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Parks and Recreation 2016/12/07PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 W. Crescent Avenue, Anaheim, California December 7, 2016 MINUTES COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Vice Chairman Navarro and Commissioners Jensen, Anderson, Levy, and Balius COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Chairman Manes and Commissioners Farrow STAFF PRESENT: Sjany Larson -Cash — Community Services Manager, Wendy Solorio, Community Services Supervisor, Kimberly Kelemen — Community Services Superintendent, Larry Pasco — Deputy Community Services Director, Pamela Galera — Principal Project Planner, Naomi Gruenthal, Associate Project Planner, Eleanor Granflor —Sr. Secretary CALL TO ORDER — Vice Chairman Navarro called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Vice Chairman Navarro led the Pledge of Allegiance. INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS AND COMMUNICATION FROM OTHERS A. Written Communication — None. B. Unscheduled Oral Communication from the Public — Andre Beck, a resident of Anaheim, introduced himself and stated that he helped developed the West Anaheim Neighborhood District (WAND). Mr. Beck questioned the budgeting of park allocations. Pamela Galera stated developer fees are collected under the state Quimby Act for new residential development. The funds received are to be used within five years in the area for capital improvements. Pamela Galera stated funds received in West Anaheim have been used to install the West Anaheim Youth Center and Gymnasium, park expansion at Maxwell Park on SCE easement property, major improvements at Twila Reid Park and Schweitzer Park, and a new playground and restrooms at Modjeska Park. Staff is working with other entities to increase park land. Pamela Galera also stated grants have been received in addition to developer fees to be used for capital improvements. John Armstrong, a resident of Anaheim, introduced himself. An Anaheim resident reported certain parks are not safe. She shared incidents at Maxwell Park, Brookhurst Park and Twila Reid Park. Vice Chairman Navarro stated her comments will be taken into consideration for staff to look into. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES — Vice Chairman Navarro presented the October 26, 2016 Minutes to the Commissioners for changes or corrections. Commissioner Levy made a motion to accept the minutes, seconded by Commissioner Balius. There being no further additions or corrections, Vice Chairman Navarro accepted the Minutes. A. Parks Activity Report — September/October — Larry Pasco presented the report and highlighted the new park sign installed at Colony Park, drainage and cleaning of Pearson Park lagoons, a permanent fence and gate installed at the Sage Park entrance to the Little League ballfield, fire clearance completed in East Anaheim, installation of woodchip cushioning mix at Eucalyptus Park, pickleball courts installed at Twila Reid Park, and the opening of skate parks at Schweitzer Park and Palm Lane Park. Vice Chairman Navarro questioned if the pickleball courts need to be reserved for use. Pamela Galera stated the courts are open to the public and do not need to be reserved. Commissioner Balius questioned what material the new park sign is made of. Larry Pasco stated it is made of metal. Commissioner Balius questioned if all future signs will be metal. Larry Pasco stated they will be metal. Commissioner Balius questioned when the last time the ponds at Pearson Park were drained. Larry Pasco stated the ponds are drained every other year. Commissioner Balius questioned if the gate locks at La Palma Dog Park were replaced. Naomi Gruenthal stated the manufacturer replaced all the locks and the current handles were fixed at no cost. Staff is looking into better handles to be installed. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes December 7, 2016 Commissioner Balius questioned why the swings were replaced at Ronald Reagan Park if they playground will be replaced in the near future. Larry Pasco stated that it is our practice to repair playground equipment if we have replacements parts in stock regardless of whether the playground may be replaced at a later date. This enables the playground to continue to be functional until such time that the equipment is replaced. In this case the swings can be removed and installed elsewhere; our practice is to continue to reuse play equipment throughout our park system as applicable. Commissioner Balius questioned what entails is the definition of "irrigation upgrades". Larry Pasco cited a number of examples such as the addition or relocation of irrigation heads, the installation of new nozzles on existing irrigation heads to improve water coverage for the turf, or the complete replacement of irrigation heads, controllers and other water related equipment. Vice Chairman Navarro thanked staff for the pictures that are included in the Parks Activity Report. The photos help the Commission get a glimpse of the work being completed. B. Recreation, Human and Neighborhood Services Activity Report — October/November — Sjany Larson -Cash presented the report and highlighted the STARS program that is fully operational at 11 locations with the two newest locations at John Marshall Park and Maxwell Elementary School. She also provided details on the STARS Tennis program where children are transported from STARS locations to the Anaheim Tennis Center to receive free tennis lessons. A new addition to the STARS program is a mobile skate park. The mobile skate apparatuses are transported to the different STARS locations on a regular basis for the program participants to enjoy. Lastly she provided additional updates on the annual closure of Glover Stadium for renovation, the Zombie Survival Day at Oak Canyon Nature Center held for Project S.A.Y. participants, and the transition of the new recreation management software system called "REC 1" which has been successfully implemented and went live on December 15t Commissioner Balius asked questions related to Pearson Park Pool and if the pool was heated. Sjany Larson Cash confirmed that the pool is heated for year round use. Commissioner Balius also questioned if there is a public pool for individual use and Sjany Larson -Cash stated the pool is currently used under contract for programs organized by the Anaheim Aquatics Association and the Anaheim Family YMCA. Commissioner Balius inquired about the use of City Lifeguards and Sjany Larson -Cash stated that any groups utilizing the pool must provide certified lifeguards. Also, if needed the City can request lifeguards from the Anaheim Family YMCA. The Anaheim Family YMCA is under contract with the City to provide public swim lessons and swim programs from May through September at Pearson Park Pool. Commissioner Balius questioned if adult lap swim programs are available year round at a City facility. Sjany Larson -Cash stated individual use for public swim is not available, but an organization can contact the City to rent the pool. Currently, the Anaheim Aquatics Association has the pool reserved during the morning hours and the public can join the organization to participate. Commissioner Balius questioned the donations received from various organizations. Sjany Larson -Cash stated the donations received are used towards City programs. C. Park Ranger Patrol Statistics Report — November — Sjany Larson -Cash presented the report and highlighted the number of patrols, patrons, and public contacts made. There was a decrease in the amount of personal public contacts made by Park Rangers due to the colder weather. Staff has been assigned to special patrols that include the new skate parks at Schweitzer Park and Palm Lane Park, project construction at Ponderosa Park, and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center and Youth Center. There was a "Red Flag Warning" this past weekend due to the winds and low humidity which resulted in 24 hour patrols of Deer Canyon Park, Pelanconi Park and Oak Canyon Nature Center by the Park Rangers. Commissioner Balius reported he went on a ride along with a Park Ranger and commented that the Park Ranger program is a top notch program. Commissioner Balius reported on a situation they encountered in which a private vehicle was driven onto the park where an individual was unloading items for a snack bar and failed to comply with the park ranger's request to move the vehicle off the park. Commissioner Balius questioned how Park Ranger staff is supposed to handle this type of situation and how they enforce City rules. Sjany Larson -Cash stated Park Rangers are ambassadors and encourage patrons to follow the rules and in this situation should have requested the assistance of either a supervisor Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes December 7, 2016 and/or the Anaheim Police Department to ensure the compliance of this individual. Park Rangers do not have enforcement capability to cite patrons. The Park Rangers have a relationship with Anaheim Police Department and communicate any concerns with them, and they also have access through 800 MHz radios to contact them in any emergency situation. Commissioner Balius questioned if there is a repeat offender program where a list of patrons are prohibited from being at a public park. Sjany Larson -Cash stated parks are public places and individuals are free to use them. Staff works with the Police Department and the City Attorney's office when extraordinary situations arise. There is specific criteria that must be met in order for patrons to be prohibited from using the park. Parks Capital Project Progress Report — Pamela Galera presented the report and following projects were highlighted: • Barton Park — A community meeting was held on 11/16 to receive input for a new master plan of the park. The park will have a new playground built with KaBOOM! funding. • Brookhurst Community Center — The lobby and patio area will be improved. This project is out to bid. • Founders' Park — Project was re -bid and will be awarded in January 2017. • Imperial Park — This will be the first of the five KaBOOM! projects to be completed. Design Day was held on 12/1 at Canyon Library. Build Day will be on February 25, 2017. • Manzanita Skatepark — Staff received the contract for the grant to install a skate park next to the Boys and Girls Club. • Pioneer Park — Project is under construction. • Ponderosa Park and Family Resource Center — Construction is going well. The block walls of the new gymnasium will be built soon. Vice Chairman Navarro questioned how much Disneyland Resort has donated towards KaBOOM! projects. Larry Pasco stated the City has received funding for an average of 1.5 playgrounds per year. Naomi Gruenthal stated an average of $120,000 per playground has been donated in the past. The playground project at Twila Reid Park received more funding than the other projects. Pamela Galera stated Disneyland Resort also donated funding towards the skate parks installed at Palm Lane Park and Schweitzer Park. The Disneyland Resort also donated funding to complete the Anaheim Youth Services Assessment that staff uses as a resource towards various projects. Commissioner Levy questioned if Major League Baseball (MLB) has donated any funding to the City. Pamela Galera stated funding was provided to install a restroom and an ADA accessible ball field at Pioneer Park and improvements to the baseball field. Naomi Gruenthal also stated Disneyland Resort, Anaheim Ducks and Angels Baseball have joined together to launch the Accelerate Change Together (ACT) which will fund projects to improve the lives of young people in Anaheim. Commissioner Balius questioned if the City plans to purchase the 19 -acre property (known as the Ball Road Basin) next to the Riverbed. Pamela Galera stated an engineering firm has been hired to complete a feasibility study for the area to determine how many soccer fields will fit on the property and the cost of the project. The property will be used to build a sports complex. Commissioner Balius questioned if flyers for community meetings are mailed to the Commission. Larry Pasco stated flyers will be mailed and emailed to the Commission. Commissioner Balius questioned if there will be an opening for Edison Park. Larry Pasco stated the park is already open. Pamela Galera stated there will not be an official opening. Commissioner Balius questioned if organized play is allowed on SCE property. Sjany Larson -Cash stated only passive play is allowed on SCE property. Larry Pasco stated SCE has very restrictive guidelines on what can actually be built on their land. This greatly hinders staffs ability to deliver the diverse type of amenities that are requested by the public. The City is working with SCE to hopefully convince them to loosen up their restrictions. Commissioner Balius questioned what the Anaheim Family YMCA plans to build on Ross Park. Pamela Galera stated the YMCA is raising funds to build a gymnasium on the property that will be run by the YMCA. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes December 7, 2016 E. Senior Citizen Sub -Committee Report — Commissioner Jensen requested a status on the chairs in the senior lounge area of the Downtown Community Center. Wendy Solorio stated the chairs are being stored while staff awaits quotes to reupholster them. Commissioner Jensen questioned if pickleball can be organized for Central Anaheim. Wendy Solorio stated a program has begun at the East Anaheim Gymnasium. Staff is looking into a program for the Downtown Anaheim Community Center. Commissioner Jensen stated The Courier will now be available online. Commissioner Jensen reported she meets with City staff monthly regarding any issues with the Senior Center. NEW BUSINESS A. Approval of the Master Plan for the Expansion of Anaheim Coves — Larry Pasco requested the Commissioners to approve the Master Plan of the extension as submitted and to approve the naming of Anaheim Coves. Pamela Galera introduced Naomi Gruenthal, Associate Project Planner. Naomi Gruenthal presented the Master Plan and answered questions regarding the extension of Anaheim Coves. Commissioner Anderson made a motion to approve the park's Master Plan as submitted, seconded by Commissioner Jensen; the Commissioners concurred. Motion passed. Commissioner Balius asked if there are specific guidelines as to what a park consists of in Anaheim. Larry Pasco stated that there is no universal definition of a park, but that parks are generally places where recreation can take place and that recreation has different meanings to different people. Parks can be urban by design with no plant material present such as a skate park or a plaza area. Most people think of parks as green spaces with expansive green turf, sports fields, tot lots, and some parks can be "natural parks" with trails, in settings where no formal landscape exists. Anaheim's park system is made up of various park types. Commissioner Balius questioned if the City will take over park maintenance of property that is leased to the City, as in the example of the Anaheim Coves Northern Extension. Larry Pasco stated that supplemental budget funding is requested for the maintenance of any new park property. B. 2017 Meeting Schedule — The 2017 meeting schedule was provided to the Commission. Commissioner Balius requested for the Commission meeting time to be discussed. Vice Chairman Navarro requested for the item to be discussed at the January Commission meeting. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS — Brent Dennis reported on the following items: • Access California Services (AccessCal) at Brookhurst Community Center — an informational community meeting was held to discuss the project of possibly building a facility for AccessCal to run on Brookhurst Park property. Staff will be meeting with the director of AccessCal to discuss the input received at the community meeting. Brent Dennis stated this project would use 2.5% of Brookhurst Park property and this property was chosen for this project because it is a central location for the service area of AccessCal. Updated Information will be provided to the community. • Orange County Sheriff Department will be working to clear out the homeless in the riverbed area. • The Commission received a new map of Anaheim's districts and park locations. • Staff is proposing to be awarded funding to conduct a citywide parks, recreation, and libraries assessment to development a Strategic Plan for future projects. • Staff is working closely with the Police Department to advance the installation of surveillance cameras at Twila Reid, Brookhurst and Maxwell Parks. • Staff is working on mid -year supplemental funding. Commissioner Balius reported he attended the Fall Festival and Halloween Parade and commended the committee for hosting a great event. ADJOURNMENT —Vice Chairman Navarro adjourned the meeting at 7:52 p.m. 4