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HomeMy WebLinkAbout060524Irwindale City Hall Council Chambers 5050 N. Irwindale Avenue Irwindale, CA 91706 Wednesday, June 5, 2024 6:00 PM The Irwindale Parks & Recreation Commission met in Regular Session at the above time and place REGULAR MEETING - 6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Fraijo led the Pledge of Allegiance. INVOCATION Commissioner Roman led the invocation. ROLL CALL Present:Commissioners Michelle Duran, Carmen Roman, Vice Chair Belen Zepeda, Chair Paula Fraijo Absent: Commissioner Justin Kelly Also Present: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Public Services Director; Daniel Grijalva, Aquatics Supervisor; Pedro Rodriguez, Public Works Services Supervisor; Delfina Osterheim, Recreation Supervisor; and Armando Hegdahl, Management Analyst AB 2449 DISCLOSURES There were no AB 2449 disclosures. CONSENT CALENDAR MOTION A motion was made by Chair Fraijo, seconded by Commissioner Roman, to approve the Consent Calendar. The motion was unanimously approved; Commissioner Kelly absent. ITEM NO. 6.A Minutes of the Meeting Held May 9, 2024 The minutes of the meeting held May 9, 2024, were approved as presented. SPONTANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS There were no speakers. NEW BUSINESS ITEM NO. 8.A Tentative Schedule for Aquatics Late Summer/Fall Season Supervisor Grijalva presented the report. In reply to a question by Chair Fraijo, Supervisor Grijalva advised that the schedule is essentially final, with the possibility of changes due to inclement weather. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 2 ITEM NO. 8.B Maintenance Update from the 2024 Tour of the Dan Diaz Recreation Center, the Aquatics Center, Irwindale Park Memorial Garden/Plaza/Softball Field and Jardin de Roca Park Director Rodriguez presented the report. Chair Fraijo asked whether the contractor for the Park Improvement Project would replace grass that has died due their employees having damaged sprinkler lines, to which Director Rodriguez advised that staff would definitely ask them to address the potential concern. Chair Fraijo also asked about the missing cover near the light pole at the Skate Park, to which Supervisor Rodriguez confirmed that the individuals that vandalized and removed the cover would not be able to access the electricity feeding the pole, though he noted that tampered wires were immediately repaired and a vandalism report was filed with the Police Department. Chair Fraijo asked why mirrors would not be installed in the men's restroom at Irwindale Park, to which Director Rodriguez indicated that they would not be installed due to safety concerns and the likelihood of vandalism to the mirrors. Chair Fraijo then asked about the pool table replacement at the Dan Diaz Recreation Center, to which Director Rodriguez advised that staff determined that the pool table would not be replaced since the room's full space would be needed to accommodate the participants of the KidZone program. Commissioner Roman stated her preference that the pool table be replaced, for the pool room to be called the "Irwa Pool Room" and that young people be given the opportunity to learn to play pool there. Chair Fraijo agreed that the pool table should be returned to the room and stated her preference that no program or activity be removed from public offerings, to which Director Rodriguez advised that staff has spoken with the kids that frequent the room and that nobody has used the pool table in years. Additionally, staff does not have the budget to replace the existing pool table. Staff determined that the existing pool table should be removed since it is in poor condition; however, staff can meet to discuss costs in replacing it and whether funding could be allocated. She added that this expense was not included in staff's budget and that staff would potentially need to wait until the end of the fiscal year to request funding, and that if it is decided to order a new pool table, it would likely take months to arrive. Commissioner Roman asked about the removal of a smoke detector in the snack room, to which Chair Fraijo noted that it was mentioned at last month's meeting that the object is a motion sensor, not a smoke detector. Commissioner Roman then asked whether a Grand Reopening of Irwindale Park would be held on June 17, to which Director Rodriguez advised that this question will be addressed during the discussion of the next item on the agenda. Commissioner Duran concurred with Commissioner Roman and stated her preference that the poolroom not be used for storage. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 3 Chair Fraijo thanked staff for addressing the Commission's concerns but expressed disappointment that staff did not abide by the Commission's request with regard to the pool table and requested that future disagreements between staff and the commission be addressed at commission meetings. She urged staff to continue to provide new and inviting programs to the community youth to keep them off the streets and out of trouble. She also stated that staff can find cover to place on top of the pool table to turn it into a table, if needed. ITEM NO. 8.C Irwindale Park Improvement Project Phases IV & V Update Director Rodriguez presented the update and made a PowerPoint presentation. She advised that the project is approximately 90% completed and that plans are underway to reopen the park to the public on June 17. However, staff has not yet determined whether a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held. For Phase 4, workers are installing park lights, and sinks and partitions in restrooms. Staff is also working on a punch list of minor items that need to be addressed. For Phase 5, workers are still working on finishing the restrooms, including the installation of tiles and fixtures. The picnic shelter is nearly finished and workers are installing lights and moving benches to their proper locations. After this is done, staff will present a punch list of minor items that need to be addressed. Responding to a question by Chair Fraijo, Supervisor Rodriguez stated that the men's rooms will only have ADA toilets and urinals. Commissioner Roman asked whether a June 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony would be held, to which Director Rodriguez advised that a Grand Reopening ceremony would be held, though the details of such an event have not been determined yet. Vice Chair Zepeda asked about the tile colors being used in the restrooms, to which Director Rodriguez stated that staff attempted to match colors as much as possible. Supervisor Rodriguez highlighted the metallic components of the picnic shelter which is designed to withstand being hit by softballs from the nearby baseball field. Commissioner Duran asked whether benches will be secured to the ground, to which Supervisor Rodriguez indicated that they are epoxied to the ground. Chair Fraijo noted drying grass near Allen Drive, to which Supervisor Rodriguez stated that the project crew is working on rehabilitating the dying grass and advised that if it does not grow, staff would add it to the punch list of items to be addressed. City staff is working with the contractor to ensure that all irrigation lines work properly. ITEM NO. 8.D Field Trip Policy Director Rodriguez presented the staff report and made a PowerPoint presentation. Commissioner Roman commended staff for allowing parents to sign up their children for individual Day Camp trips. Director Rodriguez clarified current procedures for signing up for trips, including requirements for the waiting list and standby list. She added that the waiting list has been removed and that staff will only use standby lists. She also spoke on the need to adopt a formal written policy to Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 4 provide clarity on the processes. Commissioner Duran spoke on the difficulties she has experienced when attempting to sign up for trips at the Senior Center. Chair Fraijo requested that staff call interested individuals who may wish to purchase unused trip tickets. She also suggested that all applicable staff be fully trained on the requirements of the policy so that it could be applied consistently and appreciated that the policy could be revised as needed on a yearly basis. A motion was made by Chair Fraijo, seconded byCommissioner Duran, to recommend that the City Council approve the proposed Field Trip Policy. The motion was unanimously approved; Commissioner Kelly absent. ITEM NO. 8.E Use of Irwindale Recreation 24-passenger Bus for Field Trips (Requested by Commission Vote) Director Rodriguez presented the staff report. She added that staff has not recommended utilizing the existing passenger bus since the vehicle is older and worn. She also noted that staff is working with a grant consultant to look into purchasing an electric bus in the future. Commissioner Roman spoke against limiting trip tickets to 23 in order to use the 24 passenger bus and suggested that individuals that cannot ride the larger bus should look into finding alternative transportation, or perhaps schedule additional rest stops if trip destinations are far away. Director Rodriguez noted that the bus driver already maps out rest stops for longer trips. Vice Chair Zepeda asked whether the 24 passenger bus could be used if fewer than 23 trip tickets are sold, to which Director Rodriguez indicated that staff could look into the request. Commissioner Duran concurred that the current transportation arrangements should remain in place and stated that she was in favor of having staff look into potentially using electric vehicles in the future. Chair Fraijo suggested opting for option 4 as shown in the staff report, but adding one rest stop for every hour of travel. Director Rodriguez advised that all program fliers suggest that individuals contact city staff if they need special accomodation in order to attend trips. Linda Marez reiterated her previous request to use the 24 passenger bus for trips since the current bus is not comfortable. She added that this change would not impact residents much since most trip attendees are non-residents and stated that those who truly wish to attend trips will do what is needed to obtain tickets. Commissioner Duran indicated that she stopped attending trips since it became too difficult for her to obtain tickets. She also suggested that the current bus continue to be utilized to accommodate more trip attendees. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 5 Joseph Tapia spoke on his experience with electric buses and stated that passengers generally do not like waiting while the bus charges. He also suggested purchasing another bus. A motion was made by Chair Fraijo, seconded by Commissioner Roman, to recommend approval of option 4 as shown in the staff report, which would keep the number of tickets purchased / seats available for trips at 30 and the use of the bus to be determined by the number of people that have signed up for trips, and scheduling one rest break per hour of travel. The motion was unanimously approved; Commissioner Kelly absent. RECREATION MANAGER UPDATE Recreation Supervisor Osterheim presented the following report: 1) A Dodgers watch party was held on Friday, May 17. 2) All Recreation services and programs resumed at the Dan Diaz Recreation Center on May 20. She thanked the Engineering Department for completing the reroofing project ahead of schedule and all city departments that helped make the relocation successful. 3) The Tiny Tots Graduation Ceremony was held on May 30. The 2024 Class had eight graduates and 1 progressive certificate. 4) The Music in the Park and Sunset Cinema schedules have been distributed to the commission. The following events and activities have been scheduled for June: 1) June 12 - RockAbilities Summer Olympics and BBQ 2) June 15 - Deep Sea Fishing Trip 3) June 20 - Dan Diaz Recreation Center will host the Mayor's State of the City Address 4) June 28 - Dedication ceremony for the Margaret Diaz Pavilion 5) June 29 - Red, White, and You BBQ event Chair Fraijo thanked the Tiny Tots teachers for preparing children for kindergarten. AQUATICS SUPERVISOR UPDATE Supervisor Grijalva presented the following update: 1) He congratulated the Northview High School graduating class of 2024, particularly those who are also members of the Aquatics staff. 2) The Annual Aquatics Center Expo was held on May 11. He thanked members of the Police, Library, and Recreation Departments for their participation and donations. 3) The summer season will officially begin on Friday, June 7, at noon. He discussed the class schedules for the season. Commissioner Roman requested that staff replace the current plastic tweezers with metal ones for use with bee stings. Responding to a question by Commissioner Duran, Supervisor Grijalva advised that registrations for Aquatics programs can be made at the Aquatics Center. PUBLIC WORKS SUPERVISOR UPDATE Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 6 Supervisor Rodriguez presented the following update: 1) Staff is working on all routine park maintenance and is preparing for the reopening of Irwindale Park. 2) Building maintenance staff replaced the damaged thermostat at the gym. 3) Facility maintenance staff is working on routine interior and exterior facility maintenance. 4) The Annual Cornhole Tournament between the Irwindale Police Officers Association and the Irwindale Public Works Association was held recently and staff was happy to see those that attended. 5) Staff attended training toward the end of the month. 6) He thanked staff for working hard on addressing the items that the commissioners brought up during their park walkthroughs. Chair Fraijo acknowledged and thanked the DJ that performed at the cornhole tournament. Commissioner Roman suggested that the cornhole tournament be advertised more next year to generate higher attendance. In response to a question by Vice Chair Zepeda, Supervisor Rodriguez indicated that staff held a safety meeting this week to discuss the measures that should be taken with the hot summer months coming up. Chair Fraijo thanked Public Works staff for working expeditiously to keep the parks looking beautiful. PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR UPDATE Director Rodriguez presented the following update: 1) The 4th Annual Recycling and Compost Giveaway Event has been scheduled for June 15. and will include a parking lot sale with staff from the Senior Center. 2) She congratulated the Irwindale Public Works Association for winning the recent cornhole tournament and thanked the IPOA and IPWA for their generous donation of food and raffle items. 3) Library staff will host a Crafty Kids activity on June 7. 4) Information regarding scholarships has been made available both on the city website and social media. 5) Norma Trujillo, the newly-hired Bus Driver, will begin on June 10. Supervisor Rodriguez also thanked Nathan Romero and his company for generously donating ice cream for the cornhole tournament. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Roman reported that she learned a lot and had a lot of fun at the recent Contract Cities conference. Vice Chair Zepeda concurred and stated that the amount of information presented that applies to the commission was eye-opening. Commissioner Duran spoke on her networking at the event and commended the City of Norwalk for such amazing programs that they offer to their community. She suggested that Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes June 5, 2024 Regular Session PAGE 7 staff look into available scholarships and camps that the Southern California Gas Company makes available. Chair Fraijo agreed with Commissioner Duran and stated that it would be great if city staff collaborated with other cities to create greater programs, including potentially offering job fairs for teens. She then asked about an incident at Jardin de Roca Park and stressed the need to ensure that city parks are safe. She also congratulated all those who graduated or are promoting in school and urged everyone to be kind to each other. ADJOURN There being no further items to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:23 p.m. ____________________________ Armando Hegdahl, CMC Management Analyst Approved as presented at the meeting held July 3, 2024