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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-25 Parks & Recreation Commission Summary MinutesMINUTES 1 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION 2 Regular Meeting 3 November 25, 2025 4 In-Person & Virtual Conference 5 Palo Alto, California 6 7 Commissioners Present In Person: Chair Nellis Freeman, Vice Chair Bing Wei; Commissioners Amanda 8 Brown, Roger Smith, Shani Kleinhaus and Yudy Deng 9 Commissioners Present Virtually: Commissioner Vadim Axelrod 10 Commissioners Absent: None 11 Others Present: George Maxe 12 Staff Present: Sarah Robustelli, Eric Vidal and Ben Heistein 13 CALL TO ORDER 14 Chair Freeman called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. and welcomed the new commissioners. 15 PUBLIC COMMENT 16 None 17 AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS, AND DELETIONS 18 None 19 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 20 1. Approval of Minutes from October 28, 2025 21 MOTION: Commissioner Kleinhaus moved, seconded by Commissioner Deng, to approve the 22 Parks and Recreation Commission draft summary meeting minutes of October 28, 2025. 23 MOTION CARRIED: 3 – 0 – 2 – 2 (Commissioner Wei, Commissioner Brown, abstain: 24 Commissioners Axelrod, and Smith absent) 25 CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS 26 2. Council Liaison Report 27 None 28 3. Department Report 29 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, delivered the Department 30 Report. 31 On Friday, December 5, there would be a tree lighting, live entertainment, light refreshments 32 and carols from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Lytton Plaza. The City website had more information. 33 Through December 14, the City, Alta House , churches and local businesses were collecting 34 donations of new and unwrapped toys, books, gift cards and other gifts for local youth. Last year, 35 a portion was donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The City’s drop-off locations include d 36 Mitche ll Park Community Center, Lucie Stern Community Center, all City libraries and the 37 firehouse. To keep the Cubberley Community Center campus activated during the master plan 38 process, the Community Service Department (CSD) was hosting 3 family movie nights at 39 Cubberley Theatre that started on November 10 with approximately 70 people in attendance for 40 a screening of Coco. The Polar Express was scheduled for December 16. On December 5, the City 41 Council would see the final presentation on Cubberley. The PRC would receive a Cubberley 42 update in January. Mid-November was the last mailing of the Enjoy! catalog. Registration would 43 open for residents on December 4 at 10 a.m. and for nonresidents on December 11. Future 44 Enjoy! catalogs would be available online and announced through social media rather than 45 mailed; however, printed copies could be picked up at the City’s community centers. Staff would 46 work with the Communications team to mention upcoming classes in Uplift Local. CSD staff will 47 send e -blasts to people who registe red for catalog notifications, highlighting this change as part 48 of the Department’s cost saving measures. 49 On Monday, November 17, the Council had a turf study discussion and motioned to create an ad 50 hoc committee to further discuss with staff and bring back to the Council. The ad hoc comprised 51 of Mayor Lauing, Vice Mayor Veenker and Councilmember Burt have held 1 meeting and 52 anticipated returning to the Council in January. The Stanford/Palo Alto Community Playing Fields 53 (Mayfield) installations were completed, working currently on the punch list and PFAS testing, 54 and targeted to open on Saturday, December 6. The final updates to replace safety netting on 55 the north field in addition to light pole pads and signage would occur after opening. As part of 56 the golf course renovation project, the City successfully expanded and enhanced onsite wetland 57 areas. To ensure long-term success, the City was preparing to hire a specialized ecological firm to 58 complete this work with a 5-year monitoring program anticipated to begin in the spring of 2026. 59 In the last 1½ years, the City has care d for the wetlands, removed unintentional footpaths, 60 planted native species, mulched and made drainage adjustments. Staff had been working with 61 the golf course operator to educate golfers and protect sensitive areas with strategic fencing. In 62 the past few weeks, invasive plants were removed, seeding was done with a wetland seed mix 63 and straw mulch was applied. A test plot of p lants would be installed in the fall for assessment in 64 the spring. Based on the results, more areas w ould be seeded and/or planted to improve the 65 native cover. 66 The CIP in this fiscal year’s budget for golf course sand topdressing was completed by the golf 67 course operator’s crew who applied sand to the playing areas following aeration and fertilization 68 to smooth out thatch buildup and protect new turf growth. Seashore paspalum (the grass used 69 on the course ) required consistent topdressing to maintain peak playability and healthy root 70 development. Completing this maintenance increased turf resilience, improve d drainage and 71 enhance d overall course quality for the golfer experience. Johnson Park was deferred due to 72 budget reductions but Public Works completed some resurfacing work to extend the pathway’s 73 useful life and to address safety concerns about uneven pathways. In-house staff were 74 renovating the turf for the softball and baseball fields at Baylands Athletic Center using 50 tons 75 of infill mix to fill in low spots, aeration, seeding and adding layers of compostable mix to the 76 natural turf areas. The grass in the Boulware meadow area was replaced with a 4turf sod mix 77 and fenced off for sod establishment with opening anticipated during the week of December 15. 78 Chair Freeman asked what was staff’s anticipated turnout for the first family movie night at 79 Cubberley Theatre on November 10, how did the word get out to people, was it a free event and 80 did staff track how many attendees had never been to Cubberley previously. 81 Ms. Robustelli replied that staff was not sure how the first family movie night would go but were 82 excited with the result and hoped more people would attend as the free family night series 83 continued. The family movie night was announced in Uplift Local, social media and the City 84 website in addition to Cubberley’s contacts and those who requested Cubberley updates. Ms. 85 Robustelli heard the family movie night drew people to Cubberley for the first time, which was 86 part of the thought process behind the Cubberley activation. 87 Commissioner Brown wondered if the Enjoy! catalog would continue with the same online 88 format or was staff looking at ways to track what advertisements people we re clicking on or 89 other opportunities to collect data to inform the activities and how we were reaching people. 90 Ms. Robustelli expressed appreciation for Commissioner Brown’s comment and w ould pass it 91 along. 92 Commissioner Wei offered to help staff with advertising the Cubberley family movie night by 93 passing out leaflets or providing a link when she visits the Youth Council the first week of 94 December. Commissioner Wei enjoyed seeing the staff team for the first time on the Enjoy! 95 Catalog cover and believed staff should be highlighted more often because they worked hard for 96 the community. Commissioner Wei asked for the timeline to complete the golf course work . 97 Commissioner Wei was glad to see the Johnson Park pathway update, making it easier for her in 98 crutches and for moms pushing strollers . 99 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked what was being replaced at Boulware Park and if there were any 100 plans to replace the plastic turf at the playground that many community members were 101 concerned about. Commissioner Kleinhaus was glad to see t he golf course remediation work 102 moving forward after mitigation was delayed for 10 years. Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if 103 there was an invasion of paspalum that had to be remove d from the wetland areas . 104 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to know if the discussion with the Water Board was complete 105 and whether the Water Board approve d the plan. Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired how staff 106 responded to the public comment letters sent to the PRC exp ressing concern about the noisy air 107 conditioning system next to the playground and the over-lighting in Seale Park. 108 Ms. Robustelli explained that the meadow at Boulware Park had a different type of grass but the 109 neighborhood and staff were unhappy with the outcome and wanted to make the park look 110 nicer, so the grass was being replaced as part of the punch list. Ms. Robustelli did not have the 111 specifics about paspalum at the golf course but could follow up. Staff was working with the 112 Water Board but had not received approval. Ms. Robustelli said that staff ’s responses to the 113 issues raised in the public comment letters w ould be in the PRC’s packet moving forward. 114 Staff said there were no plans to replace the playground surface at Boulware Park. 115 Commissioner Deng asked if staff knew the progress on the Cubberley project. 116 Ms. Robustelli said the second poll was done earlier this month and believed the findings would 117 be released and incorporated in the upcoming presentation . 118 Chair Freeman inquired if the previous infringement where golfers were retrieving balls on the 119 golf course continued to be a problem, had it resolved or was it being monitored. Chair Freeman 120 requested staff to provide more detail on what was involved with the turf replacement or repair 121 at the Baylands Athletic Center. 122 Ms. Robustelli replied that golfers retrieving balls was being monitored and the problem was 123 diminishing by educating golfers, signage and split rail fencing. The Baylands Athletic Center turf 124 renovation included aerating, fertilizing, overse e ding and providing topdress ing with a compost 125 mix for a healthier root system and playable area. 126 Commissioner Wei was looking forward to see native cover at the golf course and asked what 127 the timeline was to complete the project and whether the City would provide education to make 128 sure the area was protected and preserved. Commissioner Wei asked if a ribbon-cutting event 129 was scheduled for the December 6 opening of the playing fields or only an announcement issued 130 to residents. 131 Ms. Robustelli said education would continue to be provided and more information would be 132 given in the golf update . The 5-year monitoring plan was anticipated to start in spring of 2026. 133 The December 6 playing field opening would be an announcement because it was a 134 maintenance item. 135 Commissioner Axelrod loved the holiday tree lighting and looking forward to seeing it again. 136 Commissioner Axelrod questioned whether the renovations at Baylands were being coordinated 137 with the golf course because he was interested to see what was being planted and if the 138 horizontal levee was done. Commissioner Axelrod asked if there were any field reservations for 139 Mayfield Park. Commissioner Axelrod was e xcited about the Enjoy! catalog moving to an all-140 digital format and inquired if staff was doing more marketing on it and whether the same usage 141 or a drop off was expected with the catalog not being in paper format. 142 Ms. Robustelli stated the plantings at Baylands, the golf course and the horizontal levee were 143 different projects. An in-house team would do the Baylands Athletic Center ’s baseball and 144 softball fields. The City was working with a specialist for the golf course remedial plan. Mayfield 145 was ready to start programming, and tournament play would start on December 6 if all goes well 146 next week with the punch list and sign-off. Staff would monitor for any impacts to registrations 147 and revenues after the Enjoy! Catalog change . Roughly 1500 Enjoy! catalogs would be printed 148 and made available but staff could pivot if needed. Staff would market with the website and the 149 Communications team to reach the broadest market. 150 Commissioner Wei asked if staff implemented her suggestion of providing a QR code to open a 151 multilingual digital format of the Enjoy! catalog for the benefit of first-generation immigrants . 152 Ms. Robustelli w ould look into and pass along Commissioner Wei’s QR code suggestion. 153 Chair Freeman asked whether people could opt in for an online versus a printed Enjoy! catalog 154 and if new people would be added when moving into the area perhaps by their address on the 155 utility bills. 156 Ms. Robustelli stated that people could not opt in to receive a printed and mailed Enjoy! catalog. 157 This was the last mailed catalog before the transition to digital. 158 BUSINESS ITEMS 159 4. Community Garden Program Update 160 Eric Vidal, Recreation Coordinator with Open Space, Parks and Golf, read the City’s Community 161 Garden Program mission statement. The community garden program was established in the 162 1970s and had grown to 5 sites with more than 420 garden plots at Arastradero, Eleanor Pardee, 163 Johnson, Rinconada and Ventura offering residents an opportunity to grow food, connect with 164 nature and get to know their community. Volunteer liaisons at each community garden site 165 assisted gardeners in understanding guidelines and reporting maintenance issues to staff. It was 166 challenging to accommodate diverse gardening techniques , structures and cultural growing 167 traditions within the guidelines and limited space , especially when certain techniques impact 168 neighboring plots, pathways or site maintena nce. G ardeners were made aware of the guidelines 169 when signing up and were given reminders or notices if guidelines were violated. Another 170 challenge was managing demand for available plots. The community garden program had a very 171 high interest and limited space. Waiting list inquiries were rece ived on a weekly basis. The 172 program was without a dedicated coordinator for more than 6 months, staffing resources were 173 limited during that time and plot monitoring occurred less frequently. As a result of the reduced 174 presence of staff and enforcement , some gardeners became more relaxed with the regulations. 175 With full staffing restored, positive momentum was being seen as consistent oversight, support 176 and communication were reestablished across all garden sites. 177 Rinconada Garden had 195 plots, making it Palo Alto’s largest community garden and the highest 178 foot traffic due to its proximity to the Rinconada Library and Palo Alto Art Center. The Art Center 179 incorporate d garden visits into their curriculum. Annie, Chanda and Kavita were Rinconada 180 Garden liaisons. Rinconada Garden had dedicated plots to provide local Girl Scout Troops an 181 educational opportunity in a hands-on environment to explore the fundamentals of gardening. 182 Rinconada Garden and Elean or Pardee Garden were registered monarch butterfly waystations 183 with a dedicated garden space offering milkweed, reliable nectar sources and safe shelter as 184 they migrate through North America. 185 Eleanor Pardee Garden had 109 plots in Eleanor Pardee Park with the garden access road located 186 along Center Drive , a few blocks away from Rinconada Garden. Within the Eleanor Pardee 187 Garden, University of California M aster G ardeners of Santa Clara County operated the Palo Alto 188 Demonstration Garden where best practices were showcased. Residents and gardeners were 189 encouraged to visit and ask questions when master gardeners were at the Demonstration 190 Garden on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, May through October, weather permitting. A 191 workshop was frequently held on the first Saturday of the month. This year, 133 attended public 192 education classes and 98 visitors were welcomed on open-garden Saturdays. The Public Works 193 Department Zero Waste Division operated a compost giveaway station at Eleanor Pardee 194 Garden, the only location where all Palo Alto residents could receive a maximum of 96 gallons of 195 free compost per week while supplies last. Compost located at other community gardens was for 196 the use of gardeners only. The Eleanor Pardee Garden liaisons we re Penny and Shu Yi. 197 Edith Johnson Garden had 38 plots in Downtown Palo Alto at 200 Waverly Street. Salesforce 198 volunteered to repaint the fence. Rod was the Edith Johnson Garden liaison. 199 Ventura Garden was located at the Ventura Community Center and featured 48 plots . Many 200 plots were actively used by nearby schools such as Country Day Little School, providing students 201 an opportunity to explore nature and understand where food c ame from. Ananda became the 202 Ventura Garden liaison about 2 weeks ago. 203 Arastradero Garden had 33 plots in the parking area owned by Palo Alto Christian Reformed 204 Church. In April 2024, the City and the Church entered a 5-year agreement for City use of the 205 garden space with an option for an additional 5-year extension. Arastradero Garden liaisons 206 were Mark, Natasha and Laurel. 207 All community garden sites were open to the public . Visitors were encouraged to walk through, 208 take photos and enjoy the gardens respectfully but were reminded to not pick flowers, fruits or 209 vegetables from the plots as th ose belonged to the gardeners who tend ed them. Gardeners 210 must be a Palo Alto resident 18 years or older. Proof of age and residency was required upon 211 signing up. An average of 47 percent of registered garden participants were seniors, who played 212 a vital role in the program by bringing experience, dedication and a strong sense of community. 213 Families were another important demographic but it was challenging to calculate the percentage 214 because multiple family members often share d a single plot. Shared plots provided valuable 215 opportunities for parents and children to garden together, learn sustainable practices , engage in 216 hands-on environmental education, and strengthen family bonds and community connections. 217 The community garden annual billing cycle began every January and closed March 1. Water was 218 provided at no additional cost. In accordance with the adopted municipal fee schedule for the 219 fiscal year approved by City Council, the charge was $0.96 per square foot in addition to a one -220 time $200 refundable deposit due at time of signup. Deposits were refunded when a gardener 221 gave notice they were leaving the program and removed all weeds, structures and plants from 222 their plot before leaving. All plots varied in size, so the total fee varied. Garden plot licenses were 223 renewed each calendar year if the gardener remained in good standing and payment was made 224 by the deadline. A plot holder who was 60 years of age or older was eligible to receive a 25 225 percent senior discount. A plot holder may apply for a fee reduction of 50 percent through the 226 City’s fee reduction program . For more information on the City’s fee reduction program or to 227 apply, visit PaloAlto.gov/enjoy. The volunteer liaison discount waived plot fees for the year. 228 Gardeners would receive the highest discount they qualified for but the City did not combine 229 discounts. The City’s role was to provide community garden space , issue annual garden licenses, 230 billing, provide a point of contact for Palo Alto residents, provide gardens with 231 woodchips/compost and onsite vegetative recycling services, purchase supplies, maintain the in -232 ground irrigation system and collaborate with liaisons on garden updates, water systems and 233 workdays. 234 From July 2024 to June 2025, 24 master gardeners volunteered over 1600 hours and community 235 members volunteered over 210 hours at the Palo Alto Demonstration Garden. There were 209 236 visitors and community volunteers during Monday and Friday workdays. A total of 560 pounds of 237 fresh produce were donated to the Downtown Food Closet. Hands On Bay Area assisted Eleanor 238 Pardee Community Garden with multiple garden maintenance projects throughout th is year. 239 Photos were shown of SAP and Logitech volunteering through Hands on Bay Area. Eleanor 240 Pardee Community Gardeners organized a harvest potluck in the fall for all gardeners at that 241 location to share some of the season’s harvest with each other. The Palo Alto Demonstration 242 Garden provided monthly workshops on the first Saturday of the month. Workdays were usually 243 scheduled once a month to ensure gardeners met the guideline requirement of 4 hours of 244 volunteer work toward cleanup of common areas at their garden. Mr. Vidal thought Rinconada 245 and Eleanor wound have a gardener workday on the first Sunday of December. The Lucie Stern 246 Community Center (LSCC) hosted free gardening workshops operated by the County with an 247 upcoming workshop on composting basics . Residents attending a compost workshop could 248 receive a free composting or worm bin. The next workshop sponsored by the City of Palo Alto, 249 Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission of Santa Clara County and UCCE Master Composters 250 was scheduled for April 25, 2026. 251 Mr. Vidal was establishing a countywide resource sharing group with the goal of meeting 252 regularly with neighboring Cities to create a collaborative space where staff could exchange best 253 practices, troubleshoot common challenges and learn from the successes and innovations 254 happening in neighboring jurisdictions . The next meeting of garden coordinators in Santa Clara 255 County was tentatively scheduled for February. Through this network, Cities could share 256 educational materials, volunteer resources and operational strategies ; and coordinators could 257 align on emerging issues such as water conservation requirements, pest management trends and 258 evolving community expectations around gardening. Hands on Bay Area w ould assist Rinconada 259 Garden with their project needs on January 18 and 19, 2026. The City would continue meet ing 260 with liaisons for walkthroughs and ensure guidelines were maintained at all gardens. Images 261 were shown of Liaison Annie providing a tour for a local Girl Scout Troop’s recent visit to 262 Rinconada Garden. The Troop assisted with planting flowers. Photos were shown of wildlife in 263 the community gardens, including a field mouse enjoying some buckwheat, a western fence 264 lizard getting some sun, a monarch butterfly resting on grapevines and a barn own outside 265 Rinconada. The community gardens provided food, shelter and safe corridors for pollinators, 266 songbirds, beneficial insects and other urban wildlife by emphasizing organic practices, diverse 267 planting and habitat-friendly garden design. A slide was shown of some of this year’s diverse 268 crops that flourished in the gardens. 269 For more information about the community garden program , contact Eric Vidal at 270 PACommunityGardens@PaloAlto.gov or (650) 496-6962. The City’s Community Garden webpage 271 was https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Community -Services/Parks-Open-Space-Golf -272 Division/Community-Gardens. For Santa Clara County composting workshops including LSCC, 273 visit https://cesantaclara.ucanr.edu/Home_Compos ting_Education/Composting_Works hops/. 274 Commissioner Kleinhaus questioned if any rodenticides were used in the community gardens. 275 Mr. Vidal answered no rodenticides were used in the community gardens. 276 Commissioner Smith asked how many people were on the waiting list. 277 Mr. Vidal replied Arastradero had 3, Eleanor Pardee had 8, Johnson had 17, Rinconada had about 278 22, and Ventura had 9 people on the waiting list , and 6 people were on a waiting list for the first 279 available plot at any garden. It was the end of the season, so there was a lot of turnover. 280 Commissioner Wei asked if staff had data on how long people were waiting because she heard of 281 neighbors waiting 2 years for Johnson Park . Commissioner Wei questioned if the age limit should 282 be changed to 16 because you could now preregister to vote when you are 16. Commissioner 283 Wei wondered if f amily discounts would encourage parents to bring their children. 284 Mr. Vidal answered the wait time on the waiting list varied per garden. Johnson was a smaller 285 garden, so it did not have much movement. In the past 6 months since Mr. Vidal started, 1 286 person moved off the Johnson wait ing list. Families worked on plots together. There were no 287 family discounts. U sually the parent registered for the plot but work ed with the child or the child 288 did a lot of the gardening themselves. 289 Chair Freeman asked how much notice was given when a plot became available and what 290 paperwork did the gardener receive . Chair Freeman questioned whether liaisons walked around 291 to see if a plot was in disarray for a long period of time , and if a practice had been implemented 292 when a plot had not been worked on for a certain number of weeks or months to give the plot to 293 someone on the waiting list who would take better care of the plot. Chair Freeman wanted to 294 know if the 2019 draft guidelines was the document provided to new gardeners and if it could be 295 made available to the commissioners, and would the guidelines be updated and brought to the 296 PRC to review. 297 Mr. Vidal explained that a person on the waiting list had 2 chances and 2 days to respond . A 298 person could choose not to take the plot when staff called them the first time but would be 299 removed from the waiting list if the person denied the plot a second time. If the person did not 300 respond in 2 days, staff trie d to contact the person again, then the person w ould be removed 301 from the waiting list if there was no response after waiting another 2 days. Some gardeners in 302 the program have become lax with the guidelines . When the City sends a notice, the guidelines 303 mandate a gardener to comply within 30 days . If there was no improvement 30 days after the 304 notice, Mr. Vidal had implemented the practice to wait another 30 days before terminating the 305 gardener from the program . Mr. Vidal could make the guideline document available to 306 commissioners. Staff wanted to relook at the guidelines in the near future because liaisons have 307 expressed to Mr. Vidal that some of the guidelines were vague and they were seeking 308 clarification. 309 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, stated the guidelines 310 document was available on the website and was not a draft. Staff could email the document to 311 the Commission, which Ms. Robustelli believed was last updated in 2019. 312 Commissioner Axelrod inquired if outreach was done through the liaisons or how the Girl Scouts 313 and other educational visits were facilitated. 314 Mr. Vidal said the visits were facilitated through the liaisons. Mr. Vidal was looking into getting 315 more outreach done and wanted to eventually reach out to PAUSD about utilizing their 316 volunteer services to help clean up some of the gardens. 317 Item 4 Public Comment: Edith Lin was the co-lead for the Palo Alto Demonstration Garden . 318 Classes were usually at 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month from February to November. 319 The Palo Alto Demonstration Garden at Eleanor Pardee Park had an open garden every Saturday 320 from February through October where people were welcome to visit and ask questions. The 321 water-wise garden lawn-alternative area was always open to the public. The edible garden was 322 open on Monday and Friday workday mornings and Saturday mornings. Ms. Lin was excited 323 about getting a bathroom at Eleanor Pardee Park because that had been a limitation for offering 324 more educational programs for kids. 325 Ms. Robustelli corrected her previous statement . The guidelines were last updated in 2021. The 326 document was on the website and Ms. Robustelli w ould send it to the Commission shortly. 327 Commissioner Brown was a former liaison to the community garden and liked the volunteer-328 based structure. One of the challenges in the past years was the need for more community 329 garden spaces in Palo Alto to address the demand . Bringing in volunteers to do some of the 330 maintenance could expand the program’s visibility. The City could consider more partnerships 331 such as the one with the church because it was the most realistic way to expand the program 332 into southern Palo Alto in accordance with the master plan to ensure community gardens were 333 evenly distributed throughout the city. Commissioner Brown asked if the fees were increased 334 annually with CPI or calculated based on staff time , how often the fees were evaluated and if 335 staff felt the fees were an accurate reflection of costs. In light of the financial picture and to 336 ensure cost recovery of particular programs, staff needed to keep in mind that any discount or 337 waivers w as using General Fund taxpayer dollars to subsidize a program and make sure it was in 338 accordance with the master plan , the Commission and the Council. 339 Fees were adjusted annually with the municipal fees and Ms. Robustelli thought it was 340 addressed with the last rate sheet but she w ould have to get back to Commissioner Brown with 341 a response . 342 Commissioner Axelrod believed the community gardens were a wonderful resource . 343 Commissioner Axelrod encouraged staff to do more outreach not only through the liaisons and 344 PAUSD but also preschools. 345 Commissioner Wei was glad to see Salesforce and SAP involved in the volunteer effort. 346 Commissioner Wei inquired if staff worked with the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and if there 347 was a process to reach out to local companies . Commissioners had experience to help staff 348 overcome some challenges through corporate social responsibility with local big banks such as 349 Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America or small businesses and restaurants surrounding the 350 community gardens to provide more volunteers and maybe funding. 351 Mr. Vidal replied that outreach used to be done through the liaisons but staff had taken over 352 that role to get help with projects at different community gardens throughout the city. Mr. Vidal 353 thought Kaiser Permanente w as volunteering in January through Hands On Bay Area. 354 Commissioner Kleinhaus thanked staff for the presentation and for showing the picture of the 355 great horned owl. If there was a way to advertise to families, Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to 356 have more families involved in the program. 357 Commissioner Deng thanked staff for the thorough report about the community garden projects. 358 Commissioner Deng asked what the process was to find or propose potential community garden 359 sites. In the past, Commissioner Deng was the Ohlone Elementary School PTA President . The 360 school farm included a garden and was always short of volunteers especially for farm workday s 361 on the weekends. Commissioner Deng wondered if there was a potential to collaborate with 362 PAUSD on a mixed-use garden. 363 Ms. Robustelli was happy to set up a meeting offline to talk about the City collaborating with 364 PAUSD. Cubberley was being considered as a n ew location. Staff was open to hearing about 365 potential partnerships. Staff was interested in meeting with nonprofits on opportunities similar 366 to the community garden location at the church, especially if it aligned with the master plan. The 367 program could be stronger with another location, especially in South Palo Alto. 368 Commissioner Kleinhaus recalled previous discussions about using land parallel to West 369 Bayshore for a community garden behind the Sobrato Center and office buildings but she did not 370 know the outcome. The land had a trail and a large unused area. Commissioner Kleinhaus 371 thought it was City property. 372 Ms. Robustelli had not heard about land for a community garden parallel to West Bayshore and 373 she was interested in exploring the possibility. 374 Chair Freeman was at Rinconada Garden at least once a week and had observed visitors looking 375 at the butterflies and flowers. Chair Freeman wanted the non-maintenance or neglect of plots 376 addressed. Chair Freeman asked at what point staffed looked at noncompliant plots and if the 377 liaisons made the determination. Chair Freeman felt this was a v ery worthwhile City program 378 and hoped additional land could be designated as another community garden in or near south 379 Palo Alto. 380 Mr. Vidal met with the liaisons once a month , walked through the gardens and s aw which plots 381 needed notices. Mr. Vidal gave some discretion to the liaisons if they want ed to send a reminder 382 for something small such as weeding. Notices were sent if plots were constantly not being 383 maintained. The total number of people on the waiting lists used to be in the hundreds, so there 384 had been some improvement. 385 5. First Tee Update 386 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, summarized First Tee’s 387 background and vision. Upcoming golf projects within the next few years included First Tee, a 388 second deck feasibility study, and CIPs for golf course netting and turf replacement. The golf 389 projects were independent but significantly influenced each other. The operator agreement 390 expires in June 2027. 391 George Maxe, President and CEO of First Tee Silicon Valley, said First Tee had been running the 392 program in Palo Alto since 2009. First Tee’s service area included Santa Clara County and 393 southern San Mateo County, from Highway 92 down to Hollister and north to Milpitas. First Tee 394 was at Baylands, Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course in East San Jose and Gavilan College Golf Course 395 in southern Gilroy. First Tee ’s curriculum focused on life skills. All kids were welcome in the First 396 Tee program. In the past 25 years, First Tee served over 100,000 kids and teens throughout the 397 program in Silicon Valley, about 40 percent were girls, over 85 percent were non -white, and 30 398 to 40 percent were low income and received financial aid for the classes . Classes at Baylands 399 were $300 but 30 percent of the participants paid $20. Mr. Maxe stressed the importance of 400 se curing a longer-term agreement for First Tee. Currently, First Tee served about 300 kids and 401 teens per year at Baylands. If the space between the driving range and Embarcadero Road was 402 secured and built out in collaboration with the City, First Tee could serve at least 700 kids and 403 teens per year through the total program at Baylands. First Tee’s annual investment was 404 approximately $350,000 per year in addition to $75,000 for outreach and the school program. 405 Mr. Maxe was pleased to see the approved fee structure including East Palo Alto residents in the 406 residential rates at Baylands . 407 Ms. Robustelli mentioned that City staff had been meeting weekly with First Tee Silicon Valley 408 since August 2025. Included in the Commission’s packet was the interim facility use agreement 409 established last year that would expire on February 28, 2026. Staff planned to come back to City 410 Council in January or February 2026 with a 3-5 year facility use agreement. The City and First Tee 411 were in discussions about a long-term capital partnership and were reviewing a draft term sheet 412 for First Tee funding the development of the youth practice area . 413 Mr. Maxe displayed an aerial slide with red dots representing the existing perimeter netting for 414 the range , orange dots in the lower left denoting the existing netting around the parking lot of 415 the office building, and the yellow dots depicting the wooden rail fence for the path along 416 Embarcadero Road to keep people out of the area. The netting around the parking lot was lower 417 than the range netting. Where the orange and yellow dots were, First Tee would put in safety 418 netting for the youth practice area between Embarcadero Road and the range. 419 Ms. Robustelli explained the second deck feasibility study would evaluate the potential to 420 construct a double -deck driving range , optional technology enhancement, golf market analysis , 421 utilization models and financial projections. The ball trajectory study was anticipated to be 422 completed in January 2026 and then incorporated into the analysis for the second deck 423 feasibility study. The second deck study would be presented to the PRC in early 2026. 424 Commissioner Kleinhaus referenced a letter that Susan Hinton sent to the PRC. Commissioner 425 Kleinhaus received several other inquiries from the public about the follow -up steps, lighting, 426 and if plastic turf was a requirement or could natural turf be an option. Commissioner Kleinhaus 427 suggested that staff inform the public on the roadmap and what was the process for the public 428 to engage in the plastic versus natural turf discussion. 429 Ms. Robustelli had responded to Ms. Hinton; the response would be in the PRC’s next packet. 430 Ms. Robustelli had invited Ms. Hinton to participate but perhaps Ms. Hinton was more interested 431 in the second deck study. Staff was trying to lay out the roadmap but there were a lot of 432 unknowns. The range nets potentially needed to be higher if there was a second deck but at this 433 point it was unknown what height the City wanted. First Tee need ed to raise some of the nets or 434 another innovative approach to make the youth area safe. 435 Mr. Maxe added that the same was true where the City created a short game area on the other 436 side of the range , located at the top of the diagram displayed on the screen. The short game 437 area had not been activated for public use since the golf course opened 5½ years ago. 438 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted clarification on whether the nets were being raised to provide 439 safety for the players or for drivers along Embarcadero Road . 440 Ms. Robustelli answered the nets would be raised to provide safety for the golfers in the youth 441 practice area. 442 Commissioner Kleinhaus emphasized that synthetic turf was a big issue . Commissioner Kleinhaus 443 reported there was a lot of discussion among the City Council Members about the installation at 444 El Camino Park being the last plastic turf. Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted information provide d 445 to the public on whether plastic turf was an important feature or if natural turf could be used . 446 Ms. Robustelli was aware of another public comment in regard to plastic turf that she responded 447 to. Staff would engage the community before moving forward. 448 Commissioner Wei’s family enjoyed using First Tee . The program helped kids make friends from 449 various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Commissioner Wei asked if the area for youth 450 practice was new or existing and was the budget part of the feasibility study. 451 Mr. Maxe replied the youth practice area was originally open grass but was irrigated and grassed 452 in with natural grass as part of the golf course improvement redesign project and protected with 453 a wooden fence . 454 Ms. Robustelli explained that First Tee and the City were working on a long-term capital 455 partnership, which had impacts on the second deck study. First Tee had offered to capitally fund 456 the youth area renovation; however, the nets needed to be raised for the youth area. 457 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if the area was consistent with or contradicted the Baylands 458 Master Plan. Commissioner Kleinhaus thought the master plan designated Embarcadero Road as 459 a scenic entrance to the Baylands. The nets were visible when you drive to the Baylands . 460 Ms. Robustelli stated that staff could evaluate the consistency with the Baylands Master Plan 461 when applicable. 462 Public Comments: None 463 Commissioner Axelrod wondered if the second tier and youth area were anticipate d to result in 464 additional use; and if there had been consideration of access, parking and other issues that 465 come along with additional use. Commissioner Axelrod asked if the youth area was a new use or 466 a reuse of current activity in that area, and would youth activity be transferred to the second 467 level or double -deck driving. 468 Ms. Robustelli said the staff vetted access as part of any CIP plan . Upgrades would come back to 469 the PRC for a park improvement ordinance, thus providing opportunity for community input. 470 Mr. Maxe mentioned the youth area would enable First Tee to run their programs for kids in a 471 dedicated safe space for the Tuesday through Friday afterschool program and provided an 472 opportunity to run Saturday classes all day in a cordoned-off area for younger kids who d id not 473 need golf course access . The new youth area would result in First Tee’s program growing from 474 the current 300 kids and teens per year to 700. 475 First Tee had a waiting list. Chair Freeman pointed out that accommodating 700 kids may 476 provide an opportunity for those who otherwise would not have participated if they had 477 outgrown the program while on the waiting list. 478 Commissioner Deng recommended that the presentation include before and after slide s of the 479 youth area including the square footages before and after expansion to make it clearer to 480 understand. Commissioner Deng inquired if a double -deck driving range would provide shade for 481 people on the first and second levels. Commissioner Deng questioned if the City’s capital 482 collaboration with First Tee was to increase the capacity for youth usage and maybe First Tee 483 could sponsor upgrades or improve the whole Baylands Golf Links Facility. 484 Ms. Robustelli clarified that the footprint would not expand. A double deck for the driving range 485 would provide some shade for people who were practicing on the first and second levels. The 486 second deck was not part of the discussion in this agenda item but further details would be 487 provided when staff presented the full study to the Commission in early 2026. 488 Mr. Maxe referred to the aerial view. The youth area would be located in the pie -wedge section 489 at the lower left above Embarcadero Road . The area was currently unused natural grass and 490 would not expand. Since the golf course reopened in 2018, g olf balls have been going over the 491 nets from the driving range . Mr. Maxe estimated about 90 percent of the balls went over the 492 right side and 10 percent over the left side of the nets , which rendered both sides unsafe . The 493 short game hole was not used because people could potentially get hit by balls. The capital 494 collaboration between First Tee and the City would allow First Tee to expand their program . Mr. 495 Maxe did not think First Tee’s total use was more than 25 percent of the time, so the youth area 496 could be used for private instruction. Other groups could use the youth area as long as it was 497 managed by the golf course operator. Ideally, if the range nets were raised, the short game hole 498 would open for general public use. First Tee ’s vision included fieldtrips for schoolkids to have a 499 golf experience in the youth area. 500 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked what was currently in the chipping green , youth area and the 501 other green area. The master plan had a circle around this area along both sides of Embarcadero 502 Road cutting into the proposed youth area but the reason was not clear, so Commissioner 503 Kleinhaus emphasized the need to figure out what it was. The path next to the Blackberry Farm 504 Golf Course in Cupertino had very tall fencing; however, golf balls still end ed up in adjacent 505 Stevens Creek. Therefore, Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted a traffic engineer to evaluate the 506 potential of cars on Embarcadero Road getting hit by balls. Commissioner Kleinhaus saw old 507 pictures of a row of trees along Embarcadero where the re were yellow dots on the displayed 508 aerial view. Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if the youth area could be 10 feet shorter to 509 allow space for planting a line of trees between the fence and Embarcadero Road to provide 510 shade , biodiversity and concealment while retaining the benefits of a youth area . Commissioner 511 Kleinhaus stressed the importance of looking at the context and considering all the projects 512 together, especially in the Baylands. Trees were important for the context and visual impact 513 because this was a view corridor on the road to the Baylands. 514 Mr. Maxe replied the proposed chipping green and youth area was currently irrigated, graded, 515 open grass. There we re some mounds where the potential tee boxes might go. A cart path was 516 shown on the screen as a white area at the corner of the parking lot. A practice bunker was 517 removed when the golf course was redone but the golfers wanted a practice bunker, so a bunker 518 was added by the City and operator in approximately the first 60 yards from the tip of the wedge 519 in the middle of the diagram. The teeing grounds were on the perimeter of Embarcadero. 520 Golfers would hit into the green along the range fencing away from the street and there would 521 be high protective netting in that area to provide safety for the street. Mr. Maxe clarified that the 522 bar depicting Embarcadero Road on the diagram was a superimposed graphic and not the actual 523 road. Mr. Maxe thought there was enough space to do plantings between the path and the curb . 524 Staff commented that there was a planting strip with a row of trees in the public right of way 525 between Embarcadero Road and the pathway but in the aerial view it appeared that some trees 526 may have been removed . Staff could check if there were potentially some spaces for trees and 527 talk to the Urban Forestry team. 528 Commissioner Wei agreed with Commissioner Kleinhaus ’ idea to plant tall trees if the City had 529 the land to do so. Trees were visually and environmentally friendly. Commissioner Wei inquired if 530 anybody reached out to Jones Day to potentially make the parking lot available for use. 531 Commissioner Wei said that the commissioners could help staff make connections. 532 Commissioner Brown was supportive of the plan and commended staff for succinctly 533 summarizing it on 1 slide . Commissioner Brown suggested applying the City’s policies related to 534 turf and trees, provide opportunities for engagement as the project reaches each milestone , and 535 hit all the key decision points to keep the projects and partnerships moving forward. 536 Commissioner Smith felt it was beneficial for the commissioners to conduct a site visit. 537 Commissioner Smith went to Rotary Club at Baylands on Mondays. Commissioner Smith 538 commended First Tee for changing lives. 539 Chair Freeman requested an update on the long -term agreement, when staff anticipated having 540 a completed draft, what items were unresolved and what steps were remaining before staff 541 comes back to the PRC. Chair Freeman asked what the technology enhancements for the second 542 deck would entail and if it tied in with the ball trajectory study. 543 Ms. Robustelli said the remaining steps and how they all intertwined were outlined during the 544 presentation. Staff planned to go to City Council in January or February of 2026 with a longer-545 term facility use agreem e nt for 3-5 years. Then, the second deck feasibility study would be 546 brought to the PRC, which would impact the potential for the long -term capital project with First 547 Tee , the netting project and potential resurfacing. After completing those steps, staff could have 548 a better sense of the timeline. More detail on the technology enhancements would be given 549 during the presentation in 2026 but it had to do with entertainment and how far you hit your 550 ball. The trajectory study would be presented to the PRC in 2026. The trajectory study would 551 help inform the feasibility and nets. 552 6. Election of Chair and Vice Chair 553 Chair Freeman stated the PRC Chair was responsible for leading PRC meetings, working with staff 554 on agenda development, represent ing the Commission in discussions with the City Council and 555 community stakeholders, and guid ing the PRC’s annual work plan. The PRC Vice Chair supported 556 the Chair’s duties and serve d as the Chair when the Chair was not present . Chair Freeman 557 invited nominations for PRC Chair for 2026. 558 NOMINATION: Commissioner Wei nominated Chair Freeman for PRC Chair for 2026. 559 Commissioner Wei nominated Chair Freeman to continue as Chair because he had shown 560 tremendous leadership, a great sense of detail and had been in the city for a long time. 561 Commissioner Kleinhaus echoed the nomination of Chair Freeman continuing as Chair. The PRC 562 had a tradition of Chairs serving for 2 years and sometimes longer. Commissioner Kleinhaus 563 thought Chair Freeman had done a good job. Commissioner Kleinhaus appreciated the way Chair 564 Freeman listened and treated everyone with a lot of respect. 565 Chair Freeman accepted the nomination for PRC Chair for 2026. 566 MOTION: Commissioner Brown moved, seconded by Commissioner Kleinhaus , to close 567 nominations. 568 MOTION CARRIED: 7 – 0 569 NOMINATION FOR CHAIR FREEMAN AS CHAIR FOR 2026 PASSED: 7 – 0 570 NOMINATION: Chair Freeman nominated Commissioner Brown for PRC Vice Chair for 2026. 571 Chair Freeman thought Commissioner Brown had done an excellent job when she served as 572 Chair and Vice Chair. 573 Commissioner Brown accepted the nomination for PRC Vice Chair for 2026. 574 NOMINATION: Commissioner Kleinhaus nominated Commissioner Wei for PRC Vice Chair for 575 2026. 576 Commissioner Kleinhaus noted Commissioner Wei was a candidate for Vice Chair last year but 577 the nomination did not move forward. Commissioner Kleinhaus felt it was important to have 578 new people in leadership roles and to represent the diversity of this community . Commissioner 579 Kleinhaus thought Commissioner Wei had a lot of energy and wisdom to share with the 580 Commission. 581 Commissioner Wei accepted the nomination for PRC Vice Chair for 2026 and wanted to 582 nominate herself as Vice Chair. Commissioner Wei was glad that Chair Freeman would continue 583 as Chair because it offered continuality for the Commission, especially after the loss of veteran 584 Commissioners Greenfield and Cribbs. Commissioner Wei was grateful for the mentorship that 585 Chair Freeman and Commissioner Kleinhaus had given her in the last 2½ years and the steady 586 support from Commissioners Deng and Brown. Commissioner Wei had 25 years of experience in 587 community engagement and public-private partnership, and wanted to bring more public-588 private partnership to the City. Commissioner Wei was youth liaison for the last 2½ years and 589 focused on making the City’s park programs more inclusive, accessible and responsive to the 590 community’s needs. Commissioner Wei’s wanted to bring more youth to the parks, more 591 corporate social responsibility to the volunteers and more funding to the City. Commissioner Wei 592 said if she was elected to Vice Chair, she would continue championing parks that reflect ed the 593 diversity of Palo Alto where 2 to 3 percent were African American, 7 to 8 percent Latinx, 39 594 percent Asian American/Hawaiian/Native American, and over half the population was born 595 outside the U.S. For immigrants, it was important to have a culturally sensitive approach to 596 youth wellbeing, senior care and community engagement. 597 MOTION: Commissioner Smith moved, seconded by Commissioner Kleinhaus , for the closure of 598 nominations. 599 MOTION CARRIED: 7 – 0 600 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, handed out ballots and 601 instructed commissioners to fill out their name and their vote for Vice Chair from the 2 602 commissioners nominated this evening. Commissioner Axelrod was told to message his vote for 603 Vice Chair to Mr. Vidal or Ms. Robustelli. 604 Eric Vidal, Recreation Coordinator with Open Space, Parks and Golf, announced there were 3 605 votes for Commissioner Brown and 4 votes for Commissioner Wei for Vice Chair. 606 Commissioner Kleinhaus thought the Clerk was required to read who voted for which candidate 607 or else the vote was not legal. 608 Ms. Robustelli read the protocol: Voting would be according to verbal roll call by the staff 609 secretary. The staff secretary would count the votes and announces only the winner and the 610 number of votes. The elected Chair or Vice Chair resumed the responsibility for the meeting 611 forward. The new Chair would thank the former Chair for the ir service. 612 VOTING FOR PRC VICE CHAIR FOR 2026: 613 Commissioner Brown: Chair Freeman, Commissioners Brown and Smith 614 Commissioner Wei: Commissioners Kleinhaus, Wei, Axelrod, and Deng 615 NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER WEI AS VICE CHAIR FOR 2026 PASSED: 4-3 616 7. Assignment of Commissioners to Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Roles 617 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, displayed an updated graph 618 with 2 highlighted vacancies that must be filled. The Playing Fields Ad Hoc Committee did not 619 have any members . Safe Routes to School did not have a liaison. Ad Hoc Committees usually had 620 monthly meetings whereas the liaisons were more informal with less of a comm itment than an 621 ad hoc. For the liaison role, the minimum was 1 and the maximum was 2 liaisons. For the ad hoc 622 committees, the minimum was 2 and the maximum was 3 members. If assignments were not 623 done this evening, the Commission could have a more robust discussion at the anticipated PRC 624 retreat in February. The PRC had a lot of agenda items for January. The City Council planned to 625 discuss Council priorities in late January. 626 Commissioners Axelrod and Smith were asked if they had any preferences for assignments but 627 otherwise Chair Freeman preferred to keep the existing ad hoc and liaison assignments unless 628 someone had a strong preference to make a change . Chair Freeman said the PRC retreat would 629 probably be the third week of February and was usually from noon to 2 or 3 p.m. 630 Commissioner Axelrod was happy to help in any way where he could be most useful. 631 Commissioner Axelrod had kids who had commuted to school, so he was happy to fill the Safe 632 Routes to School liaison role if nobody else was inclined. Commissioner Axelrod asked to be on 633 the Playing Fields Ad Hoc. 634 Commissioner Smith was interested in the Middle School Athletics Ad Hoc , Playing Fields Ad Hoc, 635 CIP Review liaison, Funding Partners liaison and Open Space Preserves liaison . 636 Chair Freeman remove d himself from the CIP Review liaison role . 637 Vice Chair Wei wondered if the Skate Park was still active and thought of removing herself from 638 the Skate Park liaison role and instead be a Funding Partners liaison. 639 Ms. Robustelli said Skate Park could potentially be removed from the list of liaisons. 640 Chair Freeman said the Commission could decide in February whether to add or remove ad hoc 641 committee s and liaisons. Chair Freeman encouraged commissioners to review the work plan. 642 Commissioner Kleinhaus preferred not to be a Sustainability liaison and thought she removed 643 herself last year. Commissioner Kleinhaus was interested in being a Park Dedication liaison and a 644 Youth liaison. Commissioner Kleinhaus had many conversations recently with young people 645 about lighting and other interests. Commissioner Kleinhaus noted Urban Forestry had quite a 646 few things coming up soon and wondered if any commissioners were interested in joining. 647 Ms. Robustelli said if anybody was interested in the liaison role, now was the time because there 648 were items involving Urban Forestry starting at the PRC’s special meeting next month. 649 Chair Freeman advised Ms. Robustelli not to make any assignment changes until this topic was 650 opened up for discussion in February because ad hoc committees or liaisons could possibly be 651 added after the Committee reviewed the work plan. 652 COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 653 8. Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Updates 654 Last weekend, Commissioner Kleinhaus walked in the Arastradero Preserve near the bowl area 655 when a coyote ran toward them and into some bushes because 2 deer were chasing the coyote. 656 Commissioner Kleinhaus shared a video of the coyote trying to escape the deer. Commissioner 657 Kleinhaus noted how animals brought people a lot of enjoyment . 658 As Youth Liaison, Vice Chair Wei attended the Moon Festival and brought some treats for the 659 kids. Some members of the Youth Council were of Asian Heritage and there was a conversation 660 about identity versus heritage versus youth mental health. This year, the Youth Council’s focus 661 was youth mental health. Vice Chair Wei wanted to look into corporate social responsibility 662 donations to provide a free shuttle to transport youth to Baylands or Foothill Park. Last 663 weekend, Vice Chair Wei attended the Youth Council Summit for Civic Engagement where the 664 Youth Council acted as Council Members in a mock City Council. 665 Commissioner Deng shared a video report on the Pet Palooza Parade recorded by a Palo Alto 666 high schooler who was in a journalism program. 667 Chair Freeman asked staff when the updated policy on racquet courts would come back to the 668 Commission. 669 Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, replied pickleball and tennis 670 was on the February agenda. 671 Vice Chair Wei thanked the new commissioners for joining the PRC . 672 Ms. Robustelli polled everyone and the PRC special meeting was scheduled for December 16. 673 Some items may move because December had a large agenda but at this time included norms 674 for staff and the Commission provided by the City Manager, a discussion on a park improvement 675 ordinance for 2100 Geng Road, the aquatics annual update and a capital improvement update. 676 January items included the Palo Alto Youth Council, a Cubberley update, an Open Space update, 677 an Urban Forestry update and a continuation of 2100 Geng Road, which were too many items, 678 so there would be some shuffling. In February, the tennis/pickleball item was coming back. 679 ADJOURNMENT 680 The meeting adjourned at 9:41 p.m. 681