Chair Stoppers Wade when you are.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Welcome to the meeting on Thursday, September 4th, 2025.

Parks and Community Enrichment Commission.

The meeting is now called to order.

Will the clerk please call roll to establish a quorum?

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioners, please unmute.

Commissioner Ford.

Commissioner Uribe is absent.

Commissioner Robbins?

Present.

Commissioner Labor is absent.

Commissioner King?

Here.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Present.

Commissioner Flores?

Here.

Vice Chair Boone.

Present.

And Chair Gaines.

Here.

Thank you, Abba Corm.

Thank you.

I would like to remind members of the public in chambers who wish to speak on any item on today's agenda to please turn in your speaker slip before the item begins.

You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on.

After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

And we will now proceed with the land acknowledgement followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

So if you will please rise for the opening acknowledgments of in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands.

To the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Patwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples history contributions and lives.

McGweach, thank you.

We'll now move on to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

He may be seated.

The first agenda item today is approval of the consent calendar.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for this item.

All right.

Are there any commissioners who would like to speak on the consent calendar?

Alright, seeing none, is there a motion and a second to approve the consent calendar?

I can motion.

All right, we have a motion from Vice Chair Boone and a second from Commissioner King.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, say nay.

Thank you.

The motion passes.

Um which is the sports field and permitting and events annual update.

Is there a staff presentation?

Good evening, Commission.

My name is Anthony Munoz, recreation manager supporting sports fields and permitting and events for the city of Sacramento.

You've all received the detailed annual report, and tonight I'll be providing a brief overview of the key highlights from the past year in the areas of sports field reservations and special event permitting.

Our team is responsible for managing and coordinating the reservations process for more than 225 sports fields throughout Sacramento.

We also issue permits and provide logistical support for a wide variety of public events, including special events and parks, council sponsored events, block parties, and street closures.

These activities play key role in activating our public spaces and supporting community engagement.

We continue to follow the youth parks and community enrichment, athletic field use and allocation guidelines to ensure equitable and efficient use of our fields.

Key highlights from the past year include the following.

Over 526 youth field reservations were processed.

Consistent growth in youth league participation serving over 12,000 youth.

Increased use of youth sports field fee waiverslash reduct reduction program with a hundred and ten thousand in fees waived for youth field usage.

Successful coordination with our maintenance team for field conditions and turnaround.

On the special event side, we supported a wide range of activities this year, including 528 park-based events, 200 council events, over 100 block parties, and 138 street closures.

Some of the signature events include movies in the park, pops in the park, run to feed the hungry, and our food truck events in the parks.

Our team plays a critical role in permitting logistics coordination and ensuring safe and successful community events.

The permitting and events division remains a reliable resource for the technical guidance for applicants, site plan review and event safety coordination, interdepartmental collaboration, working closely with the convention and culture services events division that was set up this past year, public works, police, fire, and parks.

Our commitment is to make the process smooth and accessible for residents, organizations, and events producers.

I know a couple commissioners had some questions in regards to some of our field allocation policies and the way that we handle things.

So last year we did, we did deny a few events uh during the long-term process.

So the way that our long-term sports application process works is we accept applications the third Thursday in September every year for the following year.

We do have a priority way of issuing fields, historical use and different other factors that we take into consideration when it comes to that.

There is questions around equity when it comes to field space that may be left.

So some of the things that we take into question and consideration for that is instead of giving specific organizations or certain organizations full uh full use of certain parks if there is no historical use on there.

We look at uh field splits throughout the week or the days.

So instead of somebody getting a full Monday through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they may get a Monday, Wednesday split the use in another organization get it on a Tuesday, Thursday.

So those are the types of things that we look at when it comes to equity.

But we're also our staff is in uh is working and collaborating with our Office of the Diversity and Equity, and we're evaluating our current data and developing performance measures to match industry standards.

So it's something that we're gonna be moving forward with.

We're not currently using the seed tool when it comes to that, but we're developing these performance measures to be able to implement it moving forward.

So the youth parks and community enrichment athletic field use and allocation guidelines is something, a document that we established a couple years ago, but we make edits and amendments to it.

One of those things being in regards to our cricket field use.

So we had a new field come online, and there were questions about the type of ball and safety issues and things that we took into consideration when it came to that.

So we utilize this document to make updates and changes and to be transparent with the public on how we're issuing and monitoring our field use as it goes throughout the year.

And I'm available for any questions if anybody has any additional questions.

Thank you so much.

Um, Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have two speakers for this item.

Our first speaker is Taylor.

All right.

Hi, oh.

Hope you don't mind uh coming up here together.

He's an expaker, so wherever I finish, you'll take over.

Um, so let us introduce ourselves.

Uh so my name's Tyler Dodden.

I'm the acting secretary for Sacramento Rugby Club.

This is Isaac, he is acting president of Sacramento Rugby Club.

Um, and we're here because our club has been a part of Sacramento's sporting fabric since 1964.

We like to discuss ensuring its continued success.

Um, our club is operated for six years.

We kind of had a collapse after COVID.

We had three clubs before that, and we had to join them together to keep the club alive.

From there, we've kind of been operating on a bit of a life support system.

Our club itself uh stretches out beyond just the men's team.

We actually have a women's team as well called the Sacramento Amazons.

We also have uh we operate as a FEDA club for a lot of the high schoolers that come through and sex state as well once they graduate.

Um and we've also operated as a FEDA club for numerous USA Eagles.

So we have a strong history here in Sacramento of success as a rugby club.

Um importantly, our club operates between January and May.

Um that's our in season.

This is also the wet season for Sacramento.

Um and the number one issue that we're having year after year is that once there's a bit of wet weather, we lose our field, and so we lose a lot of our momentum.

Um last minute pivot to often has been uh underneath, you know, uh causeways or on pavement, things like that where you can't really operate a rugby training session.

Um it's not safe, and then it really just halts our productivity as a club.

Um so what we're looking to do is work together and try and find some fields that we can pivot to, or maybe we have some kind of dialogue around wet weather rugby.

Um rugby is a wet weather sport around the world, and so a little bit of rain doesn't add our boys.

Thank you for your comment.

Your time is now up.

Our next speaker is Isaac.

Hi.

Um Thanks for hearing us.

Um yeah, just to add on that.

So I've been the president for the last five years, and this is a struggle every year.

Um obviously we don't just stick to Sacramento, we reach out to Rancho Gordon or reach out to Outgrove.

Um we've actually had to play games in Dixon, uh, even Calusa, you know, because we've had better luck getting fields there.

Um so yeah, we're just really looking for a solution.

Um, bigger issues as well is when it rains is uh every year the the um parks and rec closes the fields in January, the whole month of January, and that's the start of our season.

So we we usually pivot and find like uh turf field and rancho or something, but it's hard to do a lot of the times because soccer takes a lot of it.

Um and there's so many more soccer clubs than there are us, so we're kind of like the stepchild there.

Um but yeah, so starting off, you know, last season it's hard to get momentum whenever we're starting off with chaos because we don't have a field.

Um, like I said, we've had to pivot to Dixon and we've had games in Dixon.

Um, but yeah, so we're just really looking on looking for help on finding a solution for fields in general.

Like Taylor mentioned, uh a lot of the times we have to pivot uh it's parking lots, pavement, wherever we can we can practice that with lights.

Um I've also obviously reached out to schools, but schools are a lot harder to get into.

They want like three or four months in advance, and that's hard to do when it rains out and and whatnot.

Um, so yeah.

Thank you for your time.

Um we just wanted to express our concerns and hopefully we can you guys can help us with the field allocation process.

Thank you for your comment.

Sure, I have no more speakers.

Thank you.

Um right, we are gonna move on to Commissioner Commons and Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

I received the following comment.

Um, thank you for your e-comments today and for coming and speaking to us and for the presentation.

Um I did receive a comment that I'd like to elevate and read to you.

On behalf of the Sacramento Rugby Union, which is the overall organization for what has historically been Land Park Motley and Land Park Harlequins, I have the following comments.

The report seems focused on scheduling and fee structures and discounts for use of fields.

I wanted to make you aware of when the rugby seasons are and ask if rugby can be acknowledged slash recognized as a youth sport that uses fields.

There's a high school fall sevens rugby season that starts with practices roughly just after about Labor Day with the NORCAL championships roughly in the middle of November.

The main season for rugby is winter, as we've just heard.

This is for youth U8, U10, U 12 Co-Ed, as well as MS Boys and MS Girls.

Season starts December 1 and runs through March 31st for the high school boys and high school school girls, which is generally rugby's 15s season.

This starts January 1 and runs through mid-May.

Rugby Sevens is played during the summer as summer sevens and is open for U8, U 10, U 12, MS, and HS.

This is a shorter season and runs from about June 1 through July 31st.

Additionally, there are two fields in the city of Sacramento that were designated for rugby.

One is Land Park Rugby Complex, often referred to as Land Park Maine, and the other is Danny Moon.

It would be good if these two fields would remain as priority fields for rugby.

On a more general note, since field availability is always an issue, it'd be good to know what analysis has been done to look at the cost of adding additional fields versus adding lights to fields.

It is my understanding that many club teams would pay for light field use.

And I'm wondering if someone has looked into this.

While permanent lighting is an option, I'm wondering if there's been a look at portable lights with solar panels.

I understand that most other communities have lighted fields in NORCAL for youth sports teams.

And if this is indeed the case, it begs the question as to what would make Sacramento so different.

So thank you to SAC Rugby Union for weighing in for reaching out to me.

Hopefully I've elevated your concerns as well.

And thank you, Mr.

Minos, for answering my questions about the equity tool if that was being used yet, and if there were any permits denied.

Yeah, so the way that our our reservation system works is it's easier and cleaner for us to have monthly permits for uh organizations.

So 75, 76 organizations may apply uh for annual permits, but those permits, one organization could have two to three different locations that they practice at um in addition to practicing for three to six months out of the year.

So we break those down into monthly permits.

So that's still um I uh you know equates to approximately when we talk about booking uh booking is what we call per day that they're out there.

So we're looking at approximately anywhere from eight to ten thousand bookings throughout each calendar year with the 526 permits.

So they get different permits for each month for their for the multiple park locations that they would have.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, I was kind of wondering if it was like per, if reservation was per, you know, practice or game or whatnot.

So it kind of sounds like it's on a monthly or quarterly basis.

No, yeah, so practices and games go on the same permits for for the organizations.

Yeah.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

Um also I did have a just a small comment on the actual presentation.

I know you didn't run through the slides, but that it was a great, great report.

And I wish we had uh seen it up here.

I liked the uh, you know, all the charts that you had and all the explanation and details.

That was really great.

But I did want to uh make a small comment that if you're using red and green in the same chart, that is not accessible for those of us and all of our friends who have uh colorblindness.

So using uh different colors in your charts might be more helpful, and maybe you know the DAC can weigh in on that, or maybe you already have guidance on on how to do that.

Um, but a fantastic report all around.

Thank you.

Yeah, one last question I have is when we talk about fields and sports fields and leagues.

I'm wondering where are the 28th and B Skate Park um visits or dates or programs tallied?

Because they're not really a field.

I'm wondering, is that within special events or I would like to see those broken out somewhere as to like how many visits were at the skate park, how many programs did we have, how many participants did we have, that sort of information.

I'm wondering, do we capture it in any other yearly report?

Yeah, that would be captured in our um in our youth and adult sports um annual reports.

So um that team and operates that skate park, so any other program or reservations or special event numbers would be tracked and traced and reported through through that annual report.

Perfect.

Thank you so much.

Commissioner King.

Yes, thank you.

Um I just wanted to give a shout out to um this team for working with particularly some groups in district five on um special permitting around low income areas and making accommodations for some youth sports teams that fall within that lower socioeconomic group.

Um it really I heard from a lot of community members that it really made the difference with um some of the like youth fields and baseball fields and um I just want to just give a shout out to um the team for working and making that happened and making those conversations happen because I know it was very much appreciated, and um since a lot of the the youth that participate in some of those sports leagues go by like a scholarship or a donation basis from the community, it really did help out with fees and things like that.

So thank you.

And um just know that your work is appreciated in district five at least.

Commissioner Ford.

Hi, that was a really good presentation.

I love this like executive report.

It's very uh clear.

Um I also obviously am around uh district one Oliver Parks, and I'm always seeing such good use all day, um, whether it's pickable, whether it's little baseball leagues, um, soccer, um, so much to use.

So just thank you to all the team for um organizing and you know getting these permits out.

I I personally just feel like 75 applicants uh absorb 526 kind of like individual permits is quite limiting.

So from my perspective, obviously 526 actual permits to process is a lot, but I think only having 75 actual like organizations or individuals that are you know getting all these permits, um, again, my own personal opinion might be limiting.

And so I'm wondering a couple of things.

Uh how often are we reaching out to communities about, you know, just knowing that these facilities are available available in pricing?

So that would be question number one.

Number two is do folks still have to come into the office to get the permits, or is it that online now?

Yeah, um, so it is online.

We a couple years ago we when we came up with this athletic field use and allocation guidelines, um, we created a sports field web page.

Um, so all of the links to the applications, the process, the explanation to all of it is in one landing spot.

Um, everything's readily available.

All of the returning organizations do have access, or we email and notify and they have access to all of the stuff.

Um they can email it back in um prior to the to the deadline uh that's September, that third Thursday in September.

So there is access.

They don't have to go into the uh the reservations office outside of this annual process.

It is a first come first serve process.

So at once everything's been allocated, anything that's open and available is first come first serve.

If you email um email and application versus walking in, you're gonna get served quicker, uh walking into the office because you're in person as opposed to um you know, you know, uh waiting for a staff member to process an email application.

Um, so there is the process in place, and I'm sorry, can you remind me of your first question?

Uh it was more about like outreach to community about you know facilities, etc.

Can you clarify just going back to clarify?

Um, so correct me if I'm wrong.

I think you said um organizations or individuals are already kind of in the system, receive some type of communication saying kind of like the window to reapply is kind of open.

Um so that obviously already gives them like an advantage, obviously, because historically they've been booking, and so to me that just kind of limits the access to some of these facilities if other groups may want to get in that have never really preserved them, maybe not knowing because they're available or two just because some folks are kind of just grandfathered in.

And so I think maybe I may be making an assumption about that, but maybe I think going back to the equity tool that you mentioned earlier, wondering, you know, timeline of using maybe some of those equity principles to kind of look up uh expanding who's using facilities.

Okay, uh yeah, that's some good feedback, and historically we've just ran into issues with uh not notifying people on on any level.

Uh a lot of returning organizations, um, you know, specific little leagues that that might have turnover and that might uh miss the information when it comes to that.

So uh our intention isn't to give an advantage over to specific organizations, it's trying to make the information readily available or as trans as transparent as possible.

So um anybody that wouldn't walk in or call or or inquire about what our field situation is, would receive the same information.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Commissioner Uribe.

Thank you.

Um the information I see on your uh, what which again, thank you for the presentation.

526 youth permits, 200 council, uh city-related events.

Um, is there information that this commission can get where uh we see where these permits are being issued, like park-wise?

Because I'm starting to think, oh, I'm thinking out loud here, and that's data might be available here, and I'm not just not I'm seeing it, but thinking about underutilized parks and where maybe folks can uh apply for permits to some of those parks, um, thinking about our fellow city council members and where they have their movie nights where it's kind of best.

I really would like to see where the data is where if there's 526 permits, for example, for use sports, is it all at land park or whatnot?

Is that information available or something we can request?

Um yeah, it could be put together and shared, so yeah, awesome.

Perfect, thank you.

All right, I just have a couple questions before we move on.

Um, so before I get started, I just want to let um so our rugby friends back there.

Thank you guys so much for being here.

And we did um probably about a year, year and a half ago, we did have um like a young women's rugby team that came that were like champions of their league who came and spoke passionately.

So um, I don't know if you guys have read our 2040 parks plan, but everywhere that we mentioned like increasing the amount of soccer fields, we did include rugby in that.

So rugby is mentioned several times throughout the plan um that we worked with the city on.

So we we see you guys, you know, and anything that we can do to support, you know, we are definitely here, and I know that the um the city staff is working on that as well.

So we appreciate you guys um taking your time to come out here.

Um, and so my questions that I have for you, Anthony.

First, um, do we track locations of applicants um for field permits to the parks that they're asking to use?

And the reason I ask this is I have no proof of this, but I always have this fear that people who know the system are like swooping up parks in neighborhoods that people might not know the system, and I'm always afraid that kids without cars who need to like walk somewhere don't have access because people are taking those parks.

No proof of this at all.

But I always have that fear.

No, we don't.

Uh we don't, but there is a tendency, and I mean, if we're gonna speak about youth of a lot of the organizations staying within their neighborhoods for accessibility, whether it's walking, a close drive, um, being able to ride their bikes.

So I think by nature, a lot of these organizations book within their own neighborhoods or districts and things like that.

Um, when we talk about some of the other equity splits, it is a factor that we take into consideration.

If somebody's trying to go, if they already have X amount of parks or fields and they're trying to go across town because they want more and they're impeding on another neighborhood or location, it is something that that we monitor based on that, but it's it's not a tool through our reservation system that we would have to be able to tie the zip code of uh a parent organization to specific parks, nor is it something that we say that you could only rent in that specific district or that park.

Um, but when we when we know other as we sit down and we look at allocations, we look at everything by district and those organizations, whether or not they're returning, um, and then what our actual available resources are.

And there's, you know, we're looking at a situation, and I mean, to conversation that I'll have with them later on, we're looking to activate uh Johnston Park moving forward with some funds and uh renovating that field, and there could be an opportunity for rugby at a location like that, lighted field improvements, so they may not be from uh the district two area, but it might be positive activation that can help a park.

So those are the situations and and things that our team looks at when it comes to this.

So there is, I understand the disadvantage that you might uh be thinking or or talking about, um, but by nature, a lot of these organizations try to stay within some of these organizations split and divide, which which causes uh problems for our team uh when those split and divides happen because they may not stay within that territory or that region and they'll look to expand out.

But our intention through that initial application and allocation process on the annual basis is to be as fair and equitable as possible when it comes to those neighborhood locations for those for those organizations.

Awesome, thank you.

Um, and then I just wanted to give kudos to your special events team.

Um, as you guys know, I talk about the PowWow a lot, especially in August.

Um, and it was the 30th anniversary this year, and the Pow Wow committee is one community elder, um, who's in her 70s, who's been doing this, um, like I said, for 30 years, and I have helped her the last few years just with the application, and so she'll forward me the emails, and I will just see how patient and fantastic the team is.

You know, they could easily say, like, you missed all of this in your application in the deadline, and they don't, and they're like, Okay, hey, you missed this, we need this, these are the things, and they are just so patient and work, you know, because they know how important the event is to the community, and they really um, you know, take their time to explain things to make sure that we have everything that we need up until like the last minute.

Um, so I just really want to give that whole team kudos because um, you know, they don't have to do that.

They can say, hey, the deadlines pass, you don't get your permit, um, and they they really really go above and beyond to make sure it happens.

And I'm sure that we're not the only um event that they do that for, so I just wanted to say um great job to them.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I'll let them know.

Um, all right, and I think that is it for this piece.

And so this presentation um or this item is receive and comment only.

So we will now move on.

Thank you so much.

Um, all right, so we are gonna head to item number four, um, which is the older adults services and access leisure leisure program updates.

Is there a staff presentation?

Hello and good evening.

My name is Stephanie Wilson, and I'm the recreation superintendent for the Older Adult Services, and I'm here tonight to give you an update on participation at the Heart Senior Center and the Triple R Adult Day Program.

The Heart Senior Center, located at 27th and J Street in Midtown, provides recreational and social opportunities for older adults.

We have participants ages 50 to 104.

As people age and retire, this is often a renaissance period in their life when they are free to take up new hobbies and activities.

Many are very aware that they need to keep moving to feel optimally healthy through exercise, dance, or walking.

This is also a perfect time to try something creative.

Some want to try something completely new, like taiko drumming or poetry writing, while others want to indulge in an activity they've always loved, like crafting or ballroom dancing.

All of these activities and many more are available at the Heart Senior Center.

As you can see from the graph, participation at the center is at an all-time high.

In addition to providing popular activities, there has been a surge in the number of people who are 50 and older in the last five years.

My generation, Gen X, is now over 50 joining baby boomers and older generations.

As of July 2025, the Hart Senior Center has already had a total of 44,347 visits for recreation and social visits.

And this monthly average, uh, if this monthly average continues through the year, which is expected, 2025 could have as many as 76,000 participation units this year.

In addition to social activities, the senior center acts as a resource center, providing tax assistance, meal and utility assistance referral, support groups, and box food box distribution.

In 2024, the Hart Senior Center served 24,120 meals to seniors through the Meals on Wheels program and assisted over a thousand seniors with free tax assistance provided through AARP tax assistance and the Vita Tax Assistance Program.

The front desk staff at the senior center, which doubles as a resource and referral location for older adults, helps over 10,000 seniors annually, connecting them with community resources through drop-in visits or phone calls.

One of our program coordinators, Jeremy Howe, recently revamped the computer assistance provided at the center, and in 2024, he provided assistance to over 300 seniors looking for help to navigate their cell phone or tablet.

In addition to the Hart Senior Center, Yipse also has the Triple R Adult Day program, which has been in operation for 33 years and is licensed as an adult day social model program through the state of California.

This program is one of the very few city operated adult day programs in California.

Connecting socially, feeling part of the community, and sensing joy are critical experiences throughout the lifespan, recognizing that older adults with dementia were at risk of being left out of this life experience.

Yipse opened the first triple R program inside the Heart Senior Center in 1992, placing a priority on providing individualized person-centered care for the older adult with dementia and quality respite education and resources for the family caregiver.

Triple R, which stands for recreation, respite and resources, a long always ask question.

Recreation respite and resources has expanded to include two additional sites over the years to provide service in North and South Sacramento as well as Midtown.

Triple R offers many of the same recreational and social opportunities that you would find at a senior center, but is geared especially to people with memory loss.

The program also provides personal care assistance and supervision for wandering and other dementia complications such as anxiety and confusion.

As you can see by the slide, Triple R provided more than 7,000 days of service in 2024 and will likely exceed this number in 2025.

And at this time, I'd like to be happy to turn over the microphone to my colleague, Heather, for a second part of this presentation on Access Leisure.

Alright.

Good evening, commissioners and members of the public.

My name is Heather Kopf and I'm a recreation general supervisor and certified therapeutic recreation specialist with the Department of Youth Parks and Community Enrichment.

I currently manage our community recreation and access leisure program areas, and I'm here this evening to speak about Access Leisure, which has been in existence since the late 1960s.

The Access Leisure Program Area is supported by Katie Hauser, recreation manager, myself, program supervisory at Vallejo, and two program coordinators, Paige Domgard and Ku Yang.

This team plans and implements goal-oriented and person-centered enriching recreation programs for youth, teens, and adults with disabilities, and youth and adults of all abilities throughout the city.

Yipse provides specialized and adaptive recreation opportunities.

In addition to inclusive recreation programming throughout the city, annual offerings include inclusive play dates, adaptive cycling, adaptive softball, wheelchair softball, and a variety of additional adaptive sports.

Social programs include paint nights, game nights, formal dances, yoga, movie nights, and mini community outings.

We also host the afterschool teen hangout at the Southside Clubhouse and much much more.

Brand new this year, we offer two weeks of a day camp for youth with disabilities ages 5 to 12 in collaboration with our community-based partners, Music to Grow On.

At this camp, youth enjoyed engaging music and recreational therapy activities at the East Portal Clubhouse.

In fiscal year 2025, staff facilitated a total of 297 specialized and adaptive recreation activities, serving a total of 2,744 participants with disabilities.

The Access Leisure Team provides accessible sports at the Rivercats Independence Field, which is a wheelchair accessible baseball and softball field adjacent to the Pennell Meadow View Community Center.

If you haven't visited this field, I would highly recommend signing up for one of our sport activities.

Activities are generally open to participants with and without disabilities and do require registration.

Staff provide great opportunities for the public to learn about accessibility, sports, and adaptive recreation.

And I'll add since they're here today, we do play wheelchair rugby, which is super super fun.

So check it out if you want to do that.

The Access Leisure team plays a key role in inclusion training opportunities for Yipse staff, as well as assisting in the program modification process.

Yepsey is committed to ensuring meaningful access to programs, services, activities, facilities, and parks to benefit individuals of all ages and abilities.

Yep C staff from all program areas work together to encourage and support participants seeking reasonable accommodations to participate in all of our programs.

An inclusion requests can be made when signing up for any Yipsey activity.

Yep CE staff, including myself, a certified therapeutic recreation specialist, offer direct assistance to Yep C staff to ensure that reasonable accommodations are implemented on a case-by-case basis.

The Access Leisure Fund Pass is a scholarship opportunity offered to Access Leisure participants ages five and up to enjoy Access Leisure programs throughout the city.

This scholarship is funded through the Access Leisure Gifts to Share Fund and usage in fiscal year 2025 was $3,232.

Thank you.

And we're here and happy to answer any questions if there are any.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speakers' lips for this item.

All right.

Are there any commissioners who would like to speak on this item?

Commissioner Flores.

Thank you, Chair.

This is one of the presentations I look forward to every year, is specifically with triple R.

If we could, I know we can go back to the year over year of the last five years and the trend line going up, up, up.

And because that team is golden.

Sorry.

No, no, I see it every day because I live, I live by one of the triple R facilities.

And I was there this morning.

Just you know, because it's in that plaza right there.

And just seeing the family faces of giving that that space and that, you know, that quiet time that they the the the helper family that alleviates that pain, right?

That that and just seeing those faces every day, that's why triple R exists.

And so, like I said, just seeing that trend line over five over the years, over the last five years, especially during the COVID years.

Um, it's very important.

It's one of the unsung crown drool gems of Yipsey that you know.

If you know, you know, and I know, and I always try to highlight that every time that this uh item comes up.

So I just give staff all the kudos for helping out those uh with dementia is not easy.

Uh, and so it's an extra blessing to be able to serve that part of the community, our part our part of the community that we will all enter one day, unfortunately.

Um, we're going we're going through some of that in my personal family.

So uh it's very much appreciated, so thank you.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Um, I had a great job.

Great presentation.

Lucky, thank you.

Um, I had just a very uh curious question about East Portal Park being the uh home for that camp.

I don't I haven't been there in a while, but I don't remember it being a very like accessible playground.

I'm wondering if that was at the request of the nonprofit partner or for-profit partner, and why it wouldn't be at somewhere like uh Southside Park.

Yeah, um, great question.

So the music to grow on camp was actually inside from nine to twelve for those two weeks.

We played outside a little bit, um, but the whole purpose of that was music therapy and recreational therapy, arts and music, indoors, building instruments, and playing together, and so the playground was not the focus for that camp.

Wonderful, thank you.

All right, well, I just want to say looking at the report and especially um the numbers um for access leisure that it's an over 50% um increase in just one year from the outreach.

So I mean that just kudos to the team, you know, for being able to um, you know, just make any changes that needed to be made because that that is a huge increase and just shows, you know, when you get out there and talking to the people, um, just the need for these services, and so just congratulations um for a job well done and kudos to be able to do that.

And I know um for um as a special needs parent myself, like how important these social activities are just for meeting other parents and like being able to have your kids be able to participate in things like this.

So um wonderful job.

So thank you.

You guys got off easy.

Anthony's over there, like what the heck?

He's like, where are there questions?

All right, um, so this item was review and comment only.

Um so we are gonna move on to item number five, which is 916 day updates.

Is there a staff presentation?

She's our favorite because we got presents.

Good evening, Commissioners.

And happy 916 week.

So we will be kicking off 916 day.

Hopefully, all of you or most of you are available this Saturday to come out to Granite Regional for 916 Day at Granite Regional.

So we're here tonight to just discuss any final logistics, run of shows, and registration setup.

So far I've done two site walks.

I went out to Granite Regional last week with the L crew, and they've already been working.

They went out there today and did a ton of cleanup and a lot of prep work.

So we are uh in good hands and pretty much set up and ready to go for Saturday.

And then I wanted to send a huge shout out to Commissioner Ford for coming through on the sponsorship from Oshima's, and then a shout out to Commissioner Laver who's not here to um uh accept my congratulations for him securing Wilton Rancheria as a sponsor for waters for our 916 day.

So thank you all for coming through and working together.

I know that last minute Rayleigh's dropout was a little stressful, but we got it handled.

So and then Ray and I went shopping this week and got everything.

Uh we won't actually need to use central kitchen.

I'm just gonna use my extra refrigerator I have in my garage, and I'll just be doing the shopping weekly, so we should be good to go.

Um but yeah, I wanted to open it up to you guys and see if there were any final logistics, any run of show.

I know Commissioner Uribe, thank you for the run of show yesterday.

Um, and then if we have a registration plan for each event.

So if we can, if anybody has questions or comments on any of those three things, that would be helpful.

Commissioner Ford.

Well, first Diane, Deanna, like thank you so much for like pivoting and being patient and just all your coordination.

It's different parks, different personalities.

So just want to thank you for your patience and your leadership and uh keeping us on our toes too.

So appreciate that.

Um I guess I don't have anything other to add other than um I'm hoping to get more sponsors as well.

And obviously, if it comes later, we can um reimburse some of the other expenses and possibly maybe some of the celebrations later on down the year.

And I look forward to partnering with Anthony on this initiative.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, so we don't have someone to barbecue hot dogs.

We have a couple people who have uh like charcoal barbecues, but I'm very concerned with just the dry nature of Granite Regional right there.

Um, you know, just any little bit of wind, I think would not be a good situation.

Um there are barbecue pits at that park, but they're on the completely uh other they're on the total other side on a different street at that regional park and under the trees.

So I'm wondering, is there an alternative food?

Should I ask a different uh like local restaurant or should we just go forward with like a barbecue situation?

I'm a little nervous about that.

Um I'd be happy to reach out to maybe there's like a local dose coyotes who could maybe supply like burritos or something, like something we can we can cart in, or um, but I also I bought a lot of snacks too, and yours is Granite Regional, I think is only a three hour one.

So I think I mean snacks would be appropriate.

Um, but if you want it, you and I can connect offline and if there's something that we can come up with that would be you know equally uh you know, because I want to make sure everybody's everybody's events are pretty equal, so we'll we'll figure something out.

Okay, my husband can barbecue what my husband can barbecue.

Oh Matt can barbecue.

Well, if he wants to, um like I said, maybe in the party.

So if you've been and hopefully you come.

That's what I mean.

That it's it's very, very dry.

Um, not no grass.

Yeah.

Like we can bring a barbecue.

So, so and it's not, it's like a pro paper.

So it won't be charcoal.

Yeah, that'd be great.

So maybe up in the parking lot, yeah.

Okay, sort of down button.

You guys will connect, yeah.

Okay, yeah, got it.

Thank you, Commissioner King.

Great.

Um, and then my second question is about the uh registering through the different platforms or the VIP this year.

I've gotten a lot of responses from students that they didn't want to put in their home address to go forward, but they get stuck on that required field.

So is there a way for them to sign up without giving their home address?

Well, I'll have paper applications or paper paper waivers on site, so okay.

So just tell them to come and don't let their parents go until they sign.

Correct.

Okay.

So we'll send that um message back out to the school.

So then that gave me another question, which is how is the VIP program in general communicating regularly with schools?

Because I know West Campus and Hiram Johnson have asked me regularly, like, when's the L application due, or you know, how do we register for this, or what volunteer opportunities are available?

So I wonder, is there a way that we can connect um the two?

I know with the loss of Commissioner King's, that might not be as easy.

So I'm hoping we can pick up, you know, that communication relationship between the local schools that I work with in D6 and hopefully everywhere in the VIP program.

Okay, yeah, I can connect with Sarah Mutser, who is on our work group, and we can come up with a plan for that.

Well, thank you.

Commissioner Flores.

Kind of on that wavelength.

Uh I know I spoke to a couple of Sac City Unified trustees uh over this past week, and they want to participate on some of these events, especially the the one on the 20th.

And so I know it's not the it's not the direct way, but uh they're also broadcasting it amongst their meeting tonight.

Um so at least another another method of word of mouth, and then I too gave them the links like hey, registration is highly suggested, but just show up.

The most important thing is to show up because we will we will have paper waivers uh at these events.

Um, so anything to broadcast uh and assist on 916 Day because the sentiment between uh some of these people were we want to celebrate as well, and then they didn't want to create competing events, and it's like, well, we'll just join you as well.

So, the more the merrier.

So, uh so some of that happened over these last few days.

So I just wanted to FYI, so whether or not they show up, that's a different thing, but the information was just definitely spread out amongst different avenues.

Knowing that given given all the registration links, doing this and also word of mouth the other other avenues to broadcast was done as well.

Okay, thank you.

Vice Chair Boone?

I just want to say thank you and echo that you really have carried this entire project this year.

Um, I know I was not as active this uh this go, so thank you for making sure that all the things got done and that you heard it all of us as cats.

Um I wanted to ask, in your opinion, what is uh a good time for us to arrive, um, so that we're actually helpful.

I know that it's 9 a.m.

this this weekend, but the others are at eight.

So in your opinion, how early should we be there to to support?

I would say 30 to 45 minutes earlier than the actual event starts.

Thank you.

Any other commissioner questions or comments?

Director, are you gonna try to make it to the events?

Thank you.

I have you in a run of show, so just want to make sure.

All right.

That's it from me, unless anybody has anything else.

All right.

Well, this was review and comment, I think.

Yes, review and comment only.

So we will be moving on to the next item, which is youth parks and community enrichment directors report.

Thank you, Chair.

So we'll start with some youth workforce development updates.

Our summer operations are wrapping up this week with the conclusion of our North Minatomas Workforce development Summer 2 cohort.

Our young people citywide found safe space to join peers and learn more about leadership, prepare for future employment, meet new friends, and also value their communities.

In total.

This summary is a really great numbers to share out.

Our stapping-based programs that includes our young leaders of tomorrow, primetime teen, and the North Potomas workforce development programs included 239 youth that completed cohorts, earning over 89,000 for employment opportunities that included WIAOA and landscape and learning.

We hired 120 youth that worked 23,000 hours with nearly 400,000 in youth investment.

So total this summer for our youth workforce development programs, we engaged with 359 youth ages 10 to 18 years old and invested over 482,000 in stipend and salaries.

So pretty impressive from that team.

Our Young Leaders of Tomorrow online registration for a fall cohort taking place at Evelyn Moore and Oak Park Community Centers opens on September 15th at 12 p.m.

Mark your calendars.

And our North Potomas Workforce Development Program online registration for the fall cohort opens on the 8th of this month at 4:30 p.m.

Our landscape and learning staff, you'll see them out at our 916 day events.

So be on the lookout also in the month of October.

Our fall operations are going to be in full swing.

We'll have 60 young people from LNL out and about in our parks alongside our park maintenance team and operations doing some really great work in city parks all across the all across our city.

WIOA is also currently accepting applications for the school year for this next school year 25-26.

We are excited to share that three of our youth aides from the past this past school year were just promoted within Yipse Operations.

So that just shows the really great collaboration between our youth workforce development team and our community center team and providing youth development opportunities and really supporting our youth in achieving success with our own department.

So really proud of that group.

For our park ranger team highlights, in the month of August, they had 849 calls for service.

Despite being extremely short staffed, I think at one point in time we've only had this month seven to eight rangers total for the entire 239 parks.

The number changes.

So we're really looking forward to adding to that team pretty soon.

At South Natomas Community Center on Friday tomorrow, September 5th, from 9 to 11 a.m., we'll be hosting a Wonderland tea party in the Rose Garden where seniors can enjoy a whimsical morning of tea, treats, and a friendly game of bingo.

So we invite seniors to wear your favorite hat or a hint of your favorite Alice and Wonderland character.

Next Friday, September 12th from 6 30 to 8 30 at South Natobas Community Center will be a hotspot remix, fold and roll where teens will enjoy origami and sushi making.

I might have to go to that one.

Food and teriyaki chicken rice bowls will be served.

Friday, September 26th, also at South Natomas at 3 p.m.

There will be a senior matinee movie where they will be premiering the fall guy.

So you can find more information at the community center and also online.

At Clooney Community Center on September 9th, starting at 6 p.m.

They'll be hosting Backpack and Bingo's Kid Night Out, Kids' Night Out.

So it'll be a fun evening of activities, meeting new friends, playing bingo, and enjoying some pizza.

Also on September 26th at Coloma Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

That team will be hosting a back-to-school night, kids' night out with crafts group games and some pizza as well.

Kiloma Community Center moved their life history classes from Wednesday to Mondays at 10:30 a.m.

where you can join the team to write on various topics and the following week, share stories with the group.

You can learn more information at the Kiloma Community Center and also online.

At George Sim Community Center, they are offering a new activity this fall with open gym basketball for teens.

That's for ages 13 to 17 from 6 to 9 p.m.

for just two dollars.

Open gems gonna be held once a week.

That'll be on Tuesday evenings.

You can get some extra practice in, invite your friends to join you for a drop-in game.

And they'll have five or get a game of five on five going.

So again, that's Tuesday evenings for teens 13 to 17.

Bell Coolidge Community Center, starting in September, is gonna have a video-led Zumba class for older adults.

Also on Mondays at Bell Coolidge from one to three, they will be offering beginning ceramics.

You can learn more about those programs at the community center and also online.

Moving on to aquatics, we wrapped up Labor Day weekend, our sort of traditional pools, summer pool season.

But really excited to be able to continue offering some aquatics opportunities with recreation swim continuing at North Potomas Aquatic Center on Saturdays and Sundays through October or through the end of September, excuse me, and at Clooney Pool on Saturday afternoons to the end of September.

We also started fall swim lessons recently at both Clooney and North Atomas Aquatics Complex with 173 registered participants.

153 of those are youth, and that's at a 94% enrollment rate.

So really pleased with the enrollment in our swim lesson program for the fall.

And also to close, I wanna give a huge thank you for the dedication and commitment of our aquatics and park maintenance teams.

Because of their work, we are able to extend our spray ground and the newly renovated Mama Mark splash pad operations through October 1st.

Typically they would have closed on Labor Day, but recognizing the heat that we just recently experienced in anticipation of some warmer weekends coming up, we will be extending our spray ground and splash pad operations through October 1st to provide a safe place for our communities to stay cool.

Happy to answer any questions.

Yes, um, for my clocky park, I noticed the splash pad is down.

I don't know if it's still down, but I'm curious when it'll um be back up.

If probably not this season, but I'll invite Sean up here.

I don't have the answer to that, but he he certainly does, I'm sure.

Good evening.

Sean Aylesworth, Park Maintenance Manager.

Um, so to answer your question, um, we are having difficulty securing the parts to uh to refurbish the the splash pad there.

Um we're encountering this more and more.

Uh again, the splash pads have been around for quite some time and they're not uh readily available.

The vendors that are originally you know provided the parts, so it will be uh closed throughout this season.

Um, but we hope to have the plumber team and our team work through it on the colder months to renovate some of it.

We've had success with that at other places where we've done a pretty sizable renovation, but it's happened underneath the ground.

It's not very obvious, but it does take quite a bit of work time.

Thank you.

I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't gonna be closed permanently, um, because there were a couple parents that had asked, you know, if if that meant that that was the discontinuation of it.

We have no intention to keep it closed permanently.

We will look for uh solutions.

Um, and then of course, you know, depending on what the solution is, we'll look for funding, but uh we have no intention in park maintenance to discontinue that splash pads operation.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, seeing no other questions, we will move on to the next item on the agenda, which is commissioner comments, ideas, and questions.

Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item?

Commissioner King.

Yes, thank you.

I want to announce a couple updates and events that are going on in district five.

Um partnership with the Trolley Park Community Association.

Uh was supposed to have a brew fest, a fundraising brew fest for the park for park maintenance, for park um sustainability, whatever you want to call it.

And it has been postponed so it wasn't canceled, it was postponed till May.

So anyone who already purchased tickets will get refunded and then tickets will go on sale again in the spring.

Secondly the Mangan Park Neighborhood Association is having a chili cook off to help uh benefit the children in the neighborhood um it's a fundraiser for pool admissions for local kids within that community and so it's a great opportunity.

It's a chili cook-off throughout district five so if you live within district five and you want to participate um it's a great opportunity to show off your chili skills and also um help fundraise for those kiddos within that neighborhood so really great opportunities and lastly um there will be a community cleanup in partnership with again the trolley park community association at Jordan John Morris elementary school so we're in partnership with Saks City Unified and we are cleaning up the community garden that's right there at the corner of um where Churley Park sits and the school and that's gonna happen on October 4th from 9 to 1.

And it's a great opportunity there will be over probably 50 volunteers just cleaning up the park and um we have some volunteers who are donating not only time but supplies so things like um concrete work and different things to really rejuvenate and revive that community garden so it's a great opportunity to get involved so thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Vasquez thank you chair announcements so here we go.

My question to start with is for the follow-up log I'm wondering when would we receive an update on the implementation of our parks plan um strategy planning.

Yeah so this is an on the log um last year and this year for what is happening with our strategizing for implementing the parks plan we had two different strategy official plans last go around of our parks plan so is there a committee being formed has it started and last time we talked about it there wasn't a lot of funding to do it so if that's our guiding policies how are we implementing it and where's the plan so it's on the follow-up log?

Yes it's on the follow-up log we'll make sure to discuss it with the chair advice chair to see if we get it on the agenda that would be great so currently on the log it says if there will be updates during the director's reports so I've just been kind of waiting for those but is there is has it started is it something we want to agendize or I don't have an updated this time.

Okay.

Okay.

So can I ask you are you talking about the the plan that we made last year, you're talking about the parks plan 2040.

So our parks plan will have an additional plan as to how we're gonna implement that plan.

Uh which parks plan, I'm sorry.

Yeah, 2040.

Okay.

So you're talking about parks Plan 2040, the implementation plan that goes with that.

Exactly.

Okay.

Yeah.

Just I just wanted to clarify.

Yeah, it's I think it's clear on the uh follow-up blog since January.

But if it's not, please feel free to ask me any questions or reach out.

Because that's what we look to when we say things like, oh, we went back to the plan and we added rugby a bunch of times.

So the implementation and strategy plans, you can read both of the ones we had for our last plan online, break out what are the tasks that each department has to implement that years one, two, and three, years four and five, and it has measurable markers as to are we really implementing this plan, or is it just sitting on the shelf?

So it takes time, it takes staff time, it takes committee members, it takes people from the community to help out with it.

So that's my why I've been wondering where is it in the planning.

And I honestly, I'll take I think a little personally that um nobody realized it was on the follow-up log for eight months.

So please take a look.

Um that's my request.

And then I have comments as well.

We've got September 26th at Tahoe Park Food Truck Night.

The season is going beautifully.

It will be over in October, which is the largest one, so come on down.

Bring your family.

We've got live music, we've got all kinds of fun things, including the Maker's Mart, which I love.

That's my favorite part.

I would like to say congratulations to the 2025 Colonial Heights kickball league champions, the fun balls.

I know that this league is uh having a really good time.

I think it's an excellent example of how a neighborhood association can activate their local space, is with an adult kickball league.

So again, congratulations to the fun balls.

I think that's awesome.

I want to say congratulations to Chalk It Up for another successful year.

35 years at Chalk It Up is just such a really good example as to how a park can bring together our local artists, our vendors, our businesses, our community members, our nonprofits, and musicians.

Just such a lovely event.

I love that one every year, so congratulations to Chalk It Up.

Um, I would like to say thank you for the e-comments that we received, especially from our urban forest friends.

I know we still have more to hear tonight, but I also am looking forward to collaborative efforts to support our new cities forest master plan.

So thank you for uh staying with us and bringing it to our attention here at the commission.

Um, I would like to bring uh to somebody's attention uh the come out and play.

I love the come out and play, I use it all the time, and I send people there all the time.

A really good way to reach out to your commissioner is to get that come out and play and find your name, except um that part is not updated throughout the year, so it still says uh Dr.

Gayardo Good for our mayoral, um, and it needs some updating.

So if we could please update the come out and play, then I think our neighborhoods can find us a little easier to ask us to engage with them.

Um, and I've been thinking a lot about signage for parks.

So to Commissioner Ford's point about you know, how do people know that they can register for this park?

How do they know that league play is coming up?

I think that I get a lot of requests, especially in D6 about we should have a sign here saying that there's free Wi-Fi, or we should have a sign here saying that we have you know kickball, or we should have a sign saying something.

I know oftentimes I tell people reach out to 311 if you see something going on in your park, and we've discussed in the past, having a sign that says, you know, if you want to talk to the parks department or you have, you know, you want to fill out a park enhancement form, go to 311, or I think that signage could be more useful if it sends people to the Yipsey website.

So I think that way we can find out, like, hey, did you know that there's free Wi-Fi in this park?

Like, I don't even know how to figure that out.

But I think if we had a really good sign in each park that said, this is how you get to the IPC website that will tell you all about this park, and this is how you request a park enhancement form, and this is how you volunteer.

I think that could be a really easy way to engage with people at the site, then we don't have to worry about language translation.

We don't have to worry about are we getting the right school board member?

We don't have to worry about, you know, did the league uh tournament guy turn over?

It's just there all the time, so directing us.

So I'd like to look into signage and maybe what does that cost?

Um, it's almost time to submit our annual report.

So I know last year I did not volunteer to sit on that committee to get that done, but I would like to volunteer this year to be on our annual report committee.

So I'd like to add that to the agenda.

Also, also our volunteer awards.

I feel like they get smashed in with our 916 day um thank yous, and I want to make sure that we have enough time to appropriately nominate our volunteers.

So I would like to make a suggestion that we nominate volunteers on a rolling basis.

So whenever you have a volunteer that's doing a great job, you just nominate them.

And maybe it's one per meeting.

Like this is our volunteer of the month, and it just happens to be in this district because someone nominated someone in this district, as opposed to, you know, cramming eight districts, two or three volunteers into one evening.

I think that'd be a lot easier to keep volunteers going.

And if not for this year, then it's time to nominate your volunteers so that we can hear them at our next meetings and make some choices.

And that's it for me.

Thank you so much.

Commissioner Yuri Bay.

Thank you.

I have an announcement comment that's gonna lead into a question here.

But when I'm not wearing this hat, which is kind of funny that I'm wearing a hat today, um, nine when six hat, I work for Congress in Vera, and he's teaming up with Councilmember Lisa Kaplan to plant some trees at Glenwood Elementary along with the tree foundation on October 4th.

Saturday, October 4th, that's Saturday.

I'm looking for volunteers to come out and plant some trees.

Which leads to my question when it comes to the city parks.

Um, I know we partner up with many organizations.

Uh at the top of my head, I'm thinking it's smud when it comes to shade trees, obviously the tree foundation.

But when it comes to actually planting trees at our parks, is it is it the parks department with some of these nonprofits?

Is it a mix of everything?

Sorry if I went from that announcement to this.

Ask me questions if you guys want to go to the I can give you kind of a high-level answer, but if Sean wants to provide provide a more detailed one, yes, all high level, all the tree plantings need to go through our department, um, so it can have the approval of our arborist and coordination with our volunteer team under park maintenance.

Um, but certainly um, you know, um we rely on the support and appreciate the support of our volunteer groups to make that work happen.

Sean, you want to provide more information?

Could you just one more time the question?

I was listening to it, but we're talking about partnering with nonprofits or I think it's just the question simply is um the parks department planting trees at our parks.

What's maybe that process?

And I know, and Jackie kind of director kind of mentioned towards it where it was partnering up with our nonprofits and and providing those trees, but and then it's the arborist that also approves those uh tree plantings.

I I guess my question really comes from the how do we plant more trees.

Well, we would love to plant more trees, um, just so you're aware and everyone else is aware, this upcoming planting season is completely booked.

So we've chosen every Saturday that's available in the tree planting window.

Um we never have a problem with people wanting to plant trees.

Um we do have availability during the week, and so we are coordinating some of that, especially within district two.

Um Councilmember Dickinson is working on some initiatives that he would like to have as far as being the I think the leader, I don't know if that's the best word for it, but being the leader and getting trees planted.

Um, but again, we don't necessarily partner with an organization outside of SAC Tree Foundation.

Sack Tree Foundation has been, I mean, a blessing in their generosity in providing the trees for the tree plantings and the stakes and all of that.

Um so we haven't had to go out and solicit for funding to plant trees.

We've got a great partner and we've got great enthusiasm already.

Um but we will happily uh accommodate more if we ever have the opportunity that we can do something during the week.

Um week Saturday seem to be the best day, but we have seven other or six other days, so we're happy to do that.

If if I could follow up, I know we had this conversation with the last commission.

Um, so knowing that the season is packed with tree plantings.

Um, I know water is always that that question of you know who's gonna keep uh is there enough uh what is there, the water bags that you said for all the tree plantings or had those been allocated to some of those things to some of those so we'll be doing the water bags for all of the tree plantings.

Again, they're not going to be the ultimate solution to the to the irrigation problem, um, but they are definitely helpful.

Um they're relatively inexpensive.

So I think we already have 250, and if we needed 250 more, if we're gonna potentially do 500 trees, we could easily manage that.

Thank you.

Commissioner Flores.

Thank you, Chair.

I forgot to thank uh Diana for for 916 day.

I know this is literally September and uh looking forward to the the three nine one six day events uh and seeing it still strong uh in in year four, I think this is right.

So just wanted to shout you out on that.

Forgot to do that during uh during that time.

Um also uh you know, uh I have a son who's now loves to swim, and so we swam at Cabrill Park uh earlier in the month, and then we also swam at the North Natomas Aquatic Center and staff and then I was there as a secret shopper and staff at both locations, you know, were awesome to the community, awesome to customers, um, and no you can't run.

They will let you know you can't run uh uh in the pool areas, and that's you know, for safety.

But no, just seeing staff in their element, seeing all the kids and families um uh both at the south and the north enjoying uh um parks and gives a father an opportunity to have a great weekend with uh with with the family.

So uh just shout out to the all the staff that does that in the sun, uh, but it's fun when it's hot, ice cream and food and stuff like that.

Um also, you know, I know director you said the rangers were were at capacity uh in these last couple of weeks.

Uh but when I was at the Bell Coolidge Library, there was a uh uh a ranger that was driving by doing the rounds.

I just wove hi, but he stopped and pulled over and parked just to make sure if I was okay.

I was like, no, I'm just saying hi.

I was like, oh, there's no situation.

Knowing that their time and bandwidth is very limited, I was like, no, just saying hi, just no, just you know, thank you for your service.

I'm I was a regular dude.

Uh they don't know who I am sometimes.

So that's you know, again, secret shopping, but they're giving that customer service.

So it's also validating that uh, you know, when we say at public forums that the you know this department is the first interface of the city services to the general public and seeing it in action, seeing it with the smile on their faces, given that we're all, you know, at you know, at capacities, but they're there's first thing is everybody um on all across all Yep C teams, um, it's very rewarding that to be a part of the team and and anything we can do to always uplift uh staff.

Uh uh just wanted to shut that up.

Just it was I was secret shopping this past, you know, couple months, uh, and then obviously seeing the events team hustle out there in the hot sun to make sure these events go off without a hitch, and then the the setup and the teardown too, because teardown is always the the after everyone already had their fun, then they're the ones working last.

So just shout out to all the teams in the various departments of Up C and happy 916 months.

Commissioner Ford.

I would just say watch out for uh Commissioner Flores.

He's out there watching you all.

I'm just kidding.

Um a couple of comments.

One, um, in terms of the tree planning season that's coming up, I know there might be some tensions about like who how many events are happening, etc.

So I think I what I would suggest an offer up is maybe we could get a list of who who all is planning planning, you know, what events and dates, and maybe what we could do is try to consolidate partnerships, right?

So that way, um, if it's nearby districts or you have someone from your district wanting to join one of these events, we could like promote them, you know, city wide, and then just so that folks don't feel like they're missing out, um, and folks have the opportunity to join.

Um, just uh Commissioner King, we didn't get all of the dates we wanted, just so you know in D1.

Just wanted to put that out there, but um, I'm happy to collaborate for who anyone wants to join um in D one.

Um Diana, I'm sorry I didn't ask this, but in terms of 916 day, um, are there any utensils or anything that's kind of outstanding that we should be aware of?

Napkins, stuzzles.

Okay, thank you.

Fantastic.

Commissioner Vasquez.

I also had a Deanna question.

Sorry, I forgot to ask before.

Are we doing anything at City Council that day?

I know we've got like a I think it's a two o'clock city council meeting on 916 Day, literally.

So I was wondering if anyone had taken lead on an announcement or special.

I'm not aware of anything on the agenda, but I'd be happy to show up if someone wants to suggest it being added.

I don't know if the deadline's already passed for that.

I can look into that.

It's a very impacted council day, but we can see what we can do.

Yep.

Great, thank you, Deanna.

And I also wanted to mention the watering bags and just add maybe a little bit uh more to answer your question.

Um I saw them at McKinley Park.

Um great job, Sean.

They're perfectly placed.

They go on the stake, not on the trunk of the tree, and I was just so happy to see that they were all properly placed.

It's a very common mistake with a gator bag, and they look great.

Um, I'm hoping that they can be dispersed around to all our different uh parks that need them appropriately.

Um, and those trees come from SMUD.

So SMUD buys all the trees.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation helps to disperse and teach the um the neighbors how to plant them and where to plant them.

Um but they're not the only game in town.

We do have uh Rewild, who's been working to plant in parks, uh Rewild Sacramento, as well as the Meadowview Urban Tree Project, who've been planting trees as well.

So if you do have open weekdays, it sounds like maybe Sean, then um, you know, we do have other nonprofits who can you we can direct you to who SMUD also funds uh to plant trees to get it done because it does fill up quickly in advance.

Um big shout out to our arborist, Miss Carlson, for all the amazing work she's been doing with uh the D6 groups who are planting in the next two months, and congratulations on that second truck that's gonna get it done and be able to be in two places uh at the same time, two Saturdays, two plantings all winter.

So I'm really happy for that.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So the last item on the agenda is public comments.

Matters not on the agenda.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have one speaker slip for this item, Jeff.

Chairperson Gaines and Commissioners.

My name is Jeff Solomon, a district eight resident and co-founder of the Meadow View Urban Tree Project.

Today, though, I'm just speaking primarily as Jeff, a community member who appreciates the important work you do for our neighborhoods.

I want to commend this commission and Yipsey for your collaborative approach to serving Sacramento residents.

As someone who's attended several commission meetings, I've seen firsthand the constructive partnership between this body and Yipsey leadership.

And I especially like to thank Director Beachum and her staff for fostering that spirit of cooperation.

I'd like to focus briefly on the recently approved urban forest plan.

While the plan lays out a citywide vision for strengthening Sacramento's tree canopy, I understand that Yipsey's responsibility is focused specifically on sustaining managing and enhancing the canopy within our parks and community centers.

Given the city's budget constraints, I believe the successful implementation of this plan, even within Yipsey's areas of responsibility will require multi-pronged collaborative effort.

There will be significant opportunities to involve the broader community, private sector partners, and non-profit like us to secure funding, expand resources, and provide volunteer support.

This commission is uniquely positioned to champion community engagement and ensure that all voices are heard when shaping decisions affecting parks and community centers.

I encourage Gypsy to remain open to creative partnerships and to take full advantage of contributions from residents and local organizations.

Based on what I've observed, I'm confident this commission and Yipsey will continue to make thoughtful, inclusive decisions that improve and sustain the urban canopy in Sacramento's parks and community centers for years to come.

Thank you for your time and your ongoing service to our community.

Thank you for your comment.

Chair, I have no more speakers.

Thank you.

And thank you, Jeff, for being here.

You know, anything you need from us, from me, you got it.

Thank you.

Because you're from District Eight.

Well, that concludes today's meeting agenda.

Thank you everyone for your participation.

And um, we're gonna do a group picture with our hats.

In five minutes I have a flight to catch, so we're gonna make it fast.

So everyone, we're gonna do a quick picture.

But technically the meeting is adjourned.