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Full AgendaPage 1 of 21 CITY OF CUPERTINO AGENDA C U P E RTI N O PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION 10350 Torre Avenue, Community Hall Thursday, November 7, 2019 7:00 PM This Meeting Will Be Televised CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Subject: Regular Meeting of September 5, 2019 Draft Minutes 2. Subject: Regular Meeting of October 3, 2019 Draft Minutes POSTPONEMENTS ORAL COMMUNICATIONS This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to three (3) minutes. In most cases, State law will prohibit the commission from making any decisions with respect to a matter not listed on the agenda WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS OLD BUSINESS 3. Subject: 2019 Blackberry Farm Season Update Staff Report n ++ t r+ n 4. Subject: 2019 Summer Aquatics Learn -to -Swim Program Update Staff Report 5. Subject: Dog Off -Leash Area (DOLA) Update Staff Report Page 1 Page 2 of 21 Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda November 7, 2019 NEW BUSINESS 6. Subject: Review and Provide Feedback on the Draft Ethics Protocol Draft Ethics Protocol 7. Subject: Status of January 2020 Commission Meeting STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS 8. Subject: Receive Monthly Update Reports from: - Director - Commissioners Report ADJOURNMENT In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), anyone who is planning to attend the next meeting who is visually or hearing impaired or has any disability that needs special assistance should call the City Clerk's Office at 408-777-3223, 48 hours in advance of the meeting to arrange for assistance. Upon request, in advance, by a person with a disability, meeting agendas and writings distributed for the meeting that are public records will be made available in the appropriate alternative format. Also upon request, in advance, an assistive listening device can be made available for use during the meeting. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the members after publication of the agenda will be made available for public inspection. Please contact the City Clerk's Office in City Hall located at 10300 Torre Avenue during normal business hours. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be advised that pursuant to Cupertino Municipal Code 2.08.100 written communications sent to the Cupertino City Council, Commissioners or City staff concerning a matter on the agenda are included as supplemental material to the agendized item. These written communications are accessible to the public through the City's website and kept in packet archives. You are hereby admonished not to include any personal or private information in written communications to the City that you do not wish to make public; doing so shall constitute a waiver of any privacy rights you may have on the information provided to the City. Members of the public are entitled to address the members concerning any item that is described in the notice or agenda for this meeting, before or during consideration of that item. If you wish to address the members on any other item not on the agenda, you may do so during the public comment. Page 2 Page 3 of 21 CITY OF CITY OF CUPERTINO is PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Community Hall CUPERTINO 10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA Thursday, September 5, 2019 7:00 PM MEETING DRAFT MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Kumarappan called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. in the Community Hall, at 10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioners present: Xiangchen Xu, Gopal Kumarappan, Neesha Tambe (arrived at 7:08pm), Helene Davis Commissioners absent: Carol Stanek Staff present: Jeff Milkes, Kevin Khuu, Jenny Koverman Guest speakers: None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Regular Meeting of August 1, 2019 Commissioner Davis motioned to approve the draft minutes. Commissioner Xu seconded. Motion passed with 3 yes and 2 absent. CEREMONIAL MATTERS AND PRESENTATIONS None POSTPONEMENTS None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Received written communication that will be uploaded into public record. OLD BUSINESS 2. Jollyman Park Dog Off -Leash Area (DOLA) Trial Survey Results Jeff Milkes, Director of Parks and Recreation reviewed the history of the item and introduced Jenny Koverman, Recreation Supervisor, to review the results of the survey and requested a recommendation from the Commission on whether to Page 4 of 21 continue with the trial or not. Will bring the item back to the Commission in March and July of 2020 with trial updates. The following members of the public spoke on item: Carol Miller, Cupertino Resident Cecil Coe, Cupertino Resident, submitted several documents (written communications) Catherine Coe, Cupertino Resident Sameer Raheja, from the Jollyman Off Leash Dog Group Charlie Hanson, Cupertino Resident Deepa Mahendrakar, from the Jollyman Off Leash Dog Group Ardith West, Cupertino Resident Debashis Rao, from the Jollyman Off Leash Dog Group Leigh Anne Gillis, Cupertino Resident Raj Avasarala, Cupertino Resident Commissioner Xu mentioned concerns from residents on the timing of and short time frame of the survey, enforcement of program, separation of large and small dogs into different areas or weekdays and weekends, and the cleanliness issue at Jollyman Park that may affect the evaluation of the trial. Suggested granting only responsible dog owners access to the dog off leash area or create a registration system for the program. Vice Chair Kumarappan supports the trial, but voiced concerns on enforcement, ensuring that dogs are licensed, and suggested having mitigation plans in place to respond to all concerns and risks from residents. Suggested having an official monitoring system for the trial and a way to collect feedback from dog owners or non -dog owners. Also, to provide specific training to the part time staff assigned to the trial. Commissioner Davis commented on the benefits of the trial, citing the historical information on the dog off leash item, and supports the trial moving forward. Chair Tambe suggested adding on the sign, a form or open link, to gather public comment for those who are against the trial. Supports moving forward with the trial but suggested staff investigate other forms of a barrier. Also, to have very strict and formalized rules to protect residents and dogs in case something does happen. Suggested having a reference mechanism for licensed dog owners, penalizing unlicensed dog owners more than licensed dog owners, and looking into the utilization of the Mary Ave Dog Park. Page 5 of 21 NEW BUSINESS None STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS 3. Receive Monthly Update Reports from: - Director o Reviewed summer participation data of City programs and facilities o BBF Pool is only open on weekends and will have the Pooch Plunge event after that. o Hired a new Administrative Assistant, Whitney Zeller o The Commission will receive a study from LAFCO on Rancho Rinconada in the end of November and there will be a joint meeting with the City Council to review the consultant's finding. Commissioners o Commissioner Davis attended the Summer Events, Dog Off Leash Outreach session, and the Mayor's Meeting. Reported on the following: ■ The Library Commission has formed a task force to work on the Library Expansion ■ The Teen Commission will host a Bobateeno Event on the September 21 at City Hall. ■ Sustainability Committee will host a speaker series on September 23. ■ Fine Arts Commission is hosting a Young Artist Award and Art in Unexpected Places, including a wall at the Stevens Creek Corridor (potential collaboration) ■ Bicycle Pedestrian Commission item, the Regnart Creek Trail, is going to City Council on September 17. o Vice Chair Kumarappan spoke about potential future topics of the Regnart Creek Trail and Rancho Rinconada swimming pool. o Commissioner Xu shared an upcoming community event at Memorial Park called Ride for Diabetes on Sunday, September 8. ADJOURNMENT - Chair Tambe adjourned the meeting at 8:34 p.m. to the October 3, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kevin Khuu, Management Analyst Parks & Recreation Department Minutes approved at the regular meeting Page 6 of 21 CITY OF CITY OF CUPERTINO is PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Community Hall CUPERTINO 10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA Thursday, October 3, 2019 7:00 PM MEETING DRAFT MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Tambe called the meeting to order at 7:42 p.m. in the Community Hall, at 10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioners present: Gopal Kumarappan, Neesha Tambe, Carol Stanek Commissioners absent: Xiangchen Xu, Helene Davis Staff present: Jeff Milkes, Kevin Khuu, Michael Zimmerman, Christine Hanel, Daniel Mestizo, Whitney Zeller Guest speakers: None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Regular Meeting of September 5, 2019 Chair Tambe postponed this item to the November meeting, due to the lack of quorum to vote on the minutes. CEREMONIAL MATTERS AND PRESENTATIONS None POSTPONEMENTS None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Resident Steven Chi of Spacebotz First Lego League spoke to the Commission about the need for an all-inclusive playground. Saratoga resident, Timothy Liu spoke to the Commission about the need for an all-inclusive playground. Resident Jiajing Liang spoke to the Commission about the need for an all- inclusive playground. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS None Page 7 of 21 OLD BUSINESS 2. McClellan Ranch — Community Gardens Improvements — Update Michael Zimmerman, Capital Improvement Project Manager presented the latest conceptual plan for the garden, reviewed direction received from Council in June, discussed garden design, reviewed the project schedule, reviewed cost estimates and explained volunteer forces to be utilized. The new design consists of 115 plots and has a scheduled opening of May 2020, contingent on weather during construction. Jeff Milkes, Director of Parks and Recreation, gave more detail on volunteer utilization and reviewed potential for additional community gardens at satellite locations. Vice Chair Kumarappan requested clarification on the costs of the project and distinguished which items will be completed by contractors/vendors and what items will be completed by city staff. Vice Chair Kumarappan suggested that there were too many allocations to construction management and would like to see a larger focus on mitigation plans to avoid repeating issues that occurred previously with the community garden project. Commissioner Stanek expressed concern with the possible timeline delays due to the rainy season and inquired on any procedures in place for processing applications and any existing policies regarding the assignment of plots. Chair Tambe advised that alternative irrigation and plot structures be researched, such as a reservoir system which can also help in deterring rodents. Chair Tambe also voiced apprehension in the standardization of the plots as well as the use of volunteer to assemble the beds and expressed concern that basing design and construction decisions on budget may decrease the utility and quality of the garden. NEW BUSINESS 3. Receive presentation and provide feedback on the Department Performance Measures and Workload Indicators for FY 19/20 Christine Hanel, Assistant Director, presented to the Commission about the Recreation Department's current performance measures and workload indicators for the current fiscal year. Reviewed the current measures and explained general trends for the last 3 fiscal years. Assistant Director Hanel reminded the Commission about the special meeting that will be held next month on November 18, for the visit from the LERN consultant to review the department's marketing plan. Vice Chair Kumarappan expressed interest in seeing what data and suggestions the LERN consultant will be able to provide and would like to see how targets will update with the new information. Page 8 of 21 Commissioner Stanek inquired on how automation has impacted workload indicators. Assistant Director Hanel responded that the impact of automation will be reflected in the new quarter. Chair Tambe asked where there is the greatest potential for growth next year. Assistant Director Hanel responded that senior services are in high demand and that the department will need to keep up with that trend. Chair Tambe requested that information on externalities that can impact the data be included in future reports. 4. Receive a presentation on the second Bobateeno youth and teen event Daniel Mestizo, Recreation Coordinator, updated the Commission on the goals of the event, attendance and participation, and feedback for future events. Goals for the event included addressing teen stress, fostering social development, recreation, and resource connection. Attendance this year increased from 500 to 700, and a passport program was used to encourage teens to visit resource booths. There were 115 survey responses following the event with positive feedback. Next year there are plans to continue expanding the scope of the booths and activities offered at Bobateeno. Vice Chair Kumarappan suggested using an alternative location next year, as there were some noise issues with the proximity to the library. Commissioner Stanek recognized the passport system as a good idea to keep attendees participating. It was also suggested to incorporate therapy dogs next year to contribute to stress relief. Chair Tambe suggested adding human bingo to next year's event to allow attendees to interact more with each other, to collect quotes from participants as a marketing tool for the event in future years, and to have local businesses sponsor a large raffle next year. It was also suggested to find smaller ways to incorporate long-term interaction with attendees and share other opportunities to manage stress and mental health. 5. Thumbs Up! Item was pulled from the agenda. STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS 6. Receive Monthly Update Reports from: - Director o Draft ethics protocol will be added to the November meeting. o Jollyman dog off leash trial has started. o City Council work plan amendment to include the golf course review was denied on Tuesday. o Will bring the CIP prioritization item to the Commission next month. o Master Plan will come to the City Council in December. Page 9 of 21 o Will host a special meeting between the City Council and the Commission sometime in January to discuss Rancho Rinconada - Commissioners o Commissioner Stanek attended the Mayor's meeting and reported on the following: ■ Bike Ped — Reviewed the Carmen Ave Bridge, Bike Fest event, Regnart Trail was approved. ■ Fine Arts — Young artist contest through November. The subject is "What Makes Me Smile?". Two walls were identified for murals, for art in unexpected places, they are looking for art to place on City swag. ■ Library — Santa Clara County Library district and friends of the library. ■ Teen — Bobateeno ■ Planning — Farmers' Market at the Oaks. ■ Housing — Short term rentals regulations, accessory dwelling units would not be approved for short term rentals. ■ Public Safety — Limiting tobacco products near schools, coyote issues. ■ Sustainability — Zero waste lifestyle speaker presentation, reduce waste. ■ Also attended the Jollyman Off Leash Area trial and has heard positive feedback so far. o Vice Chair Kumarappan Reported on Bobateeno and will attend the DOLA ADJOURNMENT — Chair Tambe adjourned the meeting at 10:02 p.m. to the November 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Whitney Zeller, Administrative Assistant Parks & Recreation Department Minutes approved at the regular meeting Page 10 of 21 CITY OF CUPERTINO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT QUINLAN COMMUNITY CENTER 10185 NORTH STELLING ROAD • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-5732 TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3120 • FAX: (408) 777-1305 CUPERTINO.ORG PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2019 Subject 2019 Blackberry Farm Season Update Recommended Action Receive Report Discussion Background • Since the re -opening of Blackberry Farm in 2009, Staff has been providing the Parks & Recreation Commission with annual status updates. These updates include information on attendance, programs, and events. Attendance • Prior to the re -opening in 2009, attendance at Blackberry Farm was composed of approximately 10% Cupertino residents and 90% non- residents. Since that time, it has been Staff's goal to increase resident use. For the last 4 years, attendance has remained on trend at approximately 40% residents and 60% non-residents. Those numbers remained about the same for 2019: 42% residents and 50% non-residents. • During the 100-day season, the picnic sites were booked a total of 253 times. • Approximately 20,100 swimmers used the pools. Programs • This season we offered 3 different categories of swim lessons at Blackberry Farm: 1. Parent/Tot Classes - These classes were offered on Saturday morning to give working parents a chance to bring their children to class. Both sessions were full. Page 11 of 21 2. Semi -Private Adult Classes - These classes were offered in the evenings: Tuesday -Friday, after the pools closed, to allow for an unintimidating learning environment. Two sessions were originally offered and a third session was added due to demand. 3. Adaptive Needs Lessons - This was our first season offering swim lessons for the adaptive needs community. All classes were private lessons and held in the mornings before the pools opened for the day. Although we only taught a total of 5, one -week sessions, with only 2 students, the program was considered a huge success and something we hope to grow in the future (See attachment A). • New for 2019, we also offered a program series called Join -A -Ranger. These were a series of events planned and led by the Stevens Creek Corridor Park Rangers. Thus far, we have offered a total of 7, drop -in, free events. These events have been so popular that we will require registration for the next set of dates in Spring 2020. 1. Night Hike & Flashlight Tour (3.8.19) - 30 participants 2. Restoration Village Tour (4.6.19) -15 participants 3. Pollinator Walk & Talk (5.11.19) - 24 participants 4. Apex Predator Workshop (9.7.19) - 32 participants 5. Nature Walk & Talk (10.12.19) - 34 participants 6. Night Hike & Flashlight Tour (11.9.19) - 35 RSVPs, 25 on waitlist 7. Wild Plant Uses: Edible, Medicinal, & Survival (12.1.19) - 20 RSVPs Events • 41hof July at Blackberry Farm (7.4.19) - a total of 783 people attended the event. They enjoyed free swimming, food trucks, and live music. • Corridor Stroll (8.2.19)- The inaugural event encouraged people to "stroll" from Blackberry Farm to McClellan Ranch, partaking in various activities along the way. Activities included Ranger led educational booths, face painting, dog training/agility, crafts, blacksmith shop demos, 4H Beekeepers, and the Audubon Society. Although very hard to measure, approximately 400 attended the event. • Pooch Plunge (10.5.19)- Dogs of all shapes and sizes came to the pool to test out their swimming skills. Both the pooches and their humans Page 12 of 21 appreciated meeting their neighbors and making connections. The event benefitted Best Friends Animal Society and a total of $510 was raised to help pooches in need. Wildlife & Harvest Day - This is a collaborative event between the Parks and Recreation Department and the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. More than 1,500 families came out to Blackberry Farm and enjoyed live music by Peter Apel, games, crafts, live animal shows, bird house building, food trucks, a Rolling Hills 4H petting zoo, face painting, inflatable archery, a pumpkin patch, and much more. Prepared by: Molly James, Recreation Coordinator Reviewed bv: Supervisor or Department Jenny Koverman, Recreation Supervisor Approved for Submission by: Christine Hanel, Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Attachments: A - Email from Cupertino resident regarding adaptive needs swim lessons Page 13 of 21 From: Jemelee Melendres To: Cupertino Recreation and Community Services; City Council Cc: Molly James; Jem Subject: Thank you Cupertino! for creating a much needed Special Needs Swimming Lesson program Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 9:51:40 AM Dear Cupertino Parks and Rec Department, This year was the first year the city of Cupertino Parks and Rec department created a private swimming class specifically for the Special Needs community at Blackberry Farm. This is a very much needed program as there are limited choices for swimming lessons for the special needs community. Blackberry Farm is an excellent facility to host the swimming lessons. My daughter has enjoyed her swimming lessons and she has mastered water safety because of the private lessons provided by the City. We hope this program continues again because it is a fantastic program that helps special needs kids learn water safety and how to swim in a calm, quiet and peaceful environment that Blackberry Farm provides. A big shout -out to Molly James for all her work in coordinating schedules and the program implementation. We are so grateful that this program started in our community, our city of Cupertino. A heartfelt thank you to Alissa Paterson for being a supportive and wonderful teacher to my daughter. All the progress in water safety and basic swimming techniques is attributed to Alissa and her dedication and all the different swimming techniques she comes up with. Thank you! Jemelee Melendres and family Cupertino resident since 2003 Page 14 of 21 CITY OF CUPERTINO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT QUINLAN COMMUNITY CENTER 10185 NORTH STELLING ROAD • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-5732 TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3120 • FAX: (408) 777-1305 CUPERTINO.ORG PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2019 Subject 2019 Summer Aquatics Learn -to -Swim Program Update Recommended Action Receive Report Discussion The City of Cupertino offered swim lessons at the pool at Monta Vista High School Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 am to 6 pm from June 18 through August 2 for 686 participants (89% residents). Also, from 11 am to 2 pm, adults could drop in for lap swim. There were 150 lap swim sessions this summer (94% residents). Challenges: Staff shortages reduced the total amount of lesson slots available. Swim lesson capacity decreased due to this staffing shortage. The City of Cupertino rents pool space from the Fremont Union High School District for it's learn -to -swim program. Rental costs make up a significant part of program expenses. Due to the staff shortages, we could not make up these costs as planned. Fiscal Impact Utilizing Blackberry Farm's pool instead of Fremont Union High School District facilities will save approximately $30,000. This would also provide the opportunity to share staff between the two programs. Provided we have full staffing, we can accommodate approximately 1,000 participants over the summer. Classes would be offered in the morning before Blackberry opens, Tuesday through Sunday, and in the evening after they close Tuesday through Friday. Page 15 of 21 Prepared by: Jeff Ordway, Recreation Coordinator Reviewed bv: Jenny Koverman, Recreation Supervisor Approved for Submission by: Christine Hanel, Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Page 16 of 21 CITY OF CUPERTINO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT QUINLAN COMMUNITY CENTER 10185 NORTH STELLING ROAD • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-5732 TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3120 • FAX: (408) 777-1305 CUPERTINO.ORG PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2019 Subject Dog Off Leash Area Update Recommended Action Receive Report Background After completing community outreach, the City of Cupertino began a DOLA trial on October 1st which is scheduled to end July 31, 2020. While determining the hours for the trial, we took many factors into account including the wishes of the pro-DOLA group, as well as the concerns of neighbors and park users. We wanted the trial to span the spring and summer months, so we decided on a 10-month trial instead of a more typical 3- month trial. The hours were set at 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm for October -February and 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm for March - July. Because the exact time for dusk changes almost every single day, we chose not to use an hour before and after dusk as we felt that was too vague. We wanted to give specific hours so that people wanting to use the DOLA would know exactly when they could use the off -leash area. Keeping the hours in the evening allows us to accommodate interested dog owners who may not get home from work until 6:00 or later. Having set hours was also important for addressing safety concerns about the DOLA. Park users who are afraid of off -leash dogs would know to avoid that area of the park during published times. Starting at 5 p.m. also gives kids a chance to use that area of the park after school without fear of encountering off -leash dogs. We also felt these hours would decrease conflicts with field times permitted to youth sports groups. Making changes at this time could create confusion and will result in additional expenses. Staff will continue to record and respond to complaints and concerns regarding the DOLA. If the trial is successful, all input will be considered before determining permanent hours. Page 17 of 21 Fiscal Impact Any proposed program changes may result in new signage, which would be approximately $300. Any additional expenses would be the result of added staff time. Prepared by: Karen Levy, Recreation Coordinator Reviewed bv: Kim Calame, Recreation Supervisor Approved for Submission by: Christine Hanel, Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Page 18 of 21 CITY OF CUPERTINO ETHICS PROTOCOL The citizens, businesses and organizations of the City are entitled fair, ethical and accountable local government that has earned the public's full confidence for integrity. To this end, the City Council has adopted this Ethics Protocol for City Council, appointed officials, and staff of the City of Cupertino to promote public confidence in the integrity of local government and its effective and fair operation. A. Comply with Law City elected/appointed officials and staff comply with the laws of the nation, the State of California and the City in the performance of their public duties. These laws include, but are not limited to: the United States and California constitutions, the Cupertino Municipal Code, City ordinances and policies, and laws pertaining to conflicts of interest, election campaigns, financial disclosures, employer responsibilities and open processes of governments. The City ensures its elected/appointed officials and staff receive regular training on ethics as required by state law. B. Conduct of Members The professional and personal conduct of City elected/appointed officials and staff should be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. City elected/appointed officials and staff should refrain from abusive conduct, personal charges, or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of others, including members of the Council, boards and commissions, the staff, or the public. C. Respect for Process City elected/appointed officials and staff perform their duties in accordance with the processes and rules of order established by the City Council governing the deliberation of public policy issues, meaningful involvement of the public, and implementation of policy decisions of the City Council by City staff. D. Decisions Based on Merit City elected/appointed officials and staff base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations. E. Conflict of Interest In order to assure their independence and impartiality on behalf of the common good, City elected/appointed officials and staff do not use their official positions to participate in or influence decisions in which they have a material financial interest, an organizational responsibility, or a personal relationship, which may give the appearance of a conflict of interest. F. Gifts and Favors City elected/appointed officials and staff limit and report gifts as required by state law, and follow advice provided by the City Attorney. Page 19 of 21 G. Confidential Information City elected/appointed officials and staff respect the confidentiality of information concerning the property, personnel, and affairs of the City. They neither disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization, nor use such information to advance their personal, financial or other private interests. H. Use of Public Resources City elected/appointed officials and staff do not use public resources, such as City staff time, equipment, supplies or facilities, for private gain or personal/political purposes. Representing the City & Advocacy When formally authorized to represent and/or advocate for the official policies or positions of the City, elected/appointed officials and staff must do so accurately and in a limited fashion that does not go beyond the scope of their authority. By contrast, when City elected/appointed officials and staff are presenting their individual opinions and positions on issues potentially relevant to the City, they must explicitly state they do not represent their body or the City and must not allow any inference that they do. Positive Work Place Environment City elected/appointed officials and staff support the maintenance of a positive and constructive work place environment for City employees and for citizens and businesses dealing with the City. City elected/appointed officials recognize their special role in dealings with City staff, taking care not to create any perception of inappropriate direction to staff. 1163555.1 Page 20 of 21 Director's Report to the Parks & Recreation Commission November 2019 Parks & Recreation Director's Position I am Randy Schwartz and have been serving as the Interim Parks and Recreation Director since October 24th. My career in municipal recreation began in Pacifica in 1981 and had stops in Brisbane, Burlingame (for 23 years), Millbrae and San Bruno before retiring as the City Manager for the Town of Hillsborough. Post retirement, I have consulted or had interim assignments for a few cities and continue to teach in the San Mateo public sector training academy. The search for a permanent Parks and Recreation Director is underway. The Cupertino Human Resources Department has updated the job specifications, created an information flyer and established November 19th as the deadline for applications. The City Manager's office will be in charge of the search, but staff will keep the Commissioners informed of the process along the way. Unfortunately, a pre -planned family vacation prevents me from attending the November Commission meetings, but I have had a FaceTime conversation with Chairperson Tambe to review the upcoming meeting agendas. Assistant Director Hanel and Administrative Services Director Alfaro will be leading Departmental operations in my absence and will be able to connect with me throughout my vacation. Update on Masterplan The Parks & Recreation System Master Plan has progressed and is nearing completion. A draft Master Plan was issued earlier this year. Wide input was received from Commissions and other groups, as well as from the public. The City Council reviewed Master Plan elements in February, April and May. The Master Plan was refined based on the input from these meetings and an updated version was issued in October. Environmental review documents (aka 'CEQA' documents) for the Master Plan have been prepared and posted for public comments. The formal public comment period on the CEQA documents commenced on October 23 and will conclude on November 22. The next steps for the Master Plan include: • Planning Commission, informational presentation, date TBD, tentatively Nov. 21 • Environmental Review Committee, Dec. 5, 9:30 am, consider the CEQA documents and make a recommendation to Council regarding adoption • Parks & Recreation Commission, Dec. 5, 7:00 pm, receive a presentation on the updated Master Plan and make a recommendation to Council regarding its adoption • City Council, date TBD, tentatively Feb. 4, 2020, consider adoption of the Master Plan and the associated CEQA documents Staff appreciates the time and energy the Parks and Recreation Commission has put into the Master Plan process, and for all the ongoing guidance and support the Commission has provided. We look forward tc presenting the Master Plan to you next month. All -Inclusive Playground Cupertino's Public Works Department continues to explore options for installation of an all-inclusive playground at Jollyman Park. I have spoken with the Public Works Director regarding the topic and agree with his approach. City staff has received renderings of a possible layout from one of the vendors, as well as a follow-up phone call to confirm receipt and clarify the pieces of equipment included. We have not asked the vendor for follow-up or pricing information, nor did we discuss the public bidding process with Page 21 of 21 them at this time, to ensure the vendor is not disqualified from submitting an application under the public bidding process. We will have more information available to the Commission at the December meeting. Accreditation Due to the heavy amount of staff time necessary to complete the application and submittals, and with the approval of the City Manager, I have asked staff to stop the NRPA accreditation process. Instead, the time required to research files and data over the past 15 years will be better served continuing the amazing programs the residents of Cupertino enjoy. Receiving the NRPA accreditation, in my opinion, is necessary only to those agencies who do not have the support of their public, elected or appointed officials. The hundreds of staff hours required to submit a full application is one of the main reasons so few agencies in California even seek the accreditation. I look forward to meeting each of you in December. If you have any questions for me or if I can be of assistance before then, please send me an email at randvs@cupertino.org. Thank you. Randy Schwartz Interim Parks & Recreation Director