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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-09-01 Parks & Recreation Summary MinutesAPPROVED Approved 1 1 2 3 MINUTES 4 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION 5 SPECIAL MEETING 6 September 1, 2022 7 Virtual Conference 8 Palo Alto, California 9 10 Commissioners Present: Chair Greenfield; Vice Chair LaMere; Commissioners Nellis 11 Freeman, Shani Kleinhaus, Anne Cribbs, and Joy Oche 12 Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Amanda Brown 13 Others Present: 14 Staff Present: Daren Anderson, Lam Do 15 CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL 16 BUSINESS 17 1. Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing Use of Teleconferencing for Parks and 18 Recreation Commission Meeting During COVID-19 State of Emergency 19 Vice Chair Jeff LaMere moved to adopt the Resolution. Seconded by Commissioner Joy 20 Oche, the motion passed, 6-0, by roll call vote. 21 PUBLIC COMMENT 22 Jeremy Dahl, president of Stanford Soccer Club and resident of Palo Alto, commented 23 on the Mayfield north soccer field being closed due to infill clumping. A group of 24 volunteers have been organized and would like to assist the City in keeping the fields 25 cleared of infill buildup. If the infill is too difficult to deal with due to the heat, he asked 26 for a reassessment when the weather cools for whether the Mayfield north field could 27 open so the kids could play. 28 Patricia Smith, a long-time soccer parent in Palo Alto and previous field permit 29 coordinator for AYSO, spoke on behalf of the soccer community. She said the field 30 closure has been a big deal with scheduling for youth and adult soccer. She commented 31 on the Mayfield north field being one of the few lighted fields and other grass fields are 32 not good enough to play on. She stated about 40 high school-aged teams are impacted. 33 She asked how the community and the City could work together until there is a plan in 34 APPROVED Approved 2 place. 1 Mike Endsley said the problem with Mayfield north field is not with stability but with 2 globs of gunk mucking up cleats. He stated about 50 volunteers are ready and willing to 3 remove the globs this weekend and members of the community are willing to maintain 4 after an initial cleaning. He asked for a quick decision from the Commission to give 5 them a chance to help. He also asked for more garbage cans in which to put the globs 6 and offered to buy them. 7 Chair Jeff Greenfield expressed appreciation for the public comments and added that the 8 Commission does not directly respond to public comments. 9 AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS 10 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 11 2. Approval of Draft Minutes from the July 28, 2022, Parks and Recreation 12 Commission Meeting 13 Commissioner Anne Cribbs stated on page 10, line 23, it reads “service” but should be 14 “serve as”. 15 Commissioner Oche expressed her appreciation for the work that goes into preparing the 16 minutes, but she saw a lot of errors and wondered if there was an update on the new 17 vendor. 18 Daren Anderson stated these minutes were still with the old vendor with extra effort 19 from staff and expressed his apologies. 20 Chair Greenfield referenced page 3, line 21, changing “infield” to “infill”. Page 4, line 21 29, reword “If there is someone to,” for clarification. Page 4, line 38, cross out 22 “phonetic”. This applies to any other occurrences of the word. Page 6, line 6, between 23 “soccer” and “replacement”, add “field”. Page 10, line 13, between “this is” and 24 “challenge”, add “a”. Page 17, line 2, change “an” to “in” and line 3, change “have great 25 skate parks” to “has a great skate park”. 26 Motion by Commissioner Cribbs to approve the minutes of the July 28, 2022, Parks and 27 Recreation Commission Meeting with amendments noted by Commissioner Cribbs and 28 Chair Greenfield. Seconded by Vice Chair LaMere, the motion passed, 6-0 by roll call 29 vote. 30 CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS 31 3. Department Report 32 APPROVED Approved 3 Mr. Anderson of the Community Services Department spoke on recruitment updates. 1 The park maintenance position has been filled. Recruitment is ongoing for the parks 2 irrigation position and senior management analyst. The 3 program assistant positions 3 have been filled. The interview process is ongoing for CSD manager. They are in the 4 process for recruiting for a new park ranger, which is a new position approved by 5 Council last June. This position is funded for 2 years. An existing ranger is leaving, and 6 recruiting will begin for that position. 7 Public Works staff will begin the bid process for hazardous materials remediation for 8 Cubberley Gyms A and B. This will include mold, asbestos, and lead paint remediation 9 and removal and disposal of the gym floors and removal of damaged wall sections and 10 piping systems in the water-damaged areas of the gyms only. A claim will be submitted 11 to the City’s insurance carrier for site remediation and any subsequent restoration and 12 repair work. Staff is working on an update on the immediate longer-term closure of gyms 13 A & B with past renters and tenants, some of whom were relocated to other City 14 facilities. 15 Staff held a community meeting on the Cubberley Field restroom project on August 17. 16 In attendance were 2 commissioners, 1 Council member, and 1 member of the public 17 who was supportive of the project. Due to the limited turnout, Public Works is putting 18 together a survey to get additional feedback. They specifically want to hear from the 19 neighbors on Nelson Drive. 20 The Moonlight Run will be on September 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. 21 Staff sent an email informing the Commission about the closure of the Mayfield Soccer 22 Complex north field due to deterioration of the synthetic turf infill. Fencing has been 23 installed closing the north field. The south field remains open but will be monitored 24 closely by staff and if there are reports of increased clumping of the infill, it may have to 25 be closed as well. The north field closure will be in effect for at least several weeks while 26 securing a vendor to remove deteriorated infill and install new infill in both north and 27 south fields. Mr. Anderson stated they are trying to expedite this process and he 28 recognizes how unfortunate the timing is but stated safety is the top priority. City staff 29 have been raking the fields and using sweeper machines to remove clumped infill but the 30 level of deterioration on the north field required it to be closed. Staff is open to ideas 31 regarding other grass spaces that could be used or other options, but Recreation staff 32 have reported there are not a lot of other options. Staff welcome the assistance of the 33 community in maintaining the south field, but the north field will remain closed. Staff 34 have purchased and made available 20 rakes and ask that plastic-tined rakes to be used 35 rather than metal. 36 The Magical Bridge Playground is closed through October 14 for renovations. 37 APPROVED Approved 4 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is hosting 2 public open houses regarding 1 the Hawthorns Area Plan, an in-person on September 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. and a virtual 2 on October 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Thoughts on the Hawthorn Area can be shared through 3 an online survey. 4 There is a red algae bloom in San Francisco Bay that has killed hundreds of fish in the 5 last week. Three dead fish have been found in the Palo Alto Baylands in the last week. 6 San Francisco Regional Water Board does not know how long the red algae bloom will 7 last but suspect it will last a couple more weeks due to the warm weather. 8 There is an influx of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in California. Sick and 9 dead water birds have been seen in Palo Alto recently and in the last 2 weeks, 11 are 10 suspected to have had HPAI. Findings are being reported to the Fish and Wildlife 11 Service. 12 Vice Chair LaMere asked Mr. Anderson if the work on Magical Bridge is a regularly 13 scheduled service and if it is paid for out of the Parks & Recreation fund or from a 14 Magical Bridge maintenance fund. 15 Mr. Anderson responded that it is a capital improvement project and funded out of the 16 City General Fund with the exception of a contribution from the Magical Bridge 17 Foundation for the shade structure. He stated the repair work is needed earlier than 18 expected due to heavy use. 19 Commissioner Oche asked if the tracking information for HPAI can be shared with 20 residents. 21 Mr. Anderson stated that staff are not tracking HPAI information. Fish and Wildlife and 22 the Water Board are tracking it for the whole bay as well as across California. 23 Commissioner Shani Kleinhaus asked when the Mayfield Soccer Complex turf was 24 installed. 25 Mr. Anderson stated the infill is not degrading due to age but because it was the wrong 26 specification for the climate and a higher temperature rating is needed. The same thing 27 happened at El Camino Park and it was swapped out with appropriate infill. 28 Lam Do stated the turf at both Mayfield soccer fields was installed in 2016. 29 Chair Greenfield added that was 10 years after the fields opened in 2006. 30 Mr. Do clarified that the first set of artificial turf was from 2006 when the site opened, 31 and the second set was from 2016. 32 APPROVED Approved 5 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked how artificial turf maintenance compares to that for live 1 turf. 2 Mr. Anderson stated there are water and fertilization costs for natural grass. The initial 3 costs for infill are much higher but it lasts 8 to 10 years. 4 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked about using recycled water to irrigate live turf and 5 mentioned contamination caused by artificial turf materials. 6 Mr. Anderson said recycled water is used to irrigate the natural grass fields at Greer and 7 Baylands Athletic Center. 8 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if live turf could be considered as an alternative. 9 Mr. Anderson said another consideration is the amount of play a synthetic turf field can 10 handle over natural grass, but all aspects should be considered. 11 Chair Greenfield commented that lighted fields have extended hours of use which does 12 not work for grass quality. 13 Commissioner Oche, also a soccer mom, asked for clarification for the Mayfield Soccer 14 Complex volunteers regarding cleaning up the north field. 15 Mr. Anderson replied that the north field is fenced off. 16 Commissioner Oche asked what could be done in the meantime. 17 Mr. Anderson stated they are trying to expedite replacement of the infill. He is willing to 18 look at different options when the weather cools but for right now, the north field is 19 closed. 20 Commissioner Nellis Freeman asked why the decision to close the Mayfield north field 21 has to be immediate versus a gradual process. 22 Mr. Anderson replied safety was the reason it had to be closed. 23 Commissioner Freeman asked if an aggressive cleanup could delay closure. 24 Mr. Anderson replied no and that after hours of cleaning a field, the next day there were 25 clumps everywhere. He stated soccer cleats pick up clumps of gummy infill and cause a 26 safety concern. 27 Commissioner Freeman asked if there have been any injuries due to the current state of 28 the soccer field. 29 APPROVED Approved 6 Mr. Anderson said there was a report of a non-contact injury on the north field. 1 Commissioner Freeman wondered how much investigation was done in making the 2 decision to close the north field. 3 Mr. Anderson stated they have emptied 5 dumpsters of infill, largely from the north 4 field. 5 Chair Greenfield asked what the criteria would be for closing the field or leaving it open. 6 Mr. Anderson replied it would be a combination of discussing it with the leagues, having 7 staff walk it, and continued conversations with the Risk Management team and the City 8 Attorney’s office. 9 Chair Greenfield asked if there was a time frame for when the field would reopen. 10 Mr. Anderson said there was none. 11 Chair Greenfield asked if the immediate action was to clean up the infill so it’s playable 12 before the infill is replaced or to keep the field closed until a contractor is hired to 13 replace the infill or redo the fields completely. 14 Mr. Anderson stated they have received one bid response with a price 4 to 5 times the 15 original estimate. They are conversing informally with other vendors. He hopes to have 16 more information soon. 17 Chair Greenfield asked about the status of the RFI. 18 Mr. Anderson said they are calling vendors directly and asking their opinion. He said the 19 value of the RFI has yet to be determined. Calls made to 2 vendors may serve the same 20 purpose. Mr. Anderson wants to find the fastest route. 21 Chair Greenfield asked Mr. Anderson if he expects the fields will need to be upgraded 22 and the infill replaced before Mayfield north field is reopened. 23 Mr. Anderson said that is the current understanding and not the only option, but it is the 24 recommendation at this point. 25 Chair Greenfield stated there is no guarantee that will happen this calendar year. 26 Mr. Anderson said he has no guarantee on when it will happen. 27 Chair Greenfield asked if it will go to Council for funding. 28 Mr. Anderson stated it will require Council approval if contract costs are above a certain 29 APPROVED Approved 7 threshold. 1 Commissioner Cribbs stated the old field needs to be replaced as soon as possible. 2 Chair Greenfield asked what the cost would be. 3 Mr. Anderson was not sure about the cost of a full replacement. Bids are coming in 2 to 4 3 times what was estimated. 5 Commissioner Cribbs asked if the project will be managed by Public Works or Parks & 6 Recreation. 7 Mr. Anderson stated it would probably be Public Works and CSD working together. 8 Commissioner Cribbs hoped resources, knowledge, and experience at Stanford and other 9 soccer facilities could be taken advantage of. 10 Mr. Anderson stated he is open to checking with neighbors for better ways. 11 Mr. Do stated the cost is $5/ft2 to $7/ft2. For a field over 150,000 ft2, it could range from 12 $750,000 to $1,000,050. He added pricing is off the map when they get bids. Square foot 13 cost does not take into account the base. As this would be the third life cycle of the field, 14 the base would need to be repaired as well as the Brock pad replaced, and these costs are 15 unknown. 16 Chair Greenfield reiterated the ballpark cost would be $2M to $3M. 17 BUSINESS 18 4. Skate Park Recommendation to Parks and Recreation Commission 19 Mr. Anderson recommended a modification on the staff report that they clarify the 3 20 points agreed to by the Ad Hoc Committee and to clarify that the Parks & Recreation 21 Commission recommends that Council adopt the findings. 22 Stakeholders, staff, and the Ad Hoc Committee agreed that a new, inclusive skate park 23 would be a valuable asset to the community and benefit both children and adults. The 24 Greer skate bowl is the only skate park in Palo Alto and the sport of skateboarding is 25 growing and new styles of skate parks are needed. A petition asking for a new skate park 26 received 2000 signatures. 27 Key features of a suitable location include 12,000 to 15,000 ft2 of space, minimal impact 28 to neighbors, restroom access, adequate parking, safe biking access, and avoiding 29 displacing other park uses and targeting underutilized park areas. The area adjacent to 30 APPROVED Approved 8 the existing bowl at Greer was the preferred location and the desire is to integrate the 1 new skate park into the area without changing the existing one. At a virtual community 2 meeting on June 15, there was broad support for the concept, location, and process. The 3 Ad Hoc Committee believes a new skate park is one of the highest priorities in the Parks 4 Master Plan. The project would be community funded and would not compete with other 5 projects funded through the City’s General Fund. Friends of the Palo Alto Parks have 6 agreed to serve at the fundraising organization and fundraising could begin if City 7 Council approves the project. 8 Regarding feedback from the July 28 PRC meeting, the Commission asked to notify 9 Greer Park field users about the proposed skate park. Staff reached out to Greer Park 10 field users and did not receive any questions or concerns. Regarding what trees are in the 11 proposed area, City arborists surveyed the area and found 4 Chinese Pistache, 1 Patmore 12 Ash, and 2 volunteer Privet trees, all of which are nonnative trees. As peak use times for 13 the skate park are likely to coincide with peak use by weekday after-school sports 14 practice and weekend sport field games, impacts related to transportation and trees 15 would be assessed in accordance with CEQA as well as for consistency with Council 16 policies, Comprehensive Plan goals and policies, and City regulations once a conceptual 17 plan is proposed. CEQA would be done once the proposed conceptual design is available 18 to adequately assess the impacts of the project. 19 Pending evaluation and recommendation from the Commission, the next steps are 20 Council review in October and fundraising could begin then. 21 Commissioner Cribbs asked if the timeline could be moved up to September. 22 Mr. Anderson stated it was unlikely, but he could try. 23 Commissioner Cribbs stated she was in support of the project and wanted to see it get 24 done as soon as possible. 25 Commissioner Oche asked how the Greer Park field users were informed. 26 Mr. Anderson said Recreation staff reached out via email to AYSO, Palo Alto Soccer 27 Club, AAYSA, PSV Union, and Stanford Soccer Club. There were also signs at the park 28 itself. 29 Vice Chair LaMere thanked Mr. Anderson for his work on the project and stated he was 30 in full support of this. He noted Sam Kaplinsky’s involvement as a wonderful example 31 of youth taking action. He wanted to highlight Sam’s involvement and encourage youth 32 engagement. 33 APPROVED Approved 9 Commissioner Freeman stated his support of the project and echoed the sentiment of 1 youth involvement and keeping Sam’s name out there. He asked for clarification that the 2 new skate park design will incorporate the old skate park but that it would be unavailable 3 for use during build-out. 4 Mr. Anderson said if it happens as one project, it is very likely the existing skate bowl 5 will be closed during construction. 6 Chair Greenfield stated parking is currently an issue at peak use times and parking needs 7 will increase due to this project and that it is fairly unlikely the City would add any 8 parking. He said it is unfortunate there is no assessment of parking until CEQA analysis 9 is done and it is difficult to recommend this site knowing there will be a parking issue. 10 He said it is a bit irresponsible to not consider the parking situation and he felt it would 11 be a consideration important to the City Council as well. 12 Mr. Anderson spoke to Planning staff about this, and they said they would analyze this 13 when they have a conceptual plan. Without the plan, it is difficult to do such an analysis. 14 Mr. Anderson asked them about other options, and they said it could be added to the 15 recommendation that fundraising dollars be earmarked for conducting parking analysis. 16 The cost for hiring a consultant would be between $8,000 to $10,000 and this could be 17 added to the recommendation. CSD staff cannot do this, but a consultant could. 18 Chair Greenfield reiterated that City Council would authorize staff to begin working on a 19 conceptual design of the project with the heavy lifting being done by outside parties and 20 that it would be based on the fundraising outside parties would be doing for the project 21 with funds earmarked for parking analysis in addition to creating the conceptual design. 22 Mr. Anderson suggested doing this very early in the design process to know the impact 23 of parking before getting too far along. 24 Chair Greenfield asked if there was any precedent for this type of parking analysis. 25 Mr. Anderson says the situation is unique given the direction from Council to find a 26 suitable location with the intention that funding, and design are to be fundraised by the 27 group and not by City staff. 28 Chair Greenfield asked for thoughts from other Commissioners. 29 Commissioner Cribbs asked how the need for parking would be analyzed before having 30 a completed design. 31 Chair Greenfield mused that a certain number of cars would be estimated based on a 32 certain size of a skate park. 33 APPROVED Approved 10 Commissioner Freeman mentioned having events at the skate park coupled with soccer 1 tournaments, other park events, and the draw of a new skate park could make parking an 2 issue and should be thought through as part of the design. He suggested reaching out to 3 other communities to see what types of events take place at skate parks and how many 4 people attend. 5 Chair Greenfield stated he does not want to stop the recommendation from going 6 through but the issue is worth considering. He asked how the stakeholders would feel 7 about adding the recommendation for a parking assessment. 8 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if there are issues with parking in that area currently. 9 Mr. Anderson said the parking lot can fill quickly on busy weekends with big 10 tournaments. He has not done any analysis on how side streets are impacted. 11 Vice Chair LaMere would like to approve the action item as is. He said they will have 12 the opportunity to assess the needs as it goes forward and as it comes back to the 13 Commission. 14 Chair Greenfield asked Mr. Anderson if that sounded reasonable. 15 Mr. Anderson shared that the Commission and others could weigh in on parking with the 16 Park Improvement Ordinance and it also goes through the Architectural Review Board. 17 Also, Planning staff factor in parking when analyzing the project. 18 Chair Greenfield asked if parking limitations were identified would Staff recommend 19 reducing the number of people able to use the park. 20 Mr. Anderson said he did not know what different options Planning might come up with. 21 Chair Greenfield said it would be difficult to meter the number of people using the 22 facility at a given time. 23 Vice Chair Jeff LaMere and Commissioner Cribbs both stated their support of the project 24 and the desire to move the project along quickly. 25 Vice Chair Jeff LaMere moved to recommend the project as stated. Seconded by 26 Commissioner Cribbs, the motion passed, 6-0, by roll call vote. 27 5. Funding Opportunities Ad Hoc Update 28 Vice Chair LaMere stated Commissioner Cribbs, Commissioner Oche, and himself met a 29 few times regarding the Funding Opportunities Ad Hoc. They are trying to get away 30 from Ad Hocs going year to year and they anticipate this will be the last of the Funding 31 APPROVED Approved 11 Opportunities Ad Hoc. They want the community to know they can get involved as well 1 as donate to projects. He stated the “Friends of” groups are important and there are 2 opportunities for targeted giving instead of giving to a general fund. 3 Commissioner Cribbs said she understands people want to contribute in an easy way to 4 specific projects and not necessarily to a general fund. Now that the website is up, they 5 want to create a special page in Community Services that would invite the community to 6 contribute. They want to use paid and pro bono resources with the City to spread the 7 word. For example, ads in the Enjoy! Catalog, something on the web page, and asking 8 for a reduced rate for paid advertising from the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Post to 9 publicize projects. She stated it is important to clarify and publicize how community 10 members can contribute to approved projects. The Palo Alto Recreation Foundation and 11 Friends of the Palo Alto Parks support Community Services and specific programs, and 12 they also hold events. She is hopeful the City will allow them to share information about 13 Friends of the Palo Alto Parks and the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation and the projects 14 they’re working on. People may not know they can donate directly to projects they’re 15 interested in. She proposed adding a short paragraph about some success stories like the 16 Cubberley track, the pickleball lines on the courts, and the dog parks. She would also 17 like to highlight volunteer opportunities that can support Community Services and new 18 projects. She would like to list education about other funding sources, and she said the 19 Park Master Plan lists the ways Community Services is supported. She suggested adding 20 menu items to the Community Services home page for funding and volunteer projects. 21 Mr. Anderson said they could develop a page for donations. 22 Chair Greenfield asked for clarification about the Enjoy! Catalog. 23 Mr. Anderson connected with Recreation staff who helps manage the Enjoy! Catalog 24 process. He stated there is great potential to add a page on a regular basis and said this 25 publication gets mailed to Palo Alto residences 4 times a year. 26 Commissioner Cribbs said this would help build a comprehensive list of people who 27 have an interest in recreation. She also mentioned the utility flyer that gets mailed to 28 everybody. 29 Mr. Anderson said there is a cost associated with the utility flyer but fundraising for CSD 30 in Enjoy! is free. 31 Commissioner Cribbs turned the discussion over to Commissioner Oche to talk about 32 grants. 33 Commissioner Oche stated grant writing and applications are very time consuming and 34 competitive and a professional grant writer should be considered. Her research has found 35 APPROVED Approved 12 grants for skate parks. She said the benefits of the services of a grant writer may 1 outweigh the costs. 2 Chair Greenfield said he believed staff are on board with the suggestions from 3 Commissioner Cribbs. 4 Commissioner Kleinhaus stated her concerns over parks becoming “for sale” due to 5 ability to raise money and losing space to interest groups. She does not see a problem as 6 long as all the options are there, and limited options are not preselected. She stated in this 7 document, the options are limited, and she would add at least 5 other things that could be 8 important to a park system. She asked how they would utilize and support nonprofits that 9 do some of the work and how would they supplement it with their own work. She voiced 10 concerns about giving too much of the parks to people with the ability to raise money. 11 Commissioner Kleinhaus stated she was in support of a grant writer, but the cost is more 12 than just what the person is paid as the writer would need a lot of input from staff. 13 Commissioner Kleinhaus referenced the Parks Master Plan and the renovation of 14 exhibits in the parks’ nature centers, and she said fundraising could be used for this 15 project. She also mentioned restoration of the 7.7 acres and the big project in Foothills 16 Park regarding flooding. She said there is currently a lot of grant funding for those types 17 of projects. Of the 4 initiatives, she thinks the first one is important but to keep in mind 18 the options provided to people. She wants additional projects listed aside from the skate 19 park and family recreation center. Commissioner Kleinhaus suggested a survey to see 20 what people respond to, and she stated the people who want something may not be the 21 people who can fund it. 22 Commissioner Freeman said in addition to donating money, people can donate time and 23 expertise. Along the lines of a survey, he wanted to give people the opportunity to voice 24 what they would be interested in seeing to make sure funding is going where it should. 25 He said people might be concerned about fundraising and seeing money donated by 26 stakeholders and asked if that information would be publicized so people could see the 27 movement of money for these projects. He wanted to make sure expectations of the 28 people would be managed. 29 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked who would be managing it. 30 Commissioner Freeman replied that has to be factored into the project. 31 Commissioner Cribbs mentioned the work of the San Francisco Parks Alliance. They do 32 a park cleanup day for the community, and she would like to see something like that 33 here. 34 APPROVED Approved 13 Chair Greenfield commented that the Master Plan is an aspirational document and 1 funding is a key shortfall in making plans a reality. Maybe more significant are staff 2 resources. The Master Plan has a list of many competing equivalent priorities and 3 funding tends to be the factor that bumps up priority as exampled by the skate park. He 4 said it is reasonable to put together a list of potential projects and post project plans on a 5 web page for people to see and if it is unfunded, people may be inspired to donate. Chair 6 Greenfield agreed that targeted giving is important as a motivating force. He said the 7 Commission would need a very specific list of content to post on the website including 8 photos, contact information, and volunteer opportunities. It would also need to include 9 the environmental partner organizations the Commission works with as this information 10 is no longer on the website. 11 Commissioner Cribbs said she believes that information is in the original Ad Hoc 12 reports. 13 Chair Greenfield asked for direction from Staff on how to proceed and what specific 14 details they need from the Commission. 15 Mr. Anderson replied meetings with Ad Hoc and Staff would be helpful. Staff would 16 then meet with staff from other parts of the department. Staff time may have been an 17 impediment in the past and is still an issue. 18 Chair Greenfield suggested delegating specific responsibility to Ad Hoc and that they 19 could meet without Staff on certain issues. On the subject of grant writing, Chair 20 Greenfield stated the Staff time needed to support the grant writer has continuously shot 21 down the idea of hiring a grant writer. He asked Staff what is needed to make it possible 22 to hire a grant writer. 23 Mr. Anderson said it was an excellent idea and recommended it be very targeted and use 24 contract dollars to reach out to a consultant who does grant writing for municipalities, 25 has insurance, and has done it before. The right conditions would be direction from 26 Council, input from the Commission, Staff availability, and a specific project to move 27 forward. 28 Chair Greenfield clarified the grant writer would be for specific projects where it is 29 known that grants are available. 30 6. Utilities Department Update on Projects in Foothills and Arastradero Preserves 31 Ramandeep Kaur, senior electrical engineer with the Utilities Department, displayed an 32 image of the tier 2 fire area as identified by the California Public Utility Commission. A 33 Staff pilot project to underground existing electric lines found it cost effective in addition 34 to significantly reducing fire risk. The project has been approved by Council and has 35 APPROVED Approved 14 passed through the budgetary process. The project would be divided into 5 phases. While 1 one phase is in construction, the next phase would be in design. There has been 7,500 2 feet of substructure work completed in the first phase. The second phase included park 3 trail closures and 5000 feet of work has been completed with 3000 feet to go. The next 4 step is to eliminate 72 poles in the 2 areas and remove the high-voltage cable, which 5 should be done by August 2023. All 5 phases should be completed by August 2025. A 6 staging area from an existing project is being used and when done with it, it will be 7 restored based on recommendations from an ecologist. Other contractors have been 8 required to cover areas with weed-free straw. A budget will be provided for Grassroots 9 Ecology yearly monitoring and documentation. The project of conversion of overhead 10 electric lines to underground is exempt from CEQA review under Article 15302.d. Due 11 to the sensitive area, the decision was made to bore conduits instead of doing an open 12 trench. Most of the construction is along utility access roads which is better for the 13 habitat and crew access and includes the installation of electric boxes and pad-mount 14 equipment. 15 Ms. Kaur said the Arastradero trail will be fully closed until October 15, after which 16 partial closures will continue with flaggers to direct traffic. There will be future closures 17 when the overhead poles and electric wires are removed. There will be future electric 18 shutoffs over the 9.3 miles for the new underground system cutover. She listed the 19 benefits of underground electric lines being a reduced fire risk, minimized annual tree 20 trimming, and improved aesthetics and animal welfare. 21 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if the project was exempt from other laws besides CEQA 22 such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Clean Water Act, and other federal regulations. 23 Ms. Kaur responded since construction is along access roads, there should not be any 24 birds impacted. 25 Commissioner Kleinhaus said there could be impact and surveys are needed and 26 regarding the Clean Water Act, she saw some material in the creek and creeks are not 27 supposed to be filled without a permit. The hay bales to combat erosion did not work in 28 some of the staging areas on the creek. Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if there was a 29 best method to avoid environmental problems such as disturbing nesting birds. 30 Ms. Kaur asked Mr. Anderson if the erosion reference was for a different project. 31 Mr. Anderson stated it was the water tank replacement project that affected the creek and 32 the rangers asked for exclusionary fencing and straw wattles along the edge. 33 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if guidance was available for making sure bird surveys 34 are done during nesting season and ensuring no deposits into waterways. 35 APPROVED Approved 15 Ms. Kaur stated the plan was to stick to utility access roads. She said there were no birds, 1 and no such guidance is available. 2 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if a biologist has determined there is no need for a 3 survey or if it was Ms. Kaur’s impression. 4 Ms. Kaur stated the lines are accessed every year and no biologist was consulted 5 previously, and she said it was her determination. 6 Commissioner Kleinhaus stated the harm to biological ecosystems comes with attrition 7 and a biologist should look at it. 8 Commissioner Freeman agreed to moving as much as possible underground but at the 9 same time being aware of the environmental impact. He asked about the timing and if 10 first the underground conduits will be buried and then the overhead wiring deenergized 11 with the poles coming down eventually. 12 Ms. Kaur confirmed that the substructure is laid, new cabling is put in, everything is 13 switched to the underground system, and then the old system is removed. 14 Commissioner Freeman asked if the trail would be closed for the duration or periodically 15 opened and closed and if signage would notify the public. 16 Ms. Kaur stated that signage is up, and the trail is closed fully until October 15. 17 Currently boring is being done along the access road with heavy equipment blocking the 18 road. 19 Vice Chair LaMere asked about other risk assessments regarding doing the project and 20 impediments or things that could go wrong. He also asked about maintenance. 21 Ms. Kaur says transformers and most equipment will last 50 to 75 years. Inspections are 22 mandated by California and done on a 3-year cycle. 23 Vice Chair LaMere asked about risks to natural areas for these types of projects. 24 Ms. Kaur replied she was not aware of any. 25 Commissioner Oche reiterated what Vice Chair LaMere said about reassessment and 26 notification of the public. She asked how the community would get updates on the 27 project schedule. 28 Ms. Kaur said information is posted on the City website and residents will be notified by 29 the communication team before the cutover is performed due to shutdowns of their 30 APPROVED Approved 16 electric power which will affect 200+ customers. Communication will include door 1 hangers and flyers. 2 Commissioner Freeman asked if there were 2 above-ground transformers involved. 3 Ms. Kaur replied all the overhead transformers currently on the poles will be pad-4 mounted on the ground. 5 Chair Greenfield invited members of the public to speak. 6 Lynn Chiapella said a side effect of a previous project on the road was the road was 7 widened and asked if care was being taken to not widen the road further. 8 Ms. Kaur said they are trying not to open-trench and instead bore the conduits so the 9 road width should not be impacted. 10 Chair Greenfield said it was good to hear the road will not be increased. He asked if a 11 table including the trail closure plan and dates in an easy-to-read format could be posted 12 on the web pages of both the Arastradero Preserve and the Foothills Nature Preserve. 13 Ms. Kaur said this could be done and dates would be changed based on contractor 14 availability. 15 Chair Greenfield asked if there was a web page for this project. 16 Ms. Kaur said it is on the City of Palo Alto website. 17 Chair Greenfield asked staff to share the website link with the Commission and asked 18 that the trail closure plan be posted on the City’s web page as well as those for the 19 preserves and to include a link to information about future trail closures. Chair 20 Greenfield asked for details on the 5 phases. 21 Ms. Kaur said the 5 phases were created to break the 9.3-mile project into more 22 manageable sections. 23 Chair Greenfield asked which phases are in the Arastradero Preserve and which phases 24 are in the Foothills Nature Preserve. 25 Ms. Kaur replied Phase 1 is in Arastradero Preserve and Phase 2 is more toward 26 Foothills Park. 27 Chair Greenfield asked if the section for Phase 3 is already underground. 28 Ms. Kaur confirmed this section is already underground at the picnic area, interpretive 29 center, and bathrooms. 30 APPROVED Approved 17 Chair Greenfield asked if the project will put underground all power lines in the 1 preserve. 2 Ms. Kaur said yes. 3 Chair Greenfield asked if there was a map showing finer detail of the areas of the 4 preserve being impacted. 5 Ms. Kaur showed on Google Maps where work will be occurring at Foothills Nature 6 Preserve and where power is already underground. 7 Chair Greenfield asked if the web page has a map of the power lines. 8 Ms. Kaur said she can add that to the web page. 9 Mr. Anderson asked about pole work being done near Towle Camp area inside Foothills 10 Nature Preserve. 11 Ms. Kaur replied this phase has not been designed yet and will be called Phase 3. She 12 said everything up to Towle Campground is already underground and then it goes uphill 13 to a water reservoir. 14 Chair Greenfield asked if outside grants will assist with funding or if it’s coming from 15 the City’s General Fund. 16 Ms. Kaur says funding is through the City’s Capital Improvement Electric Fund. 17 7. Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison: Reports and Assignments 18 Commissioner Cribbs presented a swimming update. There were 410 monthly lap swim 19 members, and 1,100 lap swim visits a week with 20,000 open swim visits over the 20 summer. There were 60 Masters members, 3,000 youth swimming lessons within the 21 summer camps, and 600 youth summer swim lessons. 22 Commissioner Kleinhaus said they looked at the 10-acre site of Measure E on Byxbee 23 and the potential to rededicate that parcel. They heard various ideas from staff on 24 potentially rededicating the hill site but not the flat area, which is about 5 acres, because 25 eventually the City may want to use some of that land to provide some kind of water 26 purification facility and they would have to go to the voters for that. It would be easier to 27 convince voters to give up that land if it was not dedicated. They thought if it has to go to 28 a vote anyway, why not rededicate everything. The City is using a facility there to 29 monitor functionality according to rules and regulations of the landfill. That facility will 30 probably not be moved from there as it is associated with the landfill, but a large parcel 31 remains that could be rededicated, and discussions are needed about what to do with that. 32 APPROVED Approved 18 They looked at where they are going to do the desalination plant and another water 1 cleaning facility that will both remove a lot of trees, and she stated the whole area is 2 becoming industrialized. 3 Chair Greenfield said that the Staff thought of not rededicating the one area was not 4 unanimous and this will come to the Commission next month with more details. He 5 suggested it would be helpful for everyone to see the area and there was talk of making a 6 site visit available to other Commissioners, and he asked if this could be done before the 7 next Commission meeting. 8 Commissioner Kleinhaus said a long list of dedication sites was provided by Enid 9 Pearson and they also received a letter from a neighborhood suggesting they look at one 10 site in particular, kind of an island, that could potentially be a park. 11 Commissioner Freeman said he saw an email regarding pickleball. He is trying to get 12 survey analysis and will having more follow-up at the next meeting. 13 Chair Greenfield said the Electric Advances Ad Hoc has met and will come to the 14 Commission perhaps next month with a first-phase discussion leading up to an action by 15 the end of the calendar year. He also mentioned the update and opportunity to do the 16 Hawthorns site area, the efforts and work going on there, and the Cubberley restrooms 17 community meeting. 18 Commissioner Cribbs mentioned surveying pickleball and tennis participation in various 19 courts around the city in the next couple weeks. 20 COMMISSIONER/BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR 21 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 22 Commissioner Cribbs said it would be great to get some information on the soccer fields 23 and share it with the soccer community and see if they could all work together to get the 24 issue solved. 25 Chair Greenfield said he and Commissioner Freeman are working to meet with Staff 26 next week to get an update. He suggested scheduling a meeting with field stakeholders, 27 the soccer clubs, to talk about what is going on. 28 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked what happens when they get letters from the public. 29 When they ask questions and make suggestions, they expect a response from somebody, 30 but those things are not on the agenda. 31 Chair Greenfield responded that now is the opportunity to reference letters and ask Staff 32 about questions. 33 APPROVED Approved 19 Commissioner Kleinhaus specifically remembers a question. The neighborhood on San 1 Antonio Way wanted to know if the area across the street could be a park. 2 Mr. Anderson said he was in dialogue with the individual who wrote that letter and is 3 checking on ownership. The City owns a portion of it and some of it is public right of 4 way and there are easements. They are seeing what is feasible. 5 Commissioner Cribbs asked what happened with the gentleman who wanted to have a 6 committee about a swimming pool in south Palo Alto because Rinconada is getting 7 crowded. 8 Chair Greenfield said he did not know about this. 9 Mr. Anderson said he did not respond to this letter. 10 Commissioner Cribbs said the gentleman spoke at the last meeting. 11 Mr. Anderson said it was a matter of sharing thoughts with the Commission. 12 Chair Greenfield then directed the discussion to next month’s agenda. 13 Mr. Anderson listed the racquet court policy and possibly ready will be Measure E, the 14 park dedication discussion; the electric conveyances, or e-bike, discussion; and 15 potentially a request from Elise DeMarzo, the Public Art manager, who asked if she 16 could bring a public art discussion to the Commission for the Boulware Park 17 improvement project to get feedback on the idea of having public art be part of that 18 project. She said the September meeting would be ideal, but October could probably 19 work but with the intention to move quickly to enlist the services of artists. 20 Regarding the advanced water purification system presentation, Mr. Anderson said more 21 time is needed as more in-depth discussions are being had with Urban Forest about what 22 to do with the trees. Potentially October but they will confirm that. 23 Commissioner Freeman asked how they would communicate to the soccer community 24 the plan going forward. 25 Mr. Anderson said the plan is still being developed. The vendor to replace the infill has 26 not been chosen and they are trying to expedite this. Communication needs to be 27 transparent with the process and timelines but there is no good information to share right 28 now which is frustrating for all parties. He suggested in addition to website updates, 29 direct email exchanges with the key representative of major groups with information on 30 what they’re being asked to do about cleaning. At some point, a conversation is needed 31 regarding what happens with the north field when the weather cools. The Attorney’s 32 Office, Risk Management, the City Manager’s Office, etc., will need to be consulted as 33 APPROVED Approved 20 well. 1 Chair Greenfield added that phone calls are important too. He said he would like to talk 2 more about this when they next meet. He said some of the groups are moving to open 3 slots at El Camino field and it is positive that Staff is helping with that but there are a lot 4 of moving pieces. He thanked Staff for weathering the storm and the Commission will 5 help the best they can. 6 ADJOURNMENT 7 Meeting adjourned at 10:46 p.m. 8