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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Parks and Recreation Commission 12/06/2011CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk FROM: Bertha A. Gonzalez, Senior Office Assistant DATE: January 10, 2012 SUBJECT: Submission of Minutes for the Parks and Recreation Commission Attached for your records are the approved minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting of Tuesday, December 6, 2011. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. Thank you. Attachment (as noted) CITY COUNCI L ACTION APPROVED- RECEIVED - MEETING DATEAYES: LtL-Irf), NOES: ABSENT: rA CQc, ABSTAIN: MT1 or_ VERIFIED BY: . - rc' —_ Original on File with City Cleric's Of}iie CITY OF PALM DESERT MINUTES PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011 — 8:30 a.m. Administrative Conference Room — Palm Desert Civic Center 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Guyer convened the meeting at 8:30 a.m. If. ROLL CALL Present: Chairman Randy Guyer Vice Chair Jerry Dawson Commissioner Dean Dowty Commissioner Kim Housken Commissioner Mary Helen Kelly Commissioner Raymond Rodriguez Commissioner Christopher Thomas Absent Commissioner Michael Barnard Commissioner Deborah Hall Staff Present: Mark Greenwood, P.E., Director of Public Works Bertha Gonzalez, Recording Secretary H. Spencer Knight, Landscape Manager Ryan Stendell, Senior Management Analyst John M. Wohlmuth, City Manager Guests: Rob Ballew, YMCA of the Desert Karen Creasy, YMCA of the Desert Craig DeWitt, Desert Recreation District Laura McGalliard, Desert Recreation District Jeff Ronci, Desert Recreation District Robert A. Spiegel, Councilman Van Tanner, Planning Commission Liaison Sherry Barkas, The Desert Sun ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6, 2011 IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011 Approve as presented Upon a motion by Commissioner Housken, second by Commissioner Dowty, and 7-0 vote of the Commission Board, the Consent Calendar was approved as presented. V. NEW BUSINESS A. PALM DESERT AQUATIC CENTER ADMISSION FEES With the assistance of the YMCA and the Desert Recreation District, Mr. Ryan Stendell presented a couple of potential adjustments to the Aquatic Center fee structure: a lower Annual Pass and new 3-month Winter Pass. However, due to the newness of the facility and although the changes are minor, staff does not recommend implementing them at this time. According to staff, the Palm Desert Aquatic Center is ideally situated, so it is not recommended lowering the fees until more time has passed. On the other hand, Mr. Stendell stated that it is important to start discussing the options. Mrs. Karen Creasy stated that punch cards, perhaps because they are transferrable, are very successful in Southern California even though they offer the least discount. On the other hand, the Annual Pass is not popular in our industry, seeing that it is intended for a more specific group (i.e. swimmers). At the National Recreation Park Association in Atlanta, Mrs. Creasy spoke with a few USA swimming professionals interested in pool sustainability. They have found that renting the pool space (i.e. lane rental) and the daily entrances is what makes a pool sustainable. The standard lane rental is $14 to $20 an hour; the City charges $7 to $10 an hour, which is competitive for this area. In addition, staff is looking into holding more corporate events and implementing prepackaging offers. Marketing along with tours of the Aquatic Center are being held at the Senior Center to entice seniors in incorporating the center in their daily activities. According to Mrs. Creasy, research has found that seniors generally have a routine and it is difficult to convince them to undertake a different activity. However, once they have included an activity in their schedule, it becomes permanent. Chairman Guyer suggested the implementation of an initial, first-time punch card that offers a special discount to new clients. 2 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6, 2011 B. CREATING A 501c3 NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION Mr. Stendell stated that creating a non-profit organization is ultimately a form of creating a new government body for the City to manage. At this time, there is not enough staff available to manage this type of organization. He mentioned that the City's Finance Director has indicated that the City has the ability to create restricted accounts or trust deposits for specific purposes. They have similar benefits to a non-profit organization, but without the additional work and cost. Staff recommended using this method, since they could not find many cities that have non-profit organizations. Chairman Guyer stated the City of San Diego created one and that is why he came to know of them. Staff stated that anyone interested in creating a restricted trust deposit needs to contact the City's Director of Finance, Paul Gibson. They noted that an agreement between the donating party and the City will need to be submitted to the City Council for approval. Therefore, any changes to the account will require approval from both parties. Because the City has the ability to function similarly to a non-profit organization, staff recommended not forming a non-profit organization at this time; the Commission concurred. C. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2012 In the past, the norm during the elections for the upcoming year has been to promote the Vice Chair to Chairman; therefore, Commissioner Rodriguez nominated Vice Chair Dawson to serve as Chairman for the year 2012. Commissioner Housken second the motion and was nominated by Commissioner Thomas for Vice Chair; Commissioner Rodriguez second the motion. Therefore, with a 7-0 vote of the Commission Board, Vice Chair Dawson was promoted to Chairman and Commissioner Housken was named Vice Chair for the year 2012. VI. CONTINUED BUSINESS NONE VII. OLD BUSINESS NONE 3 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6, 2011 VIII. PRESENTATIONS AND UPDATES A. CAHUILLA HILLS PARK USERS GROUP MEETING The Cahuilla Hills Park Users Group Meeting was held on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, at 5:30 PM. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting primarily to show support for the pickleball community. After a brief presentation, some pickleball users commented on the large volume of pickleball play and inquired of potentially converting the second tennis court to four dedicated pickleball courts. Commissioner Thomas stated that the pickleball users have gathered over $2,000 to help with the possible conversion and will be contacting the City to create a special trust fund. Mr. Stendell noted that there is a tennis player that has been very vocal with objecting to this conversion and there are approximately 50 tennis players that use the tennis court on a regular basis. Staff noted that pickleball use is growing and becoming harder to accommodate. Because of this, some country clubs are converting some of their tennis courts to pickleball courts. The Commission asked if they should consider building a new tennis court at a different facility and if staff knew what the cost would be. Staff responded that they will ask Toscana Country Club for the cost, since they are in the process of building a new tennis court. Regarding the installation of the restroom, staff has contacted a company that has a similar facility to have a better idea of its benefits and will use the public agency CMAS to streamline the bidding process. Overall, the park users found the meeting to be beneficial. Following a brief discussion that included potentially moving the pickleball courts or tennis courts, the Commission and staff agreed that the potential conversion of the remaining Cahuilla Hills Park tennis court to a permanent pickleball court needs to be added to the January agenda for a formal discussion. B. PALM DESERT AQUATIC CENTER Mrs. Creasy showed a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the Aquatic Center's progress in the past six months. A few of the statistics presented were as follows: • 42 lifeguards were employed; the deck rotates 12 lifeguards. 24,000 people have used the recreation side of the facility after 11:00 a.m. (The majority during the summer). • Water polo has been very popular. The Scorpions Club and Xaivier High School rent the facility for their practices; seven 4 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6, 2011 games have been posted; and two high school cinemas and a club tournament have been held at the center. • DesertArc Team had 350 reservations; yet, 400 attended. • 527 have attended the year-round swimming lessons. • 122 children attended to the swim team; therefore, Palm Desert now has a USA Swim Club, which will have its first swim meet on December 18, 2011. • 2700 people have attended the fitness classes before 11:00 AM School field trips include a tour of the Aquatic Center and swimming for the children. Birthday parties and lane rentals have also been very popular. According to Mr. Stendell, the Aquatic Center is doing extremely well and beyond projection. Staff is in the process of collecting the zip codes from visitors in order to create a map that shows where visitors are coming from. Snowbirds that own a property in Palm Desert get residential rate and are logged according to the zip code they provide. Chairman Guyer asked if COD, which holds nine classes throughout the week at the center, plans to expand their athletics program. Commissioner Dowty stated that there are no plans of expansion any time soon. Although water polo was of interest, no new clubs will be formed due to the current budget restrictions. Mrs. Karen creasy presented the Aquatic Center's end of the month report as follows: Daily Admission Numbers Transaction Type Description October 1-31 100 —Resident: 13-59 475 101 —Non Resident: 13-59 431 102 — Resident: Youth/Senior 307 103 — Non Resident: Youth/Senior 218 104 — Resident: 2-5 53 105 — Non Resident: 2-5 97 Total Admissions 1581 Space Rentals 7 Lane Rentals 31 Income $3,881.00 Rental $15,235.00 Admission $8,130.00 Program $2,242.00 Food $1,259.00 Beverage $86.00 Retail 30 833.00 Total Income 5 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6, 2011 C. FAMILY YMCA OF THE DESERT Mr. Rob Ballew reported that the YMCA is looking for ways to improve their healthy lifestyles program. He noted that flag football has ended; the gym floor is being refinished; and they will be offering a series of camps during winter break. D. DESERT RECREATION DISTRICT Mr. Jeff Ronci reported that the new software, Active Communities, has been implemented. The program will be able to produce more specific facility use reports, membership usage reports by zip codes and minimum and maximum activity totals. He stated that the Outdoor Club transported 22 children to a ranch for outdoor activities; the Winter Camp registrations are in process; 58 children are currently enrolled in the Afterschool Program; and the Library Series is now holding concerts at the amphitheater and cooking classes in the Community Center. Finally, the DRD is moving forward with the International Sports Festival with most of its activities being held in Palm Desert. Mr. Jeff Ronci presented the monthly facilities and programming reports as follows: Program i Activity Total Participation Salsa Aerobics 4 Line Dancing 1 Ballroom Dancing 18 Belly Dancing 5 Swing and Salsa 6 Yoga 4 Beginning Ballet 2 After School Club 71 Guitar 7 Karate Taekwondo 12 Tiny Tots 28 Dance Play 3 Volleyball 24 Tennis 741 Skate Park 149 Bike Park 142 Vill. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Councilman Bob Spiegel distributed gift cards to the Commission Members for the Gardens of El Paseo as a small token of appreciation for their service during the last year. [.1 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES DECEMBER 6. 2011 - Commissioner Housken asked for an update on the trail that runs down the Whitewater Channel. Mr. Stendell stated that will do some research and bring it to next meeting. - Mr. Stendell was asked to attend a meeting with a few dog park users to discuss why the parks were not overseeded this year. The park users believe that not overseeding them has created more dirt and/or mud, but staff informed them that there is no more dirt than in past years. On the contrary, there have been fewer complaints this year because the parks were not closed to overseed. In the past, staff would alternate closing the parks to allow the Rye grass to mature. Yet, when a dog park opened, so another one could be overseeded, it will take no more than two weeks for the turf to be in poor condition. Staff has discussed eliminating the turf and adding other alternatives (i.e. boulder), but the users were not supportive, since they prefer turf so the dogs can run. The Commission asked if building another dog park that included a long dog run should be considered. However, staff stated that the poor condition of the turf is due to the above normal usage of the parks. Although Bermuda grass has proven to be the most resistant to our climate and usage, usage patterns create dry spots. In order to have a better understanding of the maintenance the dog parks require, staff will present in more detail the level of service that is provided to the parks in the next meeting. - Mr. Stendell stated that the Commissioners are no longer required to submit the monthly park inspection reports and asked that they focus on potential programming. Vice Chair Dawson asked for a list of the programs that are being offered and what groups they are being offered to. - Chairman Guyer thanked the Commission for allowing him to serve as Chairman during the past year. IX. ADJOURNMENT With no further business or discussion, and with the Commissioners' unanimous concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 10:05 a.m. 7