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2005 06 13 CSC Minutes I," REPORT/lNFORMATIONAL ITEM: J-J ~ of /f(J.tdJt COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION I. CALL TO ORDER MINUTES June 13. 2005 A regular meeting of the Community Services Commission was called to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Study Session Room of the La Quinta Civic Center. Commissioner St. Johns presided over the meeting. Commissioner Gassman led the Pledge of Allegiance. Cultural Arts MEMBERS PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: GUESTS PRESENT: Commissioner Ed Hackney Commissioner Bob Leidner Commissioner Victoria St. Johns Commissioner Mark Weber Dodie Horvitz. Community Services Director Christy Kerry, Community Services Secretary Andrea Gassman, Cultural Arts Commissioner Tim Batten, Maintenance Foreman; Public Works Kristin Riesgo, Recreation Supervisor; Community Services Department Robert Ambriz Jr., Recreation Supervisor; Community Services Department Gary Duncan, Commissioner for PDLQ JAAFSC (Palm Desert La Quinta Junior All-American Football of Southern California) Bryan Riek, President of Desert Storm Baseball Edie Brito, Vice President of LQSY A (La Quinta Sports and Youth Association) Nathan Dunn, Boys Commissioner II for LQSY A (La Quinta Sports and Youth Association) John VanDriel. Commissioner for LOAYSO (La Quinta Accredited Youth Soccer Organization) Jaime Nunez, Assistant Commissioner for LQA YSO (La Quinta American Youth Soccer Organization) (' .. Community Services Commission Minutes Rich Jano, Vice President of PDLQ Football (Palm Desert La Quintal Stephan Wolkowicz, President of FC La Quinta (youth soccer) and Vice President of Palm Springs Soccer Club II. PUBLIC COMMENT -None Ill. CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of May 9, 2005 Minutes B. Monthly Department Report for April 2005 Commissioner St. Johns noted a minor error in the minutes of May 9, 2005. Page nine of the Commission packet shows that Kay Wolff was the principal of a Desert Sands School, but in fact she was a vice principal for Truman Elementary. It was moved by Commissioners Leidner/Hackney to approve the Consent Calendar with noted change. Unanimous. V. PUBLIC HEARING - NONE VI. BUSINESS ITEMS A. Facility Use Policy Update - Director Horvitz gave a brief overview of current facility use policies noting that the last update to the policies was on August 19, 2003. Since this last update, staff stated three items exist which warrant modification to the Facility Use Policies which are: The new library facility, expanded use of City fields by competitive teams and clarification needed of existing policies. Staff stated that facility deposit fees have not risen in ten years. In regards to community use of the athletic fields, we are the only City that doesn't charge for use or for lights for competitive and league play. Director Horvitz reviewed the recommendation to change "working" to :?91 '- 00 Community Services Commission Minutes "calendar" days as listed in Section A of the Facility Use Policies. After some discussion between the Commissioners, Commissioner Hackney asked staff to clarify whether or not this change will make it more lenient for residents. Staff said that it would. Commissioner Leidner asked staff what would happen if the deadline falls on a weekend. Staff said that it would be taken into consideration for the deposit refund. It was moved by Commissioners Hackney/Leidner to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. The next topic for the Commissions consideration is in regards to cancellation fees. Staff stated that currently cancellations result in a loss of fifty percent of the rental fees if the cancellation occurs between fifteen and thirty days from the rental date. One hundred percent of the deposit is charged if the cancellation occurs within fourteen days of the rental date. Staff is proposing that the cancellation fees come out of the deposit rather than the rental fees. Everyone who rents a facility would have the same deposit fee, therefore, there would be a flat fee of fifty percent or one hundred percent of the deposit charged based on the cancellation date. Commissioner Leidner said this seems like a fair change. Commissioner Hackney asked staff how often it happens that someone is charged a cancellation fee. Mr. Ambriz stated that over the course of a year, this would affect ten to twenty percent of the reservations. Additionally, Mr. Ambriz stated the deposits that are collected are refundable so the revenue for the City is not affected. Commissioner Weber arrives at 7:12 PM. The proposed change would be equitable for both parties. Additionally, the City collects both the deposit and all fees upfront from t~e O~ Community Services Commission Minutes renter so the risk of having to go to small claims court to collect any fees is zero. Commissioner Hackney said this arrangement would be both equitable and liberal to the public. It was moved by Commissioners Leidner/Hackney to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. The next item discussed was concerning the new rental facilities that will be available to the public once the library opens. Staff stated that currently the multi-purpose room at the Senior Center has a capacity of two-hundred people. The new library facilities will have a capacity of two-hundred and forty people. Additionally, the community room at the library will hold eighty-six people. Both facilities are comparable in size. Staff is proposing the rental fee for the multi-purpose room at the library be set to the same rate that is currently established for the Senior Center multi- purpose room. Further, staff is also recommending the rental rate for the community room at the library be established at a rate of five dollars lower than the multi-purpose room. Commissioner Leidner asked Director Horvitz if the staff and volunteer rate would be the same at both the library and the Senior Center. Director Horvitz said that they would be the same. Commissioner Weber asked staff about security. Staff said that security is an entirely different issue and varies on a case-by-case basis based upon a number of factors such as if there will be alcohol served or how many people will be attending the function. Director Horvitz stated that essentially all factors including staff, utilities and overhead are projected to be the same for the library as they are for the Senior Center. Commissioner Leidner said that since the library is not open yet, they must be dependant on historical situations as the basis of their decision. Commissioner Leidner also stated that if nothing else, this can be changed t . '- (1 Community Services Commission Minutes next year if the situation necessitates it once the library opens. It was moved by Commissioners Leidner/Weber to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. The next item for discussion is the recommendation from staff to raise the rental deposit for the Senior Center. Staff pointed out the deposit amount has been three hundred dollars since 1995. Commissioner Hackney asked if this increase might possibly exclude anyone from being able to rent a facility. Mr. Ambriz said that to his knowledge, the deposit has never been a factor in anyone being able to, or not being able to secure a rental. Commissioner Leidner asked if the reason for the increase was because the current amount of three hundred dollars was deficient when it was needed to be used. Director Horvitz said that on several occasions, staff has come close to usin9 all funds from the rental deposit. Director Horvitz said that the curfew is a consistent problem with renters. In some cases a party is still going strong when the rental period comes to a close and the renters decide to forfeit their deposit so the party can continue. Once the decision to forfeit the deposit has been made, the renters do not make an effort to clean up because they already gave up their deposit. Director Horvitz said she feels the deposit needs to be higher to cover the fees. Commissioner St. Johns said there is something to be said for the fact this deposit fee has not changed since 1995. It was moved by Commissioners Hackney/Leidner to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. Staff informed the Commission that there have been several requests made for the use of the sound system at the Senior Center. In light of this, staff is recommending to the Commission that renters are allowed the use of the sound system at a rate of twenty-five to thirty-five dollars based on the renter's class as outlined in the Facility Use Fee Schedule. Commissioner Leidner asked if the sound system is set up by City staff. Mr. r 1)( ..., '- ( CommunIty Services Commission Minutes Ambriz said that City staff is in charge of handling this. It was moved by Commissioners Leidner/Hackney to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. Page nineteen of the Commission packet suggests increasing the fee for inflatable amenities. Staff is proposing this increase only affect class IV residents (non La Quinta residents). Further, staff explained this increase is in keeping with other fees charged to other categories. However, it is staff's recommendation to keep the deposit the same. Commissioner Leidner asked staff what the percentage of resident versus non-resident rentals is. Mr. Ambriz stated the percentage is approximately fifty percent for each class. Commissioner Leidner stated that he didn't want to discourage non-residents from renting the parks and felt that a minor fee increase was in order but only as long as it was not substantial. Commissioner Leidner asked how proof of residency is established. Staff stated that this is done when the applicant signs the paperwork for the rental. The refund of the deposit is mailed to the address that is written on the paperwork so it is in the best interest of the renter to use a correct address. It was moved by Commissioners Weber/Leidner to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. Director Horvitz provided the Commission with a brief overview of the current policies for community use of athletic fields. It was explained that there has been a significant increase in travel and competitive teams utilizing the fields. Staff explained the difference between a recreational and competitive team lies in the fact that with a recreational team, the coach is required to accept all players without regard for their athletic ability whereas a competitive team may require tryouts and some children may be turned away. r 29 P( Community Services Commission Minutes Director Horvitz went on to explain that scheduling teams has become increasingly difficult and minor problems have arisen when a scheduled team arrived on the field but found they were unable to utilize it because others were already occupying the field. Director Horvitz stated that it is not uncommon for competitive teams to be charged more for the park rental because that rental is not benefiting the community. Further, it is recommended that competitive teams be charged Class \I fees. Commissioner Leidner asked if it is the hope of staff to reduce the conflict amongst the teams using the fields. Staff said that is a goal and that if they are required to pay a nominal fee, they would be given entitlement to the field. Staff explained that the field rental and lights would remain free for the recreational leagues. Commissioner Leidner asked if those paying fees would get priority to the fields. Staff said that Class I would get priority over Class II. Staff stated that the recreational teams have not had problems getting on the fiel d. Director Horvitz mentioned to the Commission that all groups using the City's facilities were invited to attend tonight's Commission meeting. Mr. Brian Riek said that he has two travel teams; one falls under a Class I team and the other a Class II. Mr. Riek also mentioned that he has been doing travel ball for three years. He told the Commission that he meets with City staff and the other groups/leagues quarterly and said he is aware that Class I organizations have priority on the fields and he doesn't see the need for the fees. Mr. Riek went on to state that he doesn't agree with staff that there is a big conflict on the fields in regards to usage and entitlement. He said there is bound to be more conflict on the field if in fact fees are charged. Director Horvitz said that the conflict is not about a Class I versus a Class II, but rather it is about who has reserved the field versus who is actually occupying the field. 2~ [. iJ' Community Services Commission Minutes Mrs. Edie Brito stated that if there have been problems with the travel teams, it was simply a result of miscommunication between the teams. Their organization tries to take care of any conflict that arises internally. Mr. Riek said that he represents the only Class II organization in the room. However, Mr. Stephen Wolkowicz stated that he represents a travel team as well. Staff noted that if a group went to Coachella Valley Parks and Recreation District wanting to use a field for travel teams, they would pay fees. Commissioner Hackney asked if the fees proposed are consistent with neighboring cities to which staff replied they are. The Commission asked guests for a discussion on the fees as proposed by staff . Mr. Wolkowicz asked staff to explain the difference between a Class II and a Class III. Staff replied that if a La Quinta family wanted to use the fields for a family reunion, for example, they would be considered a Class III. Cultural Arts Commissioner Gassman asked how many games are typically played in a year. Mr. Riek provided the number and Commissioner Hackney did the calculations to see what tlie annual cost to his organization would be. Commissioner Hackney said the total was three thousand eight hundred dollars annually for field rental. Mr. Riek said that his organization is already funded by the parents who currently pay one hundred dollars a month plus any hotel expenses they might incur while the team is playing out of town. Commissioner Leidner asked Mr. Riek to estimate the increase as it will pertain to the parents. Mr. Riek said he has eleven players per team and they would each be absorbing three hundred and twenty dollars a month. Commissioner Weber asked if traveling teams come to La Quinta to play any games. Mr. Riek said no and that they are usually the team going out of town to play. Commissioner Hackney asked if other fees are paid out. Mr. Riek said yes, when there is a tournament, they are required to pay a tournament fee that 1)( ..., (",'l Community Services Commission Minutes has a four game minimum and includes the balls, umpires etc.. Commissioner Weber asked about electrical usage for night games. Mr. Riek said they do use the fields at night. Director Horvitz reminded the Commission that the current fees were established in 1995. Staff explained that the residents of La Quinta pay $95,000 a year per complex for maintenance and electricity. It has been the intent of the City Council to pay these fees but too many specialized teams are coming to La Guinta at the expense of the residents. Director Horvitz said this proposed fee change is completely in keeping with the standard set by cities elsewhere. Further, La Quinta residents are being excluded by some teams because they don't qualify (skill-wisel. Mr. Wolkowicz said that as the City grows, the type of athlete grows with it as well. Some children are in fact superior in their skills and need to get into competitive leagues to advance their skills. This is a natural progression. Mr. Riek said that at least seventy-five percent of both of his teams are from La Guinta. It was moved by Commissioners Weber/Leidner to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Commissioner Hackney voted against this recommendation. Staff explained to the Commission that the City provides two snack bars for organized sports usage. Last season, the recreational league was not able to utilize the snack bars because they were promised to a competitive league. Staff is recommending that recreation leagues may only manage and use one snack bar per season at either the Sports Complex or at La Quinta Park. Further, the snack bar must be operated and managed by the contracted league; no outside organization may be hired or sub-contracted to conduct snack bar business. Staff said that all profits must go directly to the team and no monies may be paid out as compensation for operating the snack bar. Director Horvitz stated that the competitive teams are required to pay a two hundred dollar equipment replacement fee each season, which in turn goes into a fund to replace the machines as is necessary. I) n ... ~, r.t Community Services Commission Minutes Commissioner Weber clarified that the "organization of the season" will always get first choice. For example, if it is baseball season, they will have the first option to operate the snack bar. Commissioner Leidner asked if the organizations were able to operate two snack bars, would they have to bear the burden of proof and show they will be able to man the second snack bar. Staff said they would need to justify and explain their situation. Commissioner Leidner asked what the process would be if and when a situation should arise where one organization voluntarily declines to operate the snack bar. Mr. Van Driel said that he attends quarterly meetings where they discuss who wants to use the snack bar. All organizations are invited. Cultural Arts Commissioner Gassman asked how the next choice is made. Director Horvitz said that a lottery system is used for the selection. Collectively the organizations said they have not had problems in the past running a snack bar. However, it was mentioned that running two snack bars proved to be difficult. Mr. Jano said that his organization has grown by leaps and bounds and they simply cannot fit onto the middle school field anymore. He said he has been forced to fit nine teams on the baseball diamond. He is left with thirteen and fourteen year old children playing on a twenty to thirty yard field. Mr. Jano further said that he simply cannot fit in nine games at a time at the school and he needs to find a way to get Saturday play at one of the City fields. He has two young teams that need to come and playa couple of games. Commissioner Weber asked if any of the other Desert Sands schools are available. Mr. Jano said they were not. Commissioner Weber mentioned that Desert Sands is struggling with issues similar to what our City is facing. Staff said that it is difficult to accommodate the public with restroom facilities and that it is expensive to pay for a custodian. Further, Director Horvitz said that she has met with the school district but they are not r 29 C'll Community Services Commission Minutes interested in funding this issue. It was moved by Commissioners Hackney/Leidner to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. Unanimous. Director Horvitz said that the City is in keeping with CVRPD and SCMAFF recommendation that all sports tournaments are charged Class IV fees. Staff said that when our teams go to other cities to play, they are paying for the use of fields. Commissioner Weber asked staff how tournaments are defined. Staff replied stating that a tournament is defined when outside teams come to play. Commissioner Leidner clarified that a regular playoff within the league would not be classified as a tournament. Commissioner Leidner asked what the current policy dictates as their class to which staff replied Class I. Mr. Duncan asked how the All Stars would be classified. He stated that sometimes they play at home but other times they play elsewhere and wanted clarification from staff on how he would be classified. He stated that recently he had a one week tournament where he invited other cities to play. As he understands it, because other cities are invited to come and play at City facilities, this puts him in a class IV. Director Horvitz said that by inviting other cities/organizations to play and then charging them an entry fee that puts them in a Class IV category. Staff wanted to know if the All Star team is the number one team that comes out of the league or if instead, the team is hand selected. In response, Mr. Duncan said there are two different types of tournaments. Typically, the first place team out of their recreational league will play against the first and second place teams from Palm Springs. Commissioner Weber asked if there are fees charged for this tournament and Mr. Duncan said no. The other type of tournament is the All Star tournament where the team is made up of players that are selected by the coach. Staff wanted to know if this is outside of the normal league play and Mr. Duncan said yes it is but that it is an extension of the normal league and utilizes the same players who are not charged more money for being on the All Star League. 30 n Community Services Commission Minutes Staff said the intent was that recreational leagues would be able to use the facilities without being charged. Director Horvitz said that in regards to the first scenario given by Mr. Duncan, she doesn't see a problem with it because it would involve recreational teams playing each other. In regards to the second situation, staff said this is an eliminated position where students have to have some skills and abilities and they are hand selected to be on the team. Staff said that with this elimination style, you are excluding a large portion of the residents based on their skill and ability. Staff thus concluded this is a tournament. Commissioner Weber asked staff if there are any situations where there is a league tournament that isn't an outgrowth of the regular season; one that doesn't include the kids that were involved in the regular season of Class I activity that got to play in the tournament. Staff said no because there is simply no time on the field for that. Mrs. Brito said she has been involved with league play for eight years and understands that when kids play on a baseball league, there is an expectation from both players and parents that the best teams go and play on the All Stars. In the beginning of the year, the organization has to pay a fee to the PONY organization to join but they also have to pay a fee if they want to host a tournament. If they are required to pay fees to the City as well, the ability to host a tournament is in effect, taken away. Mrs. Brito said that the direct result of this would be that no one will discover the city of La Quinta through baseball. Mrs. Brito said that everyone who signs up for the La Quinta baseball league is allowed to play. In fact, Mrs. Brito said that each child is required to play a minimum of two innings. Then, at the end of the season, there is an end of the season tournament where all the teams in every division play each other throu9h a process of double elimination. This is how they award the first, second and third place standings. Through that process, the coach nominates the best players on the team to tryout for the All Star team. Mrs. Brito said that yes, there may be kids that are not qualified to play in the All Stars, but if they were allowed to play, the possibility of injury is great because they wouldn't be playing at the same skill level as the other ('1: Community Services Commission Minutes players. This is a necessary process to prevent injury and she stated that never before have they been charged a fee. Commissioner Weber agreed there is an expectation for the All Star games. However, he stated that the extra one or two weeks of field space needed may seem small to that one organization, but when combined between the different leagues, all of the sudden, there is an extra month or two when the City is already trying to manage other play time. Commissioner Weber said there's a fine line between eliminating kids by skill from the beginning of the season, which is the process for a tryout team, and putting the best kids who have played as a team from the beginning of the season together for an All Star team. Mr. Riek said that for example in Mr. Wolkowicz's case, if he brin9s in a team from Palm Springs to practice, they should pay because they are not La Quinta residents. Mr. Riek said he IS trying to put their kids into the league under the City name to provide exposure. Although their team is named Desert Storm, they don't advertise it that way. Mr. Riek said the team name is always listed under La Quinta. He said it is a big deal when they go to the World Series and they see teams from all over and in turn they see the La Quinta city name. Commissioner Leidner wanted to know if during the course of an All Star tournament, they playing other leagues outside the City or if it is just the teams within the City. For example, if there are ten different cities participating in the All Star games, are all of these cities hosting games? Mrs. Brito said that with PONY, the answer is yes. Each city hosts a tournament. Commissioner Leidner asked if other cities charge for the use of fields during the tournaments and if so, can anyone cite any examples where that is the case. Director Horvitz said yes, and stated that CVPRD does charge for the field. Commissioner Leidner asked if Palm Desert is being excluded from tournaments because people don't want to pay the fees they are being charged. Mr. Dunn said he is not sure. r ,,~.. , ' , . , v \.. {~ r,1 Community Services Commission Minutes Commissioner Leidner wanted to know again if, during these tournaments and if it involves ten cities, is it equally spread through the ten cities in terms of hosting. Mr. Dunn said no. Director Horvitz pointed out that during tournaments, it is her understanding that PONY does not allow outside food or beverage in the park so the leagues can have a fundraiser by utilizing the snack bar. The sole reason the snack bar is operational during these tournaments is so the teams have an opportunity to raise funds, which in turn offsets the cost of play. Mr. Riek said the challenge in operating the snack bar for fund raising is the fact that there is no way to enforce the "no food or drink" rule. He stated that only in one city, Garden Grove, has there been such a way. When he attended the PONY World Series in Garden Grove, he ssaid there was one gate in and one gate out. This was done specifically so the league could control the access of food and drink going in and out of the field. Without the fencing and gate system, Mr. Riek said there would have been no way to exercise control over what people were bringing into the field which would diminish the effect of utilizing the snack bar for fund raising purposes in the first place. It was moved by Commissioners Leidner/Hackney to accept staff's recommendation as proposed. After some discussion and clarification, Commissioner Hackney amended his motion with the understanding that leagues that fall into Class I not be charged for additional tournaments which include the All-Stars and the playoffs. Further, the Commission rejects the notion of charging the additional tournaments under the Class IV classifications for the existing City run leagues in which entry fees are not charged for the tournaments. The Commission stated however, that if they move towards more of a sponsored type, or fee type of tournament, it would fall under Class IV where they would be charged. Unanimous. B. Conditions of Fields - Director Horvitz said this came up after the packets were mailed so this is not listed on the agenda. At Tuesday's June 7, 2005 City Council meeting, there was public comment regarding the condition of the fields. Staff stated for clarification, Palm Desert/La Quinta football comes to La Quinta in October because Palm Desert starts their overseeding. , ro' .h rl Community Services Commission Minutes Director Horvitz stated that when staff has brought overseeding to user groups in the past, the consensus was that they wanted to play on brown grass rather than be unable to play at all for six weeks due to overseeding. Staff listed the current issues in regards to the fields as stated by user groups. The first of these is the unevenness of the fields due to gophers. The second is the irrigation at the Sports Complex. Staff stated the City does not regulate the irrigation at school sites. Staff also stated the irrigation personnel of the School District are not in favor of the City taking over the irrigation at the schools. Finally, Director Horvitz said there are currently issues with the La Quinta Park irrigation system and Public Works is currently working on getting those corrected. Staff said those are the issues before the Commission for consideration and whether they would like to close down the fields to provide ample time to perform the maintenance that is necessary. Director Horvitz mentioned the Sports Complex is utilized from seven thirty in the morning until ten 0' clock at night. five nights a week and then also on the weekend. Commissioner 81. Johns asked for comments. Mr. Dunn said that currently, there is not enough water on the fields at the schools and there is a fire ant problem. Also, the fields need to be fertilized. He said they are just asking the City to work with them so they can go ahead and start these improvements themselves in a safe and effective manner. Mr. Dunn said what they need the most help with is getting through the red tape and said that the baseball league wants to do some improvements to the field by adding quick couplers in all of the dugouts so they can hose down the infield before they play their games. He stressed the point they are not asking the City to do this for them, but rather work with them so they can do the work themselves. Mr. Riek said the Palm Desert fields look so good because parents take care of the field and all that our parks need to look just as good is water, fertilization and aeration to prevent them from starving and dying like they are now. Commissioner Weber asked if any of the represented groups present were in f.l Community Services Commission Minutes favor of overseeding. Collectively, each represented group said they were not in favor. Mr. Dunn said that overseeding is not the answer and there are more than enough people willing to help if the City would just let them; that will be the solution. Director Horvitz informed the Commission and user groups that the City Council is currently evaluating Lundeen's contract. Right now they are operating a month-to-month basis until it is time to re-bid the landscape contract. At that time, the contract will be split out so the parks are on a separate contract but this will not be done in the timeframe that is needed to get the fields up and running. Staff said that August is the only month to really work on the fields because no one schedules them except for the adult soccer league. Commissioner Weber said that the City may be able to put some pressure on Desert Sands Unified to. be more receptive to the needs of the community. Staff stated that part of the problem with Desert Sands in the past was that the fields were too wet for the school children when they came to school in the morning. Director Horvitz suggested that staff can look into changing out the valves so multiple stations can be watered adding that prioritizing the stations can be used to our benefit. Mr. Riek said that he has seen the irrigation system and timers at the Sports Complex and said that it is a top of the line system so there should be no reason this can't work. Commissioner Weber highlighted some of the issues discussed. La Quinta Park needs to have someone spend some time to make sure it is set up as it should be. The Sports Complex, on the other hand, will need to have some work done to it to bring it up to a standard of being able to maintain it, Mr. Riek stated. Commissioner Weber said that some pressure needs to be put on Desert Sands to help address these issues and they need to know that the user groups have taken the time to come and discuss these with the Commission. They also need to know the user groups are willing to put their time, effort and trained skills into the parks. Further, Commissioner Weber stated that some type of correspondence needs to be sent so they are aware of this. rt Community Services Commission Minutes Staff stated the City has hired someone who has specific background in turf management, but stated that unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get to all the projects on his plate yet. Commissioner Hackney said that everyone has their hearts in the right place and acknowledged that everyone wants to have the best fields in terms of safety, attractiveness and reliability for the kids to play at. He said he has heard a lot of skills listed from the user groups present and wondered if there was some way to put the skills of the parents together with the City staff. In response to Commissioner Hackney, staff recommended that they meet with the experts present at the evening's meeting to create a list of what is needed along with a timeline and present it to Public Works. Commissioner St. Johns asked when this can be done. Director Horvitz said they can meet next week, get it all lined out and then present it. Commissioner Weber asked if the user groups present can be available in the next couple of weeks and each said yes. Mr. Dunn suggested to the Commission that perhaps each user group can be provided with a map of the fields so when they are onsite, they can circle issues they come across and note any additional issues that need to be relayed to directly to City staff. These can be faxed to the City staff the following day for attention. Staff said the Community Services department is not responsible for the field maintenance but rather acts as a middleman for Public Works. Staff also stated they will take care of whatever problems they know about, but they have to know about it as soon as possible. Commissioner Hackney asked about safety issues at the parks. Mr. Riek said the hinges are set wrong in the dugouts and actually caused a child to go to the hospital with a large gash on his face. He said he called the City a year ago (after the incident) and left a message but nothing has changed. Mr. Riek also said the current fire ants and gopher problem prevalent on the fields is also a safety issue but that both would go away if the fields were watered properly. r. 1 7 Community Services Commission Minutes Commissioner St. Johns thanked everyone for the work and effort they have put into the evening and in the past for the parks. Commissioner Weber requested the user groups keep in mind that the costs and fees associated with operating the fields have gone up. However the fees have not increased since 1995. Factor in the fact the population in La Quinta has doubled in that timeframe and it is obvious that the City is not trying to cause problems but rather be proactive. Mr. Van Driel said he is thankful that he is able to come and play at La Quinta Park. Cities like to come and play here and thanked the City for allowing them the opportunity to play; he appreciates it. VII. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIALS A. Annual Work Plan - Staff stated a new name has not been chosen for the new Commission and stated the City Council will be looking at the ordinance change on June 21, 2005 so the work plan can not yet be implemented. Staff said each seated Commissioner will be notified if their term expires this year and they will be given an opportunity to apply for the new Commission. The Council has stated they do want all existing Commissioners to remain seated. Staff told the Commissioners the new Commission will consist of seven members. B. Interactive Water Feature- Staff stated that the City Council approved the Interactive Water Feature as proposed and allocated the additional funds. Staff stated they are currently putting out the RFP's and hopefully this will be installed by March 2006. C. Calendar of Monthly Events - Commissioner St. Johns thanked staff for the inclusion of the calendar as it gives a good overview of upcoming events and reminded everyone that tomorrow is Flag Day. VIII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS A. Reports from Commissioners Regarding Meetings Attended Commissioner Leidner said he was able to attend the Cultural Arts r18 Community Services Commission Minutes Commission meeting on June 9, 2005. Commissioner Leidner requested from staff a copy of minutes from the last year from both Commissions since duties and responsibilities will be combined. Mr. Van Driel stated he has a question for the Commission and asked Commissioner St. Johns when the appropriate time would be to ask. Commissioner St. Johns said he may have the floor. Mr. Van Driel said he wanted to install goal posts on the main fields at La Quinta Park. He said the league would be willing to pay for this and stated that not only would it save time for the league, but for the City as well. Director Horvitz said that La Quinta Park was sold as a community park; a general park. Staff said the neighbors became distraught and said it appeared to be a soccer park and a special interest park. The City may be able to look into this again because the residents now see there is a skate park, interactive water feature, playground and a lot of activity for the community. She said the sensitivity may have changed towards this subject. Mr. Van Driel asked if the restriction of no Friday night games on La Quinta High School football games could be lifted. Staff reported that the only way this could be lifted would be to re-evaluate the Environmental Assessment. This may actually place more limitations on the use of the park. It would be staff's recommendation that the Environmental Assessment not be re- evaluated. IX. ADJOURNMENT The Commission thanked each of the user groups for coming to the meeting and said it is the Commissions goal to correct these issues and help the community. Commissioner St. Johns said it is her hope that in a year from now, they will be able to sit down and everyone will have seen a change in their community and that they are not talking to deaf ears. It was moved by Commissioners Hackney/Leidner to adjourn the Community Services Commission meeting at 9:23 PM. Unanimous. J\~IS C19 Community Services Commission Minutes NEXT MEETING INFORMATION Monday, July 11, 2005 @7:00 PM La Quinta Civic Center - Study Session Room Submitted by: tary r . rr ~