Okay, welcome everybody.

Um, like to call to order the uh regular meeting of the parks and recreation trees advisory commission, September 17th, 2025.

Um can I please have roll call?

Bordona here.

Stoltz.

Here, on a key here.

Richard.

Sorry.

Strong here.

Wallace are here.

Um, is absent and sedu is absent.

Thank you.

Um agenda review, uh, pretty straightforward agenda.

We have public comment, approval of minutes, and then we're gonna be doing a commission workshop on leadership alignment.

Um, and we'll have comments by commissioners and staff, and then we'll move to adjournment.

Um I'm not seeing anybody here from public comment.

Um, so we'll move to item four, which is approval of minutes.

Is anybody having comments or questions on the minutes?

If so, I'd like to move the minutes before we do that.

I do need to add a clarification, Elijah.

Sorry about that.

Sorry, Joe.

Oh, it's okay.

Um for comments by commissioners and staff number seven this year's gift guide.

Um I can email you what it is, but it's the NAPA can do give guide.

Okay.

So just a distinction.

So I I would move to approve the minutes with that change.

Second.

All in favor?

I motion passes unanimously.

Okay.

Um to the meat of the matter.

Uh is that how you spell commission?

What?

No.

Uh commission works.

It is not, but it is still the commission workshop, no matter how you spell it.

Okay.

Yeah, so maybe I should take them off and then we don't even know.

Um anyway, um, this is going to be led by Director Brandt and Ms.

Koenig, correct?

Uh I'm going to introduce our facilitator.

Um, if I may.

Um good evening, Commissioners.

I wanted to take just a couple of minutes to kind of cue up the conversation and the workshop that we have uh lined up before you here this evening.

As you know, um work started back in 2023 when our parks conditions report came out, and we kind of um prioritized our focus into repairing our feeling infrastructure and doing work in the parks on some of our high priority fixes.

Um as we worked the past couple years, staff have continued to hear from the community as well as you have that not only is there a desire from the community to fix what's broken, but there is a true desire out there to add some things into our park network, some missing amenities and some gaps in the services that we're providing to the community.

Uh, fast forward to last year, we were fortunate to have the voters support uh measure G, which created additional sales tax revenue for the city.

And that is putting us in a position where for the first time in a very long time we can actually talk about adding adding new amenities amenities or services into our network.

Our existing parks and facilities master plan is coming up on about 15 years old, and there still is um some good guide guidance in that document.

Um, but we wanted to take this moment as we're starting to perhaps talk about future investments and connect with the community and make sure you we're tracking in the right direction and seeing if there's any um missing pieces that we might need to analyze or incorporate further.

So we have launched a community engagement program.

The very first part of that community engagement program was a statistically valid or a controlled survey, which we're just starting to get the results back on, and we will be sharing with you at an upcoming meeting.

And then we did an in-person meeting for the community as well.

Invited the community to come in person and kind of share some insights with us.

And then launching today is the open survey.

So the same survey that we had, the control group do.

We are now opening community-wide and inviting everyone to provide us information and feedback on what they like about our existing system and what they'd like to see in the future as it relates to parks, trails, open space, trees, and recreational facilities in general.

Today, as we um we're engaging our our two um key commissions as like strong stakeholder groups, obviously the park recreation and trees commission, and then as well, um the senior commission went through the same activity this afternoon.

Um so our focus here today is just kind of general-wide um feedback on the park system, but I did want to uh frame this conversation up.

Um City Council last night approved uh the purchase of the Harvest Middle School campus, which was approved by the school board last Wednesday night.

So we are officially in escrow uh for an uh 90-day close on that property.

Um, as we talked at a previous meeting, that is 27 acres of space.

Um, and so we will uh in the new year be going to council with a site specific plan and how we would master plan that site.

But this work we're doing right now is definitely gonna be instrumental in kind of creating the foundation and the key things that we think will ultimately um maybe incorporated into that design.

So general feedback on everything and also on the side, knowing that's that's on the horizon for us.

So with that, I'm really excited to introduce um.

We have Adam Probolski here with us today, Probolski Research.

He's been leading our surveys for us, he facilitated our community meetings, and he is doing the leadership workshop.

So, right now he's the keeper of all the feedback.

Adam, very much.

You guys will entertain it.

We'll we'll go through um bit of uh exercise here to get everybody's voice, uh, make sure everybody everybody's voices heard, um, hopefully move from ideas to a place where you've got some things that could be taken action on.

Uh and uh look theoretically, what we're doing is kind of anonymous, you know, so everybody's gonna have the same little yellow uh stickies, so feel free to you know put all your your big ideas out there.

Um the the goal is to keep it uh on topic, but if we do find something that is off topic, we'll put it right here because we don't want to dismiss it.

We just want to be able to put it to another time, and uh with that, uh, we're gonna start with uh.

We'll start with a little simple exercise that uh gets on the table all the things that you love about Napa Parks that you think are going really well, the things that are moving the city forward in front of you.

You have uh post-it notes, you have a marker, you also have some uh stickers that we'll use later on.

Um, I just want you all to to come up with all the things that you think really is moving forward, moving us forward as a city when it comes to parks.

Uh I'm gonna use a little bit of an analogy here.

Uh, a sale mode.

So, well, we're going to pretty crude cell mode.

And here's the water line.

So all the things that are moving the city forward, happy with positive.

Uh, uh things going well.

Uh, uh accolades, have at it.

You got about five or so minutes.

Grab your your yellow sticky notes and write like a word or two or three, uh, no more than that on each uh on each sticky note, but different ideas, different things on each note, so we can put them up here and start categorizing them.

So have at it.

Adam, this could be general or specific.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

This hyper specific as you want, or as broad as just praising, you know, one part of the system.

What's no, no, no.

Is if if I can read it, I mean, you're not gonna be able to read my handwriting, so if you know if I can read your spelling, it's okay.

Since commission was spelt wrong, I think you got you all get a pass for the rest of the evening.

Yeah, and write as many as you want, because I think it's good to get it all out on the table, all the things that you think are going right.

Um, doesn't mean that those things can't be better, but if you're really happy with it, it's probably a good idea to put it down, so we can figure that out.

If you're done, just put them up top and we'll start with it.

Okay, so pretty you made it pretty simple for us.

Um, we've got some themes that you came up with.

So we've got uh volunteer kind of activities and and um and uh softer stuff, like uh, you know, a great staff, and and then you've got discussion about uh the activities or activities for kids, activities for adults, uh broad range of programs.

Uh there's a whole lot of commentary here about the urban forest and trees, and and uh that's something you guys are all really on to.

And then there's a whole section here on maintenance and uh facilities and the fact that those things are going well.

So you kind of made it very easy on me.

Uh but that's kind of exciting, right?

You've you you you have a sense of what you love about the the parks, and um is there anything we do we miss any subject now that you're hearing this?

Do we miss anything that uh we should have put down there?

Okay.

But let's figure out all the things that are holding the city back when it comes to parks, open space, trees, recreation, um, what is a services, what is it that could be improved, uh that uh that you wish was different.

Any of those framings of ways of saying it, you know, one, two, three words would be helpful so we can put into categories.

We're just gonna go uh I don't know what I mean, um, or here, some more later.

Uh, but that's what's holding us back, is where we're gonna put this stuff down there.

So have at it.

Tell us all the things that you wish was different, uh, that you think can be improved, that you want to see happen.

Um, but also if we identify, you know, the the easier things, the smaller things that can happen tomorrow that might really be able to happen right away and make a difference.

I talked to most of you I think before this commission meeting a couple of weeks ago and I got a lot of notes from you.

So I'm expecting a lot of a lot of uh ideas to come this way.

None of you were shy about uh the things that you thought should uh change.

Or opportunities that were available to you or for the city.

we've got some themes on what we can improve.

Um we've got uh a need for activities for uh youth and teens, uh activities in general.

There's a little category here.

Um there's discussion about um uh database decisions, which uh hopefully the data from the statistically ballot survey from the uh open survey uh will hopefully inform some decision making or at least an understanding of what the community thinks and wants and feels.

Uh so that I think is is uh in probably in good hands.

Um, municipal golf course uh is pretty bad, so I need to improve that.

There's a whole section here, the biggest part is on facilities, bathrooms, and um community for a community center, pool, uh, pickleball, uh, splash pad, which is something that came up in the uh community uh uh work workshop.

Um there's uh strong county uh uh council commission engagement.

So something I I heard in our conversations.

Uh money in general.

Uh I assume that's wanting more of it for parks and uh um the things you all look at.

And then there's uh a whole section there on the urban forest and and vegetation.

Uh shade, I think is a pretty easy one.

Um, so that's where we're at.

My goal now is to keep this process going and have you all come and look at everything from below the water line, uh, and take your stickers and come on down and vote.

Uh each of you take five stickers.

So five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty five.

We should have twenty five up there.

You're on the honor system.

Um, and uh it's a yeah, sort of anonymous.

So just get in there and put the stickers.

Just yeah, all the just the ones below the water one.

Because we're gonna look at, you know, what we um uh, yeah, what we can change and prove.

You can put them all on the same one or different ones, or whatever you want to do.

You have full autonomy on where stickers go for anything below the water line.

Five, five, five, yeah.

On the auto system.

Uh yeah, yeah, sure.

Yeah.

Okay.

Pretty focused uh effort here.

Uh we've got um a focus on community center.

Um and um uh and and other facilities.

There's also talk of pool and and uh pickleball in here, so facilities in general, physical plant.

Um there's talk of access.

Um so uh that's inclusive playground, that's um uh for differently abled for presuming other other parts of your uh park system.

Um there's some focus on uh improving the golf course, and then there's this big section here focused on trees but also vegetation management.

Um so the the goal now, and uh uh I I hope you all keep entertaining me with with sticky notes.

Um the idea now is to say, okay, how do we solve some of these problems or make improvements in these areas?

Uh, you know, how might we actually attack this and do something?

And again, the sky's the limit.

Uh think through.

Uh, you know, we've got community center, pool, uh, pickleball, we've got access for differently abled, we've got golf course, and we've got trees slash vegetation.

Take as many or all or one, uh, but I want solutions.

Uh, hopefully you do too.

So grab one and put two, three words of solution for each one of these problems.

And you can have multiple, right?

You could have a uh five solutions for how you want to address physical plant, like pool and and um uh and and community center.

You could have a few suggestions on how to fix the golf course.

Just have at it.

Um, because we're gonna then prioritize where those things how to actually do some of this stuff.

Uh theoretically.

So, yeah, so go for it.

Put a new sticky note for every uh idea you have, how to address uh improving physical uh facilities or or bring them to town, how to create environments for uh of accessibility for people, how to fix up the golf course, and how to give all the attention to trees that uh that you all think we should.

And there could be two solutions, ten solutions to each one of these things.

It doesn't really uh um it could be super simple or it could be very complex.

It could be, you know, a hundred million dollar project or a fifty dollar project.

Um, I don't know.

Uh no, we'll come pick them up.

I'll come pick them up.

Uh good point.

Um, you're welcome to come put them up here.

Uh if if you if you think we can figure it out, we can we'll uh we'll do it.

Otherwise, come on up.

And I know this is not supposed to be a competition, but the senior commission like had a lot of ideas, guys.

So, you know.

And it's gonna be on this chart and uh, let's see what's going on too.

Yeah, so we're gonna have to be here.

So I'm gonna explain why you're for writing.

Um this is impact over here, this is effort.

And so theoretically, things that show up here are gonna be high impact and relatively lower efforts.

So things that could happen pretty quickly.

Uh and then uh over here would be uh high impact, but also like a lot of effort.

So probably long term products and that uh to be able to require other resources.

Uh down here, uh lower impact and lower effort, so not such a priority necessarily, and over here, lower impact and and high effort, and so even more of a challenge and less less likely to happen.

So I think the things that will come up here are probably the only way to be most likely to be entertained, I guess.

So uh, So I'm going to be responsibility for these either though we call it a response to where we see the hopefully we've accomplished something here in identifying her and kind of seeing what's perhaps viable and and what uh what could happen pretty quickly.

So um I it doesn't mean it's easy to do uh because some of these things have some comprehensive nature to them, but it looks like uh in the in the high impact and relatively uh lower effort, um leverage NGOs and nonprofits, that's something that can be done, you know, some staff work, some some volunteer work, uh audit current management plan, uh, and that can be done somewhat informally.

Um, inclusive future planning, again, kind of that's something going forward, so it can be built in.

Uh develop maintenance plan, which I assume there's something surrounding that, but maybe that's beefing it up, and then uh prioritize uh you know uh unmet needs.

So look at the survey data warms my heart, and then identify things that are are clearly what people uh care about and and focus in on those things.

So uh if if you all were, you know, right in the checks, it looks like this is what we could accomplish sooner than later.

This is maybe recommendations from you all that could move forward quickly.

And then there's uh a lot of things here in the high effort categories, um, you know, that that again, there's a little bit of subjectivity here, but like the idea of uh, you know, the master plan for Harvest Middle School, um, really important and something I'm sure is on the table, but really expensive and and uh and a big undertaking.

Um, master plan again, something like that, big undertaking.

Um, and then uh, like something like a establish and maintain paths and parks and things like that.

Um, high high effort and perhaps you know, a a impact, lower impact because a smaller number of people necessarily might um might uh actually use it necessarily.

And then something like a strategic grant funding, great idea, but maybe the limited number dollars out there might not make it so such a viable choice today at this moment.

So here we have our our you know, relatively easier to do and high impact.

Um, uh, you know, the question is, did we did we did we hit the mark here?

Did we get everything here that you all wanted to be on this on this map of this uh of all these ideas?

Are we missing any concepts?

Can you get your mic, Rayner?

Just because I want to make sure that you're on the audio.

Thank you.

Ultimately, the city council is the one with the most intervention points available to it.

You know, some of us who sat on are sitting on multiple uh commissions realize that it's an overlap.

There's frequently major overlaps between departments on sam similar goals, like with public works on street trees and uh and community developments uh also on plantings in public right-of-ways.

Uh and uh my the impression I'm getting is that uh some of those departments are still stuck in the 19th and 20th century, and they just haven't adopted the BMPs yet that Phoenix and Tucson and other southwestern uh hot spots uh literally and figuratively, uh are implementing and so that's a high impact and low effort on this uh it's hard to convince the city council to do something.

Uh where where was that in the in the uh no it's it's under uh improved BMPs and convince other departments to uh to get with the program.

Oh, I see okay, okay.

So so that's interesting.

Kind of um we we we've graded that as uh a little bit of everything.

Um uh I think it's important to figure out which uh intervention points have the greatest outcomes, right?

That's that's what this uh board is supposed to do, right?

Right.

But that's the the hope, yes.

Yeah.

So who's got the convincing power to change BMPs?

Uh uh to upgrade BMPs.

Yeah.

Uh here's here's what I know.

Best management practices.

Uh uh out of this, I think that you all have some leverage to promote these ideas at at City Hall, you know, in some capacity.

Because you all have come to some consensus that these are things that that are important to to you.

Uh and so it's certainly on the board.

I think it's certainly something that you get to talk about and and you know suggest, and maybe that becomes a recommendation from you all.

Um that's the the extent of the the work that I have to do with you all.

Um, and uh if there's more that I could help and add in this process, I'm happy to.

Otherwise, I'll turn it back to the chairman and and let you guys have at it.

Can I just suggest, and this somewhat builds on what Rayner is sharing, uh and Brianna, maybe this is a process question just in terms of how some of this information and these recommendations get funneled up to city council.

And I and I know that there's a of course there's a budget process and they get lots of input, but when I look at what we've identified as unmet needs, we can certainly advocate for them.

Um I'm sure the survey data will also indicate, you know, that the community has expressed, you know, needs that are unmet.

I'm and and it's on one of the other post-it notes that we put up there.

I'm always curious how that information is then shared with the city council or how the city council uses that information to make decisions and budgeting priorities.

And I think we can play a role in that, but it doesn't seem that we always have that opportunity.

I definitely hear what you're saying, and the way information is funneled up really depends on what that information is and in what context it's being applied.

Um for example, this community engagement initiative that we have going on right now.

There's multiple different touch points with the community, with the survey, with our stakeholder groups, and each one of those is you know, um Adam and his team are producing uh a separate report.

So they'll all be different layers um of information.

That this is a more formalized process, so it will go to council in like a formal presentation and we'll share what we're hearing from our stakeholders and and community groups.

Other budgeting decisions um also are typically based on data points, like if you look at the conditions assessment, that's why those projects were prioritized and why we were at with those things.

But um I think having a pulse on um kind of the trends in the things that are going on out there and you all have experienced it you know firsthand we're knee deep in urban forestry stuff right now as we've worked on playgrounds we've heard things like nature play um accessible play right and so those are the themes that we're hearing from the community and I do think it is um I mean our role as staff your role is is advocates to make sure you know as we're hearing those themes that hopefully the next capital improvement right program has projects that start to address those and it it's it's just the pipeline is long and there's like lead time.

I mean we're building playgrounds right now are just getting done from the 2023 conditions assessment exactly you know the stuff that we're hearing now would likely be programmed two to five years out just because that's how the city's budgeting cycle works.

Right.

Harvest is a little bit of an anomaly because I think there will be a community um expectation that we move as rapidly as possible but a park master plan will likely involve this body and the council and the community and it's gonna probably take a year if not longer.

Okay.

Yeah I mean you know listen I mean this is all important work and you know capturing it and sort of keeping it front and center uh for the next capital improvement cycle you know it can be a little bit of a challenge because our timelines are so long but um but I think what we've identified here I feel pretty good about in terms of the needs.

So I would agree good job.

Thank you.

Yeah a question uh I'm just uh curious about some historical perspective of this type of process what has it been done before how far I don't know how far back you go and what what were the results of that?

Did you did what did it produce something that everybody can get their hands on and actually did you know what did it work before this kind of thing?

I I can't speak specifically to the to like a commission level workshop um I'm sure it's happened in some form but I haven't come across the report um of such but when we did the facilities and parks master plan you know back that work was like 14 years ago the Kennedy Park master plan was in 2015 so that was a site specific master plan and that involved the commission and the community um and that was about 10 years ago and then we did the Garfield Park specific master plan and then hopefully we'll be working if all goes well with this acquisition on a harvest specific master plan.

So we have a a global park masters plan we also have some site specific ones okay it sounds like not every everything was just gathering dust somewhere right stuff did get happened okay yeah we've we've come we've checked a lot of stuff off the parks and facilities master plan um we're getting there and then there's an example of the Kennedy Park master plan which was done and very very minimal work was actually completed so that one might be getting a little dusty.

Okay.

So next steps um at a meeting sometime in the future you'll bring back the findings for an overview and comments and questions and potential edits just to make sure you captured our sticky notes properly.

That is the plan and um we're really excited for you guys to see um the other layers of data especially what we're hearing from the community and we'll be sharing all those survey results with you as well and ultimately city council.

Well thank you for this this is great.

This is exciting stuff so appreciate it.

Yeah I just had one quick question.

Yeah I'm just curious uh your background and have you done this with other cities and what kind of results did you get?

So on the the research side, we've done it a thousand times over, uh, kind of sometimes related just to broader community issues, and we have a lot of park agencies all over the country that we work with.

So, in my experience, uh the vast majority of agencies that ask us to do research, polling uh on subjects specifically like this, they take action on it it.

It's it's not some perfunctory thing.

You don't have to do polling, you don't have to spend money on statistically valid research.

Uh it's it's an expense.

Uh so in my experience, it's taken to heart and it's run with.

There's something a little bit unique about Napa, though.

Uh, often most of the time it's a poll and maybe a focus group or something like that here or there.

Um in Napa, your staff has and has decided to do it, you know, ten times up, right?

To do a poll, to do three uh workshops, and and then now to go out to allow anyone in the city to felt like they didn't get a chance to respond to the survey to respond.

And and so um uh I expect that it'll probably have a much greater impact this this process because you just have that much more data points, that much more input from your public and stakeholders.

Yeah, thank you.

Great, thank you.

Okay, moving on to item number six.

Are there any comments or questions from commissioners or staff?

It does.

It's um purchase of the entire property.

It's 26.8 acres, almost 27 acres.

Um current amenities that are being used by the community right now, um, both gyms, both the old gym, which is the large gym, and then the new gym, which is the small gym, are rented by the community seven days a week.

Um the synthetic turf field in the track are rented a lot, used by a lot of user groups, and then there's um two baseball fields in the back there that are also heavily utilized.

Yeah.

What about the pool?

The pool is empty and hasn't been used in a couple years.

Um it's not up to code, yeah.

And playground Fantastico is right there.

That is actually in really good condition.

Uh, and the new gym is in good condition.

Um everything else will need work, yeah.

Just along on that topic.

Um, questions.

I know that's a big big topic here this year.

No, I was having a conversation with the mayor the other day on something else, but this came up and I think it was top of his mind, and I was just sharing what I think it's just an unbelievable opportunity.

I'm glad the city is uh pursuing it.

How often does something like this really pop up in a in a you know medium-sized city like us, if we're even medium medium sized?

And um, but I I uh can empathize with staff with the mayor and staff, just you know, wanting to do things the right way and get community input and everything, and but also managing expectations from the community that this isn't gonna happen tomorrow.

Like this is gonna be really awesome, I I predict in in the near future, but the near future is not like later this year.

Correct, yeah, for sure.

Yeah, once in a generation opportunity, not just for a medium-sized city, but a built-out city.

Napa does not have a lot of land available anymore.

Um so to have 27 acres together and that proximity um to the roadway in downtown and everything is definitely definitely unique.

We're excited.

Any other comments?

Uh yeah, uh I just wanted to thank uh you and your staff for approaching it the way Adam explained it just now, uh in in relation to what what is uh otherwise general practice for smaller cities uh that aren't you know the LA or Chicago.

Um that in a way you're already sort of beginning to share with the community what Parks and Rec does and what your responsibilities are, and as a result, you have an opportunity to really uh highlight um the activities even more than you would otherwise be able to do.

Um so I just wanted to congratulate uh for that because you did a two for one here or a three-for-one.

So, thank you for that.

And we got four for one.

That brochure that's mailed out.

Yes, yes.

That is that is really nice.

Thank you.

Who put that together?

Uh our department did.

We used to, you know, in the old olden days, mail the whole catalog, and that's kind of went away during COVID.

So we're trying to bring it back.

This is just a mini version, but we are finding that mailing is successful.

So for example, with this community-wide survey, we're doing postcards in every mailbox all across Napa, just so everybody has the opportunity to do that.

It should be effective.

I think it's very well put together.

Yeah, thank you.

And a section of Spanish in there too, yeah.

Yeah, we're very well thought out.

So it's good to have one more thing, Mr.

Chairman.

If I could uh the uh the the website for the open survey is uh Napa Parksurvey.com.

Uh it is live now.

So uh anyone who goes there can fill it out, and uh I think we staff would definitely encourage everyone you know to complete it once.

Uh I mean there's in this open survey environment it it uh you you could do it more than once, but hopefully it really does it once and uh you get a big we get a big turnout.

So we're not limited to five stickers.

Uh correct, correct.

If you really wanted to, and that's why we have a statistically galled version where no one could take it more than once, and it was very accurate from a uh demographic standpoint.

This one may have a little bit uh broader reach from uh some people who maybe get too excited about it.

Press the website again, uh Napa Parksurvey.com.

We plan to keep it open through the end of November, and then at that point we'll take a look and see how many folks have participated and make a decision if we want to keep it open any longer.

There it is, okay.

If there aren't any other questions, I will move to adjourn the meeting.

Um to our next regularly scheduled meeting on October 15, 2025.