2003 to 112 in 2004. Due to the closure of Shannon Community Center, Tenderfoot Day Camp was relocated to Murray Elementary School which may have been the reason for the decrease in overall registration. Playground Programs Fun in the Sun provides participants with the experience of summer camp without the overnight stay. Fun in the Sun is a half-day camp held in local parks for children entering first through fifth grades. It is a drop-in program which allows participants to register for the entire summer or by the week and participate in their preferred activities at a designated park. Camp was held Monday through Friday from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Those registering for the entire summer received a free camp T-shirt. Fun in the Sun activities included crafts, games, sports, swimming, excursions, and special events. A new"Summer Enrichment"component was added this year to feature a two hour class each week at each park. Various topics included world games, cultural dancing, science and art. Each Fun in the Sun session was one week long and featured a different theme and special event or trip. Registration increased by 20% this year, from 342 to 410. This may be attributable to the addition of the enrichment activities which were extremely popular with participants and parents. This new component helped to keep the program fresh and exciting. Additional spaces were also opened this year at Shannon and Emerald Glen Parks, which were the most popular sites. The site at Alamo Creek Park was canceled due to insufficient enrollment. Camp Shannon is a full-day camp for children entering first through fifth grades. The program consists of crafts, games, sports, swimming, excursions, and special events. Regular program hours were Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. "Extended Care"was available on a weekly basis and allowed participants to arrive at 7:00 A.M. and stay until 6:00 P.M. Fees included weekly excursions, one Camp Shannon T-shirt, and all program materials and supplies. Camp Shannon participants participated in a weekly two-hour "Summer Enrichment"session in addition to normal camp activities. Total Camp registration was 269 with average daily attendance of 23. Teen Programs Roaming Activities for Teens (R.A.F.T.) offers a variety of exciting excursions that give teens the opportunity to be independent, while being supervised by trained recreation leaders. This camp has eight one-week sessions that provide a camp experience with positive activities for teens. The program was held Monday through Thursday from 12:30 to 5:30 P.M. and 10:00 A.M:to 5:30 P.M. on Fridays for teens entering sixth through ninth grades. • Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 5 of 8 Three sessions were cancelled due to low enrollment resulting in a decrease in overall registration. The program averaged 10 participants daily. Tripp'n Out (in combination with RAFT)provided the opportunity for participants to register for RAFT for solely the weekly extended excursion day on Fridays. Excursions included Great America, Water World and San Francisco Metreon. 12 participants registered for this option. The Junior Leader Program provides teens ages 13 to 16 with an opportunity to learn valuable job skills while volunteering with summer camp programs including Camp Shannon, Fun in the Sun, Tenderfoot Day Camp, and Sports Camp. Junior Leaders volunteered between 8 and 20 hours per week in a chosen program, and assisted with the organization and implementation of special events. Each Junior Leader received instruction at training sessions. Topics included Attitude and Leadership,Leadership Styles and Job Preparation,Personality and Career, and Job Searching and Interviewing. 24 teens were registered for the program and a total of 2,034 hours were volunteered. Teen Events included ten teen events throughout the year. During the summer of 2004, Live 105 radio station teamed with Staff to conduct a skateboard event at Emerald Glen Park. The radio station supplied prizes and giveaways to the 25 skaters who participated. During the school year the Youth Advisory Committee assists with promotion and program ideas. Adult Sports Programs Adult Basketball Leagues had a total of 21 teams participate in three basketball leagues during the summer quarter. This marked a 22% decrease from the previous year's record turnout. Summer leagues included a men's 5-on-5 leagues in "C/D" league, a men's 4-on-4 (30+years) league, and a women's 4-on-4 league. A shorter length court was used for 4-on-4 basketball games. Games were held at Stager Community Gym and the leagues ended when the gym was closed for three weeks in August to refinish the floor. In order to do complete the leagues by this time,the men's leagues were shortened to seven regular season games. 21 teams participated in the leagues. Open Gym Basketball was conducted at Stager Community Gym on Thursday evenings. The program ended its Summer session when the gym closed for annual floor maintenance. In past summers the program was moved to Wells Middle School during this period, but the Wells Gym was not available this summer. Average daily attendance of 22 was up 136%compared to last summer. This increase may be attributable to being able to conduct Open Gym on a consistent evening throughout the year. In the past the evening has had to change from quarter to quarter. Softball Leagues had a total of 20 teams participate in four leagues. Games were held at the Dublin Sports Grounds. The leagues were conducted on four separate weekday evenings. There were 20 teams which marked an 11%increase from the previous year and the first year team participation has increased in the past five years. The 4th Annual Emerald Glen Open Doubles Volleyball Tournament, sanctioned by the Northern California Volleyball Association (NCVA) was held at Emerald Glen Park on August 14 and 15. Men's and Women's grass doubles were held on Saturday and Reverse Coed doubles were held on Sunday.Attendance by 25 teams was down 38% from the previous year. Two factors contributing to this were the sub-standard cold and overcast weather of the weekend and the fact that NCVA is no longer promoting its outdoor division. Staff will be soliciting a different organization to sanction the event next year. Youth Sports Program Pee Wee and Peanut Sports Camps are two-week programs designed for children ages four to five (Pee Wee) and children in first through third grades (Peanut). The camps provide basic instruction in basketball, soccer and teeball. Camps were offered at Ted Fairfield Park, Emerald Glen Park and Stager Community Gym. This year registration was changed for these camps. Customers were asked to sign up for one extended session covering all three sports for two-hours per day. In the past, participants were able to sign up for an individual sport or a combination of two or three sports per session. Individual sports were conducted for 35-minutes each day. • Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 6of'8 The average registration per camp decreased by 57 participants compared to last year's record turnout. One session was cancelled due to low participation. It appears the decrease in registration was due to the new format. Some parents felt a two-hour camp was just too lengthy, especially for the Pee Wee Camp. Staff will return to the more flexible registration system next summer. Contracted Youth Sports Camps are offered by East Bay Roller Hockey, Kidz Love Soccer and the Skyhawks Sports Academy. This summer, All West Lacrosse (taught by San Jose Stealth Pro Matt Ogelsby), Dublin Basketball (taught by DHS varsity coach Chris Meredith) and U.K. International Soccer (taught by European coaches) were added to the existing programming. Camps that were cancelled due to low enrollment were Skyhawks Flag Football, Junior Basketball, Junior Golf and Lacrosse. There was a 64%increase in registration for Contracted Youth Sports Programs this summer. There were over 330 children registered for the programs,which was a five-year high. This is primarily due to the addition of new camps for lacrosse and basketball, as well as a 100%increase in registration for Kidz Love Soccer. Special Events The 14th Annual Water Carnival was held on a warm day at the Dublin Swim Center during recreational swimming hours. The theme of the event was "Pirates of the Caribbean" and activities included a wet-n-wild zone,relay races, arts and crafts, limbo contest, fishing game,watermelon eating contest, "walking the plank"competition and more. The Dublin Green Gator Swim Team Parent Committee sold food at the event as a fundraiser. Relays were conducted during the event and included swimming relays, a greased watermelon relay and inner tube relays. There were 601,in attendance which is an increase of more then 100 from the previous year. Aquatic Programs The City operates the Dublin Swim Center,which is located next to Dublin High School. The facility features two pools, a waterslide, diving board, group picnic area and heated showers and locker rooms. The main pool consists of a free-form shallow area, 25-yard lanes and a diving area. A one foot deep wading pool is also available for toddlers and parents. Recreational Swimming During the summer the Swim Center is open for recreational swimming Monday through,Thursday from 1:00-4:30 p.m., Friday,though Sundays from 1:00-5:00 p.m. and on Monday and Wednesdays from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Recreational swimming attendance of 18,827 decreased by 12% over last summer. One factor contributing to this decline may have been the noticeably cooler weather this summer. Birthday Party Program Families or groups can reserve the group picnic area at the pool to hold a party during recreational swimming hours. The admission fee is $4.00 per person ($5.00 for non-residents) and includes admission to the pool, reservation of the picnic area,balloons and a personalized sign. There were 23 parties with attendance of 384. Learn-to-Swim Lessons The Learn-to-Swim Program offers group and individual instruction for infants, preschoolers, youth, teens and adults. The classes are based on the American Red Cross Learn-To-Swim program. Participation in the Learn-to- Swim program (2,513 participants) increased 19% this year. Due to demand, the City offered an additional time slot for lessons and one more group lesson per half hour for a total of eight group lessons and at least one private lesson per half-hour. Even with doing so, 112 children were placed on waiting lists this summer. Continuing to add qualified instructors each half-hour would help the City to meet the demand. American Red Cross Guard Start and Water Safety Instructor Aide(WSIA)Course This course, which combines the American Red Cross Guard Start and Water Safety Instructor Aide (WSIA) courses together, is offered to those entering seventh grade through 15 years of age. The class focuses on learning skills in five key areas: prevention, response, fitness, leadership, and professionalism. The training teaches the volunteers valuable life saving skills, how to teach swim lessons, physical fitness, job skills, the importance of teamwork, communication and providing customer service.Total registration was 24. Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 7 of 8 Junior Aquatic Water Safety(J.A.W.S.) After completing the American Red Cross Guard Start course, participants entering the 7th grade or higher were eligible to volunteer at the Swim Center during Recreational Swimming, Learn-to-Swim and the Water Carnival. There was a significant increase in the number of volunteers this year. The number of hours volunteered by the participants(2,338) increased from last year by 87%. Fitness Programs The fitness programs offered at the Swim Center include lap swimming and water aerobics. Both are drop-in programs that allow participants to pay a daily admission fee or purchase a punch pass at a discounted rate. The Lap Swim program had morning and evening sessions on weekdays. The Water Aerobics program had morning sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays, which was a more limited schedule than in previous years due to instructor availability. There was a 38% decrease from last year's attendance due to a reduction of Water Aerobics classes offered. There was a 28%increase of Lap Swim attendance this year. This may be attributable to the expansion of Lap Swimming hours during Learn-to-Swim. Total attendance in Lap Swimming was 387 and 104 in Water - Aerobics. Dublin Green Gator Swim Team The Dublin Green Gator Swim Team is open to any child who has not reached their 19th birthday by June 1St. The team participates in the Tri-Valley Swim League. The focus of the Team is on improving stroke technique, building endurance, teamwork, and encouraging a fun experience that boosts swimmer self-esteem. Practices are held daily from Memorial Day to the first week in August. Swim Meets are held on Saturday mornings and some Wednesday evenings. The season culminates with the league championship meet. Total registration was 138 swimmers. Springboard Diving Lessons Participants are taught the basics of proper diving, including the approach and takeoff, as well as various dives from the one-meter springboard. Five sessions of Springboard Diving were offered and lessons were held three days per week. Some sessions were cancelled this season due to low enrollment. Private Pool Rentals Community groups, businesses and individuals can rent the pool for private functions. The pool is available for private rentals when it is not open for programs or recreational swimming. There were seven private rentals with a total of 972 in attendance. The Commission had no questions for McCreary on the Summer 2004 Quarterly Report presentation. Other Business BriefINFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks& Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff Cm. Guarienti stated that they had to cancel the first trail trekker's trip in 3 years due to rain. Next week's van trip may be cancelled due to weather also. Cm. Guarienti stated that on October 27th,he attended Camp Arroyo,which is an overnight camp location for students in elementary school. The costs run approximately $230.00 for a weekly stay. Camp Arroyo is not available for regular use in the summer time as it is used as a summer camp program for children with life threatening illnesses during that time. Cm. Guarienti stated that this camp offers a fantastic setting is a wonderful place to visit. Cm. Guarienti stated that the Senior Center Volunteer lunch went great and he thanked Paul McCreary and Diane Lowart for serving at this event. Cm. Guarienti also attended the Winter Concert at St. Raymond's featuring Jim Earp. He was amazed at the performer's skill and the wonderful acoustics that St.Raymond's Church provided. Cm. Jones stated that he attended the last Youth Advisory Committee meeting and enjoyed his participation with the teens on the Committee and learned some new teen slang. Cm. Jones is also a grandfather for the third time. Minutes—November 15,2004 Page 8 of 8 Cm.Hildenbrand would like to offer camping trips to Camp Arroyo even if it is for a short weekend during school breaks. Cm. Hildenbrand stated that tonight would be her last night as a Parks & Community Services Commissioner as she will be joining the City Council in January 2005. Cm. Hildenbrand thanked everyone working on the Commission for their support and assistance during her tenure on the Parks&Community Services Commission. Cm. Hildenbrand stated that she really enjoyed being a part of this Commission and feels that the Commission provides a really important service to the community which she is very proud of. Lowart stated that the next Winter Concert Series event will be held at St. Raymond's Church on Sunday, December 12th featuring the Bay Bells hand bells band. Lowart expects this concert to sell out and reminded the Commission that tickets will be sold at the door starting at 6:30 p.m. until the event is sold out. Lowart advised that the Homespun Holiday workshop will also be held at Sunday,December 12th at the Heritage Center from 1:00- 4:00 p.m. and will feature homemade ornament making, apple cider and old fashioned carolers. Lowart advised that a new Heritage and Cultural Arts Supervisor has been hired,his name is John Hartnett and he will be starting on Monday,December 6h. Adjournment Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, anitla6cE) Christie.Marks Senior Office Assistant APPROVED: 4t4Le.4 Chairp)son