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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-09-18; Parks & Recreation Commission; 0911-2; DEPARTMENT REPORTPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL AB#0911-2 MTG. DATE: 09/19/2011 STAFF: SPICKARD DEPARTMENT REPORT LJ INFO [xl ACTION RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive a presentation from the Parks and Recreation staff. ITEM EXPLANATION: Sue Spickard, Recreation Services Manager, will report on recently completed and upcoming Parks and Recreation activities, donations and grants, as well as other topics of local interest. EXHIBITS: 1. Department Report <£ PARKS & RECREATION CARLSBAD DEPARTMENT REPORT ''•"' '' '' "••'''<••' September 19, 2011 1. Alga Norte Park Staff is currently planning to take forward to the City Council at the end of this month a request for approval of 1) a process for updating the plans and selecting a contract simultaneously (termed a "design-build contract") and 2) a new contract for the original designers of the park to act as the city's agents to make sure the final updated plans and construction are in keeping with the original intent. This would be one of the first projects in the city to use the design- build concept and certainly the first park project. The process allows the city to pick a contractor based on "best value" rather than simply low bid. In the end, this should save time and money. The completion schedule for the park is still on line for summer 2014. 2. The Crossings at Carlsbad Improvements Kemper Sports Management (the city's course operator) is negotiating a contract with a local golf course architect to begin drawings for redesigning the 18th hole. This hole has been identified by the city's third party consultant and through player surveys as needing an overhaul to lessen its difficulty. We're trying to minimize the number of patrons leaving the course with a negative impression due to the extreme difficulty of the final hole. The budget for the redesign and reconstruction of the green is $80,000. 3. Pine Park Madison Properties Phase I City Council funded this first phase to include clean-up of the lots and perimeter landscaping to enhance the aesthetics of the neighborhood. Western Gardens Landscape was awarded the contract and began construction of the landscape improvements on September 7th. Work to < complete the project is expected to continue through the month of October with a 90 day j maintenance period beginning shortly thereafter. ', 4. Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park - Barn Update On August 31, 2011, Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park was proud to showcase the grand opening 1 of the newly restored historic hay barn. The barn will serve as the visitor center for park ] operations, and house the "Kindle Theater," so named for longtime park supporters Joan and j Alan Kindle. Over 100 distinguished guests attended the grand opening and theater naming j event, including family members of Joan and Alan Kindle, city staff, commissioners, and council ! members. The event provided a wonderful opportunity for staff and guests to recognize the j Kindles and their many years of contributions and support. Alan and Joan were very eager to j express their gratitude for what the City of Carlsbad has done to help make Carrillo Ranch the i special place it is today. With an episode of "The Cisco Kid" playing on the big screen, the velvet | ropes were parted, and guests were invited in to view the project craftsmanship and historic I restoration. The newly restored barn is something the community can be proud of as both a j visitor destination and learning resource. j 5. Beaches and Lagoons j Beaches - Sandag recently certified the Environmental Impact Report for the Regional Beach Sand Project II (RBSP II). The project, which is similar to the 2001 RBSP, will pump approximately 2 million cubic yards of sand from offshore sand deposits to 11 critically eroded beaches in San Diego County. There are two beach sites within Carlsbad - the stretch in north Carlsbad between Oak Ave and the Buena Vista Lagoon, and the segment in south Carlsbad directly westward of Carlsbad Blvd and Palomar Airport Road. RBSP II is anticipated to begin in April 2012, starting in the southern region of the county and working northward. Agua Hedionda Lagoon - The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (AHLF) is proposing to host a local fund raising event called the "Kayak and Standup Paddle Board Regatta & Poker Run on October 24, 2011. The purpose of the event is to increase coastal awareness and promote stewardship, while encouraging the public to learn about the lagoon system. The AHLF is expecting up to 200 participants. More information can be found on the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation website (aguahedionda.org). Batiquitos Lagoon - The Batiquitos Lagoon working group met in August to discuss the status of the maintenance dredging project for the lagoon. The working group includes representatives from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the California State Lands Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Army Corp of Engineers, and the City of Carlsbad. DFG indicated all regulatory agency permits had either been issued or were being finalized and that the project would be out for bidding through the majority of September. A contract is expected to be awarded to a dredging company by the end of October. The maintenance dredging component of the project is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of March 2012. The work plan is to dredge approximately 118,000 cubic yards of sand from the central basin and deposit it south of the inlet channel to the lagoon. Additional work, including minor re-grading of the nesting islands and repair of an existing desiltation area in the western basin, and the repositioning of cobble and sand near the inlet channel, may continue past the initial dredging portion of the project. Buena Vista Lagoon - In the late 1990's, the California Department of Fish and Game assembled a working group consisting of technical consultants, federal and state resource agency personnel, and representatives of Carlsbad and Oceanside to prepare the Buena Vista Lagoon Restoration Plan. The restoration plan was intended to evaluate the impacts from three proposed water regime alternatives: remaining a fresh water lagoon, converting the lagoon to a salt water regime, or creating a mixture of the two regimes, with salt water west of 1-5, and fresh water east of 1-5. In 2008, due to the state's budget crisis, the governor suspended the expenditure of Proposition 84 funds that were tied to this project, and no substantial activity on the restoration has been feasible. However, as part of the evaluation of the salt water alternatives, the coastal engineering consultant continued to model various configurations at the mouth of the lagoon system to accommodate tidal exchange dynamics. The proposed design required the widening of the mouth opening and the construction of rock jetties to allow for tidal exchange. The properties impacted by the design are owned in part by The Beach and St. Malo Homeowners Associations (HOAs). Recently, both HOAs indicated they are not interested in a salt water alternative and will not sell portions of their property to implement the lagoon mouth widening or the construction of jetties. The working group will reconvene in the near future to discuss the latest development. If an agreement between the HOAs and DFG cannot be reached, the project may not be pursued. 6. Recreation Program Highlights Sports - New signup record for coed, men's and women's softball teams, 116 softball teams are registered for the fall season. In the past, 104 registered teams was the record. Preschool - Preschool began the new session with 15 out of 19 classes full. We anticipate the remaining classes will fill up over the next month or so. This is a large improvement from last year when at this point, we had only 9 of 19 sessions sold out. We believe this is due to added To" marketing of the program. We're optimistic that we will exceed our revenue goals for the year if we stay at this pace. Participants are in store for a fun year of great activities and fun trips to places like sea world and the flower fields. Summer Camps - With 110 specialty camps this summer our camps were a huge success. Participants were able to choose camps over a 12 week period for all ages from pre-school to teens. Some of the most popular camps included Green Screen Technology, Engineering Fundamentals, Dreams & Fairytales, Super Heroes, Babysitting Camp, Cooking '101', Web Design, and Cooking a Book. Traditional Camps - The 2011 summer camp season went great. Registration was up over last year. - Kidz Camp sold out 10 of its 11 weeks and only missed the one week by 5 participants. Last year we almost sold out each week. - Pee Wee Camp sold out 8 of its 11 weeks and only fell short by 1 person the remaining weeks. - Counselor in Training sold out 6 of its 11 weeks and 4 of the remaining 5 missed by only a few participants. Last year we only sold out 2 weeks. - Explorer camps had very high participation numbers almost selling out every week. A vast improvement from last year. Our waitlists were enormous. Some weeks we had 30+ on the waitlist for a program that holds 60 participants at a maximum. Every program that was full had a waitlist. Teens - The L.I.T.E. (Leaders in Training and Education) afterschool program for the first year in its history is filled to capacity with 30 middle and high school students and currently has a waitlist of 19. Last year the program filled after the first few months of the season, this year we filled the first day of registration. We are looking at the potential for expanding this program to potentially an additional site. This year we will be focusing on community service projects, leadership development, and teamwork. Themes for the year will consist of Government, Going Green, Giving Back, and Health & Fitness as well as others. Teens - The TIA (Teens in Action) lunchtime program will be providing games and sports to ALL of the Carlsbad School District's middle schools. Last year we averaged 80 participants per visit at Aviara and 30 at Valley. This year Calavera has joined our program and we hope to average approximately 80 students per visit. This would mean that we are providing healthy and fun lunchtime activities to over 190 students each week during the school year. Some of the schools have even offered to pay us to come more frequently. 7. Department Personnel Changes On 9/15/11, Bruce Lentz retired from the city after 30 years of service in the Parks & Recreation Department as a Tree Trimmer II. 8. Completed Event(s) / Donation(s) 5/15/11 - North Coast Calvary Day of Service @ Leo Carrillo Ranch - Earlier this summer, nearly 50 parishioners from North Coast Calvary Church came together at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park to volunteer their time as part of their church's annual Day of Service on May 15th. The eager volunteers gave the wooden fences and kiosk in the parking lot a fresh coat of white paint. A total of 136 hours were donated by the volunteers representing a savings of $3,300 to the city's general fund. The church additionally donated $150 in kind supplies needed to complete the project. M 6/9/11 - Friday Movie Night Sponsor/Donation - Staff at Leo Carrillo Ranch was presented with a check dated 6/9/11 from the Friends of Carrillo Ranch in the amount of $2,500 in support of the upcoming Carrillo Ranch Friday Night Film Series. This donation was given to the Friends by an anonymous donor to support the costs of the event. 6/13/11 - Opportunity Fund Raiser - That Pizza Place hosted a "Pizza for a Cause" fundraising event. They donated $426.40, which was 20% of the food and drink sale proceeds made between 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on that day. The Opportunity Grant program contributes to the future growth, well-being, and development of Carlsbad youth, ages 17 years and younger, from low-income families. By awarding grants to Carlsbad families, the Parks and Recreation Department aims to encourage the development of positive self-esteem and social responsibility, decrease juvenile crimes, and promote physical fitness and health, thus creating a safe community. Because of your generosity, we can continue to "Create Community through People, Parks and Programs." Fiscal year 2010-11 - Twenty-six individuals and families, and one organization contributed to the Opportunity Grants fund when registering for a program or renting a facility for a total of $880.37. 7/9 & 7/10/11 - Health Expo & Triathlon - Saturday, July 9, 2011 kicked off the first of two large events that make up the Carlsbad Health and Wellness Weekend. Approximately 1,500 attendees enjoyed a day of fitness, nutrition, and ideas for establishing healthier life habits. Fifty community vendors participated in this year's expo. The Health and Wellness Weekend continued on Sunday, July 10, 2011 with the 30th annual Carlsbad Triathlon. An estimated 3,000 spectators and participants came out to enjoy the event. Many local businesses sponsored the event with both cash and in-kind donations for a total of $14,611.76. 8/14/11 - Snores & S'mores Special Event - The annual Snores & S'mores Family Campout was at Aviara Park. The theme of this year's event was the Wizard of Oz. Over 350 participants pitched tents on the ball field and set out on an adventure through OZ that led them down a tornado slide, over the rainbow (photo op), to Munchkin Land where they got their faces painted and collected a lollipop from the Lollipop Guild. They assembled a scarecrow, explored the apple orchard obstacle course, sought out the badge of courage in a scary maze and melted the wicked witch. The evening ended with popcorn, s'mores and an outdoor viewing of the Wizard of OZ. Families settled in for the night on the ball field camp ground and awoke to a continental breakfast and a hike on the beautiful Golf Course View trail. The event also had great community support from five businesses through cash and in-kind donations totaling $2,734.20. 8/19/11 - Dinner and a Movie @ Leo Carrillo Ranch - 110 movie goers attended the annual Dinner and a Movie Night Fundraiser at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. In the fourth installment of the annual fundraiser, the program was expanded to include a silent auction of unique ranch themed merchandise, and live entertainment provided by local guitarist Andy Laird. Guests were additionally treated this year to fresh brewed gourmet coffee provided by Peet's Coffee and Tea. A total of $1,089 in proceeds from the ticket sales and the silent auction were raised at the event this year to benefit the Carrillo Ranch Trust Fund which provides funding for future restoration projects and programs at the park. The staff at Leo Carrillo Ranch would like to also acknowledge support of the following contributors that helped to make this year's event a success: Peet's Coffee and Tea, Catering by Shanti, Allie's Party Rental, and Andy Laird, Guitarist. 9/10/11 - Tennis Block Party - Instructional Class Division, held a block party at the Poinsettia j Tennis Courts to promote tennis programs. Approximately 60 attendees joined the Parks & i Recreation Department at our first Tennis Block Party. Mark Keefer, Frank Fleming and iTennis hosted various activities and sample classes on courts 1-6 for every age and level of | player. Attendees enjoyed an opportunity to browse the courts, sample activities offered by 1 each contract instructor and were able to get a feel for the instructor's styles, teaching ] techniques, professional experience and what they have to offer participants. People came to play! 9. Trails 7/9/11 - Second Saturday Trail Volunteer Work - Took place at the Carlsbad Oaks North Business Park and Palomar Forum Business Park Trails. Volunteers, including cub scouts and parents from Pack 740, improved the trails with general trail maintenance duties including erosion repairs and removing dead mustard, thistle and other weeds. New trailhead signage was also installed at each end of the trails. The westerly trail head commences on El Fuerte St., about 100 yards south of the pump station located at Faraday Ave. and El Fuerte St. The southerly trailhead terminates at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Palomar Airport Rd. The City of Carlsbad maintains the 1.5 miles of trails and the Center for Natural Lands Management manages and maintains the adjacent large conservation area. 8/13/11 - Second Saturday Trail Volunteer Work- Took place at the-Veterans Park and Golf Course Trails and included installation of new trail signs, sprucing up the trailhead kiosks, removal of invasive fennel, litter pick up and dirt work on the lower trail of the golf course with the Kubota tractor. The highlight of the day was watching the red shouldered hawks circle overhead in the sky high above the ridgeline in Veteran's Park before returning their nests. 9/10/11 - Second Saturday Trail Volunteer Work- Took place on September 10th at the Sante Fe Trails. These new trail improvements will allow for the opening of a new segment of City wide trail that will soon connect to trails in Encinitas in south Carlsbad. Several nearby residents 1 of the Sante Fe Trails community joined volunteers for a morning of trail work installing new i trail signage, new timber stairs at the trail head located at Calle Acervo and Paseo Taxco. They also removed vegetation overgrowth to restore the existing trail in the open space corridor that j runs parallel to Calle Acervo in the Sante Fe Trails Development. j 9/15/11 - Quarterly Trail Volunteer Meeting - The meeting was held at 5:00 p.m. at the Senior j Center. The agenda included updates on activities completed over the summer as well as on the planned activities for this month. Of special interest this month was the Trail Count and the upcoming National Public Lands Day Event to be held on September 24th at Lake Calavera. 2011 Trail Count & Survey - This year volunteers will be conducting Carlsbad's first Trail Count in an effort to gather data on Carlsbad's trail users. Information gathered from the Trail Count j and Survey will be used to assist in remaining development and maintenance of the City's trails, j budget planning, grant writing and to gain a better understanding of how the City's trails are | being used. Trail Count time's and dates included two week-days and one Saturday. Weekday | counts were Wednesday and Thursday, September 14th and 15th from 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and the Saturday count was on September 17th from 7 am till 7:00 p.m. The Trail Count will be followed by an online survey that will be mailed to a Carlsbad residents asking for more specific information on trail use. Staff is coordinating with the City Manager's Communications office to finalize the details on the trail survey that will be sent out in early October. Results of the trail count and the trail survey will be made available in November on the City's website and other City publications. Staff can return to the commission with a report on the Trail Count and the trail survey at the November commission meeting. j 10. Upcoming Events ] Saturday, 9/24 - National Public Lands Day - @ Lake Calavera from 8:30 a.m. -11:30 am. This j year Carlsbad will celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 24th by joining in the on the Get I Outside and Move initiative with a 5 mile interactive hike that will include various speakers I involved in the trail development and the open space management of the 26 acre Lake Calavera ] Preserve. Hikers will learn about various points of interest along the trail route including 1 habitat protection, lake history geological significance of Mount Calavera, the Agua Hedionda j Lagoon Watershed, Calaveras creek, and the variety of flora and fauna native to the area. i Volunteer trail work projects completed over the past few years, and future plans for j completing the Lake Calavera Trails Masterplan, will also be highlighted. At the end of the hike, j participants interested in volunteering for future work in the preserve will be invited to sign up j for the City's trail volunteer program to volunteer for various trail projects offered throughout the year or simply return to the preserve to walk or bike the trails, get fit, enjoy nature or simply enjoy recreating in the great outdoors. Various groups such as the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, San Diego Mountain Biking Association, The Center for Natural Lands Management and others will have the opportunity as well to distribute information on their organizations and their activities. (City Council presented a Proclamation for National Public Lands Day on 9/13/11) Saturday, 9/24 & Sunday 9/25 - Artsplash The Parks & Recreation Department will share a booth with Housing & Neighborhood Services and the Arts Office handing out city information and coordinating a free, hands on arts project for children. 11. "Feel Good" Moments A fourteen year old Carlsbad high functioning autism resident was able to successfully complete youth basketball camp this summer with the assistance of an Inclusion Aide provided by our youth sports Senior Recreation Leader, Grant Titus. With the assistance of Grant, this challenged young man, who has limited verbal communication skills and very limited motor skills was able to participate in his favorite sport "basketball". At the conclusion of this year's TGIF concert series, Community Arts Coordinator Colleen Finnegan wrote and praised Parks & Recreation Department staff, "Another TGIF season has ended, our 26th, and in terms of audience enjoyment, attendance numbers, and freedom from disaster, it was a terrific success. We are so grateful for all your cooperation, patience, tolerance and generosity. Cat's potted flowers dressed up Stagecoach so beautifully for our first three concerts, and his staff and Gian always offered to do anything they could to help the concerts. Noah's outfield grass was so velvety we had to brag about it to the audience. His crew was always helpful too ... Joe laid new sod on the outfield, which we hope survived the onslaught, and Lori's evening staff were really great at making our guest artists comfortable in the 'green room.' I always know my colleagues are my allies throughout the challenges of TGIF, and that makes the whole Arts staff and crew feel very confident and supported by everyone in Parks and Recreation." Recently, staff from several different departments met to debrief and follow up on the outcome of the 30th annual Carlsbad Triathlon. A highlight of this year's meeting was when Carlsbad Police Department Lieutenant Marc Reno told Parks & Recreation Department staff that the triathlon was the most organized, fun and well run event that is held in Carlsbad all year. This really is a tribute to the efforts, dedication and contributions of special events division Recreation Supervisor Rachael Shay, Recreation Area Manager Kevin Granse, and all of the staff 1 that work hard to make the event a success. During the now infamous September 8th blackout, many Parks & Recreation Department staff j went the extra mile to serve Carlsbad residents and provide for a sense of safety and j community during the outage. Our community centers remained staffed, operating on power j from backup generators. Many people came out of their homes and enjoyed a warm evening in j the park - - playing basketball, picnicking, enjoying the playground equipment and socializing | with their neighbors. Jack Risley, Recreation Supervisor at the Senior Center, kept the j generator going and the Senior Center open so that emergency staff had up to date information j regarding what was going on in the area through constant updates provided by local news j stations. I At approximately 8:40 p.m. that same night, department staff members Brian O'Grady and | Steve Herrera encountered four trash can fires at Pine Park and the Senior Center. They f acted decisively and quickly, and were able to extinguish the fires. They then got word from i a resident that there may be a fire at Chase Field. They proceeded to inspect the area and | make sure the facilities were okay. They made additional patrols throughout the park and j secured facilities as necessary. j Both Brian and Steve are to be acknowledged for going above and beyond and doing an \ outstanding job in making sure that facilities were secure and that additional damage was j prevented. ' When the lights came back on, Carl Pope, Aquatics Manager, got out of his snuggly bed and \ went to the Monroe Street Pool to prime the pumps, get all the equipment up and running \ so that not one patron had to be held up for their 6:00 a.m. morning swim. \ For additional events please visit the City web site @ www.carlsbadca.ciov