Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - July 17, 2024
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Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - July 17, 2024
The Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission held a regular meeting on July 17, 2024, at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The main agenda item was a brainstorming discussion on planning Belmont's centennial celebration, scheduled for October 2026. The commission also approved the consent calendar and received departmental updates.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the June 5, 2024 draft minutes by a unanimous vote (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Terry Cook, a former city clerk and councilmember, spoke from personal experience on the 75th anniversary committee. She recommended forming a community-driven committee with seed funding from the city council, and suggested reaching out to other cities (e.g., Millbrae, Burlingame, San Carlos) for ideas. She also noted that the historical society has resources from past celebrations.
Discussion Items
- Belmont's Centennial Celebration Discussion – Staff presented historical context, inspiration from other cities, and a series of open-ended questions about scope, funding, and community involvement. Commissioners then engaged in a free-form brainstorming session, generating a wide range of ideas including:
- Historical walks, tours, and photo stops
- Incorporating historical elements (sites like Ralston Hall, activities like golf, media like stories and photos)
- Putting a "100-year lens" on existing events (e.g., water dog run, concerts, tree giveaways)
- Gamification (e.g., 26-mile walking challenge, passport stamps for events)
- Permanent installations (art mural, centennial tree, time capsule)
- Community involvement via schools, organizations, and a possible commission for a centennial song or book
- A large culminating event like a parade down Ralston Avenue or a trip to a Giants game
- Using the centennial to advance other city goals (e.g., community center, bike connectivity) No formal decisions were made; the session was intended to generate ideas and gather input before forming a community committee.
Department Updates
- Camp Sor is in week five with strong attendance, including field trips and special activities.
- Aquatics session three starts next week; drop-in and lap swim continue.
- Parks Make Life Better Month – Parks bingo launched; mobile recreation events (next at Twin Pines Park on July 23).
- Water Dog hikes – Next hike July 18 (2:30-3:30 PM); evening off-leash hours end August 9.
- Upcoming events: Summer concert series (two remaining), Belmont Blooms gardening event (July 20), DEI talk on combating Islamophobia and anti-Semitism (July 24 – registration needed to avoid cancellation), Movies in the Parks (Super Mario Bros. on August 16).
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken on the centennial discussion; the commission will continue gathering community input and likely form a committee in the future.
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
- Staff noted that the DEI event on July 24 is at risk of cancellation due to low registration; a call was made for community members to register if interested.
Meeting Transcript
Why don't we all just look frozen and confuse people? Oh doing it. It's freezing. Okay. Okay. Awesome. Welcome to the July Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. And so just a couple of little announcements in advance for meeting participation. This 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 the city council chambers and address the commission from the chambers. We do love a live audience. And it's live today, so awesome. For public comment. So members of the public may provide comments by joining the meeting via Zoom. Visit HTTPS TTPS, colon backslash bacheloress.gov. Zoom dot us. Select join and enter the meeting ID 924 8313757. Use the hand raise feature to request to speak for a particular agenda item. You may rename your profile if you wish to remain anonymous. For dial-in comments, call star 67 669 900 683. Your phone number will appear on the live broadcast if star 67 is not dialed prior to the phone number. And enter meeting ID 924-8313757 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. 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. Awesome. So can we have a roll call, please? Commissioner Lee. Here. Commissioner Hill? Here. Commissioner Emkin. Here. Commissioner Whitmore? Here. Commissioner Liferd? Here. Chair Michaels. Here. Commissioner Fox and Youth Commissioners Harrison and Wang are absent. Thank you. And uh can we all rise for the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. One nation. Okay. Now for the community forum, public comments. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any city matter within the purview of the commission, of course, which is not on the agenda. The period for public comment at this point in the agenda is limited to a maximum of three minutes per speaker. Do we have any slips?
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