Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Minutes of Regular Meeting March 7, 2012

Transcription

1 Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Minutes of Regular Meeting 1. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District was called to order at 6:02 p.m. by Chairperson Hamm. Call to Order 2. PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE Chairperson Hamm led the pledge. 3. ROLL CALL Ayes: Kelley, Magner, Malloy, Rockenstein, Chairperson Hamm Absent: ALSO PRESENT: General Manager Dan LaBrado, Administrative Services Manager and Clerk of the Board Mark Carlson, Parks Superintendent Daryl Wagar, Recreation Services Manager Amy Stewart, Recreation Supervisors Lanny Binney and Jane Raab, Parks Supervisor Matt Parker, Facilities Supervisor Bob Cerasuolo, Administrative Analyst Michele Solecki, Senior Program Specialist Yvonne Valles, Customer Service Representative Karen Roberts, Mike Deponio, Darell DeMoss, Eric Maas, Mike Mishler, Walt Robbins, Deborah Smith, Carol Williams, Joan Andrews, Stephan Desjardins, Bill Honnef, Deborah Faneros, Lisa Montano, Dennis Gaiser, Ellen Powell, Dan Striplen, Jim McCrory, Rick Smith, Cheryl Marks, Danyelle Davis, Ernie Davis, Luzmary Holt, Randy Holzer, Julien Huralt, Tim Azbel, Rich Frank, Maynard Belzer, Kathleen Kelley, Bonnie Masculine, Chuck Colwell, Bob Graham, David Patton, Miranda Patton, and Bob Aaron, and Dan Friedlander. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA The Agenda was accepted as presented. Roll Call Agenda Accepted as Presented 5. PRESENTATIONS A. BMX Recreation Supervisor Lanny Binney introduced BMX Operators Frank Marino and Richard and Andrea Huvard who handed out BMX brochures to the Board. Ms. and Mr. Huvard presented their annual review with a slide show which highlighted the Freedom Park BMX 2011 accomplishments. The number of riders has increased by 20% since last year with weekly practices and races running on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and beginning and training clinics held on Mondays and Tuesdays. Advertising via PVRPD s activity guides, Camarillo s Acorn, facebook and twitter have had a big impact on the group s steady increase. Ms. Huvard relayed they would like to make some improvements such as increase spectator seating with shade structures, improve the hardscape surrounding the race track and include permanent restroom facilities and a pro shop at the site. The Board was very appreciative of the Huvard s presentation and noted the organization had arranged for a full audit for 2011.

2 Page 2 of 7 B. Camarillo Cougars Youth Football Recreation Supervisor Lanny Binney introduced Camarillo Cougars President Darell DeMoss, Secretary Angel Ziese, and Vice President Eric Maas who presented the Cougars annual review. An expanded GCYFL X-player rule will allow more youth to participate at their own age and grade level. Only 3 X-players can play at one time and the players are not ball carriers or in certain positions. The league has instituted Live Scan background checks on all coaches at the coaches expense and a city of Camarillo grant will allow for the purchase of additional youth safety gear. The Cougars will continue to increase their registration with added registration locations, advertising and early bird special pricing.. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT Chairperson Hamm accepted six speaker cards from Clerk of the Board Mark Carlson. The first speaker was Walt Robbins who invited all to the 6 th Annual Seniors Expo cosponsored by PVRPD on May 1 from 9:30am to 1pm at the Community Center. Mr. Robbins thanked General Manager Dan LaBrado for his leadership and vision and for allowing groups greater access to District facilities usage. The second speaker was Maynard Belzer who thanked the Board for the off-leash area at Springville Park. He mentioned the immediate need for the perimeter fence at Springville and suggested there may not initially be a need for a small dog area. Cheryl Marks thanked the Board for their support and for resuming the Mission Oaks Park off-leash program which will reduce the off-leash crowd at Springville. Rick Smith suggested the idea of an off-leash permit which would allow the permitted dog to be off-leash in the parks with some restrictions. The owners would have to leash their dogs when around children or when a leashed dog entered the vicinity. Mr. Smith felt the permit would ease up confrontational situations between dog owners and the park rangers who can currently cite for off-leash infractions. Bob Aaron stated there should be an open discussion regarding the District s financial issues and the viability of continuing with decisions made and providing the best service the District can to the community s citizens. Kathleen Kelley, president of Eagles Soccer Club expressed appreciation for General Manager Dan LaBrado and his direct impact on the quality of the youth sports programs. The Pleasant Valley Fields Sports Park was completed under the leadership of Mr. LaBrado and Ms. Kelley stated she was 100% in support of Mr. LaBrado. Chairperson Hamm thanked the speakers for their comments. To address the statements regarding the financial issues of the District, Ms. Hamm referred to the Personnel Committee Report in the Minutes of the February 1, 2012 Board Meeting, which stated the committee had met to develop a February through April calendar to research and address employee medical benefits and retirement issues. The committee met again on February 27 and the Board of Directors held a closed session to discuss the parameters

3 Page 3 of 7 of employee contributions to their retirement benefits. Ms. Hamm mentioned the Personnel Committee would meet again and the matter of employee retirement benefit contributions will be placed on the April Board Agenda. Chairperson Hamm also addressed a couple of recently published articles which attacked PVRPD and General Manager Dan LaBrado regarding employee retirement contributions and medical benefits. Ms. Hamm stated the articles contained falsely inflated information regarding the District s compensation package and also unfairly attacked Mr. LaBrado on a personal nature regarding his salary, retirement and medical benefits. Ms. Hamm confirmed that the PVRPD Board of Directors finds the attacks unwarranted and does not support the opinions made in the articles. The Board is in full support of Mr. LaBrado and has full confidence in his integrity and ability to manage and lead PVRPD for which he is fairly and accurately compensated. 7. CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes of January 4, February 1, 2 & 15, 2012 B. Warrants, Accounts Payable & Payroll thru March 1, 2012 C. Financial Report of December 2011 D. Consideration and Authorization to Enter into a Five-Year Lease Agreement Between the District and Leaf Capital Funding, LLC and a One-Year Total Print Management Agreement with Document Systems for a Canon Copier E. Consideration and Adopt Resolution No. 481 Directing SCI to Develop the Engineers Report for the Assessment District F. Consideration and Approval of Bid Award to Coastal Building Services, Inc. for Janitorial Services at District Park Facilities Chairperson Hamm opened the floor for input and discussion. Director Malloy requested Item 7.C and 7.F be pulled from the Consent Agenda. Chairperson Hamm called for a motion. A motion was made by Director Rockenstein and seconded by Director Magner to approve the Consent Agenda Items 7.A, B, D, and E. Ayes: Rockenstein, Magner, Kelley, Malloy, Chairperson Hamm Chairperson Hamm opened the floor for discussion on Items 7.C and 7.F. Director Malloy stated the numbers from the Financial Report of December 2011 seemed to show that group insurance costs and retirement benefits were approximately 66.4% of the fulltime payroll. Mr. Malloy requested staff to provide a two year monthly analysis of fulltime payroll and healthcare and retirement costs and to also summarize the trend of healthcare and retirement costs as a percentage of payroll. Director Malloy also questioned the cost savings of awarding a bid to a janitorial service in Item 7.F. Parks Superintendent Daryl Wagar stated when the FY Parks Operating Budget was approved by the Board, funds made available by a recent retirement were also approved to be re-allocated to contract services. The cost savings would be ten-fold, no Approve Consent Agenda Items A,B,D&E

4 Page 4 of 7 one would be laid off and the contract service would basically free up an employee to be utilized in other areas of the parks department. Chairperson Hamm called for a motion. A motion was made by Director Rockenstein and seconded by Director Magner to approve Consent Agenda Items 7.C and 7.F. Ayes: Rockenstein, Magner, Kelley, Malloy, Chairperson Hamm Approve Consent Agenda Items 7C & 7F 8. NEW ITEMS - DISCUSSION/ACTION A. Discussion and Direction on Off-Leash Dog Program Parks Superintendent Daryl Wagar summarized District actions taken to date with regards to providing the community with off-leash dog recreational areas. At Camarillo Grove Park, there is a secured off-leash dog park available seven days a week, the entire park is available for off-leash usage Monday through Friday and Camarillo Grove s trails are available for off-leash usage during weekend and holiday morning hours. The FY Budget allocated $22,000 funding for the construction of an off-leash dog area at Springville and the Friends of Camarillo Dog Parks (FCDP) have fundraised matching funds to assist with the completion of the project. Until construction begins, morning, evening and weekend hours are open for off-leash usage. Evening hours and weekend morning hours were trialed for an off-leash dog area at Mission Oaks Park. Due to the diligence of FCDP members and community support, staff recommends the continuation of the off-leash dog program at Mission Oaks Park with the weekend hours (Saturday and Sunday, 6 am to noon) and the reinstatement of the evening hours of 4:30pm to dusk with the onset of daylight saving time (March 11, 2012). Board discussion included mention of an interior fence which will be moved around to allow sections of grass to recover from dog traffic within the confines of a vinyl coated perimeter fence at Springville Park. A motion was made by Director Magner and seconded by Director Malloy to provide direction to staff for the continuation of the off-leash dog program at Mission Oaks Park and reinstate the evening hours of use (4:30 pm to sunset). Ayes: Magner, Malloy, Kelley, Rockenstein, Chairperson Hamm Absent: Approve Continuation Of the Off-Leash Dog Program At M.O. Park, Reinstating the Evening Hours The Board recessed at 7:20 pm and reconvened at 7:27 pm

5 B. Discussion on the Current Roller Hockey Operation Regular Meeting Page 5 of 7 Recreation Supervisor Lanny Binney introduced Stephan Desjardins of the Camarillo Roller Hockey Association and his attorney, Dan Freidlander. Bill Honnef, a volunteer with the group spoke on behalf of Mr. Desjardins. Mr. Honnef explained the group will provide to the District staff in April a comprehensive plan which will include rebuilding the organization and an increased marketing plan. Community outreach has been initiated with banners outside of schools, advertising in the District s activity guides, cross promoting with Cosmos Track Club of which Mr. Honnef is president, working with Oxnard Ice Rink, and with the school districts to promote awareness of roller hockey through their physical education programs Director Rockenstein asked why the group received so many letters of default from the District. Mr. Desjardins felt some of the letters were unsubstantiated and he provided a letter from an accounting firm showing intent to provide an audit for the roller hockey group. Director Malloy stated he didn t see productive results with only 30 youth in the program and a $400,000 facility. Mr. Friedlander stated they would like to expand usage of the facility, but felt they needed direction from staff. He wanted to let the District know that his client was serious about making things work. General Manager Dan LaBrado spoke with the Derby Darlins, an adult league that Mr. Desjardins brought in for bouts, but felt the group or Mr. Desjardins were not in a position to be responsible for all their activities taking place at the rink. Mr. LaBrado stated the District is open to additional programming. Chairperson Hamm stated her disappointment in the growth of the program, but agreed progress was made in receiving assistance from Mr. Honnef. Director Kelley asked Mr. Desjardins to take a realistic look at alternative programming in order to make any significant change. Director Rockenstein expressed concern over a disconnection with the community. The rink is closed on Saturday mornings, there are no morning hours at all for young children and the schedule availability shows no commitment to reach out to the community youth. The Board asked Mr. Desjardins to contact Mr. Binney for further discussion and to re-establish a better business relationship with the district. C. Consideration and Approval of Request For Proposal (RFP) for the Development of an Open Space, Trail, and Greenway Planning Study Administrative Analyst Michele Solecki presented a request for the Board to approve an RFP for the development of a planning study to evaluate the approximately 6,300 acres of land overlapping the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) and PVRPD boundaries. With a $32,000 grant received from SMMC, the District would hire a professional environmental consulting firm to collect and analyze field data and include maps and recommendations for usage of the area. Board discussion involved looking at the long range plans for the area and the spheres of influence of the neighboring entities including SMMC, Pt. Mugu, Channel Islands State University, a possible residential development within Camarillo and the District. Chairperson Hamm stated the benefits could be endless and the opportunity for additional programming would open up.

6 Page 6 of 7 A motion was made by Director Magner and seconded by Director Rockenstein to approve the RFP for the development of an Open Space, Trail, and Greenway Planning Study. Ayes: Magner, Rockenstein, Malloy, Kelley, Chairperson Hamm Absent: Approve RFP To Develop Open Space, Trail, and Greenway Planning Study 9. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS A. Chairperson s Report Chairperson Hamm reminded the Board to turn in their signed copies of Form 700 to Administrative Services Manager and Clerk of the Board Mark Carlson. B. Ventura County Special District Association (VCSDA) Director Magner stated there was not meeting of VCSDA. Ms. Magner did attend the first meeting of CSDA s Fiscal Committee on February 23. C. Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) Director Rockenstein mentioned the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority s (MRCA) magazine Symbiosis which highlights some Los Angeles parks. Los Angeles, a park poor city is building and restoring such parks as the Augustus Hawkins Park in Compton and the Compton Creek North Park. D. Standing Committees General Manager Dan LaBrado stated the Finance Committee reviewed monthly financials and explored refinancing current debt at Pleasant Valley Fields. The Personnel Committee met to discuss the parks reorganization and a calendar for CalPERS related issues. The Policy Committee will meet during the month of March. Mike Mishler asked if the committee meeting dates were available to the public and Mr. LaBrado assured him the meeting dates would be posted on the website. E. Adhoc Committee Freedom Park Project - General Manager LaBrado and staff will tour the construction site on March 8. F. General Manager LaBrado s Report General Manager LaBrado reminded the Board of any nominations for the CSDA elections. Mr. LaBrado also mentioned the Camarillo Outlets are interested in providing coupons, VIP packets or possibly shuttle opportunities for some of our community events. BMX s Richard Huvard stated the restaurant Johnny Rockets comes out to their BMX track with balloons and coupons to advertise. Mr. LaBrado updated the Board on the reuse of the old Camarillo Library building. He said the City is considering proposals from the Moose Lodge, Interface-a counseling center, a charter school, an educational organization, and the District. Mr. LaBrado noted the Camarillo Healthcare District has reduced its lunch services to Mondays and Fridays with home delivery on Wednesdays due to a reduction in funding. G. Parks Department Parks Supervisor Matt Parker presented a slide show of the recent project updates. The roof of Camarillo Grove Park s picnic shelter #2 is being reconstructed and the backstop at Springville Park has been removed in preparation for the construction of the dog park. A new concrete sign was erected at Freedom Park on Eubanks Street and with the field renovation, sidewalks have been poured

7 Page 7 of 7 and the electrical contractor is setting the groundwork. There will be a ground breaking ceremony on March 8 with a project timeline of fours in construction and three months in a grow-out period. H. Recreation Services Department Recreation Services Manager Amy Stewart stated the RFP for the Mission Oaks playground renovation closed March 1 and five companies submitted proposals. A special meeting will be held May 14 to obtain Board direction regarding negotiations with a playground company. Ms. Stewart mentioned VIMEO, video streaming has been added to enhance the District s website. Also, Ms. Stewart mentioned the District won CPRS s Best of Best award for the 2011 Summer Activity Guide and the award will be presented at the CPRS conference in Long Beach in March. Recreation Supervisor Lanny Binney informed the Board of the success of the spring Adult Basketball League which has capped out with a record 46 teams. Women s Fastpitch Softball begins March 9 at Pleasant Valley Fields with all local players. I. Administrative Services Department Administrative Services Manager Mark Carlson attended a California State Municipal District meeting in Anaheim and claimed PVRPD is in good shape compared to cities who have had to lay off people and cut back on services due to the economy. PVRPD is leading agencies by being pro-active and lowering dental costs and instituting the two tiered benefits program. CalPERS will be dropping its discount rates, so costs will go up in 2013 and ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Director Magner stated AB1344 regulates the posting of notices of special meetings. Recreation Services Manager Amy Stewart stated the special meeting for the Mission Oaks playground would be held at 5 pm on March ADJOURNMENT Chairperson Hamm adjourned the meeting at 9:13 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Approval, Karen Roberts Recording Secretary Patty Hamm CHAIRPERSON