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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 4/12/2010CITY OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 7 P.M., MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010 5850 W. GLENDALE AVENUE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS—ROOM B-3 MEMBERS PRESENT: Rod Passmore, Chair Liz Farley, Vice Chair Marissa Capleton Margaret George Jonathan Liebman Gary Parr Danielle Silvas Pascal Tjahjo MEMBERS ABSENT: Jose Rivas OTHERS PRESENT: Becky Benna, Director Karen Hesser, Deputy Director Roger Boyer, Project Coordinator Mike Gregory, Project Coordinator David Seid, Recreation Manager Clyde Brown, Senior Management Assistant CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chair Passmore called the meeting to order at 7:03 P.M. I.APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 8, 2010, MEETING Commissioner George asked that on page 8, under Commission Comments, "Attended the Citrus Zestival" should be changed to "Volunteered at the Citrus Zestival". Commissioner Parr motioned to accept the February 8, 2010, minutes with the change noted. Commissioner Liebman made the second. The motion passed 8—0. II. RECOGNITION OF VICE CHAIRPERSON LIZ FARLEY Chair Passmore presented Commissioner Farley with a plaque and certificate from Mayor and Council in commemoration of nearly four years of service on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Ms. Benna praised Commissioner Farley's service from September 2006 through April 2010 and thanked the Commissioner for her dedication to the Glendale Parks and Recreation Department. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 2 III. SAHUARO RANCH, BUTLER AND BICENTENNIAL PARKS RENOVATION PROJECTS UPDATE Sahuaro Ranch Park: Ms. Hesser stated that the bidding process is underway for the Sahuaro Ranch Park Sports Complex Renovation and all bids must be received by Thursday, April 15, 2010. Ms. Hesser provided an update on the project, which included the following: Timeline: o January 27, 2009: City Council approved professional services agreement with Ritoch-Powell and Associates. April to November 2009: Facility Assessment November 2009 to April 2010: Design Services March 2010: Presentation at Barrel Town Talk May to December 2010: Construction o Facility Assessment (included staff input) Parks and Recreation Facilities Department Engineering Department Priorities: o Health and Safety Utilizing green lighting which will reduces lighting costs by 40% Detail to Field Condition: Level playing areas, crowned infield and outfield Shade: Additional shade for spectators o Operations and Maintenance Lower Operating Costs Use a more durable type of turf Use reinforced fencing Performance-based lighting (less electricity use and no Operating and Maintenance costs to the City) Use of timers for irrigation system Irrigation system will also fertilize the turf o Life Expectancy/Level of Usage Increased Programming Capacity (Field Expansion) Serve both youth and adult sports Attract local, regional and national events Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 3 Life Expectancy of Amenities Irrigation system uses new technology 25-year warranty on lighting o Aesthetics Turf Slopes Fencing Landscape Spectator shade Ms. Hesser displayed a conceptual design of the park with the new amenities. Commissioner Parr inquired about the new lighting system. Mr. Gregory replied that the lighting system is designed to cost 40% less than the current system to operate and that spill-over will be greatly diminished. Ms. Hesser added that lighting is computer- controlled by the SkyLogix lighting system and the park rangers can adjust the lighting due to weather or any other situations with just one telephone call. Butler and Bicentennial Parks: Mr. Boyer displayed visual designs of both Butler and Bicentennial parks including improvements and upgrades. Mr. Boyer stated that approximately $355,000 is being spent for each of these projects. Ms. Hesser shared that the projects are moving along nicely and both parks would be open for public use sometime in June. Mr. Boyer added that although the parks would look like they could be open in May, it would take another four weeks for the sod to fully take in the soil. Chair Passmore inquired as to an official park ceremony. Ms. Benny replied that an official ceremony would probably occur in mid-June and all Commissioners would be invited. IV. FY 10-11 PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET UPDATE Ms. Benny presented the 2010-2011 Parks and Recreation Budget Reductions totaling approximately $1.4 million. Ms. Benny distributed a report explaining the budget reductions in great detail. Ms. Benny stressed that staff worked together to determine which areas could be reduced and where efficiencies could be found. Ms. Benny stated that staff will be doing more with less and will work on partnering with other agencies creating efficiencies and providing offerings. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 4 Ms. Benna announced that the Parks and Recreation Department will not be offering youth sports leagues after this fiscal year. Ms. Benna explained that there are at least 16 other organizations in the community offering sports leagues at various levels. Therefore, the Parks and Recreation Department will no longer be competing with these organizations, but will instead partner with them and sports fields will be available for rental. Ms. Benna noted that staff has worked diligently in determining budget reductions and although the process has been challenging, the process has provided many opportunities as well and she commended her staff for their creativity and proactive approaches. V. MASTER PLAN PROCESS UPDATE Ms. Benna stated that input continues to be obtained regarding the needs of the City of Glendale for use in the Master Plan process. Ms. Benna distributed a copy of the public survey that will be mailed to 5,000 Glendale citizens requesting input and feedback. Ms. Benna stated that the survey company guarantees to receive 1,000 responses. Furthermore, feedback for the Master Plan is being obtained via meetings with city leaders, business and non-profit leaders, community groups, as well as city Commission members, public meetings, surveys, the city website, and other formats. Ms. Benna announced that the first public meeting regarding the Master Plan will be on Thursday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Glendale Main Library Auditorium. Two additional public meetings will be held over the summer. Questions and feedback will be posted on the city website. VI. COMMISSION GOALS Chair Passmore asked the Commissioners for updates on goal completion. Commissioner Farley completed the goal of shadowing Parks and Recreation Director Becky Benna on February 26, 2010, but was unable to complete goal#4 due to inclement weather. Commissioner George has completed all of the goals. Commissioners Liebman, Parr, Tjahjo, Capleton, and Silvas need to complete the goal of shadowing a Parks and Recreation staff member. Chair Passmore thanked the Commissioners for their work on goal completion. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 5 VII. CITIZEN COMMENTS None. VIII. STAFF REPORTS Ms. Hesser provided the following update: Parks Division Approximately 50 volunteers coordinated by the Parks and Recreation Department and the Neighborhood Partnerships Office helped with litter and trash clean-up of the Thunderbird-Paseo Trail on March 27. The event was re- scheduled from earlier in the month due to rain. Special Events and Historic Sahuaro Ranch Divisions The "Touch-A-Truck" event was held on February 27. Record attendance was estimated at 3,250. New title sponsor "Shamrock Towing" was delighted with the turnout. The "Folk and Heritage Festival" held on March 20 and 21, was a success with over 4,000 in attendance over two days. The "Glendale Family Bike Ride" in partnership with the Library and Environmental Resources Department was launched from Sahuaro Ranch Park on March 27. The "Glendale Green" event was held simultaneously through the Environmental Resources Department. The Fruit Packing Shed and Barnyard parking lot were the venues for the "Glendale Green Festival" held in conjunction with the bike ride. Attendance is up for the Sahuaro Ranch Park "School Tour" program with attendance to date at 742 students compared to 512 at this time last year. The "Eggventure" in Historic Downtown Glendale was held on April 3. Over 20,000 eggs were hidden along two streets and eight different hunts were conducted. Estimated attendance was approximately 4,000. The "Chuck Wagon Family Campout" is scheduled for April 30, on the front lawn of the Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area. Each child (age 15 and under) will receive a free sleeping bag and goody bag presented by the Wonderful Outdoor World (W.O.W.) education program. Activities include astronomy, wildlife conservation, map/compassing and more. Dinner and breakfast will be served from a real chuck wagon featuring a gourmet dutch oven meal. Capital Improvements Projects Division: The basketball and tennis courts at Sands Park have been refurbished. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 6 Reminders: Park site reports are due by April 30. Ms. Benna and staff will be conducting Master Plan focus groups over the next two months. Mr. David Seid provided the following updates: On April 16, the "Hershey's Track and Field Meet" will be held at Sunrise Mountain High School. The "West Valley Cancer Connections" is holding a health-focused event in partnership with the Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center on April 24. There will also be nutrition classes, exercise classes, a silent auction, and other activities. The Department is partnering with Arrowhead Little League on improvements to the Foothills Sports Complex. Improvements will include a solar powered score board, backstop improvements, a new American flag, and a new storage shed. IX. COMMISSION COMMENTS Chair Passmore announced that Commissioner Liebman will be the new Vice Chair for Commission and that Commissioner Parr has been re-appointed to the Commission for two more years. Commissioner Liebman recently began conducting park site visits and visited the Foothills Dog Park in his district which was well-used that day (32 dogs in the early afternoon.) Commissioner Parr completed park site visits and noted that Butler Park looked fantastic. Commissioner George attended the Mayor's luncheon, a presentation conducted by John Akers at Sahuaro Ranch Park, the Folk and Heritage Festival, the City Budget Forum, and the Legislative Link meeting. Commissioner Tjahjo hiked the Squaw Peak trail. Commissioner Capleton began park site visits and took prom pictures at Sahuaro Ranch Park. Commissioner Silvas attended the Touch-A-Truck event with her daughter and friends, hiked at Thunderbird Conservation Park, won two medals at a race for a paddling/outrigger club which she recently joined, and has a trip planned to Havasupai in the near future. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 12, 2010 Page 7 Commissioner Farley began park site visits and noted that the tennis courts at the Paseo Racquet Center looked fabulous. Chair Passmore attended a City Budget Forum, completed the shadowing goal, attended the Barrel Town Talk, completed park inspections and is leaving on a 5-day Salt River Rafting trip on April 13. X. NEXT MEETING SUGGESTED AGENDA ITEMS Master Plan Update Park Inspection Review Summer Programs Preview XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m. by consensus. The next regular meeting will be Monday, May 10, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in Room B-3, of the City of Glendale Municipal Office Complex, located at 5850 West Glendale Avenue. Respectfully submitted, Denise Kazmierczak