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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/12/2000 BAKERSFIELD '~-~ ~~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Patricia J. DeMond Staff: Alan Christensen Jeffrey A. Green AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Tuesday, December 12, 2000 1:30 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1. ROLL CALL Call to Order at 1:40 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; and Jeffrey A. Green Absent: Councilmember Patricia J. DeMond 2. ADOPT NOVEMBER 16, 2000 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS Committee member Green spoke regarding the mobile recreation trailer with portable stage that was recently demonstrated to the City Council at a workshop. He felt it is a wonderful asset for the community and should be used as much as possible. He further expressed it should be made available to non-profits for the cost of getting it to and from locations plus the proper insurance requirements. Committee Chair Sullivan expressed appreciation for the comments and referred the issue to staff to research what would be involved, including the appropriate insurance, costs and planning needed to make the portable stage available to non-profits. 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. Staff update regarding entrance signs into the City Darnell Haynes gave an update on the progress made to secure two sites for entrance signs. The site south of the City is located on McKee Road and State Route 99 on property owned by the County.and the site north of the City is a parcel south of Snow Road along State Route 99 owned by Tom Carosella. At Committee direction, staff has been meeting with Mr. Carosella to work out a 40-year lease agreement for the property. Staff has also been working with the Kern County Building Department on the exact parcel site and the legal descriptions necessary to obtain the permits. The goal for completion is mid-March in time for the NCAAII basketball tournament coming to Bakersfield. FILE COPY AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Tuesday, December 12, 2000 Page -2- An administrative report on the entrance signs is on the December 13th City Council agenda for final approval to proceed with design plans, site locations and construction. Funding was approved in the 2000-01 budget. Ted Wright reported that both sites will require permits from Caltrans, but does not anticipate any problems obtaining the permits. The structural design is complete and the grading, sign and foundation plans will be complete within the next two weeks and ready to go out for bids. The earthwork in the meantime can be done by the City's annual earthwork contractor. After the signs are in place, landscaping and irrigation will be followed up by City Recreation and Parks staff. When the exact design is determined, the letters will be ordered, which may take six to eight weeks. Wrought iron fencing will be used, which will not impair the view of the signs due to the. height of the grading and base for the sign. Different types of lighting were discussed, including ground-mounted floodlights that are more economical and backlighting behind the letters, Which would cost approximately $10,000 more. The approximate cost of the signs is $75,000 to $80,000 each, not including utilities. B. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding funding for recreational programs At the October 4th Committee meeting, the Committee reviewed a request from the Bakersfield Senior Center for funding of senior activities. There is $25,000 budgeted in the Recreation and Parks budget for a survey of senior citizens' activities and recreational needs and the Committee discussed shifting the funds from the survey to direct funding of the senior programs. The request has been amended to included operational expenses. City Manager Alan Tandy explained that because funding operational expenses would be a policy change, staff is recommending that for any future funding of operational expenses the policy consideration be limited to non-profit multi-service senior centers providing services to seniors to avoid a policy change that would result in numerous requests from other service providers for operational funding. Generally, the City Council has limited contributions for non-profits to one-time capital related requests. The Committee discussed exceptions to the policy, such as the Bakersfield Symphony, First Night, and emergency shelter grants. Committee member Green stated he would recommend giving the $25,000 to the Bakersfield Senior Center, but expressed concerns about making a policy change. He suggested that when we provide funding to a non-profit, that the City get a commitment back to help the City out in some non- monetary way, such as. requesting the Senior Center to help with a survey of activities. Mr. Edwards, Executive Director of the Bakersfield Senior Center, spoke regarding the seniors and their contribution to society as taxpayers throughout their working years. He stated that there is only one other multi-service senior center in Bakersfield, the Community House. This item was referred by Vice-Mayor Irma Carson and it is on the City Council agenda for the December 13th meeting. She has expressed that she would like the City'to contribute the $25,000 to the Senior Center. The Committee unanimously recommended making a one-time contribution of $25,000 to the Bakersfield Senior Center. Due to concerns about changing the current policy of funding only capital costs for non-profits and not operational expenses, the Committee also unanimously recommended that it review the Council's policy for funding non-profit agencies after committees are formed in January. Two current members of this Committee will no longer be serving on the Council. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Tuesday, December 12, 2000 Page -3- C. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding fees for use of community centers Stan Ford stated that Vice-Mayor Irma Carson referred the issue of making Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (MLK) available at no room-rental charge for non-profit 501(c)(3) agencies. Based upon the request, staff checked out the'County's "dark days" policy and is recommending a similar policy. There are some costs the City would be absorbing such as cleaning and utilities. Staff is recommending: 1) the policy cover all City facilities; 2) fees be waived for 501 (c)(3)s having an event for the benefit' of the community, but not fund-raising events; 3) the room charge be waived, but direct costs for staff to open or close the building or to set up chairs, etc., would be charged; 4) availability would be off-season use -- MLK Center would be October to April; 5) fee waivers would be for normal hours only, not after hours; and 6) City programs would retain priority use. City Attorney Bart Thiltgen explained that as this issue is also a policy of subsidies for non-profits, he would suggest deferring this item until the new Committees are formed in January. The Committee unanimously agreed. D. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding swimming pool fees Stan Ford stated that Vice-Mayor Irma Carson referred the issue of making the use of City pools available at no charge to citizens who meet the Iow-income guidelines, as defined by HUD. Based upon the request, staff is looking at a policy that would cover all nine pools and is recommending that if people (qualified for a pass) choose a pool with Iow attendance, free passes would be available all summer long, but if they choose to attend a pool with high-demand, such as Silver Creek, they would be given a limited number of free passes. It was discussed that waiving the fees would decrease revenue as people currently swimming at the pools will not be paying. The City currently subsidizes operation of the pools. As this is also related to the policy on subsidies, the Committee deferred this item until the new Committees are formed. Because these timely issues are being deferred, Committee Chair Sullivan will call and advise Vice-Mayor Irma Carson of the Committee's actions. 3. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m. Staff attending: City Manager Alan Tandy, Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen; Assistant to the City Manager Darnell Haynes; Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford; Public Works Civil Engineer Ted Wright; and Public Works Design and Landscape Designer Don Hoggatt. Others: Lynn Edwards, Director, Bakersfield Senior Center and Helen Lusinger, board member, Bakersfield Senior Center. cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:~AC~CSCommittee\csOOdec12summary.wpd