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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 11/14/2011CITY OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING 6:00 P.M., MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 ROSE LANE RECREATION CENTER 5003 W. MARLETTE AVENUE MEMBERS PRESENT:Jonathan Liebman, Chair Donna Williams, Vice Chair Jamie Aldama Patrick Church Allison Tedford Gary Parr Rachel Nowakowski MEMBERS ABSENT: Samantha Cooke OTHERS PRESENT: Erik Strunk, Executive Director Bill Schwind, Deputy Director Karen Hesser, Deputy Director David Seid, Recreation Manager Deanna Ortiz, Recreation Manager Zach Skinner, Senior Recreation Coordinator Darrell Reagan, Senior Recreation Coordinator Christine Frederickson, Management Assistant I.CALL TO ORDER Chair Liebman called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Chair Liebman welcomed all present and noted that Commissioners Church and Cooke were absent. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 17, 2011, MEETING Item to be addressed after the facility tour. IV. BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR Item to be addressed after the facility tour. Commissioner Church entered the meeting at 6:04 p.m.] V. TOUR OF ROSE LANE FACILITY Mr. Darrell Reagan, Senior Recreation Coordinator, took the Commissioners on a tour of the indoor areas of the Rose Lane Recreation Center, which included the following areas: Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 2 Arts and Crafts Room Kitchen Office Multi-Purpose Room Recreation Room equipped with pool table, foosball table, television and air hockey table Homework area Small Play/Quiet Time Room Mr. Reagan, provided the following details regarding the afterschool program at Rose Lane: Thirty-five children are currently enrolled. Program hours are 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The program is for children in 1' through 8th grade. The resident program cost is $35 per child per semester. Mr. Zach Skinner, Senior Recreation Coordinator took the Commissioners on a tour of the pool and aquatics area. Mr. Skinner provided the following details regarding the aquatics program at Rose Lane: The pool was originally built in 1966 and renovated in 2005. The 2005 renovation included all new water features, all new concrete in and around the pool, a new slide and various other improvements. There is combination lap pool/diving pool, a smaller pool with a slide, a splash pad area and a water playground area. This summer, over 40,000 people used the pool in total. The lap pool is used by a local high school through the first week of November for Swim Team practice. There are twenty-one life-guards on duty each day during the summer. Of that, sixteen actually work guarding the pool, and the other five are either on break, manning first aid or servicing visitors. On many days, over 1,000 people visited the pool. Typical use ranged from 600 to 1,000 people a day over the past summer. The tour concluded at 6:30 p.m. Chair Liebman praised staff on the improvements at Rose Lane. Chair Liebman commented that as a product of the City of Glendale Parks and Recreations programs as a child, he is very proud of the progress of the city and of the department. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 3 Commissioner Williams inquired about the snacks provided for the children in the afterschool program. Ms. Deanna Ortiz replied that the food is provided from the Kids Café via the St. Mary's Food Bank. Chair Liebman noted that the staff report provided in the Commission packet indicates that the Rose Lane sports field generates over 13,000 annually through field rentals, half of which goes to the General Fund and half of which is spent on facility maintenance and necessary improvements. Chair Liebman asked if the Parks and Recreation Department ever receives any part of the half that goes to the General Fund. Mr. Schwind explained that in the past, 100% of the revenue went into the General Fund and then a percentage was allocated back to the Department. However, now only one-half goes to the General Fund and the other half is put into a self-sustaining fund for sports field maintenance. Chair Liebman felt that 100% of the revenue should remain with Parks and Recreation Department. Commissioner Aldama asked if the maintenance costs for the Rose Lane sports fields exceed $13,000. Mr. Schwind replied in the positive. Commissioner Aldama inquired as to how staff acquired the extra funds to make up the difference between the allocated revenue and the actual maintenance costs. Mr. Schwind explained that there is an overall budget for all of the parks as a whole and extra revenue from some locations is shifted to cover the shortfall in others. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 17, 2011, MEETING revisited) Mr. Strunk introduced Mr. Bob Portillo who will be appointed to the Commission by the Mayor next Tuesday and will be officially seated at the December Commission meeting. Commissioner Parr motioned to approve the October 17, 2011, meeting minutes as written. Commissioner Williams made the second. The motion passed 7 — 0. VII. BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR (revisited) None. VIII. OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST CLASS PROGRAM Mr. Schwind stated that the city strives to provide Special Interest Classes on a wide variety of subjects and interests at a very affordable rate to the public. Mr. Schwind stated that the goal is to provide Special Interest Classes city-wide. Offerings at the Foothills Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 4 Recreation and Aquatics Center and the Glendale Adult Center exceed the classes offered at Rose Lane Recreation Center, O'Neil Recreation Center and the Glendale Community Center. Mr. Schwind noted that in the older facilities the Parks and Recreation centers average 4,000 square feet while the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center for example, is 64,000 square feet. Mr. Schwind explained that the amount of square footage greatly affects the ability to offer many programs at one time or in one facility. Mr. Schwind commented that the square-foot issue is a major reason for why there are many more classes available at the Glendale Adult Center and the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center versus some of the older facilities. Mr. Schwind noted that in the upcoming edition of the My Community magazine, there will be 365 classes offered over the next three and one-half months. Mr. Schwind commented that staff strives to find a variety of offerings by qualified instructors. Mr. Schwind stated that in the upcoming My Community magazine, residents will find more diversity in class locations; however overall, 60% of the offerings are at the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center. Staff will continue to work on adding more class locations. Mr. Schwind explained that there could possibly be partnerships in the near future whereby Special Interest Classes could be offered in a variety of locations. Mr. Schwind stressed that the challenge of obtaining space for classes is tied into space rental fees, which would have to be included in class fees charged to participants. Recreation Manager, David Seid stated that some Special Interest Classes are core classics, such as photography and fitness; while others are trend-based, such as certain types of dance and the ever- changing world of computers and technology. Mr. Seid noted that staff must review the public interest and popularity of trends to ensure that the offerings are in demand. Mr. Seid added that it is important to offer classes at convenient times and convenient locations. Mr. Seid explained that in this economy, the balance of customer price versus class production cost is critical. Mr. Schwind distributed the My Community magazine. Commissioner Williams asked about feedback on classes. Mr. Seid replied that a handwritten survey is done at the last class of an offering. Commissioner Williams inquired about obtaining suggestions for future classes. Mr. Seid explained that there is an annual Special Interest Class Fair held at the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 5 whereby residents, participants, staff and instructors are invited to discuss options and offerings. Mr. Strunk added that staff intends to be more aggressive in seeking information on the needs of residents. Mr. Strunk stated that it is important to not only find out what residents want to learn, but where they want to learn, as this is one of the tenets of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Mr. Schwind commented that the My Community magazine has really come to life. Mr. Schwind noted that the Library Department has its own set of Special Interest Classes which helps to expand the overall offerings to residents. Commissioner Williams inquired if there was an area that could be added to the Parks and Recreation website for class suggestion submittals. Ms. Frederickson responded in the positive. Chair Liebman noticed a message on Facebook when the My Community magazine debuted. Mr. Schwind noted that Facebook is very good for reaching youths and teens. Chair Liebman stated that many Generation-Xer's are on Facebook and there is a lot of mass marketing done on Facebook. Chair Liebman suggested that Facebook could be used to boost interest and attendance at the Special Interest Classes. Mr. Strunk agreed adding that the City needs to stay relevant and consider all marketing opportunities, from newspapers to the use of smart phone technology. Commissioner Aldama requested further information on the statistic that 60% of the Special Interest Classes are offered at the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center. Mr. Schwind explained that due to the cost recovery requirement of the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center, the majority of classes are offered as there is space available to do so. Commissioner Aldama commented that the Parks and Recreation Department did install lighting at Raymond S. Kellis High School and asked if there would be a charge to utilize the school during off-hours for Special Interest Classes. Mr. Strunk explained that the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was an agreement for the Parks and Recreation Department to provide lighting in exchange for parking spaces for Stadium parking and did not include use of the interior space. Mr. Strunk added that also in the IGA, the Parks and Recreation Department was allowed use of the ball fields, however, public demand for the field has not held up as anticipated. Commissioner Aldama felt that some type of partnership should be Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 6 able to be negotiated for free use of school space for Special Interest Classes. Mr. Schwind commented that in the past, IGA's were for five-year terms, however, they have been recently changed to one-year terms and it may be possible to negotiate for the use of some indoor space. Ms. Ortiz noted that there was a previous IGA with Copper Canyon High School for the Copper Canyon Workforce Development class for which the Parks and Recreation Department was not charged for additional room rentals. Commissioner Aldama again stressed that since the ball fields are not utilized as anticipated in the original IGA, staff should pursue obtaining no-charge indoor space for offerings. Commissioner Nowakowski complimented staff on the My Community magazine, but noted that there are no offerings near 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Mr. Schwind agreed and noted that this was a comment that surfaced during many of the Master Plan discussions. Mr. Schwind stated that there may be a possible partnership with Desert Mirage Elementary School as well as the Westgate area for space to house program/class offerings. Commissioner Nowakowski asked why the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center was such a large facility. Mr. Schwind explained that in 2002, the City Council approved a city wide departmental Master Plan. After a series of public meetings, the voters approved bond funding in support of the capital improvement budget which consisted of several large scale projects. Mr. Schwind added that at the same time, the Western Area Regional Park (WARP) plans were moving forward, but by the time construction was underway, the economy took a major downturn and the large-scale plans could not be finished all at one time. Mr. Schwind explained that the fire station, the basketball courts, the splash pad and the x-court at the WARP were completed; however, there were no longer funds in the budget to begin the recreation, library or aquatic center. IX. QUARTERLY UPDATE ON PARKS MASTER PLAN Mr. Strunk stated that the Master Plan Update is a strategic tool for making parks, open space, facility and recreational program decisions over the next ten years. Mr. Strunk noted that there are thirty action items in the Master Plan Update, which are under the umbrella of Community Standards, Pricing Models, Potential Capital Improvements and Potential Site Locations for New Facilities When Available. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 7 Mr. Strunk gave a PowerPoint presentation, which included the following highlights: 2002-2011 Plan Accomplishments o Growth of Park System: 16 new parks o 5 new facilities o $43 million in investment Preservation of Existing Facilities o 14 park renovations o $12.5 million in investment o Keeping older parks current, relevant and excitingto residents City Map o Display of renovated park locations versus new park locations Implementation of Best Practices National Accreditation in 2009 o National Recreation and Parks Association o Only 100 Parks Departments accredited nationally o Glendale was only 1 of 8 Parks Departments internationally to receive a perfect score on the accreditation test Awards and Special Recognition o National Awards o Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Awards o Westmarc Best of the West Awards 2011 Update Public Participation o Citizen Survey o Focus Groups o Public Meetings o Interviews o Overall Findings Recommended Priorities o Take care of what we have o Understand maintenance needs to protect the quality of park assets for future planning and development o Improve awareness of facilities, services and programs available to the community o Complete the Western Area Regional Park (WARP) o Support the development of non-profit partnerships for funding development o Establish and follow prudent standards for amenity development as the community grows o Expand/enhance the financial resources of the Department through multiple means Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 8 Primary Action Plan Recreation Plan o Engage alternative service providers o Develop programs to improve health and lifestyles of residents o Enhance quality and accessibility of youth programs Parks Plan o Complete WARP o Develop and improve shade structures and amenities in parks o Upgrade restrooms Long-Term Action Plan o Develop additional skate/BMX amenities as needed o Include additional aquatics facilities as needed o Construct additional multi-purpose athletic fields as needed o Develop additional dog parks as needed Next Steps o Adopt Update to the Master Plan (December 20th) o Written Annual Report to Council from Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission regarding the progress of the Master Plan Update o Quarterly updates to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Chair Liebman requested that the new Commissioners be provided with at least the Executive Summary of the Master Plan Update. Mr. Strunk will follow through on the request. Chair Liebman praised staff on its hard work and dedication to the Master Plan Update. X. DISCUSSION ON COMMISSION OUTREACH EVENT A list of the options for a scheduled Commission outreach event was distributed to the Commissioners. The Commissioners discussed manning booths at the Green Festival and the Chocolate Affair. Ms. Ortiz also noted that at the Glitter 'N Glow in January, the staff will be selling cotton candy and popcorn to raise funds for the Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund. Mr. Schwind added that staff is also negotiating with Camelback Ranch for some Parks and Recreation Departmental exposure at spring traing baseball. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 9 It was agreed by consensus that the Commissioners would man booths at the Green Festival and the Chocolate Affair for completion of Commission of Goal #4. Chair Liebman commented that the Commissioners could also sign up to work the Glitter 'N Glow as their schedules permit. XI. COMMISSION WORK PLAN The Commissioners previously received Work Plan Status Sheets to record goal completion. Chair Liebman encouraged continued goal achievement. XII. STAFF UPDATES Ms. Hesser provided the following updates: 1. The new entry monument construction for Sahuaro Ranch Park at 59th Avenue has commenced. 2. The re-dedication event at Bonsai! Park North is scheduled for December 15, 2011, at 1:00 pm. 3. Staff received most of the fall Park Visit report packets for the requested November 10 return date. Once all are received, the summary report will be distributed. 4. Mr. Bill Shepard of the Rose Society of Glendale submitted the Sahuaro Ranch Park Historical Area's Rose Garden for the American Rose Society annual award and he accepted the award for "Medium Garden" at the American Rose Society Annual Rose Show and Convention held in October in Studio City, CA. The American Rose Society is divided into 9 districts and Arizona is in District 8 which includes west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Nevada and southern California, and is called the Pacific Southwest District which is also the largest District in the U.S. Each year, the Pacific Southwest District presents three awards for outstanding public gardens. There is one award for "Small Garden" which is less than 100 rose bushes, one for "Medium Garden" which is 101 to 500 rose bushes and one for "Large Garden" which is 501 or more rose bushes. This recognition will be presented at the December 13th City Council meeting. 5. Volunteers: Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 10 a. Staff attended the Midwestern University Volunteer Fair and successfully recruited an additional five volunteers for the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Areas. b. The Desert Mirage Adopt-A-Park group began their monthly work sessions this month. They are held the first Saturday of the month at the park. c. Thirty-six volunteers participated in a painting project along Skunk Creek trail. d. Twelve volunteers conducted a clean-up at the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area. 6. Staff is finalizing negotiations with a vendor to sponsor the "You Got Caught" cards. Staff training and launch are expected in the next couple of months and the program will launch in spring 2012. Mr. Schwind provided an update which included the following: At the December Council Meeting, Mr. Strunk will present Mayor and Council with the 10-year renewal contract for the management and operation of the Paseo Racquet Center. At the December Council Meeting, the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Glendale and Special Olympics of Arizona will go before the Council regarding a partnership with facilities and fields. Construction for improvements at the Glendale Community Center will commence in mid-December. A total of approximately $47,000 from a CDBG grant is funding the project. Improvements include facility repainting, resurfacing of the outdoor basketball court and new windows and doors. Ms. Frederickson announced that in the future, along with upcoming events, a list of volunteer opportunities will be provided to the Commissioners. XIII. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Parr thanked staff for all of the information provided. Commissioner Nowakowski appreciated the presentations by staff. Commissioner Aldama thanked staff for an excellent meeting and for remaining at work away from their families at night to facilitate the meeting. Commissioner Williams felt the meeting was very good. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting November 14, 2011 Page 11 Chair Liebman stated that a few months ago, the department was awarded funds for trail maintenance from the state and asked when the project would begin. Ms. Hesser replied that there is no date set as of yet, but the project is still on board with the state trails program. Chair Liebman commented that all of the parks that he inspected were in really good shape. Chair Liebman thanked staff for an informative meeting. XIV. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 p.m. by consensus. The next regular meeting will be Monday, December 12, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in Room B-3 of the Municipal Office Complex, Glendale, Arizona. Respectfully submitted, Denise Kazmierczak