Ojai City Council Special Meeting

All please, Mr. Montgomery.

Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Mayor Gilman. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Mang.

Here.

Council Member Rule.

Here.

Council Member Lang. Here. Council Member Whitman.

And happy Election Day also. Any changes to the agenda? Wonderful. Yep, second. All good. And we'll go forward with our first discussion, Community Aquatics Program Implementation. Oh, I have no public comment cards. Anybody online? I know it's special,

but we'll just start.

Okay, so our first item is Community Aquatics Program Implementation and Adoption of Resolution Amending the Salary Schedule to Update the Salary for Lifeguard Classifications. Thank you.

Hello again. Thank you for having me tonight. I did provide a PowerPoint as well. This is an item that was brought to you...

Time's

up. Previously, so there has been a few changes. I did speak about this with my Parks and Recreation Commission, changed a few things regarding hours, and also spoke at the Ojai Unified School District board meeting, and they also had the same information.

Okay, so here

we begin. The summary, City of Ojai is implementing a community aquatics program at Nordoff High School in response to City Council direction from February 24th. The presentation addresses four key items, which would be adopting a lifeguard salary amendment, $25 per hour, that would be effective June 3rd if approved. Approving a $5 per person entry fee, along with $5,000 allocated for income qualified waivers.

We would be establishing the program operating hours, including the weekday and weekend sessions, and receiving the completed facilities use agreement with the Ojai Unified School District. Estimated first year costs $62,200, with revenue from admission fees helping to offset the expenses. This program satisfies longstanding community demand for public aquatic access in the Ojai Valley.

So, at the February 24th, City Council directed staff to return with an updated aquatics program information. Council requested lifeguard salary data, pool entry fees, scholarship recommendations, program hours, and a finalized OUSD agreement. On May 7th, the Parks and Recreation Commission provided feedback that is incorporated into this report. On May 13th, Ojai Unified School District Board requested later program hours to better support community use.

This presentation fulfills all elements of Council's February 24th direction and incorporates feedback from the Parks and Recreation Commission and OUSD. So, these are the four action items I already spoke about. Let's see. So, lifeguard salary amendment. We did do market analysis. We were under market. So, the recommended rate is $25 per hour. This would be effective June 3rd.

This positions the city competitively in the local labor market. Why a flat rate? It reflects consistent physical demands, mental vigilance, and shared safety responsibilities across all lifeguard positions, supports internal equity, and reduces potential morale concerns. Item two, entry fees. We do have standard entry Open Swim, $5 per person and two years and under free.

We will also have, if approved, income qualified reduced rate fee of $2 per person. The proposed operating schedule has been changed slightly due to the feedback I received. Monday through Friday during school breaks would be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays we change to a later time of 2 p.m. to 6. And Saturdays are right now for YMCA. They do have sessions still going on, so this could be an option. Just don't know about set times because they do have six-week sessions.

Do you mind if I pause on that? So on the Saturday optional, the Y is there all day doing their swim

lessons? No, they're there about three to four hours on Saturday.

And then when it says varying with the YMCA, you're suggesting we could possibly have our lifeguards come in when they're done? Is that what that proposal means? Yes, or before.

The Facilities Use Agreement. City staff and OUSD collaborated to develop a mutually beneficial agreement. Agreement was reviewed by city attorney. Completed agreement is attached to a gender report for council reference. OUSD covers core operational costs, utilities, maintenance, and required permits. The city will be responsible for facility daily operational duties and staffing, hiring, compensating lifeguards for the community program.

So here are your options. Take no action. Provide alternative direction. Or, of course, you can approve all four. Next steps, if approved. If approved, resolution amending the salary schedule takes effect June 3rd. The $5 entry fee and $5,000 waiver fund is authorized. Program hours approved for daily open swim operations with the option to adjust due to community demand.

OUSD facilities use agreement is received and filed. Staff launches the program once the lifeguard recruitment is fulfilled and monitors attendance and the entry fee revenue. The progress update provided to Council after initial summer break operating period.

Thank you. A couple questions?

Yeah.

So if we were to approve tonight, when would it actually start?

So we do have two certified lifeguards now. We are still in process of interviewing. We do have a few people we'd like to move forward with, but that process isn't finished yet. So I would say maybe third week in June.

And then my other question is, do we know what the polo hours are already?

Right now the polo hours are 345 to 545.

Every day? Not counting the weekend days?

Not the weekend.

So 345 to what day? What did you

say? 545. 545. And then they do have a few little breaks in between. And they'll be there a few days a week and then full five days.

And then, and I'm almost done. Now I saw in the agreement, there's that we're monitoring attendance, right? So we'll be counting how many people are going there. Oh, yeah. Okay. So then, I guess one, one question. It would be easy, I suppose, for you to give us a report after you do open, after a few weeks even, to say...

Anytime.

Yeah, here's how many people are going, here's the request for an alteration or an augmentation of the hours, and then we can respond.

Correct.

Yeah.

I was also thinking of having a QR code at the front door on a piece of paper where people can go on and make comments or if they have any concerns.

And payment, you said last time, can be taken electronically or cash or whatever.

At the

door.

Okay.

The fact that we're looking to carry the water for the other 22,000 residents at the same price is not correct. They should be paying more so that they can demand from the county that the county step up and contribute. Because there's no reason why we should be spending our dollars for non-city residents. It's not right. And that's something that we have to do something with because this is our city dollars and not the district's dollars.

So it would behoove you to request from the county that they contribute, because if there's a lot of demand, are we going to now spend $100,000 a year, $200,000 a year to cover more and more hours and the county isn't stepping up? Are we supposed to carry the county water, all the non-city residents? Their water, no pun intended, but I mean, it's just that the border stops at the city. At some point, we have to stop carrying other people's issues, their money.

The county says, hey, good job, keep it up, city. Enough already, because this thing is just going to be very expensive, which is fine. If city residents get discounts, they get some freebies, whatever, because that's what our city dollars go for. We shouldn't be providing a free ride for non-city residents. So, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Stengel. Elena Daly, please.

Hi. Hi. My name is Alana Daly. Alana, sorry. And I live at 1001 Grandview. I'm assuming this is for a public open, not for a specific subject. This is

for the pool.

Yeah. I would like to speak on something, but apparently I once again missed my opportunity. That's okay.

Reach out to me separately and just, or you can also email the council directly.

Thank you very much. Those of us who live here, and I guess I just need to get here a little earlier, there was a major accident over in front of the Vines, a motorcycle and a car. Somebody must have tried to turn left off of the main road into Vines.

We don't take, like, general comments. You have to come to one of our regular meetings. Which is

next week.

Okay.

Then I'll make

comments by then. Yeah.

Please

do. Then my neighbor can come with me, because between the two of us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks. And then I see it's Madeline, but I can't read the last name. Hi.

Hi, my name is Madeline Alcorta. I'm a City of Ojai resident and avid swimmer. I just wanted to say I'm super duper excited to have access to a beautiful aquatic facility. Both my children go to Nordoff. It's been amazing to watch OUSD using the bond money to bring in the new tennis courts. My son plays tennis, my daughter swims. So we're just super duper excited to have these facilities available to the general public without having to go private. We can't afford to go private.

I've never lived in a town before that didn't have A public aquatic center with hours for community swim and lab swim so that's been kind of strange and I'm just really glad that the city and OUSD are working together to bring this to the community and then I wanted to know, I haven't heard anybody say If there would be dedicated lap swim lanes, because while I'm excited for my kids to be able to go swimming with their friends during the warm hours of the summer day, I would also like to swim some laps, and is that something that's built into the program, if it's okay to ask?

So yes, that is what I was proposing, the lap and open swim. After speaking with the athletic director, it might be a little harder than I thought because Polo takes out the lanes. And when we were first touring the facility, they had the lanes in because it was, you know, swim time. So, it might be a little more difficult depending on staff time and if they're going to allow us to use their lanes in and out. So, that's something I do have to figure out. But there is a huge portion of the deep end that is available for lap swim.

So, it would just be inserting the lanes. That might be a little difficult.

Do I still have time left? Go ahead. Yes. So for a parent who has kids who would be using it as community pool, would I be able to rely on being able to go with all my stuff to swim laps while they're like that's available, even though they're not going to have the lane separators? For sure. OK, great. Thank you so much for putting this together, working so hard on this. We're just very, very excited to have a place to get in the water. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you.

That's all the cards I have. Anybody online? No mayor. Nobody online.

I have one clarifying question. I'm still a little confused about Saturday. So the Polo folks are only, I'm sorry, the Polo folks are only, I'm sorry, I had it written down, 345 to 545, and that includes on Saturday, but yet we don't really have time. Monday through Friday and Sunday. No, just Monday through Friday. Okay. So, but we don't have hours. around the YMCA program and

Sorry, they have their six-week lessons, so we're going to be in between, and I don't have a final time on that yet.

Okay, thank you. Parents will be looking for Saturdays.

Can I ask a question? What time is the Y scheduled to be done on their calendar? When would they be leaving the pool?

They would be done at the end of summer.

When they're doing their lessons on a Sunday, what time are they in and what time are they out? Because it eliminates a half hour at the beginning if it's already set up, and if you come in right at the end of that, you can hand over versus having to set up again, which is another gained half hour of time. So it would be interesting to look at Sunday's hours to see how efficiently.

So, Saturday hours for YMCA right now, it's somewhere in between 11 and 4. Okay. Okay,

so their chunk is 11 to 4. Okay.

Yeah. Only Saturday.

So, if we could back-to-back that, though, we could get another half hour of time for everyone. Because you don't have to get set up. Thank you. But, well, you guys have covered much of what we have talked about. Yeah, say more. Say what we didn't

cover.

Chrissy incorporated it. I think there was a robust amount of discussion about a relationship beyond just a facilities agreement with the school district so that we have organized how we're going to communicate in the timely fashion and kind of a procedural approach to it so that there's a real understanding of when they're going to need it and when we're going to need it with a kind of, you know, some kind of, you know, So, I mean, I think that Summer is special because we know that the one thing that they're using it for is Polo and it's very standard. But if we're going to do more later, I figure we should just start the discussion with what we're going to want as a relationship throughout all of the relationship instead of Thank you.

Other than that, we also talked about other things you could do next year. I mean, we would love to have the aquatics program we used to have, which was we did our own lessons all during the week, all different types. They were sold out every year. They were very popular. But that will take a whole year to build up to because staffing. I mean, that doesn't happen overnight, and you need even more staffing than we would need just to run an open swim.

So we discussed that. It's actually back on our agenda for Thursday, because there may be more that we send as recommendations to you guys after our Thursday meeting, because our last one was just a discussion, so we didn't, we just had an open discussion, but I think we're bringing it back to talk about it again. And then we are formalizing an aquatics ad hoc committee, so we'll have two representatives, We have one commissioner who is well versed in this in her day job and has a lot to bring to running large aquatic facilities and programming. So I'm kind of volunteering her right now, but I'm hoping she'll be open to it because she would be absolutely excellent and will bring a lot of just, you know, tried and true, which she knows. So any questions for me specifically?

I look forward to getting the recommendations because I think the idea of starting, codifying a process by which conversations happen and changes happen, I think that makes smoother. Make it smoother makes a whole bunch of sense. It can fall into the idea of a calendar as well.

Yeah, the calendar.

As this gets updated, then everyone has a place to go as well as, you know, what the process is to make those decisions. I think it's really important.

I do too. Good, so we'll have another robust discussion with some recommendations probably at the end of that. And then the ad hoc committee will be formed so they can start meeting hopefully with staff, wherever there can be help and advisory role. And then as far as summer, you talked a little bit about, and this is just me talking, not when we talk to the commission, about having data.

How quickly will we decide to reassess? It's all going to depend on staffing, but I guess my next question is, are we continuing to try and hire as many people as we can? So do we have a goal for what we would like as a minimum when we can get them? Is it nine or? Okay. So two sets of three so that you have backup for everybody. Okay.

All right. I'm

going to jump in here. I'm going to say that we're not going to wait until we get none. I think that, you know, it's not ideal. Let's say we had four or five. I would feel comfortable starting with that. I don't feel comfortable with three. Four or five, okay.

Potentially, I don't know what kind of outreach we've done if we've really connected with people that are entrenched in an aquatics program already who might be able to send folks our way. I'm sure, you know.

Observationally and through a family, my niece works three different lifeguarding jobs during the summer, but she's a go-getter. She works every day of the week for different organizations. So I know that there's possibility of overlap, and I kind of feel like if we get the word out, because we're paying more than anybody else, we might be able to get more people for more four-hour shifts. Because no matter what they work there, they can still work for you guys if we can manage the schedule.

Every student interaction that I've had, like the student council, we brought it up, and students said, I'm applying. So I don't know if

they have,

but definitely we're trying to get the word out.

And it's lovely to get pre-trained people.

Oh, for sure. For sure. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for all your work. Very excited about this. Appreciate it. Yep. Very cool. I

just had a

quick thought.

Would it be possible, like, if it's OUSD, if it's a program, like summer school credits,

That's up to the school, but we can suggest it.

You can ask them if they'd rather money. Yeah. They'd be like, show me the money. Both. I don't

know. So just a question. If let's say. We only have three lifeguards signed up, can we. Thank you very much.

It'll be like a concert. A lot of people just lined up outside. Did you have another comment? Yeah, I think I've

said this a couple of times,

but I view this as

A temporary holding place. I agree with everything that Mr. Steingold said, and I don't often say that, but I think that the program has to be sustainable, and I don't see it being sustainable if the city is taking care of Thank you very much. Through the agenda thought, you know, county needs to be involved in this. And the thing that we didn't address is that we're still, you know, looking to have this Lane 4 consultancy come back to us and talk to us about, you know, programs and models in other communities where they've got Thank you all for joining us.

Thank you all for coming. Demand, you know, aching for a good community pool. We used to swim in the old Nordoff pool. It was kind of a disaster, but I swam in it for years. So, one, you know, additional idea that I've kicked around just as something to talk about, but Steve Bennett, When he was our supervisor, was recommending that we have a valley-wide recreation district. And what that would mean is that there would be an agency that could receive a small tax amount from every resident of the valley in order to finance the program, and then it wouldn't be You know, that would give us the potential to break even on our operations.

And, you know, I guess the last thing is that I'm just guessing from the numbers that if we charged what it costs to operate, you know, per person, we'd be Thank you.

I'm just going to reiterate that, yeah, I kind of agree with most of what's been said. I would like to move forward with some sort of family plan because if you have a certain number of kids, then it becomes expensive. It's like you can't just jaunt out to the pool. As we go down the road, think about family memberships, especially for Ojai City residents, I think would be really good. And it's possible to raise money. I think the county should kick in, for sure, and I think we should sort of push that. This seems to me to be completely reasonable.

for the county and it's not an undoable amount for them. So, you know, it's not millions and millions and millions. So I think we should do that as well. But I do want to keep the price down. I want to make it, I mean, it's a community resource and, you know, the city should fund that.

I move that we adopt the salary schedule as proposed, the entry fee, the $5,000 allocation for the fund reduced fee waiver, the hours as proposed, and receive the agreement with OUSD.

Yeah, I agree. I'd like to add to what Councilmember Rule had about, you know, the idea that you bring back a family program. I think most pools also have a monthly membership. And I think that'd be a good idea to at least look at it and make a proposition.

I'm happy to add that to say, and that we, in the near future, investigate a family plan and a monthly plan. Okay? Second, please, someone? Any more discussion? Roll call, please.

We're

gonna have a pool. All right, item number two, request for proposal for Zarzodi Park Playground reconstruction.

Yes. It's me tonight. So this was brought forward through our last commission meeting. It has been on the table for quite a while. So I am hoping that we could just review, provide input for a draft request. for proposals for the planning and design of the Sarasota Park Playground Reconstruction Project. And, you know, hopefully direct staff to proceed with issuing a request for proposals for the planning and design for the Playground Reconstruction Project.

Earlier this year, the City launched an online community survey and mail-in option through the Ojai Outlook newsletter to gather public input regarding Sarasota Park playground reconstruction. Community survey was taken to Parks and Recreation Commission for review prior to launch and was returned to the Commission at the conclusion of the survey input period for results review.

Survey results are attached to the agenda report. Listed below are primary survey results. Everyone wanted addition of shade structure covering the greater playground area, addition of climbing wall structures, slides, play opportunities for a wider age range. They would like the removal of sand and then removal of direct sunlight hot surfaces. I guess that was one big problem over there.

Survey results also express support for inclusion or addition of a water element However, City staff is not recommending that a water element be included as part of this current project. Instead, City staff requests additional time to explore the options and funding opportunities to add a water element in the future. Initial research suggested that the cost of a water element may exceed or require a significant portion of the current available project budget due to the excavation and plumbing required to support addition of water elements.

So you're just suggesting that that would come separately?

Yeah, it would come separately. So hopefully you had a chance to look over the results. And, you know, we do have the $750 state grant that is still available to us. I did speak with somebody at the California State Parks Office today. And let them know I was bringing this to council. She's very excited. I've been working with her for quite a while, so she is going to be waiting for my phone call tomorrow to let her know what was decided.

And there is an option to file for an extension in the fall if we do need it, just depending, you know, how quickly we can get this started.

So the question I have is, I see the survey results. That's really great to see. And so the request for proposal would be something like, here's what we want to do. Here's what is there. What are your ideas? That open-ended. And here's our budget. Okay.

Interesting. Yeah. And then we can provide any input from what you have to say as well.

Yeah. What I was going to add is that the way I would recommend We keep it fairly open-ended except to the extent that we've identified the different elements of the project and the expected location in the park of the project. And then we get proposals from qualified firms that could be some combination of landscape architects or other public planners who do this kind of work.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

One more comment that I received from State Parks today, as recommended to include in the RFP, if the selected planner could develop and submit a detailed build and implementation schedule, that would be included for timeline purposes.

If the extension was not requested once the deadline?

If the extension was not requested, then the deadline would be June 30, 2027, which is still doable. We can actually work all the way up until then. In March, we would write a letter and request advance payment. Outlining the circumstances and the timeline and the estimated payment schedule. I was also told that there has never been a denial of an extension before, so it seems that we might be in pretty good odds for that.

I have a question. So for the request for proposals, that will be drafted by city staff. And so at what point does the Park and Rec. Commission come in to, you know, probably maybe drafting the proposal, maybe not, but reviewing You know, so I think we should set out a process for that. That's

fine. If Council wants to direct us to draft a proposal and to take it back to Parks and Recreation, that's fine.

Yeah, I mean, I think that they put a lot of work in this, and I know they have a playground ad hoc committee.

I think that, you know, sorry to step on you, I think that would just work in concert with our belief that an extension is entirely likely, and that's a very thoughtful process. You've done a survey, and that's fine. I think that I really believe that we'll be granted an extension. I don't know that we'll need it, but just it would be nice just that way we get a feedback. We could even go to Parks and Recreation. We could come back again.

Whatever you want.

We're here tonight to get your feedback on how you want this to work. And if you want it to come back and forth a few times, that's that's fine. We're open to whatever you want to do. OK.

Yeah, I would feel comfortable having the Park and Rec's commission feedback at every phase that is reasonable to do. And, you know, I'm sure that they would move things as quickly as. Yeah. Please come up. Yeah. Yeah.

Sure.

We did do a walkthrough, like, how long ago was that? Two, three months ago, maybe? At the playground, because just to look at the site with Lindy and staff from her office and myself as part of the playground committee. And I think one of the takeaways I had was that playgrounds are an interesting project where you often can hire either through RFP or RFP, someone who will do planning, design, and installation. It's just, it's a different kind of, you know, project because often the people you're hiring are the people who make the equipment, and they can do all of those pieces. And it's a pretty simple, above the ground, you go down a little bit, but it's just not a really, really complex kind of, you know, I mean, it can be.