DATE: 05/07/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
2025-168
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
MAYOR STEINER’S REQUEST FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE
INSTALLATION OF AN AUTOMATED TIMED GATE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE
SIERRA BELLA PARK PARKING LOT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide direction on Mayor Steiner’s request to consider the installation of an automated timed gate at the entrance of the Sierra Bella Park parking lot to enhance security and deter after-hours activity in the park. Additionally, the staff report asks the City Council to provide direction on the installation of automated parking lot gates at other parks throughout the City and installing auto locking systems at four park restrooms.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council provide direction on:
a. The installation of an automated timed gate at the Sierra Bella Park parking lot entrance.
i. If recommended, authorize an appropriation in the amount of $45,000 from the General Fund 110 to the Community Services Department operating budget within the Parks, Trees and Medians Maintenance Division. b. The installation of automated timed gates at other park locations throughout the City.
i. If recommended, authorize an appropriation in the amount of $378,000 from the General Fund 110 to the Community Services Department operating budget within the Parks, Trees and Medians Maintenance Division. c. The installation of automated door locking systems at four park restrooms. d. As an alternative, utilize the Park Rangers to lock and re-open restrooms daily.
BACKGROUND:
On October 16, 2024, Mayor Steiner submitted a request for a future agenda item to consider the installation of an automated timed gate at Sierra Bella Park’s parking lot to enhance security and discourage after-hours activities. This request follows numerous reports from citizens about individuals loitering or sleeping in their vehicles inside the park after curfew hours. On December 4, 2024, Community Services provided an initial project overview, including cost estimates for the automated gates. Staff were directed to investigate further the costs of the gates and the feasibility of installing automatic locking systems for the park’s restrooms. Additionally, staff were tasked with exploring the possibility of installing automated gates at other park locations, particularly those that already have steel A-frame gates in place.
Sierra Bella Park is somewhat secluded, with parts of the parking lot not visible from Sierra Bella Drive. Currently, Security Defense secures the restrooms at the park each night, while Park Rangers provide patrol services until 8:00 p.m. Also, an active camera monitors the parking lot areas.
ANALYSIS:
The installation of a 30-foot automated gate at the Sierra Bella parking lot entrance has an estimated cost of $45,000. This price covers the purchase and installation of a 30-foot rolling gate with an automated opener, a traffic loop, and electrical connections. The gate would be programmed to close automatically at 10:30 p.m., marking the park’s closure, and open at 5:00 a.m. when the park reopens. The gate sensors would also allow it to open from the inside if a vehicle is still in the parking lot after the park’s closure.
Staff also assessed the cost and feasibility of installing automated parking lot gates at other parks with security concerns. After an initial assessment, staff determined that Griffin Park, Stagecoach Park, Parkview Park, Rock Vista Park, Butterfield Park (west), and Promenade Park would be good candidates for automated parking lot gates. Each of these parks, with the exception of Promenade Park, have manual gates already installed at the entrance to the parking lot that are not currently closed and locked each night. The cost to automate each gate is approximately $33,000. Below is a summary of the costs to install automated parking lot gates at each park.
PARK NAME NUMBER
OF
GATES
EXISTING
GATE
COST PER
AUTOMATED
GATE
TOTAL
COST
Sierra Bella Park 1 No $45,000 $45,000
Griffin Park 1 Yes $33,000 $33,000
Stagecoach Park 1 Yes $33,000 $33,000
Parkview Park 2 Yes $33,000 $66,000
Rock Vista Park 1 Yes $33,000 $33,000
Butterfield Park (west) 1 Yes $33,000 $33,000
Promenade Park 4 No $45,000 $180,000
Total Cost $423,000
Lastly, staff explored the cost of converting the restroom doors at city parks to automatic locking systems. The City currently contracts with a security company to lock and secure restrooms at four park sites each night, at an annual cost of $96,000. Automating the locking system would eliminate this need. The estimated cost to convert the restroom doors to autolock at these four park sites is $14,800. This one-time cost would be recovered in less than two months with the elimination of the security contract.
Alternatively, the City could utilize the Park Rangers to lock these four restrooms each night and re-open them in the morning, which would require the Rangers to work three additional hours per day and would cost approximately $27,000 annually. Either option would result in net savings of $81,200 or $69,000 per year, depending on the approach taken by eliminating the need for contract security services.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Depending on the options selected, approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation up to $423,000 from General Fund 110 to the Community Services Department operating budget within the Parks, Trees and Medians Maintenance Division.
This includes $45,000 for the installation of an automated timed gate at Sierra Bella Park and $378,000 for other park locations.
Alternatively, the financial impact of converting the restroom doors at the selected park sites to auto locking systems is $14,800; however, this cost will be offset by the elimination of contract security services currently used to lock restrooms, which totals $96,000 annually. Even if the City chooses to use Park Rangers instead, at $27,000 per year, the change would result in a net savings, therefore, no additional appropriation will be needed if either of these two options are recommended.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action seeks direction from the Council regarding the installation of a timed automated parking lot gates at various park sites and the conversion of 8 restroom doors to automated locking systems. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MOSES CORTEZ, PARKS & TRAILS MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENT:
1. Exhibit 1 – Presentation