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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2000 BAKERSFIELD ~ ~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair Alan Tandy, City Manager Patricia J. DeMond Staff: Alan Christensen Randy Rowles AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT SPECIAL MEETING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Tuesday, March 7, 2000 4:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room 1. ROLL CALL Call to Order at 4:07 p.m. Present: Councilmember Jacquie Sullivan, Chair (Left at 5:00 p.m.) Councilmember Patricia J. DeMond Councilmember Randy Rowles (Arrived at 4:40 p.m.) 2. ADOPT JUNE 2, 1999 AND JANUARY 18, 2000 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORTS Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS A. STAFF UPDATE AND COMMITTEE DISCUSSION REGARDING ENTRY SIGNS AND BEAUTIFICATION OF ENTRANCES Alan Christensen stated that the Mayor is still very much interested in taking on the entry signs as a project before he leaves office. Staff and the Mayor have discussed the designs that have been developed thus far and are working on some variations, themes and ideas to bring back to the Committee. The Mayor accompanied by staff have visually identified some locations on Highway 99 North and South and Highway 58 East. The best locations are owned by CalTrans, but their usual policy is basically not to allow anything to be placed there, especially monUments. Staff is in the investigation stage of what private properties might be available, but finding funding sources is a priority. ~:ADOPTED AS SUBI~TTLrD Ol~l APRIL 4, 2000 COP AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Tuesday, March 7, 2000 Page -2- The Mayor has talked to his Economic Development Group about possibly sponsoring or finding funding, but at this time there have been no commitments. Staff has made some initial estimates that two or three entrance signs, including securing right-of-way or acquiring land, might cost about $200,000. Staff will continue to assist the Mayor in looking for funding and report back to the Committee. B. STAFF UPDATE AND COMMITTEE DISCUSSION REGARDING ICE SKATING FACILITY PROPOSED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY (This item heard last.) Staff reported that they made a trip to Los Angeles and spoke with the operators of Pershing Square, which is a temporary ice rink. The operating costs for this rink are $25,000 per week and that does not include electricity. This rink is operated about nine weeks out of the year. It is very temperature dependent. Staff felt it was worth the trip to get first-hand information, but it does not appear to be the answer to what is needed in Bakersfield at this time. Different types of funding to build an ice rink were discussed. Alan Tandy stated that a private sector loan based on conversations with parties that do ice facilities, is not going to be forth coming because the economics are simply not there. Staff has researched a non-recourse bond, which is a bond the City could issue but which the repayment is not pledged against the full faith and credit of the City. The repayment would be pledged against the land, building, and revenue stream from the building. A non-recourse bond is one that is placed by an underwriter. The negatives are that it would require an independent analyst showing a pro forma for the business that returned 1.5 times its cost, and it would carry a higher interest rate than a standard municipal bond by as much as 1%. Another alternative is a standard COP such as was used to build the Centennial Garden and Convention Center, but with this type of funding there would be recourse to the City. The Committee discussed different possible sites. Staff reported that an operator who owns 20 or so ice rinks came to Bakersfield and toured with staff to help with advice on the type of site that makes good business sense to an operator. The unbendable requirement is that it hasto be a location where parents would feel safe in dropping off their children and coming back later to pick them up. The site should also provide good traffic flow and visibility. It needs to be a minimum of two acres. Four acres would allow for expansion to a two-sheet facility and parking at a later date. The site must be commercially zoned, which drives the price so high that it becomes unaffordable in terms of a business pro forma working. City-owned land or donated land are needed for a viable project. Staff has been working to locate a large land owner who might be willing to donate land, but no one has been forth coming as yet. Donations can be made to the City through the Bakersfield Foundation, which would qualify the donations as tax deductible. The Committee discussed the fact that in order to make this a viable project, donations of money and/or land from the private sector will be needed. There are many people in the community expressing interest in having an ice rink that are not able to come to meetings during the day and there is a need to give the community an opportunity to participate in the funding and planning. Committee member Rowles made a motion that the Committee hold open public meetings in the evening specifically to get public input on the ice rink The motion was approved and staff was directed to set a meeting and use a vadety of media and outlet sources to promote the meeting. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE ' Tuesday, March 7, 2000 Page -3- C. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING TRAFFIC MEDIAN STANDARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY Public Works staff brought photos and updated the Committee on the work in progress on the sample medians that are being constructed for Councilmembers to visualize before making decisions on a median standard. The concrete work is in and the rock work is about 75% complete on the sample median on Califomia Avenue between Owens and King Streets. Upon completion of the rock work, weather permitting, the trees will be scheduled for planting. The sample median on South "H" is just getting started. The main irrigation line has been installed for both. Committee Chair Sullivan stated she liked the way 'the round planters looked, rather that the square ones. Because this is a long-term project, she would prefer that the median standard chosen be as high in quality as possible even if we have to do less area each year. The field models will allow looking at the actual finished median, rather than just an artist rendering, to see if it meets the quality standard desired for median upgrades 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 p.m. Attendance: Staff: City Manager Alan Tandy;'Assistant City Manager'Alan Christensen; City Attorney Bart Thiltgen;. Public Works Engineering Services 'Manager. Jack~LaRochelle; Public Works. Civil Engineer Ted Wdght; Public Works Park and Landscape Designer Don Hoggatt; Assistant Recreation and Parks Director Allen Abe; and Parks Assistant Superintendent Mike Doyle. Public: Barbara Grimes, Stan Dodson, and Shaun Sigrest. cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:~,C\CSCommittee\cs00rnarOTsumrnary.wpd