HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/21/2001 BAKERSFIELD
c/~ ~,//~~ Jacquie Sullivan, Chair
Alan Tandy, City Manager Sue Benham
Staff: Alan Christensen Irma Carson
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
SPECIAL MEETING
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 21,2001
1:30 p.m.
City Manager's Conference Room
1. ROLL CALL
Call to Order at 1:37 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Chair; and Sue Benham
Councilmember Irma Carson seated at 2:20 p.m.
2. ADOPT DECEMBER 12, 2000 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Adopted as submitted.
3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
Jonathan Webster spoke regarding making Martin Luther King, Jr. Center available for the
community in that area.
4. DEFERRED BUSINESS
A. Report on ice rink status by City Manager Alan Tandy
In response to community input, the Community Services Committee has worked with community
interests to initiate a fund-raising effort. Bolthouse Farms has put up $250,000 on a challenge-
match basis, the City Council put up $250,000 on a challenge-match basis, and an effort is taking
place in the community by a citizens fund-raising group to raise the matching $250,000. There are
also contributions from the Condors and the other things that were initially built-in through the
Committee. However, these efforts are still short of making an ice rink possible. Additional funding
is necessary to make an ice rink feasible in the proposed City Center recreation facility.
With developments in recent weeks, if the matching fund-raising efforts are successful and the
proposed City Center Project is approved, there is a plan that will make it possible to have an ice
rink. Funds have been identified by the Finance Director from the ballroom project at the Holiday
Inn Select. This project has a 20-year funding structure to pay the debt but has more revenue than
projected, so there is available about $60,000 a year for 10 years. It has been negotiated with the
City Center development group that we use these funds, make it part of the DDA (Disposition and
Development Agreement) and structure the money to flow through as a rental agreement with them.
This would make it possible to close the deal and make the ice rink financially feasible.
ADOPTED AS SUBI~TI'EI)APR'fL 18, 2001
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Page -2-
This agreement would buy two full weeks use of the recreation side of the facility, which is a 30,000
square-foot building with four basketball courts, for the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to
market regional, state or national athletic events. The CVB Executive Director Don Yaeger believes
it would generate $350,000 economic return to the community, of which the City through Transient
Occupancy Tax would get $48,000. It would also buy 200 skating passes a month including skate
rental for neighborhood area children on the ice side, and the use of two basketball courts and a
multi-purpose room without charge for conducting after school programs for children from
surrounding schools. It would also provide some free passes to basketball or volleyball clinics for
neighborhood area children.
This concept has been outlined to the City Center Project Ad Hoc Committee, and will be presented
to the Redevelopment Agency next week, and eventually to the City Council for action in conjunction
with the City Center Proposal itself.
The owner would be Community Recreation Services, Inc. out of Portland, Oregon owned by Dennis
Sivers, and the manager director is Larry Steele, the former NBA player. The facility would have
a local manager. The City would own the ice rink side, with Community Recreation Services, Inc.
putting in approximately $1 million. For the $1 million they would have a long-term management
agreement to operate it as an ice-rink. They would receive all revenues and be responsible for all
costs. In case of a default, the City could operate it, or charge them market rate rental for the land,
or put it to some other use.
B, Staff update regarding entrance signs into the City
Jack LaRochelle stated that the contract is going out to bid on February 26th. The bid award will be
on the March 28t~ Council agenda. The annual contractor will grade and prepare the site. The
contract award will be to construct the foundation, the sign with letters and Iogos, and the wrought
iron fence. Recreation and Parks Department staff will do the landscaping.
C. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding fees for use of community centers
Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford explained that this was a referral from Councilmember
Carson to waive the room rental fee and make Martin Luther King, Jr. Center available to 501(c)3
groups, with payment only for direct costs associated with the event, such as extra staff time. The
fee schedule currently includes fees for non-profits. This would occur only in the off-season during
normal operating hours. Fund-raisers and staff meetings would not qualify, only events that benefit
the community. The City would retain priority for its events. Kern County has a similar program.
The Committee unanimously approved staff's recommendation to change the fee schedule to waive
the room rental for Martin Luther King, Jr. Center as described above for 501(c)3 groups and
forwarding to the Council for approval. (Councilmember Carson absent)
D. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding swimming pool fees
(The Committee voted to move this item to be heard last)
Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford explained that Councilmember Carson referred the issue
of making the use of City pools available at no charge to citizens who meet the Iow-income
guidelines, as defined by HUD. Staff reviewed a similar program being used successfully at Billings,
Montana. Staff is recommending that if people (qualified for a pass) choose a pool with Iow
attendance, free passes would be available to swim all summer long, but if they choose to swim at
a pool with high demand, such as Silver Creek, they would be issued 20 free passes (perhaps a
punch card). A nontransferable pass would be issued for each family member living at the same
address.
The Committee unanimously approved staff's recommendation for this change to swimming pool
fees and forwarding to the Council for approval.
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Page -3-
5. NEW BUSINESS
A. Staff report and Committee recommendation regarding proposed changes to park and
community center facility rental policies for exclusive use and special events
Parks and Recreation Director Stan Ford stated his staff will be giving the report, but wanted to point
out that there are two Fee Schedule changes and a proposed ordinance change that will have to
go to Council for approval. This is mostly an informational update and a request for input if the
Committee has any concerns or suggestions.
Recreation and Parks staff have been working on streamlining the processes and implementing
some procedural changes to standardize procedures/paperwork for better communication and
quality control to improve customer service, monitoring of rental permits and deadlines. Plans are
to add a temporary reservation specialist to assist with the transition and software programs.
Recreation Supervisor Terri Ellison gave an update on the proposed policy changes. The proposed
policy changes have been recommended by the Citizens Community Services Advisory Committee
and include:
Increase the hourly surcharge fee for rental that exceeds 10:00 p.m. This change has been
submitted for the Fee Schedule.
Security Guards for special events for rentals that exceed 300 people. There would be one guard
for the first 300 people and an additional guard for each 100 people. The customer may select the
security guards from the City's approved list.
A certificate of insurance would be required for all rental of facilities that includes an alcohol
consumption permit. Every rental that has an alcohol consumption permit would require signing an
agreement that states any time during the event that the police are required to be called, or staff
needs to close the event because they are over capacity or other reason, rental fees are forfeited.
Set guidelines to charge additional fees for rental of parks and facilities when attendance is greater
than 500 due to extra staff required for restroom cleaning, trash, etc.
Eliminate fees required for rental of chairs, tables, scoreboard, PA system, projectors, portable
stage and piano at Martin Luther King Jr., Center. These fees are currently on the Fee Schedule.
Deposit requirements would be based on the number of people at an event. For the centers it would
be $100 for150 people or less; 151 - 500 people would be $150.00; and more than 500 people
would be $250. For picnic areas and pools it would be $50 for 150 people or fewer; 151 - 500 people
would be $100; and more that 500 people would be $250. This is a refundable deposit and would
allow for cost recovery if anything were broken or the client does not clean the facilities.
There is a need to lengthen advance time to reserve facilities for special events, for example a
wedding. Currently you can only reserve four months in advance. It is proposed to change this to
nine months for special events and six months for a regular event. This will require a change to the
current ordinance.
The Committee discussed the ordinance change, required certificates of insurance and expressed
no objections to the fee schedule changes being submitted, ordinance change or proposed policies
as presented by staff. (Council,member Carson absent)
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Page -4-
Bi Committee discussion and adoption of 2001 Committee meeting schedule
The meeting schedule was adopted (Councilmember Carson absent). It was noted that there may
be scheduling conflicts for the meeting scheduled on August 15th.
6. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Staff attending: City Manager Alan Tandy, Assistant City Manager Alan Christensen; City Attorney Bart
'Thiltgen; Assistant to the City Manager Darnell Haynes; Recreation and Parks Director Stan Ford; Interim
Public Works Director Jack LaRochelle; Recreation and Parks staff: Supervisor Terri Ellison, Supervisor
Sally Ihmels, and Specialist Holly Larson.
Other§: Tammi Brown, Reporter, KUZZ; Pete Yackley, Bakersfield Blades Figure Skaters; Matthew
Riley, Bakersfield Condors; Jonathan Webster, southeast resident.
cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council
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