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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-01-2021 - Agenda AGENDA CITY OF DOWNEY RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION 4:00 PM Tuesday, June 1, 2021 Downey City Hall – 1st Floor Council Chambers 11111 Brookshire Ave., Downey, CA 90241 I. CALL TO ORDER: 1. Roll Call: Chair: Wood Vice Chair: Ceja Trujillo Commissioners: Cunningham, Ramirez and Hanks 2. Pledge of Allegiance: Commissioner Ramirez 3. Invocation: Chair Wood 4. Welcome to Members and Guests II. COMMISSION BUSINESS: 1. July Commission Meeting- Dark Month III. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. Approve Commission Minutes for April 6, 2021 2. Approve Commission Minutes for May 4, 2021 IV. AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS: This portion provides an opportunity for the public to address the Commission on items within the jurisdiction of the Commission and not listed on the agenda. It is requested, but not required, that you state your name, address and subject matter upon which you will speak. Please limit your comments to no more than 5 minutes. Pursuant to the Brown Act, no discussion or action, other than a referral to staff or schedule of subsequent agenda, shall be taken by the Commission on any issue brought forth under this section. V. PRESENTATIONS: 1. Downey Orbit 2. Department Website VI. DIRECTOR REPORTS/DISCUSSION: 1. Activity Report: May, 2021 2. Supervisor Introductions VII. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS/DISCUSSION: 1. Park Checklists VIII. ADJOURNMENT: Supporting documents are available at: www.downeyca.org; Department of Parks and Recreation, 7850 Quill Drive, Suite C, Downey, CA 90242, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, complete the City’s Title II ADA Reasonable Accommodation Form located on the City’s website and at City Hall - City Clerk’s Department, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and submit to the City Clerk’s Department or contact the City Clerk’s Department at (562) 904-7280 or the California Relay Service at 7-1-1. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make arrangements to assure accessibility. The City of Downey does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices. Questions, concerns, complaints or requests for additional information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act may be forwarded to the City’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, CA 90241, ADACoordinator@downeyca.org; Phone: (562) 299-6619; FAX: (562) 923-6388; California Relay at 7-1-1. I, Shantae Duren, Administrative Assistant, City of Downey, do hereby certify, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing notice was posted pursuant to Government Code Section 54950 Et. Seq., at the following locations: Downey City Hall, Downey City Library, and Barbara J. Riley Senior Center. Dated this 28th day of May, 2021 Shantae Duren Shantae Duren Staff Liaison, Recreation and Community Services commission MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY The Recreation and Community Services Commission held a Meeting at 4:24 p.m. April 6, 2021 in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, California, Vice Chair Wood presiding. Commissioner Ceja led the pledge of allegiance and Commissioner Hanks gave the invocation. Present: Vice Chair Wood Commissioner Hanks Commissioner Ramirez Commissioner Ceja Absent: Commissioner Cunningham Also Present: Jason Chacon, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation Shantae Duren, Administrative Assistant Karen Zavala, Interim Office Assistant II Welcome to Members and Guests: Vice Chair Wood welcomed members and guests. 1. Interim Director Jason Chacon welcomed new Commissioner Hanks. Commissioner Hanks then introduced herself and provided a brief background of her involvements within the Downey Community to the group. Mr. Chacon then provided a brief background on the Parks and Recreation Department and the different facilities and programs the Department oversees. Commission Business: 1. Reorganization of Commission Chair and Vice Chair: Commissioner Ceja made a motion to appoint Vice Chair Wood as the new Commission Chair. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hanks and the motion passed 3:0. Commissioner Hanks made a motion to appoint Commissioner Ceja as the new Commission Vice Chair. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Wood and the motion passed 3:0. Written Communications: 1. Approve Commission Minutes: February 2, 2021 Commissioner Ceja made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 2, 2021 Commission meeting. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Wood and passed with a vote of 3:0 with Commissioner Hanks abstaining. Non-Agenda Public Comment: None Presentations: None Commission Business: None Director Reports/Discussion: 1. March Activity Report Interim Director Chacon delivered a summary of the March Recreation Commission Report. Items that Mr. Chacon reported on included: senior meal pickups and deliveries, contract classes and sports programming, virtual recreation, and the Downey Theatre. 2. Theatre Subcommittee Meeting Recap Interim Director Chacon gave a brief review of the topics discussed at the Theatre subcommittee meeting including: Theatre programming and budgeting, the Theatre management contract expiration date and upcoming RFP, and the discussion regarding initiating a black box theatre group within Downey. 3. Summer Programming Interim Director Chacon advised that the Department is closely monitoring all updates and guidelines provided by LA County regarding programming and events. Mr. Chacon also advised that staff has been working on plans for concerts in the park should LA County resume allowing such events by this summer. Commissioner Hanks inquired to who picks the bands, to which Interim Director Chacon advised that City staff chooses the bands. Commissioner Ceja asked if the commissioners would have any say in the band choices, to which Mr. Chacon advised that commissioners are more than welcome to submit any suggestions for bands to him. 4. Measure S Update Interim Director Jason Chacon reported the Wilderness is reopened which means that all parks renovated through Measure S are now reopened to the public. 5. Upcoming Events Mr. Chacon reported that the Easter event at The Stonewood Center went really well and that the Fire Department, Police Department, Lions Club, Boy Scouts, Library staff and Space Center staff all participated in making the event a success. Interim Director Chacon reported the following upcoming programming:  Camps  Aquatics Commission Member Reports/Discussion:  Commissioner Ramirez inquired to if the basketball courts at the parks would be reopening anytime soon for public use. Mr. Chacon advised that LA County has not yet approved public basketball courts to be reopened for non-organized use due to the inability to conduct contract tracing for Covid-19. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:03 pm _ ____________ Jeanie Wood, Vice Chair MINUTES OF THE RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY The Recreation and Community Services Commission held a Meeting at 4:05p.m. May 4, 2021 in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, California, Vice Chair Wood presiding. Commissioner Ceja led the pledge of allegiance and Commissioner Cunningham gave the invocation. Present: Chair Wood Vice Chair Ceja Trujillo Commissioner Hanks Commissioner Cunningham Absent: Commissioner Ramirez Also Present: Jason Chacon, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation Shantae Duren, Administrative Assistant Welcome to Members and Guests: Vice Chair Wood welcomed members and guests. Commission Business: 1. Interim Director Chacon gave an overview of the Commissioner’s responsibilities for the Park Checklist. Commissioners were provided with a schedule of which park they are responsible for visiting each month and the form then will use to evaluate the parks. Commissioners were advised that they are responsible for having their checklists ready to report on at each month’s Commission meeting. Written Communications: 1. Approve Commission Minutes: April 6, 2021 Due to a lack of quorum of commissioners in attendance at the April 6, 2021 meeting, the approval of the April minutes was postponed until the June 1, 2021 meeting. Non-Agenda Public Comment: Brian Heyman addressed the commission about his interaction with a high speed drone that was being flown at Furman Park. Mr. Heyman advised that the drone almost crashed into him and his dog. He requested that the commission look into if people are allowed to fly drones at Downey’s parks and if they are allowed to that the commissioners reach out to their City Council members to request they look into designating only certain parks in the City to allow drone flying. Presentations: None Director Reports/Discussion: 1. April Activity Report Interim Director Chacon delivered a summary of the April Recreation Commission Report. Mr. Chacon reported on:  ASPIRE’s virtual programing including a virtual field trip to Downey Fire Station #1 and staff delivering Easter baskets to students with outstanding participation in virtual programming. Mr. Chacon also advised that the ASPIRE program will be ending at the end of the school year  The senior wellness program organized through the Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center. He advised that the program is going strong and it will continue into the next fiscal year.  The Community Center hosting a lifeguard training course at the Downey High School Aquatics Center in preparation for the summer aquatics programing.  Contract and sports classes starting their spring sessions in early April with hundreds of participants enrolled  Online virtual recreation continuing and staff filming new videos every Wednesday focusing on arts, health & wellness and enrichment activities.  Downey Theatre reopening on June 1, 2021.  The Rio Hondo Master’s grill reopening on April 26, 2021.  Events returning to Rio Hondo starting on May 8, 2021 and almost all Fridays and Saturdays being booked through the end of the year.  The Golf Course showing a 58% increase in revenue since April of 2019.  The Golf Course grounds undergoing aeration to improve their growing conditions. 2. Summer Programming Interim Director Chacon reported that summer camps and aquatics will be opening for registration on May 10 and programs will be starting in June. Mr. Chacon advised that the Department plans to host concerts in the park this summer, but final details on the event dates and operations are still being discussed. Commission Member Reports/Discussion:  Vice Chair Ceja Trujillo inquired to if the LA Country Covid-19 event protocols are the same for indoor and outdoor activities. Director Chacon advised that there are many different protocols for all different types of events. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm _ ____________ Jeanie Wood, Chair CITY OF DOWNEY RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MEMO   Date: June 1, 2021 To: Recreation and Community Services Commission From: Jason Chacon, Interim Director of Parks & Recreation Subject: Activity Report – May, 2021   ASPIRE To kick off the end of ASPIRE’s virtual year, students participated in a variety of interactive and educational virtual shows. Elementary students were able to learn magic tricks in the “Funny Virtual Magic Show” and witness different science experiments in the “Wacky Science Show.” The magic show, hosted by Brian Richards, kept students shocked and laughing as he engaged students in magic tricks. Students had opportunities to participate and learn tricks from 3,000 miles away through this virtual show. During the science show, students learned about utilizing their five senses and how magic can be explained by science and math as well. He demonstrated a variety of experiments and engaged students through participation. ASPIRE middle school students participated in two music shows hosted by Brent Daniels, a New York music producer, who created music for a variety of movie trailers including Disney’s Black Panther and A Wrinkle in Time. In the Music for Movie Trailers show, students learned about the equipment used and the process of making the music and sound needed for movie trailers. In the Music Technology show, students learned about different components of creating music using terms such as loops and samples, as well as equipment used such as; synthesizers, mixers, and drum machines. Brent taught students how to use the equipment and make music utilizing an iPad. Lastly, students produced a music sample using phrases and sounds as Brent created the sample utilizing his different technology. BARBARA J. RILEY COMMUNITY & SENIOR CENTER (BJR)   Events and Activities The Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center continues to offer the Downey Senior Wellness Program providing seniors 65+ with frozen meals to help during the ongoing COVID19 Pandemic. The program continues to average approximately 50 reservations for the meal pickup service and 50 residents in need for home delivery per week. This month Yakuit generously donated 10 cases of probiotic drinks for the senior meal program. Programming The second session of spring fitness, dance, tennis, karate and tumbling contract classes started on May 24th and are being held outdoors at Furman Park, Independence Park, Golden Park and Apollo Park. The City of Downey continues to provide content for the online Virtual Recreation Center for Downey Residents. Recreation staff has been filming on Wednesdays focusing on Arts, Health & Wellness and Enrichment activities. The website is updated once a week with new programs for all ages. Barbara J. Riley launched another round of Rec on the Go. Rec on the Go provided families with a week's worth of activities that they can do from their own home. Supplies included 5-6 themed crafts.     RECREATION Apollo Apollo Gymnasium’s spring youth sports programs are coming to an end. The last spring session of sports programing opened at the end of May including: futsal, soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, hip hop, and Fit 45. This session also was the start of our first all-girls basketball performance academy. These programs have participants ranging from ages 3 to 17 years old and there are currently about 500 youth registered for the May session, with some classes at full capacity. The entire spring season will end having had over 1,200 participants total. With summer registration opening soon, our team is currently preparing for the summer sports season. DOWNEY THEATRE The ceiling in the Theatre auditorium has been approved for repair and the work will be underway by the end of May. Theatre staff are preparing for re-opening as soon the ceiling repair is complete. Working with strict County guidelines, the Theatre can host events with minimal capacity and increased social distancing measures. Box Office operations have successfully migrated to new ticketing software which is now up, running and ready for the Theatre’s re-opening. RIO HONDO GOLF COURSE Wedgewood Weddings Wedgewood Weddings has re-opened their operations at the Rio Hondo Golf Course and have seen steady business in all areas. There has been an enormous influx of clients looking to host events; especially for this year! All Saturday evenings are booked for 2021 and Friday evenings are not far behind. Staff is currently working with groups who used to host their weekly/monthly meetings at the golf course and hope to have them back to their regularly scheduled meetings starting next week. Master’s Grill finally re-opened for breakfast on Friday, May 28th! Hours for breakfast are Friday- Sunday 7am-12pm. Staff was excited to see so many friendly faces back at the course since its closure in March 2020, and they hope to see even more people come back to the restaurant once it has fully re-opened again! Golf Shop May represented the course’s largest revenue month to date. Revenue is up over $800,000 in the last year and is up by 16,400 players. Now that LA County has moved into the yellow tier the guidelines for golf courses have been amended and the current golf course protocols now allow shotgun tournaments and 5 players to a group. In addition, rakes, ball washers, and benches can now be returned to the course as well as the sand bottles.