Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-09-2006 Approved PCSC Minutes CITY OFD�UBL1N'F PARKS AND COMMUNITY"SERVICES COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 9 2006,. The January 9, 2006 meeting of the-Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:04p.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,Guarienti and Hart Commissioners Absent: Cain and Muetterties Oral Communications Senior Center Advisory Committee Greer Payton, SCAC Chairperson, reported that Beth Wood was appointed as the new Committee member. At the last Committee meeting Goals and Objectives, improvements to the handicapped parking and bathroom, and ways to improve the lunch program were discussed. . They also discussed the trips program and the need to more trips since most have waiting lists. Another van may be needed. Payton said that the Committee would like to encourage the Wicklow residents to use center and it was suggested that perhaps a buddy system should be in place. For the holidays, it was suggested that seniors with families could invite single seniors to share in holiday dinner and perhaps a Thanksgiving Day dinner.can be conducted at the center. Chair Flores asked if a majority or minority of the Wicklow residents are coming to the center. Payton stated that they wander over occasionally but don't really mix with the other seniors. Chair Flores asked if the Senior Center Advisory Committee is a full committee now. Payton replied that it was currently full but Luis Batiza is rumored to be leaving but has not as yet officially resigned. Cm. Guarienti stated that he has sat with a few of the new residents from Wicklow at lunch time. It seems that they are all not from this area and therefore do not know where the post office is or,the markets,etc. Cm. Guarienti stated that the new center has been going through a lot of growing pains and Anna and Camille have done a good job handling all the changes. Youth Advisory Committee Cm. Hart reported that Paul presented the Goals and Objectives at the last meeting. Discussion was held regarding the teen website,which should be up and running soon. Approval of Minutes ON A MOTION BY CM. GUARIENTI, SECONDED BY CM. JONES AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 19,2005 AS PRESENTED. Written Communications-None Public Hearing-None Unfinished Business-None New Business 8.1 Election of Officers The Commission concurred to table this agenda item to the next meeting. 8.2 Committee Appointments The Commission concurred to table this agenda item to the next meeting. Minutes—January 9,2006 Page 2 of 7 Parks&Community Services Director Diane Lowart stated that there is a new committee which she was just informed of today. One of the objectives related to transportation in the Public Works Department is the development of a city-wide Bicycle Master Plan. Last month the City Council authorized a contract,for a consultant to begin development of a bicycle master plan. A steering committee is being formed and representation from the Planning and Parks Commission is needed. The first committee meeting is scheduled for February 1, which is prior to the next scheduled Commission meeting so it is necessary to consider an appointment to this Committee. Cm. Guarienti volunteered as the representative and Cm.Jones volunteered as the alternate. ONA MOTION BY CM. JONES,SECONDED BY CM.HART AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE,THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPOINT CM. GUARIENTI AS THE REPRESENTATIVE AND CM. JONES AS THE ALTERNATE TO THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE. 8.3 Dougherty Hills Park—Dog Park Lowart introduced Rosemary Alex, Parks and Facilities Development Coordinator and Hernia Lichtenstein, Parks and Development Manager,who will be presenting this item to the Commission this evening., Alex reported that the conceptual design for Dougherty Hills Dog Park would be presented and went though the history of the project. Lichtenstein shared a PowerPoint that showed dog parks in San Ramon,Danville and Pleasant Hill. She briefly reviewed some of the elements of the conceptual layout, including the new location of the parking lot off Amador Valley Boulevard. There are areas for both small large dogs. Each area would be fenced in and have its own entrance with a double gate, with benches and shade the length of the dog park. Each side would have accessible surfacing near the entrance and allow for longer runs. Staff is looking at a 6' fence around the large dog park and a 4' fence around the small dog park. Chair Flores opened the meeting up for public comment. Public Comment: Lisa Dial, 6536 Pioneer Lane, commended Staff on putting this plan together. The residents of Dublin are thrilled that the City is moving forward with a second dog park. She was surprised that the dog park in Eastern Dublin was not included in the presentation, as it is a beautiful layout. She appreciates the proposed turf for the small dog park. She pointed out that the bark and dust tends to go up the noses of small and large dogs. One of things she-liked about the dog park at Bray Commons was that it was tear drop shaped, which might be equitable with this dog park, allowing a curve for the small dogs to run. She would like to see that the small dog park is given some consideration in terms of size. The addition of trees for shade is wonderful. She-recommended that the large and small dog areas be separated. Diane Jenkins, 8333 Locust Place, commended Staff on the plan for the small dog park. It will be a great benefit for Dublin residents. She complimented the design of the park, particularly the fact that the trees are going to block out a great deal of the noise and view. , Lisa Zelver, 6541 Pioneer Lane, stated that it is a great plan however she feels that there is not enough room for the small dog area and would like to see it extended. She inquired as to a water fountain for the small dogs. Lichtenstein stated that fountains are shown for both the large and small dog areas. Ms.Zelver recommended that the water fountains be separated and at opposite ends for safety reasons. Linda Bailey, 7403 Brigadoon Way, stated that every resident in her area has one or two dogs. She stated that she is totally against bark as dogs tend to chew the bark and get it caught in their throats. It also leaves splinters in their feet. A hose area would be needed for the large dogs. She inquired as to the acreage of Bray Commons Dog Park. Minutes—January 9,2006 Page 3 of Alex stated that Bray Commons Park is .4 acres and the proposed park is .2 acres. Michele Cowles, 115 Winged Foot Place, San Ramon, stated that she has quite a history regarding the separation of dog parks. She spearheaded the separation of the San Ramon,Danville and Alameda dog parks. Speaking on behalf of small dogs she is really pleased to see that the separated dog park was planned, as in most cases it is usually one dog park for all dogs. She is not happy with the size of the small,dog park. One ground cover that was not mentioned was the ground cover at Foster City's dog park. It's not astro turf but looks like grass. It has holes in it and at night they turn on high powered sprinklers that drain the urine away. They also have a large vacuum that is used every two days to vacuum up the dog hair. Small dogs need a place to run as much as large dogs. She suggested moving the parking area more to the left to add more space for the small dog park. - Sandra Tillman, stated that she is delighted that the city is putting in this park. However she feels that more space is needed for the small dogs than what has been allocated. The dog areas should be separated. Ellen Romero, 7392 Quartz Circle, stated that on behalf of the residents of Quartz Circle, they are here tonight to make sure that the parking lot does have the access off of Amador Valley Boulevard as opposed to off Quartz Circle. We appreciate the revision made. There is a lot of traffic created to access the open space area and we fear for the safety of the children. Chair Flores asked if parking'lot is located in the current location because of the intersection. Lichtenstein replied yes, because it is a traffic engineering issue. Lichtenstein stated that as a point of reference in regards to size of the dog parks, it is proposed that the large dog park would.be 1.1 acres and for the small dog park is .2 acres. The sizes of the other dog parks are: Hap McGee —Large 1.2/Small 3 acres; Memorial Dog Park—Large 1 acre/Small .3 acres; Del Mar— .65 for both; Casa Nagal— 1.2 acres for both. Chair Flores closed public comment. Commission Input Regarding Design and Surfacing Cm. Guarienti stated that he prefers the natural surface, as do most of the people he has spoken to. He is concerned about the proposed size for the small dog park and would like to see it enlarged to about .3 acres as opposed to .2 acres. The large dog park is a good size and nice configuration. He would not want to take much away from it to enhance the small dog park. He asked what the drop off is and would it be possible to add at least 1/10 of an acre to the small dog park? Lichtenstein stated that there may be a way to cut into the slope and remove some dirt, but the grading plan will need to be looked at. 'Cm. Jones stated that there needs to be more space for the small dogs. He is in favor of phasing the equipment for both sides, with the water fountains as first priority. He is in favor of a grass surface. He asked if the sod would have to be replaced each year,particularly in the large dog park area. Alex stated that Staff has spoken with the maintenance personnel and they think that park may need to be periodically closed depending on how much wear and tear there is. Cm.Jones asked if Staff looked at an alternative, such as Foster City. Alex stated that they did not. Cm. Jones reiterated that the surfacing should be grass and more room should be found for the small dogs. Parking also needs to be kept out of the court. He asked if there will be parking along Amador Valley Boulevard: Alex replied,yes. It will not be changed. Minutes—January 9,2006 Page 4 of 7 Cm. Hart stated that she would like to see more space for the small dogs. The large and small dog parks should be separated. Chair Flores stated that she likes the idea of phasing the equipment and concurs with Cm. Jones's recommendation to do the water fountains first. She also likes the suggestion for a grass surface. ON A MOTION BY CM. GUARIENTI, SECONDED, BY CM. JONES AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO ACCEPT THE DESIGN FOR THE DOUGHERTY HILLS DOG PARK WITH THE DESIGNATED LOCATION OF THE DOG PARKS, .PARKING AREA AND NATURAL TURF, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE SMALL DOG PARK BE ENLARGED IF POSSIBLE. Alex stated that in terms of the timeline for this project, this item will go to the City Council in February for approval of the conceptual plan. The construction documents are anticipated to be completed this fiscal year. Funding has not been identified for construction at this time. If funding is identified in the fiscal year 2006-07 budget, construction will begin as early as next fiscal year. Cm. Jones asked if the amenities such as the benches and water fountains could be sponsored by service clubs. Alex stated that it could be an option. At one of the public meetings a member of the Dublin.Rotary was in attendance and had offered some support for a drinking fountain or the dog agility area. Linda Bailey stated that the Dublin Lions Club would be interested in sponsorship. 8.4 Parks and Community Services Goals and Objectives Lowart reported that the City Council has scheduled the Annual Goals and Objectives Study Session for Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at 5:00 P.M. The Study session provides the City Council with an opportunity to reach consensus on the primary direction and allocation of city resources for the upcoming year. As has been done in past years, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission has been asked to provide input on the preliminary Goals and Objectives for Heritage and Cultural Arts. Lowart reported that during FY 2004-2005 the City Council adopted a Ten Year Strategic Plan which identified six strategies that the City should pursue during the next ten years. The adopted 2005-2006 goals and objectives included 15 objectives that were assigned to Parks and Community Services. Seven of the objectives accomplish one or more of the strategic goals. The remaining objectives accomplish Departmental or operational goals. Of the 15 objectives, 12 objectives were given a high priority and three objectives were given a medium priority. Eight are complete or will be complete,two are underway and will be carried over to next fiscal year and five have had no progress. Lowart stated that she can either go through the status of each objective or field any questions the Commission may have. The Commission concurred that it would not be necessary to review each objective.. Lowart stated that four new objectives have been developed by Staff for 2006-2007. The remaining seven objectives have been carried over from the previous year. Of the 11 objectives, six relate back to the Strategic Goals McCreary briefly summarized the three new Preliminary Goals and Objectives added by Staff. Objective#3 This objective is to conduct an in-depth community needs assessment and opinion survey of programs and services and develop Strategic Plan for Programs and Services. McCreary reported that the community is experiencing a tremendous change in demographics. Additionally the market segments are changing in the community. The Department needs to realign its programs and services to respond to these changes and those anticipated in the future. The development of the Strategic Plan will help Staff to plan for a changing and growing population and ensure the programs and services continue to meet customer needs. A consultant would be Minutes—January 9,2006 Page 5 of 7 retained to coordinate a statistically valid needs assessment and work with Department Staff to develop a Strategic Plan and Implementation Plan. Preliminary Goal and Objective#5 This objective is to develop and implement four family-oriented events/programs during Fiscal Year 2006-2007 including Family Bocce Ball League,Father's Day Picnic,Family Campout and Outdoor Movie Night. McCreary reported that trends show that parents are working longer hours and youth are having more demands placed on their time for academics and employment: Additionally the number of single parents and dual-career families are on the rise. Programs and events that allow families to participate together in recreational activities have been popular in other communities. Based on the response to the Day on the Glen Festival, there appears to be a demand for these types of programs. Preliminary Goal and Objective#10 This goal is to establish a Police Activities League(PAL)program in partnership with the Police Department. McCreary stated that statistics show that providing programs, activities and services to youth helps to minimize juvenile delinquency. Establishing a PAL program would enable the City to expand activities available to youth at a relatively low cost. It would help build a bond between Police Officers and youth in the community. It would also make the City eligible for grant funding through Cal PAL and increase sponsorship for youth services. As a PAL member the community could participate in state athletic tournaments, regional and statewide activities, special event opportunities, corporate sponsorship programs, conferences, and training clinics for staff and volunteers. Lowart stated that the fourth new objective is #4 on the list. This objective is to prepare an update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which would be necessary if the City Council re-designates the Dublin Square shopping Center as park. In addition, it would reflect changes in some of the planning documents that have recently been approved by the city regarding park locations. If the Bicycle Master Plan project identified has any additional routes,the trails plan in the Park and Recreation Master Plan would need to be updated. Lowart pointed out that there are several objectives that are in the purview of other depattments that related to Parks and Community Services. In the transportation area of the Engineering Department there are currently two objectives; 1) Develop a city-wide Bicycle Master Plan and 2) Work with the East Bay Regional Park District and the City of Pleasanton to conduct a preliminary engineering study to identify funding sources to facilitate the connection of the Alamo Canal Trail under I580 to Pleasanton Trails. The East Bay Regional Park District is taking the lead in an engineering study and it is anticipated that the study should be completed in June. Commission Questions and Input Chair Flores stated that goals #5 & #10 seem to hinge on goal #3 and questioned if we go ahead with developing these four oriented programs before we do the community needs assessment, we may find that we have put the cart before the horse. • Cm. Jones stated that he read goal#3 as addressing the needs of our community ethnic groups and goal#5 as more family oriented. Lowart stated that one thing staff knows about our community is that it is very family oriented. This is evident of the Day on the Glen and most of our special events. Staff feels that family programming would be very well received by the community. After adoption of the budget, Staff will come back to the Commission with some proposed programs. Cm. Jones asked how the assessment is going to be done and if it can be done on the website. McCreary stated that it would be a random digitally dialed survey to about 400 residents, probably about 10-15 minutes in length. It could be done on the website also, however to make it a statistically valid survey, more coordination,would be required. Minutes—January 9, 2006 Page 6 of 7 Cm. Guarienti asked for a status of the Recreation and Aquatic Center as he understands that there is a 22 month timeframe on the Aquatic Center. Lowart stated that at the financing workshop in November 2005, the City Council directed Staff to pursue an RFQ for a polling firm to gauge public opinion as to whether or not they would support a tax increase to fund the Recreation and Aquatic Center. This item will be coming before the City Council shortly. The 22 month timeframe related to the objective is the amount of time it will take to do the design and construction documents and have the project ready to go out to bid. Cm. Guarienti asked why Goal #7, identify and secure sources of funding for land acquisition in the western hills for an Open Space Area, got moved down the list. Lowart stated that Staff is aware of available grants but until an actual project is identified, they cannot be applied for. Goals#6, 7 & 8 regarding open space were moved to a medium priority. At such time that property is available,they will be giving high priority status. Cm. Guarienti asked if there is a way the transportation objectives can be tied to parks and community services objectives. Also if they are a high priority? Lowart stated that both transportation objectives are high. Objectives are assigned under the department that is responsible for carrying them out. Chair Flores asked if it is reasonable to keep objective #11 as a medium, since it is dependent on cooperation from the School District. Cm. Jones felt that he does not believe that it has to be an objective,just as long as we keep on working with the School District. Lowart asked if the Commission had any new goals and objectives they wish to add to the list. Cm.Jones inquired as to a dog park and the historic park. Lowart stated that there is not an objective related to the Dog Park and that the Historic Park is under Heritage and Cultural Arts. Cm. Guarienti stated that the Governor has put a challenge for health and wellness programs for "Take a Hike with the California State Parks". Would it be possible to promote something like this in Dublin,perhaps advertise in the activity guide? Would this fit in with objective#3? McCreary stated that many staff members have indicated that they would like to promote health and wellness and are looking at existing recreation programs to see how health and fitness can be incorporated. The Commission concurred with the ranking of the goals and objectives #1-10 as recommended by Staff. The Commission added a goal to "identify sources of funding and construction of a dog park at Dougherty Hills Park". Objective #11, "assess potential joint project/facility improvements at Dublin High School" was changed by the Commission from a"Medium"to a"Low"ranking. Lowart stated that in terms of the order, does the Commission wish to keep the objectives in the order shown or put the added objective for the dog park or change the order. The Commission concurred that the added dog park objective should be #2, thereby renumbering the other objectives consecutively thereafter. Minutes—January 9,2006 page'7 of 7 ON A MOTION BY CHAIR FLORES, SECONDED BY CM. GUARIENTI AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2006-2007 AS RANKED BY THE COMMISSION, ADDING AN OBJECTIVE FOR A DOG PARK AT DOUGHERTY HILLS PARK AS A "HIGH" PRIORITY AND#2 IN THE RANKING. Other Business Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks& Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff Staff Reports: eteb 4The City Council approved option one for the Shannon Center, as recommend by the-Planning-Commission. No decision was made on the "style". There was a 2-2 tie on Mission versus Craftsman. The next phase of the project will be an exterior layout which will be presented to the Commission first. ▪ The City Council did not really like any of the posters'for the St. Patrick's Festival, but did select the Shamrock with the photos. sIn the Commission's packets, a memorandum was enclosed announcing that we are a proud recipient of the CPRS Award of Excellence for the Dublin Senior Center. .If any of the Commissioners are interested in attending the CPRS Conference in Ontario, please let staff know. The City has a new travel policy, so we will need to make all the travel arrangements for the Commission (conference, hotel and air). Please note that the conference is scheduled on the St.Patrick's weekend. Adjournment Being no further business,the meeting was adjourned at 9:00p.m. Respectfully submitted, Char J.Young Administrative Technician / I l r ,_ �� - Chairpelson •