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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/09/2014 Staff: Committee Members Rhonda Smiley, Assistant to the City Manager Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Bob Smith Willie Rivera SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE of the City Council - City of Bakersfield Thursday, January 9, 2014 – 12:00 p.m. City Hall North 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 First Floor, Conference Room A A G E N D A 1. ROLL CALL 2. ADOPT OCTOBER 24, 2013 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Community Beautification Projects – Hoover/Rojas 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Recommendation regarding the Possible Expansion of Mesa Marin Sports Complex, Phase 2 – Tandy B. Discussion and Committee Recommendation Regarding Adoption of the 2014 Committee Meeting Schedule - Smiley 6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS 7. ADJOURNMENT /s/ Rhonda Smiley Committee Members: Rhonda Smiley, Assistant to the City Manager Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Bob Smith Willie Rivera AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:00 p.m. City Hall North First Floor - Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301 The meeting was called to order at 12:00 P.M. 1. ROLL CALL Committeemembers Present: Councilmember Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Councilmember Bob Smith Councilmember Willie Rivera arrived late, 12:12 p.m. Staff Present: Alan Tandy, City Manager Dianne Hoover, Rec. & Parks Director Rhonda Smiley, Asst. to the City Manager Darin Budak, Asst. Rec. & Parks Director Chris Huot, Administrative Analyst David Stricker, Recreation Supervisor Virginia Gennaro, City Attorney Raul Rojas, Public Works Director Richard Iger, Associate Attorney Kevin Barnes, Solid Waste Director Nelson Smith, Finance Director Sal Moretti, Solid Waste Superintendent Pamela Elisheva, Associate Planner Luda Fishman, Solid Waste Business Manager Others Present: Amber Beeson, The Giving Tree Project Theo Douglas, Bakersfield Californian Jason Ackley, Member of the Public Isaiah Crompton, Stop the Violence 2. ADOPT MARCH 14, 2013 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, October 24, 2013 Page 2 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Aquatics and Athletic Programs Update – Hoover Recreation and Parks Director Hoover provided a brief report regarding the activities of the Aquatics and Athletic programs. Ms. Hoover stated there was an increase in attendance at the City pools. Discounted swimming lessons were offered to children ages 0 to 5 and their parents through grants from First 5 Kern Make a Splash Program and USA Swimming Foundation. There was also an overall increase in donations from the community. With the opening of the Mesa Marin Sports Complex, there was an overall increase to the number of participants in all the athletic programs. Several adoptive programs continue to be popular as well. Ms. Hoover also thanked the volunteers and sponsors who donate their time and money to help make all the programs a success. B. Discussion and Recommendations Regarding Community Beautification Projects - Hoover Recreation and Parks Director Hoover stated Councilmember Maxwell requested the Committee discuss the concept of beautification projects within the City, and whether they can be funded in a cost-effective manner. Ms. Hoover stated her department receives occasional requests to add landscaping, plant trees or paint murals in areas around the city where none currently exist, upgrade playgrounds, and add spray parks, skate parks, and dog parks in various locations. Each request received is reviewed carefully for costs and funding sources, water sources, hazards, impacts to surrounding structures, and other questions associated with the sustainability of the request over a long term. Staff dedicated to tree maintenance collaborates with volunteers to plant trees and shrubs, trim and prune 4,485 trees throughout the City, and collects green waste. The City also has an annual contract with an approved tree service which is awarded through a public bidding process by the City Council. Amber Beeson with The Giving Tree Project Benefit Corporation provided the Committee with letters of support from various organizations supporting sustainable community gardens. Ms. Beeson also provided a brief summarization of The Giving Tree Project Benefit Corporation and its history in developing and maintaining community gardens, with the support of Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, local and nonlocal sponsors, and volunteers. Ms. Beeson encouraged the idea for City owned vacant lots to be made available for planting community gardens. She would like to be involved as a consultant to such projects. Community Services Committee Meeting Agenda Summary Report Thursday, October 24, 2013 Page 3 Committee Chair Sullivan thanked Ms. Beeson for her presentation and her hard work and efforts in educating individuals throughout the communities to participate in community gardens. Committee member Smith stated he liked the idea of installing more community gardens in the vacant lots throughout the City. He also asked for clarification regarding Councilmember Maxwell’s request to partner with The Giving Tree Project Benefit Corporation. Mr. Smith also requested that staff check the feasibility of expanding the Adopt-A- program to include beautification efforts as another option. City Manager Tandy stated procurement/employment procedures in a civil service environment require that proposals, such as Ms. Beeson described, must be addressed in a legal and ethical manner through a public bidding process and/or request for proposal process. Committee member Rivera also thanked Ms. Beeson for the information she provided. Mr. Rivera also stated the community volunteers make such a program a success. He also suggested that the community gardens already in place be monitored to evaluate their long-term feasibility and success. Committee Chair Sullivan requested a report be prepared elaborating on the current programs available through the Solid Waste Division of Public Works and Keep Bakersfield Beautiful which may be expanded to include beautification efforts. 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS Committee member Rivera stated that Keep Bakersfield Beautiful Committee had organized a cleanup on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at 7:00 a.m. at Martin Luther King Park. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:47 P.M. cc: Honorable Mayor and Council OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM January 3, 2014 TO: Community Services Committee Jacquie Sullivan, Committee Chair Willie Rivera, Committee Member Bob Smith, Committee Member FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT/al SUBJECT: Mesa Marin Sports Complex ______________________________________________________________________________ Background In June, 2011, Mesa Marin Sports Complex opened with four modern softball fields, restrooms, concessions, and related amenities. The complex has been an enormous success, with 185 local teams playing at the park. Additionally, there have been an average of 20 regional tournaments per year held there, drawing another 15,000 participants and fans, culminating with an estimated economic value of $2,115,893 to the City. Future Plans Contained in the FY 2013-2014 Adopted Budget is an allocation to begin expanding the facility. The $1.8 million that was budgeted should be considered a starting point, with the exact improvements and the associated costs to be identified over time. Additionally, Vice Mayor Weir referred the matter to the Community Services Committee on December 11, 2013, as follows: “I have a referral to make this evening. I’m not sure that everybody is aware, but we have a very, very, very successful set of softball diamonds out at Mesa Marin. It’s been received very well. It is busy as it can be, and we have the opportunity to possibly expand that park to make it a 65-acre regional sports center through a land swap, with the approval of certain residents, and I’d like to refer that to Community Services.” Community Services Committee January 3, 2014 Page 2 Long-term plan Mesa Marin Sports Complex has a great potential to serve residents of Northeast Bakersfield, and the City as a whole, and to be an expanded attraction for regional and statewide events. It is located at the junction of two State Highways, 178 and 184, and has a view of the mountains as an attractive backdrop. Two new schools are under construction across from the site on Bedford Green Drive. The physical expansion of the park would afford a longer-tem potential, and we believe that 20 additional acres could be acquired next to the current park area. Long-term, the addition of that acreage could provide land for eight softball fields, five soccer fields, playgrounds, restrooms, wet playground, dog park, skate park, and picnicking areas. Across State Route 178, is the City in the Hills residential development. That neighborhood has double the amount of normal park acreage, which consists of 10 acres that are currently developed, and 10 acres located almost immediately adjacent to the first 10 acres that are not developed. The original developer dedicated the acreage with the intention that one site would be a park, and the other was to be an “Italian Garden” with fountains, walking trails, etc. That developer, however, disappeared during the recession, leaving no current plan for the second 10-acre site. It is not needed for the neighborhood, based on customary City standards. Potential Shift of Acreage If the City in the Hills residents are amenable, the undeveloped 10 acres could be shifted through a land exchange to help pay expansion costs for the 20 acres available at Mesa Marin. Single-family housing could be constructed on the City in the Hills site for lots and homes identical in size and value to the surrounding neighborhood. Park functions that are not suitably located immediately adjacent to single-family homes could then be placed at Mesa Marin Sports Complex. These functions include major sports fields, a dog park, and a skate park, among others. Since Mesa Marin Sports Complex’s full build-out requires phasing, a land trade to reduce the capital costs allows for the next phase to include more amenities than it would otherwise. Community Services Committee January 3, 2014 Page 3 Recommendation  Receive Committee comments on the draft Master Plan for the expanded facility, and adjust it accordingly.  Have the elected representative from Ward 3, along with staff, meet with City in the Hills residents to discuss the concept and find out if they are amenable, and under what conditions, etc.  If they prove to be agreeable, proceed with the land trade/purchase discussion.  Identify more precisely, with neighborhood input, what amenities are desirable and affordable for the next construction phase. All meetings will be held at City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A Adopted: DRAFT Community Services City Council Meetings Committee Meetings 3:30 Closed Session 12:00 p.m.5:15 p.m. Public Session Holidays - City Hall Closed MARCH SMTWTHFSSMTWTHFSSMTWTHFS 123411 56789101123456782345678 1213141516171891011121314159101112131415 192021222324251617181920212216171819202122 26272829303123242526272823242526272829 3031 APRIL MAYJUNE SMTWTHFSSMTWTHFSSMTWTHFS 123451231234567 678910111245678910891011121314 131415161718191112131415161715161718192021 202122232425261819202122232422232425262728 27282930252627282930312930 JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER SMTWTHFSSMTWTHFSSMTWTHFS 12345 12123456 6789101112345678978910111213 131415161718191011121314151614151617181920 202122232425261718192021222321222324252627 2728293031 24252627282930282930 31 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER SMTWTHFSSMTWTHFSSMTWTHFS 1234 1123456 567891011234567878910111213 12131415161718910111213141514151617181920 192021222324251617181920212221222324252627 262728293031 2324252627282928293031 30 League of California Cities Annual Conference - September 3-5, 2014 Community Services Committee Calendar January 2014 Through December 2014 JANUARY FEBRUARY