Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting

consent calendar. We'd love to see you in the audience. Thank you for coming. We have our minutes from our regular meeting of June 4. Do I have any edits, questions, concerns on the minutes?

I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from the June 4, 2026

meeting. Thank you. And can we call the roll please? Chair Taylor? I'll abstain because I wasn't at the meeting. OK,

Vice-Chair Ender?

Yes.

Commissioner Bailey?

Thank you. And rapidly moving on to our presentations, we have our discussion items for the Sarasota playground reconstruction update. We'd like to receive and discuss that. And we're so excited that you're here joining us tonight. So thank you.

Thank you for having me tonight. So I'm here to give you an update on the Sarasota, the long awaited Sarasota playground equipment. So this has been in front of city council. It's been in front of you folks a couple of times because I've been here presenting to you and Christy has put out a survey y'all have put out a survey and we've got the results back so we know some of the some of the equipment that the community wants. So Christy has that information And the direction that I had received was that an RFP would be going back to City Council for the purchase and installation, for the construction of the playground. So after talking with Christy in depth about this we kind of really broke down the process and I know that we've got a grant that we have got the time is ticking and we really don't want to get behind and we really want to make sure we can optimize that and utilize it So that's what this is all about.

So as I was walking through it and talking through it with Christy, I came up with a solution that we think would be more expeditious and more efficient. So I just want to kind of lay that out for you because it's not an RFP. So an RFP would have been a process by which we would go out to vendors, consultants who would help us sort of design this playground and after talking about it, we already have the footprint. We know the space where the playground is going. We know the equipment that we want to purchase so we have an opportunity. We're required as public agency to adhere Public contract code and law, and competitively bid a process. Whether it be a widget, gym equipment or street paving anything.

But we also have another opportunity and what it is called, it's called a cooperative agreement. And so this is a process that is well within the law. It's encouraged actually. And it is a process where other public agencies have already bid this similar work. And so we are able to, the term is piggyback on their bid and their negotiated unit prices. So it really worked out well for us because unlike Christy What who's the vendor you want to use and so she said it's play well, so we went and looked and play. Well, we have a cooperative agreement with them. So it worked out beautifully.

So what weird what the next step is is Christie will has invited Playwell representatives to come out look at the space that we have identified and will give them the pieces of equipment that we want and they can kind of just eyeball it and see how things are going to work So once that happens, we'll know what the price is and the cost of the equipment itself. So I sort of see this will be a two-city council meeting item. One, we would be going to council to purchase the equipment which is about We think it's about an eight to 12 week lead time, which isn't bad. I mean- Great. When we were looking before it was much longer. Much, much longer. So fingers crossed that they're not just saying that. But anyways, we can avoid a lot of the other time gaps that we would be wasting time on.

So anyways, Christy will be having them out next week to meet her at the site to look at the equipment that we want. The playground equipment that we want will take an item to council to authorize the purchase of that and after we do that, we would be putting together some specifications for the installation of the equipment and everything else which would be a competitively bid process so we will go out to bid and we will be required to accept the low bid So and that will be for we're going to group it all together. So it'll be for the fence, whatever shade structure we end up with the equipment installation and we will be getting the specifications from the manufacturer. For example how deep the footings need to be for the swings you know so they don't you know and then whatever base material we plan on using So it's really a much, much more streamlined process.

And since we know a lot of the answers already, we don't really need to hire a design team to come out and design a playground for us. It's a finite space with already determined equipment. I just have a question on that.

I'm not clear that it's already determined equipment because The number of options are unbelievably a lot. I mean, we're going with Playwell so it's Playwell equipment but they have a lot of different stuff. Climbing, you know various different things. So there's a lot that goes into that and then my other question is really about the ADA decisions about how much we're going to do?

And that's a pretty big thing that we haven't fully, that's not fully flushed out yet. But we'll need to know that before we decide on the equipment we're gonna get and then the surfacing is gonna be a part of what we decide. Anyway so I think there are some...I don't think it's simple. Okay! I think it's much simpler than what we were talking about and I love the idea and I think Playwell is a fine partner they have a lot of good equipment and a lot of options but I guess It feels like we're about to make a decision next week. Well, when Playwell comes out, we're just talking about them and when they come out whatever feedback they get is what they're going to design and build off. What they're building our package out that's what they'll have and that's where their ...

What comes back from them will be based on what happens next week is really kind of what I'm hearing in my mind the way it's being laid out.

And I would defer to Christy because you will be talking to them

Yeah, so what they're going to see are the answers from the survey. They're going to see the area and they're going to see what the community wants and then they can put together the pieces more than one. Example right and then we can have the playground ad hoc committee Come we can talk about it,

but I actually think it'd be nice for the play the committee to be there Okay with the meeting if I would love that here firsthand what they're saying and to have some understanding of you know Talking to them and they'll have their catalog there. There's gonna be a lot It'll likely be an iterative process Yes And that's all I wanted to make sure is we're not moving so fast That we don't have points to participate and I understand the urgency to get it done and I'm right there with you So that we don

And even if Brenda, I know she's on a trip. Even if she is not back, you're available? I don't know that we have an alternate person to attend on an ad hoc but at least one of them could be there.

Yeah, and then I guess the. I mean, I think it's very exciting, but I like the process. I like to have more than one option because the other thing is we haven't done all of our homework. We know what a pool of money we have for the grant, but there's likely other ways to match that money and get maybe more money. And so I'd like to make sure that where we have options too on how we're going to buy based on maybe going out to get some grant money To do it so that we can have, you know, because the money is never going to go as far as we think it's going to go with this project. And I know it seems like a lot of money but with all that's gonna go on and the surfacing and all that, it adds up pretty quick. So I like the idea of having options.

Yeah, and I would just caution you. I think the grant expires June of 27. Yep. So we're not trying to rush this through, but we're trying to get it moving. We know we need to get it moving. Yes.

This has to be submitted for reimbursement or the project has to be finished by June?

Initiated. Actually what we have to do is file for an extension this fall. So then we'll know. But it's not

guaranteed, right? It's not

guaranteed. So June of 27 isn't the actual current deadline? It is. That is. That is. It's

the current deadline.

And you don't think will be done by June of 27? I do. Oh, why are we filing an extension then?

Just to make sure. In

case we're not, yeah. But what triggers it really is an expenditure and that's why we're trying to buy the equipment. Is that right? Well but it's all of the expenditure.

Are we allowed to submit in parts?

Incremental? Oh yes.

OK.

Yes.

Yeah. So we could make this purchase, submit it and then...

We started

the project. Maybe ask for the extension on the install as a cautionary measure?

And Sage to your point sometimes and I don't know the specifics of this grant. I'm just kind of peripherally involved in that but a lot of times an illustration of movement on a project... Exactly yes. ...continues on and it helps the granting agency realize their money is being spent how it's intended. So I think that's what you were relating to. Yes, and

I think that buying the equipment is definitely a big step forward. Yeah.

I do have to fill out the progress reports every month. And so sometimes it's 0%. They've been pretty simple so far. But sometimes it's we did the survey and they're very

happy. Well even sometimes staff time qualifies. OK. I

think this will look really great. Yeah, me too. Just one question. The base material, what was the feedback on? I'm not sure that that was included in the survey. It was

actually. Really the only feedback was no sand. That's the feedback.

I was sharing with Sage earlier that I just went to Paso Robles a week before last and they have an amazing community park right in the heart of Paso Robles and their playground was used as early as about 738 in the morning until just at dark. It was really impressive and I did take some pictures that I'll share but they had no sand, very clean.

What did they have?

They had like the compressed, I assume it's tires maybe but it's rubber.

So the whole thing is yeah and so it's probably... No wood chips. So it's mostly ADA accessible for the whole playground.

Yes, there was an area that's kind of off to the side and I'm trying to think what kind of material they had over there. Maybe it might have been ground up tires but immaculately clean. The equipment is so clean, the surface area is clean and also their restrooms were quite impressive if you ever are up there Something to think about for Libby is their community designed restrooms also very clean with the centralized sharing

sink. Multiple stalls that are non, they're just

individual. Non-gender neutral I think there were six of them and then they have individual doors and then you walk out and it's very open like pass through wise and the sinks are like a trough style on both sides Very functional and again, really clean. But the equipment was the most impressive thing was seeing all ages spread out through a pretty small...really no bigger than Sarasota Park and the different pieces of equipment that they had being used by all the different ages all at the same time was really laid out and very impressive so you might be able to see it like on their website or on Google or something I don't know but I was impressed at the amount of use going

Though I'm not on the ad hoc committee, I would like to be present if that's possible when we meet with Playwell. As

long as Brenda is not there. Yeah, as long as Brenda is not

there because if

Brenda is there it creates a

weekend

of more than

two. I see, I see. If she's not there please let me know. I was at a couple of parks recently and with this in mind two very different parks one was in Novato Accessible and I think they might have done a lot of work very specifically around that. And so, I brought back some ideas from that that I would love to share probably with you Christy. And then I was at a very different park in the Presidio above the tunnels which is really lovely, very natural with engineered wood chips and like the wood structures and so forth but two very different parks both seeming to be well loved.

So anyhow...

All right.

Young kids with differing abilities to you know, kind of communicate the things that they wanted to do at the park to families even if they were nonverbal. It was like a point at this all the structures at the park were kind of on a sign and so they could you know say this is what I want to do to whoever their caregiver was it was with them. I thought that was really nice and inclusive.

So that meeting is next week, which is great. Very beginning of the month. So is the hope that we could get to one more meeting here before?

The meeting is not set for next week. I'm actually calling them tomorrow after this meeting and then we're going to set it for next week.

And I don't have any preconceived timelines. No. OK, great.

You're thinking bringing it back here for a final approval from the commission before it goes to council? Is that what you're suggesting? I

would love to be able to bring back what they send us and just present it and get feedback. And just have people have an opportunity to talk about it here at the public meeting.

OK. So that would be at our September meeting, which would be great for those listening today. They could plan to attend the September meeting to go over final...

If we're there. We can't, I mean... Well that's the goal but otherwise we'll have an update. It will be on the agenda either way I think because we're getting moving and we're going to keep it at the front of things. Because I think that, yeah. I just think it'd be nice to be able to do that for the community.

And once this body decides and agrees on the components then we can certainly take it to council for approval for the purchase of said components. Perfect. Yeah and then...

And does Playwell not install?

Well they might The problem with that is we cannot sole source it because there are other people who do it. It's the size of the budget, right? It's the size of the project. If it were over $2 million, we would have the ability to sole source it. We don't have that ability. So we're going to buy them, buy the equipment and have somebody install. If they want, they could bid that. If

they're the lowest

bidder, they could end up

doing

it. It's the lowest qualified

bidder. The term is responsible and responsive bidder is what it really is. But I'm going to shorten it and say just the lowest bid because we will make sure if they are responsible or responsive. So it could be? It probably won't be because they're not local This will in all likelihood be a local that it's not a big job. It's not, it's not going

to store the equipment. Is that something that? Because I've experienced this before where we split the bid purchased all the materials and then it sits tarped for nine months waiting for somebody to install it and it deteriorates or it gets you know infested. Or you don't know what

you needed to know when

you got it. Yeah, well just something that they actually make sure...

Let me just say if we have a lead time when we put out the specifications for the bid for the installation we will let them know what the ETA is And hopefully coordinate that because there will be some work required at the site before this comes. There'll be some grading, removal of the sand and removal of the fence. We're going to take the fence down, the sound out all that. So hopefully we can coordinate those.

That's what we always like to try to do.

If not you have more open space than you used to. Exactly. Right, and that area of the park hasn't found its new... what it's going to become yet so it might be...

So we hope there's enough lead time once we order until we receive and we can be out to bid at that point and hopefully we can have a start date very close to that date of receipt.

Great I think this is really good. I think it's a great plan. I'm glad we were able to find a path A simpler path. Indeed,

I agree. When we started talking, there's an easier way. There just has to

be. That's great.

Well thank you!

You're welcome,

yeah. I think they are looking for a recommendation from the commission on that? Recommend and propose?

Receive an update.

Any other questions or someone who would like to make a recommendation? Or I can. I'll make a motion that the commission recommend that we move forward with the process to purchase the equipment separately from installation services in order to expedite construction and ensure compliance with the grant deadline.

I'll second that.

OK, and can we get a roll call?

Wonderful

Yeah, thank you very very much. Thank you,

thank you very much. Okay we kind of got the playground ad hoc update unless you have something further you'd like to add? No no okay

and

Mike, please.

I visited the pool. So we met with Christy, and I think it was post-opening and just kind of checked in and she expressed how things were going. And then on a separate occasion, I went and visited the pool and saw it in full use. Somebody seated outside to accept signatures and payment and lifeguards on duty, and it looked wonderful. So I don't think there was anything that Other particular, if you can help me recall it came from when we met for a moment with the ad hoc committee. Was there anything else that you recall from that meeting?

Christy?

No I think we were just talking about attendance and how it was going.

Yeah, sure. So we just got the numbers back from the last week and it looks like Sundays are the biggest hit so Sunday August 2nd We had a hundred and nine participants

Throughout the day. Yeah, it's just daily totals but Honestly, it's come up to maybe 60 average daily Which I think in the very beginning probably when I spoke with you Commissioner Bailey, it was maybe like 20 or 30 So it's definitely coming up

And

is there a

specific time of day that you are sort of keeping track as to what the more popular hours of the day are? It's

different. Or getting

a feel for, what are the hours of the day that we're open? Because I know each kind of have changed them a couple times.

So it's Monday through Friday 11-3 and then Sunday 2-6. It's really been that for the whole time. So it seems like Mondays are maybe the slowest than the other days, but the times of day is pretty much the same.

The two to six compared to ending at three? Are you seeing more people there at four or five in the evening after work hours?

No, they usually all come right at two or three. I think it's just because it's a weekday. I mean, I'm sorry, a weekend so more families come at that time.

Do we have any data on the swim lessons on Saturday?

I don't have any data of recent, but I do know that they were all filling up. Every single class was filling up. So you're

still just going to do one day of swim lessons?

For now.

Not like 14 days of swim lessons?

Like

to learn how to swim? Well it's a

session. It's not summer

sessions.

They're just doing

the Saturday sessions.

Yeah, it's just Saturday and it's like a six week session or something. So it does go in sessions. But

that's a good question for next year because I mean all of this is leading up to what do we do in a full summer when everyone has time and it would hopefully be the four day a week. So just

lessons on Saturday? No open swim on Saturday?

No. And that wasn't even just summer specific? Are they going to keep that going after the summer or that discussion hasn't been had yet?

Hasn't been had yet. Find out for you, though.

Because then that is a good question whether you could have Saturdays and Sundays for lap and free swim if they're not going to do that. During the

school year?

Yeah.

OK. Sorry. Thank you, Christine. You're welcome. Back up to commissioner member reports. Do you have anything else that you'd like to share with the playground update, pool update, anything else that you've caught your eye throughout the month

This will be under the manager's report, the activity guide. You're going to talk about that? Excellent.

Yeah, no nothing. Just I've been keeping my eye on parks as I've been traveling around. We did a little traveling last week and so taking a few pictures here and there but I'll send those to Christy just to take into consideration. Same,

okay. How about you Sage? Well, I just want to say the timing of the pool opening not that we had much control over it was perfect It really was, right? Because this month every single day has been above average for all of July. Yeah,

it's really been super, really warm for sure. Okay and I don't have anything other than what I already shared about my playground observations as well. Oh actually I do have one other thing so while I was in Paso Robles with my family and my dogs we did go to a dog park and it was really large like I would say three or four times as big as the one that we have at Soule Park. And you know what? I noticed there was no one there. I was shocked! We were the only ones with a whole park tour. It was probably almost an acre of property. It was huge. It's set up, it's small dog and big dog and stuff.

But that was really interesting. Yeah, and it was very well maintained, very popular For for my dogs, but not I was surprised that nobody was there. So that was really fun Like in the 90s. Yeah, it's warm But anyways, it just was interesting to see how other cities are using their space so Moving on to your managers reports.

Yes, so we do have the fall guide out now if everyone has received it And I have to say the biggest update that we have so far is the Holiday trolley light tour We've got 12 sold-out nights. Oh, that's great And we are only selling these tickets in person So we have had a line at the door since Tuesday morning at 9 a.m That's right and how many are on each?

28 28 right is 28. Yeah Are you Yeah, we can actually run two at a time. So we're taking wait lists and things like that. Oh, that's a good way to do it. Yeah. So once we start filling them all up then we'll open up more days.

And then so walk us through what that looks like. You get on the trolley and you drive through a specific route or just to look at Christmas lights and

such? Actually meet at the rec department. We do have hot chocolate. We've got movie playing. And then you wait, you know for the trolley to arrive. You board the trolley we go as far as Burnham Yes, there's quite a few on Burnham So we go all the way down there so we do have the normal route that we've been taking the past two years which I believe I'm gonna keep but We are gonna put out a social media post soon Letting people know, you know Do you have a favorite neighborhood that we don't go to or are you on this route where you might want to participate? Oh, that's great. So yeah, I'm the ghost tours. I remember were really popular Are those those are up too? Yeah doing the same thing where it's in-person ticket sale so okay

Mm-hmm

Yeah, and then of course gymnastics We do have a brand new skinnier gymnastics class That has been taking off and it's been a lot of fun. So what days are that? I believe that is Tuesday night. And that's drop-in? It is drop-in, yeah. It's drop-in. So Stacey has been teaching that.

Is the senior hikes...I noticed you have the senior page...is the hike at a new Offering? We had that last season, yeah. There's quite a few senior strength and line dancing I see too. Is that new? Line dancing has been going for a little

while now. Yeah the seniors is pretty

new. So there's two different times now? You don't see bridge on here. You have bridge, don't you? You have a bridge group? They just come in and organize themselves. They

do.

Yeah, they do.

Like

a drop-in. Is that

just in the week? We haven't had that during the summer because of summer camp. We've only had Wednesday open for the seniors and drop-in game room while everybody's out on their field trips on Wednesdays. So next week we'll be back in business.

I love the facilities page too. That's really nice if someone wants to rent something or just are not familiar with the community, that's really great.

How have the summer camps been going?

Oh, so well. So well.

That's

great. Yeah. I don't know if you have Facebook or if you're included on the Ojai Rec Department Facebook but we're putting updates every week and showing what's been going on at the camp. It's really fun to watch.

I know some people who are involved and they're really happy, and the kids are loving it. And I'm just glad

it's being offered. Yeah, they're having a really good time.

Do they, have they gone to do like a swim day? Do the camps, are they utilizing the pool at all? Not yet.

No? No. But they did go to the water park. They went to Casitas Water Park but hopefully next summer we'll have that happen every Friday yeah.

And you've had some water features there I think right? Did you have

some water

play

there? Oh yeah! We got a big slip and slide thing with a big rainbow that shoots out water and it worked perfect.

Well, the guide is lovely. Yeah, that's a great

offering.

Concerts.

Concerts. Our next summer concert series is coming up August 22nd. It's going to be a local group, Ojai Department of Rhythm. So they'll be coming up on the 22nd and then possibly one the week after but I'll announce that when I'm confirmed.

It's so nice you guys are adding things. There's lots going on and I think historically we've been... We used to be pretty limited by the book If the book was out, we weren't adding things. And I just am so appreciative that we are adapting as we go with social media available and all the kinds of ways we have to communicate now. We don't need to be limited when good ideas come that are viable. I really appreciate that you're just adding new things like crazy.

Yeah, and we're just doing pop-ups. Right now it's not in here but there's an event called Center Stage that's going to happen I believe it's August 15th. And so anybody that you know likes to read poetry or sings or does music or whatever they want to do will have it in the multipurpose room and each person gets I believe seven minutes And they'll have an

audience. It's like

an open

mic? Open mic. OK. Amazing. And it's in the, at what time is it going to be?

3.

Sorry.

630 to 830.

Perfect. Thank you. I just want

to make sure people catch it. Yeah. So we've opened that up. Whoever would like to come, I did purchase a big JBL speaker that has microphones that we can use. Oh now you're ready for karaoke night. Ready for karaoke.

Okay. So that's, so you're putting all this stuff out? I'm not a Facebook person and not much of a social media person but this is all out on all the social media so people if they're following or if you're not and you're out there listening follow because there are things popping up all the time.

All the time. Facebook Instagram. The city's page the newsletter. Yep flyers look around town come to the department We have fliers all outside new flyers up So or just come in and ask Colin ass,

and I just wanted to I really like the Thursday Social Club for seniors It's they're off their free activities in there throughout the year each month there's different activities on the first and third Thursdays Lay

did like a mocktail event. Oh, I saw that. Oh that's

different than the senior program. You did that already? Uh-huh. And are these all different who's running like the bingo and the family feud game day and things like that is it? That would be Lay

yeah at staff. Yeah we do that.

Mm-hmm attendance been good. Yeah, I think it's lovely The more things we can do where people can drop in and it's free III love that we're doing so much for seniors. I think that's great I think our next goal needs to be as we've talked about teens teens really kind of it's a similar you're gonna have a similar look to what we're doing like in the

I would like to mention that for the past two weekends I did try a teen swim night at the pool Saturday night, which the most attendance we got was

four.

It's so new. Things take time. We also did a skate night, which we're going to do this week too, Friday night at the skate park. Totally cleaned up the skate park. I had the maintenance crew out there power washing, cutting down these vines. They really did a great job so they finished today and it looks great.

If we ever get this shade sales put up there was some controversy I know with the placement with the change of the superintendent who he revisited that at all because didn't we already purchased them? No,

but we do have a lot of our easy ups at the Recreation Department. I'm thinking of just like zip tying to EasyUp.

They used to do that and you can't do it for safety reasons. Oh really? Because they bring their own but then they were They really do the

wind can really pick up

and because they're skating in their polls.

They do make a I did see a new sandbag design that clips on to you put one on all for it like clips on to probably somehow secure them to hold it down but the wind can really pick those up quite with

We'll have to put this back on the agenda because it isn't agendized But I think it's something to put back as a future agenda item is to come back to that because

it's been so hot at the skate So and speaking of shade, I did want to bring up that the city is working very closely with climatech They're doing a lot of energy saving Changes in our buildings And one thing that they were looking out for Libbey Park Was creating some type of shade for solar panels to actually power the snack bar and different things around there So we did a walk-through last week at the park They're living here. It's