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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/26/2012 PRC MinutesCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSIO DIAMOND BAR CITY HALL - THE WINDMILL ROOM 21810 COPLEY DRIVE, DIAMOND BAR, CA 91765 JULY 26. 2012 Chairman Herndon called the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Windmill Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Grundy led the Pledge of Allegiance. Present: Commissioners Dave Grundy, Ted Owens, Dave Roberto and Chairman Lew Herndon Vice Chairman Benny Liang arrived at 7:10 p.m. Staff Present: Bob Rose, Community Services Director; Anthony Jordan, Parks and Maintenance Superintendent; Christy Murphey, Recreation Superintendent; Alison Meyers, Community Services Coordinator; and Debbie Gonzales, Administrative Coordinator. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Steve Zalai, a Pickleball Coach from southern California, talked about the new game, said he would provide the Commission with a copy of the rule book and asked to be allowed to introduce the game in DB. C/Grundy said his sister plays Pickleball in Escondido and would like for the City to look at Pickleball as a potential sports offering. Chair/Herndon asked the speaker to leave his information with the Commission and said that staff would look into the matter. 4. NEW BUSINESS: 4.1 Consideration of request for Swings at Silver Tip Park: CSD/Rose gave a PowerPoint presentation and staff report. Staff's recommendation is a proposal for a double -bay swing to accommodate belt and bucket swings for younger children. The protective surface would be an engineered wood fiber, the only type of surfacing that meets the "fall" requirements. The issue with the proposed location is that in the event of construction vehicles would have to travel through the newly constructed area which cost the City $385,000. In addition, the park was closed for a significant amount of time and further construction would inconvenience the residents who have waited for the park to reopen. As a result, staff looked at Longview North as a possible alternative location of JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 2 P&R COMMISSION park swings. The swings would- cost about $3600 and about $1800 to install -the swings. However, there are additional requirements including surveys for ADA Access Requirements, installation of curbs to maintain the surfacing material, excavation and -grading, relocation of irrigation ,equipment, etc. that could result in a total cost estimated at about $30,000. Funds are not included in the current year budget and the project is not included in the 5 -year CIP list which is scheduled for review next spring. There may be an opportunity to seek grant funding for this type of project and there are safety issues to address as well. Staffs recommendation is to not change the CIP list and that if swings are pursued in that particular neighborhood Longview North would be a better location. In addition, staff would recommend that the City pursue grant funding for this project should the City Council wish to move forward. C/Roberto asked how far Longview North is from Silver Tip and CSD/Rose responded that the request received for the swings was from a resident living near Nan Court, about 250 feet closer to Silver Tip than Longview North. He was not sure how far Longview North is from Silver Tip. Chair/Herndon asked if installation of swings would have any bearing on insurance premiums and CSD/Rose responded "no." C/Grundy asked for comment from Mrs. Hogan -Estrada as to whether Longview North is within what she considers to be walking distance. Linda Hogan -Estrada stated that it is her sister who has made the request for her son and her sister lives on Sunnycrest Court which is about three quarters of a mile to Longview North and believed that if there were swings available at the park one would not complain about the walk. She said she had talked with a lot of parents including parents of children with autism. They all miss the swings. If parents of autistic children need to find funding she is sure it would happen. Studies show that lack of swings creates unexpected developmental delays with children in general, not just children with autism, all of whom need the swinging motion. C/Owens asked if staff has consulted with the City's Risk Management staff about this proposal and CSD/Rose said he has not done so but when the inventory of play equipment is done it includes parks with swings and Risk Management has no issue with that equipment. The JPIA has never recommended removing swings. Falls are the biggest concern and the proper "fall" surface needs to be provided. C/Grundy asked if it costs to pursue grant funding and CSD/Rose responded that there is staff time involved and the City Manager would approve the staff time. CSC/Meyers said that she would probably spend time over a period of months to complete a grant. Some grants require community input. It could involve one-half hour or many of hours JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 3 P&R COMMISSION depending on the size of the grant, how many grant applications and how much documentation is required for each. Chair/Herndon said he wished this information had been brought forward during community meetings because CSD/Rose spent a great deal of time and energy contacting the community and advising the community that the Parks Master Plan was being redone. CSD/Rose very sincerely seeks community -input and it is unfortunate that this input was not presented at that time. Mrs. Hogan -Estrada apologized and said that as a parent with an autistic child her attention is fully on her child and until something is brought to her attention her time and focus is on her child. Mrs. Hogan -Estrada asked if more swings would be removed from parks during the five-year CIP plan. Many of the available swings are not suitable for smaller children. CSD/Rose said for this reason and others he felt it was advisable to bring the matter to the Commissioners because the Commission has never taken a position on what play elements would go into the tot lots that are available in the community. Usually, the City bases its projects on community input and input from landscape architects whose ideas are presented at a community meeting. So the fact that Mrs. Hogan -Estrada has brought this to staff's attention presents an opportunity for the City to look more closely as to whether it needs to establish policies about what type of play equipment should be included in the tot lots. VC/Liang asked if a grant would involve follow up information and CSC/Meyers explained that there would be follow up requirements and possibly inspections within the first year. Philip Lee said his daughter is six years old and the first thing she looks for when visiting a park is a swing. Schools have swings but the kids are usually locked out in the evening. The closest swings to his home near Clear Creek Canyon at Steep Canyon Drive are at Pantera Park with only one bay and two swings which are constantly busy. He owns a business in DB that provides speech therapy for children. He read from a prepared speech that specifically addressed sensory integration therapy involving swings for autism type disorders. Chair/Herndon asked if Mr. Lee would be available to consult with CSC/Meyers should the City decide to pursue a grant and Mr. Lee responded that he would. Chair/Herndon asked what grant applications are currently in process and under consideration. CSD/Rose responded that there are three upcoming grants and several grants being closed out for projects completed in the past couple of months. JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 4 P&R COY81ISSION Commission -discussion and Q&Aensued. CSD/Rose said that there are parks currently in the planning stage and the- City has time to deal with issues on those parks. Staff would like to bring the matter back to the Commission at its next meeting to determine how the City will deal with this issue in general so tonight's motion should be specific to the issue at hand. C/Owens moved, C/Gru-ndy seconded, to support staffs recommendation that the five-year GIP list remain as is and that swings be installed at Longview North if grant funds can be pursued and obtained to complete the project. Without objection, the motion was so ordered. Chair/Herndon thanked the speakers for their participation this evening. CALENDAR OF EVENTS: As presented by CSD/Rose. •Wilfflm 1.1 Approved Minutes for the June 28, 2012 Regular Meeting. 1.2 Received and filed transmittal of Congratulations Letter to Older Americans Day honorees. 1.3 Transmitted Congratulations Letter and photos to Brownie Troop for painting the Lodge Pole fence at Sycamore Canyon Park. C/Roberto moved, C/Oweris seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Motion carried with the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: ["AM Liang, Owens, Roberto, Chair/Herndon None Grundy (Item 1.1) None 2.1 Recreation Program Update — RS/Murphey C/Grundy asked for an accounting of the 4th of July Blast. CSD/Rose said he believed the City estimated that there were about 10,000 at DBHS and about 5,000 at Lorbeer Middle School but there is no actual count. C/Grundy asked if there were any "aha" moments about the event being held at Lorbeer. RS/Murphey said that a lot of people really liked being able to walk in from the street rather than having to walk through DBHS and down the stairs. C/Grundy asked staff to consider whether Lorbeer presented a better venue. CSD/Rose responded that one issue with JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 5 P&R, COADIISSION Lorbeer is that staff believes- that it will be under construction next year so that location may not be available. In addition, staff believes that DBHS will also be under construction so staff is considering Plan C Such as the Little League field at the end of Sunset Crossing. Chair/Herndon said he is thrilled with the Volunteen program and the kids are great. How is the lottery conducted for folks who want to rent a facility and RS/Murphey responded that staff has not had to do a lottery the past couple of years with the reservation time being extended. Chair/Herndon said he noticed personnel overtime expenses on the adult excursions and wondered if it was necessary to have upper level staff go on these excursions. RS/Murphey responded that typically the coordinator that plans the trip accompanies the attendees. Their overtime costs are passed along to the participants. She said she believed it was necessary to have those staff members participate. The senior excursions primarily take place during the normal work hours. Adult excursions take place mostly Saturdays and evenings. Chair/Herndon asked why the Casino fee is only $20 and the others are $40. RS/Murphey responded that there are more fees involved with the others such as lunches and admission whereas the Casino excursion is for transportation only. C/Owens asked how many participants there were in youth baseball last year and RS/Murphey responded 220. C/Owens asked for email reminding him about the picnic. Chair/Herndon requested that all Commissioners receive an email reminder. 2.1.1 PowerPoint Presentation on Summer Programs— CSC/Meyers 2.2 Parks Report — PMS/Jordan 2.2.1 Power Point Presentation on Playground Apparatus — PMS/Jordan C/GrUndy asked how often audits are performed and PMS/Jordan responded that there is no set time but DB performs monthly inspections of its playgrounds. The audit is much more detailed and done as changes are made. C/Grundy asked if the state requires an audit and PMS/Jordan responded that the City asks for it. In this particular case the JPIA recommended it be done. C/Roberto asked how many impact points are measured and PMS/Jordan responded that three tests are performed at each point. JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 6 P&R COMAUSSION 2.3 CIP Projects — CSD/Rose 2.3.1 Trails Free Standing Interpretive Exhibits — CSD/Rose stated that the panels have been ordered for Sycamore Canyon Mesa Trail and the Summitridge Park Trails and will be installed when received. 2.3.2 Dog Park at Pantera Meadow — CSD/Rose reported that Kormx was not able to provide the bonds necessary to construct the project and the project went back out to bid on Monday. Bids are scheduled to be submitted in time to award a new contract at the August 21 City Council meeting. C/Roberto asked why Korryix was unable to obtain the bonds and CSD/Rose responded that they indicated to him that they were involved in a lawsuit with one of their subs and would have to put up property as collateral for their bonds which would require property appraisals and would take too long to meet contract requirements. The contract was awarded on June 5 and they were to have bonds to the City within 10 working days of the award. 2.3.3 Grandview Trail — CSD/Rose indicated that the design of the Grandview Trail will be completed during this fiscal year and the RFP for a design team should be released by next week. 2.4 List of pending Commission requests — CSD/Rose. Regarding the suggestion to look at the banquet chairs at the Diamond Bar Center, the chairs are scheduled to last for 15 years. The chairs are cleaned on a regular basis and seem to be working well and be in good order. There are no plans to purchase new chairs at this time but staff will continue to monitor the situation. CSD/Rose said that the timeline to meet with the two school districts about the non-binding MOU is likely sometime in September. CSD/Rose stated that he will request a staff report from CDD/Gubman about a projected timeline for the completion of Site D. Chair/Herndon said his request was for notification to the Commissioners about the amount of funds projected to be received from the Site D project as far in advance as possible. 3. OLD BUSINESS: None JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 7 P&R COMMISSION C/Roberto thanked staff for their reports and their quick reaction to the request for swings at the park. He attended the 4th of July Celebration which was very good. He recommended that the City may want to consider an exit strategy in case of a catastrophe for any future venue. C/Grundy commended staff on the 4th of July Blast. It appeared that everyone was enjoying the celebration and it seemed like the band got everyone revved up for the event so it might be a good band to -invite back for next year's event. CSD/Rose said that staff intended to invite the same band back for next year. Lorbeer provided a good venue and felt it might be good to consider the location for future events. C/Grundy asked if there was any movement on the proposed NFL stadium and CSD/Rose said the last he heard it will be March 2013 before an announcement is made. He understood that the NFL announced that no teams were allowed to move or make plans to move without communication with the front office and that nothing would be announced until sometime in March 2013. VC/Liang thanked staff for their reports and quick response on community inquiries. He asked if it was possible for staff to update the Commission on the proposed plan to build 200 residential units in the north part of the City. CSD/Rose explained that as part of its Housing Element the City is required to identify an area for future low and moderate income housing. In the Housing Element the City submitted to the state of California the low and moderate income housing is proposed to be located on a parcel of land owned by the City of Industry but in the City of DB off of Chino Hills Parkway across the street from homes located in the City of Pomona in the vicinity of DRHS. The City held a public scoping meeting at Pantera Park about a month ago during which residents from Pomona spoke in objection to the City identifying this particular area for rezoning to low and moderate income housing. What would actually be built would be subject to an entity purchasing the property and coming to the City with a proposal for some type of development and whether that would happen anytime soon would be questionable. C/Owens asked what type of construction is planned for DBHS and Lorbeer Middle School. CSD/Rose responded that he believes DBHS construction of the aquatics facility and classroom will continue into next year. Lorbeer is going to be redoing the HVAC system in the classrooms and beginning this October they expect to bring portable classrooms onto the middle field where the fireworks display originated. 'This project is supposed to last through next summer and the portable classrooms will remain on the field until the project is completed. C/Owens said he went to the 4th of July Blast and said it was well attended. He agreed that some type of orderly exit needs to be arranged. CSD/Rose said that after the event staff discussed that the chain link fence should be removed on the Diamond Bar Boulevard side to make it possible for folks to enter and exit the entire stretch of the fence line. C/Owens commented that the band was very JULY 26, 2012 PAGE 8 P&R COMMISSION interactive with the attendees. Chair/Herndon agreed with his colleagues. Staff knows that he loves everything they do. He apologized to the Commission and staff for allowing a little extra time on the swing issue because he believed it was important for the Commission to hear and understand the implications and ramifications of not having swings available for young people. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Parks & Recreation Commission, Chair/Herndon adjourned the meeting at 8:57 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 26 day of july . .... _._, 2012. Fla YJ NINE !t� Attest: zl LEW HER DON, CHAIRMAN