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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/25/2002 BAKERSFIELD Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Sue Benham Irma Carson Staff: Alan Christensen SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMI'I'I'EE of the City Council-.City of Bakersfield Friday, January 25, 2002 12:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room - City Hall 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 201, .Bakersfield, CA AGENDA- 1. ROLL CALL 2. ADOPT DECEMBER 5 AND DECEMBER 10, 2001 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORTS 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Staff update on the entrance signs into the City - Rojas 5. NEW BUSINESS , A. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding placement of patriotic plaques, slogans and documents in public locations/City Hall - Committee Chair Sullivan B. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding potential projects for: 1. Existing Proposition 12, Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, .and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000 - Tandy 2. Proposed Proposition 40, Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2002 - Tandy C. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding proposal from the Native American Preservation Council to add Native American names to River Oaks Park and additional sites in the Kern River Parkway - Ford 6. COMMI'I'rEE COMMENTS 7. ADJOURNMENT B AK ERSFIELD ~-~ ~~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Sue Benham John W. Stinson, Assistant City Manager Irma Carson AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Wednesday, December 5, 2001, 12:30 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1. ROLL CALL Call to Order at 12:42 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; Sue Benham and Irma Carson 2. ADOPT SEPTEMBER 26, 2001 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Committeerecommendation regarding design of the entrance signs into the City pUblic Works Director Raul Rojas updated the Committee on the progress of the signs~ There was an initial problem when the contractor had the letters "BAKERSFIELD" manufactured smaller than the design specifications. This is being resolved with the contractor. Also, the '~/elcome to" letters were too small and out of proportion with the sign and although they were made to design specifications, had to be reordered in a larger size. As the '~Velcome to" letters were manufactured according to specifications, the City will have to pay for this change in size. When the dark blue letters arrived, as they are very thick, the letters cast a shadow against the grey background. This combination of lack of contrast coupled with shadow made the letters unreadable in daylight. Staff consulted a graphics specialist. It was decided to try to outline the blue letters in white. A '~' and a "B" were ordered to see what the contrast would look like. To demonstrate the outlined letters, staff showed the Committee photographs and a video of the sign taken from inside a vehicle as it was being driven down the highway. The Committee also viewed several different color designs prepared by Public Works staff, which could be put on the computer and changed to be able to evaluate the different color designs. ADOPTED AS SUBMITTED ON JANUARY 25, 2002 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Wednesday, December $, 2001 Page -2- The Committee suggested different colorschemes to staff that they would like to see printed out, so the choices could be narrowed down. Committee Chair Sullivan requested the models of the sign have the background spray painted so the color would be similar to the actual sign. The Committee directed staff to schedule a workshop for the December 12th City Council meeting. It was suggested to try and meet again before the Council Workshop. B. Review and recommendation regarding 2002 Community Services Committee meeting schedule The Committee made changes to the proposed calendar and adopted the following meeting schedule for 2002: January 7, February 27, March 13, April 17, May 15, June 19, July 17, *August 7, September 25, and October 23. *It was noted that Committee member Benham will not be available for the August meeting. 5. COMMrn'EE COMMENTS 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:50 p.m. Staff attending: City Manager Alan Tandy; Assistant City Manager John W. Stinson; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen; Assistant to the City Manager Darnell HayneS; Public Works Director Raul Rojas; Assistant Recreation and Parks Director Allen Abe; PW Park and Landscape Designer Don Hoggatt; PW Construction Superintendent Stuart Patteson. Others attending: James Burger, reporter, The Bakersfield Californian; Karen Todd, reporter, Channel TV 23; Channel TV 29; and Channel TV 17. cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:~AC\cs0idec05summa~j.wpd B A K E RS F I E L D Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Sue Benham Alan Christensen, Assistant City Manager Irma Carson AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMI'n'EE Monday, December 10, 2001, 10:15 a.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1. ROLL CALL Call to Order at 10:20 a.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; Sue Benham Absent: Councilmember Irma Carson 2. ADOPT DECEMBER 5, 2001 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding design of the entrance signs into the City ~. Committee member Benham stated she.consulted with a designer friend and no longer recommends painting the concrete. Monuments and signs made with concrete are timeless. Staff also did not recommend painting the concrete because the groves in the concrete will appear darker. Public Works staff set up a computer capable of changing the colors of the logo and lettering on the sign, which allowed the Committee to view different color design options projected on the. screen. The Committee selected different color designs for the logo and lettering and directed staff to present the options to the Council at the Workshop on Wednesday, December 12th. Staff also recommended making the "Welcome to" in larger letters and the Committee approved. (Committee member Carson absent) 5. COMMI'n'EE COMMENTS 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m. ADOPTED AS SUBMITTED ON JANUARY 25, 2002. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Monday, December 10, 2001 Page -2- Staff' attending: City Manager Alan Tandy; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen; Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen; Assistant to the City Manager Darnell Haynes; Public Works Director Raul Rojas; Public Works Civil Engineer Ted Wright; Public Works Park and Landscape Designer Don Hoggatt; Public Works Construction Superintendent Stuart PattesOn; and Public Works Engineering Technician John Florez. Others attending: Scott Hedrick, KERO - Channel TV 23 News cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:~AC~001CSCommittee~cs01de¢10summary,wpd BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ~". ............. MEMORANDUM TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER /~// FROM: RAUL ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKSI~I~E(~TOR ' -<-~_~__~J DATE: JANUARY 15, 2002 SUBJECT: STATUS OF ENTRY MONUMENT SIGNS Public Works has received an acceptable proposal from Omega Construction, the general contractor, to modify the entry monument signs. The net cost difference will be an additional $2,136 for fabricating and installing the revised letters plus the cost to remove existing conduit intended for the neon lighting and patch the holes. We estimate this cost to be between $1,000 and $2,000. The contractor has stated that they anticipate 5 working days from approval of their artwork for installation of two sample letters and 30 working days from sample letter approval for letter fabrication and installation. The contractor has been notified to proceed with fabricating and mounting one each of the small and large letters on the south sign based on their dimensioned artwork. SJP/sjp G:~3ROUPDA'lACmmn~tion~4en~sk2001~Eatry ~ St~us AT I-1$-02.wpd B A K E R S F I E L D OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM January 18, 2002 TO: C°mmunity Services COemrmT/ ~'~' FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manag SUBJECT: Proposition 12, and Futu~'CRecreation and Park Bond Issues Proposition 12 Back.qround We currently have $2,400,000 from Proposition 12 funds to spend on qualified park and recreation facilities. Aquatic Complex Staff, for some time, has been identifying that many of our City-owned pools are old and in need of substantial rehabilitation. Additionally, some are under utilized. The high schools and recreational swim teams also need additional competitive facilities. Design criteria for modern pools is also different than the older pools currently in our inventory. Others of our existing pools are heavily utilized, but require substantial repair and rennovative work. Therefore, both new and rehabilitated aquatic facilities should be high on the list. That has been verified by data collected from both citizen surveys and focus groups in addition to staff's professional judgment. Ice Rink While the subject of a community ice rink has been quiet for some time as a result of the City Center proposal, the Community Services Committee held a series of meetings and hearings on this topic from October 22, 1999 to February 21, 2001. Community donations in the amount of $500,000 have been pledged to this effort and the City Council has voted to match that with $300,000 in City funds, Additional monies are needed, however. An article from the January 16, 2002 local newspaper is attached, showing that the lack of an ice rink also creates pr01~ems for the professional Proposition 12 Page 2 ice hockey team; and that of the eight cities in the West Coast Hockey League, we are the only one without an ice rink. Because of the absence of such a facility in Bakersfield and the demands and needs for it as identified in previous Community Services Committee and City Council meetings, an ice rink is also proposed as a major priority. The use of Centennial Garden for recreational skating is inefficient and deprives the Condors and Roadrunners of practice time. Levera.qin,q of Funds While $2,400,000 sounds like a lot of money, that amount alone does not go very far in addressing expensive public facilities of this kind. It is, therefore, prOposed that the $2,400,000 and $800,000 (ice rink pledges) be combined at $3,200,000 and leveraged with other sources to allow for a comprehensive program to be undertaken addressing these two sets of community needs. Additional funding sources beyond the $3,200,00© on hand can include: 1) School District and Community Donations for the aquatic facilities - $500,000 has been offered, and City staff believes that with the right project design and the City offering a match, substantially more can come from that source. For purposes of estimating, let us assume $1,500,000. 2) 108 Federal Proqram - A 108 works like an advance or loan on the City's Housing and Community Development grant. An old 108 that was done for the Holiday Inn Select will be paid for in the summer of 2003. By taking that same debt service amount and extending the payment schedule, a large amount.of money can be generated without taking money from any other program. Several million dollars is possible. 3) Park Development Fees- Where applicable, pool rehabilitation or conversion to a spray park is possible through use of Park Development Fees. These are limited to the district in which the monies are raised. $100,000 is the current estimate. 4) County Community Development Monies - Jefferson Park is surrounded on three sides by the County. An application to them for assistance is reasonable under these conditions. $100,000 is a reasonable goal. 5) Ice Rink Operator Contribution - It can be reasonably anticipated that a contribution of $250,000 would be possible to obtain from the issuance of a long-term lease to operate an ice rink. 6) Transient Occupancy Tax - Facilities that can bring in visitors for regional competitions, tournaments, etc. will contribute to City hotel tax collection over time. It is therefore reasonable to make a one-time contribution from that source. The amount to be determined. Proposition 12 Page 3 Proiect Description For these amounts, the City could: 1) Acquire property and build a modern new aquatic facility, including a large shallow pool appropriate for play, a 25-meter comPetitive pool, a diving pool for competition, and an adjacent picnic area. 2) Acquire land and construct an ice rink, which would be operated under a management contract with the private sector. 3) Rehabilitate and enhance the pools at Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jefferson Parks. 4) Replace two phased-out pools with spray parks. 5) We would declare the area in which the facilities would be located a "Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy" area under HUD designations, which provides more flexibility with the 108 money use. Locations The ice rink has been considered, most recently, on City property behind Centennial Garden. Prior to that, a location off California between "M" and "N" was discussed. It needs to be centrally located and on a major arterial street. The aquatic facility also needs a central location, adequate to serve the residents where the aging pools may be phased out, and in a qualified HUD census tract. Specific locations can be identified at a later date. -~ bakersfield.c°m - Lack of ice is pain for Condors Page 1 of 2 bakersfield, corn http://www.bakersfield.com/columnist/sports/griffith/story/750552p-802501 c.html Lack of ice is pain for Condors Wednesday January 16, 2002, 01:00:13 AM The Condors have done a lot of traveling lately so instead of spending thc better part of TueSday on the road, coach Paul Kelly gave his guys the day off. Kelly was in his office at Centennial Garden, but the ice surface was not available, meaning the Condors would have had to take the 180-mile round trip to Sylmar.to get some time on the icc. Having just finished up a stretch of five games in eight days in four cities -- starting in Anchorage and ending in San Diego on Sunday -- Kelly opted for rest. "We could have went down there today, but I gave them two days off," Kelly said "We'll go to Sylmar (today), fly out Thursday and have a good game (in Boise, Idaho) on Friday." Bakersfield is the only city in the West Coast Hockey League that docs not have a public skating facility that can bc used as a practice arena, which leaves-the Condors depending on Centennial Garden for home ice time. The Garden accommodates the Condors' needs most of the season, but concerts, fights, ice shows, basketball and other events make it impossible to have the ice available at all times. "It makes it tough, I'm not going to lie," Kelly said of hitting the road for practice. "At the same time, it's not like I haven't seen this before." Kelly coached in Topeka, Kan., last year and when they had to practice outside the arena it was either a 45- minute or one-hour drive to the two closest rinks. "That seems short now," Kelly said. Figuring his guys had done enough traveling latelY, Kelly opted for more rest rather than more traveling and practice. "Sometimes you're almost better offnot skating for a couple of days," he said. "They still need to go the the gym and do something else, but they needed a couple of days to rest up." Counting today, the Condors have had to go out of town to practice nine times this season. It could have been more, but there have been times, like Tuesday, when Kelly opted to take the day off. The future looks better as the Condors won't have problems with ice availability through February. http://www.bakersfie~d.~~m/c~~umnist/sp~rts/griffith/v-print/st~ry/75~552p-8~25~ 1 c.html 1/17/2002 ~'-~ bakersfield.com - Lack of ice is pain for Condors Page 2 of 2 Looking for improvement The Condors finished their nasty string of five games in six days with a 2-3 record and it could easily have been 4-1 had Bakersfield been able to convert on some great chances. A 3-2 loss in Anchorage on Jan: 9 and Sunday's 3-2 loss in San Diego were games that could have been won. "We've got to start scoring more," Kelly said. "We're getting chances. We've got to bury them. "We've been playing pretty well lately, we just have to score more." Kelly said he's continuing to. search for additional players to fill two open spots and has talked with several players and agents. "I want quality, for sure, but at the same time if I get a chance to get a good, young developmental player I've got to take a look," he said. "We want to be better and my team's showing me lately we can compete with the best teams but we do need a couple more pieces." Slap shots * The Condors make their first trip to Idaho on Friday and Saturday, fly back home on Sunday and play host to Anchorage in a 5 p.m. game on Monday (Martin Luther King Day). Monday's game is the annual coat drive. Anyone donating a new or slightly used coat'will receive a free terrace-level ticket to the game. * The Fresno Falcons were hoping 2002 would be a turnaround after straggling through the 2001 portion of the season, and so far it has been. The Falcons (8-24-2 in 2001) have started this year 2-0-1, including a win over Bakersfield. "It's a whole different attitude," winger Jason Weaver told The Fresno Bee. "The [mid-season] break rejuvenated us. You can see it on the bench and in the locker room." The Falcons are last in the Southern Division, 13 points behind Bakersfield. * Colorado's R.J. Enga's four goals and five assists in three games last week were enough to make him the WCHL Player of the Week. The Aces won all three games. Enga began this week tied for the league scoring lead with 53 points. * Idaho's Blair Allison was named Goaltender of the Week as he helped the Steelheads to a 3-2 win over Long Beach and a 4-3 shutout victory over Tacoma. Copyright © 2002, The Bakersfield Califomian I Email the Webmaster Privacy Policy Statement I Terms of Use http://www.bakers~e~d.~~m/~~~umr~st/sp~rts/g~~th/v-print/st~ry/75~552p-8~25~~~.htm~ 1/17/2002 California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Costal Protection Act of 2002 - Overview $2.'6 Billion bond statewide - voter approval required $1 Million to City of Bakersfield through Per Capita to Local Communities category for the acquisition and development of neighborhood, community and regional lands and facilities. Possible additional grant funds within the bond issue:' 1. R°berti-Z'Berg-Harris Program $200 Million statewide (Requires 3/7 funding match) 2. River Parkways $75 Million statewide 3. Urban Forestry $10 Million statewide 4. Urban Parks $282.5 Million statewide Council Priorities and Goal-~: Projects will :be identified for funding based .upon identification of eligible projects by staff consistent with goals and priorities established by the City Council. The City Council will ultimately select specific projects for use of grant funds.' Possible projects for consideration: · Continue to improve Urban Forestry programs consistent with Tree City U.S.A. and Kern Tree Foundation efforts. · Plant additional trees throughout the City (median enhancement projects) · Plant trees in the downtown and expand streetscape projects · Plant trees in the-Kern River Parkway Area · Replacement of damaged or diseased trees in existing parks · Expand and improve green space and streetscapes in downtown and Central Park consistent with the downtown Charette and Vision 2020 strategies. This would include the use of water elements (fountains, pools & ponds) in park design. · AcqUire property in the northeast portion of the city for'recreational use and to preserve hillside open space. · Park Improvements · Develop 40 acre park site in southwest Bakersfield (additional park amenities such as picnic areas, playground equipment, playing field development, restroom construction, etc.) · Remodel and bring existing restrooms up to current standards (ADA, etc.) · Tennis Court restoration at various parks · Cooperate with Kern County in the development of an off road vehicle park in an area in or near metropolitan Bakersfield. (May also be eligible for "Green Sticker" funds.) · Pursue grants for private property acquisitions along the parkway and potential urban streams restoration (native tree planting) projects similar to what we'-ve done in the past. We have about 50 +/- acres still in private hands along the Kern River Parkway worth pursuing and miles of potential stream restoration programs along shoreline areas. · Also, $300,000,000 is available for the purpose of'watershed protection (ie: Kern River south fork above Isabella reservoir), to protect rivers,lakes and streams from contaminants, pollution and other evironmental threats. This might be a possible source of revenue for enhancing and developing ~ the 55 acres of new re-charge ponds needed to mitigate the new Kern River expressway near Allen road. It appears that this money will be competitive State-wide. · Provide funds for further development of Police Athletic League Park near PAL Center. (Non-City Facility) · Make improvements to Mesa Marin recreational facility in northeast Bakersfield. Significant Efforts in Support of a Community Ice Facility · April 4, 2000 The Community Services Committee held a public meeting in the City Council Chambers to discuss the need for a local ice skating facility. Bolthouse Farms announced a $250,000 contribution as a match to contributions raised from other sources. The Bakersfield Condors organization offered future assistance by: committing to rent a significant amount of ice time at the facility, transferring their junior hockey program (generating revenue in excess of $45,000), donate equipment, and providing professional hockey players to serve as coaches. · May 10, 2000 The City Council approved a recommendation from the Community Services Committee to appropriate a total of $300,000 towards an ice skating facility. · November 17, 2000 A Community Fundraiser Kick Off was held at Centennial Garden coordinated by the Kern Ice Sports Supporters, a volunteer group working to raise funds for the ice facility effort. Councilmembers Salvaggio and Sullivan, members of the Community Services Committee in attendance at the event, pledged their personal financial support to the effort. · February, 2001 By the early part of 2001, an additional $20,000 in contributions had been received from organizations and individuals. Skater Participation 2001-02 Bakersfield Centennial Garden Participants Sessions/year Hours/year Kern County Hockey Club 45 60 200 Junior Condors Hockey League 45 29 65 Adult League 40 13 19 Public Skates 150/session 7 14 Figure Skaters no participation this year Skater Participation 2000-01 Bakersfield Centennial Garden Participants Sessions/year Hours/year Kern County Hockey Club 60 50 220 Junior Condors Hockey League 85 30 87 Adult League 27 15 15 Public Skates 150/session 7 14 Figure Skaters 20 15 15 All figures are approximates. Adult league has increased. Public skating is roughly the same turnout. The other items in participation have gone down, basically due to availability and cost of the ice. Skaters have gone to rinks with more flexible hours and for a cheaper amount. A factor in the drop in JCHL participation is from neglect from the Condors players/coaches in previous years. I POOL 1999 TOTALS 2000 TOTALS 2001 TOTALS I Beale 3,820 4,743 6,243 I Jastro 3,906 3,308 3,111 I ! Jefferson 7,805 9,906 10,572 Martin Luther 'King 3,465 4,406 5,269 Planz 3,750 4,138 4,891 i Saunders 2,006 2,564 2,632 i Siemon~ 3,581 41720 4,001 I Silver Creek 8,711 7,221 7,511 ~, Wayside 2,264 2,782 3,447 ! TOTALS: 39,308 42, 618 47,677 i RANK 1999 2000 2001 i Silver Creek Jefferson Jefferson 1 I 2 Jefferson Silver Creek Silver Creek I 3 Jastro Beale Beale i 4 Beale Siemon Martin Luther King I Planz Planz 5 Planz 6 Siemon Martin Luther King Siemon 7 Martin Luther King Jastro Wayside 8 Wayside Wayside Jastro 9 Saunders Saunders Saunders POOL 1999 TOTALS * 2000 TOTALS 2001 TOTALS ** Beale 61 71 55 Jastro 365 491 460 Jefferson 141 184 285 Martin Luther King 228' 299 163 Planz 267 349 217 Saunders 403 527 494 Siemon 669 876 556 Silver Creek ~ 873 1,143 928 Wayside *** 32 42 40 TOTALS: 3,042 3,982 3,198 · Numbers are an estimate by pool; however, the total is correct. · * There were less classes offered this year and more pool closures. · ** Only private swim lessons are offered at Wayside. m ~ ~r , / ~ / ~ ~ WARD4 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~f ~ SOUTHEAST ~ i ~ ' LEGEND ~~ a~ ~ ~ WA~ BOUntIES A~ ~T : ~ Roads ~ ~ ~ark~ and ~cmational : ~,~ ~, ~v~ ~ I Park As~ment Divisions I 8 ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ JEFFERS~PARK 8 SILVERO"EEKPA"K ~ I 5 P~NZ PARK 10 ~E~ACRES PARK WARD DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS DATE: January 17, 2002 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks SUBJECT: Cultural Designations within Kern River Parkway On November 29, 2000, Council approved Resolution No. 142-00 which approved three Native American name designations on the Kern River Parkway and provided a process for future designations. Future requests to name areas along the Kern River Parkway will first be presented to the Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee, which in turn will forward it's recommendation to the Community Services Committee. On November 13, 2001, the Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee approved two new cultural designations at Yokuts Park. The proposal is now being forwarded to the Community Services Committee for action. CITIZENS' COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING November 13, 2001 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Mr. Fitch ATTENDANCE Mr. James Fitch Mr. Mike O'Neill Mr. Richard Russell Ms. Judy Valenzuela Absent: Mr. Raul Rangel, Mr. Paul Cato, Ms. Imogean McGill PUBLIC STATEMENTS Mr. John Mitchell visited the committee to express his satisfaction with the way the department has provided great programs, activities and facilities for the general public. He stated that the city is doing a wonderful job. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The July 2001 minutes were approved as presented. DEFERRED BUSINESS No deferred business. NEW BUSINESS 5a) The presentation and discussion regarding a name change for River Oaks Park was presented by Mr. Stan Ford. It was discussed that there has been a proposal to rename River Oaks Park to Kenim Oak Park. The staff has met with two representatives of the Native American Heritage Preservation group, Mr. John Stinson with the city manager's office and Gordon Statler with Coleman Homes. Subsequent to this meeting mentioned above, Mr. Stan Ford met with Rich O'Neil with the Native American Heritage Preservation. Mr. O'Neil presented the committee with a proposal for a sign that he believes might be able to accommodate everyone. He also gave the committee some background on the naming policy and the meaning behind the name change that is proposed. He stated that the naming theme should be based on historical and cultural value having to do with the river corridor. Mr. O'Neil stated that the Native American Heritage Preservation is trying to maintain a historical and cultural significance given to the river and how it enter faces the city of Bakersfield today. Mr. Ford stated that typically the developers name the parks in their develOpment and they are approved by the city of Bakersfield. The reason for this is so that we can avoid any conflicts with the name of a park and the area of the park. The name change would entail some additional cost, at this time it's not known as to how much it would be. Mr. O'Neil, with the Native American Heritage Preservation, stated that they would cover the additional cost for the sign. The sign would ultimately need to have three lines instead of two. The sign would give the name River Oaks Park and also have the name underneath as Cholich Kenim and the last line would say City of Bakersfield. It was said that there will also be a plaque next to the sign explaining the meaning of the signs name. Mr. Russell recommended a motion to accept the design of the sign for three lines at the Native American Heritage Preservation's expense. Ms. Judy Valenzuela seconded the motion and all were in favor. Mr. Ford explained that he will notify the city council by referral in regards to ~he recommendation and he stated that he will keep the committee aware of any information. 5b) A proposal for new cultural designations within Kern River Parkway were presented by Stan Ford. Ms. June Price waSintroduced by Mi:i Ford and stated that she had two additional cultural designations that she would like to present to the committee. She mentioned that at Yokuts Park there are two more additional plaques that the Native American Heritage Preservation would like to present to us. Ms. Price stated , that at the entrance of Yokuts Park there are two boulders 10' long, 5' wide and 2 % to 3' in height. These boulders were taken-from the mouth of the canyon and were originally destined to be destroyed. These two boulders are being proposed to be given a plaque to say what their historical and cultural meaning are about and ultimately be placed on the stone itself. Ms. Price gave a description of what these boulders stood for and what their value and significance are to the people of Bakersfield. Mr. Russell motioned to accept the placement of the plaques at Yokuts Park and Ms. Valenzuela seconded the motion and all were in favor. 5c) A status report was presented from Ms. Sally Ihmels with the Recreation Division. Ms. Ihmels distributed a handout of the 2000-2001 statistics Report for the Recreation Division. She went over the following items: · Aquatics Attendance - The attendance was up and the activity was a great success. .-~ } · Bakersfield Best After School Program Attendance - This program is overseen by Terri Ellison and Henry Shipes. Terri covers the Greenfield School District and Henry covers the City of Bakersfield District. Ms. Ihmels stated that the programs are very popular and the attendance rate has increased over the past years. The department of Recreation and Parks provides the staff and programming for this program, and the tudoring is provided by the schools. The money is provided by the individual school of each site. · Lowell Community Center - It was mentioned that 299 youth registered for the programs and the average daily attendance was 27 youth. · Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center - Ms. Ihmels presented the committee with the numbers- of annual attendance for center rooms, attendance for classes and attendance in programs and stated what a great success the center had with these programs. · Mobil Recreation Pilot Program (Fun on the Run) - This program was a success. It was a 10 week program at Stella Hills School. The program included games, sports, activities, crafts and other activities. It catered to boys and girls K to 5t~ grades. Total attendance was 2,250. The daily ~' attendance average was 45. · Silver Creek Community Center Attendance - Ms. Ihmels described all of the activities offered at the center including meetings, PetFest, concerts, training and tournaments were a great success. ® Sports Participation - It was said that the fall season for adult softball had the largest registration for the season as well as the summer season. Tee-Ball went well with 140 participants in the age group of 5 and up. · Summer Game Centers - This program was a six week summer program. The attendance total for the program was 5,217. The size averaged 36 participants per day. · Special Events - Ms. Ih'mels stated that the Rockin' By The River was a huge success. She also mentioned that the Halloween Haunted Trail had a good turnout. This year it was only offered one day with an estimated attendance of about 8,000 - 10,000. REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR 6a) Status Report on Convention Center and Centennial Garden - Presented by ~ Ed Dorsey, Director of Booking and Events. Mr. Dorsey presented the committee with an updated calendar on the events that will be taking place from November 15~ through December 18"', 2001. There was discussion on how the Centennial Garden arena is doing financially. Mr. Dorsey stated that the first year was phenomenal, it was new and the community was very responsive. The second year was poor, however, the third year was 35,000 compare to the first year of 40,000. Mr. Dorsey stated that 85% of the paid events are by people from Kern County. The other 15% comes from surrounding areas such as Los Angeles and the Fresno area. Mr. Russell asked Mr. Dorsey how we're doing on convention bookings. Mr. Dorsey stated that the highest rate of conventions was in 1996 with 22 conventions. He stated that the numbers have dropped through the past years to 12-15 a year. 6b) Status Report on Department of Recreation and Parks - Presenter: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks. Mr. Ford introduced Ms. Rebecca Jamison who is our new Business Manager for the Department _of Recreation and Parks. He also introduced two new clerk typists, Rachelle Scudder and Patricia Pacheco who started with the department the first of November. Mr. Ford also 'mentioned to the committee that the 'department is currently looking for new office space. The department is hoping to come to a decision very soon. COMMENTS FROM COMMITTEE None Staff in attendance: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks, Rebecca Jamison, Business Manager, Ginny Gennaro, City Attorney, Sandra Forsythe, Secretary, Sally Ihmels, Asst. Superintendent, Holly Larson, Aquatics Supervisor, Henry Shipes, Supervisor, Terri Ellison, Recreation Supervisor, Linda McVicker, Recreation Supervisor, Dean Jones, Recreation Supervisor, Ed Dorsey, Director of Centennial Gardens Guest/Visitor: John Mitchell Respectfully submitted, RESOLUTION NO. 1 4 2 -* 0 0 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THREE NATIVE AMERICAN NAME DESIGNATIONS ON THE KERN RIVER PARKWAY AND FUTURE PROCEDURE FOR SUCH NAME DESIGNATIONS. WHEREAS, the Kern River Parkway Plan, which encompasses the area between the mouth of the Kern River Canyon and Interstate Highway 5 permits the naming of locations along such area with names of people or places directly related to the Kern River; and WHEREAS, the Bakersfield City Council, on March 6, 1996, apprOved the request of the Native American Hedtage Preservation Council of Kern County (Preservation Council) to name Yokuts Park, Yowlumne Park and Hoe-Y Running Course for the picnic area west of Highway 99, volleyball courts at Truxtun Avenue at Mohawk Drive and cross- country course, respectively; and WHEREAS, the current request of the Preservation Council is to assign the names of Ohshuh, Xahly and Cholich to large Truxtun Lake, small Truxtun Lake and creek connecting both lakes, respectively; and WHEREAS, The Preservation Council has agreed to provide brOnze plaques with phonetic spelling and Native American definition for their new requests as they did for their original dedications; and WHEREAS, the Bakersfield City Council believes such name designations are an appropriate reflection of the community's history and culture; and WHEREAS, the Bakersfield City Council desires to establish a procedure for future name designations along the Kern River Parkway. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Bakersfield as follows: 1. The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference. 2. The City hereby accepts the above-described Native American name designations along the Kern River Parkway for the areas as described above. ~ ~ ;~ ::* .. -- Page 1 of 3 Pages - ;:=.~,.:;:~1-,'~;. /- 3. The C~ hereby declares that future requests to name areas along the Kern River Pmkway will first be presented to the Citizens COmmunity Services Advisory Committee, which in tum will forward its recommendation to the City Council's Community Services Committee, which in turn will forward its recommendation to the City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting for their ultimate decision. - Page 2 of 3 Pages I HEREBY CERTIFY that the for~F)ing Resolution was passed and _adopb~__b_y the Council of the City of Bakemtield at a regular meeting thereof held on NOVIf 2 9 ~ , by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBER CARSON, DEMO~ID, MAGGARD, COUCH. GREEN, SULLIVAN, SALVAGGIO NOES: COUNClLMEMB~ ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEM~ER . ~ . _ ABSENT: COUNClLMEMBER I~,~ ~ ~ITY CLERK and Ex Officio Clerk~;~ the Council of the City of Bakem'fleld APPROVED NOV 2 9 Z00O MAYOR of Bakersf'~ld APPROVED as to form: BART J. THII.TGEN C ty By:~ Deputy City Attomey VG:alj S:~COUNCIL\Resos~lativ~rtcanNeme. Designa~ns.wpd 4~ovemt~er 21, 2000 , .~ Page 3 of 3 Pages .... .,,.),~ ,B, A K E'R S F I E L D PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR . .~" '~)-h.L.//-__ DATE: January 25, 2002 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE ENTRY MONUMENT SIGNS Since council approval of the amended design, Staff has been moving forward on the construction of the entry monument signs. Public Works has received an acceptable proposal from Omega Construction, the general contractor, to modify the entry monument signs. The .net cost difference will be an additional $2,136 for fabricating and installing the revised letters plus the cost to remove existing conduit intended for the neon lighting and patch the holes. We estimate this cost to be between $1,000 and $2,000. The initial artwork has been approved and the contractor is currently manufacturing two sample letters for review. The following is the remaining work needed to complete the Entry Monument Signs: Manufacture and install the new lettering and logo. This work is to be done under our current agreement with Omega Construction. The time estimated to complete this work is six (6) to eight (8) weeks · Install the sign lightingsystem. These lights are currently on order and this work is scheduled to be done by the General Services division during the time that the letters are being manufactured. · Install water lines to each sign site. This work is currently being done by the Parks Department. Water lines have been installed at the northerly sign site and are currently being installed at the southerly sign site. This work is scheduled to be finished before Omega Construction begins installing the new sign lettering. · Install-landscaping materials. Plant materials for this item are currently on order. This work is scheduled to be done after Omega Construction has finished their work in order to minimize any potential plant damage. The time estimated to complete this work is three (3) weeks. G:\GROUPDAT~Construction~lemos\2002~Entry Mont. Come-tee Update 1-25-02.wpd Miller, Rudnick and myself are all past presidents of Temple Beth E1 the Reform Jewish congregation, and ~ am the adult Bible teacher there for about 9 y~ars, so we all are ~ . / . Go oriented, and God plays an important part in our lives. ? ~b~ ~~ Having said that, I want to speak against the resolution to r~ut the God centered slogS'ns on public buildings. Mr. Sal~aggio asked Mr. Rddnick, ~t the council meeting the question "w~t could be wrong with it?" and I,d like to answer that ~uestiom. Almost every C~istian, when asked, will be in favor of the resolution, and almost every non-Christian, when asked will either ~ay they have no opinion, or are against it, and there is a reason. The reason is this. With the best intentions, and without realizing it .the people behin~ this~ motion sro ~ttempting to make this a C~istia~ country, and it isn,t. It's done without malice, and without even a consclou~ intent to do that, but that is the result ~ It'd psrt of the same i~eology that wants .to change ~he winSer and spring breaks in the elementary school calendar to Christmas and Easter breaks, a move going on right now in several districts. It,s the same ideology that prompted me to spea~ the only other time I addressed the City Co~cil, back in 1973 when the Council affirmed a resolution calling for church bells to ring and proclaim Key '73, the notion that this is a Christian co,try. When I pointe~t out that such a resolution made me a cecond class citized, 'the Council members, and the City Attorney said, and I believe it, that they had no idea that it would have that effect, &nd if they knew that ~ advance they wouldn,t have done it. We are telling you that now, in advance. ~e proposal asks to put on buildings an endorsement of God, in the ~~ Christian term or name. ~d when I say that I a~ m~t With the answer, As Mr Sal~aggio said t~ Mr. Rudnick, all the children he ha~ ever dealt with believe in God. ~plying we all believe in the Same God, we just call him by different names, so what can be the harm? I suggest, to test your own understanding of wh~t you are doing to consider this slight change to the proposal, Let the plaques say "In Allah we trust" or"One nation, ~der Jehovah", or "Adonat bless America". My ~ess is that ~i~ix~ y~ won,t find those as acceptable an~ will invent rationalizations as to why, but the bottom line really is that those n~mes don,t fit your vision of God, and that should tell you something. Thank you ($D-BMITTED BY MR. STAN $IMRIN) emple eth E1 Rabbi Cheryl M. Rosenstein 2906 Loma Linda Drive · Bakersfield, CA 93305 (661) 322-7607 · Fax (661) 322-7807 . Janua~ 24,2002 An Open Letter to the Members of the City Council: As a person of faith and a spiritual leader in our community, I can understand the motivation for wanting to put Godliness into government. I respectfully submit, however that posting slogans like "In God We Trust" on our civic buildings is not the way togo about fulfilling that lofty goal. ' "In God We Trust" has long been emblazoned on our currency. How often do those words on our dollar bills give Us pause to consider the real consequences of our spending? Are we more inclined to use our dollars to help the needy, to make a permanent end to the injustices of hunger, poverty or poor health? Aren't we as a society just as likely to use our money for selfish or even questionable purposes? Do we carefully fold each bill in our wallets and handle them gingerly, knowing that "In God We Trust" is written on them? Actions speak much louder than wOrds. Are we so confident that all of the activities that take place in our civic structures are actions of which God would approve? Patriotism has nothing to do with belief in. God; one can certainly be a good human being, Iht alone a patriot, and not believe. Civic buildings are meant to serve all people, regardless of creed °r faith. We can plaster God's name all over our houses of worship if we choose, but to chisel God's name into secular stones misrepresents the purpose of those stones, and disrespects our sacred beliefs: If we must put inspirational slogans on our buildings, let them be words that inspire good behavior: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If we 'want to show that we are Godly people, let us show it' by our deeds - not by promoting one faith for all people, but by promoting all people through the power of our faiths. Sincerel~l~, Tem el~_~l~eth El FOUNDED 1947 AFFILIATED WITH THE UNION OF AMERICAN HEBREW CONGREGATIONS 25 January, 2002 Bakersfield City Council Bakersfield, CA Dear Council Members, After the devastating events of 9/11, an uplifting surge of unity and patriotism swept through our nation. We remain united in our compassion for the victims, as well as in our resolve to punish the guilty. And one thing has become abundantly clear to us. Belief in God alone, does not necessarily lead to good behavior - does it? The idea that is being proposed here, to put God's name on public buildings - Is doing more to divide this community, than unite it. Recently, two letters that appeared in the Californian, suggested that - Those opposed to putting God's name on City Hall, should leave this country. That sort of thinking is neither Godly, or American, is it? Two other writers have differing views. Ethel Katz wrote that "Religious values should be an intrinsic part of government, not it's banner." After all, can anyone guarantee that future public servants will act in a Godly manner here? If they don't, how will that reflect on God's name above their door? Sofia Clerico stated that "Instead of declaring that we are Godly, why don't we vigorously join action to principal, and allow others to assign that quality to us?" If you really intend to honor God - Then extend your hand in friendship to a stronger, show kindness to the helpless, or teach virtue to a child. Don't trivialize the author of our eternal values, by linking his name to the civil authority. There are plenty of inspiring patriotic sentiments to Place on these walls, without invoking divinity. Why not advance the names of Thomas Jefferson, JolmAdams or James Madison - Rather than diminish God's name, by associating him with our local political squabbles. I know that you really believe, that this idea of using the government to promote religion, is the fight thing to do. Otherwise you wouldn't be attemptingto do so. But believing that it is right, doesn't make it right, does it? After all, God doesn't need our endorsements - we need his. If God wanted his name on public buildings, I'm sure that he would have informed us of that in the Bible. If our founding fathers wanted to do that, they would have said so in the Constitution, or placed God's name on our Capitol Building. But they knew, that faith in God, is a sacred, personal devotion - One that our government, can do little to improve upon. That is why Thomas Jefferson proclaimed "It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth, can stand by itself." And James Madison, author.of our Constitution, wisely counseled us, that "Religion and government will exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together." One of the Ten Commandments, implores us, not to use God's name in vain. We are not to employ his name, to promote our temporal causes, no matter how worthy we think they are. Associating God's name with your work place, does little to ~levate the divine - It does however, dilute what is Holy. I hope that you will continue to perform your official duties with competence, integrity and grace, and, that you will leave our souls, in the capable hands of our respective clergy. ~T a,~/~u f~or listening, Mike Miller 11104 Mirrored I ~mage Corm Bakersfield, 9A 93311 H 664-79-22, W 323-1561 January 25, 2002 NA ND DELIV ER ED The Bakersfield City Council RE: LEADERSHIP Dear Council Members: Ail public officials have a responsibility to all the people who are subject to their decisions. Good intention is not a defense to actions that create divisiveness in our community regardless of one's sincerity and convictions. We have earned the honor of an All American Cie'. It is recognition that our conummity is an example for other cities to emulate. As yon prepare to cast your ballot, ask yourselves the following questions: 1. Should the events of 9/I l be used as a springboard for a religious agenda? 2. Should one's patriotism'be equated with a religious belief? 3. Is the separation of church and state sti Il a valid guarantee provided by our founding fathers and alive in our constitution? 4. Could we better strengthen a sense of patriot, ism in al__!l Americans by establishing forensic and written forums to keep alive our gift of a free society, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that al! people are equal under the law. You are elected as our leaders. I trust you will lead all our citizens regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Respc,cffully subn~tted, ~--~-~"x f_.-/ Jacqueline Ru~tnick Congregational January 24, 2002 To the Members of the Bakersfield City Council, , I find it puzzling that Jacquie Sullivan believes putting "In God We Trust" up on our civic buildings will somehow instill patriotism in our youth. In my experience, patriotism has little to do with slogans, even as lofty a slogan as this, and everything to do with actual experience. Twice in recent memory, with the Gulf War and since September 1 l th, there have been great public surges 0fpatriotic expression--flags waving and parades and fireworks. But in each case, these have been demonstrations of the feelings that exist inside each citizen--feelings that have been formed by what wehave experienced, and what we have been taught by our families. For me, the statement "In God We Trust" is primarily a religious affirmation, and as such, I feel uncomfortable with its being inscribed upon a civic building. I can affirm my personal trust in God, but it is not true .trust unless it exists whether times are good or bad, on a personal or national level. Such trust has nothing to do with my patriotism. As one who believes in God, I also affirm that God created all persons around this world--and that those persons can also trust in God. Thus, "In God We Trust" is a statement all persons of faith could assert--regardless of what country they happen to live-in. If we wish to encourage patriotism in our youth, I feel educational experiences such as learning about other countries, heating the stories of veterans in high school history classes, doing service projects, reading about the sacrifices of those who built our country out of the wilderness, serving in the armed forces, even international student exchanges--these give youth options for learning about our own history and what life is like in.other countries. Both youth and adults' appreciate what we have in this country so much more when you have seen what life is like elsewhere, even if that glimpse of the wider world comes through.doing a school project long before actually traveling abroad. Appreciation of the freedoms and abundance we enjoy as Americans is a critical building block in the development of a patriot, one who is willing to support and defend Our country. I hope the City Council will remember that patriotism is best taught by parents and other adults sharing with children how they feel about our country--and an especially important part of that education is demonstrating respect for our country's freedom of speech, and diverSity of opinion, religious and ethnic background. Thank you for your consideration of my perspective, ~P~_ enell W. Mahoney ~. /~/ ) Pastor, First Congregational Chbr-eh ~. ~10/31/2001 89:37 881-7684767 KEEP AMERICA 'BEAUTIF PAGE 81 ~~ ~ ~~ KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, 'N'C. September 26, 2001 To: All Affiliates and aH Great American CleanupTM Participants From: G. Raymond Empson Re: Liberty 'Garde.nj The tragic events of.September 11th have shocked and saddened all of us. They have also given rise to a groundswell of national pride and support fo~ those values that have been attacked and in which we, as Americans, so strongly believe. I am callingupon all affiliates, and others, to join us in creating special places of natural beauty that will honor the memory of those who have perished, and reafYurm the principles of freedom and liberty.on which our country has been built. We ask you to establish "Liberty Gardens" next spring as a beautification component of the 2002 Great American Cleanup TM. These public places for meditation and enjoyment should bring citizens of all ages, races and creeds together in our .shared sorrow mad c~mmitment. Some commUrdties may seek to dedicate a park to this purpose; others may plant a\grove of trees, landscape a plaza, or create a perennial garden. Still others may choose a special spot and plant a'single tree - thereby recalling the Liberty Trees that gave shade and refreshment to patriots and townsfolk'as they met more than 200 years ago to plan the birth of our country. Please join us in this KAB initiative. How better can we~fulfill our role to keep America beautiful? ·. Though you will be receiving more'detailed final information as soon as it is completed. I KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, INC. ~FAUrlFU~' CONTACT; Li~a Iella 10/31/2001 89:43 881-7684767 KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIF PAGE 81 KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, INC. GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP 2002 Program Definition: KAB asks that all affiliates, and other organizations and individuals across the nation, create special places of natural beauty in their communities - Liberty Gardens - where people can come together both .to honor-the memory of Americans who have perished in the tragic terrorist acts and reaffirm the values of freedom and liberty on which Our country was built. Timing: During the nationwide 2002 Great American Cleanup - March-May 2002 - or.earlier if individual community plans require KAB Role: · Provide to those who elect to participate simple, commonly themed ideas and plans (templates) so that Liberty Garden executions will produce a consistent national expression National Liberty Gardens Steering Committee: * Five executive directors of KAB affiliates who have extensive experience in partnering beautification efforts with their city governments have generously agreed to serve as a Glory Gardens Steering 'Committee to provide advice, assistance and guidance in developing and executing the templates for the Liberty Gm'dena initiative: o Donna Curtis - Shreveport (LA)Green - Chairperson o Cindy Larming - Keep Midland (TX) Beautiful o Jill Cody - San Jose (CA) Beautiful o Carolyn Crayton - Formerly, Keep Macon-Bibb (GA) Beautiful o Paula Davis - Keep Akron (OH) Beautiful o Kelly Rotkewlcz, CMP - Keep America Beautiful Staff Overall Program Gnidelines: * Will fit naturally into the beautification module of the-established GAC process' · Will be simple and easily executed * Will be communicated and administered through existing KAB communication vehicles Potential KAB-Provided Program Elements: Program elements that will be discussed with the Committee will include: · PSA: o PSA Copy: ' Posted on web for our affiliates to use · Sent with program acceptance package · NetworkNews and Affiliate TirneL articles and information · KAB Website: o Special pull down tab on KAB's website with a description of the program, templates, and other instructions on how to create a Liber~r Garden · ,Special Information Sheet in OAC 2002 Acceptance Package :~ " i0/31/2001 09:43 801-7604767 KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIF PAGE 82 · Encouragement to.'_ o Uso md, white and blu~ flowers, and an American flag ("old Glory") o Us~ trees o Include benches, birdbaths, fountains, gazebos, waterfalls, man-made lakes, paths, bridges and othe~ areas and structures o Use a commemorative plaque, potentially provided by KAB o. Conduct a formal dedication (possibly Saturday, $-19-02, the weekend before Memorial Day weekend) with a national and local focus Next .Step: * Fax your commitment to crea~e a Liberty Garden ~n your community by October 17, 2001, Liberty Garden Fax Commitment 203,325.9199 rn Count our community in! Name: Affiliate: City, State: Phone: or email your commitment to krotkewicz(~Jaab.or~, Thank you! Partidpation sports attract millions Swimming might not get the coverage of baseball, basketball or football, but in terms of participation, it is America's most popular sport based on the U.S. population 6 years of age or older~: I ~/h_a.t .spo~ Americans ~. ~ .:. " pamopate In: . ~:....~,... .~: ..~..~.,~.~ ~.~ ~.~,:~? ~~;. ..~,~ (in millions) Recreational swimming ~..'*.-~ ~' .... ~ .... ~,...:,,:~..-::~-..,:.,.~,~: 95.1 Recreational walking .~,-~--' ~-,-~.-~:~ ,..'~:' ..... ,~:.~.::..,... 84.1 Recreational biking ,.~'~- ~ ...... ~,.~..? 56.2 Bowling .~.. .~ ..... .~ ...... 52.6 Source: Freshwater fishing .... .~. .... .~ ...... ~..' 44,5 s~orti,~ c~o~ I - participated at least once in 1999 Manufacturers By Ellen J. Horrow and Quin Tian. USA TODAY With 50-meter pools draining funds, most cities instead choose to build versatile leisure Pools to help recoup operating expenses and serve a wider demographic AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL · JULY/AUGUST 200'1 by Tim Conway Staff Wr~ter Although grand structures that served as recre-Laguna Hills, Calif. "The swim teams not completely dead in the water, most municipal 50- ational centerpieces, according to Peter and dMng teams are able to go as a meter pools struggle to stay afloat. Beireis, aquatic director for the city of group to tine city council. When you're Faced Mth shrinking budgets, high San Mateo. Calif. politically organized in that way, it's energy costs and a move toward pro- Addition~3~ voc~d sx~n club members very influential." riding the public with a flfll range of had a strong e~bct on a ciB,'s decision. ' In the days when funds were readily aquatic recreational options, munici- especk~y when fl2e groups were well available, swim clubs often got thei;' palities are, by and large, refraining orgm~ed. %is eflbct holds true today way. But desire only goes so far these from building 50-meter pools. Instead, '~e competition swimmers are the days: witln general funds and grants many cities across the country have ones who drive the desire for a 50-meter dwindling, cities have to make the most chosen to build leisure pool facilities pool." says Ron Bravo, senior project of the money available. that contain a competition element, manager xxd~h Rowley International Inc., "The community dollars are shrink- ~fle ~5nu~v even, m~icip~ 50- an aquatic design, engineering and con- lng, and I don't think that pressure was meter pool reh~ on subsidies to cover sulting firm based in Palos %rdes on us 10 to 15 years ago," says Jim the majo~ty of operatNg costs, most Estates. C~'. "~e squeaky wheel gets Wheeler, recreation director for the leisure pools come close to brea~g the grease. XK~en you ... hold a town city of San Anselmo. Calif. "I really even, ~d many actu~y turn a profit, meetNg, who's gong to go there? lis itl th~nk there was money to finance these M~icip~ties c~ gener~y satisR, loc~ the people who go to a pool m,o or three grandiose fac~ities. [Today] there are sxx~ te~s and lap sxx~mers by Nclud- times in the summer, or the people who demands to buHd a facility for the peo- Ng s~m imes N the leisure pool design, do laps eveu' morning or every night?" pie ... that can generate revenue." Not o~v do sxx~ dub members spe~ In the past, most municipalities were No more free rides their mmds at cin' co,cfi ~d pl~Ng satisfied ~5th recouping approximately For decades, municipalities built 50- board meemngs, ~ev come prepared. 40 percent of operating costs. Today, meter pools and accepted that they ",~ of those [swim clubs] are very they're looking for facilities that can wo~d foot much of the operations b~. politically organized," says Tina cover 80 percent of costs, says Joe Cities considered 50-meter facilities as Dittmar, aquatic director for the city of Hunsaker, chairman of St. Louis- based Counsilman/Hunsaker :..:~:~,,~.:...~;=:~:.~.,~.,:... ...... , ...... ~,7,,~<.-.~,~.>..~,~_~.,........_ ................ ?..:_. Associates, an aquatic design and :;:-~~~)~3~:.~i~~~.~ir~i~i~i~{,.Usen:~ ?:~. But the days of subsidies are far from ~~'.( ;J~}i~)f:C~5-.t.. ~ ~,;~"d ~:'.'. '~ architectural firm. o->.,~: ~-~ ~.~s; c~¢~,-?x~ .o~..x :~¢%:,¢ ~x~...¥~--2(~:. ~4~'~ :~z..'?z,~---;-% ¢,s42,~-d'~,: ,. ~..~ ~-( over. At most municipalities, subsidiz- ~ lng recreational semices is a fact ~ life. e Many cities, however, could lower the ~ amount of require~ subsidies by raising ~ user fees. The decision to keep fees low = as a senfice to the community is based } on political reasons, not business rea- ~ sons, Hunsaker says. For example, the city of Downey, Calif., draws 20,000 recreational swim- mers to its 50-meter pool during the summer. The city charges $1 for admis- sion. Although the city could easily recoup more of its operating expenses by raising fees. the city council accepts the concept of paying for residents to have certain services, according to Bonnie Kehoe. Downer's Recreation Division manager. The bottom line While cities are generally w~ing to absorb a large portion of' the costs to AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL · JULY/AUGUST 'provide recreational opportunities ~br -~ .5;..: . residents, the gap between the opera- £.; '"3~.'. tional costs of a 50-meter pool and the revenue it generates is vast, especially compared with the monev a leisure pool can generate. ~ _ Currently, an outdoor, 50-meter pool = in Northern California costs upwards ~ ?'~' ~ of $275,000 a year to operate, accord .... ~-,~'-/ ing to Bravo. = you take a >0-meter pool that costs ,o, ~,'~l*~..~.qi~: '- .. $250,000 to operate, and a swim club ::i~iiiVi~~-]uiii~i~)~:!!c,~j~s. has 200 members, how much would you -;l~r~ii ~i!~}ll~>m~:'~ti.~l· tal.nt"itii:15 i-6mp.titi0n',~i~fit~?:,-!*; ' :' have to charge those swim club mem- bers to cover that $250,000?" Bravo asks. Conversely, he claims that with a course of a year because you can have A happy medium leisure pool that can charge higher fees, 300 to 400 users a day." In addition to operational costs, aquat- "It's easy to imagine a situation where The cost of operating a 50-meter ics profession.As trace the decline of 50- you're bringing 'in $250,000 over the pool varies, with year-round outdoor meter pools to philosophical changes. vessels more expensive due to heating "Aquatics has changed, and people costs. Electricity and chemical expens- are starting to get away from competi- es are proportional to the size of the tion," Beireis says. "Unless you can pool, with a 25-yard by 25-meter pool augment Ia 50-meter pool] with slides costing about haft of a standard 50- or diving boards, it's kind of hard to meter, Hunsakersays. justify, today unless you're around a Even in regions with a strong com- college campus." petitive swimming presence, aquatics To serve local swim teams, many directors still find it difficult to build municipalities include short-course up a program large enough to put a competition pools at their new leisure dent in operational costs, pools. Conversely, some cities with "In general, with a 50-meter pool it's existing 50-meter pools have complete- hard.., to break even because all you're ly remodeled them or, at minimum. going to get are lap swimmers and com- added play elements. petition-directed sports," says Kirk Von The cost of building a 25-yard or 25- Spaeth, senior project manger for meter competition pool combined Rowley. "There just aren't enough hours with a leisure pool might come to only in the day to rent it out to user groups to 15 percent more than building just a break even." 50-meter pool. Hunsaker savs. Pool operators echo that sentiment. "It makes more sense," Hunsaker says "I don't know of any 50-meter pool of these hybrid facilities. "You can that remotelv comes close to breaking [build] a 50-meter pool, or [build] a 20- even," says Duane Proell, aquatic by-25-meter and take the rest of the director for the University of money to build a leisure pool. They corn- Minnesota. Proell says that even if he plement each other. In the xvintertime. didn't have to set aside time for student the kids xvill go in there to sx~qm, but you use, the facility likely still couldn'e need both pools to provide the best pro- cover its operational costs, gramming. Alter the kids have their Even aggressive programming isn't lessons, they can go in, the leisure pool." enough to reach the break-even point. Including a competitive element in a "We program this [50-meter] pool about leisure-pool design does more than as hard as we can." Proell says. The uni- appease swim club members -- it also versity runs 50 to 60 major competitions provides a steady revenue stream. each year and rents the pool for another "We find people come a greater dis- 150 events, induding wedding recep- tance, but less frequently, to a leisure tions and birthday parties. These efforts pool," Hunsaker says. "That's why you generate up to $600,000. Still, that figure get a larger group with the leisure pool. falls far short of the $1.3 million it costs A leisure pool has some drawbacks -- to operate the facili .ry. The dectric bill for it has a down curve and, after a while. the Universitv of Minnesota's 1.2-mil- there's an element of boredom. With lion-g,,dlon pool is S18,000 a month, the lap pool. people go everv day." ]~ AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL ,, JULY/AUGUST 2001 Circle 68 on Postage Free Card Morning Stax Mfg. Inc. (731) 632-1407 fax (731) 632-3739 YOURWATERSLIDE SOURCETM~ntl:elg~@~turytel.net SINCE 1982 · Master Planning · Concept to Completion -· 3D CustomDesign. · Consultation · Steel Fabrication · Steel Erection · Installation · Fountains · · Equipment Enclosures · -Collector/Surge Tanks · Master Planning · Waterslides · Residential · Water Parks · Motel/Hotel · Municipal Circle 37 or~ Postage Free Card A(~UATICS INTERNATIONAL · JULY/AUGUST 200'~ Interest in New Facilities From Citizen Survey 80% 73.6% 71.3% 70% 6'0% 50% 40% 30% 20% Water Park Recreation Center Indoor Swimming Pool Preferred Activities (Grade. 6-8) 7O 60 5O 4O 3O .20 Cost of Code-Related Improvements $1,204,7~ 3 289,765 300,000 25O,OOO 200,000 ~68,85o 160,473 145,778 1 150,000 117,063 116,828 116,818 100,000 50,000 ~ 7,500 Beale Jastro Jefferson MLK Planz Saunders Siemon Silver Creek Wayside