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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-11 Parks & Recreation Commission Summary Minutes1 MINUTES 2 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION 3 SPECIAL MEETING 4 April 11, 2025 5 In-Person and Virtual Conference 6 Palo Alto, California 7 8 Commissioners Present In Person:Chair Nellis Freeman; Vice Chair Jeff Greenfield; Commissioners 9 Anne Cribbs, Shani Kleinhaus, and Bing Wei 10 Commissioners Present Virtually:Commissioner Amanda Brown 11 Commissioners Absent:Commissioner Yudy Deng 12 Others Present:Councilmember Lythcott-Haims 13 Staff Present:Kristen O’Kane, Sarah Robustelli, Adam Howard, and Nicole Bissell 14 CALL TO ORDER 15 Meeting was called to order at 12:08 PM. 16 PUBLIC COMMENT 17 None 18 AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS, AND DELETIONS 19 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to have a short discussion on SB 315; however, it could not be 20 added to the agenda because of the Brown Act. It was suggested to Commissioner Kleinhaus 21 that she could mention it at the end of the meeting under Commissioner Comments unless the 22 topic fit under another agenda item. 23 CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS 24 1. Council Liaison Report 25 Councilmember Lythcott-Haims reported that at Monday’s City Council meeting there was a 26 lengthy discussion on the proposed dark sky ordinance. The Council asked staff to come back for 27 further discussion before voting on the ordinance. The Council voted 4-3 vote to support SB 457, 28 which seeks to limit Builder’s Remedy. Supporting this bill would not allow projects such as the 29 one proposed at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park. One reason mentioned for opposing the bill was 30 feeling it was too broad and limited good projects along with the bad. Next week, the Council 31 will look at a potential new parking structure at 375 Hamilton which might include housing, a 32 proposed housing development of 10 townhomes at 70 Encina in the parking lot between Town 33 & Country and the Opportunity Center at PAMF, and a renters’ protection item related to the 34 relevance of one’s criminal history. On the 21st, Council will look at the draft poll seeking 35 community input for the Cubberley Master Plan Project. The Council was interested in the 36 Commission’s feedback on the Cubberley poll, so it will come to the PRC on the 22nd. On the 37 21st, the Council will vote on a comprehensive turf study to compare the pros and cons of 38 synthetic and natural turf. Mayfield’s field was ready for urgent placement, prompting the 39 question of artificial turf. 40 BUSINESS ITEMS 41 2. Review FY25 Parks and Recreation Commission Accomplishments 42 Vice Chair Greenfield pointed out that the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) was the 43 closest the City had to an environmental or sustainability commission. Vice Chair Greenfield 44 read the three FY25 priorities and accomplishments. 45 Priority: Optimize resources to offer diverse recreation opportunities, and promote community 46 health and wellness. FY25 accomplishments: Worked to develop and improve park facilities. Still 47 in development are the Wellness Center, skate park, and improvement of Robles Park facilities. 48 The following park improvements were now open: Boulware Park, Cameron Park, and Mitchell 49 Dog Park; as well as restrooms at Cubberley Fields, Ramos Park, and Rinconada Park. 50 Priority: Advance equity, access, and inclusion for programs, parks, and open space. FY25 51 accomplishments: Reviewed City projects and programs including the Bicycle and Pedestrian 52 Open Space Access Policy, Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan, Traffic Garden project, 53 middle school athletics programming, Eleanor Pardee Park restroom survey, racquet court 54 policy, and Terman Park pickleball court lines. The PRC unanimously supported the renaming of 55 Tower Well Park to Frederick Eyerly Tower Well Park. 56 Priority: Enhance biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and climate change resilience. FY25 57 accomplishments: Reviewed City projects and programs including the Tree and Landscape 58 Technical Manual draft, tree ordinance updates, a recommendation to support Valley Water 59 Tide Gate repair PIO, as well as infrastructure updates at Foothills, Pearson-Arastradero, and 60 Baylands Nature Preserve. The Park Dedication Ad Hoc was looking at potential sites for 61 dedication and expected to present recommendations to the Commission in May. An ad hoc has 62 been working with staff on the Baylands Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The PRC provided 63 feedback on Utilities-related projects in open spaces including the Arastradero Creek 64 stabilization plan and utility line repair, Byxbee Park sewer pipe rehabilitation and associated 65 trail closures, and the Office of Emergency Services plan for radio equipment at Fire Station 6. 66 The PRC had seven ad hoc committees and work plan items. The Master Plan Ad Hoc reviewed 67 and provided feedback on the FY26 CIP plan. The Recreation Wellness Center Ad Hoc explored 68 potential locations and co-hosted a community meeting with staff. The Baylands Comprehensive 69 Conservation Plan (BCCP) Ad Hoc worked with staff to resume development of the draft BCCP. 70 The Nature Preserve Access Policy Ad Hoc worked with staff to review the Open Space Preserve 71 access policy, identified areas for increased signage and additional bicycle racks, and presented 72 the Pearson-Arastradero Nature Preserve trail realignment concept plan to the PABAC. The Park 73 Dedication Ad Hoc worked with staff on reviewing a prioritized list of seven potential locations 74 for parkland dedication suitability. Benches, signage, walkways, perimeter landscaping, and site 75 amenities were added to Tower Well Park. The Playing Fields and Racquet Sports Ad Hoc was 76 working with staff to review current reservation policies, implemented pickleball lines at 77 Fletcher School/Terman Park, and met with the Pickleball Club to discuss expanding access 78 including the possibility of multiuse courts at Mitchell Park. The Middle School Athletics (MSA) 79 Ad Hoc was working with staff on researching MSA programming and met with community 80 members to discuss future visioning for MSA. 81 Commissioner Cribbs asked where this report was going, how the report will be used, and she 82 wanted more information on the Traffic Garden. Vice Chair Greenfield knew the Traffic Garden 83 was proposed by a Gunn High School student and understood the project plan was approved 84 but will not be implemented until June. Vice Chair Greenfield suggested getting an article in the 85 high school paper this year and then reach out to Palo Alto Weekly after the Traffic Garden is 86 completed. Sarah Robustelli, Community Services Department Division Manager, thought the 87 Transportation Department will work with the Community Services Department on the Traffic 88 Garden. Regarding communication of accomplishments to the Council, Director Kristen O’Kane 89 said there were opportunities to share through the City Manager’s weekly email to the Council, 90 in City Manager comments, or the Council liaison can report back to the Council as appropriate. 91 The budget included a list of accomplishments. The Community Services Department used to 92 create a calendar. Each month was devoted to a different part of the Community Services 93 Department, special events were populated on the calendar, and at the end was the list of 94 accomplishments and things the department had worked on. The calendar went away during 95 COVID but it might be brought back. 96 Councilmember Lythcott-Haims invited the Chair and Director O’Kane to suggest three things 97 she might mention from the dais to highlight some of the accomplishments over the past year. 98 Director O’Kane recommended the Chair, Vice Chair, or staff could point out things during the 99 discussion for Council Member Lythcott-Haims to share with the full Council. 100 NO ACTION 101 3. Review and Update Current Priorities 102 Chair Freeman reviewed the PRC’s purpose and duties. 103 Commissioner Brown suggested reevaluating if ad hoc committees were fitting the legal 104 definition of an ad hoc when they addressed multiyear projects because she thought they more 105 fit the definition of a standing committee that was subject to the Brown Act. Commissioner 106 Brown noted a lot of the ad hoc committees did not report back to the full Commission within 107 the last year. Commissioner Brown believed liaisons may feel the need to take action as projects 108 come up but did not have a specified work plan to do so. 109 Vice Chair Greenfield believed they fit the ad hoc definition but it was important to develop the 110 ad hoc with a specific focus and goal targeted for typically a one-year period. Vice Chair 111 Greenfield agreed the ad hoc committees should present to the Commission more often. 112 Commission discussion ensued. Ad hoc reports present information to the Commission but it is 113 not agendized for discussion. One suggestion was to have a regularly agendized item for each ad 114 hoc committee to provide an update, every quarter or at least twice a year, to allow the 115 Commission to have a discussion and for the public to provide comments. 116 Commissioner Brown asked staff to ask the City Attorney’s Office about ad hoc committees 117 because she did not want the PRC’s work to be challenged for not following the proper process. 118 Commissioner Brown used the Recreation Wellness Center as an example of a multiyear project, 119 while you can have a specific goal for the year, if the same goal was carrying over from year to 120 year, she thought it was no longer an ad hoc committee and therefore those meetings should be 121 open to the public. 122 Chair Freeman stated the majority of the ad hoc committees should be close to 80 to 90 percent 123 done by Month 10 or 11. Commissioner Kleinhaus pointed out there had been a lot of changes 124 with staff and it delayed some of the ad hoc committee’s work. 125 Commissioner Cribbs recalled a couple years ago the liaison and ad hoc reports were on the 126 agenda. 127 Director Kristen O’Kane noted the Master Plan Review ad hoc reviewed the Master Plan with 128 staff but it did not have an end date or a primary goal, so it probably did not fit the ad hoc 129 definition and it needed an agenda if it was a standing committee. Director O’Kane did not 130 believe it was a good use of commissioner and staff time when ad hoc committees get too much 131 into operations within the Community Services Department without a specific task the ad hoc 132 was trying to accomplish. 133 Chair Freeman wondered if the Playing Fields and Racquet Courts Ad Hoc Committee should be 134 divided. Vice Chair Greenfield stated it was important to have a clearly defined task for the ad 135 hoc specified in the work plan because it should not be open for all things related to playing 136 fields and racquet courts, otherwise it was a standing committee. 137 After establishing the ad hoc duties, Director O’Kane recommended those committees meet 138 separately with staff to determine particular tasks as well as what were the outcomes and when 139 they would be completed. 140 Chair Freeman agreed with Vice Chair Greenfield’s suggestion for ad hoc committees to present 141 a status update to the Commission on an agendized item at least every six months to allow for 142 Commission discussion and community feedback. Vice Chair Greenfield recommended having 143 three agenda items per meeting as he recalled previous PRC meetings with two agenda items, 144 which would have been an opportunity to add an item for ad hoc status updates. Vice Chair 145 Greenfield stated that shuffling the commissioners on ad hoc committees was a best practice. 146 In reply to Commissioner Cribbs inquiring if there was a document about serving all the 147 community and providing a diversity of programs, she was directed to the Parks, Trails, Open 148 Space, and Recreation Master Plan as well as the City Master Plan. Director O’Kane stated the 149 Accessibility and Inclusion Coordinator was tasked with ensuring people had access to our 150 programs and was working with the Magical Bridge Foundation. Director O’Kane did not know 151 the timing but the Accessibility and Inclusion Coordinator could do a presentation to the PRC 152 once she develops the plan, and the plan will be added to the PRC’s roadmap documents. 153 Chair Freeman read the list of 2025 City Council Priorities: (1) Implementing housing strategies 154 for social and economic balance; (2) climate action and adaptation, and natural environment 155 protection; (3) economic development and retail vibrancy; and (4) public safety, wellness and 156 belonging. Vice Chair Greenfield noted Council Priorities 2 and 4 applied to the PRC’s purview. 157 Council Member Lythcott-Haims explained the difference between last year’s wording and this 158 year. Climate change was changed to climate action because the Council wanted to take action 159 and adapt to climate change as well as focus on environmental protection. Safety was changed 160 to public safety to include police, fire, and emergency operations; wellness referred to being 161 proactive about mental and physical health. 162 Commissioner Brown believed all four Council priorities were pertinent to the PRC and should 163 be kept in mind as the PRC selected its new priorities. Chair Freeman and Commissioner Wei 164 agreed. Vice Chair Greenfield did not believe the PRC had purview regarding housing strategies 165 and economic development. Director O’Kane stated Council Priorities 2 and 4 were where the 166 PRC was most involved but agreed the CSD’s and PRC’s work supported Council Priorities 1 and 167 3. For Priority 3, the Special Events Work Plan identified places to hold special events to increase 168 economic vitality in certain areas of the city. For Priority 1, as housing strategies were 169 implemented, for example the San Antonio Area Plan, it was important for the PRC to be 170 involved in ensuring there were local parks for people to walk to. 171 Chair Freeman invited discussion on whether the current PRC priorities were in alignment with 172 staff and Council priorities. 173 Last year’s PRC Priority 1: Optimize resources to offer diverse recreation opportunities, and 174 promote community health and wellness. Commissioner Kleinhaus suggested adding 175 “belonging” to PRC Priority 1 to match Council’s Priority, and asked if “optimize resources” was 176 applicable. Vice Chair Greenfield thought “optimize resources” was helpful in recognizing that 177 resources were limited. Chair Freeman felt “optimize resources” implied the PRC was working 178 with staff. Vice Chair Greenfield suggested changing “health and wellness” to “wellness and 179 belonging.” To avoid “optimize resources” from sounding too operational, Commissioner Brown 180 was in favor of changing Priority 1 to: Promote community health, wellness, and belonging 181 through diverse recreation opportunities. Following the Council’s lead, Vice Chair Greenfield 182 suggested omitting “health” since it was part of wellness. Commissioner Cribbs preferred 183 keeping “health”. Commissioner Kleinhaus was okay with keeping “health” because it was not 184 contradictory. 185 Last year’s PRC Priority 2: Advance equity, access, and inclusion for programs, parks, and open 186 space. The Commission was in consensus with keeping PRC Priority 2. 187 Last year’s PRC Priority 3: Enhance biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and climate 188 change resilience. Commissioner Kleinhaus felt the PRC’s work was more related to climate 189 change adaptation instead of resilience, for example the horizontal levee was an adaptation the 190 PRC looked at but it was not resilience. Commissioner Wei suggested “climate action and 191 adaptation” and gave an example of dark skies being an action taken by the PRC to support the 192 Council’s Priority. Chair Freeman, Vice Chair Greenfield, and Commissioner Kleinhaus stated 193 climate action was not within the PRC’s purview. Commissioner Wei suggested “adaptation and 194 resilience.” Commissioner Kleinhaus mentioned adaptation was something you do and resilience 195 provided flexibility, so she was okay with choosing one or both. 196 The PRC took a five-minute break. 197 Sarah Robustelli, Community Services Department Division Manager, stated Staff Priorities: 198 Proposed FY26 CIPs included the turf study (award of the contract was scheduled for the April 199 21 City Council meeting), finalizing the long-term partnership agreement with First Tee, 200 continuing to offer diverse programs to meet and enhance the needs of the community, 201 compliance with mitigation requirements, and executing CIPs. 202 Chair Freeman asked for the status of First Tee’s long-term partnership agreement. Manager 203 Robustelli believed that staff planned to provide a golf update in May. An interim agreement 204 was in place while the terms are finalized for the long-term partnership agreement. 205 Commissioner Cribbs asked if “compliance with mitigation requirements” was specific to golf. 206 Commissioner Kleinhaus said it included the floodgate. Manager Robustelli noted another 207 example was additional plantings after the removal of eucalyptus at Esther Clark. 208 Manager Robustelli stated staff recruitments included an Assistant Director for Open Space, 209 Parks, and Golf as well as hiring hourly staff for summer recreation programs. The new 210 Recreation Coordinator will start in early May. Upcoming recruitments include the Public Works 211 Coordinator, a Park Ranger for Baylands, and a Parks Maintenance person. Staffing priorities 212 included staff retention, professional development, and succession planning. 213 In reply to Commissioner Kleinhaus asking if the Public Works Coordinator worked for both 214 departments, Manager Robustelli answered no. It was Jeanette Serna’s role, who worked in the 215 Parks office and assisted with reoccurring CIPs and other projects, was project manager for the 216 Cameron Park playground replacement project and court resurfacing, and assisted with 217 procurement. 218 Commissioner Kleinhaus noted there were not many mitigation requirements and she 219 wondered how we avoid accidents or incidents. Manager Robustelli said staff was building 220 interdepartmental relationships and having ongoing meetings, for example meeting monthly 221 with the Public Works Engineering team. Manager Robustelli stated it was project dependent, 222 such as last month’s update on the Arastradero project with Utilities and the joint intercepting 223 sewer project discussed the month before. Mike Warner and Manager Robustelli are aware of 224 the type of work being conducted, are invited to those meetings, and have been working in 225 coordination with the respective department. 226 Manager Robustelli announced that Jeanette Serna accepted the Field Inspector position. 227 Commissioner Wei inquired if the Public Works Coordinator will work with the Transportation 228 Department on the Traffic Garden. Director O’Kane explained that the Public Works Coordinator 229 position supported capital improvement projects. Vice Chair Greenfield reminded the 230 Commission that the PRC was not involved operationally but staff was presenting this 231 information so the Commission had an understanding of staff’s resources. Manager Robustelli 232 stated Peter Jensen in Public Works Engineering left the City. Director O’Kane noted Public 233 Works Engineering was balancing multiple projects, not just for CSD but also the Public Safety 234 Building, roads, and park restrooms. Manager Robustelli mentioned that staff met with Public 235 Works on the five-year plan and the proposal was in alignment with all departments. 236 Commissioner Cribbs asked about the Foothills Boronda Lake dock replacement. Manager 237 Robustelli replied it was scheduled for this year and rolled over to next year. 238 Vice Chair Greenfield asked what improvements will be made to Ramos Park. Manager 239 Robustelli believed it was site amenities. The playground opened two days ago. 240 Commissioner Cribbs asked about starting blocks for the pool and pool lengthening. Manager 241 Robustelli thought starting blocks were in the five-year proposed plan. 242 Vice Chair Greenfield wanted to know if there was opportunity for review and input to the 243 eucalyptus tree removal plan regarding which trees will be removed and replanted. Manager 244 Robustelli knew trees had been identified in Foothills, Arastradero, and Esther Clark but she will 245 check with the Urban Forestry team and respond back to Vice Chair Greenfield. Esther Clark was 246 completed this fiscal year but staff was waiting to hear back about a grant they were seeking. 247 Director O’Kane thought CSD was taking the lead on this effort but it was in alignment with Fire 248 and Urban Forestry. 249 Commissioner Kleinhaus mentioned that trees were identified to be removed in Arastradero 250 and Foothills with some level of mitigation but eucalyptus removal was exempt from CEQA 251 because of fire concerns. Commissioner Kleinhaus heard that neighbors were upset once they 252 realized many large trees were removed from Esther Clark. Grass Roots Ecology was working on 253 planting trees. One of the neighbors offered to provide water for trees if the City chose to plant 254 trees. Manager Robustelli stated an Assistant Ranger was taking care of the trees. Staff worked 255 with Grass Roots Ecology to plant some seedlings. Manager Robustelli will provide updates to 256 the PRC as this effort progresses. 257 In looking at the list of proposed CIPs for FY26, Councilmember Lythcott-Haims noted they were 258 only for parks but she did not see any for recreation, such as for the Cubberley Community 259 Center. Manager Robustelli explained that CIPs for the arts and sciences were not captured on 260 the slide as they were not under the PRC’s purview. Director O’Kane acknowledged the 261 Cubberley Community Center and Lucie Stern Community Center roof replacement should have 262 been included. 263 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked how the PRC could look at non-CIP enhancement projects. The 264 Commission will discuss this further in the ad hoc agenda item. 265 NO ACTION 266 4. Assign Parks and Recreation Commission Ad Hoc Committee and Liaison Roles 267 Vice Chair Greenfield suggested switching to Item 5. 268 5. Review and Update Current Work Plan 269 Project/Goal 1: Master Plan. Chair Freeman asked if there should be a Master Plan Ad Hoc. 270 Director O’Kane said maybe staff could provide a quarterly update to the Commission on 271 projects and efforts including Cubberley, inclusion, and accessibility. Vice Chair Greenfield 272 wondered if it was staff work or if the Commission had a role. Director O’Kane wanted a way for 273 the Commission to stay involved without having an ad hoc. Vice Chair Greenfield pointed out 274 that the Master Plan update was a major task, so he did not know how it would get done 275 without an ad hoc. The ad hoc committee’s goal for the year was to work on a portion of the 276 Master Plan. Commissioner Cribbs recalled the Master Plan was approved in 2017 and the ad 277 hoc was for the Commission and staff to work together regularly to determine adherence to the 278 Master Plan and making additions to it. In reply to Commissioner Wei wondering if there was an 279 expectation for publishing another version of the Master Plan, Commissioner Kleinhaus 280 answered no. 281 Commissioner Brown, who has been on the Master Plan Ad Hoc since it started, thought that 282 process for updating the Master Plan was a larger initiative and would not be accomplished 283 within one year. Commissioner Brown stated that the Master Plan Ad Hoc had not provided 284 many reports because staff was doing a lot of things that were in the Master Plan, a lot of them 285 were best practices, and some things were meant for other departments to do. Commissioner 286 Brown suggested a CIP-focused ad hoc and the Master Plan could be embedded in the other ad 287 hoc committees. Vice Chair Greenfield commented the Master Plan Ad Hoc was created because 288 the Parks Master Plan stated the Plan should be reviewed every five years. Commissioner 289 Kleinhaus noted it takes a lot of staff work to look at the Master Plan but realized staff was busy 290 and short-staffed; therefore, the PRC could help staff. The Master Plan needed to be updated to 291 address things the community wanted, for example the skate park and pickleball. Vice Chair 292 Greenfield was comfortable with removing the Master Plan Ad Hoc but wanted to know the 293 process going forward. Director O’Kane proposed staff agendize a review of the Master Plan 294 with the full Commission. 295 Vice Chair Greenfield inquired if the Master Plan Ad Hoc will be converted to a CIP Review Ad 296 Hoc to review the annual CIP with staff before it goes to the Commission for presentation. 297 Director O’Kane thought that would be appropriate because it is on an annual cycle with the 298 budget review. Sarah Robustelli, Community Services Department Division Manager, agreed. 299 The Commission was in consensus on making no changes to Project/Goal 2 Park Dedication 300 FY25. 301 Project/Goal 3 Baylands Comprehensive Conservation Plan (BCCP) Update: Commissioner 302 Kleinhaus stated the ad hoc could continue. The BCCP was done in 2017. Since then, there have 303 been legislative changes. Vice Chair Greenfield said the ad hoc needed to follow up with staff to 304 define specific tasks and report a status update to the Commission. 305 Project/Goal 4 Nature Preserve Access Policy: Vice Chair Greenfield thought the ad hoc needed 306 to present a discussion item to the Commission on policy change recommendation followed by 307 an action item to allow proper time for community review. Manager Robustelli mentioned that 308 staff will be presenting in less than two weeks. The next meeting will discuss the PABAC work to 309 be done and recall the history of the ad hoc committee’s work over the years. The Commission 310 agreed to keep the Nature Preserve Access Policy Ad Hoc. 311 Project/Goal 5 Recreation Wellness Center: Chair Freeman asked if this ad hoc was needed. The 312 purpose of the ad hoc was the Council’s request to look at the feasibility of having a gym or 313 wellness center. Commissioner Cribbs believed they had raised the level of visibility about the 314 need for a City Health and Wellness Center. For the Cubberley Center to be successful, 315 Commissioner Cribbs opined the bond issue required the whole community to be engaged and 316 understand the need for a community center to promote health and wellness. Chair Freeman 317 wondered if it should change from an ad hoc to a liaison. Before disbanding, Vice Chair 318 Greenfield said the PRC needed a presentation from the ad hoc on the work the ad hoc has 319 done. If the goals of the work plan have been met, then the ad hoc should be closed. Director 320 O’Kane noted the task for Project/Goal 5 was to facilitate progress, which was too vague. Vice 321 Chair Greenfield mentioned the ad hoc assignments could be clarified at the May meeting when 322 discussing the work plan. Director O’Kane stated there was no need for an ad hoc if a specific 323 task cannot be identified. Friends of Cubberley could present to the Commission. Manager 324 Robustelli remarked that staff will provide Cubberley updates to the PRC several times this year. 325 The Commission agreed to keep the Cubberley liaison and ad hoc for the time being. The ad hoc 326 committee’s presentation to the Commission will provide an opportunity for discussion and 327 public comment, at which time the PRC will decide keeping or closing the ad hoc. 328 Project/Goal 6 Playing Fields and Racquet Sports: Mr. Howard thought Playing Fields should be a 329 separate ad hoc because it had a specific goal to discuss turf versus grass and had different staff 330 than the ones addressing the racquet policy, and it was appropriate to continue an ad hoc on 331 racquet courts for ongoing conversations about policy change. Vice Chair Greenfield noted a 332 single policy document governed playing fields and racquet sports, which likely why they were 333 part of the same ad hoc. Commissioner Kleinhaus asked about the duration of the turf study, if 334 approved by Council. Manager Robustelli replied the deliverable is in August. Commissioner 335 Cribbs inquired if the scope of the RFP addressed the PRC’s suggested questions about the 336 conversion to grass fields and the amount of additional land needed to satisfy the users, the 337 cost, and the environmental impacts. Councilmember Lythcott-Haims offered to share Exhibit A 338 of her City Council packet where it described the scope of services the turf study would 339 encompass. 340 Discussion ensued on the names for the two ad hoc committees. Manager Robustelli noted 341 there was a lot for a Playing Fields Ad Hoc to address because there was a large Mayfield capital 342 project, the turf study, and El Camino will be based on the findings from the turf study. 343 Commissioner Cribbs pointed out that a Turf Replacement Ad Hoc would not include other 344 things such as soccer ball policies. The Commission reached a consensus to have a Playing Field 345 Study Ad Hoc and Racquet Courts Policy Ad Hoc. 346 The Commission agreed to keep the Middle School Athletics Ad Hoc. 347 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted park renovation projects to have a component of natural 348 ecosystem restoration such as putting a native flower garden somewhere in the park. 349 Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if it could be addressed by the CIP Review Ad Hoc or what 350 was the best approach for the PRC to provide input on having more nature in parks and avoid 351 the pushback for turf at Boulware Park. Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to know the best way 352 to address how maintenance people were engaged because she observed a lot of work being 353 done in parks that maybe was not needed and, as a result, would enhance the ecological value 354 and save money. Manager Robustelli pointed out that all CIP projects had community outreach 355 and engagement. Manager Robustelli thought staff had internal discussions about preventing 356 what happened with Boulware. 357 Commissioner Brown commented that commissioners and the community had opportunity to 358 opine and provide input when the PRC saw the plan for Boulware. For example, the plan said 359 turf, so the question could have been raised as to what kind of turf and query the community on 360 the type of turf they wanted. Commissioner Brown did not know if it rose to a policy level where 361 a specific ad hoc was needed to address the operations or how park maintenance was done 362 because that should be addressed at the operational staff level; however, as interested 363 members of the PRC and users of parks, commissioners can provide input and feedback to staff 364 if staff felt it was helpful. 365 Commissioner Kleinhaus thought PRC input was necessary because the public may not know 366 they could ask about the type of turf or that there was a possibility for plastic turf to be in a play 367 area where kids could fall on it. Commissioner Kleinhaus opined one of the largest reasons we 368 had ecologically limited parks was due to maintenance, which could be addressed through a 369 policy change. Commissioner Kleinhaus would like Palo Alto to do something similar as to what 370 had been successfully done on Google Campus. Google’s guidelines for landscaping and park 371 maintenance resulted in plantings that attracted monarch butterflies. Commissioner Kleinhaus 372 thought an ad hoc was needed to work with staff to develop guidelines to implement changes. 373 Commissioner Kleinhaus knew of documents that provided guidance on how to bring nature 374 into a city, and she recommended starting with parks going through a renovation. Commissioner 375 Kleinhaus mentioned the City of Mountain View had a biodiversity strategy plan for their biggest 376 parks but was developing a citywide plan to include parks, City properties, and street trees. Vice 377 Chair Greenfield asked how the PRC could work with staff to further this goal, possibly a liaison 378 to preview park update plans before they were presented to the PRC. Director O’Kane will give it 379 some thought before providing a response. 380 Commissioner Wei wondered if it was possible to have a Youth Accessibility to Nature Ad Hoc to 381 help staff communicate with the Transportation Department about resuming shuttle service to 382 the park or have a multidepartment coordinator. Commissioner Wei thought some of the 383 budget could come from the Transportation Department. This topic was important to 384 Commissioner Brown and she was interested in an ad hoc; however, she cautioned her fellow 385 commissioners that liaisons and ad hoc committees should not direct staff to do or not do 386 something, such as changing the way parks are maintained. Commissioners should look at policy 387 alternatives. For example, if the PRC had an interest in exploring accessibility policy alternatives, 388 the goal of the ad hoc should be to look at the shuttle and other options, and bring the findings 389 back to the PRC for consideration but not starting with the end goal of a shuttle. 390 Director O’Kane agreed with Commissioner Brown’s comments. The Transportation Department 391 had to be included and it would take significant resources to explore and implement but if 392 accessibility to Foothills was an issue the Commission wanted to explore, an ad hoc could review 393 options and ultimately present a proposal to the Council. Director O’Kane noted there were 394 ways for people to access Foothills Park for free or reduced rates. Commissioner Wei wanted to 395 address teen mental health by getting teenagers to nature when they do not have a driver’s 396 license or car and seniors would benefit from a shuttle as well. Director O’Kane pointed out that 397 the Baylands Nature Preserve was more accessible and had a bike path. Commissioner Wei 398 understood the taxi vendor was being renewed. Commissioner Wei has heard that the majority 399 of teens preferred the shuttle over the taxi because of the social aspect. Commissioner Wei 400 suggested the PRC could consider helping the Youth Council visit Foothills Park once a month or 401 once a quarter. 402 Commissioner Kleinhaus thought the shuttle was in the Park Master Plan or General Plan and 403 she recalled other things being mentioned previously such as the Junior Ranger programs but 404 the main problems were resources and difficulty in execution. Commissioner Kleinhaus liked 405 Vice Chair Greenfield’s idea about having a liaison look at park plans before they are presented 406 to the full Commission. Commissioner Kleinhaus believed maintenance of parks was a policy 407 issue. Commissioner Kleinhaus has seen kids playing with sticks and jumping in piles of leaves in 408 our parks because they have the need to touch but parks were cleaned to be almost devoid of 409 nature. 410 NO ACTION 411 4. Assign Parks and Recreation Commission Ad Hoc Committee and Liaison Roles 412 Commissioner Wei asked if there was a Park Accessibility Ad Hoc. Vice Chair Greenfield 413 expressed his concern about staff resources and was hesitant to advocate creating a new ad hoc 414 until one or two other ad hoc committees finish. There were eight ad hoc committees but two 415 were wrapping up, the Recreation Wellness Center and Access Policy. Vice Chair Greenfield 416 suggested tabling this discussion until May when the work plan is reviewed to allow time for the 417 two ad hoc committees to finish and for staff to consider resources. Director Kristen O’Kane 418 mentioned there were a lot of ad hoc committees and they take significant staff time. 419 Commissioner Wei suggested the Nature Preserve Access Policy could look into youth access to 420 nature. Vice Chair Greenfield answered no because it was not part of the work plan for that ad 421 hoc. Vice Chair Greenfield suggested removing “Study” from Playing Field Study Ad Hoc. 422 List of PRC Ad Hoc Committees for FY26: 423 Baylands Comprehensive Conservation Plan Ad Hoc Members: Vice Chair Greenfield, 424 Commissioners Kleinhaus and Wei. 425 Nature Preserve Access Policy Ad Hoc was almost done. Members: Chair Freeman, Vice Chair 426 Greenfield, and Commissioner Kleinhaus. Staff liaison: Manager Sarah Robustelli. 427 CIP Review Ad Hoc Members: Chair Freeman, Commissioners Brown and Kleinhaus. 428 Park Dedication FY26 Ad Hoc Members: Chair Freeman and Vice Chair Greenfield. Staff liaison: 429 Director O’Kane. 430 Playing Field Ad Hoc Members: Vice Chair Greenfield and Commissioner Wei. 431 Racquet Court Policy Ad Hoc Members: Chair Freeman, Commissioners Cribbs and Wei. Staff 432 liaisons: Adam Howard/Mark Ribeiro. 433 Recreation Wellness Center Ad Hoc was wrapping up. Members: Chair Freeman, Commissioners 434 Cribbs and Deng. Staff liaison: Director O’Kane. 435 Middle School Athletics Ad Hoc will wrap up by October or November. Members: 436 Commissioners Brown, Cribbs, and Deng. Staff liaison: Adam Howard. 437 Liaisons: 438 Aquatics liaison: Commissioner Brown. Staff contact: Sharon Eva. 439 Community Gardens liaison: Chair Freeman. 440 Cubberley liaison: Chair Freeman and Commissioner Cribbs. Staff contact: Director O’Kane. The 441 PRC will have a discussion in May to decide if an ad hoc is needed. Commissioner Cribbs was in 442 favor of an ad hoc. 443 Dog Parks liaison: Commissioners Brown and Cribbs. Staff contact: Manager Robustelli. 444 Vice Chair Greenfield suggested asking Commissioner Deng which liaison role she wanted. 445 Funding Partners liaison: Commissioners Brown and Cribbs. Staff contact: Adam Howard. 446 Golf/First Tee liaison: Chair Freeman and Commissioner Cribbs. Staff contact: Lam Do. 447 OpenSpace Preserves liaison: Vice Chair Greenfield and Commissioner Kleinhaus. 448 PAUSD/City liaison: Chair Freeman. Staff contact: Director O’Kane. Director O’Kane noted this 449 group did not meet for a while but was now meeting at 7 PM. Commissioner Cribbs asked how 450 the Commission could highlight the facilities in schools and the City. Director O’Kane said 451 PAUSD/City was created with that intention. Commissioner Kleinhaus commented that most of 452 the school grounds in Mountain View used to serve as parks for the community but the City of 453 Mountain View decided to enclose them with a fence for safety. Sunnyvale had opposition to a 454 similar decision about some of their parks. Therefore, Commissioner Kleinhaus urged being 455 careful to avoid the issues in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, which also made a huge difference 456 in elections. Vice Chair Greenfield explained the liaison role was created for a Commission 457 Member to attend monthly meetings and report back to the Commission. Director O’Kane will 458 notify Chair Freeman if it was necessary for him to attend a PAUSD/City meeting, depending on 459 the agenda. 460 Safe Routes liaison: Vice Chair Greenfield. Staff contact: Rose Mesterhazy. 461 Skate Park liaison: Commissioners Cribbs and Wei. Staff contact: Manager Robustelli. 462 Urban Forestry liaison: Vice Chair Greenfield and Commissioner Kleinhaus. Staff contact: Peter 463 Gollinger. 464 Youth liaison: Commissioners Deng and Wei. Staff contact: Adam Howard. 465 Commissioner Kleinhaus offered to be a Parks Update liaison. Sarah Robustelli, Community 466 Services Department Division Manager, asked how Parks Update was different than CIP Review. 467 Commissioner Kleinhaus answered CIP was only once a year. Vice Chair Greenfield commented 468 that capital projects for the renovation of parks and playgrounds come to the Commission for 469 review. A Parks Update liaison would provide input to staff before a project comes to the full 470 Commission. Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to enhance native ecosystems when planning 471 new parks. Manager Robustelli stated it would fall under CIP Review and she was concerned 472 about adding another commissioner to the three commissioners on CIP Review. Director O’Kane 473 said CIP Review looked at what was planned for the next budget cycle. 474 Commissioner Brown recalled the Sustainability liaison was eliminated one or two years ago 475 because of difficulty in defining the role. Instead of reviewing every park improvement before it 476 comes to the Commission, Commissioner Brown suggested having a Biodiversity liaison that 477 would make sure biodiversity existed in parks and other facilities. Commissioner Kleinhaus 478 recommended the liaison role address sustainability features and biodiversity. The Commission 479 agreed to have Commissioners Kleinhaus and Wei serve as Sustainability and Biodiversity 480 Liaison. 481 MOTION: Vice Chair Freeman, seconded by Commissioner Cribbs, to adopt the ad hoc 482 committees and assignments, and liaison roles and assignments as listed. 483 MOTION PASSED: 6-0-1 (Deng absent) 484 COMMISSIONER/BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE AGENDA 485 ITEMS 486 None 487 ADJOURNMENT 488 Meeting was adjourned at 4:00 PM.