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Home My WebLink About11-10-2009 PRC Agenda Packet City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission AGENDA DATE: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. LOCATION: Saratoga City Hall Warner Hutton House 13777 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 Call to Order Roll Call Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, this meeting was properly posted on November 6, 2009. Accept Agenda Items: No additional items may be added pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2. Oral & Written Communication: Any member of the public may address the Commission about any matter not on the agenda for this meeting for up three minutes. Commissioners may not comment on the matter, but may choose to place the topic on a future agenda. Commissioner Announcements Approval of Draft Minutes: Draft Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Minutes for the September 8, 2009 meeting. Staff Reports: (This section is informational only; no actions will be taken.) 1. Crystal Morrow, Staff Liaison Old Business: 1. Partnership Opportunities with the Youth Commission Issue: In March 2009, the PRC held a joint meeting with the Youth Commission to discuss opportunities to collaborate. Two members of the Youth Commission will be attending the November meeting to further discuss partnership ideas. Action: PRC will discuss partnership opportunities with the Youth Commission representatives and schedule future agenda items if necessary. 2. Tree Planting Opportunities Issue: At the September 2009 PRC Meeting, Commissioners agreed to identify locations to plant trees on public property and report back at the November 2009 meeting. Action: PRC will share potential tree planting locations with staff. 3. North Campus Name Contest Issue: At the direction of the City Council, the PRC has been leading an effort to involve the community to rename the North Campus. The PRC has collected suggested names through a contest that was held from September to October. Action: PRC will review proposed names and select the top five recommendations to be presented to the City Council for decision during the November 18, 2009 City Council Meeting. New Business: 4. Work Plan Update Issue: During the last PRC meeting, Commissioners agreed to identify potential awards or events for the Commission to add to its work plan. Action: Discuss the PRC’s schedule for the next year and events, awards, or other items the Commission has an interest in pursuing and add these items to the PRC work plan. Commissioner Reports (including Park Reports) Agenda Items for Next Meeting ‐ January 12, 2009 Adjournment In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability‐ related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 408.868.1269 or ctclerk@saratoga.ca.us. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least one full business day before the start of the meeting. Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda Note: In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials provided to the Parks and Recreation Commission by City staff in connection with this agenda are available at the office of the City Manager at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California 95070. Any materials distributed by staff after the posting of the agenda are made available for public review at the office of the City Manager at the time they are distributed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Certificate of Posting of Agenda: I, Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda for the meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of Saratoga was posted on November 6, 2009 at the office of the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070 and was available for public review at that location. The agenda is also available on the City’s website at www.saratoga.ca.us. City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission MINUTES DATE: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 TIME: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. LOCATION: Saratoga City Hall Warner Hutton House 13777 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 Call to Order – 6:33 p.m. Roll Call Present: Bruno, Goldberg, Johnson, Soukup, Wilson Absent: None Staff: Cauthorn, Morrow Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, this meeting was properly posted on September 3, 2009. Accept Agenda Items: No additional items may be added pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2. Oral & Written Communication: Any member of the public may address the Commission about any matter not on the agenda for this meeting for up three minutes. Commissioners may not comment on the matter, but may choose to place the topic on a future agenda. ‐ No oral communications Commissioner Announcements ‐ Goldberg announced she will be attending a meeting on September 9, 2009 to discuss plans to hold a historical bike ride through Saratoga. More information will be available soon. ‐ Wilson noted that the Commission has been invited to participate in the Taste of Saratoga City Council booth. Approval of Draft Minutes: Draft Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Minutes for the July 14, 2009 meeting. ‐ SOUKUP: MOVED TO ACCEPT MINUTES ‐ WILSON: SECOND ‐ APPROVED: 5‐0 Staff Reports: (This section is informational only; no actions will be taken.) 1. Claudia Cauthorn, Interim Recreation and Facilities Director ‐ No report given 2. Crystal Morrow, Staff Liaison ‐ No report given Old Business: 1. Azule Park – Petanque Court Location Issue: The PRC has been asked to recommend a location for a petanque court in Azule Park. Action: PRC will recommend a location for the petanque court. ‐ Soukup recused himself from discussion on the petanque court, since he lives within 500 feet of Azule Park. ‐ Katie Alexander, a Saratoga resident who lives near Azule Park, provided information about the history of the park’s development. ‐ Devin Utter, a Saratoga resident, spoke about Petanque players in the community. ‐ GOLDBERG: MOVED TO RECOMMEND THE LOCATION TO THE EAST OF THE TENNIS COURT ‐ JOHNSON: SECOND ‐ APPROVED: 5‐0 New Business: 2. Children’s Heritage Garden, Farm, and Heritage Trail Issue: Kathryn Mathewson and Betty Peck are leading an effort to purchase a piece of property in Saratoga and hope to turn the site into a City park called the Children’s Heritage Garden, Farm, and Heritage Trail. Doing so will require that the Council formally accept the donation of land and designate it as a City park. Consequently, Mathewson and Peck are seeking a recommendation from the PRC to the Council to accept the land and designate it as park space should the property be obtained. Action: PRC will make a recommendation to the City Council on whether or not to accept and then designate the proposed Children’s Heritage Garden, Farm, and Heritage Trail site as park space, should the property be acquired and donated to the City. ‐ Anna Peck Rainville presented the proposal for the Children’s Heritage Garden, Farm, and Heritage Trail. She indicated that they would like to turn the Buckman’s property on Saratoga Avenue into a City park. ‐ Kathryn Mathewson shared preliminary plans for the site and photos of the property. ‐ Goldberg asked if the group planned to purchase the property. ‐ Mathewson indicated that the group needs the PRC to recommend to Council to accept the property as park space, should the property be acquired and donated to the City. Mathewson added that the group has discussed purchasing the property with the Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District and the Trust for Public Land. Before moving forward in talks with either organization, they needed to know that the City is interested in adopting the site as park space. ‐ Wilson asked if the City would be responsible for maintenance if the property is donated to the City. ‐ Mathewson explained that they hope to create a nonprofit foundation to operate and maintain the property. ‐ The Commission discussed ideas for the Saratoga Children’s Heritage Garden, Farm, and Heritage Trail. SOUKUP: MOVED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL BE OPEN TO THE PROPOSAL AND AGREE TO ACCEPT AND THEN DESIGNATE THE PROPOSED CHILDREN’S HERITAGE GARDEN, FARM, AND HERITAGE TRAIL SITE AS PARK SPACE, SHOULD THE PROPERTY BE ACQUIRED AND DONATED TO THE CITY ‐ BRUNO: SECOND ‐ APPROVED: 5‐0 3. Amendment to Facility Use Policy and Fee Schedule Issue: With the upcoming completion of the renovations of Fellowship Hall at the North Campus, the City has started drafting a use policy for the North Campus to determine appropriate use and hours of operation for the City facility. Additionally, the completion of Kevin Moran Park requires an update to the fee schedule to allow the City to charge for rental of this park. The City Council is currently scheduled to take action on the amendments to the facility use policy and fee schedule at the October 21, 2009 City Council Meeting. Action: PRC will make a recommendation to the City Council on the facility use policy for the North Campus and fee schedule for Kevin Moran Park. ‐ Cauthorn reported on the need for adopting a new facility use policy for the North Campus and fee schedule for rentals at Kevin Moran Park. She requested a recommendation from the PRC on both issues. ‐ The Commission discussed the North Campus facility use policy and results of a community meeting with North Campus neighbors on the facility use policy. ‐ Tom Saari, a Saratoga resident who lives adjacent to the North Campus, said he appreciates the opportunity to discuss the facility use policy with the Commission. He indicated he is concerned about late night and morning use of the site, as it generates noise that disturbs neighbors. ‐ Jamal Haider, a member of the public, noted that he understands concerns over noise. However, he would like the facility to have more flexible hours of operation. He is part of a non‐profit organization currently using the facility, but will be unable to do so if the evening hours are reduced. ‐ Javed Khan, a Saratoga resident, said he is very sensitive to the concerns of neighbors. However, the hours of operation proposed by neighbors are unrealistic. Khan suggested techniques to control noise, rather than hours of use. ‐ William Ford , a Saratoga resident who lives near North Campus, said he is concerned about use of the North Campus and would like to limit hours of operation. ‐ Patty Woolcock, a Saratoga resident who lives next to North Campus, said her primary concern is noise. ‐ GOLDBERG: MOVED THAT THE PRC RECOMMEND A FACILITY USE POLICY THAT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: O PARKING LOT AT THE NORTH CAMPUS TO BE EMPTY AT 10:00 P.M. EVERY NIGHT AND BY 11:30 P.M. WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION. O THE 11:30 P.M. CLOSURE WOULD REQUIRE A SECURITY GUARD, EXTRA DEPOSIT, AND EVALUATION FOR FUTURE LATE NIGHT USE. O THE PRC WOULD REVIEW THE FACILITY USE POLICY IN 6 MONTHS TO DETERMINE IF IT IS EFFECTIVE AND IF IT NEEDS TO BE AMENDED. O IDENTIFICATION BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OF SOUND MITIGATION AND ALTERNATIVE PARKING OPTIONS. O NO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ALLOWED AFTER DUSK AND NO AMPLIFIED SOUND ALLOWED. ‐ BRUNO: SECOND ‐ SOUKUP REQUESTED A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO REMOVE THE 11:30 P.M CLOSURE OPTION FROM THE RECOMMENDATION. ‐ AMENDMENT ACCEPTED. ‐ AMENDED MOTION APPROVED: 4‐1 WITH BRUNO OPPOSED ‐ SOUKUP: MOVED TO ACCEPT A PROPOSAL FOR KEVIN MORAN PARK FEES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER PARK FEES. ‐ GOLDBERG SECOND ‐ APPROVED: 5‐0 4. Joint Meeting Wrap Up Issue: On September 3, 2009, the City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission held a joint meeting. During the meeting, the PRC members presented ideas for the Commission’s future and received feedback from the Council on these proposals. Action: PRC will review the joint meeting, discuss opportunities for the future, and update the Commission work plan if necessary. Bruno suggested each Commissioner brainstorm 3 events or awards they would like to pursue. ‐ Goldberg concurred. ‐ Johnson suggested the Commission identify locations where trees could be planted on City property. ‐ Wilson suggested inviting Kate Bear and Kevin Meek to a future PRC meeting to discuss tree plantings. ‐ Goldberg asked the Commission to also identify locations to plant trees before the next meeting, in addition to bringing ideas on events or awards to pursue. 5. Park Adoption Plan Issue: At the July meeting, the Commission indicated an interest in creating a plan that would allow Commissioners to adopt City parks and monitor assigned parks for any issues. Action: PRC will develop park adoption plan and make park assignments. ‐ Commissioners volunteered for park assignments and agreed to report on parks during Commission Announcements portion of PRC meetings. Commissioner: Park Assignment: Vita Bruno Blaney Plaza/Historical Park Foothill Park Kevin Moran Park Denise Goldberg Azule Park Brookglen Park Calabazas Creek Picnic Area Mark Johnson Bellgrove Park El Quito Park Wildwood Park Thomas Soukup Beauchamps Park Gardiner Park Ravenwood Park Lerry Wilson Congress Springs Park Heritage Orchard Commissioner Reports ‐ None Agenda Items for Next Meeting ‐ No additional items Adjournment – 9:56 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II City of Saratoga – City Manager’s Office City of Saratoga Memorandum To: City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission From: Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II City of Saratoga Date: November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Subject: Partnership Opportunities with the Youth Commission In March 2009, the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) held a joint meeting with the Youth Commission. During the meeting, the two Commissions discussed ways in which they could work together. Some of the ideas developed during the March 2009 joint meeting included finding ways to encourage youth to use Saratoga parks, collaboration on the City’s annual Arbor Day event, and identifying ways in which to incorporate parks in the education of local students. Representatives from the Youth Commission will be attending the November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting to further discuss opportunities to partner. City of Saratoga Memorandum To: City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission From: Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II City of Saratoga Date: November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Subject: Tree Planting Opportunities At the September 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Meeting, Commissioners decided to identify locations on City property where trees could be planted. Commissioners agreed to share potential locations during the November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. These locations will be reported back to the Public Works Department for further review. In addition to the PRC’s interest in identifying locations to plant trees on public property, the City Council recently voted to support a community effort to plant 2,015 trees by the year 2015. The effort, which will be tracked by the Heritage Tree Society of Saratoga, was inspired by New York City’s mission to plant one million trees in ten years. Councilmember Jill Hunter will be attending the meeting to discuss the 2015 by 2015 program. Attachments: - Staff report on 2015 by 2015 program - Saratoga News article from 1994 about Saratoga’s oaks trees SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: October 21, 2009 AGENDA ITEM: DEPARTMENT: Community Development CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson PREPARED BY: Kate Bear DIRECTOR: John F. Livingstone, AICP SUBJECT: A community effort to achieve the planting of 2,015 trees in Saratoga by the year 2015, starting on January 1, 2010. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Direct staff accordingly. BACKGROUND: In the recent past there has been an effort to raise the awareness of global warming, to introduce “green” building methods, and implement other means of mitigating it. Trees are a major factor in the reduction of global warming and often neglected in their contributions. They take in carbon dioxide to create food for themselves. They provide oxygen for us to breathe, cool our houses in the summer with their shade, absorb pollutants from traffic, and provide protection for pedestrians between streets and sidewalks. In 2007, the City of Saratoga became a Tree City USA. One of the requirements of being a Tree City is to recognize Arbor Day each year and plant trees as part of the celebration. Collecting information about how many trees are planted by residents can be added to the information the City has and includes in the Arbor Day celebration. Two years ago, New York City embarked upon a tree planting mission as a public-private partnership, together with the New York Restoration Project, to plant one million new trees in 10 years. Earlier this month they celebrated the 25% mark by planting the 250,000th tree with a ceremony. The idea for 2015 by 2015 in Saratoga came in part from this project in New York City. DISCUSSION: 1 If approved, the City would initiate a community project, starting on January 1, 2010, to plant 2,015 trees by December 31, 2015. The project would start tracking new trees planted by residents and the City, with the goal of planting 403 trees per year for five years. This project would raise awareness of efforts by residents and the City to replace the urban forest as trees die, and count newly planted trees put in as part of landscaping and new house projects. 2 The City issues approximately 400 tree removal permits every year for trees that are dead, dying, causing damage or threatening damage to improvements. The condition of approval for each permit is to replant a new tree to replace the one removed. This project would enable residents to enter their newly planted trees into a database and have their replacement trees counted towards the goal of 2,015 trees planted in five years. Residents also have projects to remodel their homes or build new houses, pools, second dwellings and other structures on their property. On occasion, a tree is in conflict with the project and is meets the criteria for removal in the City Code, Section 15-50.080. In these situations, it is acceptable to remove and replace it rather than to design the project to preserve it. When this happens, property owners are required to plant new trees equal to the appraised value of the trees approved for removal. This often results in several new trees planted for the one removed. At final inspection of the project, the City Arborist verifies the new trees planted to replace those removed, prior to releasing the tree protection security deposit. These trees can be included in the database. The City Department of Public Works plants new trees each year in parks and along main arterials. Since 2006, the City planted a total of 276 trees. Those trees are tracked and included in a report each year to Tree City USA. The City would be able to include information on residential trees planted in the report to Tree City USA. No permit is required to plant new trees on residential property so any resident can plant a tree if they choose. The cost to the City in staff time to issue and inspect for a tree planting permit is cost-prohibitive at this time. This project would provide a low-cost means for the City to count residential trees planted outside of projects. Elements of the project would include: 1) The Heritage Tree Society has offered to purchase and install a carved wood sign saying “Saratoga, Proudly a Tree City USA”. They would like to install the sign on Saratoga Avenue at the gateway into the city. The sign would have a place on it to keep a tally of trees planted. Volunteers would be responsible for changing the tally on the sign on a monthly or quarterly basis, as determined by City Council. 2) The Heritage Tree Society would also create a database on their website to keep track of trees planted. This would require creating a form that residents can fill out and submit to the Heritage Tree Society. Volunteers would upload the information from the forms to the database on a periodic basis. Information to be included on the database would include the date planted, number of trees planted, and location where trees were planted. A blank form could be included with every tree removal permit approved by the City, along with directions on how to submit it to the Heritage Tree Society for inclusion on the database. 3) An article about the project in the Saratogan, to correspond to the kickoff of the project (Winter 2010 issue), letting residents know about the project and how to include their new trees. Follow-up articles may be desired as well to note progress towards the goal of planting 2,015 new trees. 3 ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Sections 15306 and 15307. The planting of trees and collection of information about the number of trees planted per year for five years will provide the City with valuable information that is currently not available. This information would also help the City to document the mitigation action taken by its residents to replace trees removed through the permitting process. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Not required. FISCAL IMPACTS: None. The Heritage Tree Society would cover all costs related to the sign and provide volunteers for all activities, with minimal to no cost to the City. CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION: No official count of new trees planted will occur. ALTERNATIVE ACTION: Provide staff with alternative direction. FOLLOW UP ACTION: Provide staff with direction for follow up action. ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT: Notice of this meeting was properly posted and published in the Saratoga News on October 6??, 2009. Staff has not received any negative comments on the proposed amendments as of the writing of this staff report. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Article from the New York Times about New York City’s tree planting effort lume41, umbcr21 Jerving Jaratoga since J955 Wednesday, May 25,1994 Saratoga's famous trees are in danger of dying c..-Page 18 18 SARATOGANEWSj~lAY25t 1994 Saratoga's oak trees are in trouble. Barrie Coate, Saratoga's city arborist, has no trouble ticking off several examples of trou bled oaks he's seen around the city. There's an oak on Tollgate Road that he says is headed for disaster because a homeowner has planted a dense stand of ivy and a sprinkler under the tree. The ivy competes with the oak for air, and the water necessary to maintain the ivy in the summer promotes root disease in the tree. In a few years, the tree will become dangerous, he says. Coate says he has pulled fistfuls of rotted wood out of the base of a huge,70-year-old oak in front of the Inn at Saratoga. More than half of the trunk collar is decayed. The cause: dirt was piled around the trunk of the tree when the city park ing lot was graded. Eventually, he says, the tree will fall over. He has recommended that the city remove it before someone is hurt. On Fruitvale A venue,in front of City Hall,one of the older oak trees is in a severe state of decline. City officials say that the tree will have to come out in the next year or so. The problem: a combination of asphalt covering the roots on either side of the tree, and bad pruning several years back, Coate says. All trees, but particularly Cali fornia's native oak trees, are inter... twined with Saratoga's image of itself. They are a prominent feature in Saratoga's city logo, as well as those of local businesses. Certain trees have become landmarks, like Uthe" old tree at Saratoga Elemen tary School-a tree that's approxi mately 115 years old-and residents are fiercely protective of them. Despite that strong attachment, the trees may not be with us for much longer. That's because the trees are getting old and are start ing to die. And thus far they aren't being replaced. In the next 10 to 30 years, Coate says, Saratogans will begin to see big changes in their environment. A large part of the problem is human intervention. Humans chop through the root systems of trees to lay down utility lines, cut down branches to make way for overhead cables, pave over the earth for the benefit of cars and landscape under them with water-hungry plants. All of these activities put a strain on trees, shortening their lives. Even under ideal conditions, trees eventually reach the end of their lifespan. That's exactly what's happening to many of Saratoga's old oaks, says Coate. "If residents really appreciate that ambiance, the sooner they get busy replanting in those areas, the sooner they'll be able to create that ambiance for their grandchildren," says Coate. "It's already too late to replace [the trees] for their children." Closing the loopholes The illegal razing of a hillside property owned by the Cocciardi family in 1989, which included the removal of a number of mature trees, galvanized the city to look more closely at its tree ordinance. A report prepared by the Citizens' Investigative Committee, which rees e In trOll e Without help, Saratoga's oaks will die away Text by.LAURA STUCHINSKY Photographs by EDMUND LEE -----------------looked into the incident,chastlsea The larger picture the city for failing to monitor the But the issue is larger than avoid- tree-removal process on the prop-ing the hazards of development. erty, "despite th~ city's a~owed Between 1945 and 1985, California interest in preservmg trees. And, lost more than 425,000 acres of it noted, none of the tree removal hardwood forests. And that's only companies that participated in the part of the picture.According to a unapproved tree removal had per-study released in 1988, several mits to do the work. spe~Qtoak..includin2.tWo found As a result ofthe report, which here in Saratoga-eoastLive Oak was issued in 1991, a number of (an evergreen oak) and Valley Oak operational changes were made. (adeciduousoak)-are in serious Consequently, Coate says, Sarato-. trouble because they aren't regen ga is doing a lot more t.h~n ~any of erating themselves. The trees are its neighbors to mmIffiJ~e the dropping acorns, but the seedlings impact of development on Its tree aren't growing to maturity. population. Howeve~, t~ere are Dr. Norman Pillsbury, a forestry other jurisdictions-Visalia,Thou-professor at Cal Poly,San Luis Obis sand Oaks and Sacramento Coun-po, says that there are a number of ty-that are much farther ahead. reasons why this is happening. These were some of the models that Unlike the native grasses that the tree committee used to develop used to blanket the area, the non its own ordinance. native, exotic grasses that were Now three years after they introduced by Anglo settlers tend began: the committee is. nearly to cover the ground uniformly, ready to go public. TheIr ordI-allowing less room for oaks and nance, and a companion guideline other species to grow. They are that will spell out the. why an.d also water hogs, compared to wherefore of the ordmance, IS native plants, and compete with expected to go to public he~ri~gs oaks for moisture. The profuse before the Planning CommISSIon seeds generated by the exotic and City Council this summer. grasses allowed the populations "I think we may be kidding our-of gophers, field mice an~ groun.d selvesthatwearesavingtbistreeand squirrels to explode, whIle theIr that treeif we accept building plans predators-foxes, coyotes and that allow the remaining trees to be badgers-were exterminated, damaged," says Pla~g Commis-according to California's sionerandTreeCoffiffiltteemember Threatened Environment, pub Meg Caldwell. "The trick is how to lished by the California Planning build in conditions-the bells and and Conservation League last whistlesandtriggers-thatwillallow year. As a consequence, the the city to catch these things before rodents were able to rampage the serious damage occurs." acorns and seedlings. Coast live Although the ordinance is still oak can sprout from the base of being amended, some of.the f~a-an existing tree, but Pillsbury tures being considered formcluslOn said,that method of reproduction include: will only permit the existing • A requirement that developers grove of trees to regenerate follow protection measures out-themselves, not expand. And linedbythecityarboristafteracon-meanwhile, the older trees are struction permit is issue~ by the reaching the end of their lifespan. city. For example, ensunng that "We don't have a successful way construction vehicles stay out ofthe of restoring oak stands on a large protected zone around trees. scale basis,"says Pillsbury. "If we • Expanding the protected zone don't solve that problem in the next to at least five feet beyond the drip 20-30 years, we're going to watch line (the periphery of the tree the old ones die off."And once they foliage), or as determined by the do, he said, the shade they provide arborist. On oak trees, roots can will go, the soil conditions w!1I extend two or three times beyond change, and different species wIll the drip line. . move in. Then it will be even more • Encouraging utility compames difficult to reclaim the oak forests. and developers to use other methods b & besides trenching to lay cables,such Saving ur an lorests as boring or drilling holes through Although conditions in rural the root zone. Or to locate utility areas of California look bleak for lines further away from the tree. oak trees urban forests have a • To require homeowners to slight adv~tage because.they exist obtain a permit to prune protected in a more controlled enVironment, trees (oaks whose main trunk is cities have a capital base to work more than 10 inches in diameter from-as tight atthose might be and other trees that are larger than and people are willing to help, says 12inchesindiameter)iftheydonot Pillsbury. But money is a factor intend to follow the International even in the city. Society of Arboriculture pruning standards or are going to prune more than 30 percent ofthe tree. Saratoga spends approximately $35,000 on tree maintenance pruning and general tree work. There is no money in the budget for planting new trees, apart from replacing the trees in the city's Her itage Orchard. "People would be shocked to know the condition that the trees they love on Saratoga Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue are in," Lisa Kurasch, a landscape designer and a member ofthe city's Tree Com mittee, says. "They are about to go kaput, and there's no money to replace them." One strategy the tree committee has come up wi th is to create a tree fund. Now, whenever a property owner has to remove a tree to build on their property, they have to replace a tree of an equivalent value elsewhere on the property. But sometimes there's no room to plant a replacement tree. In that case, the committee said, the home owners should be required to put an amount equivalent to the cost of the tree into a tree fund, main tained by the city, that the city could use to plant new trees else where in the city. A tree fund may provide part of the answer, but, according to staff, the circumstances that would require an investment into the fund occur infrequently. In order to simply maintain the same num ber of oak trees that the city has now, Coate says the city would need to plant at least twice, if not three times, the number of trees that are removed. lithe city want ed to make up for the dead trees and the smaller trees that are not counted when they are removed, the city would need to plant four or five times that number. The costs of installing just one IS-gal Ion tree is $120.. "If people truly care enough to support a tree preservation and replacement program wit? mone¥, I hate to say it, but that s what It comes to." Coate says. "It may be more efficient to use the money for planting rather than pruning." Still Caldwell says, the trust fund is "a st~rt. It's better than what we've got right now, which is nothing." City of Saratoga Memorandum To: City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission From: Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II City of Saratoga Date: November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Subject: North Campus Name Contest During the City Council’s joint meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2008, the Council asked the Commission to lead a public process to rename the North Campus. Following the meeting, the Commission became familiar with the site to gain a better perspective of potential uses of the site and how the name could help brand the City facility. Additionally, the Commission reviewed the City’s naming policy. The Commission then created rules for a public contest to rename the North Campus based on the intended uses of the North Campus and the City’s naming policy. Below are the rules established by the Commission for the naming contest: - Name must reflect the surrounding environment or make a historic connection with the site - Name must include the word Saratoga - Name must be 5 words or less The public was allowed to submit proposals online, by mail, or in person. Submissions for the contest were accepted between September 24, 2009 and October 23, 2009. During this time, 58 name proposals were received. Some of the submissions are duplicates or did not meet contest criteria. Staff has left these submissions in the attached list of proposed names. The Parks and Recreation Commission now needs to review all of the proposals and select the top 5 names, which will be presented to the City Council for selection on November 18, 2009. Attachment: - Names submitted for the North Campus Name Contest North Campus Name Contest Submissions 1 North Campus Name Contest Submissions 1. City of Saratoga North Campus 2. Grace Center of Saratoga 3. Prospect Park Saratoga 4. Saratoga Activity Center 5. Saratoga Activity Center 6. Saratoga Blue Hills Community Center 7. Saratoga Center for the Community 8. Saratoga Charm 9. Saratoga Community Center 10. Saratoga Community Center North 11. Saratoga Community Center North (SCCN) 12. Saratoga Community Prospect 13. Saratoga Cultural Center (S.C.C.) 14. Saratoga Cultural Center (SCC) 15. Saratoga Event Center 16. Saratoga Family Life Center 17. Saratoga Fellowship Center 18. Saratoga Friendship Festival Center 19. Saratoga Friendship Hall 20. Saratoga Friendship Park 21. Saratoga Gatehouse at Blue Hills 22. Saratoga Grace Campus 23. Saratoga Grace Center 24. Saratoga Grace Community House 25. Saratoga Greenlands Campus 26. Saratoga Hope Hall 27. Saratoga in the North Woods 28. Saratoga in the Woods 29. Saratoga International Unity Hall 30. Saratoga Multi‐Cultural Community Center 31. Saratoga North Community Center 32. Saratoga North Community Center North Campus Name Contest Submissions 2 33. Saratoga Place 34. Saratoga Prospect Campus 35. Saratoga Prospect Campus 36. Saratoga Prospect Campus 37. Saratoga Prospect Campus (or Center) 38. Saratoga Prospect Center 39. Saratoga Prospect Park 40. Saratoga Prospect Rotunda 41. Saratoga Ranch 42. Saratoga Recreation Center 43. Saratoga Serene Center 44. Saratoga Toll Gate Center 45. Saratoga United Events Center 46. Saratoga Unity Center 47. Saratoga's Grace United Community Center 48. Saratoga‐West Valley Community Center 49. Saratoga Fellowship Campus 50. Saratoga Fellowship Campus 51. The Saratoga Family Center Submissions that did not meet contest criteria: 52. Family Life Center 53. Grace Campus 54. Grace Center 55. Prospect Community Center 56. The Beautiful Place 57. The Grace Center at Prospect 58. The Ranch on Prospect City of Saratoga Memorandum To: City of Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission From: Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst II City of Saratoga Date: November 10, 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Subject: Work Plan Update During the September 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), Commissioners agreed to identify awards, events, and other items to add to the Commission’s work plan. Commissioners were asked to bring work plan proposals to the November meeting to share with others. This item has been added to the PRC agenda to allow Commissioners to reevaluate the PRC’s work plan and schedule for the next year. A progress report of the items placed on the work plan during the January 2009 meeting is below: Work Plan Item Additional Information Action Taken Partnership with the Youth Commission Partnership ideas included: ‐ After school program update ‐ Concerts ‐ Geocaching in Saratoga parks ‐ Local school music group performances in City parks ‐ Renaming of the North Campus ‐ Youth Commission film festival Discussed at March 2009 joint meeting with Youth Commission, further discussion at November 2009 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Increasing Recreation Department class enrollment PRC hoped to support efforts to increase enrollment in Saratoga’s recreation programs. Discussed at July 2009 meeting. Interim Recreation and Facilities Director Claudia Cauthorn provided Commission with information about how the PRC could help. Planning for joint meeting with City Council Commission developed list of ideas to discuss with the City Council. Joint meeting held September 2009. Informational report on field use Commission directed by the City Council to review field use. Report given at May 2009 meeting. Commission decided to take no further action. Discussion on Joe’s Trail Commission agreed to discuss development of Joe’s Trail Information reports have been provided to the Commission, but no action has been taken. Attachment: ‐ Parks and Recreation Commission 2010 meeting calendar MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 123 1234567 45678910 891011121314 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 1234567 1234 891011121314 567891011 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 12 123456 3456789 78910111213 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31 MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 1234 1 567891011 2345678 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 123 45 1 23 6789101112 45678910 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MTWTFSS MTWTFSS 12345 67 123 45 891011121314 6789101112 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 Meeting Election of Chair and Vice Chair NOVEMBER DECEMBER OCTOBER AUGUST JUNEMAY JULY SEPTEMBER Parks and Recreation 2010 Meeting Calendar MARCH FEBRUARYJANUARY APRIL