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1 DRAFT MINUTES City of Glendale Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center Coyote Room 5600 W. Union Hills Drive Glendale, Arizona 85308 Monday, September 13, 2021 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Gayle Schiavone, Chair Sam McConnell, Vice Chair Stephanie June Kathryn Mawby ABSENT: Reginald Martinez, Jr. ALSO PRESENT: Jim Burke, Director, Public Facilities, Recreation and Special Events Walter Varney, Assistant Director Paul King, Recreation Administrator Diane Williams, Program Manager Dean Kinnoin, Senior Recreation Coordinator Craig Johnson, Director, Water Services Drew Swieczkowski, Environmental Program Manager, Water Services Megan Sheldon, Deputy Director, Environmental Resources, Water Services 1. Call to Order Chair Schiavone called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call Chair Schiavone conducted roll call. 3. Tour of the Facility Mr. Kinnoin gave the Commissioners a tour of the FRAC. 4. Approval of the Minutes Motion by Vice Chair McConnell, second by Commissioner Mawby, to approve the August 9, 2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting minutes as written. Motion carried 4 – 0. 5. Citizen Comments There were no citizens present. No comments. 6. Information: Commission Reports No reports. 7. Action: Sierra Verde Park Proposed Groundwater Well Site Mr. Swieczkowski gave a presentation on the proposed Groundwater Well Site at Sierra Verde Park, which included the following information: Background: • The proposed well is part of the Water Services’ Groundwater Well Program. 2 • This well is essential for redundancy and resiliency of the City’s water supplies. o Redundancy for short-term outages and resiliency of supplies Existing Well • Glendale has a groundwater well located on 70th Drive, across the street and lake from Sierra Verde Park. • The well is not operational and cannot be repaired. • The current location is not suitable for re-drilling. The lot is 55 feet wide by 120 feet long. The recommended size is 100 feet wide by 120 feet long. • The current location is on a lot situated between two single family homes. It is believed the development was built around the existing well. • ADWR allows the replacement of a well within 660 feet of the existing well. Proposed Well Site • An aerial photo mapping of the proposed location was displayed and explained. Details for Proposed Site • 100 feet x 120 feet • Entrance into well site from existing parking lot • Secure enclosure with decorative wall. The goal is for the wall to blend in aesthetically. • Photos of example well enclosures from other areas of the City were displayed. Timeline • Drilling: 2 to 3 months • Well site work: Approximately 6 months • Minimal disturbance to the park during construction. The contractor will have safety measures in place. Community Benefit • Additional security and personnel around the park for operation of the well. • Redundant water supply for the neighborhood. The well will add a point of entry into the distribution system for water. If anything happens to the Pyramid Peak Plant, this well will provide water for the neighborhood. Commissioner June inquired about the distance from the proposed well site to the park playground. Mr. Swieczkowski did not have the exact figure but stated that it was quite a distance away. Commissioner June inquired as to what would happen with the current site if the well was moved. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that the well would be de-commissioned, and the site would be sold. Commissioner June asked what would happen with the new well if something went wrong with the regular water supply. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that the wells are turned on occasionally because it is good for the wells to be run a few months out of the year. Commissioner June asked how many wells the City had. Mr. Swieczkowski relayed that the City owns eight operating wells and there are some SRP wells that the City does not own. Vice Chair McConnell asked how much water was expected to be produced by the new well. Mr. Swieczkowski expected the production to be the same as the current well at 1,500 gallons/minute but could be up to 2,000 gallons/minute. Mr. Swieczkowski relayed that the current well was drilled in 1940. Vice Chair McConnell asked why the well could not be re-drilled at the same site if there would not really be a gain in production. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that the lot was small and drilling in a small space was difficult. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that when re-drilling, it was best to be about 50 to 100 feet away from the old well site as sometimes caverns are found and cause issues. Mr. Swieczkowski also cited the less than optimal location of having the well between two homes, as there can be noise and vibrations heard by the neighbors. Vice Chair McConnell stated that at 67th and Greenway, he watched SRP re-drill a well with houses on both sides. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that a consultant was hired who said it was inadequate to re-drill the well at the existing location due to technical difficulties. 3 Commissioner Mawby asked who held the rights to the groundwater. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that the City held the rights and has a permit from ADWR for an allocation of water. Chair Schiavone asked if there were any environmental concerns with the well. Mr. Swieczkowski replied in the negative. Chair Schiavone inquired about neighborhood involvement. Mr. Swieczkowski explained that the project was still in the initial concept phase, however, at the appropriate time, part of the public relations process will include using flyers or doorknob hangers to inform the community. Chair Schiavone asked about the noise from the construction. Mr. Swieczkowski stated that the contractor will put up sound barriers to minimize the noise impact. Vice Chair McConnell asked how the proposed well compared in size to the well on 59th Avenue at Sahuaro Ranch Park. Mr. Swieczkowski relayed that the proposed well would be similar in size but would most likely have a smaller enclosure. Motion by Commissioner June, second by Commissioner Mawby, to recommend proceeding with the proposed Groundwater Well Project at Sierra Verde Park. Motion carried 4 – 0. 8. Information: Upcoming Special Events Mr. Varney announced that at the City Council workshop on April 2, 2021, Council discussed strategies to keep the downtown area active with events year-round rather than just a few times a year. Council gave direction to move forward with a new plan for the City’s downtown events and festivals. The new approach moves away from the large events and festivals that have previously taken place in the downtown area. Instead, the City will use its existing budget to create more frequent, smaller, and targeted activities in Murphy Park and the downtown area. The City will continue to program and promote the smaller community events throughout Glendale. Mr. Varney announced the following list of events that the Special Events Division currently has planned for fall and winter: • LiVE! @ Murphy Park: Thursdays through Saturdays during October from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This is a free event at which a variety of musical bands will entertain. • Touch-a-Truck: Saturday, October 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Westgate Entertainment District. This family-friendly free event will feature vehicles of all sizes and varieties. • Movies by Moonlight: This fall season, there are three events: o ASU West: October 22nd – ‘Goonies’ o Rose Lane Park: November 5th – ‘Monsters, Inc.’ o Murphy Park: November 20th – ‘Elf’ • Jingle Bell Hike: December 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Thunderbird Conservation Park. Guests will hike to see Santa and then receive a goodie on their way back down. Chair Schiavone inquired about Ballet Under the Stars. Mr. King announced that the Ballet Under the Stars production will be held in partnership with Ballet Arizona on September 30th at 7:00 p.m. at the Sahuaro Ranch Park historical area. Chair Schiavone asked if volunteers were needed. Mr. King stated that he will reach out to the Arts Coordinator to see if there are any volunteer opportunities and will pass on the information, if so. 9. Information: Thunderbird Conservation Park Road Resurfacing Project and Parking Lot Dust Control Mr. Varney gave a briefing on road resurfacing and parking lot dust control at the Thunderbird Conservation Park, which included the following information: Road Improvements • The resurfacing project on 59th Avenue included filling all large and escalating cracks and applying a seal coat to the treated top layer. 4 • The work was completed on July 28, 2021. Dust Control Parking Lot Improvements • There were two locations for this project. • The process includes regrading, removing loose debris and unwanted material, and applying a binding material called “Gorilla Snot” in multiple layers to help suppress dust when vehicles enter and exit the parking lot. The project also includes re-lining and re-striping of the parking lots. • 67th Avenue and Patrick Lane: Completed. • 55th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road: In progress. Mr. Varney displayed photos of the projects. 10. Staff Updates Mr. Varney reported that pool re-surfacing will be done at the Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center and is scheduled to begin in October and last until January 2022. Mr. Burke gave a report, which included the following: • Aquatics Renovations / Pool Closure at Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center: Previously discussed by Mr. Varney. • Special Events Transition Plan: The plan is on the Council September 14th Workshop Agenda for presentation by staff. • Feral Cats: o Results of Calls: As a follow up to the two citizens’ comments from the August Commission meeting, staff contacted the two ladies by phone and had a conversation with them regarding the feeding of feral cats at Sahuaro Ranch Park. The ladies were delightful to speak with. Park ranger staff was also spoken with. It appears an issue is the location where the cats are being fed. There is no ordinance preventing people from feeding the cats, but the historic part of Sahuaro Ranch Park is closed at sundown and people cannot be in the park after sundown. There are other people feeding the cats besides the two citizens present at the August meeting. Another issue is the debris that is left behind by people feeding the cats, such as paper plates and cat food cans which creates trash and attracts ants. The ladies indicated that almost all of the cats at Sahuaro Ranch Park have a tipped ear, indicating they have been spayed or neutered via the TNR (trap, neuter, and release program). The ladies also indicated people are still dropping domestic cats at the park too. A constructive conversation was held with both of the citizens. Follow up with field staff regarding citizen interaction will be conducted. o Animal Defense League of Arizona Brochure: Councilmember Malnar and Councilmember Turner have donated some of their district funds to the TNR program. The ladies were encouraged to contact the Councilmembers regarding this effort. o Wildlife Society Article on Feral and Free-Ranging Domestic Cats: Information provided. • Demonstration Field: The weeds in the demonstration field have been mowed and the field is ready for the Tractor Club to mulch and plant for the upcoming season. • Playground Equipment at Sunset Park: This is a follow up to a comment from Commissioner Mawby on Sunset Park at the August meeting. The playground equipment at the park is on the list of playgrounds to repair or replace but it is not in the five year budget unless an additional funding source is found. • Bottle Filler at Glendale Adult Center: This is a follow up to Chair Schaivone’s request at the August meeting. A water fountain with a cup holder has been requested from a vendor however, it has not been installed yet. Chair Schiavone asked about follow up on the comments about the injured peacock at Sahuaro Ranch Park made by the two citizens at last month’s meeting. Mr. Burke relayed that he did speak with the ladies about the topic. 5 Mr. Burke stated that the peacocks are considered a free ranging bird and City staff does not feed or take care of the peacocks. He said there were a number of volunteer groups who will pick up an injured bird. He commented that peacocks are foragers, scavenging food at the park, and finding water via flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and drip irrigation. Mr. Burke stated that some people put out water for the peacocks too. 11. Commission Comments and Suggestions None. 12. Adjournment The next regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission will be held on October 11, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., at the Glendale Adult Center, 5970 W. Brown St., Glendale, AZ, 85302. Motion by Vice Chair McConnell, second by Commissioner June, to adjourn the meeting at 7:09 p.m. Motion carried 4 – 0.