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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 9/13/2010CITY OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 7 P.M., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 5850 W. GLENDALE AVENUE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS—ROOM B-3 MEMBERS PRESENT: Rod Passmore, Chair Jonathan Liebman, Vice Chair Dana Dale Elizabeth Fernandes Margaret George Gary Parr Danielle Silvas MEMBERS ABSENT: None OTHERS PRESENT: Becky Benna, Director Karen Hesser, Deputy Director Bill Schwind, Deputy Director Chris Gallagher, Recreation Manager Christine Frederickson, Management Assistant CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chair Passmore called the meeting to order at 7:04 P.M. Chair Passmore introduced Commissioner Dana Dale, the new student commissioner representing the Cholla District. Commissioner Dale gave a brief description of her background. The other Commissioners introduced themselves as well. I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE JUNE 14, 2010, MEETING Commissioner Parr motioned to approve the June 14, 2010, meeting minutes as written. Commissioner George made the second. The motion passed 7—0. II. 2010-2011 COMMISSION GOALS Ms. Benna distributed a copy of the 2010-2011 Commission goals as approved at the June Commission meeting. The goals were reviewed and discussed by the Commission. III. PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN UPDATE Ms. Benna provided an update on the status of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update process. Ms. Benna distributed and discussed the draft of the Community Values Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 13, 2010 Page 2 and Strategies that were developed based upon public feedback received via the community-wide survey, online survey, focus groups, public meetings, and interviews. The Community Values Model also includes the Parks and Recreation Department Core Services which are listed below: 1. Care of Infrastructure Parks, facilities, pools, and trails 2. Health and Prevention After-school programs, senior, adult, teen, youth, and family wellness 3. Safety Parks and facility supervision, maintenance, and water safety 4. Community Heritage and Preservation Conservation park, historical properties, parks, and green space Ms. Benny discussed the five Community Values and their corresponding strategies of implementation. Each specific strategy will include action steps/outcomes that must be measurable and will be reviewed every year. The Community Values are as follows: 1. Public Mandates 2. Service Standards 3. Programs and Services 4. Business Practices 5. Community Outreach and Partnerships Ms. Benny asked that Commissioners provide feedback to her regarding the Community Values Model by Wednesday, September 22. Staff is currently reviewing the document and offering comments and opinions as well. Ms. Benny announced that the next Master Plan public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22, at the Glendale Adult Center. At that time, the Community Values Model will be presented to the public for review and gathering of feedback. Ms. Benny stated that the consultants will use this information as part of the development of the draft of the updated Master Plan which will be presented to the Commission. Ms. Benny explained that the goal is to complete the Master Plan by the end of this year, but she stressed the importance of ensuring that the Master Plan is correct and comprehensive, so the timeline is flexible. Chair Passmore thanked Ms. Benny for the update. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 13, 2010 Page 3 IV. PHOENIX SHADE MASTER PLAN UPDATE Ms. Hesser stated that staff members attended the Southwest Horticultural Day of Education (SHADE) held in Glendale on August 13, 2010. Ms. Hesser stated that the 2030 vision of the City of Phoenix Shade Master Plan was discussed at the conference. The Commissioners can find the full 70-page document online. Ms. Hesser explained that the City of Phoenix Shade Master Plan is a huge city-wide effort. Phoenix is requiring 25% shade coverage at parks and other outdoor recreational areas which include trees and structural shade like playground canopies. Staff is reviewing the City of Phoenix Shade Master Plan for options to be used in a future City of Glendale Shade Plan. Ms. Hesser stated that trees are a critical part of any shade coverage plan. In the 2010 Glendale Parks and Recreation Tree Inventory, 13,027 trees were documented. Ms. Hesser noted that the number one reason for tree damage was vandalism, followed by weather and lastly, the natural aging of the tree. Ms. Hesser announced that the Arizona State Forestry Division has recently chosen the City of Glendale as one of five urban cities in the southwest United States to participate in an urban tree study. Ms. Hesser explained that this tree study will provide a good statistical survey of trees in Glendale. Data collected will be based on a random sampling of trees. Ms. Hesser stated that full approval of this grant project is pending and hoped that the project would start in March 2011. Chair Passmore expressed concern regarding trees that had not been replaced in parks and along the city right-of-ways, especially at Murphy Park. Ms. Hesser replied that this is an issue staff is continually assessing. The trees in Murphy Park were a difficult issue because their roots became entrenched in the utility lines below and so trees cannot be re- planted in these locations. Ms. Hesser commented that although trees are a major provider of shade, shade structures can be used as well. One component of the future City of Glendale Shade Plan will look at the costs of trees versus shade structures, including initial acquisition costs and then ongoing operational and maintenance costs. Chair Passmore suggested that the city use Palo Verde trees when replacing dead or damaged trees. Ms. Benna asked the Commissioners to include any comments or suggestions on shade in the Master Plan feedback. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 13, 2010 Page 4 V. CITIZEN COMMENTS None VI. STAFF REPORTS Ms. Benna distributed the Parks and Recreation Department organization chart. Ms. Hesser provided the following update: Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area 1. The Main House tours at the Historic Area resumed on September 1. 2. Senior Recreation Coordinator John Akers conducted three oral history interviews for the Arizona Memory Project which is available online. 3. Senior Recreation Coordinator Paul King was interviewed for the City's Destination Glendale" for the upcoming Ballet Under the Stars and the Wild West Event, which will both be held at the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area. Parks and Capital Improvement Projects Division 1. The newly renovated Foothills Dog Park was opened August 1. The dog park areas will continue to be rotated monthly in an effort to reduce wear and tear on the turf. 2. The parking lot improvement project at Thunderbird Conservation Park is underway. The lot at 67th and Patrick Lane was re-opened in September. Crews are expected to pave the 55th and Pinnacle Peak lot this week. 3. The Marshall Ranch trail connector surfacing project is complete. This completes the city's connection portion of the Thunderbird Paseo Linear Park to the historic Sun Circle Trail. 4. Painting of the exterior of the restrooms, ramadas, entry gates, and railings at the 59th and 67th Avenue trail heads to the Thunderbird Paseo Linear Park were completed. 5. Flood irrigation was re-introduced to O'Neil Park as of August 7. The second phase of the sports complex renovation is under design and expected to be complete by spring 2011. 6. The department received the Arizona Park and Recreation Association Partnership Award at the banquet for the Grand Canal Linear Park project with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County. Vice Mayor Frate, Commissioner Liebman, Ms. Benna, and Project Coordinator Mike Gregory accepted the award. 7. Staff spent a considerable amount of time during August cleaning up storm damage from the monsoons. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 13, 2010 Page 5 Upcoming Department or Hosted Events 8. Razor Exposed Scooter Tour at the X-Court will be held on September 18, at 3:00 p.m. 9. Ballet Under the Stars at the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area will be held on September 26, at 7:00 p.m. 10. Wild West Event at the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area will be held from October 15— 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. Mr. Schwind provided an update, which included the following highlights: 1. 2,999 people registered for swimming lessons and over 600 people signed up for private swim lessons. 2. This summer, 52 youths were transported to Flagstaff for a day at the Arizona Cardinals Training Camp. 3, At Foothills, King of The Court, a one-on-one basketball tournament will be held on Saturday, October 16. 4: On October 29, at Foothills, Trick or Treat Off the Street will be held, which is a Halloween program. 5. At the Glendale Adult Center, on July 2, a patriotic party was held with approximately 200 people in attendance. 6. A bingo event was held on June 18, sponsored by the Adaptive Program and approximately 143 people attended. 7. The Youth and Teen Program has seen a 13% increase in participation, with a total of 393 participants. The Youth and Teen Division staff ran a "snack shack" at the Rose Lane Pool and generated over $12,000 to support sponsorships for the Youth and Teen Programs. Mr. Gallagher expressed appreciation for the staff members involved in the care and maintenance of the sports fields. Mr. Gallagher provided a PowerPoint presentation, which displayed before and after photos of the following sports field renovations: Thunderbird Paseo: turf improvements Sahuaro Ranch Northeast and Northwest Soccer Fields: turf improvements Sahuaro Ranch Main Soccer Fields: turf improvements and new fencing Paseo Sports Complex: general improvements, Enduro Flexible Fencing installed Foothills Sports Complex Field #3: permanent fencing (cost reimbursed by Arrowhead Little League) Brian Anderson Field: field improvements due to extra care of turf and surrounding areas Sahuaro Ranch Sports Complex: renovations of play fields O'Neil Park Renovation: approximately $240,000 in grants and city matched money will be used for park turf and field improvements. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 13, 2010 Page 6 Ms. Benna announced that from November 22 to February 25, she will be assuming a temporary position as Deputy City Manager for Community Development. Ms. Benna explained that there are Deputy City Manager positions as well as the Assistant City Manager position that are vacant and several staff are rotating into the vacant positions. This provides an opportunity to obtain further experience and a broader perspective of organization. Ms. Benna stated that Mr. Schwind and Ms. Hesser will fill her position until she returns. Chair Passmore thanked staff for their updates and wished Ms. Benna much success during her time in the temporary position. VII. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Dale found her first meeting to be very informative. Commissioner George volunteered for the Glendale Greeters for Christmas in July and for the Teddy Bear Days. Commissioner Liebman attended the second Master Plan public meeting and stated that the Thunderbird Conservation Park parking lot at 67` h Avenue looks great. Commissioner Silvas spent a lot of time at the Foothills Aquatic Center. Commissioner Fernandes utilizes the Western Area Regional Park daily. Chair Passmore went to a week-long class at the Rocky Mountain National Park on bark and beetle infestation and found it to be very interesting and informative. VIII.NEXT MEETING SUGGESTED AGENDA ITEMS Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Annual Report Master Plan Update IX. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.by consensus. The next regular meeting will be Monday, October 18, 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