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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-21-2003 Approved PCSC Minutes , . ,_ , :,-,-.: . , ff,-:,,,-v,„_:_, ,,:., .: ' CYFl7UBEW � � Aa PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISON ,:. ,%_:. --.._; -,,,,,,;,,-,s, ,,0 MINUTESOF . U. Y21,,2003. 3 Mme_. The July 21, 2003 meeting of the Parks and Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:02PM. at the Dublin Civic Center, Dublin, California,by Chairperson Flores. Pledge of Allegiance Chairperson Flores led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call Commissioners Present: Flores, Jones, Hildenbrand, Cain, Guarienti and Pawlowski Oral Communications 3.1 Administration of Oath of Office to Newly Appointed Commissioner, Olek Pawlowski Kay Keck, City Clerk, administered the Oath of Office to the newly appointed Student Commissioner Olek Pawlowski. The Commission welcomed Commissioner Pawlowski and each briefly summarized their experience and backgrounds. Cm. Pawlowski stated that he is a Senior at Dublin High School and is currently working at the Dublin Swim Center this summer. 3.2 Presentation from the Youth Advisory Committee McCreary reported that the term of the Youth Advisory Committee is ending this August. The Committee will be conducting a presentation of their accomplishments this past year. From Staff's prospective, the Committee has been extremely helpful this year in participating and assisting at various City events and programs. McCreary introduced Henry Siu, Recreation Coordinator, who oversees the teen and playground programs. Siu stated that the Youth Advisory Committee (Y.A.C.) had a very productive year offering many activities and programs for Dublin youth. He introduced Laurel Smith, Vice-Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Committee, and indicated that she will present a short power point presentation outlining the Goals and Objectives for this year and summarize what was accomplished during the year. Smith reported that this year started off with a Teen Building Day. Committee members learned the importance of teamwork, cooperation and communication and having a plan and seeing it through. The training helped the Committee to set a positive foundation for the year. The Y.A.C. had four main goals and objectives for the year 1) Improve Event Publicity and Attendance, 2) Increase Teen Involvement, 3) Offer Monthly Teen Events, and 4)Address Teen Issues. This year Y.A.C. participated in the City of Dublin's tribute to September 11 and read a poem dedicated to the 911 victims. The Dub Town Jam is the Y.A.C.'s signature event and was held in May 2003 at Emerald Glen Park. Solar Extreme Bowling was held at Earl Anthony's Bowl in December 2003. In March 2003 the Y.A.C. participated in the St. Patrick's Day Celebration and assisted with the setup for the Pancake Breakfast and manned a booth at the festival promoting the Youth Advisory Committee. Siu stated that the Youth Advisory Committee is looking forward to another productive year and serving the City of Dublin. Chair Flores felt that the Youth Advisory Committee's participation is very evident at all our"community events. It is great to see our youth active in the community. • .Niluis—July 21, 2003 Page 2 of 6 3.3 Public Comments—None Approval of Minutes Cm. Guarienti referred to Page 7, Other Business, 1st Paragraph, last Sentence. He stated that the words "confusion as to where the trail ends" should be corrected to read "confusion at the junction with the Tassajara Creek Trail". A sketch of the area in question was referred to Lee Thompson. ON A MOTION BY CM. CAIN SECONDED BY CM. JONES AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE .THE MINUTES OF JUNE 16, 2003 AS CORRECTED. ABSTAINED=CM. PAWLOWSKI Written Communications-None Public Hearing 6.1 Amendments to Fee Schedules McCreary reported that the Parks and Community Services Department develops programs and classes in which registration fees will at least cover direct program costs (PT staff/supplies/equipment). On an annual basis, Staff undertakes a review of the expenditures and revenues related to various programs and recommends fee adjustments as necessary. Staff also conducts a fee survey of other local agencies to determine how Dublin's fees compare to the market. He then reviewed the proposed fee increases by program area. Preschool The Preschool Program consists of the Shannon Community Center Preschool and Tenderfoot Summer Day Camp. The Preschool is a co-op program, which reduces costs by requiring parents to volunteer in the classroom. Staff proposes increasing fees an average of 6% to help offset increased staffing and operational costs. The proposed fees for the Preschool classes average $3.96 per hour, which is an increase of $0.23 per hour over last year. The proposed Tenderfoot Day Camp fee is $3.75 per hour, which is $0.25 more than last year. Cm. Guarienti asked when was the last increase? McCreary replied, a year ago about this time. Teen Programs Programs supported by the Teen Budget include Recreation on Campus (ROC), Roaming Activities for Teens (RAFT), Lunchtime Sports at the Middle School, Youth Advisory Committee, and 16 special events per year. Staff proposes fee increases averaging 10% for the ROC program, which should offset anticipated increases in staffing and operational costs. The ROC program will continue to be an outstanding value for residents, costing only$1.66 per hour on the average. Playground Programs The City's Playground programs include Camp Shannon, Fun in the Sun, After School Recreation and the Junior Leader Program. Staff proposes increasing Playground program fees an average of 17%. The average increase for Playgrounds is larger than the other programs due to the addition of a new enrichment component that will be incorporated into the existing Summer Day Camp programs during summer 2004. The new program is a high priority goal of the Parks & Community Services Commission and City Council and will provide unique, interactive and fun experiences related to nature, drama, music, and art. The fees charged for summer enrichment component average $6.00 per week per participant. The remainder of the fee increase will help offset increased staffing and operational costs. —July 21, 2003 Page 3 of 6 Cm. Cain asked what is extended care? McCreary stated that the Camp Shannon program is offered from 9:OOAM-5PM, Monday-Friday. Extended care is available between 7:00-9:OOAM and 5:00-6:OOPM. Extended care allows working parents to drop off their children on their way to work and pick them up after 5PM. Cm. Guarienti stated that in doing some math, he figures that the increase for the Fun-in-the-Sun Program is 45%,which is still a good value considering the addition of a new enrichment component. Cm. Jones asked if the $320.00 charged for the Afterschool Program is for the year? McCreary replied, the fee covers for half of the school year, a total of 18 weeks. • Dublin Swim Center Programs - The Dublin Swim Center is operational from February through September of each year. Programs offered at the Swim Center include Recreational Swimming, Learn-to-Swim, Fitness and Competitive Swimming Programs, Junior Aquatic Water Safety Volunteer Program, and specialty aquatic classes. Staff proposes fee increases averaging 14% for some of the Swim Center programs. The increase is necessary to offset increases in part-time salaries as well as chemical and utility costs. The most significant increases are proposed for the Learn-to-Swim and Swim Team programs. The hourly wages for Swim Instructors and Coaches have increased significantly over the past year due to a competitive market for hiring qualified and experienced staff. With increases in population and demand for swim lessons the City needs more instructors each year. Additionally for the Swim Team, at the request of team participants more staff hours have been added to reduce swimmer to coach ratios and better meet the needs of the participants. The City is currently subsidizing the direct costs of the Swim Team program by$6,400 (31%). To help offset the current subsidy, Staff proposes dropping the discount for the second swimmer for the Swim Team Program. The proposed fees are still competitive with the market average of the cost-per-hour for other local youth sports leagues. Staff has also proposed fee increases for the Water Exercise Program equaling $0.50 per class. The increase is necessary so that a competitive wage can be offered when recruiting exercise instructors. The proposed fees for the Junior Lifeguard and Lifeguard Training courses are higher due to increased costs for textbooks and materials. Chair Flores asked if other cities offer a discount for their Swim Team Programs? McCreary stated that . San Ramon is the only city he is aware of that offers a discount. Adult Sports Programs The City offers leagues, tournaments and open gym as part of the Adult Sports Program. League sports include softball and basketball. Staff proposes increasing fees an average of 11%to offset additional costs associated with higher salary and benefit costs as well as increased contract costs for officials. Lowart pointed out that the increase proposed for the softball program is very minimal. This is because our softball program is not as popular as some of the other programs in the area. The noise from the freeway and the wind at the Dublin Sports Grounds are two of the main complaints from softball leagues. This is a program that Staff has been very sensitive about increasing fees for,particularly since our facility cannot compete with the others in the area. , °' tlfinutes—July 21, 2003 Page 4 of 6 Cm. Cain asked if any consideration has been given to relocating the softball program to Emerald Glen Park? Lowart stated that one of the agreements made at the time the Emerald Glen Park Master Plan was completed, was that we would not light any facilities there. Staff plans to include lighting at the Fallon Sports Park. Chair Flores asked if lighting is installed at Fallon Sports Park, would there be a jump in the fees charged? Lowart stated that increases would be incremental. Youth Sports Programs City sponsored youth sports programs include Tee ball,Youth Basketball Leagues and Clinics, Volleyball, and Summer Sports Camps. Staff proposes increasing fees an average of 9% for the Youth Sports Programs to offset anticipated cost increases for staff, supplies, uniforms and officials. Several changes have been made to the Youth Basketball League that have increased costs for that program more than others. In addition to extending the length of the season and joining the Junior NBA program, a third facility is needed on game days to accommodate program growth. By operating the third facility the City will incur additional staffing, janitorial and operational costs. Staff is recommending deleting the fee for the Basketball Clinics from the fee schedule because those programs will be offered through a contract in the future. For Pee Wee and Peanut Sports Camps, Staff is recommending discontinuing the option to register for individual sports. The Pee-Wee and Peanut Sports Camps are two hours in length. Each day the two- hours is split into three blocks of time, each for a different sport. Customers can currently register for one sport or all three. There are few customers who register their children for individual sports. A large majority of customers register for the entire morning. Cm. Jones asked what is the age group for the youth basketball program. Lowart replied, 1St-8th grade. Public Input/Comments-None ON A MOTION BY CM. HILDENRBAND SECONDED BY CM. GUARIENTI AND BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO ADOPT THE AMENDMENTS TO THE FEE SCHEDULES.AS PRESENTED. Cm. Cain stated that with the development in eastern Dublin, is Staff seeing a significant growth in participation in the programs from that area? McCreary stated that Staff is seeing an increase in participation, particularly in the Pee Wee and Peanuts Sports Programs offered at Emerald Glen Park and Ted Fairfield Park. Last year the fall tee-ball program was relocated to Ted Fairfield Park and Staff saw a significant increase in registration. Unfinished Business-None New Business 8.1 Presentation of the City's Online Activity Registration System McCreary reported that in 2002, the City Council adopted a high priority goal to investigate the feasibility of implementing an e-commerce project for City services. The purpose of the project is to allow citizens to do business with the City at their convenience from their home or office. During the past year an E- Commerce Task Force, made up of employees from Finance, Information Systems, Parks and Community • • -Minutts—July 21, 2003 Page 5 of 6 Services and the City Manager's office, worked diligently to implement the first phase of the project. The project has provided the City with the ability to accept credit card payments and online registration for programs and activities offered by the Parks and Community Services Department. McCreary gave a short presentation covering the project goals, success rate and future phases of the project, and gave a live demonstration of the DublinRecGuide.com website which allows customers to easily register for activities and search for facilities and parks online. McCreary stated that for the first two months of registration for May and June this year, 21% registration was done online for those programs that were available for online registration. The goal is 40% by next summer with a revenue increase of about 20%. Staff anticipates that about 60% of transactions will be paid by credit card. During the first two months, actual usage was about 40%. Cm. Hildenbrand asked if a class were full, would the system show it as full? McCreary replied, yes. The computer processes transactions in"real time". Cm. Guarienti asked if Staff has experienced any glitches with the program? McCreary stated that there have been a few glitches but overall the system is working well. McCreary stated that next week the kiosk will be installed in the lobby of the library for self-service activity registration. The implementation of acceptance of credit cards at other department facilities will be in place by fall 2003. Starting next spring, Glen the Guide will be making'a splash at the Swim Center implementing the swim lesson registration online. Online registration would eliminate parents having to get up at 7:00AM to stand in line at the Swim Center for a 9:00AM registration. Lowart pointed out that before the Swim Center can be online for registration, Staff would need to input over 600 swimming sessions on the system. This is why the Swim Center was not implemented at the same time as the online registration at Shannon Center. Cm. Guarienti asked, what will the kiosk at the library look like? McCreary stated that it looks like a mini ATM machine. The ATM will accept major credit cards and generate a receipt. Cm. Hildenbrand asked if registration could be done at anytime? McCreary replied, yes. In fact online registration records show that people are registering as late as 12:00AM. Chair Flores asked if the system would default to the applicable fees for resident versus non-resident? McCreary replied, yes. Other Business Brief INFORMATIONAL ONLY Reports from Parks & Community Services Commissioners and/or Staff Cm. Cain reported that at the last Senior Advisory Committee meeting, the Committee evaluated furniture for the new senior center. It is anticipated that the evaluation will take about 3-4 months in order to review all the alternatives. Cm. Guarienti complimented Staff on a great Friday night concert. He stated that there was a liaison meeting with the City of Pleasanton last Friday and one of the agenda items regarded the trail beneath the freeway. He inquired as to the outcome of that meeting. Lowart stated that she was not in attendance at the meeting but would look into the matter and respond by email. ' -Minutes—July 21, 2003 Page 6 of 6 Cm. Hildenbrand stated that she received an email from Lynne Baer reporting that the Artists Reception for the Donlon Park Art will be held on Tuesday, August 19 at the Civic Center in the lobby from 5:30- 7:30PM. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served. It would be a great opportunity to see the models, submit your vote and talk to the artists. Chair Flores stated that at the July 1 City Council meeting Mayor Lockhart presented her with a Proclamation claiming July 2003 as Parks and Recreation Month. The proclamation was passed to the Commissioners to view. Chair Flores reported that Cm. Guarienti and she will not be able to attend the Thursday, July 24 Emerald Glen Park Liaison meeting. The meeting will be held in the Library Community Room at 7:00PM. Cm. Jones volunteered to attend on their behalf. Chair Flores reported that George Cramer, former commissioner, brought to her attention that the mural painted under the underpass at Dublin Boulevard shows two ladies playing soccer wearing blue and purple uniforms. Mr. Cramer pointed out to her that the colors of the uniforms for Dublin United Soccer are green. Lowart stated that the artists are aware of this and intend to change the colors. Chair Flores reported that the City of Dublin has adopted the Delta Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 101St Airborne Division. As chairperson of the liaison committee, everyone is invited to attend the• homecoming parade at 10:00AM on Saturday, August 16, 2003 on First Street in Livermore. There will be representatives from Ft. Campbell in attendance and Rick Leventhal from Fox News Channel will be the master of ceremonies. It is anticipated that this event will draw over 10,000 people. She encouraged everyone to attend to support our troops. Staff Reports ATwo of the five concerts scheduled this summer have been held. The concert on Friday, July 11 (Busta Groove) drew about 350 people and the second concert held on Friday, July 18 (Smooth Blues and Jazz) drew about 150 people. This Friday, July 25, the Parrotheads will perform a tribute to Jimmy Buffett at 7:00PM in the Civic Center plaza. 4Registration for the summer programs is going very well. Many of the swim lessons are full. AThe 13th Annual Water Carnival is scheduled for Friday, July 25 from 2:00-5:OOPM at the Swim Center. The theme this year is "Blue Hawaii". The event will include live music, wet-n-wild relay races, arts & crafts, fishing games, a limbo contest and inner tube races. Cost is regular pool admission fees. Adjournment Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20PM. Respectfully submitted, • Char J. Young,Admini s•ative :chnician APPROVED: likk/Mt(/ ChairpOrson