OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting – June 5, 2024

City Council — Wednesday, June 5, 2024
BodyBelmont, California
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, June 5, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

To the June Parks and Recs Commission.

0:04

Thank you so much for joining.

0:08

And so what I like to do is just kind of in terms read a little bit about meeting participation.

0:13

So the meeting will be broadcast live to Belmont residents on Comcast Cable Channel 27, streamed live via the city's website at Belmont.gov and stream live on Zoom.

0:25

The public may also attend the meeting in City Council chambers and address the commission from the chambers itself.

0:32

Always love to have people here in person.

0:35

And you could see all this information on our agenda.

0:39

Public comment.

0:40

Members of the public may provide comments by joining the meeting via Zoom.

0:45

Visit Belmont-gov.zoom dot us, select join, and enter meeting ID 924-8313757.

1:00

Use the hand raised feature to request to speak for a particular agenda item.

1:04

And you may rename your profile if you wish to remain anonymous.

1:09

For dial-in comments, call star 67 669 900 6833.

1:17

And your phone number will appear on the live broadcast if you don't dial star 6-7 first.

1:23

Enter meeting ID 924-831-937-57 and press star nine to request to speak for a particular agenda item.

1:35

All public comments are subject to a three-minute time limit unless otherwise determined by the Commission Chair.

1:43

And if you wish to submit a written public comment, you may send an email to PRCOMM at Belmont.gov before the Commission considers the item.

1:54

Please indicate the agenda item topic or agenda item number you wish to comment on in your emails subject line.

2:01

And any public comment regarding agenda items that are received from the publication of the agenda through the meeting date will be made part of the meeting record, but will not be read during the commission meeting.

2:14

Thanks.

2:15

So to start off, could we do a roll call?

2:18

Commissioner Lee?

2:19

Here.

2:20

Commissioner Emkin.

2:21

Here.

2:21

Commissioner Witmore?

2:23

Here.

2:23

Chair Michaels?

2:24

Here.

2:24

Youth Commissioner Harrison?

2:26

Here.

2:26

Youth Commissioner Wang?

2:28

Here.

2:28

Commissioner Hill.

2:30

Here.

2:31

Commissioner Fox and Lieford are absent.

2:34

Okay.

2:35

Can we all stand to do the Pledge of Allegiance?

2:42

Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic.

2:49

For which it stands.

2:51

One nation.

2:52

Under God.

2:53

Indivisible.

2:55

With liberty and justice for all.

3:01

I think with school just about ready to be out.

3:04

Some of us forgot a couple of words here and there, but that's okay.

3:08

We made it.

3:08

It's summer break for most almost almost all of us.

3:12

So okay, community forum.

3:16

Are there any slips?

3:19

No.

3:19

We have no slips and no hands raised.

3:22

Okay.

3:25

Commissioner Announcements or agenda amendments.

3:29

Is there anything folks would like to announce or amend?

3:35

Avery.

3:37

The only thing I will say is that the Belmont Park Boosters are beginning to, we're almost at the cusp of the start of the concert series in Twin Pines.

3:49

And we are always looking for folks to help volunteer.

3:53

And so you could visit our website at Belmont Parkboosters.org, which I am embarrassed to say I'm the webmaster and like I don't remember what it, but it's Belmont Park Boosters.org.

4:09

And so um yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement█████████████████████21%
Parks and Recreation████████████████████20%
Fire Prevention██████████████████18%
Environmental Protection███████████████15%
Parking█████5%
Active Transportation████4%
Procedural███3%
Economic Development███3%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting – June 5, 2024

The Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission held a regular meeting on June 5, 2024, at 7:00 PM (agenda) / 7:15 PM UTC. The meeting included presentations on fuel reduction treatments and the community center conversation, along with routine approvals and updates. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

  • May 1, 2024 Draft Minutes: Approved unanimously (5-0) with no discussion or requests for removal.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the Community Forum or during agenda items. No speaker slips or Zoom hand raises were recorded.

Discussion Items

  • Fuel Reduction Treatment Presentation – Jeremy Kahn (Dudek, registered professional forester) presented a treatment prescription for 50-foot-wide strips along trails/roads in Water Dog Lake and San Juan Canyon open spaces. The goal is to modify fire behavior to allow fire department access. Treatments include mastication (mechanical) on accessible roads and hand crews in steeper/riparian areas, leaving the forest canopy intact. Biological and cultural resource avoidance strategies were highlighted, including buffers for sensitive species. Commissioner questions addressed visual impact, percentage of open space treated (not quantified), project timeline (4–6 weeks estimated), cost ($325,000 grant), and maintenance frequency (every 2–5 years). The city plans extensive public outreach before work begins.
  • Community Center Conversation Update – Bridget (staff) presented an update on the Barrett Community Center. Key points: the 73-year-old building is beyond useful life; a 2019 conceptual design exists but is being revisited due to the pandemic, new emergencies, trends (e.g., pickleball), demographic shifts, and neighboring facilities (e.g., College of San Mateo pool). Survey responses (over 150) prioritize multi-generational spaces, flexible rooms, gym, pool, teen/senior lounges, improved parking, and ADA accessibility. Funding challenges were discussed: Belmont has lower general fund revenues per household than neighboring cities. Next steps include continued outreach, grant seeking, and potential ballot measures after November 2024 elections. Commissioners suggested adding e-bike parking, storage, and considering walkability linkages.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved (5-0).
  • Fuel reduction presentation received; no action required. Staff will proceed with finalizing the plan, submitting CEQA documentation, and selecting a vendor.
  • Community center presentation received; no action required. Staff will continue community conversations and refine the design based on feedback.
  • Next regular meeting scheduled for July 17, 2024 (not first Wednesday).
  • Meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

To the June Parks and Recs Commission. Thank you so much for joining. And so what I like to do is just kind of in terms read a little bit about meeting participation. So the meeting will be broadcast live to Belmont residents on Comcast Cable Channel 27, streamed live via the city's website at Belmont.gov and stream live on Zoom. The public may also attend the meeting in City Council chambers and address the commission from the chambers itself. Always love to have people here in person. And you could see all this information on our agenda. Public comment. Members of the public may provide comments by joining the meeting via Zoom. Visit Belmont-gov.zoom dot us, select join, and enter meeting ID 924-8313757. Use the hand raised feature to request to speak for a particular agenda item. And you may rename your profile if you wish to remain anonymous. For dial-in comments, call star 67 669 900 6833. And your phone number will appear on the live broadcast if you don't dial star 6-7 first. Enter meeting ID 924-831-937-57 and press star nine to request to speak for a particular agenda item. All public comments are subject to a three-minute time limit unless otherwise determined by the Commission Chair. And if you wish to submit a written public comment, you may send an email to PRCOMM at Belmont.gov before the Commission considers the item. Please indicate the agenda item topic or agenda item number you wish to comment on in your emails subject line. And any public comment regarding agenda items that are received from the publication of the agenda through the meeting date will be made part of the meeting record, but will not be read during the commission meeting. Thanks. So to start off, could we do a roll call? Commissioner Lee? Here. Commissioner Emkin. Here. Commissioner Witmore? Here. Chair Michaels? Here. Youth Commissioner Harrison? Here. Youth Commissioner Wang? Here. Commissioner Hill. Here. Commissioner Fox and Lieford are absent. Okay. Can we all stand to do the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. For which it stands. One nation. Under God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for all. I think with school just about ready to be out. Some of us forgot a couple of words here and there, but that's okay. We made it. It's summer break for most almost almost all of us. So okay, community forum. Are there any slips?

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