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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 6/9/2010 Meeting Minutes CITY OF GLENDALE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION ON NEIGHBORHOODS Glendale City Hall - Room B-3 Wednesday, June 9, 2010 6:00pm MEMBERS PRESENT: Sharon Sprague - Chair Vickie Loya - Vice Chair JoAnn Caufield Bill Jocewicz Sharon Brown Matthew Versluis Frank Hinds Barbara Cole MEMBERS ABSENT: Sharon Heatwole-Chicks Hugh Leonardo Judy Atkins STAFF PRESENT: Matt Cohrs, Neighborhood Partnership Administrator Angie Wilkie, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Marcheta Strunk, Parks and Recreation Management Assistant Christine Frederickson, Parks and Recreation Management Assistant I. Call to Order Chair Sprague called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. II. Roll Call Chair Sprague conducted roll call and noted that Commissioners Heatwole-Chicks, Leonardo, and Atkins were absent. III. ADDroval of Minutes - May 5, 2010 Commissioner Loya motioned to approve the May 5, 2010 meeting minutes as written. Commissioner Brown made the second. The motion passed 8-0. IV. Business from the Floor None. V. Parks and Recreation Master Plan Survey Mr. Cohrs introduced Ms. Marcheta Strunk and Ms. Christine Frederickson, both of the Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Cohrs stated that the Parks and Recreation Department was conducting surveys, public meetings and individual focus group sessions in order to gather feedback and input for the updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Mr. Cohrs stated that the Master Plan is used as a guide to identify project priorities in various communities and create a plan of action. Ms. Strunk explained that the Commissioners would be asked a series of questions regarding Parks and Recreation and their feedback would be noted and utilized in the Master Plan Update process. The questions asked and Commissioner feedback provided are noted below. 1.) What are your general perceptions of Glendale Parks and Recreations and its operations? • Doing a great job • Amazed at how much is provided • Good communications in newspaper, television news and email with citizens Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods Meeting - Minutes June 9, 2010 Page 2 of 6 • Utilized Sahuaro Ranch Park for mother's 70th birthday party and it was a big hit • Foothills Aquatic and the Glendale Adult Center are great facilities with great service • There are some residents who do not know that some facilities or programs exist • Needs change over time as people age and family dynamics change • The skatepark is great • Staff is doing a good job maintaining the Skunk Creek Linear Park 2.) What do you value most about Parks and Recreation Services that are offered by the City of Glendale? • Great value for the money at Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center • Foothills is a very nice facility with a lot to do • Many Glendale organized youth sports are in north Glendale and so as a Yucca District resident, I use the Peoria Park District offerings 3.) Which services or facilities/parks does your organization currently use? • Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center • Glendale Adult Center • Dog parks are used • Thunderbird Conservation Park • Swimming • 360 Program • Aquatics • Senior Lunch Program at YMCA is widely used • Utilize information posted on bulletin boards at facilities 4.) Are there any services or facilities/parks not currently available that you would like to see offered? • Would like to see senior yoga class move forward, as it has been canceled a few times • A better time schedule for aerobics offerings for those who work • Need free weights at Foothills 5.) What could Glendale Parks and Recreation do to improve revenue generation or reduce costs? • Include information on upcoming offerings in the coupon/value packs received in the mail • A"buy one class, get one free" or a "buy one class, get one-half off" offer • Increase fees for non-residents • Offer sponsorship programs • Make high school students more aware of activities and offerings 6.) What financial resources (bonds, fees, taxes) do you feel are most appropriate for funding Glendale Parks and Recreation services and facilities? • Utilizing all three: bonds, fees and taxes It was agreed that the remaining questions, along with a copy of those discussed tonight would be sent to the Commissioners for further consideration. The Commissioners will forward additional feedback to Parks and Recreation staff or to Mr. Cohrs. Ms. Strunk and Ms. Frederickson thanked the Commissioners for their time. Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods Meeting - Minutes June 9, 2010 Page 3 of 6 VI. Spark Awards Review and Selection Tabled to address Agenda Item VII. VII. Neighborhood Profile: Village Rose HOA Mr. Cohrs introduced Mr. Joe Sacco, President of the Village Rose HOA, which was awarded a Neighborhood Connection Grant in November 2009. Mr. Sacco thanked the Commission for the Neighborhood Connection Grant and added that it was extremely helpful in gathering the community together. Mr. Sacco provided a brief description of Village Rose HOA: • The HOA is located at the southeast corner of 67th and Cactus • There are 61 homes in the HOA of which 42 are rentals • Traditionally, there has not been much interaction between HOA residents • There has been some vandalism, graffiti and trash in the neighborhood • Slowly, the condition of the neighborhood has been creeping downward • The homeowners did not want to pay assessments because they felt that not much was being done with the money collected Mr. Sacco found information regarding the grant on the internet. Upon applying for and receiving the grant, the Board members personally went door-to-door and invited residents to the event. The Board members felt a more personal touch was needed beyond mailing a flyer. Mr. Sacco stated that the Glendale Police Department had representatives at the event and Commissioner Versluis attended the event as well. Mr. Sacco showed a video of the party that was held. Event details include: • 91 people attended, which was a very high turnout • There were food and beverages and a bouncer was provided for the kids • The event brought the community together and encouraged people to get to know each other in a positive environment • Unused food was donated to a women's shelter in Glendale Mr. Sacco stated that since the event, attendance at Board meetings has increased, resident communication has increased, a new property management company has been hired and the community spirit has improved. Mr. Sacco added that a Christmas decoration contest was held in December with prizes donated by local businesses. Mr. Sacco expressed great appreciation for the grant. The Commissioners enjoyed the video presentation and praised Mr. Sacco for a job well done. VI. Spark Awards Review and Selection (REVISITED) Mr. Cohrs stated that the Neighborhood Leadership and Events Planning Workgroup reviewed the Spark Award Nominations and have made recommendations for the winners. Mr. Cohrs added that Ms. Wilkie coordinated this effort with the Workgroup. Commissioner Jocewicz, Workgroup Leader, stated that it was a very difficult process as all of the nominees were very deserving of the Spark Award. Commissioner Jocewicz noted that there were the 39 nominations in 6 categories. Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods Meeting - Minutes June 9, 2010 Page 4 of 6 Commissioner Jocewicz announced the nominees and the recommendations for the winners. 1. Young Leaders on the Move • Mr. Bill Bolton &Glendale HS SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) • Northwest Christian School - WINNER • Ms. Marissa Silva • Mr. Jason Woelfel • Mr. Tyler Coniam • Mr. Jesse Bywater and Mr. Brett Wood 2. Neighborhood Revitalization • Floralcroft Historic Neighborhood - WINNER • Ms. Marianne Kempton - La Fontana Heights • Ms. Jana Olson 3. Traditional Neighborhood Leadership • Copperwood Watchers • Ms. Mary Savchick • Mr. Fred & Ms. Georgia Rockey • Heart of Glendale Leaders - WINNER • Ms. Sharon "Shani"Solberg 4. HOA Leadership • Ms. Brenda Ball • Ms. Rose Jacobson • Ms. Charlene Kusick • Mr. Ron Short - WINNER 5. Business Support and Neighborhood Involvement • Ms. Kathleen Geoppinger, Midwestern University • Glendale Daily Planet • Mr. Ed Sharpe,Glendale Daily Planet - WINNER • Vanguard • Waymark Gardens • Elite Community Management 6. Community Partner • Mr. Tim Reardon • Foothills Branch Library Book Sale Volunteers • Mr. Jim Sumney • City of Glendale - Volunteer Community Mediators • Christ's Church of the Valley • Vineyard Church - WINNER Commissioner Jocewicz motioned to accept the nominations made the by Neighborhood Leadership and Events Planning Workgroup for the 2010 Spark Awards. Commissioner Hinds made the second. The motion carried 8 - 0. Commissioner Jocewicz announced that the Leadership Forum will be held on Saturday, June 26, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Vineyard Church. Commissioner Jocewicz gave a detailed timeline of the morning and distributed a sign-up sheet for Commissioners to volunteer for specific tasks at the Forum, such as set-up, tear-down and greeting guests. Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods Meeting - Minutes June 9, 2010 Page 5 of 6 Ms. Wilkie stated that set-up would be done at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 26. The Vineyard Church has an event booked on Friday night; therefore, set-up must be done on Saturday morning. Ms. Wilkie noted that Commissioners Jocewicz, Versluis and Loya will present the Spark Awards at the Forum. Commissioner Brown commented that besides the members of the Workgroup, a 2009 Spark Award winner also participated in review of the nominees and recommendation of the winners. Mr. Cohrs thanked the Neighborhood Leadership and Events Planning Workgroup for the hard work on review of Spark Award Nominations. Mr. Cohrs expressed appreciation to the Vineyard Church for partnering on the location of the Forum. VIII. Update on Neighborhood Indicators Project Mr. Cohrs gave a presentation on the status of the Neighborhood Indicators System, which will be used to measure the overall health of neighborhoods in the city of Glendale. Mr. Cohrs explained the three phases of the project: • Phase I (Spring 2008): Research other systems throughout the country, identify final indicators and the process of accessing data. • Phase II (Fall 2008): Perform Housing Condition Study by capturing images of all homes in the City of Glendale for inclusion and evaluation. Completed Summer of 2009. • Phase III (Fall 2009): Development of final system, including data assembly, developing metrics and incorporating into a rating scale. To be completed Summer of 2010. Mr. Cohrs discussed the measurement of the overall health of neighborhoods, which when put together, will be used to prioritize revitalization efforts. The overall health of neighborhoods is impacted by: • Public safety • Housing condition • Infrastructure • Demographics • Business Mr. Cohrs discussed the three broad categories of review (physical, social, and economic) and noted that each category has one or more indicators to be measured. At this time, there are a total of thirty individual indicators. Mr. Cohrs is working with the consultants from Urban Environmental Research (UER) to develop how each indicator will be measured. During this process, metrics are being developed for each indicator (standards are used when available) and the data will be converted into a 5-point rating scale. The ratings will then be aggregated into an overall health score for each census tract in the city. Mr. Cohrs went through an example of indicator development which was access to a neighborhood park and how this can impact the rating of a census tract. Mr. Cohrs commented that once the census tract ratings (Vibrant, Strong, Healthy, etc.) are made, staff can then peel down to determine the reasons for certain scores and move forward to implement necessary actions for improvement. Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods Meeting - Minutes June 9, 2010 Page 6 of 6 Commissioner Jocewicz wondered how often data in the system would be updated. Mr. Cohrs replied that the Fiscal Year 2009 data will be used as a benchmark and most likely, every five-to-seven years a new benchmark would be done. Mr. Cohrs explained that changes in neighborhoods such as infrastructure do not happen all that quickly and therefore, five-to-seven years is an acceptable time frame for data update. Commissioner Jocewicz asked if this system would be available for public use. Mr. Cohrs replied that at this time, it would be only used as an internal tool for staff use. IX. Commission on Neiahborhoods Workaroup Assignments Mr. Cohrs gave the following update: • Neighborhood Outreach and Partnerships: No activity due to end of Commission work-year. • Neighborhood Leadership and Events Planning: Previously discussed in Agenda Item VI. regarding the Spark Awards and Leadership Forum. • Neighborhood Grants and 5-Year Revitalization Plan: No activity due to end of Commission work-year. X. Commission Retreat Discussion Mr. Cohrs reminded the Commissioners that there will not be a meeting in July and the Commission Retreat will be held in August. Mr. Cohrs will send a survey to the Commissioners prior to the retreat in order to obtain feedback on suggested direction for the Commission, new opportunities, new methods of neighborhood outreach and other action items for the upcoming Commission year. In this manner, the Commissioners will be able to immediately begin on the new year's work plan at the retreat. The Commissioners agreed to hold the retreat on August 7, 2010. Mr. Cohrs will contact the absent Commissioners and will secure a meeting location. XI. Staff Updates Mr. Cohrs distributed a report on staff activities for the previous month including updates on Neighborhood Improvement Grants, Neighborhood Outreach, the Community Volunteer Program, Community Mediation, Community Education and Special Events. Due to time constraints of the meeting, Mr. Cohrs asked that Commissioners peruse the report after the meeting and contact staff with any questions or concerns. XII. Adjournment Commissioner Atkins* motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:59 p.m. Commissioner Loya made the second. The motion passed 8-0. [*A follow-up review of the meeting notes revealed that Commissioner 7ocewicz motioned to adjourn the June 9, 2010 meeting.] Respectfully Submitted, Denise Kazmierczak Recording Secretary