Parks & Rec. Commission Meeting Preview

SHOULD BE A SHORT MEETING
The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission meets tomorrow evening in City Council Chambers at City Hall beginning at 6:00.  You can read the full agenda HERE.  As is usually the case, the agenda is thin and I would anticipate this meeting ending before 8:00 p.m.

CAMERAS AND HORSE VAULTING?
There is an Instructional Class Proposal, HERE, for the commissioners to consider involving using DSLR cameras and two involving Horse Vaulting.  Yeah, horse vaulting.

YANKING TREES FROM OUR URBAN FOREST
In addition, there are three (3) tree removal requests, HERE, HERE and HERE. The last two are Canary Island Pines, a species that has been under attack in our city over the past couple years.  The staff has recommended denying each of those requests.

ADIOS, BRUCE!
Of special interest to me is that this will be the first meeting without Maintenance Services Manager Bruce Hartley, who retired last Friday after a long career with the City.  It's my understanding that he left to join former Public Services Director Ernesto Munoz in a private sector organization.  So, we've lost yet another senior manager.

I'M GOING TO THE TOWN HALL INSTEAD
I will not be attending this meeting - I'm going to the CM4RG Town Hall at the Neighborhood Community Center at the same time.  I will tape the meeting and report on it eventually.  I'll be interested to see if new commissioner Julie Mercurio shows up, and if she does, will she speak?

Bad News About Our Urban Forest

SMALL AGENDA TOOK AWHILE
The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission met last night and had a light agenda, HERE.  However, it still took more than two hours for them to work their way through it.

MARINE GOWN DRIVE
Beth Refakes reminded us of the current gown drive for the Marines at Camp Pendleton that continues through September 15th.  Donations may be dropped off at City Hall.

 BANNING RANCH HEARING
An unidentified speaker reminded us of the Banning Ranch hearing at the Newport Beach City Hall on September 7th beginning at 9:00 a.m.  She also encouraged us all to vote.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

Commissioner Julie Mercurio had nothing to say.  (I feared she had permanently lost her voice, since she's had nothing to say for the past several meetings on any subject).

Byron de Arakal told the commission that AB 385, the bill to do away with Daylight Saving Time, died on the Senate floor.  He also mentioned AJR28, which apparently is designed to make Daylight Savings Time permanent year around.  He spoke about the negative impact of AB 109 and Prop 47 on our communities and spoke of Prop 57, which is on the November ballot, which will only exacerbate the negative impacts of the other two.  He spoke of the sucess of the OC Fair and the Olympics and local Olympic stars.

Kim Pederson spoke about the Master Plan Outreach meetings, citing a good turnout of passionate people.  He also spoke of the need to move forward with lighting fields, and that the Newport Mesa School District Board just approved a contract with a consultant to study which of their fields might receive permanent lighting.  He said, flat out, that we have plenty of fields, just not enough of them lighted.

Bob Graham showed images of Vista Park, along Victoria Street, to demonstrate the danger that exists due to a lack of fencing and asked Bruce Hartley if it was possible to install a fence.  He told Graham that it didn't make the cut in the last few budgets.  Graham also asked that somebody consider acquiring naming rights to Huntington Beach State Park and call it Costa Mesa State Park.

Chairman Brett Eckles commented on the Olympics, then told us the past 3, 4 and 5 years he has never seen so much support for sports in the city and gave credit to Steve Mensinger for this "achievment" - as blatant a campaign plug as I've seen lately.  He also spoke of the need for lighted fields, citing the fact that 89% of the fields in our city are school district fields.

TREE REMOVAL
Most of the time was spent dealing with yet another tree removal request at 3081 Klondike Avenue, in the neighborhood entered from Bear Street via Yukon, HERE.  That neighborhood entry has been the subject of controversy - and numerous tree removal requests - for several years.  The predominant tree, the Canary Island Pine, is a beautiful tree but it turns out to have been a problematic choice when this development was created.  The applicant, Gabriella Oseguera, was joined by more than a half-dozen of her neighbors requesting  trees in the parkway and adjacent to her property on the slope landscaped area be removed.

COMPROMISE DECISION
The result, after much discussion, was to have one tree that apparently is damaging a wall removed at the City's expense and the remaining two - those in the parkway - removed at the applicants cost, which includes a 3-for-one replacement.  It was decided to NOT replace those specific trees, but the replacement of trees would occur elsewhere in the city.

URBAN FOREST IN BIG TROUBLE
During his Maintenance Services Managers report Bruce Hartley provides some grim information to the commission.  Due to the ongoing drought conditions our urban forest is in bad shape.  He ticked off many statistics - none of which were available as a staff report online.  He spoke of the diseases that are affecting our forest, including the shot hole borer that afflicts Sycamore trees in town.  He told the commission that more frequent watering will begin the solution, but it won't happen overnight.  It will take years of "normal" rainfall for the forest to regain a healthy condition.

WHAT ABOUT HOMELESS IMPACT ON PARKS?
Commissioner Kim Pederson asked Hartley about the impact of the homeless on our parks.  Hartley told him it was a HUGE impact, and that the maintenance of our parks is much more complicated due to the encampments in them.  He cited the need to pick up drug paraphernalia and the need to frequently powerwash places like the Senior Center due to the infestation of homeless folks.  He told us he's heard from mothers who are afraid to visit the parks because of the homeless/rehab folks who infest them.

RECREATION PROGRAMS FLOURISHING
Justin Martin's Recreation Manager's Report was more positive.  The summer programs are winding down and enrollment was good.  The City will offer 199 classes during the upcoming fall session.

SHE SPEAKS!
Oh, yes.. new commissioner Julie Mercurio apparently has found her voice again. She actually spoke a few times during the meeting, although her inexperience and apparent lack of doing her homework showed through.  We expect more from her.

Parks & Rec. Commission Wrap

 SHORT CREW, PACKED AGENDA
The short-handed Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission met again Thursday night and plowed through a full agenda caused by the cancellation of their meeting last month.  No replacement has yet been named for departed Commissioner Don Harper and that vacancy made itself apparent during the evening.  You can read the full agenda HERE.  Click on any of the images below to expand them for easier reading.

SMALLER KIDS NEED SPACE TO PLAY
Only one resident addressed the commission during Public Comments.  Dan Goldmann opined that there are few places for small children to play in our parks, and cited Wilson Park - he described it as closed - and TeWinkle Park.  He suggested that something akin to the dog park, where critters are separated by size, be established so smaller children can play without being "run over" by larger ones.  He cited Redondo Beach and Newport Beach as good examples.  Commissioner Byron de Arakal suggested he present his views at one or both of the upcoming workshops for the Open Space Master Plan (see previous entry).

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Byron de Arakal observed that, with the lessening of watering restrictions, we should immediately begin to try to salvage and rehabilitate playing fields - both city and school district.  He also reminded us of the two workshops mentioned above. (see that link)

Kim Pederson acknowledged Goldmann's comments and also suggested he attend the workshops.

Vice Chair Bob Graham suggested that, because of the controversy about the 3-story condos, we should go see them before they're all sold out.

Chairman Brett Eckles observed the tragic loss of a young boy's life in Newport Heights Wednesday when he was hit by a trash truck.  He also observed the recent announcement that Costa Mesa United had contributed over $900,000 to youth sports activities in Costa Mesa over the past fifteen years.  He also reminded us of the Daily Pilot Cup next week at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, and cited Kirk McIntosh's great job of producing the event.

PLAYFUL CITY USA
Next came a presentation of Playful City USA - an award presented to Costa Mesa for the second consecutive year.  Recreation Coordinator Christian Hernandez showed a few slides about what it takes to qualify, then showed a video that was part of our presentation for qualification.

TWO TREE REMOVAL REQUESTS DENIED
Following the approval of the Consent Calendar the commission dealt with two tree removal requests and denied both after short discussions.  de Arakal and Pederson observed that neither applicant appeared before the commission, so it's hard to understand their argument for removal.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Acting City Engineer Bart Mejia then presented information on the Capital Improvement Program as it applies to areas relevant to the commission.  The following slide array will provide you with that information.  Resident Jim Kearins - a member of the Bikeways and Walkability Committee - spoke to this issue and asked for an alley near Royal Palm to be considered for enhancement to make it more bike and stroller friendly. 

SHIFTING DOLLARS
Following Mejia's presentation the commissioners discussed the program generally and more specifically made suggestions for changes.  de Arakal suggested that the $625,000 earmarked for more bleacher seats at the Costa Mesa High School field be removed and that money be used elsewhere next fiscal year.  After much discussion the vote was 2-2, with Eckles and Pederson voting no - so the motion failed.  Later Eckles moved to shift that money to the next fiscal year and that motion passed, 3-1, with Pederson voting no.

JACK HAMMETT PARKING
de Arakal moved to expand the parking at Jack Hammett, which passed, 4-0.

WIFFED
Graham made several motions, none of which received a second.

VETS MEMORIAL DISCUSSION
Eckles asked that the discussion for a Veteran's Memorial at Vista Park be moved to the 17/18 fiscal year.  It passed, 4-0.

MOTIONS PASSED
Pederson moved the two required motions - passage of the 16-17 CIP as amended and the 7-year CIP as amended.  Both passed, 4-0.

ARLINGTON AVENUE BIOSWALE MOVES FORWARD
Next came the discussion of the Arlington Avenue Bioswale project by consultants Lea Kabarra and Roger Kobota.  The following slides show some of that information.

Following a discussion about a few of the plants on the palette - based on input from Maintenance Services Manager Bruce Hartley a few were changed - the commission voted to remove the 118 trees and approve the plant palette as amended on 4-0 votes.

AB2496 - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME DEMISE (MAYBE)
Next came the discussion of AB2496 by Interim Recreation Manager Justin Martin - a bill that has apparently stalled in the State Assembly, but may not be forgotten.  This bill would make Daylight Savings Time year around and cause all kinds of havoc with playing field use.  Eckles described the impact of that change as the end of youth sports as we know it because there would be no practice time available.  After a discussion the commission, on a 4-0 vote, recommended that correspondence strongly opposing this plan be crafted by the appropriate city official body - commissions may not prepare nor deliver position papers to the legislature.  There is an appropriate group in city government made up of the CEO, Mayor and one other...  I suspect de Arakal may have a hand in the preparation of that document since it was his carefully-crafted motion that was passed.

GRAHAM AND PEDERSON APPOINTED
The commission then appointed Pederson and Graham as representatives to the Streetscape &  Median Development Standards Committee on a 4-0 vote.

MAINTENANCE MANAGER'S REPORT
Hartley presented a long list of recent accomplishments by his organization and upcoming events as demonstrated on these two slides.  He told us of renovations of cabinetry at the Baelaric Center; replacement of the Senior Center Great Room flooring and significant renovations of the Dog Park, among other things.

RECREATION REPORT
Martin gave us an overview of the accomplishments of the Recreation Division, but they were not included in his written staff report.

NEXT MONTH...
The commission meets next on June 23, 2016.  Hopefully, by that time there will be a new commissioner appointed to replace Harper.