P&R 09-06-01 APPROVED MINUTES
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
CITY OF CUPERTINO
REGULAR MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2001
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Jelinch called the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission
to order at 7 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present:
Commissioners absent:
Jeanne Bradford, Frank Jelinch, Roger Peng, Kris Wang
None
Staff present:
Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Mike O'Dowd, Blackberry
Farm/McClellan Ranch Recreation Supervisor; Roxanne
Earnshaw, Recreational Coordinator; Jackie Stone,
Recreational Coordinator; Barbara Banfield, Naturalist; Marie
Preston, Administrative Secretary
Others present:
Lauren Livingston, President, The Sports Management Group
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
1. The minutes of August 2, 2001 were unanimously accepted and approved.
COMMUNICATIONS NOT ON THE AGENDA
· ORAL - None
WRITTEN - Therese presented a letter signed by the Blackberry Swingers Ladies
Golf Club. She reported that she has met with club members regarding their
concerns about the greens at Blackberry Golf Course, and relayed to them the
plans to establish a new position of greens keeper and other plans for the golf
course's irrigation system and turf once the Blackberry/McClellan Ranch master
plan is completed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None
DIVISION PRESENTATION
3. Blackberry Farm/McClellan Ranch staff presented to the Commission their many
wonderful programs. It was reported there are seven fulltime staffthat oversee the
operations. The history and features of the parks were outlined. Some of the many
Blackberry programs include corporate barbeques, Cupertino Day, Ghostwalk,
Parks and Recreation Commission
Minutes of September 6, 2001
Page 2 of 3
basketball, softball fields, and swimming. On average annually, 80,000 people use
the Blackberry Farm Park. There are approximately 80-100 catering assignments
per season, which feed about 20,000 people/season. There is a daily park capacity
if 4,000. The on-site retreat center holds up to 20 people, with an average of 30-40
rentals per year. The 9-hole golf course, on 16 acres, serves approximately 60,000
rounds of golf per year.
Therese reported that Sugimura and Associates has been selected as the landscape
architect for the Blackberry Farm/McClellan Ranch Master Plan. The Stevens
Creek Trail alignments will also be incorporated into the new master plan.
McClellan Ranch Nature programs providing learning opportunities to teachers,
as well as students, are popular. Some organizations who volunteer to gather data
on birds and other creatures, creek improvement and testing, etc. are: Santa Clara
Valley Audubon Society, 4-H, Friends of Stevens Creek, Boy Scouts of America,
high school students and teachers. Barbara Banfield will be providing
demonstrations by blacksmiths, 4-H, Audubon Society on nest building,
gardening tips, etc. The Cupertino Community Garden has 68 plots. Some of the
gardeners have been trained through the UC cooperative extension master
gardener program. There is a test plot where many exciting experiments have
taken place of the years. This year, they have been raising many varieties of Asian
crops; there was a tasting where 180 people showed up. The 4~H Club is active at
the Ranch with 55 members of the Rolling Hill 4-H.
The Ranch House is now home of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon and Friends of
Stevens Creek Trail. These organizations are an asset to the Ranch. She detailed
some of the improvements to the Ranch that these organizations have provided.
NEW BUSINESS
4. New Sports Center Programming - (Commissioner Bradford recused herself)
Therese Ambrosi Smith reiterated the conclusion of the Cupertino Sports Center
Design Advisory Committee--"that the facility be rebuilt with no loss of existing
recreation opportunity, and with an eye toward expansion to serve a growing
community." She also stated that there is full support of this conclusion by the
City Council. Lauren Livingston introduced her plans to develop an analysis of
programming for the new Sports Center and the type of assistance she will
provide the Commission. She presented some basic demographic data on
population, usage, future trends, and some revenue projections. She also d showed
a virtual tour of several municipal sport centers she has worked provided guidance
in programming. Her goal is to assist the Commission in forming ideas on how to
use the new Sports Center space. The schedule is: to meet with the Commission
on September 20, host a public forum to gather public input on October 11, and
report findings to the Commission on November 1. When the Commission
develops a recommendation, it will be given to the Council. The Council will
make the final decision on programming.
APPROVED MINUTES
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
CITY OF CUPERTINO
REGULAR MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2001
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Jelinch called the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission
to order at 7 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present:
Commissioners absent:
Jeanne Bradford, Frank Jelinch, Roger Peng, Kris Wang
None
Staff present:
Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Mike O'Dowd, Blackberry
Farm/McClellan Ranch Recreation Supervisor; Roxanne
Eamshaw, Recreational Coordinator; Jackie Stone,
Recreational Coordinator; Barbara Banfield, Naturalist; Marie
Preston, Administrative Secretary
Others present:
Lauren Livingston, President, The Sports Management Group
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
1. The minutes of August 2, 2001 were unanimously accepted and approved.
COMMUNICATIONS NOT ON THE AGENDA
· ORAL - None
WRITTEN - Therese presented a letter signed by the Blackberry Swingers Ladies
Golf Club. She reported that she has met with club members regarding their
concerns about the greens at Blackberry Golf Course, and relayed to them the
plans to establish a new position of greens keeper and other plans for the golf
course's irrigation system and turf once the Blackberry/McClellan Ranch master
plan is completed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None
DIVISION PRESENTATION
3. Blackberry Farm/McClellan Ranch staff presented to the Commission their many
wonderful programs. It was reported there are seven fulltime staff that oversee the
operations. The history and features of the parks were outlined. Some of the many
Blackberry programs include corporate barbeques, Cupertino Day, Ghostwalk,
Parks and Recreation Commission
Minutes of September 6, 2001
Page 2 of 3
basketball, softball fields, and swimming. On average annually, 80,000 people use
the Blackberry Farm Park. There are approximately 80-100 catering assignments
per season, which feed about 20,000 people/season. There is a daily park capacity
if 4,000. The on-site retreat center holds up to 20 people, with an average of 30-40
rentals per year. The 9-hole golf course, on 16 acres, serves approximately 60,000
rounds of golf per year.
Therese reported that Sugimura and Associates has been selected as the landscape
architect for the Blackberry Farm/McClellan Ranch Master Plan. The Stevens
Creek Trail alignments will also be incorporated into the new master plan.
McClellan Ranch Nature programs providing learning opportunities to teachers,
as well as students, are popular. Some organizations who volunteer to gather data
on birds and other creatures, creek improvement and testing, etc. are: Santa Clara
Valley Audubon Society, 4-H, Friends of Stevens Creek, Boy Scouts of America,
high school students and teachers. Barbara Banfield will be providing
demonstrations by blacksmiths, 4-H, Audubon Society on nest building,
gardening tips, etc. The Cupertino Community Garden has 68 plots. Some of the
gardeners have been trained through the UC cooperative extension master
gardener program. There is a test plot where many exciting experiments have
taken place of the years. This year, they have been raising many varieties of Asian
crops; there was a tasting where 180 people showed up. The 4-H Club is active at
the Ranch with 55 members of the Rolling Hill 4-H.
The Ranch House is now home of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon and Friends of
Stevens Creek Trail. These organizations are an asset to the Ranch. She detailed
some of the improvements to the Ranch that these organizations have provided.
NEW BUSINESS
4. New Sports Center Programming - (Commissioner Bradford recused herself)
Therese Ambrosi Smith reiterated the conclusion of the Cupertino Sports Center
Design Advisory Committee--"that the facility be rebuilt with no loss of existing
recreation opportunity, and with an eye toward expansion to serve a growing
community." She also stated that there is full support of this conclusion by the
City Council. Lauren Livingston introduced her plans to develop an analysis of
programming for the new Sports Center and the type of assistance she will
provide the Commission. She presented some basic demographic data on
population, usage, future trends, and some revenue projections. She also d showed
a virtual tour of several municipal sport centers she has worked provided guidance
in programming. Her goal is to assist the Commission in forming ideas on hoxv to
use the new Sports Center space. The schedule is: to meet with the Commission
on September 20, host a public forum to gather public input on October 11, and
report findings to the Commission on November 1. When the Commission
develops a recommendation, it will be given to the Council. The Council will
make the final decision on programming.
Parks and Recreation Commission
Minutes of September 6, 2001
Page 3 of 3
Lauren Livingston will host a workshop on September 20 to further assist the
Commission in refining the analysis process, review program options, and
develop an agenda and tasks for the public workshop on October 11.
MISCELLANEOUS - NO ACTION REQUIRED
Staff Oral Reports: None
Legislative Update: None
Community Contacts: Commissioner Bradford reported that she attend the
Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at the Senior Center. Diane Snow and her staff
did an amazing job of hosting this event. Over 135 seniors were recognized for
volunteering over 16,000 hours. Five individuals were recognized for
volunteering over 300 hours in a year. The volunteers make a huge difference in
the quality of the programs that the center offers.
Commissioner Jelinch announced that the Shakespeare Festival was well received
with 9 performances and positive critic reviews. At one performance, the
audience was estimated at 1,000 - one of the largest we have had. The quality of
this year's show was one of the best we had. There were no complaints from
anyone in the community. He recognized the Parks and Recreation staff for do all
that they did to make this event run smoothly.
Therese Ambrosi Smith stated that Diane Snow, Senior Center Recreation
Supervisor, has announced her retirement. Julia Lamy will be transferring from
the Quinlan Center to the fill this vacancy. Tom Walters will be acting Recreation
Supervisor, filling in for Julia Lamy.
ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Jelinch adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p,m.
Respectfully submitted
J ~
Made Preston, Administrative Secretary
Approved at the October 4, 2001 meeting
Parks and Recreation Commission
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the regular meeting of the Parks and
Recreation Commission of the City of Cupertino, California, held on Thursday,
Septemmber 6, 2001, was adjourned to Thursday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m., in
Conference Room C/D, City Hall, 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, California.
Dated this 10th day of September 2001.
Mari~ Preston, Administrative Secretary
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA ) ss.
CITY OF CUPERTINO )
Marie Preston, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That she caused the
above Notice to be posted near the door of the Cupertino City Council Chamber located
at 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, California.
Marib Preston, Administrative Secretary
Cupertino, California