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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-05-1991 PCSC Approved Minutes CITY OF DUBLIN PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 1991 The November 5, 1991 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission was called to order at 7: 30p.m. at the Civic Center, Dublin, California, by Vice-Chairperson, Steve Jones. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of allegiance was led by Commissioner Jones. Roll Call Present: Commissioners Jones, Donnell , Sbranti, Lockhart and Cahn Absent: Commissioner Downey Oral Communications Rick Wendling, Youth Soccer, thanked the Commission for having such good people working on their staff. He reported that a tour was conducted of the sports grounds recently to look for hazards. Great progress has been made in correcting those conditions that could have been hazardous. Mr. Wendling stated that he hoped that soccer will continue to have a good working relationship with the Parks & Recreation Department and the Commission. Mr. Wendling requested copies of the last agenda and minutes. Written Communications - None Approval of Minutes IT WAS MOVED BY COMMISSIONER DONNELL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SBRANTI TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 8 , 1991 AS SUBMITTED. (UNANIMOUS) New Business None Old Business Review of Use Policies for City Facilities At the October 8, 1991 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Commission reviewed the existing policies for City facilities and discussed the methodology to be utilized in revising the policies. As a result, Staff was directed to develop a standardized format to be used in each policy. Diane stated that generally Staff has not proposed any substantive changes to the policies and procedures in existence at each facility. She briefly reviewed each revised policy for the Commission. Civic Center Diane stated that the Civic Center policy was used as a sample format for the other policies, as it is the newest of all the policies and the easiest to read and comprehend. The roman numerals for classifications were replaced with group numbers, and condensed from 10 classifications to 6. Commissioner Cahn voiced concern regarding the number of adults to minors as stated in Regulation #3. He felt that in case of an emergency, there should be a minimum of 2 adults per 20 minors, leaving at least one adult to supervise while the other handled the emergency situation. Commissioner Lockhart and Sbranti concurred. Diane stated that the regulation could be revised to include "with a minimum of two adults present at all times" . Dublin Senior Center Diane stated that the Commission had met with the Senior Advisory Committee at the time that the original policy for the Senior Center was developed. The Advisory Committee at that time felt very strongly about how the Center should be used. They were concerned about opening up the use of the kitchen and the refrigerator, as well as the serving and consumption of alcohol. Therefore, these items were restricted and are addressed in the current policy under the Rules and Regulations, items 11 & 12. MINUTES - NOVEMBER 5, 1991 . PAGE TWO Commissioner Lockhart asked why the cooking facilities and refrigerator cannot be used by rentals. Diane replied that the refrigerator is kept locked, as it contains food supplies for the seniors meals program. As for the cooking facilities, the cupboards that house the seniors cooking utensils would have to have locks installed. Most importantly, the Health Department inspects the kitchen periodically, therefore we have to regulate its use. The revised policy utilizes the same classifications as the Civic Center however, priority is given in all classifications to groups either comprised of senior adults or serving senior adults. However, if the facility were vacant, a group could be scheduled to use it. There have been very few requests for use of the Senior Center since the policy was established. Commissioner Lockhart inquired as to why Section 2, Items a, b & c under Classification of Users was deleted? Diane replied that the closing statement at the bottom of the policy encompasses this section. Commissioner Lockhart felt that the rewording was alot better. Commissioner Donnell asked if a rental were to book the Center for a private event, would they be permitted to remove items to accommodate their decorations, etc.? Diane stated that groups would have to work around the senior equipment that is within the facility, and staff would not permit removal of senior equipment to accommodate their use. Commissioner Lockhart stated that with staff and the Commission trying to standardize the policies, he did not feel that it is right for the Advisory Committee to be allowed to tell us what we can and cannot put in a policy. Commissioner Jones indicated that he understands what Commissioner Lockhart is saying, however the facility is unique in that it is mainly for senior use. Commissioner Lockhart stated that it is City property that is opened to the public and should be governed by the same rules and regulations as other City facilities. Commissioner Cahn stated that the Senior Center is different than the other facilities, as it has its own Advisory Committee. Since the City Council does not make decisions without the Parks & Recreation Commissions input, we should not be making decisions for the Senior Center without their input. The Commission may not agree with their input, but their input is valuable. Diane stated that there are certain stipulations that staff and the Commission will need to look at, based on the individual facility. Because of the specialized nature of the Center, there maybe special regulations that need to be put into effect. The Commission needs to go back to the Advisory Committee with the revised policy and identify the issues that the Commission feels are important to discuss. Dublin Swim Center The pool is very rarely rented for private functions, as it is booked solidly with City sponsored activities. However a policy should be in place for those interested in renting the facility. The rentals that have occurred in the past, include churches, Boy Scouts, Little League and private individuals. The Commission concurred that priority of use as listed in the revised policy is satisfactory. MINUTES - November 5, 1991 . Page Three Commissioner Cahn questioned the ratio of lifeguards for public swimming and for groups that rent the facility. Diane stated that the ratio for public swimming is currently 1 to 50 . However, if a group rents the pool , they have to utilize City lifeguards also. In most cases , the pool is staffed with at least 2-3 lifeguards. Shannon Community Center Diane stated that Shannon Center is the facility that is rented out the most and also used the most. The two areas of the policy that were revised, includes the classification of users and the timeframe for rentals. Classification of Users The classification of users basically remained the same. The number of classifications were changed from roman numerals I-VII to group numbers 1-6 , the same as the other policies. The City may book one year in advance to the date requested. Public Agencies , the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Community Groups and Resident Private Individuals or Groups may book one year in advance for weekend use and 3 months in advance for weekday use. Non-Resident Community Groups and Private Individuals or Groups may book nine months in advance for weekend use and three months for weekday use. Commercial Groups may book six months in advance for weekend use and three months in advance for weekday use. Commissioner Donnell asked if there is a minimum timeframe? Diane replied, 30 days, which is listed under the Reservation Procedures. This was changed from the 15 working days, because it is difficult to schedule the part-time building attendants and obtain insurance information. Continuous Use Diane stated that something that has not been considered for any of the policies , is continuous use of the facilities. When the City first took over Shannon Center, there were a number of groups that booked the facility on a continuous basis. Staff has found that this type of use really tied the City hands in terms of scheduling use of the facilities . When the policy was revised three years ago, the continuous use was deleted from the policy, except for continuous use by non-profit Dublin based organizations, which was permitted on a quarterly basis. It has been found that most groups do not wish to schedule use this way, as they want to book for at least a year at a time. Commissioner Jones asked if this use is hurting us in the long run, in regards to generating income? Diane replied that she did not think so, as the fees charged for continuous use are minimal . Commissioner Cahn felt that continuous use is for the good of the community. If a group had to be bumped to accommodate a City program, there are other rooms within Shannon that they could be relocated to. These groups would be a continued source of income. Diane stated that if the policy was opened to accommodate continuous use , she would recommend that it be permitted during the week, but not on the weekends. Weekend use is more in demand and would also generate more revenue. Commissioner Sbranti asked if Shannon were not available for continuous use, would the Senior Center then be recommended? Diane stated that the current policy would not allow that type of use. Currently, Shannon Center is the only facility that has a clause for continuous use. The Civic Center policy does not even address continuous use. The Shannon Center policy limits continuous use to Dublin based non-profit groups using the facility for educational or recreational purposes. MINUTES - November 5, 1991 . Page Four A church group requested use of Shannon Center over 18 months ago. Even though they were Dublin based and had non-profit status, when the City attorney reviewed it, they determined that according to the current policy, use must be for educational or recreational purposes. The church group would be using the facility for religious purposes, and therefore they do not fit within the current policy. Commissioner Cahn asked if churches are permitted to use public school facilities? Diane replied that the School District policy does not permit this type of group to book the facilities more than four times a year. Commissioner Donnell stated that Diane's recommendation of making continuous use available only during the week and not weekends is reasonable. Commissioner Sbranti concurred. Commissioner Sbranti asked which use would generate more revenue, the consistent income from the continuous users or the individual rentals? Diane replied that under the current fee schedule, individual users generally generate more revenue. Commissioner Cahn stated that the facility is not to generate revenue, but rather to serve the maximum number of people. Diane stated that the facility may not be to generate revenue, but the intent is to cover costs. Commissioner Jones stated that according to the current policy, use is not open to the senior groups that are currently at Shannon now. Diane stated that this is true, however use by these groups was "grandfathered" in at the time the City took over the facility. The situation with the senior groups at this time, is that we do not have a set agreement with groups, and the fees paid are not within the current policy. Some type of agreement needs to be in place that clearly indicates that their use must be in accordance with certain rules. Commissioner Donnell asked if there are alot of requests by groups for continuous use during the week? Diane replied, that at one time we did, however now that reservations are only permitted on a quarterly basis, requests have dropped. Commissioner Lockhart stated that within the revised policies, the senior groups currently meeting on a weekly basis at Shannon would be permitted to apply for use up to 3 months in advance. Diane indicated that the revised policy does not presently address continuous use, as input from the Commission is requested. Commissioner Lockhart did not feel that the City can build in alot of rules and regulations to fit the needs of the groups. The groups need to fit the City's rules and regulations. Diane agreed, but felt that we need a policy that is workable from their standpoint. Commissioner Cahn recommended that staff prepare a section dealing with continuous use for the Commissions review. Diane stated that for the December 10 meeting, Staff will bring back a proposed section on continuous use for all the policies, and the proposed policy for the Sports Grounds. She indicated that she would like to get a concensus from the Commission on the policies and then discuss the fees at the January meeting. MINUTES - November 5, 1991 . Page Five Other Business Commissioner Sbranti asked how the Teen Center is going at Wells? Diane stated that it is off to a slow start. Alot of kids stop by, but when they learn about the $15.00 fee they leave. Information on the program and fees were distributed to parents in the newsletter. Hopefully parents will pay the fee for their teen to participate in the program. Staff will review the fees for this program next year. Staff Reports Diane reported that the Town of Danville, the City of San Ramon and City of Dublin on an annual basis, get together to meet and have dinner. It is the City of Dublins turn to host this event. The other cities will be contacted to come up with a date. As the hosting City, we will have to provide dinner and decide on a program. Last year the subject was trails. Some suggestions topics maybe open space planning or community growth. The event can be catered and held here at the Civic Center on the Regional Meeting Room. Diane indicated that she will come up with some dates and contact the Commission as to their availability. The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled on Monday, December 2 here at the Civic Center at 6:30p.m. Adjournment Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30p.m. Respectfully submitted, i Char J. You Administrative Secretary