Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting - December 4, 2024
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Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting - December 4, 2024
The Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission held a regular meeting on December 4, 2024, at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting covered facility rentals, youth sports updates, and the winter meeting schedule. Commissioners approved the October 2, 2024 draft minutes and set a combined January/February meeting for January 22, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- October 2, 2024 Draft Minutes: Approved unanimously (6-0) with no amendments or discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the community forum or on any agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Facility Rental Update: Karina Cortez, Facilities Coordinator, presented an overview of rental facilities at Twin Pines Park (Senior Community Center, Lodge, Manor, Cottage) and the Sports Complex, along with picnic areas (Meadow, Redwood, Buckeye, Alexander Park). She reported that facilities and picnic sites hosted nearly 42,000 attendees total. The Lodge is the most rented facility. The annual wedding fair saw attendance double from 2023. Challenges include wear and tear, limited storage, and cleanup issues; solutions include lighter tables, improved communication with renters, and additional staff training. Commissioner questions focused on utilization rates, enforcement of rules, and accessibility. Staff noted that facilities are near capacity, especially on weekends.
- Youth Sports Update: Cody George, Recreation Manager, presented on athletic field usage for fiscal year 2023-2024. The city manages 12 fields used by 10 main user groups, with revenue over $144,000. Fields operate at approximately 98% capacity, seven days a week, 8 AM to 10 PM. Maintenance includes aeration, overseeding, gopher abatement (doubled contract), and irrigation repairs. An inclement weather schedule for the North Field turf field will be implemented in spring 2025. Challenges include limited field space, gopher damage at Ralston and Fox fields, and the need for lighting upgrades at South and Marina fields. Commissioners discussed fees (currently $30/player/season for residents, $53 for non-residents), gender equity, and the potential NDNU field acquisition. An AED update noted that the Sequoia Healthcare District is offering locked AED towers.
- Winter Meeting Schedule: The Commission voted to move the January 2025 meeting to January 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM, and combine it with the February meeting. The meeting will include a presentation on the Fair Play Act by a guest speaker from 6:30-7:00 PM, followed by the regular meeting. Motion passed 6-0.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Consent Calendar: October 2, 2024 draft minutes approved unanimously.
- Set Meeting Schedule: Combined January/February meeting on January 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM.
- No Formal Action on Updates: Facility rental and youth sports updates were received for informational purposes only; no votes were taken.
- Department Updates: Staff highlighted upcoming events (Winter Wonderland workshop, Santa at the Firehouse with sensory option, Winter Ball for All, holiday closures) and inclusive programming efforts.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the Parks and Recreation Commission regular meeting for Wednesday, December 4th, 2024. For meeting attendance, commission meetings, unless otherwise noted, are broadcast live to Belmont residents on Comcast, Cable Channel 27. Streamed live via the city's website at Belmont.gov. They can be viewed on Zoom. The address is HTTPS. Uh colon backslash black slash Belmont slash gov, or I guess whatever, gov slash meeting ID is 9248 319 3757. Or they can attend the meeting in the council chambers, Belmont City Hall on the second floor. For public comments, public in the count public in the council chambers, present the clerk a request to speak slip found at the table at the rear of the chamber. If participating virtually, use the raise hand feature to request to speak. For dial-in comments, call star 67 169 900 6833. Your phone number will appear on the live broadcast if star 67 is not dialed prior to the phone number. And then enter meeting ID 924 83193757 and press star nine to request to speak. All public comments are subject to a three-minute time limit limit unless otherwise determined by the chair. If you wish to submit written public comment, you may send an email to PRCom at Velmont.gov before the Commission considers the item. Please indicate the agenda item topic or agenda item number you wish to comment on in your email subject line. Any public comment regarding agenda items that are received from the time of publication of the agenda to three hours before the start of the meeting will be distributed to the commission prior to the meeting and made part of the meeting record. Written public comments will not be read during the commission meeting. The Commission chair has the authority to rule any speaker out of order, including speakers during the public comment period. If the subject raised is not within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission during a public hearing or a general business item if the speaker is not presenting testimony or evidence relevant to the matter, or if the speaker becomes disruptive to the proceedings and conduct of the meeting. Here. Commissioner Whitmore. Here. Commissioner Fox? Here. Youth Commissioner Wayne? Here. Youth Commissioner Harrison. Here. Chair Michaels is absent. Pledge of allegiance. I Pedge of the Commission. Underground. Indivisible with liberty. Okay, community forum. This portion of the meeting is reserved to persons wishing to address the commission on any city matter within the purview of the commission, 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 speaker slips or hands raised? Uh no hands raised and no speaker slips. Okay. So moving on. Commissioner announcements or agenda and amendments. Okay. That was easy. Consent calendar. Consent calendar items are considered routine in nature and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no separate discussions on these items unless a commissioner or staff requests specific items to be removed in a separate action. Okay. For the first item, first and only item are the draft minutes from October 2nd to 2024. Any amendments or comments? Does anyone want to make a motion to approve the minutes?
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