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Home My WebLink About2020-10-13; City Council; ; Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial ProgramMeeting Date: Oct. 13, 2020 To: Mayor and City Council From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Staff Contact: Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director kyle.lancaster@carlsbadca.gov, 760-434-2941 Subject: Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program Recommended Action Receive an informational report on the Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program and provide direction as appropriate. Executive Summary On Aug. 25, 2020, the City Council approved a minute motion for staff to bring back the Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program for the council’s review and potential action with no date specified for the item to be brought back. The following informational report on the program is being presented in response to that minute motion. Discussion The City Council adopted the Public Works Tree & Bench Memorial Program and accepted the first donation to the program on Aug. 17, 2004 (Resolution No. 2004-273), as indicated in the corresponding meeting item’s agenda bill (Exhibit 1). 1 As the agenda bill, or staff report, stated, the memorial program was intended to generate more donations for trees at designated parks and benches at existing and future parks. The brochure for the memorial program noted that, “Planting a tree in a city park is a great way to honor or remember a friend or relative.” The brochure also noted that people could, “Remember that special person or that memorable event by dedicating a park bench in the city.” Since the inception of the memorial program, staff have accommodated numerous requests for donated trees and/or benches in parks across all four of the city’s park districts (i.e., the city’s quadrants). The total number of accommodated requests for donated tress or benches is estimated at just over 100. The donated trees were initially placed in Hosp Gove and in La Costa Canyon Park and have subsequently been placed in parks across the city. The donated benches have also been placed in parks across the city. Limited availability remains for the placement of donated trees or benches in many of these parks. 1 At that time, the Parks Maintenance Section was organized under the General Services Department of the Public Works Major Service Area. As part of a subsequent reorganization of the city’s structure, the Parks Maintenance Section joined the Planning & Development Section and the balance of the Recreation Division, to collectively become the Parks & Recreation Department. CA Review AF Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 1 of 10 Staff have not, however, been able to accommodate the bulk of the requests for donated trees or benches within the parks immediately adjacent to the beach. The city does not own those park properties. There are only two parks within the city that are immediately adjacent to the beach: (1) the Ocean Street Sculpture Park and (2) the Tamarack State Beach Upper Picnic Facilities and Tamarack/Frazee State Beach Coastal Bluffs. These two parks are owned by the California Department of Parks & Recreation. The city manages these parks on behalf of the state, under a 20-year operating agreement for the Ocean Street Sculpture Park and under an annual right of entry permit for the Tamarack State Beach Upper Picnic Facilities and Tamarack/Frazee State Beach Coastal Bluffs. The city must therefore receive authorization from State Parks to place or replace trees or benches in these state-owned park properties. In 2005, shortly after the inception of the memorial program, State Parks authorized the placement of three donated benches in Ocean Street Sculpture Park. Staff accepted donations from the first three community members who asked to place a bench in a park immediately adjacent to the beach. Staff then placed the three benches on decomposed granite pad in the northern boundary of Ocean Street Sculpture Park. Since that initial authorization, State Parks has consistently declined all other requests for donated trees or benches to be placed in these two state-owned park properties. From 2005 to present day, staff estimates the city has received over 75 requests for donated trees or benches to be placed in the two parks immediately adjacent to the beach. A minority of those requestors have decided upon having their donated trees or benches placed in other city- owned or controlled park properties. To date, staff have not placed donated trees or benches at the Ocean Street public beach accesses or within the Carlsbad Village public streetscapes because these locations are not classified as city-owned or controlled park properties. Additionally, until the completion of a city capital improvement project in 2018, the Ocean Street public beach accesses lacked fully functional irrigation systems for trees and platforms/outlooks for benches. The wider accesses – at the intersections of Ocean Street and Oak Avenue, Carlsbad Village Drive, Grand Avenue and Rue Des Chateaux – now contain fully functional irrigation systems and platforms/outlooks. The trees purchased for the memorial program have been of various species, based on the plant palette of the selected park and the associated preference of the community member who requested them. The donations are designated by bronze plaques, which are 5-inches tall and 8 inches wide and inset to a small concrete footing or boulder at the base of the trees. The plaques are provided to staff by the requestors. The benches purchased for the memorial program have been of concrete, approximately 5-feet long by 3-feet tall by 2-feet wide, with a rounded backrest. The 5-inch tall by 8-inch wide bronze plaques, again provided to staff by the requestors, are inset to the backrests of the benches. Representative photographs of donated trees and benches in city-owned or controlled park properties are included in the current brochure for the memorial program (Exhibit 2), which is posted on the Parks & Recreation Department’s website. If the City Council wishes to amend or expand the memorial program, staff requests specific direction in that regard. If needed, staff can then draft those revisions to the memorial program and bring them back to the City Council for review and adoption. Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 2 of 10 Fiscal Analysis There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the receipt of this staff report. The donation amounts received by the city for trees and benches have remained unchanged since the City Council’s adoption of the memorial program in August 2004. Those donation amounts are: • 5-gallon container tree - $200 • 24-inch container tree - $350 • 36-inch container tree - $650 • 48-inch container tree - $1,000 • 6- foot concrete bench - $850 Additional costs associated with the placement of the donated trees and benches are expended from the Parks Maintenance Operating Budget. If the City Council wishes to more closely offset the costs associated with the placement of the trees and benches, staff recommends an increase of approximately 35 percent to the donation amounts, or 2.2 percent per year since 2005. During this same period, the Consumer Price Index for the San Diego area averaged an increase of 2.3 percent. The donation amounts for the memorial program would then be increased as follows: • 5-gallon container tree - from $200 to $275 • 24-inch container tree - from $350 to $475 • 36-inch container tree - from $650 to $875 • 48-inch container tree - from $1,000 to $1,350 • 6- foot concrete bench - from $850 to $1,150 Next Steps Staff will act in accordance with the City Council’s direction, if any, on this item. Environmental Evaluation (CEQA) This action does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act under Public Resources Code section 21065 in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and therefore does not require environmental review. Public Notification Public notice of this item was posted in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and it was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date. Exhibits 1. City Council Agenda Bill, dated August 17, 2004 2. Parks & Recreation Department Memorial Program brochure Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 3 of 10 AB# 17,758 MTG. 8/17/04 DEPT. PW-GS - TITLE: ADOPTING THE PUBLIC WORKS TREE/BENCH MEMORIAL PROGRAM AND ACCEPTING A DONATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $850 FROM THE LANCE SCHULTE FAMILY FOR A MEMORIAL PARK BENCH AND APPROPRIATING THE DONATION TO THE PUBLIC WORKS PARK OPERATIONS BUDGET DEPT. H CITY ATTy. v& Adopt Resolution No. 2004-273 adopting the Public Works Tree/Bench Memorial Program and the acceptance of a donation of $850.00 to the Public Works Parks Memorial Program from the Lance Schulte Family for a memorial park bench to be placed at Poinsettia Park, and appropriating the donation to the Public Works Park Operations Budget. ITEM EXPLANATION: Mr. Lance Schulte’s Family has donated $850.00 to the City of Carlsbad for the express purpose of purchasing a memorial park bench. This bench is in honor of his parents and will be installed at Poinsettia Park by the City’s park maintenance staff. This donation is part of the recently established Tree/Bench Memorial Program. This bench donation is the first under this new program. The intent is to generate more donations for trees at designated parks, and benches for our existing and future parks. FISCAL IMPACT: The donated funds are adequate to cover the cost of the bench and its installation. EXH I BITS: 1. Resolution No. 2004-273 adopting the Public Works Memorial Tree/Bench Program and accepting a donation of $850.00 from the Lance Schulte Family for a memorial park bench to be placed at Poinsettia Park, and appropriating the funds to the Public Works Park Operations Budget. 2. Memorial Program Brochure DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Doug Duncanson, (760) 434-2862, email ddunc@ci.carlsbad.ca.us I EXHIBIT 1 Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 4 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2004-273 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE PUBLIC WORKS TREEIBENCH MEMORIAL PROGRAM AND ACCEPTING A GIFT OF $850.00 FROM LANCE SCHULTE TO THE CARLSBAD PARK MEMORIALS FUND AND APPROPRIATING THE DONATION TO THE PUBLIC WORKS PARK OPERATIONS BUDGET. WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad Public Works Department has developed a new treelbench memorial program ,and WHERAS, Mr. Lance Schulte has donated $850.00 to the City of Carlsbad, Public Works Park Operations Budget for a park bench, and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to accept this gift; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows: 1. That the above recitations are true and correct. 2. The City Council adopts the Public Works TreeIBench Memorial Program. Ill Ill Ill 111 Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 5 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3. That the City Council accepts the gift of $850.00 from Lance Schulte on behalf of all citizens of Carlsbad, and hereby appropriates these funds to the Public Works Park Operations Budget. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 17th day of Auqust ,2004, by the following vote: AYES: Council Blembers Lewis, Finilla, Hall and Packard. NOES: None ABSENT: Council Member Kulchi ATTEST: (SEAL) 3 Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 6 of 10 v k E”, P 3 5 n City of Carlsbad Department of Public Works General Services 405 Oak Avenue Carlsbad, California 92008 Oct. 13, 2020Item #7 Page 7 of 10 % 2- ID 0- ID 3 n s I 2 E. 0 ID 3 R 0 0 3 0 3 z. I I x Z !? G rt Y. N P. D a 8 Q ? 7 I J Oct. 13, 2020Item #7 Page 8 of 10 ” MemorialProgram www.carlsbadca.gov/parksandrec Contributions to the City of Carlsbad are considered charitable donations. The Internal Revenue Service considers the City of Carlsbad to be a qualified charitable organization under IRS Code Section 170 (c)(1).Contributions to the City of Carlsbad would be used exclusively for public purposes, are a qualified charitable donation and can be deducted as such. City of Carlsbad Tax ID # 95-6004793. The city does not offer tax advice and makes no representations as to the deductibility of any gift. Please consult your tax professional. Dedicating a memorial tree or bench in a city park is a wonderful tribute to a loved one or friend, a unique way to commemorate a special occasion, and provides a gift to the whole community. Trees are planted in public parks so everyone can enjoy the shade, beauty and enjoyment a living tree provides. This inspirational gift will grow stronger over time, will be vibrant with life year after year, and will ultimately benefit us all. Enhancements to our beautiful parks improve the quality of life in our community. Park benches can provide a pleasant place of contemplation for park visitors. They enhance our sense of belonging and community, and make our parks more enjoyable for everyone. 06/19-1000 “The greatest things in the world are pleasant thoughts; and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible. Michel de Motaigne Gifts That Last For Generations EXHIBIT2Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 9 of 10 Return completed application form to: City of Carlsbad Parks and Recreation 1166 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 760-434-2826 phone 760-434-7185 fax parksmaintenance@carlsbadca.gov Memorial Program Application Contact Information Name Address City State Zip Telephone Email Check here if you do not wish to join our email list  Donation 5 gallon tree 6-8 ft. tree $200 24 inch tree 8-10 ft. tree $350 36 inch tree 10-12 ft. tree $650 48 inch tree 12-14 ft. tree $1,000 6 ft. concrete bench $850 Payment Information  Check payable to “City of Carlsbad” To pay by credit card, call 760-434-2826 Planning Your Donation We are dedicated to ensuring that your donation serves as both a lasting personal tribute and an appropriate public gift. City staff will work with you to determine how to establish your memorial tree or bench. Your donation of $850 for a six foot concrete park bench includes installation and maintenance. Memorial trees can be planted and maintained for a donation of $200 - $1,000, depending on the size of the tree. Location Designated locations within city parks are available for tree planting or benches. Individuals or organizations may work with city staff to choose the right location for the tree or bench. Selecting a Tree The type of tree planted will be determined by the suitability of the species for the location selected. City staff will work with you to choose an appropriate species of tree. Maintenance The city will arrange for the planting, as well as the maintenance of the memorial tree. Park benches will also be installed and maintained by the city. Recognition For an additional cost, you can choose to order a bronze plaque (5” x 8”) to be placed either at the base of a tree or in the concrete back rest of a bench. City staff can recommend a plaque vendor, and staff will install your plaque once you receive it. He whoplants a tree, plants a hope. Lucy Larcom “Plant a Tree” Oct. 13, 2020 Item #7 Page 10 of 10 Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Oct. 13, 2020 Recommended Action •Receive an informational report on the Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program and provide direction as appropriate 2 Agenda Item Background •Aug. 25, 2020 –City Council approved a minute motion –Bring back program for review and potential action 3 Memorial Program History •Aug. 17, 2004 –City Council adopted the program –Specific to donated trees and benches in city parks •Intended to honor/remember a friend, relative or event 4 Memorial Program History •Since inception, city has accommodated many requests –Across all four of the city’s park districts/quadrants –Number of donated trees and benches is over 100 •Limited availability remains for placement in many parks 5 Memorial Program History 6 Memorial Program History 7 State-Owned Parks Adjacent to Beach •City hasn’t accommodated most beach adjacent requests •City doesn’t own the two parks adjacent to the beach –Owned by State Department of Parks & Recreation –Managed by the city under an agreement and permit 8 State-Owned Parks Adjacent to Beach •State must authorize placement of trees or benches in: –(1) Ocean Street Sculpture Park –(2) Tamarack State Beach Upper Picnic Facilities and Tamarack/Frazee State Beach Coastal Bluffs 9 State-Owned Parks Adjacent to Beach 10 Tamarack Upper Picnic Facilities Carlsbad Srare Beach Native Bluff Restoration Carlsbad Srare Beach 250 500 1.000 -----=====>Fee< State-Owned Parks Adjacent to Beach 11 State-Owned Parks Adjacent to Beach •In 2005, State Parks authorized placement of 3 benches –Staff accepted donations for first 3 donors’ requests •Since then, State Parks has declined other placements –Staff has received estimated 75 requests since 2005 –Minority of those requests placed at other city parks 12 Ocean St. Beach Accesses/Village Streets •Staff haven’t placed donated trees/benches in accesses –Not classified as city-owned or controlled parks –Until 2018, lacked full irrigation or platforms/outlooks •Staff haven’t placed donated trees/benches in Village –Not classified as city-owned or controlled parks 13 Ocean St. Beach Accesses 14 Village Streetscapes 15 Trees for the Program •Of various species, based on palette and preference •Designated by a 5”x8” bronze plaque in footing/boulder –Provided to staff by requestors at their cost 16 Benches for the Program •Of concrete material, with a rounded backrest •Designated by a 5”x8” bronze plaque in backrest –Provided to staff by requestors at their cost 17 Memorial Program on Website 18 Gifts That Last For Generations Dedicating a memorial tr.., or bench in a city parl< is• wonderful tribute to a loved one or friend, a unique way to comrllffl>Orate a special occasion, and provides• grft to the whole community. 1...,, are planted in public parks so everyone can enjoy the shade, beauty and enjoyment a I iving tree provides. This inspirational gift will grow stronger CNer time, will be vibrant with life year afte< year, and will ultimately benefit us all. Enhancements to our beautiful parks imprOYe the quality of life in our community. Park benches can provide a pleasant place of contemplation for park visrtors. They enhance our sense of belonging and community, and make our parks more enjoyable for everyone. The greatest things in the world are pleasant thoughts; and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible. ~,cl,el de Mo<aigne Ca.tyof Carlsbad www.carlsbadca.gov/parl<sandrec Co"1ributions.lo theCit,ofc.Wt.d•re«in~~ dol\lltiom. The lmet'MI R-..e Serviot a,~n the-City of ~ la be I qualified chlriublf' Ofl)anrz:atiofl ~115 Code S«tiiiotl 170 ~1 J..c.o..itfibuoons lo the Cit)' of C.arlsbad _..be ~e.DI~ b public putpo,ses,.areaqualifiecf ~riQble donabOII and ca11 be-deducled as JUth. Cit)' of CM1sbadl111Dt9S-&IM79l Thecitydoes~affefwad'f'ice and ll'IIMS 110 represeMac~t.a$ '° the cledUatbo't)' of.,,, gift. Ptt1s.e awut,lt ~-p«lkiMNl Cityof Qirlsbad ParllS I Recrtallall Tree and Bench Donations •Amounts have remained unchanged since August 2004 •Additional costs are associated with the placements •Amounts could be increased to better offset the costs –35% increase equates to 2.2% per year since 2005 19 Donation Amounts If Increased •5-gallon container tree -from $200 to $275 •24-inch container tree -from $350 to $475 •36-inch container tree -from $650 to $875 •48-inch container tree -from $1,000 to $1,350 •6-foot concrete bench -from $850 to $1,150 20 Recommended Action •Receive an informational report on the Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program and provide direction as appropriate 21 Parks & Recreation Department’s Memorial Program Questions Discussion Ocean St. Beach Accesses 23 Ocean St. Beach Accesses 24 Ocean St. Beach Accesses 25 Ocean St. Beach Accesses 26