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PC - Minutes - 10-01-2024MINUTES OF THE ROSEMEAD PARKS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 1, 2024 The regular meeting of the Rosemead Parks Commission was called to order by Karen Luau at 7:01 p.m. in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Commissioners Hernandez, Le, Luau, and Vu ABSENT: Commissioner Chavez PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Hernandez INVOCATION was led by Commissioner Luau REORGANIZATION: Commissioner Luau nominated Commissioner Hernandez to the position of Chairman. Motion carried by the following vote: A YES: Hernandez, Le, Luau, and Vu; ABSENT: Commissioner Chavez Chair Hernandez nominated Commissioner Luau for the position of Vice -Chair, and the nomination was seconded by Commissioner Le. A YES: Hernandez, Le, Luau, and Vu; ABSENT: Commissioner Chavez 1. PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None 2. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Minutes Chair Hernandez motioned the approval of the meeting notes at 7:17 p.m. ACTION: Moved by Commissioner Le and seconded by Commissioner Luau to approve the minutes of the July 2, 2024, regular meeting: Motion carried by the following vote: A YES: Hernandez, Le, Luau, and Vu; ABSENT: Commissioner Chavez 3. MATTERS FROM STAFF A. 2024 Summer Review Director Boecking updates the Park Commission with a presentation of the 2024 Summer Review, which provides an overview and highlights of the summer events. Director Boecking begins with the Aquatics Division. The lifeguard position has grown, and the department has recruited six new lifeguards. The additional lifeguard staff allows the pool day and hours of operation to be extended to serve the community better. The Aquatics Division also expanded the Aquatics Attendant and Instructional lifeguard positions. Instructor Guards are crucial to the Aquatic Division and differ from the Lifeguard position as they teach and certify swim lessons. The goal is to retain and continue hiring more staff for next summer. Director Boecking continues to give updates regarding the aquatic programs. Compared to last year, the hours of operation at the Aquatic Center increased and at the Garvey Park Splash Zone. Garvey Park Splash Zone, before COVID-19, was available for swim lessons and all the amenities every day in the summer. Currently, swim lessons are only available at Rosemead Park. The department is hopeful that as the recruitment efforts for staff continue, the hours of operation and services will expand at Splash Zone from sum. Swimming for adults and children has increased significantly for each facility. Being open for two additional days results in the Aquatics Division being able to serve more in the community. This year, 959 participants were enrolled in swim lessons compared to last year, when 851 individuals participated. The Aquatic Fitness program also gained more participants this year. The Aquatic Fitness program received compliments and praise for the program and staff that operated. Pool staff also host their own special events with Christmas in July. Staff decorated the pool with Christmas decorations, had crafts, and the Grinch made a special appearance. The next event was Shark Week; pool staff celebrated Shark Week with a dive -in movie. Aquatics also hosts a Mermaid/Merman Academy class; participants can get a tail and learn to swim with the tail. There was a slight decrease in adult swim lessons. Lifeguard training has increased, as the City will train and pay for certification. There is also a signing bonus for those who want to become a lifeguard with the City. The pool also hosts the Rapids Swim Team, which also experienced a growth in participation. Director Boecking moves on to the next Parks Department division, Youth and Adult Sports and Programs. Youth Programs hosted a summer camp that had 298 participants. They had weekly excursions, themed arts and crafts, and activities. There was a summer lunch program available by the San Gabriel School District. There was a Drop -In Recreation program at two of the park locations, where children could stop by, hang out, and enjoy some activities during the afternoon. This summer, the Parks and Recreation Department introduced a new program called Art in the Park, where children and their families were invited to come out and engage in cultural art and spend time together. Art in the Park was a successful program, and the department is looking into returning the program for next summer. There were two movies at the park events, one at Garvey Park and one at Rosemead Park. Next summer, the department wants to add a third movie event. The Youth Programs division hosted a Kids Night Out, where children could spend an evening at Splash Zone, enjoying the amenities and dinner while their parents could enjoy a night off. The family excursion took families to the Los Angeles Stadium. Director Boecking congratulates all staff who did a fantastic job working hard to offer all these programs during the summer, including Supervisor Tam Chu, Coordinator Serena Gorrell, and Aquatics Supervisor Jackie Guerrero. Director Boecking wants to highlight the youth basketball league, the biggest sports league the Parks and Recreation Department offers. This year, the program expanded its participant numbers and increased gym time, and the department has an agreement with the Garvey School District to utilize their middle school. Youth Volleyball Clinic and Smart Start Sports for kids aged three to four were also offered during the summer. E -Sports Tournament was also popular. Super Mario Kart was a huge turnout; families enjoyed showing up and cheering; some even wore matching team t -shirts. Winners won prizes and gift cards. Contract classes were comprised of golf lessons, pickleball lessons, tennis lessons, and ultimate frisbee. The department has seen a large increase in pickleball lessons. Adults Sports runs the Adult Basketball League, with 18 participants on a smaller scale, but the participants are always having the most fun and participate every quarter. Tennis lessons and pickleball lessons are also available for adults. Open gym time was available for volleyball on Sunday evenings. Staff are looking into potentially starting a volleyball league for adults. Director Boecking updates the commission on the summer special events. The Fourth of July is the biggest event of the year. The Fourth of July event starts with a parade that begins at Valley Blvd. and ends at Rosemead Park. Over 40 organization groups wanted to participate in the parade, including car clubs, bands, dignitaries, and the special participation of the Republic Services trash truck. The Star Wars group returned and participated as well. The Beautification Committee hosted a Chalk Art Contest in front of City Hall. After the parade, the festivities continued at Rosemead Park with performances, live music, a patriotic dog contest, carnival games and rides, and food. Free swimming entry was also offered at the pool, and the night ended with a 20 -minute fireworks display. About 10,000 to 12,000 people attended the fireworks display. Director Boecking thanks all staff that assisted with the event as it requires a lot of coordination and planning, especially Supervisor Roman Rodriguez, who takes the lead at this event, and Coordinator Janette Vicario. Concerts in the Park are scheduled throughout summer on Fridays held at Rosemead Park and Jess Gonzalez Sports Complex. In July, the Parks and Recreation Department celebrated Parks Make Life Better Month with an exceptional performance by the Taylor Swift tribute band, and all the "Swifty" fans in attendance had a great time. Rosemead was recognized for 65 years at the last concert with cupcakes and a Stevie Nicks tribute band performance. Director Boecking recognized Administrative Specialist Geneva Ramirez for assisting in marketing the Parks and Recreation events. Commissioner Le comments that she is proud of being part of the adult swim lesson program and of learning how to swim from the Aquatic Division staff. She compliments the aquatic staff for their incredible work in the program and commends the whole department and staff for the hard work they put into the summer events and programs. Commissioner Le also compliments the social media and newsletter. B. Fall Special Events Director Boecking gives an update on the upcoming fall events. On Saturday, September 28, the Aquatics team hosted the Pumpkin Dive, during which participants could dive into the Rosemead Aquatic Pool, pick their pumpkins to decorate and enjoy games and arts and crafts. The Fall Fiesta will be at Rosemead Park on October 5. Live music, food vendors, trinket vendors, and other activities will be available for residents to enjoy. Multiple raffles were available, and those who completed their vendor passport card and visited Savannah Cemetery were entered in the raffle. Should it rain, the event will be rescheduled for November 16. Saturday, October 19, is the Pumpkin Patch. Participants can pick out a pumpkin and take a slice of pie and candy home. Those wanting to participate will need to register, and currently, all time slots are completely full. Registrants are being added to the waitlist. The Parks and Recreation Department works with CultivaLA for this event. CultivaLA also oversees the City's community gardens. This year, Trunk or Treat is being moved to the Jess Gonzalez Sports Complex as this event has gotten too big to host in the parking lot at the Rosemead Community Center. The Haunted House that is a part of the Trunk or Treat event is being separated out and planned for October 25 — October 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Staff do a great job of turning the Rosemead Community Center into a spooky maze and are ready to scare. The Haunted House is recommended for ages 7 and up. Thursday, October 31, the Trunk or Treat event C. Month Parks & Recreation Department Review Director Boecking updates the Parks Commission regarding the Parks and Recreation Department events. The Aquatics staff have been busy offering swimming lessons on Saturdays, and classes are all full. Recreational swimming ended in September. Lifeguard training is scheduled for October and November for current staff to recruit new staff and ensure they are certified. Garvey Community Center offers bingo and senior craft classes on Mondays for seniors. There are two new senior classes, chair aerobics and meditation. These new classes are free, and seniors can drop in and join these classes. The Senior Fiesta Luncheon took place on Thursday, September 19. Seniors have lunch, dance, and enjoy time together. The staff works hard to create and make the Garvey Center festive. The next senior social is the Wicked Villains Halloween Luncheon. Seniors are invited to have lunch and dress up as their favorite villains on October 24. The youth basketball league is very popular and up and running. Director Boecking wanted to highlight the Moon Festival. Staff collaborated with Voco Media to host the Moon Festival to celebrate diversity and community. Many people enjoyed the food vendors, performances, and culture. Chair Hernandez asked about the Superhero 5k race scheduled for earlier in the year and if the Parks and Recreation Department would consider hosting a Thanksgiving race. Director Boecking explains that the 5k was previously planned in May due to being considerate of the surrounding cities and not wanting to overlap similar events. Director Boecking explains further that the department is looking into working with surrounding cities and offering a multiple -racing package. The department is looking to bring back the 5k race and have it scheduled in either April or May to coincide with National Superhero Day. The decision to cancel the 5k was made due to low enrollment and to allow for better advertising for next year. Director Boecking hopes that partnering with surrounding cities with well-established races will better assist with marketing. 4. MATTERS FROM A. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Luau asked if there had been any updates on the proposed new parking lot for City Hall. Director Boecking informed the commission that no updates had been made yet, but if any were made, they would be added to the monthly update report. Commissioner Le asked if the next commission meeting would still commence even though it was scheduled for election day. Director Boecking explained that he would look at options for rescheduling the next meeting and would update the commission. 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 p.m. The next Parks Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Geneva R ire4_C'ommission Secretary APPROVED: Alin' ern d z, Chair