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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark & Rec Commission 2018-11-15 Agenda PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA Thursday, November 15, 2018 7:00 P.M. San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street CALL TO ORDER • Pledge of Allegiance • Roll Call AGENDA AMENDMENTS MINUTES 1. Approve regular meeting minutes of September 20, 2018 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 minutes. 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. 2018 Annual Aquatics Program Review 5. Request to Install a Little Free Library in Gerstle Park COMMISSION REPORTS 6. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by the Commission members. COMMISSION COMMENTS STAFF COMMENTS 7. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings and Events of Interest Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda Page 2 of 2 September 20, 2018 ADJOURNMENT NEXT MEETING: January 17, 2019 FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS • Commission Meeting Schedule • Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair • Orcas Agreement Notice Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Council less than 72 hours before the meeting, shall be available for inspection at the Community Services Department, San Rafael, Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael, CA 94901, and placed with other agenda-related materials on the table at the Commission meeting prior to the meeting. American Sign Language interpreters and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling (415) 485-3198 (TDD) or (415) 485-3333 (voice) at least 72 hours in advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Public transportation is available through Golden Gate Transit, Line 20 or 23. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop Wheels at (415) 454-0964. To allow individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing scented products. 1 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION DRAFT MINUTES _____________________________________________________________________________________________ San Rafael Community Center – 618 B Street, San Rafael, CA September 20, 2018 – 7:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER/ Chair Tom Obletz called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call Commissioners Present: Chair Tom Obletz, Vice Chair Mark Machado, Mark Bustillos, Cicily Emerson, Jeff Jones, Nicholas Skewes-Cox Commissioners Absent: Stacey Laumann, Kathryn Reisinger Staff Present: Susan Andrade-Wax, Community Services Director; Becky Ordin, Senior Administrative Assistant AGENDA AMENDEMENTS None MINUTES 1. Approve regular meeting minutes of September 20, 2018 A motion was made by Commissioner Machado, seconded by Commissioner Jones, to approve the minutes of the July 19, 2018 meeting as corrected. The motion was approved unanimously. 2 MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 2. Introductions/Awards/Recognitions/Presentations A. Proclamation to Ralph G. Mihan Ms. Andrade-Wax shared with the Commission that the City Council had drafted a proclamation in honor of Ralph Mihan’s service to the Commission for his 38 years. Everyone received a copy. As much as Ralph feels validated by all the recognition he was not able to make any of the meetings. Mr. Mihan asked Ms. Andrade-Wax to share with the Commission the proclamation that he received from the City Council. Commissioner Nick Skewes-Cox introduced himself. He and his wife have lived in San Rafael for about 4 ½ years. This is his first Civic engagement with the City being involved in the Commission. 3. Public Comment from the audience regarding items not listed on the agenda None MATTERS BEFORE THE COMMISSION 4. Review of Conceptual Design for Tiscornia Marsh Restoration Barbara Salzman introduced herself. Ms. Salzman is the President of Marin Audubon Society and the project manager of Tiscornia Marsh Restoration as she has been the project manager for many marsh restoration projects over the years. The property was donated to them in 2008. They are happy to be working with the City and are hoping for the Commission to recommend to Council that they support an application for Measure AA funds. Ms. Salzman introduced their engineer Dane Behrens from Environmental Science Associates (ESA). Mr. Behrens also stated that his supervisor Ann Borgonovo, who unfortunately couldn’t be at the meeting, also worked on the project. Mr. Behrens presented the conceptual design for the Tiscornia Marsh Restoration project. Commissioner Obletz asked if this project is like what they did in Hamilton where they brought in fill to bridge the levee and restore the wetlands at Hamilton Air Force Base. Mr. Behrens replied that yes, with Hamilton they used dredge material that they shipped from the Oakland harbor where they formed habitat pockets and bridged the levee. With this project it’s easier , because they did a survey of the area, and the existing Pickleweed marsh is the same 3 elevation as what is out a little further towards the bay. It is disconnected hydrologically, so it would just be a matter of opening it up and connecting it to the rest. It’s a good opportunity to restore the habitat while at the same time raise the level of protection to the soccer field. It’s a patchwork of elevations all the way around, so what they would be looking at doing is making the levee a uniformed height. This would provide a level of protection for the long-term sea level rise. Commissioner Obletz asked if we would be losing the path around the existing Marsh. Yes, however it would be relocated. Ms. Salzman noted that this is a preliminary, conceptual design. There are several steps that still need to happen before the design becomes finalized. Currently it is still very early in the process and things can still be changed. Commissioner Jones asked if going eastward from Schoen Park, does the height of the levee equal the height of the Spinnaker properties. Mr. Behrens replied yes. The levee around Spinnaker is about 12’, and the high tides are around 6’. They are proposing for a 13’ levee that would connect to the levee at Spinnaker point. Commissioner Emerson asked for clarification from Mr. Behrens to break down the idea of encroaching on Schoen Park. Mr. Behrens answered that essentially is that there will be some overlap from the new levee into the park. Ms. Andrade-Wax commented that staff has been working with this team since the beginning, and one of the concerns was that the encroachment would impact the current footprint of the playground. They had previously shared 4 options for the levee height and concluded that the best thing for the community and the marsh area , was the option that they are currently recommending. In addition, currently the City has funding set aside for the replacement if the playground equipment at Schoen Park. The playground has had several pieces that have been removed, since it was damaged and was unsafe. Staff discussed whether the investment should be at this parcel or be utilized at the Pickleweed park to expand and enhance it. In addition to these two projects, the City is also exploring the idea of adding parking to the area. The City could utilize the funding that was set aside for the playground renovation and put it towards expanding and enhancing the existing playground at Pickleweed Park. The City then could utilize the remaining parcel to expand parking. There is funding that can be utilized to add capacity and enhancement to the existing p layground at Pickleweed, the Canal area gets additional parking, the Marsh is restored and provides protection to the community from a storm event. 4 Commissioner Obletz asked with respect to the new parking would it be publicly accessible or controlled by the community center. Ms. Andrade-Wax stated that the parking area had not been designed yet but might be accessed through the existing Community Center parking lot, or parallel off-street parking. Commissioner Jones asked if they will be getting neighborhood input for losing Schoen Park. He stated that the Commission discussed it 2 years back, and they all voted to provide funding to fix up the park because the community wanted it. Ms. Salzman replied that they had 2 public meetings at the Albert J. Community Center that were well attended. The first had a preliminary plan, and the second meeting had the plan that was presented tonight and there was no comment from the public regarding the park. Commissioner Emerson asked what the attendance was. Ms. Salzman replied that there were about 50-60 attendees at each meeting. They had two translators, one in Vietnamese, and one Spanish. The translators will continue to be part of the team for future community meetings. Ms. Andrade-Wax stated that this is conceptual design, and what they are looking for is for the Commission to provide them with feedback, with the recommendation to forward the proposed project to the City Council for their review and consideration. At this phase, the City Council would not be “adopting” their project but would be requested to provide them with a letter of support. If City Council agreed, then the Marin Audubon Society would seek additional funding to finalize the design and pursue additional funding for construction. Commissioner Machado asked when the project would start and how long would it take from beginning to end. Ms. Salzman answered that it would take at least another 2 years. He also asked what it would cost. Ms. Salzman said that it would cost approximately 1+ million dollars, and that the funding they would be requesting is from Measure AA. Commissioner Emerson said she supports the project, the path itself is very well used, and it is a good draw for the neighborhood in terms of supporting physical activity. She wanted to know if there has been a consideration for picnic tables rather than a parking l ot to draw people to the path. Ms. Andrade-Wax reminded the Commission that 2 years ago they voted for the to replace the playground structure with a par course (exercise equipment). They are hoping that during the grant application they would be requesting funds to enhance the path. The City then could use their existing funding to enhance the existing playground at Pickleweed Park. 5 Commissioner Obletz asked Ms. Andrade-Wax if she is looking for a recommendation from the Commission with respect to moving this for review and consideration to the City Council . Ms. Andrade-Wax replied that they were looking for feedback and their recommendation to forward the project to the City Council for their review and consideration. A motion was made by Commissioner Bustillos, seconded by Commissioner Machado. AYES: Commissioners: Obletz, Machado, Bustillos, Skewes-Cox & Emerson NOES: Commissioners: None ABSENT: Commissioners: Laumann & Reisinger The motion passed. COMMISSION REPORTS 5. Other brief reports on any meetings, conferences, and/or seminars attended by the Commission members. None. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Obletz stated that Eric Holm is now on the General Plan 2040 Committee. STAFF COMMENTS Ms. Andrade-Wax let the commission know that Parks was unable to attend at the last moment. They have been working on creating a quarterly update to provide a more thorough report that provides a summary of all their projects. Ms. Andrade-Wax directed the attention to the schedule of events. Porchfest is coming up on Sept. 23rd in the Gerstle Park Neighborhood. The Terra Linda Ceramics has a wonderful event at Falkirk. Ms. Andrade-Wax attended the opening reception and commented that it is a diverse and an amazing show. Ms. Andrade-Wax let the Commission know that the upcoming General Plan public meetings will be held at the San Rafael Community Center, the Albert J. Boro Community Center, and another week night at the Terra Linda Community Center. They have worked closely with the consultant to encourage the public to come out and participate. 6 Commissioner Obletz mentioned that Coco will be playing in Spanish for the next “Movies in the Park” event at the Albert J. Boro Community Center. Commissioner Emerson stated that she attended the movie at the Terra Linda park, and it was well attended. She also stated that she would like to see the movies in the parks be publicized through the schools to get the word out. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned 8:11 p.m. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT November 15, 2018 Item #4 TITLE: 2018 ANNUAL AQUATICS PROGRAM REVIEW SUMMARY The City of San Rafael manages two aquatic facilities over a seven -month period, the Terra Linda Community Pool in San Rafael and the Hamilton Community Pool in Novato. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission receive and comment. Page 2 of 6 BACKGROUND Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools offered the following programs: Lap Swim and Public Swim Lap Swim time are provided for organized lap swim and is an ideal time for swimmers who want to practice strokes, endurance or exercise. Terra Linda has an active mid day lap swim and early morning lap swim group. Public Swim is for recreational use and the pool is set up without specific lane lines, allowing more free play in the water. Pool Rentals Pool rentals can be booked during public swim times and there is a minimum of two hours for each rental. This guarantees two tables under a shade structure and a slightly discounted admission price for guests. Swim Lessons Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools offer swim lessons starting at six months of age for the Parent Tot class. Levels 1 – 7 begin at the age of three. Lessons are available all season. Swim lessons are offered during the week and weekends. There is an emphasis on fun and safety in the aquatic environment through guided instruction with a swim instructor. Patrons can request and sign up for private lessons. P rivate lessons are 30 minutes in length with a one-on-one student-to-teacher ratio or patrons may sign up for a semi private lesson, which is designed for two students at similar swim level, assigned to one instructor. Private lessons allow flexibility to schedule lessons around a person’s availability. Program 2016 2017 2018 Group Lessons – Terra Linda 463 509 515 Group Lessons – Hamilton 578 543 535 Private Lessons – Terra Linda 121 113 215 Private Lessons - Hamilton 159 149 157 Aquatic Aide Aquatic Aide Institute is a volunteer program for children, 12 – 14 years of age. Each participant must apply and have an in-person interview before being selected for the program. They train and volunteer with swim instructors and assist with Splash Camp. Aquatic Aides help provide a lower student to instructor ratio, more individualized attention while providing valuable life skills. This program also allows an opportunity to develop future aquatic employees. Since 2009, we have been able to hire 33 staff from this program. Location 2016 2017 2018 Terra Linda 10 7 11 Hamilton 10 7 12 Total Volunteer Hours 430 800 630 Page 3 of 6 Splash Camp Splash Camp is a summer camp and swim lessons all rolled into one for children entering first and second grades. During their camp week, the children have four 30- minute swim lessons, play games, create arts and crafts, visit the nearby playground and have supervised pool time. Each week is themed with activities following the theme of the week. Location 2016 2017 2018 Terra Linda 97 75 91 Hamilton 66 62 30 Junior Guard Camp Junior Guard Camp is for children, 10 – 12 years of age. Participants learn the skills needed to help respond in emergencies including entries, water rescues, head and back injuries and first aid. This camp is for those that enjoy being at the pool, working with others and want to learn what it takes to be a lifeguard. Two sessions were offered at Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools. Location 2016 2017 2018 Terra Linda 28 33 27 Hamilton 32 17 25 Lifeguard Training Courses Lifeguard Training Course (LGT) teach lifeguard candidates the skills and knowledge needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. To be eligible for the LGT course, candidates must be 15 years of age on or before the fin al scheduled class. Candidates must successfully complete prerequisites including, swimming 300 yards continuously demonstrating rhythmic breathing, tread water for 2 minutes using legs only, and complete a timed event within 1 minute and 40 seconds. After successful completion of the class, students are certified in American Red Cross Lifeguard Training. Location 2016 2017 2018 Terra Linda 57 69 58 Number of Courses Offered 8 8 7 Family Fun Days It’s all about fun at the Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools. Each pool offers three Family Fun Days per season from 12pm – 3pm. Each Family Fun Day has a different theme and the activities planned around a theme. WaterGym WaterGym is a fun, sports-oriented water aerobics workout that teaches the use of water as a powerful gym. It mimics sports such as running, biking, weight lifting and kickboxing, without impact or wear and tear on joints. WaterGym is offered Mondays and Wednesdays at the Terra Linda Community Pool and Tuesdays at the Hamilton Community Pool. Page 4 of 6 Location 2016 2017 2018 Terra Linda 376 462 283 Number of Classes Offered 38 37 32 Hamilton 105 158 179 Number of Classes Offered 12 11 11 Day Camps and Large Groups Staff work with outside organizations to visit the pool during the summe r time. Most of the groups visit the pool once a week, some visit more often per week, with 15 -100 swimmers depending on the group. Staff work to achieve a balance of swimmers from outside groups and still provide space for pass holders and the general pub lic. Groups include: • City of San Rafael Childcare • City of Novato Camps • St. Vincent’s School for Boys • Marin Ventures • Mark Day School Basketball Camp • Santa Margarita Children’s Center • Marin Christian Academy • Catholic Charities • North Bay Children’s Center • Lycée Francais Orcas Recreational Swim Team Terra Linda Community Pool rents the pool to the Terra Linda Orca Swim Team. Terra Linda Orca Swim Team is one of ten Marin Swim League teams. The swim team held practices, meet swims, stroke clinics and other te am events from February 26 – July 1, 2018. Swim team practice is Monday – Friday from 5:15pm-8:30pm with stroke clinics on Saturdays in March. Starting mid-June, after school gets out, the swim team has an additional morning practice through the end of the season. YMCA The City of San Rafael has partnered with the Marin YMCA for the last 5 summers to provide swim lessons to youth in their Camp University Program. The Marin YMCA visits the Hamilton Community Pool twice a week for four weeks with a total of 80 children. Children selected into this program meet certain income requirements, come from ESL families and often have no formal swim instruction. In additional to partnering with the Marin YMCA for swim lessons, we also partner during their two-week closure for maintenance at their facility. Marin YMCA lap swimmers can use Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools during lap swim times while their facility is closed, and the YMCA compensates for use. Page 5 of 6 ANALYSIS For the 2018 pool season, Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools hired 136 tem/seasonal staff, which included Pool Attendants, Lifeguards, Aquatics Specialist and Swim Instructors. Most staff were re-hired from the previous seasons, but 50 were new aquatic staff members with the City of San Rafael. During the months of February through September, 60 hours were spent on staff training, which included, staff orientations, position specific trainings and in-services. Aquatic Specialists and management staff also conduct daily staff trainings on customer service, first aid, CPR, cash handling, proper cleaning and much more. For the first time, Terra Linda and Hamilton Community Pools closed their facilities for one day to hold an all-day staff training provided by TOTAL Guard (Teamwork Oriented Training for Advanced Lifeguards Staff spent most of the day in and around the pool working on teamwork, problem solving, decision making, conditioning, communication and patron surveillance. The charts below show the number of swimmers who used the Ter ra Linda Community Pool and Hamilton Community Pool this season. Terra Linda Community Pool 2017 2018 Lap Swim 2,397 1,143 Public Swim 12,276 11,000* Season Pass 7,389 7389* Pool Parties 1,771 943 Day Camps & Large Groups 2,345 1,723 Orcas 4,369 3,694 Guest Passes 507 535 Free Passes 209 210 Groupon 1,004 0 WaterGym 462 283 Aqua Zumba 7 0 Total 32,736 26,920 Hamilton Community Pool 2017 2018 Lap Swim 939 1,084 Public Swim 13,307 12,882 Season Pass 6,673 4,665 Pool Parties 1,601 1,294 Day Camps & Large Groups 2,139 3,382 Guest Passes 439 368 Free Passes 59 115 Groupon 997 0 WaterGym 158 179 Total 26,312 23,969 Page 6 of 6 CONCLUSION Overall, participation in most aquatic programs was similar to 2018. It was a cooler season, so we did see an overall decrease in day use. *Unfortunately, due to a maintenance issue that closed the main entrance/front counter window and a glitch with the new software system, we were unable to accurately report season pass users at the Terra Linda Community Pool. The window was corrected by late June which helped capture some numbers, but we did not notice until after the season was over that the new system was not capturing season pass users when they scanned into the facility. We anticipate the overall use was similar to 2017 season based on observation. Hamilton Community Pool has record of season pass holders because season pass holders were asked to also sign in because the internet connection at the Hamilton Community Pool does not always have a strong con nection, which is needed for scanning pass holder into the facility. Submitted by: Tiffany Haley Program Coordinator PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT November 15, 2018 Item #5 TITLE: REQUEST TO INSTALL A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY IN GERSTLE PARK SUMMARY The Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA) has requested that the City of San Rafael partner with them for a Little Free Library located in Gerstle Park. The GPNA Board voted unanimously to support the project and feels that it would be a perfect “amenity” for the many families who use the neighborhood park with their young children on a regular basis. As part of the partnership, the GPNA is willing to fund the purchase of the structure, register with the Little Free Library organization, solicit book donations and promote its use. The City would work with the GPNA to identify a location within Gerstle Park, install the “Library” structure and maintain it. RECOMMENDATION That the Commission receive the report and provide feedback. Page 2 of 2 BACKGROUND Academically, children growing up in homes without books are on average three years behind children in homes with lots of books, even when controlled for other key factors. One of the most successful ways to improve the reading achievement of children is to increase their access to books, especially at home. But 61% of low-income families do not have any age-appropriate books for their kids at home. The Little Free Library is a registered nonprofit organization that plays an essential role by providing 24/7 access to books (and encouraging a love of reading!) in areas where books are scarce. They provide support to Little Free Library stewards by providing free Library building instructions, online resources and ongoing support, access to free or discounted books through their partners, and an online store that offers Library kits and pre-built Library models. They also maintain a world map of registered Little Free Libraries to help people find and share books wherever they are, as well as we donate Little Free Libraries to communities where books are scarce through our Impact Library Program. Currently, there are over 75,000 registered Little Free Library book-sharing boxes in 88 countries worldwide of which 13 reside in San Rafael. For additional information, please go to their website at: https://littlefreelibrary.org ANALYSIS The Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA) has requested that the City of San Rafael partner with them for a Little Free Library located in Gerstle Park. The GPNA Board voted unanimously to support the project and feels that it would be a perfect “amenity” for the many families who use the neighborhood park with their young children on a regular basis. As part of the partnership, the GPNA is willing to fund the purchase of the structure, register with the Little Free Library organization, solicit book donations and promote its use. The City would work with the GPNA to identify a location within Gerstle Park, install the “Library” structure and maintain it. FISCAL IMPACT Although there are no immediate costs associated with this request, the cost of installation and annual maintenance is nominal. Public Works has been contacted and is supportive of the project. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Any other action as determined by the Commission. Submitted by: Susan Andrade-Wax Community Services Director Item 7 MEMORANDUM Date: November 15, 2018 To: Parks and Recreation Commission From: Susan Andrade-Wax, Community Services Director Subject: Schedule of Upcoming Meetings and Events of Interest Date Time Meeting/Event Location Nov. 15 7:00 pm Parks and Recreation Commission San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael Nov. 19 7:00 pm City Council City Council Chamber, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael Nov. 22 & 23 CLOSED HOLIDAYS ALL CITY OFFICES Nov. 23 12:00 – 8:00 p.m. Parade of Lights & Winter Wonderland Downtown San Rafael Nov. 23 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m. Small Business Saturday Downtown San Rafael Dec. 3 7:00 pm City Council City Council Chamber, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael Dec. 4 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Annual Board & Commissions Holiday Reception Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Avenue, San Rafael Dec. 14 5:00 – 8:00 pm 2nd Friday Art Walk Downtown San Rafael Dec. 15 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. San Rafael Lighted Boat Parade East end of the San Rafael Canal, across from Pickleweed Park Dec. 17 7:00 pm City Council City Council Chamber, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael Dec. 20 CANCELLED Parks and Recreation Commission San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael