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1 DRAFT MINUTES City of Glendale Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting Glendale Municipal Office Complex 5850 W Glendale Ave Meeting Room B-3 Glendale, Arizona 85301Monday, January 10, 2022 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Gayle Schiavone, Chair Sam McConnell, Vice Chair (via Zoom) Stephanie June (via Zoom) Reginald Martinez, Jr. Kathryn Mawby ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: John Kennedy, Assistant Director, Public Facilities, Recreation & Special Events Sean McGary, Interim Deputy Director Paul King, Recreation Administrator Brad Giesbrecht, Senior Recreation Coordinator Tyler Buckley, Recreation Coordinator Tim Rastedt, CIP Project Manager Diane Williams, Program Manager 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. Approval of the Minutes Motion by Commissioner Martinez, second by Commissioner Mawby, to approve the December 13, 2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting minutes as written. Motion carried 5 – 0. 4. Citizen Comments None. 5. Introductions Mr. Kennedy introduced Mr. McGary, the new Interim Deputy Director. Mr. McGary explained past roles that he has held in Glendale’s Parks and Recreation Department and briefed the Commission on his new duties. Mr. Giesbrecht introduced Mr. Buckley, Recreation Coordinator. Mr. Buckley shared a brief background. 6. New Business a. Information: Commission Reports Commissioner Mawby reported that she volunteers at the Glendale Main Library and has noticed a great amount of bird droppings around the library, most likely due to the peacocks. She mentioned the issue to library staff and was told that there was one person who cleans the grounds, and this employee was utilized by the other City libraries as well. She said that the library staff member stated the maintenance person works 2 very hard but needs help. She asked if there was another person who could assist with cleaning. Mr. Kennedy will follow up on the matter. Commissioner Martinez reported that the new ramada area at Sahuaro Ranch Park looks great and really adds to the park. He looked forward to seeing the lights installed. Commissioner June stated that she hikes the trails at Thunderbird Conservation Park almost daily. She reported that people have commented on the improvements to the trails and the changes are being noticed by the community. b. Information: Summer Lifeguard Recruitment Mr. King gave a presentation on the seasonal recruitment plan and hiring strategy for the 2022 Summer Aquatics season, which included the following information: • A flyer was prepared to announce the recruitment of lifeguards and will be distributed to stakeholders, schools, and other groups. The targeted age is teens of 15 to 18 years old. • Last year, the City was only able to hire half of what was needed for the swim season, and therefore the pools were only open half the time. • Multiple outreach strategies are being used to spread the word including outreach to swim teams, swim clubs, and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. The marketing plan is robust and includes banners and billboards. • Other industries and cities are experiencing similar issues with hiring. Other cities are implementing incentive programs for hiring and staff will share this information with management. • Videos will be filmed and posted on social media, Channel 11, and the City’s website. These videos include: o A 30-second video with current lifeguards. o 30-second videos of previous lifeguards. o A junior lifeguard video. Junior lifeguards are a volunteer program for 12 to 15 year-olds and serves as a feeder program to becoming a lifeguard. • 115 lifeguards are needed. Last year, there were only 60 lifeguards. Commissioner Mawby inquired about the hourly pay. Mr. King announced the pay was $12.80 an hour for a lifeguard and $13.50 an hour for a Water Safety Instructor. Commissioner Mawby stated that these jobs compete with fast food and retail companies that are paying more per hour, such as $15.00 an hour. Mr. King explained that staff is preparing a proposal for Council regarding pay, as the pay was the biggest incentive. Mr. King relayed that lifeguards will be reimbursed for their Certification Program, which costs $200 if they stay the entire summer with the City. Commissioner Mawby requested additional information on junior lifeguards. Mr. King stated that junior lifeguards would not be guarding, but rather helping lifeguards with equipment, prepping, and cleaning. Commissioner Martinez stated that he was a former lifeguard with the City as a teen and it was a great program. c. Information: CIP Project Update Sahuaro Ranch Mr. Rastedt gave a presentation on the improvements at the Sahuaro Ranch Historic Area, which included photos and the following information: • Railing repair: Repair of the railing on the porch of the Main House in preparation for painting. The Guest House, Main House, and Foreman’s House will all be painted. The painting should start next week. 3 • Grading: Additional grading has been completed in front of the Main House, allowing the water to shed away from the structure. • Berms: Berms are being repaired for flood irrigation. Some berms have degraded over the years, so they are being reconstructed to retain the water and keep water away from structures. d. Information: Contracting Strategy for Playgrounds and Courts in Capital Improvement Plan Mr. Rastedt gave a presentation on strategic contracting for the replacement of park playgrounds and the renovation of sport courts, as identified in the FY2021-30 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). • FY2021-30 CIP o 40 Playgrounds to Replace o 19 Sport Courts to Refurbish o Timeline – 5 Years • Contracting Strategy o Cooperative Contracts o 3 Playground Vendors o 2 Sport Court Vendors o This strategy will allow for a construction schedule that will spread the work over various companies. • Utopia Park Basketball Court o Before and after photos of the new basketball court surface were displayed. Chair Schiavone asked how staff determines which parks receive new court surfaces. Mr. Rastedt explained that projects are determined by condition, age, and location. He relayed the importance of spreading projects throughout the City. 7. Staff Updates Mr. Kennedy gave the Staff Update, which included the following: • He played a video of the valve turning for the Heroes Regional Park Lake. The grand opening of the park will be on Thursday, January 13th at 2:30 p.m. All Commissioners are invited. • Photos of the progress on the site for the new Pickleball Courts at Foothills Park were displayed. • Upcoming events in downtown Glendale include: o Live@Murphy Park Thursdays through Saturdays in February which features musical bands and a Comedy Night. o The Chocolate Experience on February 12th and 13th at the Glendale Civic Center. Chair Schiavone requested an update on the Santa Hike and the maintenance of the American Flag on top of the mountain at Thunderbird Conservation Park. Mr. Kennedy mentioned that we can provide an update on the Santa Hike and photos of the event at the next Commission meeting. He stated that maintenance of the flag is on a regular to-do list. Commissioner Martinez recalled that the Chocolate Event used to be held in Murphy Park. Ms. Williams agreed and relayed that last year, the event was held in the Civic Center. She said the vendors prefer an indoor location as the chocolate drew a lot of bees when the event was at Murphy Park. 8. Commission Comments and Suggestions Vice Chair McConnell thanked all of the Commissioners, past, and present, that he has worked with as it has been a wonderful experience and he learned a lot. He stated that the Parks and Recreation staff is the best the City has as they know what they are doing and work to make sure everything works as it should. 4 Mr. Kennedy stated on behalf of the department’s staff that Vice Chair McConnell’s passion and love for parks and recreation really show and his many years of service are greatly appreciated. Commissioner June stated that it has been a pleasure to serve on the Commission and she has learned so much. She said that her family will continue to take advantage of all the services available and the hard work done by staff. Mr. Kennedy announced appreciation for all of the help and support from the Commissioners. Commissioner Mawby commented that Vice Chair McConnell was very kind to her when she was appointed to the Commission and he was wonderful in guiding her. Commissioner Martinez stated that Vice Chair McConnell and Commissioner June were very kind and made him feel very welcomed on the Commission. Chair Schiavone stated that both Commissioners will be missed. 9. Next Meeting The next regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission will be held on February 14, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center, located at 5600 W. Union Hills Drive, Glendale, Arizona, 85308. 10. Adjournment Motion by Commissioner Martinez, second by Commissioner Mawby, to adjourn the meeting at 6:48 p.m. Motion carried 5 – 0.