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Home My WebLink AboutPark & Rec Commission 2022-05-19 Agenda PacketPARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA Thursday, May 19, 2022 6:00 P.M. Watch on Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/PRC-05-19-2022 Telephone: Telephone: (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 841 0672 5048 CALL TO ORDER • Roll Call AGENDA AMENDMENTS MINUTES 1. Approve regular meeting minutes of April 21, 2022 MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 2. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations 3. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda. Speakers are encouraged to limit comments to 3 minut es. MATTERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION If necessary, to assure completion of the following items, the Chairperson may establish time limits for the presentations by individual speakers. 4. Falkirk Cultural Center Annual Report COMMISSION REPORTS AND COMMENTS 5. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by the Commission members. STAFF COMMENTS 6. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings and Events of Interest NEXT MEETING June 16, 2022 ADJOURNMENT Notice Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Commission less than 72 hours before the meeting, shall be available for inspection online. Sign Language interpreters may be requested by calling (415) 485 -3066 (voice), emailing Lindsay.lara@cityofsanrafael.org or using the California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711”, at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Copies of documents are available in acces sible formats upon request. Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda Page 2 of 2 May 19, 2022 Page 1 of 5 PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION April 21, 2022 – 6:00 p.m. DRAFT MINUTES __________________________________________________________________ Watch on Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/PRC-04-21-2022 Telephone: (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 841 0672 5048 CALL TO ORDER Chair Emerson called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Emerson Commissioner Gutierrez Commissioner Laumann Commissioner Reisinger Absent: Commissioner Cabrales Commissioner Machado Commissioner Sandoval Al so Present: Susan Andrade-Wax, Library & Recreation Director Catherine Quffa, Assistant Library & Recreation Director Becky Ordin, Senior Administrative Assistant Steve Mason, Senior Recreation Supervisor Janet Tanchez, Pickleweed Advisory Committee Member Nancy Palacios, Pickleweed Advisory Committee Member Rosa Vasquez, Pickleweed Advisory Committee Member Louise Yost, Pickleweed Advisory Committee Member AGENDA AMENDMENTS None. MINUTES 1. Approve regular meeting minutes of March 17, 2022 2 Commissioner Gutierrez moved, and Commissioner Laumann seconded, to approve the meetings minutes of March 17, 2022. AYES: Commissioners: Emerson, Gutierrez, Laumann, Reisinger NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: Cabrales, Machado, Sandoval ABSTAINED: Commissioners: None Minutes approved as submitted. MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 2. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations Chair Emerson acknowledged this was Park & Recreation Director Susan Andrade- Wax’s last Park & Recreation Commission meeting as she is retiring. She thanked her for her 4 years of service, her leadership and carrying them through the Pandemic. 3. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda None MATTERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION If necessary, to assure completion of the following items, the Chairperson may establish time limits for the presentations by individual speakers. 4. 2021Annual Pickleweed Advisory Committee, Albert J. Boro Community Center, and Pickleweed Report Steve Mason asked Commissioner Gutierrez who is the Pickleweed Advisory Committee liaison to introduce the Pickleweed Advisory Committee members who were present. Mr. Mason presented the 2021 Annual Pickleweed Advisory Committee, Albert J. Boro Community Center, and Pickleweed Park Report. Staff responded to questions from the Commission. Public Comment: None Commissioner Gutierrez moved, and Commissioner Reisinger seconded to accept the 2021 Annual Pickleweed Advisory Committee, Albert J. Boro Community Center, and Pickleweed Park Report AYES: Commissioners: Emerson, Gutierrez, Laumann, Reisinger NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: Cabrales, Machado, Sandoval ABSTAINED: Commissioners: None 3 Motion passes. 5. Parks Maintenance & Projects Status Report for January – March 2022 April Miller, Assistant Director of Public Works/City Engineer was not able to attend the meeting. Susan Andrade-Wax accepted questions from the Commission. Staff responded to questions from the Commission. The Commission asked for an update on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan at this time. Ms. Quffa provided a summary of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the next steps. Public Comments: None Commissioner Laumann moved, and Commissioner Gutierrez seconded to accept the Parks Maintenance & Projects Status Report for January-March 2022. AYES: Commissioners: Emerson, Gutierrez, Laumann, Reisinger NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: Cabrales, Machado, Sandoval ABSTAINED: Commissioners: None Motion passes. COMMISSION REPORTS AND COMMENTS 6. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by the Commission members. Commissioner Laumann wanted to report that it was her last meeting as a Commissioner. Ms. Andrade-Wax corrected her and let her know that her term wasn’t up until May, so she has one more meeting to attend before her term is up. Commissioner Reisinger’s term will also end in May and she announced that she would not be continuing for a second term. Louise Yost, Pickleweed Advisory Committee Member, shared information for the Earth Day event at the Mill Valley Community Center on April 24th from 1-5pm. Chair Emerson asked about the status of the Commission meeting in person. Ms. Andrade-Wax replied that the City Council met for the first time in person and had a hybrid format. The Park & Recreation Commission could meet in person if the Commission was interested and could meet in an alternative location for a hybrid 4 format. The San Rafael Community Center is currently not set up for a hybrid model at this time. Ms. Quffa shared that our Commission is not required to meet in person next month, but eventually everyone will be moving towards a hybrid meeting structure. Ms. Andrade-Wax recommended that when there is information regarding the Parks and Recreation Master Plan that the Commission meet in person with the hybrid format. Chair Emerson asked that they continue the virtual meetings and would like to discuss the hybrid option further when the other Commissioners are present. Commissioner Gutierrez let the Commission know there will be a Heads Up carnival event at Davidson Middle School on Saturday, April 30 th to support the San Rafael City Schools. Commissioner Reisinger gave a shout out to Steve Mason and his team at the Albert J. Boro Community Center. She takes her daughter to the Volleystart program there and always has a great experience with the center and staff. Rosa Vasquez, from the Pickleweed Advisory Committee, announced there is a Canal Alliance community outreach event this Saturday, April 23 from 1-4 to discuss their thoughts on walking, biking, and driving in the area. Public Comment: None STAFF COMMENTS 7. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings and Events of Interest Ms. Quffa let the Commission know the department is gearing up for Summer. The Summer activities guide should be out the first week in May. Summer camps are currently online. The Terra Linda Pool opened on April 11th with limited availability, and the schedule is currently online. The Hamilton Pool is targeted to open Memorial Day weekend. There is a new exhibit at Falkirk for Marin Open Studios that will run April 28th – June 10th. They will be having an opening reception on April 28th. Ms. Andrade Wax thanked the Commission again for their support over the past four years. She let them know they have been a pleasure to work for and work with. Public Comment: None ADJOURNMENT 5 Chair Emerson adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. ___________________________________________ BECKY ORDIN, Senior Administrative Assistant APPROVED THIS_____DAY OF___________, 2022 ___________________________________________ CATHERINE QUFFA, Library & Recreation Director PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT May 19, 2022 Item #4 TITLE: FALKIRK CULTURAL CENTER ANNUAL REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Park and Recreation Commission receive and comment. BACKGROUND Falkirk Cultural Center serves as a site of historical heritage, listed on the National Historic Register, and for many Falkirk Cultural Center plays a unique role within the community of San Rafael. It serves as a desirable venue for weddings and other life events, art exhibitions, and contract classes. Falkirk also houses the Mulryan UC Marin Master Gardener Greenhouse. DISCUSSION Programming at Falkirk has historically focused on event rentals, art exhibits, and the Marin Master Gardeners. In 2020, staff also began to develop art classes at the facility, through a popular watercolor program. Facility Rentals During the pandemic, Falkirk saw a sharp drop in event rentals. Staff quickly pivoted and allowed recreation program providers to rent the wedding lawn for their programming. Weekly bootcamp and toddler music classes were offered through this program. Staff also were able to provide outdoor rentals for small wedding ceremonies and memorials. Since COVID-19 restrictions began to ease in July 2021, allowing for more events and gatherings, Falkirk has seen a rise in rentals. The below table shows the number of rentals at Falkirk from 2018 to 2021. Rental Type 2018 2019 2020 2021 Event Rental 67 81 14 44 Recreation Rental 0 0 55 108 Ongoing Rental1 124 131 24 0 TOTAL 191 121 93 152 1 After the pandemic and with the change in fee structure in July 2021, the three ongoing rental groups that had previously used Falkirk did not return to the facility. The number of event rentals for 2021 was extremely promising, considering that the facility was re-opened for event rentals halfway through the summer wedding season. Additionally, Falkirk was without a Veranda during half of last year due to construction. This closure impacted rental revenue as the City refunded a portion of the fees for rentals scheduled during this time period. Some exciting facility improvements at Falkirk in the past year include the installation of outdoor lights over the Wedding Lawn to allow renters to dine outside. This was particularly beneficial when the deck was closed. Additionally, facilities staff are building a trash can enclosure to help hide the line of trash cans and reduce dumping of unsorted trash in bins. Art Exhibits Falkirk hosted four exhibits in 2021 and six are currently scheduled for 2022. Art Exhibitions continue to be popular and bring in a significant number of visitors to Falkirk. In 2021, Falkirk art exhibits included: the California Watercolor Association-Virtual, Marin Open Studios, a Summer Juried Show, and Terra Linda Ceramics solo artist Cornelia Nevitt. Opening receptions and exhibits paired with plein air events have drawn the most interest. Art Classes Started just before the pandemic began, Falkirk’s Watercolor class continues to be popular. Due to the interest, staff is looking to develop a hybrid in-person/virtual class so those that are traveling can still participate. A new Pastel Plein Air class starts in June. Falkirk also supports camps during the summer and will host eight weeks of camp this summer. Marin Master Gardeners The Marin Master Gardeners are a volunteer organization dedicated to learning and sharing fact-based information about good gardening practices. The Master Gardeners have been actively involved in maintaining educational demonstration gardens at the Falkirk Cultural Center since 2008. Extensive signage allows visitors to self -guide through the gardens to learn about plants, pollinators, habitats and water wise gardening practices. In a typical year, volunteers will spend almost 2,000 hours working in these gardens. A primary activity has been maintaining eight distinct gardens that demonstrate water- wise plants that do well in our Mediterranean climate and a new garden that focuses on native plants endemic to the Bay Area was established. Sheet mulch and reclaimed water were used to prepare the site over the summer. Over 50 plants went into the ground in time for the rainy season. Since 2012, Marin Master Gardeners have also maintained the greenhouse at Falkirk, a structure that dates back to 1927. With COVID restrictions limiting public gatherings through much of the past year, public outreach activities were primarily web-based. Several Falkirk oriented videos were produced. The greenhouse was used for three grows – pollinator plants, tomatoes, succulents. The pollinator and succulent plant sales were held in the greenhouse parking lot. Marin Master Gardeners will keep nurturing the gardens adding in fire smart features, replacing worn signage, and much more, with a gradual return to more public interaction. After a 2-year hiatus, a return monthly garden workdays and a plan to resume public workshops. Fiscal Analysis Below are the expense and revenues for the Falkirk Cultural Center for the past three fiscal years. It is important to note that the below numbers are based on the fiscal year (July 2020- June 2021) and do not include the revenue generated since the City more fully re-opened the facility in July, 2021. Revenue FY 2018/2019 FY 2019/2020 FY 2020/2021 Rentals $118,025 $99,219 $16,068 Art Exhibits $2,670 $16,852 $6,586 Classes $0 $0 $16,561 TOTAL $120,695 $116,071 $39,215 Expense FY 2018/2019 FY 2019/2020 FY 2020/2021 Personnel Costs $183,541 $176,079 $143,272 Services $61,721 $71,996 $44,781 Supplies $2,848 $1,356 $87 Utilities $8,449 $8,661 $4,452 Total Expenses $256,559 $258,092 $192,592 Expenses and revenues have decreased from FY2018/2019 to FY2020/2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the end of the Second Quarter of FY 2021/2022 (December 2021), the program had generated approximately $70,638 in revenue, which is on track to return to pre- pandemic revenue levels. FISCAL IMPACT: None. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Any other action as determined by the Commission. Submitted by: Debbie Younkin, Sr. Recreation Supervisor Darcie Chellew, Program Coordinator Item 8 MEMORANDUM Date: May 19, 2022 To: Park and Recreation Commission From: Catherine Quffa, Library & Recreation Director Subject: Schedule of Upcoming Meetings and Events of Interest Date Time Meeting/Event Location May 16 7:00 pm City Council Hybrid Meeting Format (In-Person & Virtual) May 19 6:00 pm Park and Recreation Commission Zoom May 25 6:00 pm Parks and Recreation Master Plan Steering Committee Meeting #2 TBD June 6 7:00 pm City Council Hybrid Meeting Format (In-Person & Virtual) June 16 6:00 pm Park and Recreation Commission TBD June 20 7:00 pm City Council Hybrid Meeting Format (In-Person & Virtual)