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P&R 02-05-04 APPROVED PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CITY OF CUPERTINO REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2004 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Bradford called the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Coinmission to order at 7 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. iNTRODUCTION OF APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS Chair Bradford introduced and congratulated reappointed commissioners Roger Peng and Rod Brown and newly appointed Cary Chien. 4. ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Commissioners absent: Staff present: Jeanne Bradford, Rod Brown, Frank Jelinch, Cary Chien Roger Peng Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Barbara Banfield, Naturalist; Marie Preston, Administrative Secretary SELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2004 a. Chair: Commissioner Jelinch nominated Rod Brown; Commissioner Chien seconded the motion. ACTION: The motion unanimously passed to select Commissioner Brown as the 2004 Commission Chair. Vice-chair: Commissioner Bradford nominated Commissioner Jelinch; Commissioner Chien seconded the motion. ACTION: The motion unanimously passed to select Commissioner Jelinch as the 2004 Commission Vice-chair. PRESENTATION a. Barbara Banfield, Naturalist at McClellan Ranch Park, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the numerous activities at the park. The presentation outlined the park's history, Ordinance No. 710 designating the park a nature and rural preserve, habitat restoration projects, service groups and volunteers who help with habitat restoration, educational programs and classes, research projects, and other Parks and Recreation Commission February 5, 2004 Page 2 of 5 educational opportunities with nonprofit groups housed at the park. Naturalist Banfield acknowledged the many volunteers, both individuals and community groups, which have supported the park and its programs over the years. Commission Comments: Commissioner Bradford asked to have the PowerPoint presentation available on the City's website to better inform the community about McClellan Ranch Park. She also wanted a way the Commission could acknowledge the many volunteers who help the department. Chairman Brown agreed with this idea. Director Smith stated that she would investigate a way to do this. In response to Chairman Brown's question about what other programs are there that pull in people who are not part of an organized group, Naturalist Banfield stated that she meters her advertising because it is easy to be overwhelmed at that facility, as resources are limited. Public Comments: Deborah Jamison spoke in support of the expertise, knowledge, and resource the City has in Naturalist Barbara Banfield. She stated that she would be an excellent source in the planning of other City parks and building projects. She stated that the Naturalist should be involved in training of teachers and volunteers. Ms. Jamison asked that Commissioner Chien receive a copy of the McClellan Ranch Park ordinance, guidelines, and master plan. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING A. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of December 4, 2003. ACTION: The minutes of the regular meeting of December 4, 2003, were unanimously approved as written. 8. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Michael Zimmerman, member of the Sports Center and who sits on the Board of the Cupertino Tennis Club, congratulated all who were involved in the redesign and rebuilding of the Cupertino Sports Center building. Deborah Jamison congratulated the City on the newly remodeled Sports Center. She particularly enjoys her month-to-month membership. She also spoke about an adjacent property to the Simms house and Stevens Creek owned by Mr. Nair. She reported that it appeared he had used part of the nature preserve for storage of building materials - using part of the Simms property to btfild his house. She also reported about a gravel roadbed he put in from Scenic Circle into the area. She asked how a private party could have gotten permission to use a part of city property to build their home. She asked how Parks and Recreation Commission February 5, 2004 Page 3 of 5 permission was obtained, what are the provisions of the agreement, and how will the preserve be compensated. Director Smith clarified that Mr. McNair was denied access from the Simms property; the access he took was off Scenic Circle. The affected area is between his property and the creek. Grading did threaten to undermine McClellan Road. It was necessary to bring heavy equipment in to repair the slope and stabilize McClellan Road. Because Mr. Nair was denied access across the Simms property from McClellan Road to repair the damage, he came off Scenic Circle and crossed through the "panhandle" of the Simms property, which is a flat area between his house and the creek. He laid gravel for equipment to pass over. Mr. McNair will be required to remove the gravel when his project is complete. Grace and Tony Toy distributed a packet to each commissioner, the recording secretary, and the director. Grace Toy stated that the new Court #1 policy is inconsistent and unfair. She stated that reserving this court has become very complicated and allows Team Tennis to have more opportunities to play on court #1. She gave an example of how she could only reserve this court every 12 days, which she stated is not the intention of the policy. Tony Toy stated that he had been asking for a fair reservation policy. To that end, a committee was put together and his name was drawn as the representative of the pass holders. He stated that he has been working hard via the committee to draft a fair policy. He stated that he had asked staff to send out and post a flyer he had made stating the he represents all pass holders on the Reservation Policy Committee, but that staff printed and displayed a second flyer that stated that "Dear Passholders, the Court Reservation Committee will finish their work on 2/25/04 if you would like to provide any feedback or suggestions regarding court reservations your can contact: Tony (contact info) and/or Grant Gower (contact info)." He believes this flyer is misleading and confusing and he does not agree with this arrangement. He requested that staff display his flyer in public showing that only he represents all pass holders on the Reservation Policy Committee. He referred to emails on this subject that are in the packet he distributed. Mr. Toy asked the Commission to comment, but Chairman Brown stated that the Commission is prohibit by law from making any decisions with respect to a matter not listed on the agenda and thanked Mr. Toy for his comments. Staff Comments Director Smith added that a committee member objected to Mr. Toy's flyer because all Tennis Club members are required to buy annual passes and that the second flyer seemed a reasonable compromise. Sports Center staff wants as much input as possible - who ever it comes through - that's why the second flyer was posted and distributed. 9. WRITTEN Director Smith stated that in the commission packet was correspondence that City Council received from Mr. and Mrs. Toy regarding the Sports Center. 10. NEW BUSINESS Parks and Recreation Commission February 5, 2004 Page 4 of 5 A. Consider selecting a date in February to review a Community Congress exercise: Director Smith described a game that is being developed as an educational tool at the March 27 Community Congress. The purpose of the game is to understand the role of budgetary decision making that the City Council might face. She would like to test the game with the commission. She suggested that the commission meet an hour before the Commission's Reception, February 25. A motion was made and seconded for the commission meet on Wednesday, February 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. to test the budget game. ACTION: The motion unanimously passed to hold a Parks and Recreation Commission study session on Wednesday, February 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. to test a budget game for the Community Congress meeting being held on March 27. 11. MISCELLANEOUS - NO ACTION REQUIRED A. Staff Oral Reports: a. City Council Goals for 2004: Director Smith reviewed the Council goals pertaining to the Parks and Recreation Department. Budget Update: Director Smith displayed the department's budget, staffing levels, and explained that we are in a mode of decreased spending. She discussed the community hall and the civic plaza that will need to be staffed. c. 4th of July: Director Smith detailed the plan for the 2004 fireworks at Cupertino High School; the daytime program will remain at Memorial Park. Cupertino Historical Society: (in the Council goals) There is a lot of community interest in a Center for Living History. They want to begin their fundraising effort now. At the February 2 Council meeting, they gave the Historical Society a resolution of intent that said that if you do raise the money, we will enter into a long-term lease agreement for the Stocklmeir house, the McClellan Ranch barn and blacksmith shop. Stevens Creek Corridor Grant Request: (in the Council goals) Director Smith reported that the master plan and the beginning of the environmental documents are still a few months off. She had wanted to have a completed environmental document for grant application purposes. However, a grant application was submitted to the State on January 15 via a program that did not require completed CEQA, and has requested some funding to begin the transformation of Blackberry Farm to a more natural area. Critical to all of this is working with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. We have pitched to them to do an opportunity to do a model restoration project and they are very excited about this "rehabilitation". They hope to have a proposal to their board by mid April. They have sent biologists out to the corridor to start evaluating what could be done. The work they intend to do is extensive and will need to Parks and Recreation Conunission February 5, 2004 Page 5 of 5 budget it over a number of years. Hopefully, July 1, money will become available to do extensive geomorphology and hydrologic analysis of the creek between the bridges at McClellan Road and Stevens Creeks (the control points). What the Water District comes up with in terms of the Corridor for habitat is a finding that we need to know before we can complete the master plan. So the master plan is on hold for the moment. The submitted grant application hinges upon this partnership moving forward. Community Contacts: a. Commissioner Bradford reported that she attended the Mayor's Breakfast in January. She acknowledged staf?s good works in connection with the Cupertino Sports Center grand opening. 12. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Brown adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted Marge Preston, Administrative Secretary Televised Council meetings may be viewed live on Cable Channel 26, and may also be viewed live or on demand at www. cupertino, org. Videotapes of the televised meetings are available at the Cupertino Library, or may be purchased from the Cupertino City Channel, 777-2364. Minutes approved at the March 4, 2004, regular meeting.