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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 6/8/2009CITY OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING 7 P.M., MONDAY,JUNE 8, 2009 5850 W. GLENDALE AVENUE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - ROOM B-3 MEMBERS PRESENT: Liz Farley, Vice-Chair Pascal Tjahjo Raymond Kultala Jonathan Liebman Margaret George Gary Parr MEMBERS ABSENT: Rod Passmore, Chair Marissa Capleton STAFF PRESENT:Becky Benna, Director Bill Schwind, Deputy Director Karen Hesser, Deputy Director Clyde Brown, Senior Management Assistant David Seid, Adult Center Manager Deanna Ortiz, Recreation Manager Lori Bye, Foothills Recreation Center Manager Chris Gallagher, Recreation Manager Paul Bernardo, Recreation Manager CITIZENS PRESENT: None Call to Order. Commissioner Farley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. Approval of Minutes of the May 11, 2009, meeting Commissioner Kultala motioned to approve the May 11, 2009, meeting minutes as presented. Commissioner Parr made the second. Motion passed 6—0. II. RECREATION SUMMER PROGRAM UPDATE Staff provided an overview of the recreation program and activity highlights scheduled for the summer. 4 Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 2 Ms. Ortiz updated the Commission on the Youth and Teen activities: Ten summer recreation sites (two licensed and eight drop-in programs. (Four sites have a free lunch program.) Ms. Jessica Herrera, Kids Café Site Coordinator for St. Mary's Food Bank, purchased pizza for the youth at Rose Lane Recreation Center and Glendale Community Center on May 29. A Wii game console was donated to the Glendale Community Center by Credit Union West. Glendale Community Center and Rose Lane have partnered with the Girl Scouts to bring its program to these locations once a week for two hours. The Boy Scouts will be coming to Glendale Community Center in the fall. ACYR (Arizona Call a Teen) and PLOT (Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow) will provide age appropriate youth with summer employment opportunities within the Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Seid updated the Commission on the Glendale Adult Center: On July 2, there will be a Patriotic Party at the Adult Center from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Luke Air Force Base Color Guard is scheduled to start the event followed by a morning of entertainment by "The Arizona Swing Kids." A luncheon and door prizes will follow. The Aloha "Summer Strut" Senior Fun Walk will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium on July 29. The event will run from 7:00 a.m. to 9 a.m. and a continental breakfast will be served following the walk. This le annual walk is a collaborative effort between the cities of Glendale and Peoria. Door prizes and raffle drawings will conclude the one mile and two mile walk. The Adult Center has a Wii console. Mr. Bernardo updated the Commission on Special Events and the Special Use Facilities: Summer Band is in its 43rd season and will be held on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. The Hook-A-Kid on Golf class will begin in June and full scholarships are available. Adventures in History was scheduled to begin June 8, however was cancelled due to low enrollment. An additional session will begin next Monday. The "Bring the Noize" tour is coming to the X-Court on Saturday, June 20. Mr. Gallagher updated the Commission on Sports and Aquatics: The summer baseball and softball program has a total of 625 kids comprising 52 teams with ages ranging from five to fifteen years old. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 3 Summer sports clinics and camps are being offered. There is an open gym/weight room available at Glendale High School. Fall Youth Sports registration begins in mid-August. The enrollment in pool programs is similar to that of last year. The pools are open through the end of July and the All-City Dive Meet will be held on July 31. Ms. Lori Bye updated the Commission on the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center: The Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center has 96 different swim lesson classes throughout the four sessions and are almost at full enrollment for the entire summer. Offerings include swim and dive team,junior lifeguard, and adult water aerobics. Recreation swimming opened on Memorial Day and will remain open until Saturday, August 8. On Memorial Day, over 650 patrons came in to swim. The Youth 360 day program is available for $100 a week: Children ages 5 — 11 are entertained with games, arts and crafts, rock wall climbing, swimming, game room fun and guest speakers. The program runs weekly through July 31. Game Time at the Rec" for kids ages 12-15 can be purchased for the same cost of a day pass. The kids can play interactive and challenging games in the gym from 1-3 p.m twice a week. Family Swim Night will be held on June 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. World Records Day will be held on July 25, at 10 a.m. Various contests will be held throughout the day. Mr. Darren Skousen, a Foothills employee, will officially try to beat the record for the most t-shirts worn by a person (227). The Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center offers 157 Special Interest Classes and another 155 classes also offered at various locations around the city including exercise, dance, personal development, cultural arts, music, and languages. A Wii game system was donated to the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center. III. PARK AND RECREACTION DEPARTMENT 2009-10 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS Mr. Schwind updated the Commission on various capital improvement projects currently in the works: Sahuaro Ranch Park: o An assessment of infrastructure is being completed for the park renovation project. o Public meetings will be held to discuss the renovations. o The design phase will then begin. o Construction is hoped to begin in early 2010. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 4 o The renovation of the picnic pavilion is 99% complete. o The historic carriage house restroom and roof improvements will be going out to bid in the summer. Thunderbird Conservation Park: o Design level of the restoration and resurfacing of two parking areas is 90% complete. o The parking areas will be hardcoated with a resin granite. o The parking stalls will be striped for maximum use. o Staff is working with the fire department on GPS mapping of the park for emergency calls from cell phones and also on the potential of helicopter landings for an emergency rescue. o A monument entrance sign at 59th Avenue is being designed. Western Area Regional Park (WARP): o Six acres of turf will be installed soon. o Other improvements include the picnic pavilion, playground structure, and volleyball courts. o By mid-June, the project should be close to completion. Bicentennial, Butler and Sands Park: o The refurbishment plan for these older parks continues with the design phase currently in the works and the bid process beginning in the summer. O'Neil Park: o A $70,000 NFL HUB Grant was received for improvements at this park which will be matched by the City of Glendale. Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Jeff Crane were greatly responsible for the receipt of this grant. Staff will submit for another matching grant from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority. IV. COMMISSION GOALS The Commission reviewed the status of 2008-2009 goals. It was agreed by consensus that Goals 1, #2, #3, #5 and #6 were fully completed. Goals #4 and #7 were not completed by all Commission members,but by the majority. Ms. Benna stated that Chair Passmore asked her to mention that during the summer break, the Commissioners are to review and consider the goals they would like to adopt for next year so that at the September meeting, the suggestions can be discussed and formalized. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 5 V. NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION (NRPA) AGENCY ACCREDITATION Ms. Benna noted that representatives from NRPA will conduct an on-site visit from June 24 through June 27, 2009. The three-member team will evaluate the Parks and Recreation Department during this visit to determine if the department has met the 155 standards to become a nationally accredited park and recreation agency. Ms. Benna applauded staff for its hard work in preparing for the on-site visit. Ms. Benna stated that it was a long process, but the organization is better for the process. Ms. Benna noted that there will be a "meet and greet" breakfast with the visitation team and the breakfast is sponsored by Olsson & Associates. The breakfast will be at the Glendale Adult Center on June 25, at 7:30 a.m. The Commission, Mayor, City Council, and the City Leadership have been invited to attend. VI. ARIZONA PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION STATE CONFERENCE Ms. Benna announced that the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA) State Conference will be held August 24 through August 28, 2009, at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale. The Boards and Commissioners day will be held on August 27, 2009. All Commissioners are encouraged to attend. Ms. Benna will provide further details to the Commissioners via email. Ms. Benna noted that Recreation Managers Lori Bye is President of the APRA and Paul Bernardo is the Conference Program Chair. VII. SUMMER MEETING SCHEDULE Commissioner Parr motioned to vacate the July and August 2009 meetings. Commissioner George made the second. Motion passed 6—0. VIII. RECOGNITION OF COMMISSIONER RAY KULTALA Commissioner Kultala was recognized for his four years of service on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Vice-Chairperson Farley presented Commissioner Kultala with a commemorative plaque. Ms. Benna thanked Commissioner Kultala for his years of service and dedication to the city of Glendale. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 6 IX. CITIZEN COMMENTS None. X. STAFF REPORTS Ms. Hesser provided the following update: Twenty-nine hours of court-ordered community service was completed at Sahuaro Ranch Park. Examples of work completed include: ground trash removal, cleaning trash and weeds from citrus groves, and cleaning of the ramadas. With funding support from Councilmember Clark, the O'Neil Park ramada was painted, Sycamore Grove Park received six replacement trees, manufactured wood fiber was added to the playground, and granite was added to the landscape area. Park staff coordinated with the city Field Operations Streets Division to rebuild and pave the parking lot at O'Neil Park. Councilmember Knaack provided funding to purchase additional granite that will be installed in the parking lots at Sahuaro Ranch Park. Parks playground maintenance staff and Park Manager Eugene Kraus attended a "National Play Symposium" in Scottsdale. The topics presented were: Universal Design: Everybody Plays, Urban Matters: Play in the Urban Environment and the Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds. Ms. Benna provided the following update: Deputy Director Shirley Medler has retired and her responsibilities will be shared by current staff. XI. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Kultala attended Ms. Medler's retirement commemoration and attended an event at the Bead Museum. Commissioner George attended Glendale's Memorial Day events and the Water Safety Day event. Commissioner Farley attended the Sahuaro Ranch Park Baseball Kick-Off event which was well- attended. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting June 8,2009 Page 7 XII. NEXT MEETING SUGGESTED AGENDA ITEMS Commissioner goals Master Plan update APRA August Conference update 2009-2010 meeting calendar XIII. The next regular meeting will be Monday, September 14, 2009, at 7 p.m. in Room B-3 of the Municipal Office Complex. The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. by consensus. Respectfully Submitted, Denise Kazmierczak