P&R 01-05-12 APPROVED :MINUTES
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
CITY OF CUPERTINO
Regular Meeting
January 5, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA
Note: This meeting will be televised
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Darcy Paul called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the
Community Hall Council Chamber, 10350 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
Commissioners present: Darcy Paul, David Greenstein, Marcia St.Clair,
David Fung, David Lee
Commissioners absent: None
Staff present: Mark Linder, Timm Borden, John Bisely, Donna
Henriques
4. MISCELLANEOUS—NO ACTION REQUIRED
A. Staff oral reports
Director Mark Linder reported the Cupertino Sports Center is having an
Open House on January 14, from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The raffle
drawing for a free membership will be held at 11:00 a.m. and you must be
present to win.
Director Linder also said the State of the City address, by Mayor Mark
Santoro, will be held on January 25 at 11:30 a.m. at the Quinlan
Community Center.
He also reported that Parks and Recreation's 50th Anniversary
commemorative logo merchandise is available for purchase at all City
facilities. Jeff Ordway, Recreation Coordinator, designed the new logo for
the merchandise and the winter Parks and Recreation brochure.
B. Commissioner contacts
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Commissioner St.Clair said that she was taking pictures at Linda Vista
Park and she saw Lisa Giefer, former Planning Commissioner, and Lisa
said that the park needs ADA benches on the upper and lower paths.
5. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
A. Regular meeting of December 1, 2011
Action: Commissioner Greenstein made a motion to approve the
minutes and Commissioner St.Clair seconded the motion. The motion
carried unanimously.
6. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None
7. NEW BUSINESS
A. Public Works process for maintaining City Parks
Director Linder introduced Public Works Director, Timm Borden, who
introduced John Bisely, Grounds Department Supervisor, whose crews are in
charge of all grounds, which includes eight school fields and City parks
throughout Cupertino.
John said the Grounds Department has nineteen staff members, twelve of
which are licensed by the State of California to apply pesticides and two more
members of the department are in the process of obtaining their licenses. In
addition, there are several staff members that have just graduated from the
Green Gardeners' program that was conducted by the County this past fall.
Commissioner Greenstein asked John to list the school fields, City parks and
other facilities that the crews in the Grounds Department maintain. John said
there are eight schools: Kennedy and Hyde Middle School, and six elementary
schools: Garden Gate, Stevens Creek, Faria, Lincoln, Regnart and Eaton. In
addition to City Parks, they maintain the Creekside Sports Complex, with
three soccer fields; Memorial Park, with an adult softball field; Wilson Park,
with three Little League baseball fields; Monta Vista Rec Center, with girls'
softball; and Library Field, with Cricket and volleyball.
Commissioner Greenstein asked what the schools provide in return for Public
Works maintaining the fields. Director Linder said that the Parks and
Recreation Department programs the school fields after 4:00 p.m. and can
charge for their use.
John said that the City and the schools have a joint powers agreement that the
City will perform their daily maintenance at a scheduled time during the day.
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These times are subject to change depending on what is going on at each
school each day.
Maintenance schedules for the City Parks and school fields vary little from
year to year and certain processes are seasonal. Mowing is done on a fixed
schedule that is only modified under extreme circumstances.
Commissioner Greenstein asked John what is the best way to get in touch with
him or his staff to report a maintenance problem at a City park. John said that
each park has a sign with the park rules and the Public Works phone number
is on the bottom of each sign. The City's phone number to report a problem
is: (408) 777-3269, or to send an anonymous email, use the City's online
Comcate notification system on wvvw.cupertino.org or email John directly at
johnb @cupertino.org
Commissioner Fung asked if there has been any improvement in the ducks
and geese problem at Memorial Park. John said that the fake swans in the
ponds did not fool the geese and that they are continuing to nest and breed
near Bubb Road and then migrate over to Memorial and other areas of
Cupertino. John and his staff have researched many different cities' options
and the only solution they have found to eradicate the duck and geese
population is to put a"no feeding" ordinance in place.
Commissioner Fung addressed the article to the Courier regarding all the
goose fecal matter at Memorial before the Veteran's Day event. John said that
his staff thoroughly cleaned the gazebo and Veteran's Memorial area the day
of the event. However, the people who walked from Quinlan over to the event
had to walk through a lot of the "mess". Director Linder said that John and
his crew do a thorough cleaning before every special event at Memorial and
yet the geese continue to make a mess.
Chairperson Paul inquired as to whether the number of Grounds Department
staff members had changed in recent years. John stated that the number had
remained the same in recent years, and that the Department had kept up with
the workload despite the recently-added parks (Franco Park and Sterling-
Barnhart Park). Chairperson Paul commended John and his staff for the
efficiency of their work.
8. ADJOURNMENT - Chairperson Paul adjourned the meeting at 7:39 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
0/AA/Le .
Donna Henriques, Administrative A.:istant
Minutes approved at the February 2, 2012 regular meeting
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