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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/18/2001 ,BAKERSFIE'LI dacquie Sullivan, Chair Sue Benham Irma Carson Staff: Alan Christensen COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE of the City Council - City of Bakersfield Wednesday, April 18, 2001 1:30 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room - City Hall 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 201, Bakersfield, CA AGENDA 1. ROLL CALL 2. 'ADOPT FEBRUARY 21, 2001 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Staff report and Committee recommendation on use of facilities at International Square Park B. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding fees for use of Silver Creek and Lowell Community Centers C. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding swimming pool fees and providing student swim days at City pools 6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS 7. ADJOURNMENT AC:jp S:~AC~?.001 csCommittee~cs01 apr18agen.wpd F LE COPY DRAFT B AKERSFI.ELD 'c/~ ~~~'-/~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Sue Benham Staff: Alan 'Christensen Irma Carson AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL .MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Wednesday, February 21, 2001 1:30 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1..ROLL CALL Call to Order at 1:37 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; and Sue Benham Councilmember Irma Carson seated at 2:20 p.m. 2. ADOPT DECEMBER 12, 2000 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS Jonathan Webster spoke regarding making Martin Luther King, Jr. Center available for the community in that area. 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Report on.ice rink status by City ~Manager Alan Tandy In response to community input, the Community Services Committee has worked with community interests to initiate'a fund-raising effort. Bolthouse Farms has put up $250,000 on a challenge- match basis, the City Council put up $250,000 on 'a challenge-match basis, and an effort is taking place in the community by a citizens fund-raising group to raise the matching $250,000. There are also contributions from the Condors and the other things that were initially built-in through the Committee. However, these efforts are still short of making an ice rink possible. Additional funding is necessary to make an ice rink feasible in the proposed City Center recreation facility. With developments in-recent weeks, if the matching fund-raising efforts are successful and the proposed City Center Project is approved, there is a plan that will make .it possible to have an ice rink. Funds have been identified .by the Finance Director from the ballroom .project at the Holiday Inn Select. This project has a 20-year funding structure to pay the debt but .has more revenue than projected, so there is available about $60,000 a year for 10 years. It has been negotiated with the City Center development group that we use these funds, make it part of the DDA (,Disposition and Development Agreement) and structure the money to flowthrough as a rental agreement with them. This would make it possible to close the deal and make the ice rink financially feasible. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE DRAFT Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Page -2- This agreement would buy two full weeks use of the recreation side of the facility, which is a 30,000 square-foot building with four basketball courts, for the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to market regional, state or national athletic events. The CVB Executive Director Don Yaeger believes it would generate $350,000 economic return to the.community, of whicl~ the City through Transient Occupancy Tax would get $48,000. It would also buy 200 skating passes a month including skate rental for neighborhood area children on the ice side, and the use of two basketball courts and a multi-purpose room without charge for conducting after school programs for children from surrounding schools. It-would also provide some free passesto basketball or volleyball clinics for neighborhoodarea children. ThiS concept, has been outlined to the City Center Project Ad .Hoc Committee, and will be presented to the Redevelopment Agency next week, and eventually to the City Council for action in conjunction with the City Center Proposal itself. The owner would be Community Recreation Services, Inc. out of Portland, Oregon owned by Dennis Sivers,.and the manager director is Larry Steele, the former'NBA player. The facility would have a local manager. The City would own the ice rink side, with Community Recreation Services, Inc. putting in approximately $1 million. For the $1 million theY would have a long-term management agreement to operate it as an ice-rink. They would receive all revenues and be responsible for all costs. 'In case of a default, the City could operate it, or charge them market rate.rental for the land, or put it to some other use. B. Staff update' regarding entrance signs into the City Jack LaRochelle stated that the contract is going out to bid on February 26~. The bid award will be on the March 28~ Council agenda. The annual contractor will grade and prepare the site. The contract award will .be to construct the foundation, the sign with letters and loges, and the wrought iron fence. Recreation and Parks Department staff will do the landscaping. C. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding fees for use of community centers Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford explained that this was a referral from Councilmember Carson to waive the room rental fee and make Martin Luther King,.Jr. Center available to 501(c)3 groups, with payment only for direct costs associated with the event, such as extra staff time. The fee schedule currently includes fees for non-profits. This would occur only in the off-season during normal operating hours..Fund-raisers and staff meetings would not qualify, only events that benefit the community. The City would retain priority for its events. Kern County has a similar program. The Committee unanimously approved staff's recommendation to changethe fee schedule to waive the room rental for Martin Luther King, Jr. Center as described above for 501(c)3 groups and forwarding to the Council for approval. (Councilmember Carson absent) D. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding swimming pool fees (The Committee voted to move this item to be heard last) Recreation and'Parks Director Stan Ford explained that Councilmember Carson referred the issue of making the use of City pools available at no charge to citizens who meet the IOWincome guidelines, as defined by HUD. Staff reviewed a similar program being used successfully at Billings, Montana. Staff is recommending that if people (qualified for a pass) choose a pool with Iow attendance, free passes would 'be available to swim all summer long, but if 'they choose to swim at a pool with .high demand, such as Silver Creek, they would be issued 20 free passes (perhaps a punch card). A nontransferable pass would be issued for each family member living at the same address. The Committee unanimously approved staff's recommendation for this change to swimming pool fees and forwarding to the Council for approval. DRAFT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Page -3- 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding-proposed changes to park and community center facility rental policies for exclusive use and'special events, Parks and Recreation Director Stan Ford stated his staff will be giving-the report, but wanted to point out that there are two Fee Schedule changes and a proposed ordinance change that will have to go to Council for approval. This is mostly an informational update and a request for input if the Committee has any concerns or suggestions. Recreation and Parks staff have been working on streamlining the processes and implementing some procedural changes to standardize procedures/paperwork for better communication and quality control to improve customer service, monitoring of rental permits and deadlines. Plans are to add a temporary reservation specialist to assist with the transition and software programs. Recreation Supervisor Terri EIlison gave.an update on the proposed policychanges. The proposed policy changes have been recommended by the Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee and include: Increase the hourly surcharge fee for rental that exceeds 10:00 p.m.. This change has been submitted for the-Fee Schedule. Security Guards for special events for rentals that exceed 300 people. There would be one guard for the first 300 people and an additional guard for each 100 people. The customer may select the security guards from the City's approved list. A certificate of insurance would be required for all rental of facilities that includes an alcohol consumption permit. Every rental that has an alcohol consumption permit would require signing an agreement that states any time during the event that the police are required .to be called, or staff needs to close the event because they are over capacity or other reason, rental fees are fodeited. Set guidelines to charge additional fees for rental of parks and facilities when attendance isgreater than 500 due to extra staff required for restroom cleaning, trash, etc. Eliminate fees required for rental of chairs, tables, scoreboard, PA system, projectors, portable stage and piano at :Martin Luther King Jr., Center. These fees are currently on the Fee Schedule. Deposit requirements would be based on the number of people at an event. For the centers it would be $100 for150 .people or less; 151 - 500 people would be $150.00; and more than 500 people would be $250. For picnic areas and pools it would be $50 for 150.people or fewer; 151 - 500 people would be $100; and :more that 500 people would be $250. This is a refundable deposit and would allow for cost recovery if anything were broken or the client does not clean the facilities. There is a need to lengthen advance time.to reserve facilities for special events, for example a wedding. Currently you can only reserve four months in advance. It is proposed to change this to nine months for special events and six months for a regular event. This will require a change to the current ordinance. The Committee discussed the ordinance change, required certificates of insuranCe and expressed no objections to the fee schedule changes being submitted, ordinance change or proposed policies as presented by staff. (Councilmember Carson absent) DRAFT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Page -4- B. Committee discussion and adoption of 2001 Committee meeting schedule The meeting schedule was adopted (CouncilmemberCarson absent). It was noted that there may, be scheduling conflicts for the meeting scheduled on August 15~. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p..m. Staff attending: City'Manager Alan Tandy, Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen; Assistant to the City Manager DarnelI.Haynes; Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford; Interim Public Works Director Jack LaRochelle;-Recreation and Parks.staff: Supervisor Terri Ellison, Supervisor Sally Ihmels, and Specialist Holly Larson. Other§: Tammi Brown, Reporter, KUZZ; Pete Yackley, Bakersfield Blades Figure Skaters; Matthew Riley, Bakersfield Condors; Jonathan Webster, southeast resident. cc: Honorable 'Mayor and City Council S:~,C\CSCommittee~cs00dec 12summary.wpd DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS DATE: November 8, 2000 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks SUBJECT: Staff Recommendation on Waiver of Building Use Fee at MLK Center In response to Vice Mayor Carson's request to waive the building use fees at MLK center, the department recommends that if the city council wishes to adopt this policy, that the city establish the following guidelines: · fees be waived 'only for 501 (c)(3) agencies (i.e. official not-for-profit agencies) · facility use is for the benefit of the community (e.g. not for fund raising or staff meetings, etc.) · only-the room use fee be waived · users must still pay all direct costs (e.g. staff to monitor the area of the building or to set up/take down tables and chairs. Also, for special equipment) · the fee waiver is only for "off-season" usage (i.e. October - April) · use is during normal operational hours of the center · city programs have priority for building use The department also recommends that other departmental fees not be increased to compensate for any decrease in revenue that results from the fee waiver. Further, the department budget not be reduced to compensate for lower revenue and that the council recognize that the budget may actually need to be increased as a result of increased facility use. D£PARTM£NT OF RECR£AT ON AND PARKS DATE: November 8, 2000 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks ~ SUBJECT: Staff Recommendation on the Waiver of Swimming Pool Admission Fees In response to Vice Mayor Carson's request to waive the admission fee at certain public swimming pools, the department recommends that if the city council wishes to adopt this policy, that the city do the following: · use the HUD income guidelines to determine families eligible for fee waiver · provide only immediate family.members (living in the same residence) with non-transferable, and non-replaceable, passes · limit pass use in pools with high demand (e.g. in 2000, Silver Creek, Jefferson, and Beale) · allow unlimited use of pools with Iow demand As a pilot program, we recommend that the passes for the "high" demand pools be limited to twenty daily passes per season. Also, we recommend that other departmental fees not be increased to compensate for the decreased' revenue that results from the fee waiver. Further, that the department budget not be reduced to compensate for the lower revenue and that the council recognize that the budget may actually need to be increased as a result of increased pool usage. Association of Old Town Kern PO Box 3345 Bakersfield, CA 93385-3345 (661) 633-9016 The Honorable Jacquie Sullivan, Chair The Honorable Irma Carson, member The Honorable Sue Benham, member Community Services Subcommittee Bakersfield City Council 1501 Tmxtun Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93301 Re: International Square Honorable Council members: I am informed that the Citizens' Advisory Council for Bakersfield's parks and recreation department recently recommended closure of International Square, a city park located at the northwest comer of Baker Street and Sumner Ave. I am further informed that your subcommittee intends to take up this issue in your meeting' on April 18, 2001. Speaking for the Association of Old Town Kern, we are unaware of what information the . Advisory Council relied on to make their recommendation. The merchants and residents of East Bakersfield share your concern that action is necessary to address the serious problems of this park which we believe directly affects our ability to stage an economic recovery along the Baker Street corridor. However, we also believe that any action taken by your subcommittee on April 18 would be premature and lacking input from those in the community directly affected by the park. For your information, The Association of Old Town Kern will conduct a luncheon forum on April 27th on this very issue. Members of the Association, the community, City Government, the Police Department, and others will attend this meeting and discuss the pros and cons of a park closure. The forum will also seek input on less dramatic alternatives. Members, Community Services Subcommittee April 13, 2001 Page 2 We invite you to attend our forum to obtain additional input from the local business and residential community. The forum will be held at Noriega House, 1325 Baker Street (directly across from the Bakersfield City School Offices) in the upstairs meeting room. Lunch is a buffet at $10 per person (lunch is optional)~ Further, we respectfully request that you defer action on this matter to a later date so that you will have local community inpUt from the April 27~ forum. Thank you for your consideration and please call me at 324-4971 if you have any questions. A~/~iation of Old Town Kern