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PC - Minutes - 05-02-2023MINUTES OF THE ROSEMEAD PARKS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 2, 2023 The regular meeting of the Rosemead Parks Commission was called to order by Chair Chavez at 7:02 p.m. in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Commissioners Chavez, Mendez, Dang, and Luu ABSENT: None PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Chavez INVOCATION was led by Vice -Chair Mendez 1. PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE — None 2. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of minutes — April 4, 2023 Vice Chair Mendez motioned the approval of the meeting notes at 7:05 p.m. ACTION: Moved by Vice Chair Mendez, seconded by Commissioner Dang to approve the April 4, 2023 Minutes: Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Chavez, Mendez, Dang, and Luu; ABSENT: None 3. MATTERS FROM STAFF A. Introduction of the New Recreation Coordinator Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking introduced the new Recreation Coordinator, Serena Gorrell, to the Parks Commission. Serena has worked in Recreation for over 7 years with the cities of Signal Hill and Fountain Valley. She has worked in everything from Youth Programing to Senior Services, to Youth and Adult Sports. Serena graduated from California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sports psychology and leadership. She enjoys watching and attending live sporting events. She's a lifelong Dodgers fan and a Bulls fan. Serena is excited to step into her new role as a Recreation Coordinator and we are excited to have her with us. We look forward to working with her, so please welcome Serena to our team. B. Monthly Parks & Recreation Department Review Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking provided the monthly update. The Department of Parks and Recreation is preparing for the summer season and all its programming. The Aquatics division has been extremely busy trying to train lifeguards and hire new people. We have had some success with our outreach and have been able to hire additional Lifeguards, Aquatic Attendants, and Instructors. The Department held a lifeguard training course back in April in which we had four participants registered; all four passed, and all will be hired as new lifeguards. We have another training course coming up on May 12-14 at the Rosemead Aquatic Center. Our aquatic facilities are also getting ready for school rentals. These facilities are rented frequently by local schools and are used for end -of -year parties, so we are trying to accommodate as many as we possibly can with the limited staff that we have right now. The playschool is up and operational at both Rosemead Park and Garvey Center. Garvey Center has been busy, as always, with our Senior Craft Classes and Senior Bingo. We've added some lunch program enhancements - we've brought in a special group of games and coloring books and more activities for seniors to engage in with staff and each other before and after lunch. We are trying to give them a feeling of togetherness and help the staff get to know them better. We also had our Senior Spring Breakfast on April 6. It was fantastic. There was lots of music, dancing, and food. The seniors loved it. We introduced the Easter Egg Dive on April 1. It was very successful. Participants were able to register for a small fee and enjoy an egg hunt in the water. We had plastic eggs floating. Each participant received a basket and was then able to go into the water and collect eggs. Eggs could either be taken home or redeemed for prizes at the event. It was our first time hosting it this year. We are looking forward to bringing it back next year. Our Easter Eggstravaganza was held on Saturday, April 8. It was a fantastic event. Our attendance was even larger than it was last year. We had games, community organizations, and moon bounces. Families were able to stick around and enjoy the activities until 1 o'clock. Our Memorial Day celebration is coming up on Monday, May 29, at I0:00am. It takes place in the plaza area outside of City Hall. It is open to the public. It's an event where we commemorate and remember those who are on active duty and those who are no longer with us. It's about 45 minutes to an hour. There's music, speeches, and a presentation of the wreath. Everyone is welcome. For adult sports and youth programs - Youth Basketball is well underway. We have had certain divisions sell out already, but we have opened some more teams and we are calling people on the waiting list to get them registered. They will begin on June 12. Our Adult Basketball League concluded its season on Sunday the 19th. We are looking forward to having our new season which will continue until the summer. We had our Pitch, Hit, And Run which took place on Friday the 14th. This is a program that is sponsored by the MLB, with various competitions which include pitching, hitting, running the bases, and more. It's a great opportunity for kids to get out and practice their skills and have an opportunity to be in a competition. Based on their scores, they can move up into championships. The ultimate goal is for them to work their way up into the MLB All -Stars. Our Garvey Paws Dog Park is open. People love it! There are animals everywhere, and we are very excited to see it grow. 2 The City held the Youth In Government program on two different days, March 23 and April 13. We had I1 participants, which is up from last year. The participants got a first-hand look at how local government operates, how each department operates, how elected officials operate, and they took a tour of the city. The last thing participants did was to have a Mock City Council meeting. The group prepared their own staff reports, came up with their own ideas, wrote a staff report, and presented it to the Mock City Council. We are looking forward to keeping that going for next year. Our Youth Advisory Committee is up and running. Currently, we have lost one member due to moving out of the city, so we have three members currently. We are still hoping to get a couple more participants. If anyone is interested, they can contact the Department of Parks and Recreation. Information is online. They must be currently in 7th - 12th grade, ages 13 to 18, and must reside in the City of Rosemead. Volunteer programs — We have various volunteer opportunities at our senior center and with our youth programs. There is an application process. Applicants need to be fingerprinted and pass a background check. Once that is completed, we can put them into various programs, whether that be our senior and adult programs or youth day camp, or another youth program. A couple of things to follow up on from the last meeting: I know there was a question about a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. The City does not offer that program. I talked to Public Safety, who oversees the animal division within the City, and that is a program that they have not been able to get because of the severe cost of that type of procedure. There was also a question regarding the school graduation banners on Valley Boulevard. Those banners are purchased by El Monte Union High School District. The City has only put them up. The City does not replace the banners, that would have to be done through the school district, and then the City could put them up. So, I know with the high winds of late we were missing some banners. We have been able to retrieve some and put them back up, but some are missing, unfortunately. Nevertheless, that is something that would have to be done through the school district. The restrooms at Rosemead Park are nearly done. We have a walk-through this week for a final checklist. We are hoping to have those restrooms fully open in the next couple of weeks. We need to work with the contractor to see exactly where we are, but we are hoping to open those as soon as possible. There was also a question last week regarding the small playground in Garvey Park, where there used to be an existing playground but now there is a sand patch. The City is planning on replacing that playground. As of right now, I do not have a timeline for that project. There are other projects which are taking priority, but it is something that we are looking into doing. We will be replacing it in the future. I just don't have a timeline yet. I also wanted to give the Commission a heads -up that starting at the next meeting, there will be a standing item on our agenda which will include amenities in Rosemead. When the Parks Commission was created, it was supposed to be looking at identifying green spaces and opportunities for parks within the City. c However, with the limited available land that Rosemead has, we generally provide you with a lot of information as far as the programs in the Department. However, something that one of our City Council Members asked for at the last City Council meeting is that the Parks Commission report on desired amenities and potentially bring feedback from the community to go through the Commission. Please prepare for the next meeting and look at potential amenities that might benefit residents of Rosemead. Commissioner Lou had a question regarding the restrooms at Rosemead Park. She wanted to know if they would be expanded or if there would be the same number of stalls as before. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that there would be the same number of stalls. The stalls will be new, with new fixtures and new lighting. Vice -chair Mendez asked if any renovations were done to the cooking area in the park. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that no renovations were done to that area — only the restrooms were renovated. Commissioner Lim asked if the restrooms near the swimming pool are also going to be renovated. Director of Parks and Recreation and Boecking replied that there are no plans for that as of right now. Looking at age, those restrooms are significantly newer than the restrooms that are currently being remodeled, so there are no plans to renovate the restrooms near the pool. Chair Chavez had a question regarding adult and youth programming. He said that he noticed that there are many sports programs available, but not as many non-physical activities. He asked for a report on these activities. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that that item, along with a detailed report, was brought before the Commission a couple of months ago. He asked if Chair Chavez wanted to see another report on this same information. Chair Chavez responded that he would like to see an update. He wants to see the number of enrollments and would like to make sure people are informed about these programs. He would like the report to be specifically about non -sports classes like arts and crafts, dance, and guitar. Commissioner Dang asked if the department had recruited for the Youth Advisory Committee by going to middle schools and high schools with flyers advertising the program. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that the Department had done that. He further expanded that the Department had contacted the schools directly and worked with administrators and getting the word out about the program. The problem seems to be getting students to commit to the program. As far as what they have already done, the students have brainstormed potential opportunities for next year, composed Committee goals, and discussed what they would like to see. As far as this year goes, the Committee will continue to meet until June, then they will take a break and reconvene at the end of August. The way the committee is set up is a one-year commitment. Those who are seniors would be graduating from the program, but those who are juniors would have the ability to stay on the Committee with a reappointment from Council. Our goal is to be able to outline the Committee's activities and how we see this Committee operating, and then try to entice students to join and to be a part of a full year. They will also have the ability to plan their own special event. It is a great opportunity 11 and a great way to get service hours and be involved. The students are appointed to the Committee by the City Council. It is not a volunteer program where anyone can join, the Committee members must go through an application process before being appointed by City Council. Commissioner Luu had questions about the volleyball league. She asked how many teams there would be, and if there would be a referee. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that the Department is looking at having eight teams, and a member of staff will serve as the referee. Registration will hopefully begin in a couple of weeks. The program will be run out of the Garvey Park Gym. Commissioner Luu asked what the format would be. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that it would be a coed setup. Commissioner Dang commented that some of the restrooms are not a good reflection of our city pride. He said they are unpleasant, and some of them are even a little scary to go into. He suggested that if there are available funds in the budget, the City ought to refurbish the other restrooms as well. MATTERS FROM COMMISSION A. Commissioner Comments Vice -Chair, Mendez commented that she visited the Rosemead Farmers Market and she noticed that it wasn't as busy as it has been in the past. She elaborated that the vendors didn't put out very many items for sale. Upon speaking with the vendors, she reported that they had issues with the turnout. Vice -Chair Mendez suggested moving the Farmers Market to a day when there was another activity going on in the park. For example, when there's a sporting match, this would help increase the number of people in the park, which may benefit the Farmers Market as well. She said that the vendors at the Farmers Market put in a lot of work to be there, but they don't seem to be getting a good return on their investment. 4. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m. The next Parks Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Kenda U>111" 1 Gotte ornmisxion Secretary