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Home My WebLink About2011-11-28• MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION, EDUCATION AND YOUTH November 28, 2011 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting convened at 3:39 p.m. in the City Hall, Room 831, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, California. ATTENDANCE Council members Present Michele Martinez (Chair); Sal Tinajero Vincent Sarmiento Staff Present: Gerardo Mouet, Executive Director; Ryan Hodge, City Attorney; Ron Ono, Administrative Services Manager; Jenny Rios, Community Services Manager; Jose Perez, • Community Services Supervisor; Juan Lara, Community Services Supervisor; Heather Folmar, Library Operations Manager; Lupita Vega, Principal Librarian, Youth Services; Patty Lopez, Principal Librarian, Adult Services; Cheryl Eberly, Principal Librarian, Young Adult Services; Kent Yamaguchi, SA Zoo Manager, Nancy Edwards, Interim Executive Director CDA Public Present Andrew Galvin, O.C. Register Ken Nguyen, Board of Recreation and Parks Jim Walker, SA Resident Leslie Vasquez, America On Track Alejandra Cook, America On Track Shayne Garcia, America On Track Claire Braeburn, America On Track Anita Vasquez, America on Track Adam Elmahrete, Voice of OC Esther Trinidad, LHA Corazones Verdez, LHA Tixoc Vertura, SA Resident Rosalia Pinor, SA Resident Maria Andrade, SA Resident Sergio Hernandez, SA Resident Saroo Carrillo, SA Teen Club Marco Millan, SA Teen Club PREY Regular Meeting - MINUTES 1 November 28, 2011 • Ariana Tiaseci, SA Teen Club Juan Carlos Carrillo Gonzalez, SA Teen Club Manuel Escamilla, SAPL Laura Garibay, SACRED • APPROVAL OF MINUTES o Minutes of August 3, 2011 accepted as presented. • PUBLIC COMMENTS: o Ken Nguyen (Board of Recreation and Parks Chairman) - read a letter approved by the Board of Recreation and Parks on November 16, 2011 indicating the value of the SA Library of providing programs that are prepared strictly for SA residents. The City Council should not outsource the SA Library to the County. Mr. Nguyen also indicated to the committee that the United Methodist Church adjacent to Morrison Park is for sale. The City should look into options to acquire the property. The anticipated asking price is $3.4 million o Claire Braeburn (America on Track) - Spoke in support of the "No Smoking in Parks" ordinance. She presented 128 letters of support and highlighted the benefits of not smoking and the affects of second hand smoke. • o Jim Walker - Spoke in support of "No Smoking in Parks". o Manual Escamilla - indicated he is not supportive of outsourcing the Library. o Juan Carlos Carrillo Gonzalez - indicated he is not supportive of outsourcing the Library. o Avita Vasquez- indicated she supports the "No Smoking in Parks" ordinance. o Sergio Hernandez - indicated he is a resident of SA for 6 years and indicated it is important to continue the Library program to support SA children. The program is excellent and some are giving back to the Library through volunteerism. The current programs in the library are clear and the county proposal is speculative. Mr. Hernandez submitted letters of support for the library. o Maria Andrade - indicated the Library is important to the children. She indicated her son is part of the Teen Program and she has seen her son improve through the year. • UPDATE ON OUTSOURCING THE LIBRARY TO THE COUNTY o The Executive Director provided handouts and timeline to the PREY committee. He indicated staff met with the County in October to provide them with the City's Library program and budget information. When the County submits their proposal (estimated in early December) the City will be able to compare the County's proposal with the City's Library Services. Many of the • Library Services are leveraged with grant funding. If the Library is outsourced to the County, the County will be required to manage the grant programs. PREY Regular Meeting - MINUTES 2 November 28, 2011 • o Councilmember Tinajero - asked if the county will provide a cost to run the grant programs? Staff responded it will be identified in their proposal that will be submitted to the City in December. ¦ Councilman explained that 41% of the City will be on furlough to prevent the City from going into bankruptcy. We need to find creative ways to keep programs intact. We need to maintain stability in the City. o Councilmember Sarmiento requested the Library Outsourcing to the County be re-agenized on the next PREY agenda. ¦ Need to make clear to the public that the Library is not being eliminated, but the city is looking at ways the services can be provided by the County. ¦ Due to the city's economic challenges, there is benefit in looking at the County to provide Library Programs. ¦ Function of the Library is changing, value of our library is where people gather and technology changes the way we offer programs. o Councilmember Martinez - Thanked Library staff in keeping the Library afloat with grant funding. It is important to provide spaces for the community. ¦ Requested CDBG be agenized at the next meeting. Need to leverage other funding sources. ¦ Thanked Mr. Nguyen and the public for attending and • supporting the library system. The SA Library is very distinct compared to other library systems. • UPDATE ON ZOO MANAGEMENT OPTIONS o The Executive Director indicated Schultz and Williams was hired to provide recommendations and options to manage the zoo. A draft report of the findings is scheduled to be provided to the City next week. ¦ Schultz and Williams worked on privatizing the Dallas Zoo. ¦ Most of the Zoo budget comes from Zoo admissions. ? 42% of the Zoo budget is subsidized by the general fund. ? 58% is from zoo revenue. o Councilmember Sarmiento - Santa Ana Zoo is a true zoo with concessions and a diverse animal collection. ¦ The zoo is not a natural function of the city, unlike other city functions. ? Need to do more with the zoo (Like Bowers Museum). ? Maybe it's a business we need to get out of. Others may be able to do better given the current economy. o Councilmember Tinajero - Due to the current economic times, more marketing is needed to attract patrons. o Councilmember Martinez - Need to discuss after the report is submitted. PREY Regular Meeting - MINUTES 3 November 28, 2011 • • UPDATE ON NO SMOKING IN PARKS ORDINANCE o Executive Director indicated the no smoking in parks proposal was submitted to the Public Safety Committee, but it was not agenized. o Councilmember Martinez - Need to forward it to the next meeting. ¦ 12 out of 35 cities have initiated a No Smoking Ordinance. o Councilmember Sarmiento - asked what the cost of the sign is and the enforcement cost? o Councilmember Martinez - indicated we need to educate the community. • UPDATE ON ADULT SOCCER SURCHARGE OPTIONS • Community Services Manager presented the surcharge options summary with background and update. o Met with sports leagues to identified options that might be feasible. o Presented the following options discussed on the use of the surcharge fee: ¦ Install synthetic turf in DYSC. Due to expense of synthetic turf a possible sponsor or naming rights could be developed. ¦ Partnering with SAUSD to install synthetic turf field on Godinez High School football/soccer field. ¦ Work with SASA to decide how to use of the existing surcharge fee. • ¦ Use funding to help PRCSA to save the library or zoo from closing. ¦ Reconfigure fields 5 and 6 to add a third field o Staff recommended: ¦ Reinstate surcharge until balance reaches $500,000 and then discontinue. ¦ Work with the SAUSD to use surcharge to install synthetic turf on Godinez football/soccer field. o Joe Dixon indicated district is systematically changing their fields from natural turf to synthetic turf. o If Godinez is changed into synthetic turf the same city staff can monitor the field. With this proposal we don't have to reconfigure fields #5 & #6. Councilmember Sarmiento - indicated we need to check into re-imposing the surcharge. o If synthetic turf is installed on the Godinez Field where will the difference in cost come from? ¦ Staff indicated SAUSD will pay the difference. ¦ Staff will ask the SAUSD to fast track the installation at Godinez and provide a timeline. • STAFF COMMENTS • o Gerardo Mouet presented an update on the various items requested on the August 3rd, 2011 PREY meeting: PREY Regular Meeting - MINUTES 4 November 28, 2011 ¦ Cost estimate to have libraries open on Sunday will be • continued until County proposal is received. ¦ Staff is doing research on establishing a Seeds to Trees Library Foundation. ¦ Ordinance to refine a 7 on 7 rule and changing obsolete items on the current ordinance is being reviewed. ¦ Godinez HS fence to stay up for year round school varsity program is being discussed with the Athletic Director. ¦ Presented revised concept of the Plaza Santa Ana to stay within $200,000 CDBG budget. Committee approved and requested staff move forward quickly to implement improvements. ¦ Presented Santa Ana Unified School District proposal to construct a 43 stall parking lot and running track onto Lillie King Park to address issues around the school and park site. Recommended the SAUSD present the proposal to the Neighborhood Association and the Board of Recreation and Park for comments. • COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS o No Comments • ADJOURNED: 4:55 p.m. Gerardo Mouet Executive Direct , PRCSA PREY Regular Meeting - MINUTES 5 November 28, 2011