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PC - Minutes - 06-06-2023MINUTES OF THE ROSEMEAD PARKS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING JUNE 6, 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 —May 2, 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 Luu to approve the May 2, 2023 Minutes: Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Chavez, Mendez, Dang, and Luu; ABSENT: None 3. MATTERS FROM STAFF A. Rosemead Park Amenities Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking introduced the new park amenities series. Tonight, we have an item before you - it is a discussion of Rosemead Park amenities. The City Council asked to bring this conversation down to the Commission level. So, we are going to take this facility -by -facility and park - by -park and spread it out over a few meetings. We will have the opportunity to discuss the amenities that each park has, as well as possible suggestions for items that could be upgraded, changed, or added to these locations. So that after this discussion takes place, a formal report can be made to the City Council with some suggestions by the Commission. The first facility that we are going to look at is Rosemead Park. Rosemead Park is located at 4343 Encinita Avenue. It is roughly 2.5 acres of land. This park includes a list of amenities that I will go over, and which is also in your report. There are three separate basketball courts that are located at the north end of the park. We also have two fields that are used by our Rosemead Pony League that are also available for rental. One field is smaller than the other. Pony League uses each based on the age of their participants. We have had those spaces rented out for private use as well as for the Leagues, so they are used quite a bit. There are several stations of fitness equipment along the walking trail, especially located down towards the high school on the south end of the park. Located next to the long driveway on the west side of the park, there are multiple fitness equipment stations that are used on a regular basis. There are two multipurpose fields. One is the large outfield by the large baseball diamond. That one can accommodate an AYSO Youth 14 soccer field, so we do have AYSO Region 40 use the fields quite a bit during the fall season, as well as for practices during the spring and summer. The second multipurpose field is near the small baseball diamond. That one can be used as a smaller soccer field, but it is also used for practice quite a bit. Rosemead Park has two different parking lots, one off Encinita Avenue and one off Mission Drive. There are also three picnic shelters that are available for rental. The first is on the south side of the park located right next to the skate park, and then there are two other sets of shelters that are located on the north side just west of the basketball courts. There are also several tables and picnic areas with barbecues which are scattered around the park that are available on a first -come - first -serve basis. There are three playground structures in the park. The first is located almost in the middle of the park, up on the hill just north of the pool. There are two different structures there. There is also another playground on the north side located next to the Playschool building. The third is on the south side of the park almost at the corner of Mission Drive and Encinita Avenue. The Playschool facility at Rosemead Park is located on the north side. It is used for our Playschool program, which is a full program that runs pretty much all year long, through all four seasons. That facility also houses our full-time and part-time staff. Additionally, after school and during the summertime, the facility is used for Drop -In Recreation programs. There are two sets of restrooms within Rosemead Park. The first is located on the north side between the baseball fields. Those were recently renovated and remodeled. The second set of restrooms is attached to the Aquatic Center on the south side of the park. The Rosemead Aquatic Center is a beautiful facility on the south side of the park. It is used quite a bit for lessons, recreational swim, water aerobics, and lap swim, and it also houses our Rosemead Rapids Swim Team. The facility contains locker rooms and restrooms that are designated just for the Aquatic Center. Rosemead Park is also home to a walking trail that goes around the south side to the middle of the park. The trail is roughly half a mile long, and it is used quite a bit daily. The last amenity is the skate park. It is located on the south side right next to the pool. Rosemead Park is one of our busiest parks. It is used all the time for multiple things. Staff recommends that the Commission discuss the information that has been provided, and if you have any feedback or insight on these amenities or something that you feel should be potentially added to that park, that would be something that we can discuss and put together a list that would be presented to the City Council. If the commission has any questions or comments, I would be happy to take them now. Vice -Chair Mendez had a question. She asked if the Department has any plans to resurface the basketball courts. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that the Department does have plans to resurface the basketball courts. It is one of the items that will be listed in the new budget for the coming fiscal year. That budget presentation goes to City Council next week and will hopefully be adopted at the last meeting in June. This is a project that we anticipate will be done hopefully in the first part of the next fiscal year — so the end of summer/the beginning of fall. Vice -Chair Mendez asked if the Department has considered installing a shade over the basketball courts during the summer months, as for the past few years, the summers have been getting hotter and hotter, and the concrete of the basketball court floors have become very hot. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that he had not seen such a shade in use before. He would have to investigate that to see if it would be feasible for our parks. Commissioner Dang asked about the resurfacing of the basketball courts. He noted that the surface of the courts seemed to be very slippery and asked if there was something that could be done to make them less slippery. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that when the courts are resurfaced, the current surface is completely washed away, and a brand-new surface is put down. That brand-new surface will include a texture for slip resistance. The problem is that the texture will only last so long, and when it wears away the courts lose traction. So, basketball courts can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years depending. These courts were last resurfaced in 2018, so it's been just about six years, hence we are hoping to get a surface that will last us a little bit longer this time. But to answer your question, yes, there will be some sort of texture. Chair Chavez had a question regarding the asphalt that is between the two fields. He asked if there have ever been talks of repaving it or changing that flooring. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded no, not that he was aware of. He further asked if there was a safety concern. Chair Chavez responded that the concern was not safety -based but rather based on curb appeal. Commissioner Dang suggested the addition of benches along the walking path for people to rest on. He said it would also give parents somewhere to sit white watching their children play soccer. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Vice -Chair Mendez noted that the ground around the area with the outdoor fitness equipment has many indentations and potholes due to the heavy rains over the past couple of years. She asked if the City would be able to resurface this area as well. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Chair Chavez had a question regarding the purpose of the cement flooring just south of the north parking lot. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that that area is a dance floor. It gets used quite a bit. There are different types of exercise classes, such as Tai Chi, which use it throughout the year, and the City uses that space as a dance floor for their Concerts in the Park during the summer. Chair Chavez asked if anything could be added to it so that that space 3 would be more than just a dance floor Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking asked what he would like to see added. Chair Chavez suggested a set of poles that could be used to hang a volleyball net or a pickleball net, something that would enable to space to be used as more than a dance floor throughout the year. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Commissioner Luu commented that she saw a bit of an issue with this plan. She said that since the floor is just cement, it would not be level for playing pickleball. Commissioner Luu further asked about the baseball and softball fields. She would like to know if the City is planning to redo the grass in those areas. She said that other parks she is aware of redo their grass annually to level it out, but she has never seen that done at Rosemead Park. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that as part of the budget for the next fiscal year, there is a request to level off the infield of the baseball field and reseed the grass. The City reseeds the grass every year, however, the infield definitely needs to be leveled, so it has been listed in next year's budget. Commissioner Luu noted that the park gets very busy, and asked if there was any way to expand the parking lot. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Commissioner Luu further noted that the picnic shelters near the skate park might need to be replaced soon. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Commissioner Luu stated that the restrooms look much nicer after their renovation. However, she asked if it would be possible to have more toilet rolls in the restrooms so that they don't have to be refilled quite so often. Otherwise, especially during the weekends, they should be refilled and cleaned more times during the day. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Commissioner Luu asked if the patch that was missing along the walking trail had ever been fixed. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that that project had been approved by City Council but is still on the list of CIP's. Hopefully, with the City getting a new Public Works Director and a City Engineer soon, those projects can keep moving forward, but for right now, he is not sure where that project is. He knows the finding has been approved but is unaware if an RFP has gone out. Vice -Chair Mendez commented on the large playground. She said that currently there is sand around the playground. She asked if the City had considered using material made of recycled tires instead of sand, because there may be debris and dangerous items hidden in the sand that could injure the little kids. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking made note of this. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking asked if there were any other comments. Commissioner Dang asked how much it costs to rent a picnic shelter. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that he did not have that information off the top of his head, but that the prices are listed on the City's website. Commissioner Luu asked if you rent a baseball field, do you have to pay for insurance? Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded yes, you do. Vice -Chair Mendez had a question about the multipurpose fields. She asked if the City had ever considered artificial grass for that area, in order to be more cost- effective for years to come without having to reseed that grass. Then, perhaps the City could use that area for more activities and might be able to generate more revenue for the City from it. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that it is something that the Department can investigate and that he would add it to the list of suggestions. However, the issue is that the multi-purpose field is also the outfield for the baseball diamond. There's no fencing that sections that area off, so they would have to examine how to do that. Commissioner Luu commented that she is not a fan of artificial turf. She said that the turf can get hot and that there is not as much give if the kids fall. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking concluded this portion of the meeting by saying that for the next few meetings, the commission will be going over each facility one by one. They are going to start with the largest parks, so the next park they will examine will be Garvey Park. Then after that, they will look at some of the smaller facilities, and might even combine them, so that it doesn't take an entire year to discuss all the facilities. B. Summer Events Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking introduced the summer event lineup. He said that whether we like it or not summer is here, and we are extremely busy. This year, the State of the City will be a small event on Friday, June 23. The event will include food trucks, youth activities, and booths providing information from community organizations. There will be a State of the City address by the mayor for invited guests at the Rosemead Community Center. The Department has its annual Fourth of July parade and carnival. It's a huge event. We start off with a parade in the morning at 10:OOam, followed by park activities, a carnival, and fireworks at Rosemead Park. We are accepting applications for the parade as well as for specific vendor booths. The City Clerk's Office will sponsor a Chalkathon Contest which will start at 8:OOam and will take place in front of City Hall. People can register for this event, and they will be allotted a space on the ground in which they can design anything related to the Fourth of July theme. At 10:00am the parade will begin. From noon to 10:00pm the carnival will be at Rosemead Park and will include rides, games, and food. From noon to 3:30pm, community performers and family activities will take place in the park. There will be a watermelon eating contest, a water balloon toss, three-legged races, and more. A lot will be going on, and it will be a lot of fun for families. At 4:OOpm, bring out your dogs, because there will be a costume contest for dogs. At 5:OOpm will be the Fourth of July Opening Ceremonies. From 6:OOpm to 8:OOpm, the band, Detroit Nights will be playing. Fireworks will start around 8:45:OOpm depending on when it's dark enough to launch them. Concerts in the Park are coining back for the summer. We have six concerts lined up beginning the second week in July. The first two concerts will take place at the Jess Gonzalez Sports Complex, then the remaining four concerts will take place at Rosemead Park. The Jess Gonzalez Sports Complex is located off Walnut 5 Grove, across fiom the Edison property — it is the backside of Garvey Intermediate School. We have a joint -use agreement where we maintain that property, so we will be hosting the concerts there. We are excited as it is our first time hosting concerts at the Sports Complex. They have previously been at Garvey Park, however, we recently purchased a new stage that is too large to fit in Garvey Park, so Jess Gonzalez Sports Complex is a better option due to the size of the stage. We have our Shark Week Celebration at Rosemead Aquatic Center. This event will take place on July 13. It will feature activities and fun and a movie from 6:OOpm to 8:OOpm. The movie will be Finding Nemo. July is Parks Make Life Better month, so we will be celebrating that in conjunction with one of our Concerts in the Park on Friday, July 28. There will be a special event with game booths, raffles, and giveaways at Rosemead Park. Throughout the month of July, we will be celebrating Parks Make Life Better and encouraging people to get out and explore their local parks and even partake in some of the recreation programs. The Dive -In Movie will take place on August 3 at the Rosemead Aquatic Center. The movie will be Minions 2: The Rise of Gru. This year the Department will be partnering with our Public Safety Department to host National Night Out in conjunction with one of our Concerts in the Park on August 4 at Rosemead Park. This will be a special event with vendors, law enforcement vehicles, suppliers, and more. This event will start at 5:30:OOpm. You can learn about emergency preparedness resources, back -to -school resources, crime prevention, and more. Then the concert will start at 7:OOpm. The Department is very excited for the summer. Are there any questions? Commissioner Dang asked if you are able to go in the water during the Shark Week and Dive In Movie events. Director of Parks and recreation Boecking responded yes, the shallow end of the pool will be open and lifeguards will be on duty, so you can be in the water while watching the movie. Honestly most people are in the water for a little while, then after about 9:OOpm it gets a little cold in the water, so they hop out and they wrap up on the deck. It is a great event for families and a fun time. Vice -Chair Mendez asked if they allow inter -tubes in the pool. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that no inner -tubes are allowed in the public pools. Chair Chavez asked how aquatic staffing is coming along. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that staffing is looking better than last year, however, it is not as good as what we would need to open fully. Nevertheless, we will be opening both Rosemead Aquatic Center and Splash Zone on a limited basis. Splash zone will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for weekend use. The Rosemead Aquatic Center will be open during the week for recreational use, as well as for swim lessons, lap swim, and water aerobics. 11 C. Class Participation Information Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking introduced the topic of class participation. At the last meeting, it was requested that we provide you with some more information as far as the classes and programs that we offer that are non - sports related. We run classes and programs that are not sports -related at all of our facilities. We just had our summer registration for classes and programs. Some of our popular classes that are consistent with enrichment, music, fitness, etc. are dance, performing arts, martial arts, and sports. Those are the big classes. Some of the non -sports related classes include: We have a huge turnout for our Flower Arrangement classes that take place at the Rosemead Community Recreation Center. The class is in the morning, and it is always full. They make amazing arrangements that are just beautiful and we love to see them. We have a Chinese Brush Painting class that is very popular. We have Kids Love Chinese. Our piano classes are very popular. And nearly all our dance classes are very popular through all levels: Mommy and Me Ballet through Adult Salsa classes. Our Senior Excursions are back up and we are seeing a lot more participation and growth. This summer we will be highlighting a trip to Solvang, a trip to the Fantasy Springs Casino, a trip to the Orange County Fair, a trip to Old Town San Diego, and several more. Our summer programs: Our summer day camp program is pretty much booked solid. We have our summer lunch program which will be offered beginning Monday, June 12. That will be in partnership with the San Gabriel Unified School District. This is a free lunch program for students 17 and under, and any special needs adults. It will be available at two locations: the Garvey Park Gym and the Rosemead Aquatic Center picnic area. We also have our Drop -In summer recreation programs at Rosemead Park and the Garvey Park Youth Center. This program will Take place in the afternoons, Monday through Friday, starting June 12. So, anyone that wants to come in and play some games or do some arts and crafts is able to do so. Commissioner Dang asked about the Senior Excursions. He asked if we survey the seniors to ask if they'd like to go somewhere different. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that we do survey the seniors, but also we have to take into consideration the financial obligation there is because these trips are paid. We look at that and we look at what's reasonable. A lot of times the seniors want to go where they know and where they're comfortable. They know these trips and they like going on them, and they like repeating them. These trips do change based on the season. So, for example, in the winter, they will take a trip out to the Mission Inn in Riverside to see the holiday decorations. The Department does ask for their input, and we do have seniors that will come in and bring us things from other cities and we do try to accommodate those requests if we can. Vice -Chair Mendez asked if we have similar excursions for youths with chaperones. For parents that are not able or cannot afford to go out to amusement parks, the OC fair, or a museum. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that we do have a family trip planned for the summer. Last season the trip went to the Clippers game, and we were able to get discounted tickets to that. He cannot recall off the top of his head where the family trip will be going during the summer, but he will be happy to get that information and report back. 7 D. Monthly Parks & Recreation Department Review Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking provided the monthly update. The Department of Parks and Recreation's aquatics programs are up and running. They are very successful. Our aquatic recruitment and training have been going well. We are still recruiting lifeguards, lifeguard instructors, and assistant pool managers. We are fortunately full on our aquatic attendant positions. If anyone is interested in becoming a lifeguard, we do train them and we do offer a hiring bonus. We've been very busy trying to get the aquatic facilities cleaned and ready to go as the use is tremendous during the summer. We want to make sure everything is good to go. May was also Water Safety Month so we did a couple of special things. A proclamation was made by the City Council. We also had an activity out at the Farmers Market on May 22, which included some water safety tips and a giveaway. Swim Lesson Registration begins Saturday, June 10, at the Rosemead Aquatic Center. It starts at 8;OOam and classes fill up rather quickly. We are limited in the number of classes that we can offer just due to the limited number of staff that we have. After June 10, if there are any spaces still available in any of the classes, registration will continue at the Rosemead Aquatic Center Monday through Friday from 3:OOpm to 6:OOpm. The Garvey community center has been very busy. We have our normal activities such as crafts, classes, senior bingo, and more. We also had our Salute to Seniors event where we honored our volunteers and our Older American of the Year award. Our Anti -Hate Poetry Contest closed on May 31. Unfortunately, we did not receive any submissions. With the end of school, we were fearful that this was going to happen, so next year we will be bringing it back, and starting it much sooner. So, unfortunately, that was not successful this year. We had a great event on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. It took place outside in front of City Hall at 10:00am. It was a beautiful ceremony, and many people came. Our Farmers Market continues to grow on Monday nights. Last night the Fanners Market was absolutely packed, so much so that the vendors were running out of produce! It is a great event, and we are looking forward to continuing it. We had a Family Game Night at the Community Center. It was very successful. Our adult and youth programs listed all of those updates for you and we have touched base on a lot of them. Our class registration has been going and we are excited for the summer session which begins on the 12th. We will see a lot of different programs and classes beginning. Our Adult Volleyball League should begin on June 25. We already have a couple of teams registered, and we have some free agents registered as well. The Pickleball Flex League has unfortunately been delayed due to the resurfacing of the tennis courts at Garvey Park. We are waiting on that, but we are excited to introduce something pickleball-related. E:1 Commissioner Lou asked why the Farmers Market was so busy. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that the market manager we use for our farmers market also contracts with the state to partake in the WIC program. Those people who are involved in that program, and who have WIC vouchers, are able to come to the Farmers Market and get fresh produce. They are limited in what they can purchase with those vouchers, so they can only get produce. But that's why we see a greater number of people, and we will continue to see these numbers for at least the next couple of months. MATTERS FROM COMMISSION A. Commissioner Comments Chair Chavez commented that the walkway just northwest of the restroom at Zapopan Park has shifted and separated from the cement. 4. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m. The next Parks Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Kendahl G tts, mmission Secretary APPROVED: Charlie havez, air 0