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Home My WebLink About2012-04-16; Parks & Recreation Commission; 0412-3; Name Tree in Memory of H McSherryPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL AB#: 0412-3 MTG. DATE: 04/16/12 STAFF: CALARCO REQUEST TO NAME A TREE IN MEMORY OF HAROLD (MAC) V. MCSHERRY IN MAGEE PARK n INFO IXIACTION RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review a request to name an Eldarica Pine in Magee Park in memory of Harold (Mac) V. McSherry, and recommend City Council approval. ITEM EXPLANATION: In March 2012, the Parks & Recreation Department received a request from Lorraine M. Wood on behalf of an ad hoc committee comprised of Ms. Wood, Tracy Black, and Jim Comstock for the city to name an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park in memory of former city treasurer, Harold (Mac) V. McSherry. Council Policy 48 provides an opportunity to name parks, facilities, and amenities within those facilities in memory of an individual's outstanding achievement, meritorious service, or exceptional community involvement. Mac McSherry was celebrated for his many outstanding achievements, both in his role of city treasurer, and was acknowledged for his exceptional community involvement as a member of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. This naming request is consistent with, and meets all Council Policy criteria for, memorial naming. Mac McSherry served admirably as treasurer for the City of Carlsbad from 2006-2010. During his time in office Mac was responsible for helping to maintain the city's financial health. He was well known for being honest, conservative, and practical with the city's finances. He was widely acknowledged by residents, colleagues and friends for being .. [T]he ultimate numbers guy, capable of performing complex calculations, on everything from tax liabilities to voter patterns, in his head." Assistant to the treasurer, Nancy Sullivan, recalled that Mac was one of the first city treasurers to really identify and understand the "big picture" in terms of world events and their effect and potential fiscal impact on the city. His friends remember early morning breakfast meetings where Mac arrived armed with the day's news and a thorough understanding of what that news meant for Carlsbad. Former Carlsbad Mayor, Bud Lewis noted, "Mac approached his role as treasurer very professionally, always working to make sure that city funds were safe and earning the highest rate of returns for our taxpayers." Mac was admired for taking his fiduciary responsibility to the city and its residents very seriously. He wasn't hesitant to have courageous conversations with the Mayor and Council if he believed it was in the public's best interest. As treasurer, Mac's work exemplified the City Council's motto, "What's popular for Carlsbad is not always good; what's good for Carlsbad is not always popular." Mac continuously had the city's best interests in mind. Upon taking office in 2006, one of his early tasks was to schedule a meeting with the former treasurer. He did this, in part, to reach out and to be the very best that he could be at the job. Indicative of the natural curiosity and friendliness he consistently displayed, Mac sought to thoroughly understand thejob, and to build upon best parts of what had already been established. 9 Page 2 Mac was forever dedicated to serving his fellow human beings and improving his community. He was a longtime Carlsbad resident and active member of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. Year after year, he tirelessly volunteered to coordinate some of the Rotary's largest events, including the Oktoberfest, the annual Ball and Spring Faire, and numerous summer barbecues. Fellow Rotarians observed that Mac was always the first person to arrive at an event and the last to leave. He inspired the very best in others. His friend, T.K. Arnold wrote in a July 21, 2010 North County Times article, "Mac was one of the most active members of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad ... He was there for setup at the crack of dawn, and supervised tear down as well, some 12 hours later. Thanks to Mac's persistence, so was I." Many of the events that Mac generously devoted his time, passion and energy to coordinating were important fundraisers for the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. Thanks substantially to his efforts, the Rotary was able to assist the Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad and the Women's Resource Center among other community groups. Mac served as director of the nonprofit Rotary Club of Carlsbad Foundation which grants unique vocational scholarships to Carlsbad High School students. He volunteered once a week at Brother Benno's serving breakfast to those most in need. On a personal level, Mac was greatly admired, respected and genuinely loved by his family, friends and colleagues. He enjoyed taking runs along the coastline, music, good food and wine. Mac loved to dance; he was always first onto the dance floor. His former dance instructor, Christy Johnson, shared that for Mac dance seemed to be a means of escaping daily pressures, dealing with stress, and offered social connectedness, happiness and an overall feeling of satisfaction. It is especially fitting in this case that Mac's friends requested the city plant a tree in his memory; a symbol of his passion for the outdoors, a belief in continued growth and development, and the personal strength and passion he displayed. Should the Parks & Recreation Commission recommend and the City Council give final approval to the request, the Parks & Recreation Department will be responsible for naming an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park in memory of Harold (Mac) V. McSherry. Ms. Wood has offered to work with the ad hoc committee to purchase, install, and maintain a memorial plaque and mount that is acceptable to both the city and the committee. As per Council Policy 48, the Parks & Recreation Director has objectively reviewed the content and supporting documents supplied by the applicant related to the request, and has determined that it satisfies the criteria associated with memorial naming. It is the task of the Parks & Recreation Commission to review the information presented herein, and then make a recommendation to the City Council. Mac's son, Travis McSherry, has granted the city permission to use his father's name for this memorial naming request. EXHIBITS 1. "Carlsbad Appoints New Treasurer," North County Times, July 4, 2006 2. Memorial naming request from Lorraine M. Wood 3. Letter of permission from McSherry family member (forthcoming) 4. Letters in support of the memorial naming request 5. Photo of Eldarica Pine tree 10 EXHIBIT 1 Carlsbad appoints new treasurer By: PHILIP K. IRELAND - Staff Writer North County Times | Posted: Tuesday, July 4, 2006 12:00 am | CARLSBAD - Long-time Carlsbad tax attorney Harold "Mac" McSherry has been named to fill the vacancy left by retiring Treasurer Jim Stanton. The City Council voted 4-0 last week to appoint McSherry, 55, to complete Stanton's term, which expires in November. His first day of public service started last Friday. "It felt a little strange on Friday to put on a coat and tie and go into work for somebody other than me," said McSherry, a self-employed tax attorney since 1978. Mayor Bud Lewis, citing a potential conflict of interest because McSherry is his tax attorney, did not cast a vote. Although Lewis recused himself from the vote, he said he supports the council's move. "He's a very good tax attorney," Lewis said. "He's very bright and inventive." The treasurer oversees the financial health of the city and is an elected official independent of the council and the city manager. McSherry said Monday he intends to run for the elected position in November. Lewis said that although McSherry has never served as a public employee, his intelligence will make "his learning curve... short." McSherry was recommended to the council by Councilman Matt Hall, Lewis said. McSherry said he helped Hall and Councilwoman Norine Sigafoose in their election campaigns. "I did some accounting but mostly analysis and critiques of voter patterns," he said. "Mostly I used my math and economic talents. I'm pretty good with statistics ~ planning and analysis are my strong points." McSherry, who described himself as "very fiscally conservative," said he sees his job as a support to the council. "My function is to make sure they have the funds on hand to accomplish the policies that they want to put in action," McSherry said. Lewis and McSherry agreed that the city is in good financial health. 1 // McSherry said the city faces some challenges as it approaches build-out ~ a planning term that refers to the year when all available land zoned for residential construction in the city has been developed. "I think (the city's financial health is) quite good," McSherry said. "Stanton has done a very good job. We know that as we approach the maturity of the city with build-out in the next 10 years or so, the revenue projections are going to change. We need to take a critical look at how the city treasurer can increase revenue streams. "With no more developer fees," McSherry continued, "we must identify new strategies and make sure current ones are going to maintain flow, as opposed to large chunks (of revenue) that go suddenly by the wayside." A resident of Carlsbad since 1978, McSherry said he's qualified professionally and politically for his new job. "I've been in community for long time, and I know a lot of individuals," McSherry said of the qualities he brings to his job. "I have a reputation for detail, as well as experience in economics and business that probably put me at the forefront as somebody they were looking for." McSherry graduated from Arizona State University in 1974 with a degree in business administration with emphases in economics and accounting. He earned a law degree from Western State University in 1978 and an advanced degree in tax law from the University of San Diego. He has been practicing tax law since then. The lessons of entrepreneurship ~ lessons and attitudes that he will carry into public service ~ have served him well, McSherry said. "To work for yourself, you must be self-directed ... and have a goal-oriented versus time-oriented mental state of being," McSherry said. "When you've been self-employed and you've had to meet payroll, it gives you a well-rounded view of getting things done." The son of an Army father, McSherry said he traveled extensively as a child, attending "at last count about 21 or 22 different schools." The experience helped him learn to adapt quickly to new situations and people, he said. Further, the travel to countries such as Turkey and Japan introduced him to other languages and cultures. Though his ability to speak the languages has all but faded, the love of travel and culture remains, he said. "I love any type of food from any culture," McSherry said. II. EXHIBIT 2 March 19, 2012 Carlsbad City Council Parks & Recreation Commission c/o Parks &. Recreation Department 799 Pine Ave Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear Mr. Hazeltine and members ofthe Carlsbad City Council and Parks 8i Recreation Commission: I am writing to request and propose the naming of a tree at Magee Park in memory of our former City Treasurer and community leader Mr. Harold "Mac" McSherry. A group of supporters including myself, current Treasurer Jim Comstock, and Event Planner Tracy Black, have sought to find a suitable memorial to honor Mr. McSherry's contributions to our city, to the community, and to the Rotary Club of Carlsbad and the charitable causes they support. Mac McSherry was celebrated for his many outstanding achievements, both in his role of city treasurer, and was acknowledged for his exceptional community involvement as a member ofthe Rotary Club of Carlsbad. This application is consistent with, and meets all criteria for memorial naming outlined in Council Policy 48. Mac McSherry served admirably as treasurer for the City of Carlsbad from 2006-2010. During his time in office Mac was responsible for helping to maintain the city's financial health. He was well known for being honest, conservative, and practical with the cit/s finances. He was widely acknowledged by residents, colleagues and friends for being .. [T]he ultimate numbers guy, capable of performing complex calculations, on everything from tax liabilities to voter patterns, in his head." Assistant to the treasurer, Nancy Sullivan, recalled that Mac was one of the first city treasurers to really identify and understand the "big picture" in terms of world events and their effect and potential fiscal impact on the city. His friends remember early morning breakfast meetings where Mac arrived armed with the day's news and a thorough understanding of what that news meant for Carlsbad. Former Carlsbad Mayor, Bud Lewis noted, "Mac approached his role as treasurer very professionally, always working to make sure that city funds were safe and earning the highest rate of returns for our taxpayers/' McSherry Memorial Naming Application Page 2 Mac was admired for taking his fiduciary responsibility to the city and its residents very seriously. He wasn't hesitant to have courageous conversations with the Mayor and Council If he believed it was in the public's best interest. As treasurer, Mac's work exemplified the City Council's motto, "What's popular for Carlsbad is not always good; what's good for Carlsbad is not always popular." Mac always had the city's best interests in mind. Upon taking office in 2006, one of his early tasks was to schedule a meeting with the former treasurer. He did this, in part, to reach out and to be the very best that he could be at the job. Indicative of the natural curiosity and friendliness he consistently displayed, Mac sought to thoroughly understand the job, and to build upon best parts of what had already been established. Mac was forever dedicated to serving his fellow human beings and improving his community. He was a longtime Carlsbad resident and active member of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. Year after year, he tirelessly volunteered to coordinate some of the Rotary's largest events, including the Oktoberfest, the annual Ball and Spring Faire, and numerous summer barbecues. Fellow Rotarians observed that Mac was always the first person tb arrive at an event and the last to leave. He inspired the very best In others. His friend, T.K. Arnold wrote in a July 21, 2010 North County Times article, "Mac was one of the most active members of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad ... He was there for setup at the crack of dawn, and supervised tear down as well, some 12 hours later. Thanks to Mac's persistence, so was I." Many of the events that Mac generously devoted his time, passion and energy to coordinating were important fundraisers for the Rotary Club of Carlsbad. Thanks substantially to his efforts, the Rotary was able to assist the Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad and the Women's Resource Center among other community groups. Mac served as director of the nonprofit Rotary Club of Carlsbad Foundation which grants unique vocational scholarships to Carlsbad High School students. He volunteered once a week at Brother Benno's serving breakfast to those most in need. On a personal level, Mac was greatly admired, respected and genuinely loved by his family, friends and colleagues. He enjoyed taking runs along the coastline, music, good food and wine. Mac loved to dance; he was always first onto the dance floor. His former dance instructor, Christy Johnson, shared that for Mac dance seemed to be a means of escaping daily pressures, dealing with stress, and offered social connectedness, happiness and an overall feeling of satisfaction. 1/ McSherry Memorial Naming Application Page 3 It Is especially fitting in this case that Mac's friends requested the city plant a tree in his memory; a symbol of his passion for the outdoors, a belief in continued growth and development, and the personal strength and passion he displayed. Our team and the Rotary Club of Carlsbad will purchase and install a memorial plaque and mount that is acceptable to both the city and the Rotary. Please let me know if you need any additional information and thank you for your consideration of this proposal. Kind Regards, ^ "T/lnrdL cc: Jim Comstock, City Treasurer Tracy Black, Event Planner IS EXHIBITS FORTHCOMING LETTER OF CONSENT FROM MCSHERRY FAMILY MEMBER EXHIBIT 4 April 2, 2012 Carlsbad City Council Parks 8i Recreation Commission c/o Parks 8i Recreation Department 799 Pine Ave Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92009 Members ofthe Carlsbad City Council and Parks & Recreation Commission: It Is my pleasure to write this letter in support ofthe request to plant and name a tree in memory of, Mac McSherry. It Is particularly befitting that his friends and colleagues have proposed to honor his memory and acknowledge his contributions to the city and the community by planting an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park, as Mac was physically active and appreciated spending time outdoors. I know that he enjoyed serving the city as treasurer and especially valued making a positive contribution in the lives of others. In conclusion, I enthusiastically support the efforts ofthe ad hoc committee in their efforts to have a tree named in honor of Mac McSherry, and encourage the Parks & Recreation Committee and the City Council to support the request as well. Sincerely, Nancy bullivan 2262 Ivy Road Oceanside, CA 92054 (760)439-0505 Nancy.Sullivan (S)carlsbadca.gov n April 2, 2012 Carlsbad City Council Parks & Recreation Commission c/o Parks & Recreation Department 799 Pine Ave, Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92009 Members ofthe Carlsbad City Council and Parks 8i Recreation Commission: I am writing this letter in support ofthe request to plant and name a tree in memory ofthe late Mac McSherry. It is particularly befitting that his friends and colleagues have proposed to honor his memory and acknowledge his contributions to the city and the community by planting an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park, as Mac was physically active and appreciated spending time outdoors. He enjoyed walking and running along our waterfront here in Carlsbad and was an active member ofthe Rotary Club ofCarlsbad, which has done so much for our city. I know he enjoyed serving the city as treasurer and especially valued making a positive contribution in the lives of others. I enthusiastically support the efforts ofthe ad hoc committee in their efforts to have a tree named In honor of Mac McSherry, and encourage the Parks & Recreation Committee and the City Council to support the request as well. Sincerely, Thomas K. Arnold Planning Commissioner, City of Carlsbad Board Member and Sergeant at Arms, Rotary Club of Carlsbad Thomas K. Arnold 3988 Monroe Street Carlsbad, CA 92008 760.434.8855 tkarnold@aol.com April 2, 2012 Carlsbad City Council Parks 8i Recreation Commission c/o Parks 8i Recreation Department 799 Pine Ave Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92008 Members ofthe Carlsbad City Council and Parks 8t Recreation Commission: It is my pleasure to write this letter in support ofthe request to plant and name a tree in memory of, Mac McSherry. It is particularly befitting that his friends and colleagues have proposed to honor his memory and acknowledge his contributions to the city and the community by planting an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park, as Mac was physically active and appreciated spending time outdoors. I know that he enjoyed serving the city as treasurer and especially valued making a positive contribution in the lives of others. In conclusion, I enthusiastically support the efforts ofthe ad hoc committee in their endeavor to have a tree named in honor of Mac McSherry, and encourage the Parks 8i Recreation Committee and the City Council to support the request as well. Sincerely, Christy Johtvson Manager, Carlsbad Farmers Market Dance Instructor 733 Bonita Drive Vista, CA 92083 760-580-0116 catalystchristy@gmail.com Hope Wrisley 2080 Basswood Avenue Carisbad CA 92008 (760) 729-1743, travelgramma@gmail.com April 2, 2012 Carlsbad City Council Parks & Recreation Commission c/o Parks & Recreation Department 799 Pine Ave Suite 200 Carlsbad, CA 92009 Members ofthe Carlsbad City Council and Parks 8t Recreation Commission: It is my pleasure to write this letter in support of the request to plant and name a tree in memory of Mac McSherry. It is particularly fitting that his friends and colleagues have proposed to honor his memory and acknowledge his contributions to the city and the community by planting an Eldarica Pine tree in Magee Park. As a runner, Mac was physically active and appreciated spending time outdoors. This particular tree seems quite appropriate because it will survive in a variety of adverse conditions-very like Mac himself. He loved to dance and I can see him now dancing with his partner around this tree enjoying the freedom that dance and the outdoors offers. I know that he enjoyed serving the city as Treasurer and especially valued making a positive contribution in the lives of others. In conclusion, I enthusiastically support the efforts of the ad hoc committee to have a tree named in honor of Mac McSherry and encourage the Parks & Recreation Committee and the City Council to support the request as well. Sincerely, Hope Wrisley 2.0 EXHIBIT 5 Photo ofthe Eldarica Pine tree to be planted in Magee Park