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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-15-2004 Approved PCSC Minutes CITY Op-DUBLIN PARKS AND COMMUNITYSERVICES,COMMISSION MOOTS OF: MARCH RCH 15,7004- The meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:03 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, Guarienti, Cain,Hildenbrand&Jones Commissioners Absent: Pawlowski Oral Communications-None Approval of Minutes ON A MOTION BY CM. HILDENBRAND, SECONDED BY CM. GUARIENTI AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 23, 2004 AS PRESENTED. Written Communications-None Public Hearing-None Unfinished Business-None New Business _ Day on the Glen Festival Dates Parks & Community Services Manager Paul McCreary advised that the 4th Annual Day on the Glen Festival was originally scheduled for September 25 &26, 2004. However, since scheduling the 2004 event, several other large, local events have been moved to the same weekend. Thus, Staff is recommending that the Parks and Community Services Commission consider alternate dates for the festival. He directed the Commission's attention to Attachment 1 which contains a listing of other events currently scheduled in the Tri-Valley area. As shown, there are four events scheduled the weekend of September 25th and 26`h. In Pleasanton, it is the Annual Heritage Days. McCreary felt that the Annual Heritage Days would be the event that would most likely cause conflict with Day on the Glen because the Pleasanton event is very well established in the Tri-Valley area. There are no scheduled events the weekend of September 11 and 12 but Staff feels that this weekend is too close to the Labor Day Weekend. Also, if this weekend is chosen, this would move the event forward 14 days eliminating two weeks of crucial planning time. The weekend of October 2 and 3 would be Staff's second choice after September 18 and 19. Although there are currently no other events planned for those dates, moving it to October lends itself to the addition of a fall theme rather than a summer festival and the possibility of inclement weather. For the weekend of September 18 and 19 there are two events scheduled at the Alameda County Fairgrounds including the RV Show and the Harvest Festival. The Harvest Festival is a commercially sponsored arts and crafts show with multiple venues throughout the fall in the bay area. Neither event is targeted towards families. Consequently, Staff feels that the impact of these two events would have minimal impact on Day on the Glen attendance and recommends this weekend as an alternate to September 25 and 26. Minutes— Page 2 of 5 McCreary recommended for the Parks and Community Services Commission to consider moving the Day on the Glen to the weekend of September 18 and 19 or provide input on alternate dates. The recommendation of the Commission will be presented to the City Council for a final determination. _ Cm. Guarienti stated that he read, in The Herald, that the Heritage Days Festival, in downtown Pleasanton, had been cancelled for this year. Cm. Hildenbrand felt that the Harvest Festival on September 18 and 19 would conflict with Day on the Glen because a lot of mothers attend this event. Chair Flores asked Paul if Livermore was having their Children's Fair and if Pleasanton was going to have a Rib Cook Off this year. McCreary stated that neither would be held this year. Chair Flores asked McCreary if he felt that the BMX races would conflict with the Day on the Glen Skateboard Contest, which she felt, was the same demographic. McCreary stated that the BMX event shouldn't adversely impact attendance at the Day on the Glen Festival. ON A MOTION BY CM. GUARIENTI, SECONDED BY CM. HILDENBRAND AND BY MAJORITY VOTE, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT THE 2004 DAY ON THE GLEN FESTIVAL BE SET FOR SEPTEMBER 25TH AND 26TH IF THE HERITAGE DAYS FESTIVAL IN PLEASANTON IS CANCELLED. IF PLEASANTON DOES DECIDE TO HOLD THEIR HERITAGE DAYS FESTIVAL, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED TO SET THE FESTIVAL DATES FOR THE DAY ON THE GLEN FESTIVAL TO OCTOBER 2ND AND 3RD 2004. CM. CAIN ABSTAINED FROM THIS VOTE. Teen Sports Survey McCreary explained that one of the 2003-2004 high priority City Council goals is to conduct a survey of Dublin teens to determine interest in a teen sports league that is not sponsored by the School District, such as Lacrosse or Street Hockey. Staff developed a Teen Sports Survey which consisted of 10 questions and was distributed to students in classes at Dublin High School and Wells Middle School. The survey was distributed to approximately 380 students and represents approximately 10% of the school population. The survey requested responses regarding the participants' grade and gender, current participation in organized sports and what season would be best for starting a new sport. To determine which sport would be best to offer for a teen league, participants were asked to select five (5) choices from a list of possible sports. Participants were also asked what motivates them to participate in sports. McCreary directed the Commission's attention to a slide show illustrating an overview of the results of the survey. Responses were fairly even between the male to female responses to the survey. The ratio of respondents who are currently participating in organized sports was estimated at half of the total respondents. Most of the respondents were currently participating basketball, soccer or baseball. McCreary stated that the respondents indicated the main reason they participated in activities was,for competition and to hang out with their friends. Based on survey results, Staff believes that the most desired sport among teens is a coed competitive bowling league, which would be offered during the spring. The bowling league would allow teens to be competitive while socializing with their peers. McCreary advised that Staff has spoken to Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl and it would be feasible to offer a league at their facility after school that could accommodate up to 60 participants. The leagues would be made up of two divisions. One division would be for Middle School students and the second division would be for High School students. Each team would consist of three players. More participants could sign up for a team but the fee would be one flat rate. This would allow for substitutions if someone weren't available. The season would be approximately six to eight weeks long and would commence in the spring of 2005. Fees would be charged to recover the direct program costs. McCreary advised that this idea was presented to the Youth Advisory Committee in March and they agreed with Staff and liked the fact that the season is relatively short and the time commitment was only once a week. McCreary recommended that the Commission receive the report and provide input to staff. Minutes— Page 3 of 5 ON A MOTION BY CM. CAIN AND SECONDED BY CM. JONES, THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND OFFERING A COED VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE FOR TEENS DURING THE SPRING 2005 QUARTER. Fall 2003 Quarterly Report McCreary stated that Leisure classes are taught by contracted specialty instructors. A total of 668 participants registered for Leisure Classes during fall 2003, which was a five-year high. This may be attributable to the expanded number of class offerings. Staff has been making an effort to add new and fresh classes each quarter, while dropping those classes that are no longer in demand. The Dublin Senior Center offers a variety of classes, activities, and programs that engage the mind,body, and spirit of participants. Attendance and volunteer hours were at a five-year high during the fall. McCreary stated that over the past five years attendance has increased by 36% for fall. McCreary feels growth can be attributed to the expansion of the Trips and Tours and Trail Trekker programs, which are bringing new people to the center and also giving existing participants a chance to try new activities. Popular programs at the Senior Center included the lunch program, food distribution, aerobics, bridge, art classes, line dance, bingo, the Trail Trekkers, Trips and Tours, and special luncheons. The Shannon Center Preschool is a recreational preschool that provides opportunities for social and educational development in a well-supervised environment. Three 12-week sessions are offered each year. All three preschool classes filled with 20 children each. The fall session of the Kinder Prep class, Purple Pilots, was also conducted from September 8,2003 through November 26,2003. The class is for children five years of age who are eligible to enter Kindergarten but need an extra year of socialization and preparation before attending school. Seven children participated in this program, which is half of the class maximum and, a decrease of five students from last year. The program receives outstanding evaluations from its participants. The program fees are slightly higher for this program because of the small class ratio and because the program runs 4 days a week. McCreary feels this may be a contributing factor to the low enrollment. After School Recreation is a supervised activity program for children in first through fifth grades. The program operates on school days at Dougherty, Dublin, Frederiksen, Murray, and Nielsen elementary schools. Registration for Dougherty and Frederiksen was lower this year as the program was assigned a classroom instead of the multi- purpose room,which limited registration. Reduced registration at Murray and Nielsen may have a correlation with the 10%reduction in student population at these two schools. The After School Enrichment program offers a variety of one-time workshops after school that are designed to broaden children's experiences in the areas of art, performance, science, nature, language, and math. The program is held at the Dublin Public Library. Each workshop has suggested topics to research and books to checkout from the Library that relate to the workshop to enhance the enrichment experience. Four workshops were offered during fall 2003. Although the Improv workshop was cancelled due to low enrollment, attendance at After School Enrichment almost doubled this fall. This may be due to the fact that the format has changed to less expensive, one-time workshops,rather than a five-week long session of classes. The Recreation on Campus (R.O.C.) program offers after school activities in different combinations of days and times. The goal of the program is to offer recreational activities after school that provides youth with a positive choice for use of their leisure time. Participants may register for the entire week or just the blocks they want to attend. Session I was nine weeks long and included activities such as Homework Club, Basketball, Flag Football, Hip Hop Dance, Basic Computing, and Self-Defense. There was a slight decrease in registration this year, which was partially due to the cancellation of the ceramics and cooking classes, which were taught by teachers who no longer work at Wells Middle School. Additionally the maximum number of registrants for Homework Club was decreased to lower the staff to participant ratios. The Youth Advisory Committee meets the first Thursday of each month and offers an opportunity for teens to get involved in the community. During the fall quarter over 100 people attended teen events however attendance at Minutes— Page 4 of 5 Teen Events decreased this fall because there were competing events on the nights of the Karaoke and Teen Lock- In Events. During the fall lunchtime activities were conducted at Wells Middle School. . Lunchtime sports activities have included basketball, paddleball and volleyball. The response from teens has been very positive with over 80 participants each day. One of the benefits of sponsoring this program is the ability to market the City's teen events and programs on-campus to the students. For adult basketball, McCreary reported that a total of 13 teams participated in the fall Men's 5-on-5 "C/D" and 4- on-4, 30-years and older leagues. Games were held at Stager Community Gym. Additionally three Adult Softball Mini-Leagues (shorter season)were conducted. Games were held at the Dublin Sports Grounds. The City sponsored a Northern California Volleyball Association(NCVA) sanctioned grass doubles tournament on September 27 and28 at Emerald Glen Park. A total of 28 teams participated in this event. The City also sponsored a new Youth and Adult Tennis Tournament on September 27 and 28, 2003. This event was held at Emerald Glen Park and titled the City of Dublin Tennis Championships. The tournament, which was not sanctioned this year, ran in conjunction with the City's Day on the Glen festival. There were 10 entries in the Men's 18 and over division, three entries in the Women's 18 and over division, four entries in the Boy's 18 and under division and four entries in the Girl's 14 and under division. Most entrants were pleased that the City offered this inaugural event. Open Gym Basketball was offered at Stager Community Gym on Thursday evenings. Last year's program was conducted on a different evening and was cancelled due to low participation. The switch to another night kept the program active throughout the fall this year. The Tiny Bat Busters League (3-5 years old) was conducted at Ted Fairfield Park. The Super Bat Busters League (0-3`d grade) was discontinued this year, as there was not a demand for a tee ball program for that age group. Six Tiny Bats teams were formed, which was a 50% increase over last year. This marked the second consecutive season with an increase in Tee ball participation. Several youth sports programs through independent contractors were offered during the fall including Kidz Love Soccer and East Bay Roller Hockey. Kidz Love Soccer also ran a shorter extension class following the regular schedule of fall classes. There was a large jump in registration for Kidz Love Soccer this season. This may be in part due to the relocation of the program from Shannon Park to Ted Fairfield Park. • The 2003 "Day on the Glen"Festival was held at Emerald Glen Park on September 27 and 28. This was the third year the City sponsored the event. Festival components included live entertainment, a"City Hall on the Glen"tent, a community stage, a Misting Tent, a "Community Marketplace" featuring local businesses and community organizations, a Teen Zone with an arcade and karaoke, skateboard competition, tennis tournament, volleyball tournament, and carnival attractions including rides, games and inflatable jump houses. A new attraction was the free arts and crafts tent. Based on estimates by the Police Department as well as the beverage and carnival ticket sales, it is estimated that over 10,000 people attended the festival. This was an increase over last year, which may be due to the cooler temperatures and less competition from other festivals and events in the area. The Dublin Swim Center was open during the fall for Recreational Swimming on weekends from 1:00-5:00 P.M. Attendance at Recreational Swimming increased by 16%over last fall. Families or groups can reserve the group picnic area at the pool to hold a party during recreational swimming hours. 20 parties were held during the fall 2003 season. The Learn-to-Swim Program offers group and individual instruction for all ages. The classes are based on the American Red Cross Water Safety program. There was an increase of six students registered for Learn-to-Swim Minutes— Page 5 of 5 this fall. A total of 24 children, were placed on waiting lists for fall classes. The greatest demand was for infant, preschool and beginning swim lessons. Although there is ample pool space to add more lessons, the number of certified swim instructors decreases in the fall when employees return to school. This limits the number of classes the City is able to offer. Both Lap Swimming and Water Aerobics are drop-in programs. Lap Swimming is held in the mornings and evenings on weekdays during the fall. Water Aerobics is offered in the mornings on weekdays. Participants pay a daily admission fee or purchase a punch pass at a discounted rate. Total attendance for fall was 50 participants. McCreary asked the Commission if they had any questions or comments about the fall 2003 quarterly report. Cm. Guarienti commended McCreary for the After School Enrichment program and asked him if we get any feedback from After School Enrichment participants. McCreary stated that the Parks and Community Services Dep .'[went has a standard customer satisfaction survey which is sent to all class participants for response. Cm. Guarienti also wanted to point out the increase in senior participation in the aquatic programs. Participation has increased for this group in recreational swimming,lap swimming and water aerobics. Cm. Cain asked McCreary if participation grew in the Kinder Prep program, would this reduce the class fees. McCreary stated that the fees are set to recover our actual costs of the program and would not be reduced, even if the class were full with 15 participants. Other Business Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks& Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff Cm. Cain stated that the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Senior Center project were well done. Cm. Cain gave each Commissioner and McCreary a copy of the handouts provided at this event. Cm. Cain stated that there is a display in the Civic Center lobby which details the Fairway Ranch project. Cm. Cain stated that the Stepping out for Seniors program will be expanding a little bit and will now include a one-mile walk, a pancake breakfast, and a free throw contest for High School students and seniors. Cm. Hildenbrand asked Parks & Community Services Director Diane Lowart if the ground was dry enough to pour concrete at Emerald Glen. Lowart stated that the ground is very close to being able to complete this task soon. Cm. Guarienti complimented Lowart on working with his comments on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and incorporating his ideas when warranted. Cm. Guarienti wanted to update the Commission on information he found out about fall zones for toddler swings. He spoke with a representative from the playground equipment vendor for Shannon Park when he was at the Conference in Anaheim. He found out that there are separate fall zones for tot vs.regular swings. Additionally, you could lower the swing to make your fall zones smaller. Hopefully, if we can make the fall zone on the Shannon Park project, we could squeeze in a few play items or an extra spring toy. Cm. Guarienti inspected the equipment and felt that is was excellent and should last quite some time. Cm. Guarienti stated that he and Lowart received the award for the Trail Trekkers Program at the CPRS conference. McCreary put together a wonderful display of the Trail Trekker programs and a lot of wonderful questions and comments were received at the session at the conference. Adjournment Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m. Respectfully subm'tted, Christie Marks Senior Office Assistant APPRO T: uto i Chairperson