Livermore Area Recreation and Park District 8/28/2019
CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL - PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE MATTERS INITIATED/ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE DIRECTOR MATTERS INITIATED/ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE GENERAL MANAGER OPEN SESSION DISCLOSURE REGARDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.7
|
August 28, 2019 LIVERMORE AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT REGULAR MEETING of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019 7:00 P.M. ROBERT LIVERMORE COMMUNITY CENTER 4444 EAST AVENUE, LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA DIRECTORS PRESENT: Directors Faltings, Palajac, Pierpont, Wilson and Chair Furst DIRECTORS ABSENT: None STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Mathew Fuzie, Patricia Lord, Jeffrey Schneider, Linda VanBuskirk, Monica Streeter, Alexandra Ikeda, Joseph Benjamin MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: Lynn Seppala 1. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL - PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. PUBLIC COMMENT None. 3. CONSENT ITEMS (Motion) 3.2 Approval of the Minutes of the Public Meeting in the Park of August 21, 2019 3.3 General Manager's Monthly Report - August 2019 Moved by Director Pierpont, seconded by Director Faltings, approved the Consent Agenda, by the following voice vote: AYES: Directors Faltings, Palajac, Pierpont, Wilson, and Chair Furst NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: None 4. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Chair Furst stated the Board would review and discuss the Safe Parking Program and provide direction to staff. GM Fuzie introduced the item by stating that the District has been working with the City of Livermore and other partners on this issue. Staff plus two board members have been part of the working group. He then introduced David Weisgerber, Community Outreach Supervisor, who provided background and an overview on the Safe Parking Program, which developed from a City Council subcommittee on homelessness. In early 2019, six short-term solutions for addressing homelessness in Livermore were identified such as crisis intervention, shower and laundry services, restrooms, trash service, biohazard cleanup, and the Safe Parking Program - which will provide safe overnight parking spots to individuals and families who are living in their vehicles, along with respite and resources. Community partners include LARPD, the City of Livermore, several churches in the faith-based community, CityServe Tri-Valley, and the Livermore Police Department. This program is modeled after a program in Union City called CAREavan. LARPD's role in this pilot program will be providing the site, 7pm-7am, limited to 10 cars per night. Options have been provided, with the preferred choice being the parking lot at Bill Payne Park. A draft overview of the program, along with safe overnight parking rules and standards of behavior, has been emailed to the Board of Directors. Chair Furst reported that he and Director Palajac are on the subcommittee and they attended the last meeting with the City, the school district (LVJUSD), a number of faith-based organizations, and the Livermore Police Department. Director questions/comments included: Location of the program, costs to LARPD (no cost); Ordinance 8 and exceptions offered with a permit; comparison to what other communities are doing to address this issue through a pilot program, what has worked and what has not worked; happy to see LARPD innovate and take the lead within the community on this issue. No public comment. Board consensus is to go forward with this pilot program, taking a close look at LARPD's Ordinance 8 regulations regarding overnight parking/camping, and the smoking policy. ? It was suggested that these issues come back to the Board, either via the General Manager's monthly update to the Board or a verbal report back to the Board. ? Director Palajac suggested that since she and Chair Furst attend monthly meetings of the subcommittee, either one of them could report back to the rest of the Board during the Committee Reports section of the Board meetings. 4.2 ZONE 7 TRAIL PROJECT UPDATE (Discussion and Direction) Chair Furst stated the Board would review and discuss the Recreational Trail Use License Agreement between LARPD and Zone 7 and provide direction to staff. GM Fuzie reminded the Board that at the end of June 2019, the Board authorized the GM to enter into a licensing agreement with Zone 7 for construction of a trail on Patterson Ranch which will join existing trails in Sycamore Grove Park to provide a loop. Since Zone 7 had changed some of their conditions, the revised draft licensing agreement is now coming back to the Board for further discussion. AGM Patricia Lord provided further information as provided in the staff report. At Zone 7's August 21, 2019 board meeting, their board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution authorizing their general manager to negotiate and execute the agreement. Key points discussed included the revocable status of the trail use agreement; equestrian use is questionable due to remoteness of the trail with hazardous narrow sections of trail on steep hillsides; the IS/MND does describe the trail as multi-use recreational; insurance requirements have increased. The License Agreement will authorize LARPD to construct, maintain, and operate the trail for general public use subject to the primary use of the property for flood control, water supply and watershed management purposes at no cost to Zone 7 for a term of 25 years, renewable for an additional 25 years. The official trail name will be determined in the future by the LARPD Board of Directors. Directors questions/comments included: What kind of analysis has been done to determine that the trail is not appropriate for equestrians? Site visits will be conducted for individual board members. Permitted uses. An extensive description is included in the IS/MND. Language about the trail must be consistent in the agreement. LARPD'S preference is NOT to erect any fences/gates along the trail. - Director Faltings to contact equestrians. - Board members expressed interest in a field trip to view the site. - Staff to obtain a quote from CAPRI regarding the increased insurance amount. - Language read by AGM Lord should be added into the agreement. No public comment. Board consensus is to have staff work with Zone 7 to finalize the licensing agreement. The final version will come back to the Board for approval. 4.3 SITE PLAN DESIGN REVIEW (SPDR 19-004) (Discussion and Direction) Chair Furst stated the Board would review and discuss a Site Plan Design Review for the proposed Livermore Wine Country Inn and provide direction to staff. The proposed Wine Country Inn is located at the corner of Arroyo Rd. and Hansen, just south of Ravenswood, and near to Sycamore Grove Park. GM Fuzie presented the request from the City of Livermore Planning Commission for comments and recommendations, due by September 3, 2019, regarding the Site Plan Design Review (SPDR 19-004) and Conditional Use Permit (CUP 19-006) for the proposed 30-room inn on a 3.2+ acre vacant parcel with a restaurant, meeting space, and caretaker's residence. GM Fuzie reported that the developer is doing an IS/MND for this project. This letter is labeled as Round 3. The EIR was deemed to be adequate. GM Fuzie wanted to give the Board the opportunity to share any specific concerns. Board questions/comments included: The South Livermore Valley Specific Plan included that spot identified as commercial; view shed - two stories is fine, three stories is not; parking should be permeable - please verify this; many of the proposed plantings are not natives; no homes are directly behind this spot; concern that the entrance to the property should remain on Hansen - not an entrance that would impact LARPD's trail. The Board expressed appreciation to the City of Livermore for allowing the District to have the opportunity to comment on the plan. No public comment. 5. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS (No Action Required) Chair Furst stated that the Board would receive a verbal update on the Page & Turnbull feasibility and conceptual design study on The Barn. GM Fuzie reported that a few years ago, LARPD and the City of Livermore had entered into a monetary agreement where the City agreed to take over road maintenance at Robertson Park and LARPD agreed to take over trail maintenance plus some upgrading maintenance to The Barn. The value of both of those projects was approximately $600,000 over three years to each entity. The City has fulfilled their part of the agreement. LARPD is in the process of fulfilling its part of the agreement - LARPD has put a new roof on The Barn at a cost of approximately $90K. The next big action will be to determine what can be done at The Barn. Questions to take into consideration are "Is it considered an historic structure?" and "What are our limitations?" Having worked with Page & Turnbull in the past, GM Fuzie contracted with Page & Turnbull on The Barn project to give the District an historic structure report and historicity of The Barn. An extensive report has been received. They have determined that The Barn is not eligible for listing on the California Register of Historic Resources as an individual resource. GM Fuzie read sections from the report on its history and use. ? GM Fuzie will make a copy of the report available to the Board members. GM Fuzie continued by saying that if LARPD is going to spend $2.2M to make The Barn a significant event center with a commercial kitchen, etc., that would come to the full Board. However, there is enough debate in the community about The Barn that the District should do its due diligence in holding conversations with all parties and not spend any monies on the project until those conversations have led LARPD to a conclusion. Director comments/questions included: Obligations of LARPD re: ADA upgrading, codes and compliance; rental schedule currently; code compliance and ADA compliance estimate is forthcoming from Page & Turnbull. Chair Furst opened public comment. Mr. Lynn Seppala, President of the Livermore Cultural Arts Council, addressed the Board. He stated that the LCAC has a 50-year history of working with LARPD and the City of Livermore to create a useful facility at The Barn. He has provided the Board and District with additional history of The Barn, and thought that the Page & Turnbull report should have included the LCAC's involvement as part of its history. Chair Furst thanked Mr. Seppala for his comments, and closed public comment. Board consensus is that staff should continue to move forward with the process as stated by GM Fuzie. 6. COMMITTEE REPORTS 2) Director Wilson reported on the August 7, 2019 Livermore Cultural Arts Council meeting. Discussion included the upcoming Artwalk Livermore event set for Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 11am-5pm at the Plazas in Downtown Livermore. 3) Chair Furst reported on the August 7, 2019 Chamber of Commerce Business Alliance meeting. Discussion included a report by the Alameda County Transportation Commission on a variety of different transportation projects. ? Chair Furst asked staff to be sure to note that there will be either a trail or a bike path that would be associated with the connector road at North Canyons Parkway on the north side of 580 so that autos, cyclists, walkers, etc. can be able to move from Livermore to Dublin on this road anticipated to start 2022-2024. 7. MATTERS INITIATED/ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE DIRECTOR 2) Director Wilson asked staff to verify that the front counter at the RLCC is ADA height compliant, possibly lower the counter, and make the reception area easily accessible and more warm and welcoming. 8. MATTERS INITIATED/ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE GENERAL MANAGER 1) One of the District's goals for the year is to develop a formal leadership training program. GM Fuzie reported that he has been working with senior staff on the issue of career development, and ways to make staff more successful in the ability to be promoted from within the District. He reported that Alexandra Ikeda recently attended year 1 of 2 at the NRPA Director School, and Stacey Kenison attended a Public Information Officer training. Patricia Lord will be taking a PIO training soon. 9. OPEN SESSION DISCLOSURE REGARDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.7 10. CLOSED SESSION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (2): 1 potential case 11. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION; REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION - PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.1 The Board came out of Closed Session at 9:03 p.m. and Chair Furst announced that no reportable action had been taken in Closed Session. 12. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 p.m. APPROVED, ______________________________ David Furst Chair, Board of Directors ATTEST: __________________________ Mathew L. Fuzie General Manager and Ex-officio Clerk to the Board of Directors
|