City of Ashland

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING

MINUTES

February 22, 2010

ATTENDANCE

Present:    Commissioners Eggers, Gardiner, Lewis, Noraas, Rosenthal; City Council Liaison Jackson; Director Robertson; Superintendents Dials and Gies

Absent:     None

CALL TO ORDER         

Gardiner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Study Session – December 21, 2009

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the minutes as written. Rosenthal seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no [Noraas abstained]

Study Session – January 11, 2010

In the section entitled “Refine Commission Goals for FY 2010-2011,” under Environmental Evaluations and Audits, Eggers requested replacing the phrase “remain energy-consumption-neutral” with “not increase energy consumption.” In the following bullet, Eggers requested replacing the phrase “resolving oversights identified in the Green Team audit report” with “resolving issues that were identified in the Green Team audit report.”

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the minutes as amended. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 4 yes – 0 no [Rosenthal abstained]

Regular Meeting – January 25, 2010

Under “Election of Officers,” Rosenthal pointed out that the vice chair vote was 2-to-1 [for Rosenthal] and he did not vote in favor of himself for that position. In the section entitled “Proposed 2010-2016 Capital Improvement Plan,” under Items from Commissioners, Rosenthal requested changing the phrase “Replacement of the Oak Knoll Golf Course irrigation system might be misunderstood by the community due to high project cost” with “…might not be deemed as a popular investment.”

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the minutes as amended. Noraas seconded the motion.

The vote was: 3 yes – 0 no [Eggers and Lewis abstained]

Joint Special Meeting – February 8, 2010

MOTION Noraas moved to approve the minutes as written. Eggers seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Keith Massie, 1615 Peachey Road, representing the Ashland High School Water Polo Club, said his organization wished to organize and operate the annual Rubber Ducky Race fundraiser in summer 2010 in place of the Aquatics Foundation of Southern Oregon. He agreed to present a proposal at an upcoming regular commission meeting.

Mark Haneberg, 657 Prim Street, representing the Lions Club, said the organization wanted to sell ice cream bars at summer 2010 City Band concerts, with proceeds benefiting Ashland High School and Ashland Middle School bands. He said 2009 ice cream sales generated $3,000 and the Lions Club doubled the proceeds and donated $3,000 to each school band program. He said the sales also boosted attendance / awareness of City Band concerts. Haneberg agreed to present a proposal at an upcoming commission meeting.

Mark Yaconelli, 400 Morton Street, representing The Hearth Storytelling Series, said the newly formed organization provided community members with an opportunity to share their life stories while fundraising for local charitable organizations. He requested waivers of fees associated with future rentals of the Ashland Community Center. He said proceeds would benefit the Ashland Community Hospital hospice program and other charities.

Commissioners said they received many such requests and discussed the possibility of creating a policy for fee waivers before waiving additional fees. They agreed to discuss the matter at the March 15 study session.

ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA

None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

FY 2010-2011 GOALS

Robertson said the goals were revised based on commissioner feedback, with one completed goal removed from the list and another goal incorporated into standard commission practices. For the remaining eight goals, timelines for completion were assigned along with a main staff contact person. Goals included:

§         Financial and Business Plan

o       Completed by spring 2011

o       Staff Coordinator: Director

§         Non-Native Vegetation Control Plan

o       Completed by summer 2010

o       Staff Coordinator: Park Superintendent

§         Lower Clay Street Property

o       Completed by fall 2010

o       Staff Coordinator: Director

§         Oak Knoll Golf Course

o       Completed by summer 2010

o       Staff Coordinator: Director

§         Nature Center

o       Completed by summer 2010

o       Staff Coordinator: Recreation Superintendent

§         Community Communication

o       Completed by winter 2011

o       Staff Coordinator: Recreation Superintendent

§         Environmental Evaluations and Audits

o       Completed by winter 2012

o       Staff Coordinator: Park Superintendent

§         Preliminary Steps Toward the Creation of a Lithia Park Master Plan

o       Completed by spring 2011

o       Staff Coordinator: Park Superintendent

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioners provided feedback on several goals and requested clarifications. For the “Environmental Evaluations and Audits” goal, Noraas requested substituting “remaining energy consumption neutral” with “not increasing energy consumption, reducing energy use where possible, conserving and protecting resources, and acting in an environmentally ethical manner.” For the “Oak Knoll Golf Course” goal, Rosenthal requested exchanging the phrase “be treated as a business enterprise” with “is a business enterprise that operates with little or no taxpayer subsidy.”

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the FY 2010-2011 goals as amended. Eggers seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

NEW BUSINESS

CALLE GUANAJUATO RESTAURANT SEATING AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACT

Dials said the commission managed contracts along the Calle Guanajuato for the Lithia Artisans Market vendors and the restaurateurs. She said the artisans’ five-year contract spanned 2009-2014 but the restaurant contracts were administered on a yearly basis. Current restaurant requests for square footage leases and chair rentals along the Calle included Munchies, Greenleaf, Louie’s Bar and Grill, Grilla Bites, Sesame, and Hana Sushi. She said two restaurants requested additional space in 2010: Hana Sushi and Sesame. Dials asked the commission to 1) determine the “season” of operation; 2) approve the restaurant seating agreements for the 2010 season and give staff the flexibility to determine the square footage allotments; 3) approve the proposed restaurant seating contracts; and 4) give staff direction related to the space behind Sesame Restaurant and Websters.

Public Input

Hal Cloer, 815 Creek Stone Way, owner of the building in which Websters operates, spoke in support of the request by Websters owner Dona Zimmerman to keep restaurant seating away from the area in front of her establishment at 10 Guanajuato Way. He said Sesame’s chairs and tables obscured visibility to Websters for passersby and devalued the venue as a retail space.

Thomas and Lisa Beam, 400 Liberty Street, co-owners of Sesame Restaurant, said before they leased the space on Winburn Way in 2009 they received information from Parks and the city which led them to understand that a certain level of outdoor seating would be permitted. They displayed a photo showing the back entrance to Websters, described it as a “backdoor storage room,” and said their restaurant, which brought traffic to that corner of the Calle, did not deter business for Websters and afforded the business owner sufficient clearance through which to access her establishment.

Tom DuBois and Melissa Jensen, 1056 Beswick Way and 690 S. Mountain Street, owners of Grilla Bites and Louie’s Bar and Grill restaurants, requested an explanation for the square footage rates charged for outdoor seating on the Calle. They said the commission continued to “dangle the carrot” about future repaving of the Calle surface but there was no indication that the project would be undertaken. Both restaurateurs were invited to attend the commission’s annual fee and charges review in the fall.

Marcus Scott and Maria DiMagio, 1205 Talent Avenue, representing the Lithia Artisans Market, thanked the commission for extending the 2009 market season by two weeks on either side. Scott said 2009 was the least adversarial season for artisan vendors / restaurateurs and the allocations were fair to all renters but there was not enough space for all requestors. He asked the commission to allow the 2010 market / outdoor restaurant seating to begin on April 1. DiMagio requested the use of the space across the creek to allow more artisan vendors to operate in the area.

Discussion Among Commissioners

Commissioner and staff comments included concern about the tight corner by Munchie’s and a request to not place tables on the side of the building; agreement that a consistent season for both artisans and restaurateurs was a good course of action; and debate about whether to extend the season or to retain the same season as 2009.

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the 2010 season for restaurant seating and artisan market operations from April 1 through November 15. Noraas seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Lewis, Noraas, Rosenthal – yes

                                                                 Eggers, Gardiner – no

For item #2 regarding approving the Calle seating agreements for the 2010 season and giving staff the flexibility to determine the square footage allotments, Robertson said most of the restaurants asked for the same square footage as 2009. He said Hana Sushi requested approximately 200 feet more than the average of 400 feet and their space request could violate the eight-foot-wide clearance required of all the restaurants by the Fire Marshall. Dials recommended not allowing them to use the u-shaped space they requested but rather go corner to corner.

Commissioners discussed the Sesame space request in terms of Websters’ desire to leave that area clear of tables and chairs. Some commissioners said the back entrance was not being promoted as a business entrance and others said it was being rented out as a retail space and allowing tables and chairs to be situated in that area was not appropriate. Commissioners discussed voting on the space allocation requests for all restaurants except Sesame, then separately discussing and voting on Sesame.

MOTION Rosenthal moved to approve the 2010 restaurant seating allotment and contracts for Munchie’s, Greenleaf, Louie’s Bar and Grill, Grilla Bites, and Hana Sushi at the 2009 locations. Lewis seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

MOTION Eggers moved to approve the elimination of restaurant seating spaces in front of the Websters business entrance at 10 Guanauato Way. Lewis seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Eggers, Lewis – yes

                                                                 Gardiner, Noraas, Rosenthal – no

MOTION Noraas moved to approve retaining Sesame Restaurant’s square foot allocation at the 2009 level. Gardiner seconded the motion.

MOTION TO AMEND Eggers moved to amend the motion so that, if the retail space at 10 Guanajuato Way was opened as a business entrance, all 104 square feet of restaurant seating would be discontinued immediately. Noraas seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Eggers, Lewis, Noraas – yes

                                                                 Gardiner, Rosenthal – no

Commissioners questioned how to enforce such an arrangement. Robertson advised the commission that the motion and addendum in their current form might not be legally defensible and the commission would need to consult with the City Attorney. He suggested inviting the City Attorney to the March regular commission meeting.

AMENDED MOTION – Approve the Sesame Restaurant space at the 2009 level but immediately discontinue restaurant seating if the entity at 10 Guanajuato Way was promoted as a business entrance.

                                         The vote was:   Eggers, Lewis – yes

                                                                 Gardiner, Noraas, Rosenthal – no

Motion Rosenthal moved to approve the Sesame Restaurant square footage contract for 2010 at the same level as 2009. Noraas seconded the motion.

                                         The vote was:   Gardiner, Noraas, Rosenthal – yes

                                                                 Eggers, Lewis – no

Commissioners agreed not to pursue the request for additional seating across the creek.

MOU WITH THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE

Robertson reported that Nature Center staff worked with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde to provide assistance with the development of interpretive signage for the department. He said the tribes required a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide project assistance and the City Attorney reviewed the draft MOU and recommended that the commission authorize the director to sign the MOU on their behalf.

Kari Gies said the two interpretive signs would represent 27 tribal groups and Nature Center staff had worked with the tribes over a period of two years. She said the signage would be placed at the Nature Center and the MOU was an offer of goodwill that indicated staff’s intention to tell the story in a way that honored the ancestors of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. She said the dedication ceremony was a year out.

Eggers asked Gies to present the draft signage to the Signs and Plaques Subcommittee before placing the signs at the Nature Center.

MOTION Lewis moved to authorize the director to enter into the MOU on behalf of the commission. Noraas seconded the motion.

The vote was: 5 yes – 0 no

SUB-COMMITTEE and STAFF REPORTS

Robertson said a Pesticides Subcommittee meeting would be held the following day.

Gies asked whether the Signs and Plaques Subcommittee members had feedback on the revised “needs list” for the parks system that was sent out by e-mail the previous week.

Noraas provided a brief update on the work of the Forest Lands Commission.

Robertson reported that the Parks Department’s Forestry Division received a $40,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Forestry for fuels reduction in the Siskiyou Mountain Park.

Gardiner reported on recent communications with the Oak Knoll Homeowners Association president regarding a desire to participate in Golf Course Subcommittee meetings about walking trails and a possible disc golf course.

Dials said the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink might close earlier than February 28 due to expected rain.

ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS

None

UPCOMING MEETING DATES

• Budget session set for March 3 at 3:30 p.m., Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer Street. Topics to include:
• Volunteer Coordinator Position
• Study session set for March 15 at 7:00 p.m., Parks office, 340 S. Pioneer Street. Topics to include:
• FY 2010-2011 Budget
• Discuss Fee Waiver Policy
• Regular meeting set for March 22 at 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street. Topics to include:
• Recommend Approval of FY 2010-2011 Budget
• Waiver of Fees
• Recommendations following Pool Focus Group

ADJOURNMENT– By consensus, Gardiner adjourned the meeting at 9:33 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Susan Dyssegard, Ashland Parks and Recreation Department