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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-10-1995 Parks and Recreation AgendaI. • AGENDA SARATOGA PARRS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING TIME: Monday, July 10, 1995 - 7:30 P.M. PLACE: Administrative Conference Room City Hall 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California TYPE: Regular Meeting I. ORGANIZATION A) Roll Call B) Minutes (Meeting of June 13, 1995) C) Posting of Agenda Pursuant of Government Code 54954.2 the agenda for this meeting was posted on the City Hall Kiosk on July 6, 1995. II. OLD BUSINESS None III. NEW BUSINESS A) Proposed Composting Demonstration Station at El Quito Park. B) Review of action items from the Joint Commission/Council meeting of June 13, 1995. C) Election of Commission Chair/Vice-Chairperson and appointment of Secretary to the Commission. IV. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS A) Hoffman Letter B) Santa Clara Valley Water District, Adopt-A-Creek Program V. ,~~~" COMMISSION AND STAFF REPORTS A) Commissioner's Reports Previous Month Council Meeting Report C) Recreation Department Status Report-Joan Pisani D) Park Maintenance Division Update-Bob Rizzo - ~ ~~, In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Parks Superintendent, Bob Rizzo, at (408) 867-3438. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. • M E M O R A N D II M TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Secretary, Parks and Recreation Commission SUBJECT: MEETING OF MONDAY JULY 10, 1995 **************************************************************** III. NEW BUSINESS A) Proposed Composting Demonstration Station at E1 Ouito Park Barbara Mansfield will present to the Commission a proposal for installation of a small composting demonstration station at E1 Quito Park. The area need for the station is located next to the City's Community Garden Plots and the back fence of the park. • B) Review of Action Items From the Joint Commission/City Council Meeting of June 13, 1995. Secretary Rizzo will review with the Commission a number of action items that the City Council request the Commission and staff develop and report back to the Council. Please review enclosed minutes of June 13. C) Election of Commission Chair/Vice-Chairperson and Appointing of Secretary to the Commission As a result of a delay of appointment and re-appointment of Commission members last October 1994, the Commission recommended to hold elections at its November 7, 1994 meeting. The Commission can stay on its current twelve (12) month schedule call for election in November 1995 or approve election and appointment at this meeting. Please let Janice know if you will be unable to attend this meeting (867-3438 Ext. 245) ~~ • Bob zo, Secretary jw 1T~1- '11:1' - /~ PSG v . OR ~, 'c '~ .~ o { ~ .~ W ~ ~~ Y I ~ ", •i •a~ Phone (908) 299-2635 Santa CIarS CORIIty ~ c'~~ ~ ^'~'~. Home Composting Education Program "~~~~~ ~~~_' University of California Cooperative Eztension ~ti ~.~ ~ r~., T,t C V FAX (408)246-7016 68 North Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95050 TDD (408)247-1371 WEST VALLEY HOME COMPOSTING DEMONSTRATION SITE PROPOSAL The Home Composting Education Program (HCEP) for West Valley Cities proposes establishment of a composting demonstration site at Quito Park in the City of Saratoga. The goal of the HCEP Master Composters in proposing the site is to provide a unique recycling and gardening improvement resource available to all citizens of the community. ' Examples of several types of composting methods, including worm composting (vermiculture), will be maintained and set-up by Master Composters and area volunteers. The site proposed at Quito Park is adjacent to the Saratoga Community Gardens and a children's recreational area, which are symbiotic efforts since the composting. arena will be used for educational purposes. There will be no costs to the City of Saratoga in the establishment, set-up or maintenance of the composting demonstration site. All costs will be assumed by the volunteers to the HCEP. West Hope Church across the fence from Quito Park and the proposed site has agreed to allow HCEP to tap into its garden water line and City of Saratoga Parks maintenance has indicated there will be no lack of raw material available for composting through normal Park gardening efforts (these materials are currently disposed of in the landfill). Benefits to the City of Saratoga a. an important environmental/recycling educational tool is established; b. potential reduction in the amount of household solid waste being picked up and disposed of as refuse; • c. the use of compost in home gardens will improve the community's soil and the gardener's productivity; (more) Funded by Santa Clara County Agriculture • Community Resource Development • Family and Consumer Science • 4-H Youth • Horticulture • Master Gardeners g\ Y oR ~~ :: ~i .7 FE O • t. ~ i'' a 's ~ r ~~ ••• . Phone (908) 299-2635 Home Composting Demonstration Site Proposal (2) d. a demonstrable additional commitment to the mandates of California State AB 939; e. grounds maintenance for this part of Quito Park will no longer be the responsibility of City employees. HCEP views the Home Composting Demonstration Site as a lasting City of Saratoga resource, and if permission is granted for use ' of~the site foresees its completion taking about 12 months from the date of approval. O 'N~. ante Clara Couaty .r\~~tl~/,'G Home Composting Education Program University of California Cooperative Esteasion tiT^ ~ r~,. '' FAX (408)246-7016 68 North Winchester Bivd., Sartta Clara, California 95050 TDD (408)247-1371 • submitted by Barbara Mansfield, Master Composter -- - - - -- -- ~ - - --- -- - -- ' -~~1_~'9~' (signed) (da f ~b ~~~ ~g KK/ms 7-3-95 • Funded by Santa Clara County Agriculture • Community Resource Development • Family and Consumer Science • 4-H Youth • Horticulture • Master Gardeners -_- --- .. MINIITES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL rte ~ - L3 TIME: Tuesday, June 13, 1995 - 7:00 p.m. • PLACE: City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. TYPE: Special Meeting/Adjourned Regular Meeting/Jt. Meeting with Parks and Recreation Commission SPECIAL MEETING - CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR Agency negotiator: Lori Pegg Employee organisation: Saratoga Employees Associatioa The meeting nas called to order by Mayor Burger at 6:35 PM. A. Roll Call - Mayor Burger and Councilmembers Jacobs and Moran were present; Councilmembers Tucker and Wolfe were absent. Also present: Harry Peacock, city manager The city council adjourned from closed session at 7:00 PM and the Mayor announced that in closed session the City Council had instructed its negotiating team to execute the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the City and SEA for the period from September 1, 1994, through August 31, 1996, and that the City Council would formally ratify the MOU at its June 21, 1995, meeting subject to prior ratification by the SEA. The Mayor then called the adjourned regular meeting of June 13, 1995, to order. ADJOIIRNED REGULAR MEETING • A. Roll Call: Council Present: Mayor Burger, Jacobs, Tucker, Moran Staff Present: Peacock, Perlin, Pisani, Rizzo Commissioners Present: Crotty, Clark, Dutra, Weiner 8. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on June 9. The notice of adjournment from the June 7 Council meeting was properly posted on June 8. C. Joint Meeting Nith Parks and Recreation Commission 1. parks Master Plan Discussion Topics A. Discussion of Parks and Recreation Facilities Needs Survey Recreation Director Pisani presented the February 1995 report and survey which had been prepared by staff and forwarded to the City Council in February and discussed at the March Policy Development Conference. A member of the public, Al Rotten from the Greenbrier neighborhood, indicated that when one goes to special interest groups in surveys you get a special interest answer. 8. Kevin Moran/Azule Park Development Members of the Commission asked if Park Development Fund money could be used to retain a consultant to work through the process • of determining how the park is to be developed, such as a public opinion consultant or group facilitator? There was no ready answer to this question. A number of members of the public addressed the City Council and the Commission at this point. The major issues which were brought Citp Council Minutes Z Juna 13, 1995 up were: 1. The list of people to be contacted for meetings regarding these parks is incomplete and therefore people who wished • to be notified were not. A sheet of paper was passed around the room for people to sign up if they wished to be notified and it was returned to the City Manager. 2. When people bought into the Kevin Moran Park neighborhood they didn't know that the park could be changed. 3. Issues relating to E1 Quito Park need to be discussed as well. 4. The City was thanked for replacing the old play equipment at Kevin Moran Park but plans should proceed to added even more facilities of a neighborhood scale. 5. Revin Moran Park should be a neighborhood park both now and forever. 6. There are members of the community who want to work with the City to develop a good park for the Kevin Moran area. 7. According to one neighborhood survey, 87~ of the people polled want no changes to Kevin Moran Park. 8. The City needs to focus on getting people involved; so ' far the City Council has not done that. 9. There is a need to focus on the entire park system, not just Kevin Moran and Azule. 10. There is a rumor going around that Kevin Moran Park will be sold to build houses. It was pointed out that this was an option which had been mentioned if the City were to not continue developing the rest of Kevin Moran Park but facility needs could be met by purchasing property somewhere else in the City and developing it. However, there was no intention of doing away with Kevin Moran Park as it now exists. Councilmember Moran commented that it was time to move forward to deal with the future park facility needs of the City and suggested that the City Council's next Town Hall meeting, set for July 8th be devoted to this topic, that the neighbors be invited if they had signed up on the list and that the focus be on Revin Moran and Azule Parks. Councilmember Tucker stressed there is a need to look at the entire park system perhaps with a special focus on Kevin Moran and Azule. The remaining members of the Council agreed to these ideas and asked that in addition to written notices all the parks be posted with signs inviting people to attend the Town Hall meeting on July 8th. C. Parks and Trails Master Plan Commission Chair Crotty indicated that the key to a revision of the plan is the decision about the future of Kevin Moran and Azule Parks. Until those decisions are made, revision of the plan would be an incomplete effort. Public Works Director Perlin suggested that the group may wish to come back to this topic after all the other items are discussed. Then maybe the City Council could give better direction to the • Commission regarding revisions to the current plan. Mr. Perlin indicated that there were some organizational changes to the plan he would like to see which would make the document easier to understand and use but these would not impact the substantive issues which remain to be decided. • ~ City Council Minutes 3 June 13, 1995 Councilmember Wolfe arrived at the meeting, the time being 8:25 PM. The City Council agreed that the Commission should identify specific areas in the plan for updating and to report back to the • City Council at another joint meeting in November as to the areas identified for change and what those proposed changes might be, if possible at that time. D. Discussion of Open Space Element and Master Plan Implementation Committee Report It was noted that at the last joint meeting the recommendations contained in the report had been reviewed by the City Council but not adopted. It was agreed that when the City Council and the Commission next meet that the Commission is to be prepared to recommend which of the conclusions of the Committee should be folded into the Parks and Trails Master Plan. E. Locating a Place for a Community Garden Aithin ~ Existing Park Properties. The staff was requested to invite the Friends of the Nelson Gardens and members of the community who are on the list for garden plots at El Quito Park to the Town Hall meeting as these groups have special perspectives on park facilities needs which should be heard. F. Locating a Doq Run Area within Existing Park ' Properties or Otherwise Dealing with the Issue of Dogs in the Parks The Commission asked if the issue of liability had been examined regarding allowing dogs to run loose in the parks? The City Manager responded that he would inquire through the City~s risk manager as to the potential liability exposure this could create • and whether such a course of action was recommended and if so under what conditions. Parks and Building Superintendent Rizzo reported that he had looked into fencing an area under the PG & E power lines to create a safe dog exercise area, that PG & E seemed to be willing to cooperate and that it would cost about $6,500 to fence an area about 1/2 the size of a football field. Several dog owners spoke to group about this issue indicating they liked the current situation where they run their dogs free at Congress Springs Park even though it violates the leash law. The City Council asked the dog owners present to look at alternative locales to Congress Springs Park since apparently the owners do not arrive on foot but drive to the Park with their dogs. 2. Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages at City Parks Users of El Quito Park on Monday for volleyball, etc. consume significant quantities of alcoholic beverages according to neighbors. Therefore the neighbors are seeking the same restriction on the consumption of alcoholic beverages at El Quito as currently exist at Wildwood Park. After extensive discussion as to the options available to the City, the City Council asked the staff to try direct contact with the people involved first, stressing the behavior which is unacceptable to the neighbors to see if the behavior is modified after the matter has been brought to the offending party's attention. Staff was instructed to report back to the City Council at its second meeting in July and give a progress report on the outcome of the intervention effort. 3. Trails • A. San Juan Bautista De Anaa Trail Commission Chair Crotty reported the City is supporting the development of this trail which coincides with the City's plan to have a trail which runs along the rail road line. Funding for the project is through the federal Rails to Trails Project. The problem is that the program may be the target of major cuts in • city Council Minutes 4 June 13, 1995 funding with the current Congress. B. City Trail System • The Commission reported it is working on an "adopt a trail" program similar to the "adopt a park program" with which the Commission and staff have had good initial success. 4. Possible Budget Cuts for Parks and Recreation Programs The Commission indicated that the staff had briefed the Commission on the issues facing the City Council and the cuts which had been proposed by staff earlier in the evening. Bill Weller was introduced as the volunteer recording secretary for the Commission. 5. Btatus of the Adopt a Park Program The Commission reported that it has three agreements working, one to maintain the open space area at Pollard and Quito with Saratoga Tree Service, one to do maintenance at Kevin Moran Park by Boy Scout Troop 566, and one to maintain Ravenwood Park by that neighborhood group. The Commission indicated that the Rotary Club and community volunteers did a major renovation on the Memorial Arch over the past few weeks as well. 6. Status of the Creek Beautification Program The Commission reported the next major event is scheduled for September 23rd in a joint effort with Sunnyvale as a part of the coastal cleanup campaign. 7. Role of the Commission With Regard to the City Council and the Public • The Commission indicated that it felt that it was comfortable with the role it was playing and things were going well in terms of its relationship with the City Council. D. Set Deadline for Submittal of Final Tree Committee Report The City Council received a letter from the Parks and Recreation Commission regarding this matter and it was made part of the record. It was moved by Councilmember Wolfe, seconded by Councilmember Tucker and passed 3-2 with Moran and Jacobs voting NO to declare the work of the Tree Committee over, to thank them for their efforts, to accept the guidelines prepared by the Committee as a reference document and to recognize all who had participated in the work of the Committee by appropriate resolution. E. Authorization for Submission of Grant Application to Packard Foundation by Volunteer Coordinator Zt was moved by Councilmember Moran, seconded by Councilmember Tucker and passed 5-0 to approve the submittal of the grant application and authorized the City Manager to sign the application on behalf of the City. F. Other Items 1. Self-Evaluation of the Previous Meeting The City Council discussed the problems with the audio-visual capability of the current Council Chambers. Staff was asked to • look into the possibility of mounting a screen and placing the overhead and slide projectors at locations where both the Council and the audience can see the presentations at the same time and that they are large enough to be seen. Councilmember Tucker asked to talk about this evenings meeting and • City Council Minutes 5 June 13, 1995 how to best prepare for the July 8th Town Hall meeting. What documents should the staff try to dig up for the City Council to review on the history of the parks, etc. • It was the consensus of the City Council that the July 8th meeting should focus on brainstorming and that a second meeting be used to try to work toward a consensus on future parks and recreation facility development sometime in September when summer vacations are over. 2. Agency Assignment Reports Councilmember Tucker reported on the City's Association meeting. The City Manager was requested to provide the Council members with a list of those who would be attending the leadership training workshop on Friday as there were about four slots open and some members have an interest in inviting more members from the community. The meeting was adjourned at 11 PM. Respectfully submitted, / ~ ~ /~ Harr}f (Peacock ' City anager lJ • Anthony & Jane Hoffman 19664 Northampton Drive • Saratoga, CA 95070 June 27, 1995 1VIr. Bob Rizzo 13 777 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga CA 95070 M ~• Dear Parks Dept F~zzo: Tel. (408) 446-3230 The orchard remnants at Kevin Moran and Azule are the last orchard lands connected to public parks on this side of the valley. The young children cherish and use extensively these two little undeveloped patches of land. It provides areas where they can let their imaginations run free and develop on their own natural terms, without adults telling them the rules and requirements, and regimenting their play. • One has only to observe what the children have done without adult supervision with the surplus, undeveloped land under the trees and around the stream at Rainbow park to see creativity flourishing in its most impressive state. There, without adult interference, the children have established a very comprehensive motocross track, complete with carefully sculpted tracks of varying difficulty and configuration, and set up their own safety systems and gradations of expertise and mentioning in a way no adult would ever have thought of doing. Since it is a world entirely of their creation, they own it. They are the sole instigators and developers and maintainers; The self-confidence and realization of knowing they did it, by themseh~es, without interference from the adult world, is immensely satisfying, and the personal growth resulting from this experience is incalculable. The most important point here is that it is also not re- creatable by adults; It must be done on their terms, or it is just another meaningless adult- structured goal activity. This valley was built into the successful center of technology and creativity it is by adults who as children had the privilege to play and dream in the fields and the orchards and the creeks. We learned to create not strictly from reading a textbook, but from observing the myriad happenings of nature first hand. This experience is necessary to a child's creative developement. iThe children growing up in this area have no concept of what "The Valley of Heart's Delight" once was, except through these last little bits. This truly vital developmental experience which is uniquely California should not be denied them, which will happen if adult structured areas are developed there, but must be made available to them to dig and explore and play in, without rules and regulations and restrictions. Not a day goes by that there are not children out there in Kevin Moran and Azule, catching ladybugs, watching worms dig, observing Raccoon burrows, and in the Spring pulling up lush yellow flowered sour grass by the handfuls to give to their mothers as loving "bouquets". This aspect of pure unchanneled learning is totally lacking in the usual orderly, structured park areas. The experience of an orchard in it's "Natural" Santa Clara Valley state is unavailable anywhere else. Children get a glimpse and experience of the valley as it once was; The wild Mustard blooming yellow, the explosion of color when the trees bloom, the smell of Spring and mud; The sight is all the more spectacular in that it is produced for them entirely by nature, with minimal artificial manicuring or intrusion by adults. It is a quiet activity, without flash and posturing, and it is fragile; easily trampled by the push for more highly visible entertainment, but it is just as necessary and justifiable, and it is only accesible here. And the cost is low, too. We hope you can see the tremendous value in leaving this area undeveloped, for the children's sake. Sincerely, i Anthony & J ne Hoffinan 2T~+~ -~ Santa Clara Valley Water District 5750 ALMADEN EXPRESSWAY SAN JOSE, CA 95118-3686 TELEPHONE (408) 265-2600 FACSIMILE (408) 266-0271 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER June 27, 1995 1Vtr. Bob Rizzo Parks and Recreation Commission City of Saratoga 13777 Fruitdale Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 Dear Mr. Rizzo: Subject: Adopt-A-Creek Program Thank you for your participation in the District's Adopt-A-Creek program. With your help over the past two years and the efforts of other program volunteers,, a considerable quantity of litter and debris has been removed from the County's creeks. The efforts of volunteers in this program provide a great service in their contribution towards a cleaner environment. The District permit (93213) issued to you in 1993 for litter cleanup along Saratoga Creek at Wildwood Park expires on July 16, 1995. To continue your volunteer work, your permit must be current. If the Commission would like to continue with our adopt-a-creek program, let us know in writing and we will update the permit. Please let us know if you are no longer interested or cannot participate in the program. Thanks again for your support. I can be reached at (408) 265-2607, extension 2253. Sincerely, ~ ~ ~~,." Sue A. Tippets, P.E. Associate Civil Engineer Design Coordination Division • l~-~ ~~ Z~, ~ ,_ . ~~ r ~~ recycled paper 10 Extra 3 • ~-~~ t2 San Jose Menury News • Extra • une Atherton rewards urlkvi foregters BY DON BRIGNOIA llerrury Ncwr,Btaff writer Atherton is so .proud of its "ur- ban forest" that the town grants annual best tree awards as the posh Peninsula suburb's way of aclrnowledging and spurring re- forestation and the good care of trees. "We really are pleased to rec- ognize those people who are tak- ing care of their trees and are benefiting us all by helping us sustain our local urban forest," said Lorna Wadsworth, chair- woman of the 11-member Ather- ton Tree Committee, a volunteer group, which advises the city council on matters relating to trees and reforestation projects. "Increasingly people are begin- ning to realize that their trees are valuable," Wadsworth said. "The tree committee is trying to pro- mote more awareness of Califor- nia's urban forest." The committee recently handed ~ut 11 Tree Awards for 1996 to 'IncreasinSly people aro ...................................... beSinninS to roalize that their trees aro valuable.' -Lorna Wadsworth, chairwoman Atherton Tree Committer the residential caretakers of the town's best nurtured trees. The winners and type of trees included, Ellen and Ra<j Joneja, redwood; Frances L. Williams, redwood; Susan Hall, copper beech; Keith Bartel and Janice Ross, live oak; Frederick and Lor- raine Mielke, flowering cherry; Folke and Gudrun Ohlsson, white oak (valley); Jerry and Gerda Un- german, goldenrain tree; Yoshimi and Grace Shibata, fan palm; Didi and John Fisher, Atlas cedar; Shirley Eastman, English holly; and Laird Foshay, deodar cedar. The trees were judged based on the following criteria: outstand- ing specimen, size, condition, unique or special species, age or historical significance. Special categories included the "best preserved" for a tree for which special preservation mea- sure have been taken and the "best new sapling" ward for a newly planted tree. Entries were inspected and winners picked by the Tree Com- mittee and the Atherton town staff. All were recognized for the pride Atherton residents have for their trees and rewarded for real- izing the importance of maintain- ing the town's heritage trees, Wadsworth said. "Even though Atherton looks like a very verdant natural for- est, especially if you are flying over the area; once you get down and start looking, you will find there are many trees in town and in surrounding towns that are in trouble," she said. "Atherton has a number of dead and dying trees that have not been replaced." ~5anding for police building explored BY MICHAEL CRONK 1[errury Newu Stat't Writer Santa Clara's proposed capital improvements budget includes • 12.2 million in funding over the rt two years to construct a new e administration building - ^^r votQrq refused to fund 'awn a bond City officials believe Santa Clara needs a new police buildin~~ but voters airoady have rojectsd a bond issue ................................................................................ to fund construction. want a new police ~ -- ••• T••dy Nadler said the buildingt. Oth~ '^~orically fund- •1 ~T •ove- ,~~ ~~ .:~ ..~, •~ ~'~T COMMIBBION 1-iEETING ATTENDABCE RECORD .7 Date: 6/21/95 C'OmID15510n: parks ~ Recreation Period covered: x January-,Tune 1995 Number of Scheduled Meetings: 5 __ July-December 199 Commissioner __I<eo Rarnar~ John Clark Jennifer Crotty Barbara Dutra Donna Miller Marianne Swan Kathryn Weiner Number of Absences 4 -0- -0- .1 3 1 -0- Submitted ~ ~~~ c/ By. _..~ Bob Rizzo, Secretary •