Alright, good evening, everyone, and welcome to the meeting on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, Parks and Community Enrichment Commission.

The meeting is now called to order.

Will the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum?

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Yuribe is absent.

Commissioner Robbins.

Present.

Commissioner Labor.

Present.

Commissioner King.

Here.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Present.

Commissioner Flores.

Here.

Vice Chair Boone.

President.

And Chair Gaines.

Present.

Thank you.

We have a quorum.

I would like to remind the members of the public and chambers who wish to in chambers who wish to speak on any item on today's agenda to please turn it in a 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.

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

And just a heads up before we do this land acknowledgement, it is Native Heritage Month.

So I encourage you to uh look at some resources and support our native organizations in Sacramento.

All right, now you can please rise for the land acknowledgement.

To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Patwin Wintun 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.

Thank you.

Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

You may be seated.

And I know it's actually been a while since we um had passed having a land acknowledgement, but if you did not know, Sacramento is one of the is the first major city in the nation that actually has a land acknowledgement that we do before every meeting.

So we were the first ones in the country to do that.

That's your fun native heritage month fact for today.

All right.

So 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 a one speaker slip for the consent calendar.

Um Dard Hunter.

Commissioners, it's my pleasure to join you briefly this evening.

My name is Dard Hunter.

I'm a resident and board member at Heritage Park Homeowners Association in North Natomas, which is the homeowners association that literally surrounds Willow Park, which is on your consent agenda today.

I'm joined by Theresa Ubog, U.S.

Army veteran and member of the Veterans Club at Heritage Park.

We are here on behalf of Veterans Club President Steve Warner, who's conducting our regularly scheduled Veterans Club meeting right now.

That's why he's not here, to express our appreciation for your consideration for this motion.

Steve, the committee, many members of the community have been involved for years with Councilmember Kaplan, her predecessor Ashby, the current mayor's office, and many others in the community to make this dream come true to honor so many of our Heritage Park residents who are veterans.

Um we have been engaged actively in fundraising to cover the cost of the monument change and other changes that are anticipated, and very much appreciate your consideration.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment, Chair.

I have no more speakers.

Thank you.

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

Commissioner Vasquez.

Yes, thank you.

Um I've got a question and comment on the follow-up log.

Um the follow-up blog has the response from the request to um maybe put signage to reach our communities into the parks.

We got a great email back.

That email isn't uh transparent to the public, so there's no way for them to see the response, and that's something I'd like to agendize and talk about is the uh the response to the stickers, which I think is great.

Um, and then my comment would be on the last request that I have for volunteer nominations, discussing that.

It says at the discretion of the chair if there's time we'll discuss.

So I was wondering if you knew a date for that, or if that would be today, or if that's like a future date.

Yeah, we can take a look.

Um, and when we have the um commissioner comments, we can talk about it then if we have time today, and then if not, we can talk about it and we can put it on the agenda for uh December.

Commissioner King.

Yes, thank you.

I would like to modify the volunteer list and add a name if possible.

Can I do that now?

Yes.

Okay, wonderful.

Um, so for District 5, I would like to nominate um Ulysses Viegas Jr.

Thank you.

He's wonderful and does so much.

He's sitting right there.

So yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Great.

Any other commissioner comments on the consent calendar?

All right.

Seeing none.

Um, is there a motion and second to approve the consent calendar?

A motion.

Second.

Alright, we have a motion um from Vice Chair Boone and a second from Commissioner King.

So all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Thank you.

The motion passes.

So congratulations for Veterans Park.

Thank you very much.

All right, so we'll now proceed to the discussion calendar.

Item five, amenities plans for Stone Beatland Parks and the Delta Shores development.

Is there a staff presentation?

Good evening, Commissioners.

I'm Jeff Netka, I'm the senior landscape architect with the city.

Also joining me here is Amy Latone.

She's with Verde Designs.

And they're the landscape architect working on this project, and then also Steve Hicks back there in the blue shirt, is here with Taylor Builders.

Um, so at the beginning of this process, the city was approached by Steve and the developer to come up with a plan for these three neighborhood parks.

Um, as a result, we started working with the developer and the council office to come up with a community survey to obtain information uh from the community on what amenities they'd like to see at these parks.

Based on that information we received from the community, the site amenities plans were prepared.

Um just to give you a context of where these parks are located, um, Stone Beatland Development is located at the south end of the Meadowview neighborhood.

It's west of the Morrison Creek light rail station, it's north of Consumous River Boulevard, and it's uh east of Delta Shores Community.

With that said, I'm gonna go ahead and hand off the presentation to Amy.

Thank you, Commissioners, for letting me um give me the opportunity to talk about these three site plans.

Um, on the slide that you're seeing right now is the development map.

Um we'll start with park site one and then move to park site two and then park site three.

Park site one uh is approximately three and a half acres to the south is a large storm water basin, and separating that stormwater basin from the rest of the park is a bike trail that connects the entire stone beatland um development to the Morrison Creek bike trail connection.

So that goes throughout the entire development.

Um we use the feedback from the community survey as well as um the Sacramento design guidelines and also talking with Jeff and Jason and Steve about what amenities we could do use for these parks.

Um, and so the survey came back showing that the public was interested in having a multi-sport sports court.

We'll see that number seven.

There's a large open turf area.

There's shaded picnic areas or area with picnic tables, accessible tables, a bike rack, a drinking fountain, and then the shade trees will be strategically placed for shade and screening.

And so and there'll also be that main entry to the northeast corner.

Park site two.

This park the public wanted a.

I can go back one because I forgot.

There's also a space left open for future playground.

They wanted the playground to be separate, so there's a five to twelve area and a two to five area.

The shaded picnic um area is in between those two play areas.

It will act as a gathering space for the families.

Then there's seating around the walking loop that surrounds those two playground areas.

You'll see that bike trail again that separates the playground from the large turf field.

That field is large enough for a U 12 soccer field, which is about 50 by 80 yards.

Around the edge of that turf field, we're going to have some berming.

So there's some natural hillside spectator areas, in case there's an actual game played on that field.

And then the last park site.

This is the smaller park site.

It's almost two acres.

The community feedback suggested that they wanted a community garden.

And so there would be 36 um 10 by 10 plots, and there's four of the 10 by 20 accessible plots in that fence and garden area.

There's also compost and a storage within the fence, and then outside the fence is your shade structure with picnic area, drinking fountain, bicycle rack.

There's a spot saved for future playground, that open turf area, and again that bike trail that runs on the side, and you can see how it connects to the Morrison Creek uh bike trail in that existing neighborhood.

If you have any questions or feedback about those concepts, that would be great.

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

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for this item.

Thank you.

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

Commissioner Robins.

Hi, thank you for the report.

Um I is there for the site one uh and site three, says a planned uh playground.

Is there future plans or is it just a hope and dream that it would happen?

Do you want to excuse that?

So currently, yeah, there's no funding for the playground right now.

Um, and yeah, so it's basically a placeholder once we get funding available, and that's uh through the development of the developer or the city.

Uh the city or grant funding or yeah, so it'd be definitely a future item.

Yeah, it'd be hopes and dreams.

We just that concerns me because like we've had uh a park we just opened last month at the moment, it took uh 20 years to get the funding for that, so that concerns me that we have three sites and only one playground that's actually gonna be accessible um for the community over here.

Um what was the survey for the community?

Was it for uh the local community, and they said they wanted playgrounds and yeah, just correct, yeah, yeah.

It just uh highly concerns me that we have three play sites and it looks like a lot of open fields and it's not really gonna be a park or uh, you know, just kicking the can down the road.

I know how this goes, and then I don't know if there would be a park.

So um just my concerns on the development.

I hope we find funding for it, but knowing how I've done my job for the last three years, it's pretty hard to find it.

But uh I would wish that we had a better plan on the developing these parks, plate areas for our future.

But thank you.

Commissioner King.

Yes thank well okay thanks um I had a couple questions.

First in the first site there's a planting area was that accurate what is that?

Yeah so around the stormwater basin is gonna be um basically hydro seated with like a natural wildflower mix it's part of the cost of the park it gets to be included in that um and so we're just showing it on theirs.

So it's kind of like a runoff area for wildflowers.

Yeah okay native planting native plants okay that's great um second my question is very similar to Robbie's um we've had a lot of feedback from community members about different sports um that aren't being utilized and since we're putting in three new parks one being um futsal courts one being um like lighted fields so I didn't see any lighting on these parks um so lighting foots all and then also pickle wall was a big one that we heard um and so I I know there's one sports court that can be used for multiple but can you tell us a little bit more about that plan is it gonna be fenced what kind of sports will it be able to accommodate that kind of thing yeah so currently that sports court um is the size of a full-size basketball court and it does have the footsall striping right now um so it right now it's basketball and futsal uh pickleball it would just change the shape of it basically it's more rectangular um it also pickle up ball is really popular but it brings a lot of noise um so again it'd be a decision that the city makes the community makes um as to what is striped for that court okay thank you appreciate that commissioner Vasquez thank you chair um great job so telling about that presentation thank you for you know spreading the amenities out um amongst the three spots I do have a few questions one is specifically here on this map on the uh trees near the uh basin area here I'm wondering does the irrigation go as far?

Like are those trees irrigated in your planting area?

Yes they would be wonderful then to elevate our e-comment um I didn't see the legend for the size of these trees can you explain the differences between like the pink yellow and then green like are the two green around the park medium and large so the larger trees right now are about a 30 foot um radius tree which is a pretty standard size shade tree.

So the planting that you see is more of an artistic rendering right now.

When we get into more of the construction documents we'll have a planting plan prepared and we'll make sure that those trees will provide shade they'll provide seasonal interest color some will be year round um and you know the same with like that entryway uh we don't want it to all be dead looking in one season right so we want seasonal interest there um and you know we also want to make sure that the neighbors are screened from view of the park and you know so we'll strategically place those trees and as we move forward with the plan set.

Yeah.

So then the uh what are the pink yellow and white at the entry?

Again they're just kind of placeholders for um like annuals or perennials so smaller like shrubs that bring color and interest that'll be the main entryway that has or the main entry that has the park sign.

So it'll be spruced up and you know colorful and pretty and all that but oh that I'm guessing then the pink are like understory.

Those are like landscaping those are trees.

Okay.

Okay, great.

Yeah and then just a reminder that our uh parks plan 2040 no longer requires flowering trees at the entrance at signage okay um great and then uh what about a bathroom yeah unfortunately these are neighborhood parks so yeah we reserve the restrooms for the community parks so yeah this trail that goes around is it connect to other trails in the community or is it just in the around this uh development so it's kind of a better picture smaller but um kind of right in the middle you'll see a green stripe and along the street and so that's starting the bike trail um and then at the very north where park site three is that connects the Morrison Creek it comes down and then runs along that dashed red line there's another bike trail there and so um the sites will connect to both trails so that it can really connect the neighborhood and there's transit session the transit station is off to your right hand side of the page um and so you know you'll have that good connection as well throughout so does the transit station have a bathroom I don't know what a transit station is the right rail sorry okay is there a bathroom there yes wonderful okay great well I would you know always recommend when we're connecting our trails in to have a bathroom because then they cease to become just a community park right they're like a a part of our larger park network.

So my recommendation would be to please put a bathroom if you could I know that this is hard when we have things like basins is it feasible to even put plumbing in for a bathroom on any of these three sites.

Um yeah I mean funding wise I mean yeah I don't know if we'd want to spend that money right now because that could be taken away from a future park bench or a park bench or something so and yeah we really try to not put the restrooms in neighborhood parks but um yeah I don't know that probably wouldn't go in this phase unfortunately yeah and this phase is everything except uh the playgrounds in those two uh circles correct yeah we are so the funding comes from the development impact fees and so right now we're going through and um making sure that they're in budget and so we're gonna do our best so we can to get what's on the screen um but they'll probably be a two phase for the build out of the parks as they get more funding.

Yeah that'd be like one park at a time or like the yeah the plan is is to complete one park and then or phase one of one park and then move on to phase one of the next park and then phase one of the last park so about every year.

Great.

Well those are my my three questions thank you so much Commissioner Flores Thank you Chair the Del Real Trail the four mile Delrail Trail does not have a a dedicated bathroom but it is next to amenities uh that does have bathroom so it's kind of in a similar in a similar vein right like the dedicated four mile trail class A does not have a bathroom um maybe this question is more for the chair um and maybe I'm not trying to spoil their alert what whatever comments you may have had um but I would be interested in some of the the I know it was reported about community uh input but some of your history with the community up regarding these three sites and how some of these things came about so I didn't want to spoil alert but I know that was very top of mind for me.

Alright so uh those are my comments and I'll just defer to her thank you.

Commissioner Labor Alright, so that was my question.

I know you had mentioned the community outreach.

So can you tell us about that process, what you guys did, how many people were involved yeah so yeah um we worked with the council office on putting out the community survey um it went out June 21st um and then the comments were due by the end of day July 28th um we put out lawn signs um over at Panel Community Center at the pool, Meadow View Park, Susan B.

Anthony School, and then the Park, Meadow View Park, Morrison Creek, and Franklin Light Rail Stations.

We also had the council office help us push it out on social media.

And then it was posted online and also flyers were handed out to the neighbors in the Detroit Boulevard neighborhood that were right next to where this new developments going to be installed or built.

Oh, and sorry, and yeah, so on the number of comments, we only got 10 participants on the survey, but based on that information that we receive, um, yeah, we came up with these plans based on the amenities that they wanted to see at these parks.

So yeah.

Awesome.

I mean, all you can do is put it out there.

People don't answer.

That's a lesson for everybody to answer these things.

Um, and so when you kind of showed the bigger map now, I drive by Delta Shores all the time, so I know there's a lot going on.

Are there people living in that community already?

In Stone Beatland development.

No.

Okay, so then is the plan for the parks to be ready at the same time that the houses are ready?

Correct.

They're planning on building this, building these parks as churn key parks, so the developer has a certain amount of PIF obligation, and they use that PIF funding to build the parks.

Okay, and then um, I know some like the playground, there's gonna be other stuff that comes in a second phase.

Will you guys be doing community outreach at that time?

Like if Stone Beatland has people living there.

Will you do um outreach to them again before the second phase?

Typically we don't.

Um, I mean, if there is like a neighborhood association or something at that point, I mean, I guess we could present to them at that time, but currently the plan is, yeah, because we don't we can't tell what the future or how fast those homes are gonna be developed.

So yeah, currently we don't have that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So that would just be my one suggestion since people don't live there now and didn't weigh in.

If we're looking at like what um the playground equipment is gonna look like or things like that.

If that is something that's up for discussion, to um if we could do a second round of outreach the people who are living closest, that would be great.

Yeah, that's a good recommendation.

Thank you.

All right, any other commissioner comments?

All right, um, all right.

So do I have a motion and a second?

Um, because we are voting on whether we're gonna approve the park amenities plan.

So I have a motion and a second.

Do you want a motion since it's district eight?

Yeah, district eight.

I motion for approval.

Second.

Thank you.

Alright, so we have a motion by Chair Gaines and a second by Commissioner Flores.

Um, so all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

All right, thank you.

The motion passes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, so we will now move on to the next item.

Item six parks and community enrichment commission 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan.

Is there a staff presentation?

Uh no staff presentation, but I will uh kick off the discussion, and the commission can continue with their feedback.

Chapter 17 of council rules of procedure state that each city advisory body shall provide an annual report for review by the personnel and public employees committee at a minimum report should include the following highlights and accomplishments from previous years' work, proposed projects, priorities, and recommendations for the upcoming year, including resources required and information on feasibility, and any other information required of the advisory body according to Sacramento City Code.

This item is to review and provide direction on the contents of the park and community enrichment commission annual report and forward it to the annual report to PNPE and then to City Council.

So I will open this up for discussion.

Chair, you you have the you have the mic.

Thanks.

Perfect.

So before we open this up for um public comment and commissioner comment, if you guys read the report, it looks very similar to the last year, and that was intentional because we didn't get the plan done or approved until late of this year.

So there's really no time to work on the things that we said we would work on.

None of those were done.

And so I felt like because we weren't finished and because we only had a few months that we would continue with what we had already agreed on for last year.

So if that if it looks familiar to you, that is why they are the same ones from last year.

All right.

So are there any members of the public who would like to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slip for this item.

All right, any commissioner comments?

Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

All righty.

I have just a couple of small kind of grammatical things and then the items that I would like to add for us to work on for next year.

Um the 916 day is consistently called like a day of service.

And I think we can change that to really kind of represent more of what it is, which is like a month or a couple of weeks.

Like it says all throughout, like we came together on 916 day, which we did, but also several other work days.

So I was thinking maybe we can call it uh something different, and that's just a small grammatical kind of thing instead of day of service, it pretty much is turning into like a month of service.

So we can call it um, you know, which would warrant the large number of dollars spent.

If I think for a day of service, it'd be a lot to warrant, you know, 60 hours of uh volunteer recruitment time.

So I think if it is more clear that it's a larger event than one day, then that could be woven throughout the 916 day mentions, please.

And then in uh the number one of 916 day, when we list who we invited, which is residents, local organizations, and civic leaders.

I'd like to add students to that list who are an important part of 916 day.

We could even say uh schools or school districts, but I want to make sure that our youth are represented in who we're inviting because they're a big part of who's coming out there and doing the work, and then when we get to the looking ahead section, we have uh this is where I'd like to add what I would like the commission to prioritize for the next year, which is pretty much the same as last year, which is working on our strategic plan for our parks plan, which is something that is in our powers and duties to be developing with recommendations and advice and then implementing.

So we're over a year, a year and a quarter past passing that plan.

So I'd like to make sure that we're prioritizing that.

Um we have and we've it broken down into some great um letters here.

So I think that we can fit the requests I have into them pretty neatly.

Um so if we go to A in the work plan for the upcoming year, um, I think one way that we can support equity and transparency in park improvements is to make sure that we have a wide variety of technical advisors working on the strategic plan and making sure that the implementation is broken up year to year, like the 2018 plan.

I think that's a really good way.

Um, if we have seed tool implemented into that, that's a great place to put it, to put our prioritization, which is my request of the seed tool, and what are the policies that we're using to implement equity that would belong in equity for sure.

And then standardization of our community engagement, and this is a conversation that we've just had with this park plan.

I would like to see us make a very standardized, this is the number of days that your community has to weigh in on the amenities in your parks.

Uh this is the number of languages we put it out in.

This is the uh the basis of our questions, making sure that they're very um open and um presented in a way that is not uh too limiting.

And I can give some examples as we you know, that's something that we all want to work on is standardizing the community engagement process and planning.

And then we have tracking the number.

If we go down to the metric of effectiveness for letter A, which is the supporting equity and transparency in park improvements, um, it's asking should we track like the third bullet point there, tracking the number of all community meetings held, diversity of participants engaged, and implementation of policy or projects.

So, what are those policies?

What policy are we tracking specifically when we talk about engagement?

I think that's something that we still need to work on and create the standardization of community engagement.

This is a great place to track it.

You've already got it uh written in, we just don't have it in existence yet.

And if we go back to um timeline for completion, like right above C, right?

If we get to expanding fundraising and private philanthropy, we have you know our public philanthropy as well.

So we have our parks ballot measure that is already in full swing, that we already have polls happening.

I know parks department has already spent time, you know, giving dollar amounts to what it would cost to put this, you know, what kind of dollar amount do we need to get a parks uh ballot going, a parks initiative on the ballot.

So those dollars should be captured here in this document of how much time we've the parks department has already spent and saying that that's something we're gonna be working on throughout the next year along with our communities.

So this is something that we as commissioners visit our neighborhood associations.

This is something we'll be asked about, something we need to weigh in on, something we need to decide as a team.

So this is something we need to be working on and prioritizing.

So I would put the ballot measure on as part of philanthropy, which I think is great.

Um, and if we go back a little bit to dollars spent, I think the only other comment that I had here was about our 916 day expenditures, because I think that we can downsize that a little bit.

I think if we're spending, actually, I have a question for Shannon.

I think you put this draft together.

Um so I think this question is for you.

But if we look at, I think I don't know if this is duplicative or if it's something I'm just not understanding, but for the annual 916 day expenditures, we have two uh recruiting lines.

We have recruiting and promoting at 30 hours of staff time, and then recruitment at 60 hours of staff time.

Is that recruiting for different things?

Is it the same?

Because I think that you know, we had just over a hundred volunteers.

I think 60 hours alone, and that first line item is a pretty steep amount of staff time.

No, that is a good point.

I did not catch that.

So you're right.

I combine recruiting and promoting, or um, I it probably should have just been 60 hours total.

So I'll I'll take a look at those numbers again.

Okay, great.

Great.

So then if so it probably would be just deleting the one that says recruiting and promoting.

I'll take a review of that and get it correct for the the draft.

I think that's something that we can lean on our um our donors and our supporters and our collaborators to do, right?

You know, for example, if we had Sutter Health again or whomever we're gonna have, you know, leaning on them to do 10 20 hours of recruiting is gonna save that staff time for parks.

I really don't think that's you know, a job that parks has to have the the onus for, you know, it's definitely us as people who are connected with our communities to invite them, but also we can ask our partners to do that as well.

Um so those are the things that I would like to add to our draft.

Um I will add that last year when we put our draft through to PPE.

One of the things I requested was to have a an outward facing list of whom is requesting service and those park enhancements, which uh council member Vane was definitely in favor for.

Like, how are we listing out publicly who's asking for what, so that when we use our seed tool and we use our equity practices, we can point to who got in line where and when and how?

I think that's something that's still missing that we should be working on this upcoming year.

Thank you.

So just a clarifying question um with the standardizing community engagement.

So I wrote that down for A.

Um, are you suggesting that we create like a draft as the commission to then put forward?

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

All right.

Commissioner Flores.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, so this is uh this is our second report we're sending into PPE, or is this the finalization of the first one we did this year?

This is the second.

This will be the second.

Okay.

Okay.

That's a and then what can you remind me again?

What is the goal of this document?

Is it ref is it reflecting how we as commissioners operate out in the field versus you know what the department does out in the field, right?

There's a couple there's a couple nuances there because I hear the the punch list of what the previous commissioner just spoke about, but where would things fall in line?

Like, is it you know some of the commissioner?

What is the goal of the of the document and and then what is under our umbrella and then what is under items that are under the department's umbrella, right?

Because although we do similar things, you know, the I would like to report on what we do as commissioners in the vein of what the document is looking for.

Since now we're gonna go into the second version of this, and then um, you know, if the if the first version and yeah, we didn't have a uh um by the time we got the final direction to do version one, you know, half the year was already had, so you know, we have we had to scramble for some of this stuff.

Now that we're now that we kind of know what's going on in version two, year two of this document, you know, how what are some of the lessons learned now to capture what indeed uh us commissioners do uh not only up here but you know out there too.

Yeah, we are we are supposed to enter interface and talk to uh neighborhood associations and initiatives and um you know if we're gonna sponsor an initiative like 916 day month um and we have outside help in in collecting resources, yeah, we should be capturing that and what how many folks came and how many students came because there was a lot of young faces I saw in all three events.

So I'm just one I just want to be clear what the document is asking us commission is doing, and then one, let's do that, and then some of the and then and and then maximize that and what is indeed within what they're looking for us uh metrically, what we do as commissioners versus what the department does that we help supplement or assist on, you know, because some of those I mean we too a lot.

I mean, we're we're a commission that does a lot individually as a team and then in conjunction with the department.

Um but the department has its own reports that they measure out to, especially during budget time and other uh reports.

So in a in an effort to streamline uh not do duplicative efforts of reporting the same metrics in different documents, um, but one can inform the other.

So that that that's my that's my goal that we're being efficient and reporting what we what the report is doing.

So maybe a little bit of that clarification.

Yeah, thank you.

Um and so, and this is also helpful our newer commissioners.

Um, so this work plan, this is for us.

So this is what the commission is going to do.

So when I look at this, I read it as Janine will attend and collaborate in monthly meetings.

So this is our work plan for what we as a commissioner are going to complete.

Um, which is why, since we didn't do these things last year, we decided to keep them on.

So this is our work plan.

So there are things that might be informed by things that are happening um at the with the city, but that's why I asked for that clarification, like you know, um, the standardizing community engagement, which is great, that like okay, we will create a draft um to put forward.

Um, but there are other things that you know, like I know we're talking about the strategic plan, but there's not one yet, so we can't inform on that, because that's not uh something that we have, and so that's not something that we can do yet.

So that's what we're looking at.

Uh if my hand is still raised, uh, Chair, because you you you brought up something, so I just that's why I wanted to the differentiate the the nuances of like the if the talking point is um formalizing community engagement, okay.

That might be uh a department thing, but if we're trying to capture, hey, Joe, as a district seven commissioner, how many of your neighborhood associations went to the parks plan to then now create uh a request for tree planting because I'm gonna report on tree planning later.

That's what was under my purview.

It's it's a similar topic, but two different you know, buckets in that sense.

It's like I can inform on the process of standardization of community, like how they you know, they can um ask for tree planting, right?

I can work with the council member to do that on, but that's a different bucket.

What I can say is like, hey, I inform four neighborhood associations to do four tree plantings.

Like, so that report would say, hey, in district seven, four tree plantings was had, right?

So it's the same topic, but different buckets, right?

Is that that's what the report's looking for?

Yeah, and like I said, so it's specifically like what we have done and worked on because I mean there's stuff that that happens in the district.

I mean, they're always doing things at the parks that I didn't help with or know about.

So we're not gonna I'm not gonna report on that.

Um, but the ones that I did support, like that is something as a commission that you know, I would want to report on the things that like we actually supported and helped on and did.

Okay, yeah.

So this like I said, this is our report.

Um, and you know, for those of you guys who weren't at the PPE meeting last year, they really liked our report and they said it's exactly what they were looking for.

Um, so really I just want to let you guys know that.

Commissioner King.

Go to me.

Um, I was gonna, yeah, I was commenting on the metrics of effectiveness on letter A, support equity and transparency and park improvements.

I agree with you, Victoria, that that third bullet is a little ambiguous because in my opinion, I'm not I maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but I'm not usually hosting community meetings to discuss with neighbors.

I'm either attending an already planned meeting, so a neighborhood association meeting, or I am in conjunction or partnership with parks attending those.

And so I know that we have continued to ask the parks department to track things like that metrics on diversity and um number of meetings held, when and how many participants like for the survey on the park um improvement or park development project, we're asking those things of the parks department, but me personally, I have not been tracking that, nor do I think I'm going to.

Um, and so maybe we need to edit that bullet to say something that reflects what it is that exactly we do, um, or how, because I personally am not going to be implementing policy.

I don't think that's in my purview as a commissioner.

I might partner with the parks department to you know implement some sort of policy or help advocate for a policy, but I am not implementing the policy.

So I would just move that we adjust that bullet a little bit and edit it to make it more accurate.

I'm open to comments as well.

Thank you.

Commissioner or uh Vice Chair Boone?

Yes.

Um, so I just want to say thank you for the feedback.

Um, specifically pages nine through eleven.

Um those are pages that I I personally drafted with feedback that we had in our ad hoc.

Um so just starting from the top of page nine with item A.

Um, I heard the feedback on incorporating some verbiage around the strategic planning of 2040.

I think the chair addressed that.

Um this doesn't really feel like the space to um delegate that responsibility to to ourselves as a commission.

I think ultimately what I've heard in past sessions that we've had is the the reports that we put out, the staff presentations, they ultimately uplift the work that the 2040 plan um set out to achieve.

And so that's a theme that we address year round.

Um if there's a desire to have like a synthesized page at the end of the report that says this year we accomplish X, we could do something like that, but I don't think it needs to be a separate call out.

I don't think we have the money or budget to have consultants come on and give like technical expertise on a project or plan that was already proposed um and adopted.

So I don't know that we should incorporate that here.

I'm open to feedback.

Um, but I I also think that needs to be like a firm decision made here, um, because I know that it keeps like circulating, and so that's that's the first comment I've received.

The second one was around the standardization of community engagement.

I heard the chair say, you know, is that something that we're gonna draft?

That was a question you had asked.

Um, if we're taking on that responsibility, again, I want to be really clear about like who's gonna do that.

Um, if if there's a desire to draft a standardization of for tracking purposes, like who's gonna do it and who's gonna roll it out and at what point, right?

Because this goes into effect January, so we need to have that available.

So if that's something that you want to own and maybe have at the next meeting, we need that chart readily available by January.

Um, and we obviously have to give feedback as a commission.

The third point for A is on the bullet of metric of effectiveness.

I think we can strike that bullet again.

Last year when we drafted this, it felt like a means to have metrics, right?

Because ultimately it's like we have this goal, but then how do we measure our success?

Um, and the idea around that was that we as commissioners are capturing that data.

We as commissioners are being liaison to community members, not that we're promoting or um you know requesting policy changes or implementation, but more so that we're truly sharing that information that when people can't make it out to a meeting, it's like I I not only attended the meeting, but this was my purpose at the meeting.

That was like kind of the idea, but I hear that that's not um how this reads, and so I think either we strike it completely or we just envelop that in like another another piece, um, because that that's ultimately what the transparency is, right?

Like we make decisions, and then how does that get out to the public?

Um, and how are we capturing that?

So I think that that summarizes A.

Um, I didn't hear any feedback on B, other than like the grammatical 916 day.

I don't know if now is the time to address that, um chair.

Like, all right, uh ideas around 916 day for future.

It's not agendized, so it could be a part of the commissioner comments.

Uh yes.

Any recommendations can be a part of the discussion right now.

Okay, or any of the report, anything in the report.

So um a recommendation we have, um, chair and the chair and I have discussed is around 916 day and ultimately, you know, logistically speaking, monetarily speaking, um, what makes sense for future years, right?

And right now, there's this concerted effort around the actual day, September 16th, as opposed to honoring and recognizing the work that takes place year round that ultimately elevates you know civic engagement pride in our community in Sacramento.

So an idea that we've had um and we wanted to present was can we not do the specific 916 days in the month of September instead have a 916 celebration in September, and then ultimately just uplift throughout the year the volunteerism that's happening.

Um, so it's almost like a 916 campaign.

So, like if you were hosting a tree planting in January at your table or at your setup near registration, there would be an opportunity to like get a pen or get a sticker and have that pride, but it doesn't mean if you didn't come out September 12th, you didn't participate in 916 day.

Um, so that's that's the direction we'd like to head into because what we found this year is that ultimately the staff did 95% of the work.

Um we talked to donors, we we we reached out to um, you know, past donors, and there just wasn't the energy excitement capacity there.

Um so I heard the recommendation on like, you know, why can't we ask Sutter to do some of the promotion?

We did, um, and there just wasn't a desire to do it, or it didn't relay itself into results.

Um we actually asked dental offices, law firms like, hey, can you flyer for us or promote this with your clientele, thinking that that would draw like a huge mass, and it just didn't.

Um ultimately, it came down to staff in Deanna specifically going out to events that were happening throughout the summer, um, working with you know key clubs and student organizations, and so that's why the hours are what they are.

Um, we ended up renting porter potties, like all these expenses accumulate, and so what we're thinking is again, rather than concerted effort around that month that day, we just honor that we're all working toward 916 day.

916 day itself can be more of a celebration to recognize that.

So this goal that's here, uh formalizing the 916 day planning process.

We actually might need to flush that out a little bit more because it's not it's not necessarily a day in and of itself, um, it's more of a recognition of annual work.

So that's my feedback for B.

Um for C, I heard a comment about like the ballot initiative.

Personally, I'll I will just be really transparent.

I'm not familiar with that, and I don't know how it fits into here.

So I would I would want um some information from like staff on is that this is this the space for that?

Like, are we supposed to capture fundraising and private philanthropy?

Like again, because the purpose of the document is to say what we're doing.

Am I going out and campaigning and door knocking on raising dollars for the ballot initiative?

Not necessarily are any of us doing that not necessarily.

So does that fit here?

And is that an appropriate space?

Um Jackie, would you like to?

We are still in the early stages of of the ballot measure.

Um, I actually have a meeting coming up next week to discuss that further, and I'll be happy to report back to the commission on that.

Um, I don't believe at this time it would be appropriate to include that in that space.

Okay.

I I was like, I didn't know if this came out a long time ago, and I was just oblivious, but yeah, for now, I think because this again, this the idea is that this is gonna go into effect January 1.

Maybe we table that we agendize it at some point if it does materialize itself, but that's my my response to the feedback I've received.

I don't know if that captured all of the comments, but I know there's um more people in the queue, so I'm happy to get back in line.

Awesome, thank you.

And then just um as Vice Chair Boone was talking about 916 day.

Um, we've also seen that you know, this is a bigger thing in Sacramento.

So like the Sacramento Kings do a big celebration, it's like a celebratory day.

Um, and I feel like people don't necessarily want to work, and so um really focusing on that celebration of what we what has been done and even like you know, having it at the park or something like that, and so um that's kind of what we're looking at, but I actually do think that falls within B, because we would be formalizing that plan next year as we look at it.

So we don't necessarily have to put the plan in here, but just that we'll work towards that plan.

Uh Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

Yeah, kind of in that vein of like working towards the plan, the purpose of this is to say what we're going to work on next year, not what we'll have done, and start to implement like January 1.

So to go back to like the community engagement strategy, right?

Our job as commissioners is to advise and recommend on the development and implementation of the policies of this department.

So this is us saying, yeah, we want to work on this particular policy.

We want to work on this strategic plan, right?

We want to say, do we want to hire a third party or not?

Right?

That's probably a decision that Parks Department has already decided or made, and then the commission itself would advise and make recommendations on that plan as it's developed, and that's something that that is our number one uh power and duty.

So the commission's uh role in this plan, this work plan, this yearly report, is really every department's only opportunity to get in front of city council.

That's the purpose that it serves.

So you say what you've done, what you want to do, and then the department goes back and assigns dollar amounts.

This is how much staff time it's gonna cost, this is how much it would cost the parks department to work on these different things you want to work on.

You present that to PPE, they send it to City Council, and then city council either approves that dollar amount or doesn't.

Um so I'm hoping that you know, through the year we've taken a chance to read all the other departments' reports, see how they're assigning their dollar amounts, see what they're asking to work on, and to talk to your council member if you have a question about what does this really serve?

What this serves is us saying to them these are our priorities for the parks department.

We've heard you in all of the you know constituent meetings, we've heard you in all of our meetings with our offices that you want to talk about bathrooms or you want to talk about how we're implementing equity, and this is how we plan on doing it for the year, and that's our opportunity to talk to city council about it.

So it's not necessarily putting together a plan and then getting it um ready on January 1st to implement, it's saying we would like to work on this plan.

Will you allow us to?

Is this also your priority?

City Council, that's what it's that's the intent of the work plan.

Um I'm gonna skip around a little bit, Director Beechum.

I'd just like to provide some clarification around the strategic plan.

The duties of the commission are to provide recommendations around the parks plan 2040, which you all have done.

We're grateful for all the work that you did in support of that around the development and implementation of the parks plan.

We will not be creating a formalized strategic plan.

We'll be reporting out on the work of implementing a strategy strategic plan um every day, right?

Through the reports we provide to this commission, um, through the monthly reports that you get here at commission from staff when they bring their annual reports to you through the annual budget process.

We report out on accomplishments, on objectives.

Um we are gonna start seeing some alignment um on our annual uh accomplishments and goals for the following years that align with the key directions of the parks plan.

But with another upcoming sixty-five plus million dollar structural budget deficit, um, we will not be developing a formalized strategic plan when we have a beautiful parks plan twenty fourty in front of us, um, that we were already well underway, a year and a half along of implementation.

So just want to be clear about that.

Thank you.

Commissioner Flores.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, Vice Chair, in regards to 916 A and B.

Um I know I could speak mostly to the history of how that initiative became to be, um, but I also hear what you're saying because I too have modeled the exact point you just said, right?

Like last year I had a tree planting 916 day branded in November in District 7.

So I have I myself didn't do it in September, um, so and I and given the the sixty-four million dollar elephant in the room next year, we don't know how that's gonna affect the citywide that affects the the parks department than then affects you know how we can operate not only within our our districts purview, but then as commissioners on and on top of that, right?

So um to to streamline it, yes.

It was originally it is to celebrate 916 days September 16th, and let's do it via parks and let's do it via sweat equity at parks.

That was in 21, 22, I forget what year we did we did that as a team then, but we're going into 26 as the the world has changed even more since then.

So uh and then there's not there's not that there's the bandwidth and capacity.

So it that that could be fluid, it could be 916 day as a a phrase, so you know, grammatically it could be plural or a phrase like cleanings and Xerox, right?

It's a 916 is a phrase, it could be a month, it could be a spectrum of hey, I I'm having another tree pointing in a couple weeks.

That could have been, you know, like in District 7.

We're doing it in honor of recognizing the Sacramento as a city we celebrate in September, right?

So I uh it could be fluid, and given that we need to be economical and and be mindful of capacities and bandwidth in 26 and 27, um, maybe rallying around multiple events in September may be off the table, but it could be spread across what we can do on the totality of the the bandwidth then.

So uh as a person who was both there and still here, right?

Um, I mean it it's a it could be a branded the sticker.

I mean, now I want to see what a third hat color would be to add to the collection, and if I got it in November or December or January, you know, as long as I got you know, I got a purple hat, right?

You know, like to me, that's still parks that's still celebrating my city, and it's still celebrating what 916.

So I'm if that needs to be streamlined, that that's totally that's totally awesome too.

So uh as far as and but th because the fact that we're talking about nine one six A, and earlier in in in the agenda, we were talking about the recognition program.

I know I those were mechanisms of policy making as well.

I know because I know that was intentional years ago when those were implemented.

I I implemented one of them uh in nineteen.

Um that was within the purview of of the powers and duties of the commission that is going out to the community and saying thank you to to neighbors.

So there is mechanisms that what we can do here is policy making when we created an initiative that is still going strong, right?

We just we added more names today.

Um, and then we work with our council members to hear what you know folks want in their parts, you know.

So that's that's also that mechanism, and then we also partner with the department on on bigger and global issues.

So that's why this commission is so fluid and dynamic, right?

We do any one, we we we do multiple things, but what is this document, what is the purpose of this document, and then let's highlight what we do that uh this document is.

Not all commissions sub submit to PPE, right?

Like uh uh correct me if I'm wrong, there's only what five documents five commissions.

There's like twenty there's twenty departments, so not all departments submit a commission report for funding measures either.

So we're just we're just unique that way that we get to do a lot of stuff.

So um I don't know how to address that part of the conversation, but um, but I know with especially with 916 since it is dear to me, but given that we have to be mindful of a bandwidth and capacities in in a uh in a unknown year 26 and going into 27.

It could be streamlined and be more efficient.

Thank you.

Commissioner King.

I will try to keep this brief, but I agree.

Thank you for explaining that, Sierra.

I appreciate um you giving some context and looking at the section B formalizing the nine one six day process or planning process.

I really do like the fact that there are members of this community who recognize 916 Day as something that is done in their local parks.

So there is definitely brand recognition.

Um the city council members talk about it and know about it.

I think there is I don't want to lose that.

And so by branding it 916 month or 91, I like 916 day.

And so I agree that 916 day could be on multiple days.

It could be 916 day.

We're celebrating um throughout the year, and then maybe we culminate in a celebratory event in September that highlights all that we've done.

So kind of like that December um recognition event.

Maybe we kind of adjust that and move that to September.

Maybe we still do like one large event in the next couple years, um, you know, due to budgetary re like restrictions, and we just look at it like we're celebrating all that we've done, we do one of those videos, we put it out there and say, get out in your parks.

These are some ways that you can contribute.

So it's still that campaign that we do, it's just not maybe the um the traditional 916 day that we have come to know in the last couple of years.

So I'm really open to adjusting and flexing.

I think that's very appropriate in these types.

So I just wanted to comment that.

Thank you.

And yeah, I mean, even with the 916 day, it can still be something special because it will be exclusive and invite only, and so you had to have participated in something over the year.

Um that goes for all of you guys.

You can't come.

No, I'm kidding.

Um, you know, but really making it that it is special in you and so that we keep that because people do know 916 days.

We don't definitely don't want to lose that.

I personally want a red hat, so I'm putting that out there.

Red hat with writing on it.

Oh no.

Sorry, we were conditionary labor.

I see her at a question.

When you were talking about C and you mentioned a ballot measure because the language it is in C and the outcomes.

I'm not clear about that, how that's related with the I might have missed the point, but did you combine a ballot measure with the language here?

No, there's nothing in the in this current document that mentions a ballot measure.

It was brought up in this conversation that as a part of expanding fundraising and private philanthropy, we could encompass this upcoming ballot measure to reflect that's a means of the fundraising, a means of um a pool of money, right?

But I had asked a clarifying question to figure out one what is the context of that two.

Does it actually fit here?

Thank you.

All right, do we have any other commissioner comments?

All right, so this one is um one that is to make a motion.

So I am actually going to make a motion to table the vote until next month.

Can I do that?

Um, excuse me.

I just have um one feedback that maybe since December will be a pretty uh busy um meeting that it may go to January, because we'll have two staff presentations and we will have the volunteer recognition, the 916 celebration as well.

And unless you want to, I just want to make sure that you're aware of what's um potentially on the agenda for December.

So we can still have it.

I just want to make sure everybody knows that there will be two staff presentations.

Uh you know, before the celebration, and if we want to bring it in December, we can, but we can also bring it back in January.

And then I did have one clarification if it'd be okay.

So to your question around I got some clarification from Deanna, thank you very much around the additional expenditures, and I will put more detail in the numbers, the hours are correct.

So for recruiting and promoting, this is for our marketing team for the videos, editing, flyer, city express, those types, so social media posts, and then for the recruitment is um where we were doing uh recruitment efforts at local schools, businesses, community uh events, park events, etc.

So, but what I'll do is I'll just I'll add more detail in the staff time to support so it's it's clear.

Okay, thank you.

I'm just writing something real quick.

All right, okay, everybody, listen up.

I'm about to pass a very long motion.

So I motion that we approve the plan with the um the amendments that you just talked about for the numbers, uh, striking the third bullet in a metric of effectiveness.

I am an adding a bullet, I was just writing this down the creation of draft policy regarding standardizing community engagement to present to the um to staff, and for C just adding the word public, so if that does happen, we can just add the word public that that is something that if you are working on that bond measure, we can track.

So I yes, I am making a motion to approve the plan with those changes.

I second that motion.

All right, with a second from Sierra.

Um, all right, so clerk, will you please take a roll call vote?

Thank you, Chair Commissioners.

Please unmute Commissioner Yuribe is absent.

Commissioner Robbins.

Agreed, passed.

Is that was that a yes?

Okay.

Commissioner Labor?

Yes.

Commissioner King.

Yes, Commissioner Vasquez.

Okay.

Commissioner Flores.

Yes.

Vice Chair Boone?

Yes.

And chair gains.

Yes.

Thank you.

The motion passes.

Thank you.

All right.

The next item on the agenda is the youth parks and community enrichment director's report.

Take it away.

Thank you, Chair.

Okay, so I don't want to steal your thunder, Commissioner Robbins.

But he shared earlier, uh, Thelma Park just opened in District three.

I will just share so everyone knows.

This is our 241st park.

I know there's a lot of discrepancy over what number, but 241st.

It's very exciting.

It's a small neighborhood park that includes a playground and a picnic area with a shade structure.

So very excited to have that park open and shout out to our wonderful park planning team and now maintenance team that's gonna be taking that on and of course all the work that was done in district three to help get the funding uh secured for that park.

So thank you for your work around that.

Our park ranger team took 870 total calls for service in the month of October and 179 rapid response calls.

And we are still actively recruiting for park rangers.

We have a handful of vacancies, so please, if you know of anyone, send them our way.

Uh the floating pumpkin patch was held at North Natomas Aquatics Center on October 18th.

We had 130 participants, and the fall L season is in full swing with 60 youth working in our parks currently.

Be on the lookout for L and L this spring season with applications opening in December.

Fall break camps are going to be offered at seven community center locations.

They'll be offered at Coloma, Clooney, George Sim, Hagenwood, Oak Park, Pennell, and South Natamas Community Centers for youth ages six to twelve years old.

These camps will keep our kids active, creative, and having fun with games, art, and outdoor adventures.

Um camps are gonna run November 25th through 27th, so the week of Thanksgiving from 9 a.m.

to 12 pm at just $10 per day.

And these camps are also eligible for the youth program scholarship fund.

Access leisure, um, the fall day camp is gonna be held at North Potomas Community Center.

That's gonna be November 24th and 25th from 9 to noon.

This camp is designed for teens with disabilities, ages 13 to 22, and the Access Leisure Leisure Fund Pass can be used uh as a scholarship for this camp as well.

And then lastly, uh registration for winter and spring camps, already talking about spring, opens to the public on Wednesday, November 12th at noon.

So mark your calendars.

Programs, program offerings will include youth and adult sports leagues and a variety of recreation classes for residents of all ages.

You can visit our website for more information, and I'll have our assistant director send out some flyers for some of this information as well.

Also be on the lookout for an invitation to our upcoming staff appreciation event that's coming up uh the second or third week of December.

So more information to come regarding that event.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, and so not seeing any um commissioners requesting to speak, and this is not something open to public comment.

We will move on.

Oh, Vice Chair Boom.

Yes, I had an announcement.

Um, so earlier in the year I shared that I would not be returning 2026, but I've since changed my mind.

Y'all are awesome.

So I will uh I will be coming back um as long as life allows.

So thank you for your support and patience and encouragement.

We do need a youth commissioner, so bring the baby.

Yeah, that actually reminds me not to skip around, but is that still open, the youth commissioner?

We just okay, we gotta tell people about those guys.

Commissioner Labor.

So I want to announce two uh neat events coming up on uh November 22nd at Southside Park.

It'll be a tree planting, from 9 to 12, and I had arranged for the mirror core group to be out there, but they can't because the government shut down.

But we have um I think St.

Francis Kids coming, the neighborhood neighbors, and it's gonna be great.

And then the Saturdays, our smaller volunteer day at Southside Park Playground.

We've been doing it for about five years every second Saturday.

So you guys are welcome to come out.

It's from 9 to 11.

And um I had a question I probably should have asked Chef this, but we I could still do it.

How come the developers aren't paying for the parks at Delta Shorts or the playground?

We can put that on the follow-up log.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

So yes, Commissioner Comments, ideas, and questions.

Commissioner Flores.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh well, I do want to shout out uh the volunteer team, Dennis, Daniela, Jody.

Did a couple of site walks this past month or so uh looking at district seven sites for enhancement projects uh do uh based on neighbor um uh recommendations and neighbor um future plantings and stuff.

So just shouting shouting out and doing sidewalks and meeting with neighbors to to address issues at some of these district seven parks.

So I just want to shout them out and taking time out of their day.

Um Friday, November 7 Friday, November 14th at Lewis Park.

We are celebrating in on behalf of the pickleballers of Lewis Park, uh council member Jennings office and Jason from Planning, uh the pickle ballers love Jason.

Every time I'm there, they're like, We gotta tell Jason this, we gotta show Jason that.

So they're we are having a uh even though the courts have been open for a uh for a little while now, but uh the formal dedication ribbon cutting of the pickleball courts at Lewis Park.

Uh, everybody there, they've been playing there every day, even in the rain.

So I was there a couple days ago, they're just happy, and then they bring and then after the 9 30 ribbon cutting, there is a potluck.

So Jason, bring your uh oh, he's not here.

Okay.

Uh for the he was there, yeah.

And I'm sure he got the flyer and all the tags.

Um there's a potluck after somebody uh they'd make a lot of good food there.

So uh everybody please show up to Lewis Park Pickleball um ribbon cutting.

And then the next day, November 15th, Saturday, weather permitting.

We are hosting uh we are co-hosting with Pocket Area Churches Together, packed.

Council Member Jennings' office and myself, we are planting 15 new trees at Renfree Park.

Uh, like I said, weather permitting, but yeah, that's a it's a great park in deep in the pocket greenhaven community.

So if you're not doing anything uh two Saturdays from now, come join um planting some trees.

And then I also want to remark, uh, you know, I know what the department considers community enrichment, but in a global sense, community enrichment.

There's a bit there's has been a lot of community enrichment activities out there that has been spearheaded by our parks commissioners.

I know uh from District 2 uh Commissioner Uribe co-hosted a big event in September.

I know it we haven't met since September, but I just wanted to shout out the efforts in uh highlighting uh a big grand event in in his uh district, and I know uh taking personal privilege with uh Robbie and I, Commissioner Robbins and I, we hosted an uh uh an event in October um at the South Natomas community center.

So just you know, parks and green spaces and underutilized spaces that could use more trees, um, are real true gathering spaces for our for the city of Sacramento, so um it we we love Sacramento, you know, it's also 916 September, uh, but it could be any time year round.

So it's just you know, I just want to shout out all of us who do all the great work during these events and throughout the year that you know I know the neighbors are very appreciative and just seeing and being a part of and just join others who do this and put in their blood, sweat and tears and sweat equity.

Um it's very appreciated.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Robbins.

Yeah, it's been a while since we've came here.

I forgot how the room looked in everybody's faces, but um yeah, we've been busy.

I know everyone has uh, like we said, Thelma Park was finally opened.

Um if you don't know about Thelma, I'll give you a little history.

It was a piece of land that was bought in 2008, you know, and City promised a park for the community.

Just like uh the presenting that earlier, they didn't have funding, and so magically 20 years later, we found funding from the assembly member McCarley, who's currently the mayor now, and great work with Korea Telemontas, and we had a great ribbon cutting there.

Shannon was there, said some great words over there.

So thank you for seeing so sweet over there.

But it was great to see these people that've lived there for over 20 years, and they always are like, Oh, we were promised this park 20 years ago.

I can't believe it's here.

My kids are growing up now, but you know, they have a place making area.

So it was very satisfying to see that happen.

So thank you to the patience of the community of D3 for letting that happen.

And of course, while we're gone, like uh Joe said, our big event, the Thomas Mania 3 was happening.

Last year we were able to get a grant to pay everybody and do it out of our own pocket.

Um that grant went away, but it was great how everyone came around.

Vice Mayor Telemata said you'll cover the overhead, so that was awesome.

Next level probe wrestling performed for free.

So they're getting battered and hit and throwing out the rings for free of the enjoyment of this event.

So thank you, Justin, for doing that with all your great wrestlers.

By the way, Black Light was just voted one of the top 500 black wrestlers in America.

So thank you for coming out and defending the key to the Thomas.

Uh thank you to Trustee Rhodes and the GNA of uh reaching our goal to make sure every kid ate for free at the event.

So over a hundred mills were donated by uh algo bueno, some of the best tacos of the taco plaza over there.

They came out and every kid ate for free, which was amazing.

Thank you, uh, Commissioner King of making sure they were real guy extra.

Her and her great husband came out with the popcorn machine and ran out of popcorn, but thank you so much for doing that.

Thank you to poor Vita for donating all the beer for the beer garden for the Optimus International.

All the beer money went back to children's literacy and community gardens.

Everything came back home.

And I just love this event.

We can't wait till next year.

Thank you for everybody, including Joe, my tag team partner, for making this happen.

This is just uh a magical event that happens every year now, it seems like.

So thank you to everybody that was involved.

Looking forward to next year.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Bravo.

That is awesome.

So great to hear.

So great job, you guys.

Commissioner King.

Thank you.

Uh, yes, the Thomas Mania was so fun.

I love volunteering and helping you every year because it's so much fun.

Um, I'm still waiting for somebody to get hit by a chair, but that's okay.

I I guess I'll keep waiting.

Um, okay.

I just wanted to talk a little bit about um District 5.

Katie Maple uh is ha hosting South Side Santa this year.

Um we did it last year, we did it the year before, and I think this one's gonna be the biggest year yet.

So this year, you know, every year it's getting bigger and better.

So this year it starts at five p.m.

on what day?

What day is it?

December 14th.

So December 14th at 5 p.m.

It starts at McClatchy Park and goes to Ethel Phillips Elementary School, St.

Robert School, Argonaut Park, and then culminates at Chorley Park, where I will be the captain.

So come by and see me.

It's late, but Santa's gonna be at every stop.

So photos, free photos for the family.

Um, I know Santa's showing up, so we all have to show up, but we'll have Coco and Candy Canes, and it's gonna be super fun.

Um, can't wait for that.

And that's all I have.

So please come.

Awesome.

Do you have a flyer for that that you can send out to us?

I can, and it's on event bright.

So I'll send it out to the commissioners.

Awesome, thank you so much.

Commissioner Labor.

No problem.

Commissioner Vasquez.

Thank you, Chair.

We have had a really exciting couple of months in District 6 since we haven't met in October.

So uh Colonial Heights had their amazing park fest, which is so amazing.

I want to congratulate them on that and thank uh park staff for coming up with a very last minute uh recovery of a large tree branch that fell right before their big event, and they were very concerned that maybe it wouldn't be cleared up before their event where they're gonna uh set up, but with just this amazing relationship that they have uh through us and together, um you know, it's taken care of right away.

So I'm just want to thank Colonial Heights for continuing to be so active in their park and inviting parks to their monthly park meetings.

They have a park committee on their neighborhood association, which is so amazing.

So great job, Colonial Heights.

Uh Tahoe Park, also another amazing spectacular this year.

It just gets better and better every year, with the low rider commission involved now and the car show, um, all of the activities, all the costumes, all of the youth.

Uh we have some amazing youth.

Um, shout out to uh Madeline who ran the costume contest all by herself, which has thousands of participants.

So very proud of our youth in District 6.

Great job, neighbors of College Glenn on another very successful trunk retreat.

It's so great to see this newer neighborhood association taking off and just doing so much for every event.

They also had a bark fest that was really great this summer.

Again, reaching out to the parks department to maintenance staff saying, hey, can we have this mode for our bark fest and making sure that they they love their park?

They're very good stewards of their both of their parks, Oki Park and Glenbrook.

So they're doing a great job communicating and want to thank staff for always being available to them and answering their questions right away and getting out there and making sure that their events are amazing.

So great job on all that.

For me for the follow-up blog, please.

Earlier I mentioned the sticker conversation that I would like to have agendized.

I think communication with our parks is something we should chat about.

I did get the email about costs for what stickers would cost to purchase and to apply to the signs, and I think that's something that we could workshop and talk together about.

You know, what if parks just buys the stickers and our VIP program applies the stickers to the signs?

You know, there could be a lot of opportunity to talk to our communities too about, you know, where would you want that QR link to go?

So that's something that I'd please like to have agendized, as well as the volunteer nominations that got put on there earlier at your discretion whenever you want to talk about it.

But I do think that we're running into too many things at once in December.

I feel like doing the 916 day celebration and the volunteer nominations is too much in the same meeting.

So I think that rolling year-round volunteer NOM is a good conversation to have.

Would it be feasible or not?

Is it possible or not?

And then I still have on the follow-up log the strategic plan.

So I know I've asked in March and actually before that.

So is this a new decision that we wouldn't have a strategic plan?

We provided an update on the follow-up blog to address that item.

I'm happy to follow up in an additional email to uh commissioners.

I think the follow-up blog says you'll provide updates during budget time and uh annual update on implementation of the of the parks plan.

Correct.

So my question was not on parks plan, it was on the strategic implementation plan of the parks plan.

And I'm hearing you say we're not going to spend the money to create one.

I think the last one we had was very useful.

It broke down year by year how we were going to implement that.

So I think that decision, you know, I would still recommend that we create one, and if not, the updates that I would like to hear on the implementation of the plan, you know, not on an annual basis but on a regular basis, are on the policies involved in the plan.

Um, for example, we had the presentation on the seed tool.

We were asked, how would you like, you know, what kind of policies would you like to write using this seed tool?

And we had some ideas from district six, but we did not further that conversation as to what do our constituents want to see.

That's something that we need to flesh out and figure out how are we using this seed tool to implement equity, which is the number one concern of the 179 people that got to participate in the draft of the plan.

Um, and I said then and I'll say now I did not participate in the creation of the parks plan, and it was released to us at the same time as the public.

So advising and making recommendations on that plan is important to me as it's my power and duty and what I've been appointed to do.

So maybe if we're not going to create a strategic plan, which I hope that we do before 2040, if budget is really the concern, because city council would be the body, the governing body to make that decision as to whether or not this money is spent to create something like this.

It wouldn't be our commission to make that decision.

How are we implementing what was important to our constituents in every way?

I've asked multiple times.

You know, how do we make the decision as to which park gets their tree planting first, right?

That's an equity-based decision, and there are metrics we can put together in a rubric to figure that out.

Um I know that the VIP uh planting program or the volunteer program was a solve for that, but I still don't understand how does the VIP plan or program identify which park should be planted first.

I know we have one arborist, and she has a lot of people tugging on her ear saying that they want to plant.

So I want to make sure that we are creating policies, several of which are listed in the 24 plan, that are working and understanding how our constituents can participate and how we can report back that equity really is being implemented.

So maybe if we're not going to do a strategic plan, we can just write out the measures of equity that we're looking for because if they're gonna come in an update from your program, then there's gonna be some very specific questions that I would have.

So we could have those ready in advance for updates of different departments.

If that's how we're gonna receive that.

So yeah, shout out to Dennis for swooping one up for me.

Commissioner Flores.

Okay.

I know spooky season pass and and Bell Coolidge's boo at Bell Coolidge was very packed, so I just all the spooky community center events that happen in October, just would be remiss not to acknowledge that a lot of that happened since we had met.

So good job.

I know there was long lines at Bell Coolidge.

I didn't go to all of them, but uh I know that I'm almost well attended.

Thank you.

Um, and yes, so going back to um the volunteer plan, we'll put that on the agenda for January to have that discussion.

Um, and then just a heads up in District 8, the um Meadow View Farmers Market is back, and so that is on Sundays.

So if you ever find yourself in Meadow View on Sunday and want to get some fresh produce, or I know there's like a breadmaker who was great, um, all kinds of good stuff.

So that's what's happening in D8 right now.

Um, and then uh speaking of Halloween, um, our uh amazing Panel Center in um South Sack.

They have their Meadow Boo event, and so we had 450 children who came out uh to that, and it was really cool this year.

They had the family-friendly part, but then they did let the older kids do like a very scary section with warning like this is gonna be very scary over here.

Um, so it was great to be able to get the um like teenagers involved in that.

So great job to the Panel Center staff.

All right, and if there are no other um commissioner comments, we will move on to public comments matters not on the agenda.

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for this item.

Just getting to myself off.

Well, in that case, this concludes today's meeting agenda.

So thank you everyone for your participation, and I'm looking forward to seeing you guys next month to celebrate uh this meeting is officially adjourned.