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.

Parks and Recreation Commission Finally Meets Again

A FULL AGENDA AHEAD
The short-handed Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission meets for the first time since March and has a full, meaty agenda ahead of them, HERE.  The meeting begins Thursday, May 26, 2016 in City Council Chambers at City Hall at 6:00 p.m.

NO REPLACEMENT FOR HARPER YET
No replacement has been selected for Don Harper, who resigned a couple months ago, and the April meeting was canceled.  There has been no word when a replacement for Harper's remaining few months on the commission will be chosen, so the group, under the leadership of Chairman Brett Eckles, will operate with four men on the dais.

HERE YOU GO....
So, taking it from the top, here's what you can expect to see if you attend or watch live or on streaming video on Costa Mesa Television.

TREE AND PLAQUE DONATION
There will be a donation of a tree and plaque at Lions Park in honor of the Harbor Mesa Lions Club, HERE.

TWO TREE REMOVAL REQUESTS
There are two requests for tree removals - at 2069 Swan Drive, HERE, and 3260 Idaho Lane, HERE - both of which the staff is recommending denial.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGETS
The commissioners will review the proposed Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 through 2022-2023, HERE, including a specific review of the 2016-2017 Capital Improvement as it relates to Parkway Median Improvement, Fairview Park, Curbs and Sidewalks, Park Maintenance and Park  Development.  According to the staff report, their review will also include the 7-Year Capital Improvement Program as it pertains to Curbs and Sidewalks and Community Health and Environment.

ARLINGTON DRIVE LANDSCAPE PALETTE
Next on the agenda will be the proposed Landscape Palette for Arlington Drive between Fairview Drive and Newport Boulevard.

AB 2496 IMPACT ON YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMMING
Perhaps the most controversial item on the agenda is Assembly Bill 2496, which will significantly impact youth sports because it proposed to eliminate Daylight Savings Time.  This move will dramatically impact the shortage of lighted fields throughout the city and add pressure to use temporary and/or permanent lighting on many school fields.  You can read that staff report HERE

APPOINTMENT OF TWO COMMISSIONERS

 The final item on the agenda, HERE, is the appointment of two (2) commissioners to the Streetscape & Median Development Standards Committee.

A LOT ON THEIR PLATE...
For the first time in a long time this commission will have its hands full, exacerbated by being down one member.  I don't expect this to be a short meeting, particularly since there are several items that may draw out public comments - Capital Improvements in Fairview Park, for example.  We plan to attend and will report tomorrow night.

Of Trees, Skate Park, Drainage And More

LONG, YET PRODUCTIVE MEETING
The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission met again Thursday evening in a meeting that was productive and lasted longer than anticipated.

TREE REMOVAL REQUESTS
Just over two dozen people in the audience at the beginning saw the commissioners spend just under two hours hearing two separate, yet related, issues involving tree removal requests in a community near the Baker Street off ramp of the 73 Freeway.

KLONDIKE TREES
The first, at 3081 Klondike Avenue, property owner Gabriella Oseguera, requested two more city-owned trees be removed because of a variety of reasons dealing with pollen, dust and potential future damage to her wall.  Several residents rose to speak both for and against her request, including former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mark Harris and his wife, Jessica.  Clearly, there is ill-will within that community, as was reflected by the sniping at each other by some from the speaker's podium.

COMMISSION SAYS "NO"
In the end, the commissioners voted unanimously to NOT remove the trees because no evidence of actual damage had been presented.

PROSPECT PLACE TREES A TENTATIVE "NO"
The second request was for three city-owned trees to be removed from property adjacent to 883 Prospect Place.  Many of the same people stepped up to support the request and a few opposed it.  Residents Kelly and Scott Waterman contended that three trees near their property would eventually cause damage to their backyard, which is about to undergo renovation.  In the end, at the suggestion of commissioner Byron de Arakal, city staff will go to the site and, in conjunction with the contractor hired by the Watermans, excavate inside their yard near the wall to determine IF the roots from existing trees are going to be a problem, or not.  The request was denied, but staff may overturn that vote if the above-mentioned excavation determines that the roots of those trees are immediately problematic.

LOOKING BETTER AT THE SKATE PARK
Next up was the Costa Mesa Skate Park Report.  Recreation Manager Travis Karlen presented a positive report, indicating that there are now 8 Park Ambassadors assigned to work at and around the Skate Park each day. Costa Mesa Police Lieutenant Vic Bakkila told us criminal activities are down in and near the Skate Park, and that most of those violating the rules are not Costa Mesa residents.  Speakers requested longer hours at the Skate Park, but the commissioners felt the existing hours are satisfactory now.  Eventually the commission voted to receive and file the report.

EASEMENT CART BEFORE THE HORSE
Next came a request for an easement into a small section of Fairview Park.  Developer Peter Zehnder explained that if this request is denied the water from his developement could continue to flow directly onto Fairview Park, to which this project is contiguous.  This whole train of thought seemed a little backward - the cart was before the horse.   The commission may not authorize an easement, just confirm that the plan does not violate the existing Fairview Park Master Plan.  Great concern was expressed about the builder and other contractors having to dig up part of the park that houses protected Native American sites.  This process took much longer than necessary, but the issue was thoroughly vetted before the commission voted to confirm that the requested easement did not violate the existing Fairview Park Master Plan.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Then for the next half hour the commissioners plowed through the current fiscal year and seven year projection Capital Improvement Program Budget, providing emphasis to items contained therein.  Each commissioner had a chance to voice their individual views on line items and the staff will carry those forward to the City Council as part of the upcoming budget deliberations.  Quite honestly, considering that the staff report was more than 130 pages long, I feared this process might take much, much longer.  It didn't...

GRAHAM FPCAC LIAISON
Next the commission voted to appoint Bob Graham as primary liaison to the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee, which is presently on a year-long hiatus.  Don Harper was appointed as alternate.

DE ARAKAL STAYS WITH NMUSD COMMITTEE
They then voted to permit Byron de Arakal, at his request, to remain the liaison to the Newport Mesa Unified School District Committee because of his familiarity with the relationship and the various issues being worked by that committee.  Chairman Kim Pederson was named alternate.

PARK DISTRICT REPORTS
Then the commissioners launched into their individual reports on the parks for which they have primary responsibility - a task that took an hour, but was worth hearing.  Each member discussed each of their assigned parks, providing their opinion of the positive elements of the parks and listing areas where improvement were necessary.  This brainstorm of de Arakal's while he was Chairman has turned out to be a very positive change.  Instead of every commissioner trying to become thoroughly knowledgeable about every element of every park, each focuses on a handful and provides reports to the entire body.  This was the first such report and the staff will take their views under advisement for possible inclusion in the budget where necessary or for direct action if appropriate.

NEEDS
Issues like the need for bike racks, more frequent sandbox rototilling and maintenance of restrooms and dining shelters were among the many items mentioned.

NEXT MEETING IN A MONTH
Following the reports from Parks Project Manager Bart Mejia, Recreation Manager Travis Karlen and Maintenance Services Manager Bruce Hartley and committee member comments, just after 11 p.m. Chairman Pederson bid both of us remaining in the audience a fond adieu and adjourned to a possible study session on May 20th and the next regularly scheduled meeting on May 28th, just before the Memorial Day long weekend.