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Home My WebLink About08-21-2000 Park and Recreation Commission AgendasSaratoga Parks and Recreation Commission Special Meeting City Hall Administrative Offices 13 7 7 7 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga Monday, August 21, 2000 7:00 p.m. AGENDA Organization a> Roll Call: Alberts, Clabeaux, Dodge, Fronczak, Ioannou, Olsen, Seroff B) Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2 the agenda was properly posted on August 11, 2000 II. Administration A) None III. Oral Written Communication This section is for the public to speak on any item not on the agenda (3 minute limit). IV. New Business None V. Old Business El Quito Park presentation/Public Input Session (3 minute limit). Proposal to relocate Pony League baseball from Congress Springs Park to El Quito Park and eliniinate present adult softball usage. VI. Commissioner Staff Reports A> City Hall Update by Staff Liaison Bloomquist B) Commissioner Reports VII. Adjournment �'he �i� �f �ara��ga �a�ks and ]�ecreat��n ��r�iss�on ��vites you t� a�e�d �u� meeting �n �OII(�� Y.Y�U3� �00� 100� �➢.IgYo to discuss propose� irnpx°��er�ex�� t� Efl QuIl�� P�r� �ackg�-o�nd: The City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission, at their regular meetings last year, discussed Congress Springs Park in an effort to increase the number of playfields and improve safety for users. The information gathered by the Commission was presented to City Council, which gave approval to proceed with the proj ect. The City has since retained an architect to produce design drawings for Congress Springs Park. A result of the redesign of Congress Springs Park is the elimination of the Pony League baseball field. This baseball field is used for kids twelve and over. One oprion being proposed is the construction of a Pony League Baseball Field at El Quito Park in place of the existing softball field. This initial public meeting will give the El Quito residents an opportunity to review the proposed project and provide valuable feedback to City Staff and the Commission. The 1Vleeting wilY �e�e� a� (:ity �Ia�� 13777 �rui�v�.�� Av�nu� Sarato�a 95070 �For f��°��e�° Il�f�rffiati��n please con�act ��°g� ��oo�quis� fln the Ci�y 1Vlana�e�°� �f�ic� �68mg�� CI'�'Y, I�AKOIe1E �OUNI�ATIOI�T NEGO'I'IATE LONG-TER1V� LEASE By KnRn CHnuNms On Aug. 2, the Saratoga City Council agreed to negotiate a 55-year lease with the Hakone Foundation, which operates Hakone Gardens, the authenticJapanese gardens and cultural center off Highway 9 in the ciry limits. Hakone is also a park. There was some question as to whether the city would open up the bidding for a long-term lease to other organizations similar to the non- profit Hakone Foundation. But as Council- man Nick Streit pointed out at the meeting, sending out requesu for proposals to other groups interested in leasing the facility might be a waste of time. Streit said the city would jyst be looking for something it already has. The ciry tumed the operationc of the gardens over to the foundation in 1994, saving the city thousands of dollais per year. The latest oper- ating agreement between the city and the foun- dation was signed in 1997 and expires in 2004. In March, the president of the foundation, Dan Pulcrano, asked the city if it would nega tiate a long-term lease, so the foundation could receive greater funding. The point of establishing a long-term lease is to give the foundation securiry. A lease that expires every few yeacs sends a message to possible donors that the organization may be short-lived, Pulcrano said. A long-term lease would allow the foundation to raise more funds from donors and also attract people to be board members, Pulcrano said. The lease agreement the foundation has proposed would make the foundation inde- pendent from the city. That would allow the foundation to elect its own board of trustees, which is today appointed by the city council. The relationship between the city end the foundation would become solely a landlord- tenant relationship under the proposed lease. "Donors like to give money for something that will outlast them," Pulcrano said, adding that donors may not invest in an organization that the city council could dissolve at any time. Pulcrano is the executive editor of the Sn Rn�rocn News and CEO of its parent com- pany, Metro Newspapers. He has been the foundation's president since June 1999. At the meeting on Aug. 2, Councilman Evan Baker asked Pulcrano who would look out for the city's interesu. Bakerquestioned whether the lease was in the city's best interest. According to Pulcrano, the foundation's interests are very much aligned with the city's. He said both sides want to maintain a beautiful place for residenis to visit, a5 well as a faciliry that would draw tourists and bring money to the dty. "Our number one objcctive is preserva- tion." Pulcrano said. Acoording to Pulasno, the foundation intcnds to invest millions in improving the gardens. "We're doing this because we think it's the best way to preserve and operate a communi- ty instiwtion," Pulcrano said. At the meeting, the council voted unani- mously (Councilman Joha Mehaffey was absent) to negotiate a lease not to exceed 55 ��.��gll� Continued from page 9 years. The council held off discussiag the terms of the agreement until its second meeting in September. The foundation's board of trustees actu- ally approved a 60-year lease with two possible 15-year extensions, Pulcrano said: But he said that the 55-year lease the council agreed upon was long enough. According to the city attomey, the pos- sible 90-year lease might have required a competitive bidding process, where the council would have had to consider any other organization that wanted to lease the gardens. By settling on a 55-year lease, the council avoided the RFP process. which can take months. and preserved its rela- tionship with the Hakone Foundation. According to the terms of the lease, which still has not been finalized, the city would pay the cost of bringing the gardens up to a standard of good condition, total- ing some $750.000 for road repairs, park- ing lot repairs and pest control. Ta►e foun- dation would then be responsible far maintaining parts of the facility, while the city would be responsible for other parts. A new benefit that the city staf[ negoti- ated was for all residents to get in and park at the gardens for free. In the future, �Iakone may institute an admissions fee to nonresidents to help pay for maintenance. 'foday, anyone who parks must pay $5, but otherwise, admission is free. According to the proposed agreement, the city would pay about $66,000 per year for one gardener, but would phase out the costs over seven years. The foundation would then pick up the cost. Also, the caretaker's cottage, which was converted through a federal grant into an affordable living space, would be trans- formed into a visitor center, gift shop and perhaps a tea garden, meaning that the current tenant would have to leave. The foundation would pay the city so the city could repay Housing and Urban Devel- opment [or the grant, since the space would no longer be used as a low-income housing project. ��nery �earin� �et for Augo 15 The public hearing on the appeal of the Mountain Win- ery's use permit has been scheduled for Aug. 15. The Santa Clara County Board of Supemsors will hear the appeal in its chambers at 70 West Hedding S� in San Jose. The time of the hearing will likely be 2 p.m.. according to John Brazil in Supervisor Jce Simitian's office. The time will be listed on the board's agenda, available online at santaclaracounty.org/mtgs_2 OOO.htm on the �riday before the aieeting. Please turn to pvge 10 Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission Special Meeting City Hall Administrative Offices 13 7 7 7 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga Monday, August 21, 2000 7:00 p.m. AGENDA Or�anizahon A) Roll Call: Alberts, Clabeaux, Dodge, Fronczak, Ioannou, Olsen, Seroff s> Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2 the agenda was properly posted on August 11, 2000 II. Administration A) None III. Oral Written Communication This section is for the public to speak on any item not on the agenda (3 minute limit). IV. New Business None V. Old Business El Quito Park presentation/Public Input Session (3 minute limit). Proposal to relocate Pony League baseball from Congress Springs Park to El� Quito Park and elinunate present adult softball usage. VI. Commissioner Staff Reports n) Ciry Hall Update by Staff Liaison Bloomquist s) Commissioner Reports VII. Adiournment