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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/12/2003 B A K E R S F I E L D Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Sue Benham Irma Carson Staff: Alan Christensen SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE of the City Council - City of Bakersfield Monday, May 12, 2003 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 19, 2003 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding Beale Park Band Concerts - Christensen 6. ADJOURNMENT S:~AC~O03 Community Services Committee~csO3may12agen.doc B A K E R S F I E L D ~ Jacquie SUllivan, Chair /~an"randy, City Manager Sue Benham Staff: Alan Christensen Irma Carson AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMI'n'EE SPECIAL MEETING Wednesday, February 19, 2003, 1:30 p.m. Suite 201, City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 1. ROLL CALL Called to Order at 1:45 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; Sue Benham and Irma Carson 2. ADOPT DECEMBER 4, 2002 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding proposal from the Native American Preservation Council to add Native American name to Rio Vista Park Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford provided background information contained in a resolution adopted by Council, which provided for citizens or groups to submit names for new parks in the Kern River Parkway to the Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee (now handled by the Community Services Committee) for consideration and recommendation to the City Council. The Kern River Parkway plan also provides for Native American signs along the Kern River Parkway with City Council approval. For example, a name was submitted and approved by the City Council for Yokuts Park (named after a Native American tribe) along with two smaller signs in that area. In November 2002, names were submitted by the Native American Heritage Preservation Council for the new community park being built in the southwest, which staff has been referring to as "Rio Vista Park." Agenda Summary Report Community Services Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Page - 2- Bill Samson, Vice President, Castle and Cooke, explained their shopping center development is being built in conjunction with the park, although the shopping center is being built independently by a separate entity. He expressed, they believe Native American names are very appropriate throughout the City, but not in this application. Castle and Cooke has an agreement with the City to allow for reciprocal use of their property. Citizens can use their shopping center parking when fully developed and it will not be fenced off from "Rio Vista Park" or the bike path. Their new commercial development is named Crossings at Riverwalk and they would like the name of the park to flow with the shopping center name to identify the whole rejoin/environment as being connected. Mr. Samson requested to meet with City staff to work out a name for consideration to submit to the Committee that would be appropriate for a joint development. Gene Albitre, President, Native American Heritage Preservation Council of Kern County, spoke regarding the list of names they would like the Committee to consider. The Native American names submitted were for "Rio Vista Park," with a request for the Committee to accept the complete list of names for consideration in naming future parks in the Kern River Parkway. The list with translations included: CONDOR PARK (WEE-ITCH); BLUE JAY PARK (CHY-CHY); PRAIRIE FALCON PARK (LIM); BADGER PARK (TUH-NOW); AND QUAIL LAKES PARK (HUM-NUL). Committee Member Benham eXpressed it is important to have Castle and Cooke be involved because it is exciting to have private development and public park investment working together to develop urban green space. She requested staff to ensure a policy is in place for naming parks. Committee Chair Sullivan agreed the developer should be involved because of the close proximity of the development to the park, and the Committee should also consider staff's name of "Rio Vista Park," along with the Native American names submitted. City Manager Alan Tandy read from a 1995 action: Requested name must have a clear and direct relationship to the Kern River Parkway. Requested name may be from an individual, service organization or other humanitarian entity. Committee Member Carson made a motion to accept the list of Native American names for consideration; requested staff to meet with Castle and Cooke; and have the Committee meet again to consider all the names submitted. The Committee unanimously approved the motion. Agenda Summary Report Community Services Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Page - 3- B. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding swimming pool closures City Manager Alan Tandy provided an update. When the City Council approved the new aquatic center, the action included closing two of the older pools. In part, this was to offset the operating cost of the new pool without raising general fund costs, but also because some of the City pools are deteriorated and their useful life is expiring. The Council referred the issue of which pools should be closed to the Community Services Committee for review and reporting back to the Council. Technically, the pool closures do not have to occur until summer of 2004, when the new pool will open. However, staff has become aware of some extreme pool repair costs the Committee may want to consider at the current time. Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford provided a report in memo form on the location, physical condition and usage of nine city-operated pools. Six within a three-mile radius of the new.complex include: Jefferson, MLK, Saunders, Beale, Jastro and Wayside. Jefferson and MLK pools are planned for renovation. Wayside is the only pool south of the new complex. Saunders, Beale, and Jastro are clustered together and as with other City pools, all three are in need of code-related 'repairs. Of the three, only Saunders has off-street parking, is buffered from private residences and has enough land to allow for expansion or a larger replacement pool. Jastro is one of the few heated pools in the City, which makes it suitable for year' round programming. Saunders pool requires code-related repairs estimated to be $106,163. In addition to these repairs, a follow-up assessment (via camera) identified major problems with the piping for Saunders pool. Further analysis is required to determine the exact cost, but it is estimated to be an additional $150,000 - $250,000. Beale requires code-related repairs estimated to be $106,163. In addition, there is an ongoing water loss at Beale pool estimated at 10,000 gallons per week. A geotechnical investigation was conducted. Problems noted included separation of the topping material from the foundation and cracking. The Health Department notified the City the cracks in the bottom of the pool must be repaired. If plastering will correct the problem, the estimated cost is $50,000 plus preparation. Additional testing needs to be completed before an exact estimate can be made, on which to base a recommendation. Also, the wading pool has no filtration/circulation system and does not comply with the State Code, which requires a one-hour turnover rate for the water in the wading pool. Staff has been emptying and refilling the wading pool.daily. Jastro, although also needing code-related repairs estimated to be $105,600, is in basically good working condition. Agenda Summary Report Community Services Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Page - 4- Recreational swim usage, for the pools was discussed, which did not include programmed activities. It was noted that due to the very Iow recreational swimming usage at Saunders pool, operating costs last summer averaged $27 per. swimmer (average did not include swimmers from programmed activities). It was discussed with this tight budget, by closing Saunders pool this year, the City could save $71,000 in operating costs. Staff recommended Saunders pool be taken out of service this year due to the needed repairs and Iow usage. Saunders pool may make it through the summer without the piping repairs, but it may not. Jastro is one mile away and could handle the swimmers. Committee Member Benham expressed she is sad about closing a neighborhood pool. However, due to the opportunity to save $71,000 in a tight budget year, she would support staff's recommendation to take Saunders out of service this year. Committee Member Carson stated she did not have enough information to support closing the pool. She questioned if this were the only option available or could staff provide another plan. Jastro and Beale are closer to the new pool. Saunders Park is beautifully located with easy access in and out. The pool is away from residences and with the Fire Station there, it is the best location for a pool. Ms. Carson wanted to be sure there is swimming availability in place to accommodate the swimmers from Saunders pool and requested more dialog and an opportunity for comment on a decision that will impact the neighborhood. Committee Chair Sullivan expressed since the new pool will not be open for another year, she would not close Saunders pool until it goes out of service. She would like to see it open for one more year and let everyone know in advance about the closure. The summer recreational program brochure needs to be finalized to go to print with the listings of swimming lessons and locations, so parents can get their children signed up. It was suggested staff could put on a workshop for the Council meeting of March 12th and have an action item on the agenda the same night, as well. Committee Member Benham made a motion to forward the item to Council for a workshop and Council action at the March 12th meeting. The motion was unanimously approved. C. Discussion and Committee recommendation regarding 2003 Committee meeting schedule Committee Member Benham requested the meeting on April 16th be moved to May 7t~, because April 16th is the week of spring break for the schools. The Committee unanimously approved the meeting schedule with the change. Agenda Summary Report Community Services Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Page - 5 - 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:40 p.m. Staff attendance: City Manager Alan Tandy, City Attorney Bart Thiltgen, Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen, Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford; Holly Larson and Sally Ihmels, Recreation and Parks. Others: James Burger, reporter, The Bakersfield Californian; Bill Sampson, Castle and Cooke; Susie Price, June Walker Price and Eugene Albitre from Native American Heritage Preservation Council of Kern County (NAHP Kern Co.) S:~,C~2002ComSer~03feb19summary.doc B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: May 9, 2003 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks Subject: Beale Concerts For more than 60 years, there have been summer concerts held at Beale Park. This long-standing tradition contributed to a difficult decision when the department considered what adjustments could be made in response to the current budget crisis. We ultimately recommended that the concerts at Beale Park be eliminated. This recommendation was based on several factors including: o This program is supported entirely by the general fund. o The high cost of the concerts in comparison to similar events offered by the city. o Low attendance compared to other free events (eg. movie at Silver Creek had an estimated 900 people in attendance). o Lack of staff to support the event. Since the decision to eliminate the concerts has been made, we have received a few calls (three or four) from individuals who expressed interest in soliciting funds to "save" the concerts. However, to date, we have not received any commitments or heard anything further about this effort. Some background information is as follows: 1. Attendance at the 2002 concerts was estimated at: o June 16 250 o June 23 400 o June 30 450 o July 7 450 C:\Documents and Settings\alawrenc. BAKERSFIELD\Local Settings\Temp\beale concerts.doc 1:12 PM o July 14 300 o July 21 350 o July 28 320 2. The cost to the city for the seven concerts is approximately $21,000 ($3,000 each). This includes $17,000 paid to the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, some materials and advertising, and staff time. 3. Our Travelin' Tunes concerts, which were also held in neighborhood parks, cost approximately $500 per concert. For these performances we hire bands that are typically comprised of 4-6 members. 4. According to information we received from the band, the typical concert at Beale has 38 performers. 5. We have been told that for over 50 years the band performed at Beale for no compensation. 6. The department no longer has sufficient staff to support the concerts (e.g. set up chairs and be present during the event). 7. The department responded to a March 18 referral from Councilmember Benham regarding the cost for one concert to be held July 4. That cost is approximately $2,800 (without park staff). The band has indicated that they intend to perform a concert July 6 at no cost to the city. Department staff met with Mr. Dick Francisco who was representing the band. Mr. Francisco provided the attached cost detail for the band with the typical number of musicians and for two smaller size bands. I asked whether they could further down-size the band to work within a fixed budget; he indicated they could. He did note that with a smaller band the play list of songs is reduced. The department recommends that given the current financial issues, the city accept the band's offer for the July 6 concert and that be the only concert in 2003. If the council wishes to add other concerts, it is recommended that donations be obtained to cover all costs and that the number of concerts be limited to those that private funding will cover. C:\Documents and Settin~s\alawrenc.BAKERSPIELD\Local Settings\Temp\beale concerts.doc 1:12 PM Concert Band: $2,300 Reduced Band $1,840 "Pop Style" Band $1,322 1 Conductor 1 Conductor I Conductor 2 Flutes 2 Flutes 2 Flutes I Oboe Oboe Oboe 10 Clarinets 6 Clarinets 3 Clarinets 4 Saxiphone 4 Saxiphone 3 Saxiphone 4 French Horn 4 French Horn 2 French Horn 6 Trumpets 4 Trumpets 3 Trumpets 2 Euphonium 2 Euphonium 2 Euphonium 3 Trombone 3 Trombone 3 Trombone 2 Tuba 1 Tuba 1 Tuba 3 Percussion 3 Percussion I Percussion 38 Total 30 Total 21 Total 15% of fees go to the Symphony B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: May 9, 2003 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks Subject: Budget Reduction -Implementation Plan The implementation plan of budget reductions that was enacted in February included the following impact to recreation programs. Phase I o Elimination of the high school summer sports program o Elimination of the summer competitive swimming program (since restructured and will be offered this summer) o Elimination of Beale band concerts o Elimination of Mother's Day concert. o Reduction in staffing for Halloween event o Elimination of free swimming passes for city school district o Elimination of Greenfield after-school program o Elimination of Bakersfield City School District after-school program Phase II o Elimination of Rockin' by the River (since restructured with reduced costs and increased revenue through sponsorships) o Elimination of Travelin' Tunes concerts o Reduced daily operation of MLK center by three hours (since restored through schedule changes of regular staff) o Eliminate city-operated after-school programs at Silver Creek and MLK (budget request includes proposed fees to restore Silver Creek program) C:\Documents and Settings\alawrenc. BAKERSFIELD\Local Settings\Temp\csc budget cuts.doc 1.-09 PM o Termination of joint facility use agreement with Kern High School District Additional Reductions in FY04 Budget o Elimination of regatta o Elimination of summer game centers C:\Docume~ts and Settings\alawrenc. BAKERSFIELD\Local Settings\Temp\csc budget cuts.doc 1.~9 PM B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: May 9, 2003 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Stan Ford, Director of Recreation and Parks Subject: Budget Reduction - Future Phases In order to continue concerts, other than the July 6 performance, it would be necessary to make budget reductions in other programming to offset the additional costs for the concerts. Options for these cuts are: o Eliminate Rockin' by the River concerts. This event currently serves between 25,000 - 30,000 people. Interest in sponsorship of Rockin' continues to grow and this year we have increased revenue by approximately $20,000. o Reduce the mobile recreation program. This is a very popular after-school program that serves thousands throughout the school year. Currently the program is offered citywide and a reduction would limit the area of the city served and the number of days of operation. o Eliminate Camp King. This is a summer camp held at MLK center/park. There is no revenue from this program. o Close an additional swimming pool. o Reduce operational hours at MLK center. o Reduce operational hours at the public swimming pools (ie. open, recreational swimming time). Currently 12:00 -5:00 daily at most pools. C:\Documents and Settings\alawrenc.BAKERSFIELD\Local Settings\Temp\csc budget cuts 2.doc 1:09 PM