Consent Calendar Item 4e
STAFF REPORT
City Council Consent Calendar Agenda Item
DATE: March 21, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Cameron Mull, Director of Parks & Recreation
THROUGH: Merritt Perry, City Manager
SUBJECT: Parks & Recreation Monthly Report for February 2022 STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report as an informational item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Director’s Report
The regularly scheduled Rohner Community Recreation and Park District (RCRPD) monthly meeting was held on 2/2, which included the review and approval of a Benefit Assessment District scope of work and project quote for consultants LACO & Associates to begin the Benefit Assessment process, which can take up to 2 years to complete. RCRPD has $50,000 allocated through Measure E to utilize for this specific project, which is likely to go to property owners/ taxpayers inside the RCRPD district boundary (which includes City of Fortuna residents) for a possible addition to parcel taxes to support the construction, operation, and maintenance costs of a future community pool (annual tax amount TBD).
Grant funds will continue to be identified for the construction of the potential facility to keep possible future taxpayer costs to a minimum.
Planning has begun for the development of the Newburg Park 8.4 acre expansion, as well as for the Rohner Park basketball court improvement project, in which an additional court is planned to be added at its current location. Both engineers and landscape architects are being utilized to assist in developing plans and associated costs for both projects.
Parks & Facility Maintenance
Infield work was performed at both of Newburg Park’s softballs fields and prepped for a high school girls softball tournament
Equipment for the Hot Shots basketball program was prepared and staff training performed to assist with the league
Multiple broken bleacher backs were repaired in the rodeo grandstands due to vandalism A broken window was replaced in the park office due to an earthquake Electrical repairs were performed on the dump bed trailer and control box Weeding was performed throughout the landscaping at the River Lodge Consent Calendar Item 4e
A new epoxy floor finish, painting trim, and water proofing sinks at both the Rohner and Newburg Park main public restrooms and Rohner main cook shack was completed The lift truck was used to replace a Newburg Park playground light Three windows at the Monday Club we replaced due to an earthquake All COVID-19 masking signs were removed from park facilities after mandates were lifted New ropes, pulleys, cam cleats and a new net was installed in the Firemen’s Pavilion for the new drop-in volleyball program
A burnt motion sensor for an exterior wall pack light at the Monday Club back porch was replaced
The River Lodge kitchen sink basin drain received a chemical treatment to remove an ongoing clog
All 96 field aerator tines were replaced on the field aerator (shared w/FHS) to increase depth for overall turf health and improved drainage, with aeration being performed on all turf fields throughout Newburg Park
60 cubic yards of sand (donated by Eel River Valley Youth Soccer League) was spread throughout Newburg Park following field aeration
Trimming of bushes and shrubs that were limiting visibility on the Main St. bulb-outs was performed
Weed pulling was completed at the Parks & Rec office landscaping Damaged a-frame signs used for traffic control were repaired String trimming occurred at the fish-viewing gazebo on Riverwalk Dr. Gather up all fire extinguishers at all locations and deliver them to be recharged An exterior wall-pack at the River Lodge was replaced using the lift truck A trail sign for the Rohner Park forest was repaired due to vandalism Assistance with clean-up was completed at the River Lodge leftover from an event Depot Museum
February’s visitation total at the Fortuna Depot Museum was 168. For comparison, recent years’ February visitation totals (pre-COVID) are: 2020: 213, 2019: 133, 2018: 264, 2017: 180, 2016:
148, 2015: 205, 2014: 162, 2013: 215, 2012: 269, 2011: 162, 2010: 185. In February 2022, we welcomed California visitors from Alameda, Arcata, Calistoga, Daly City, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Laguna Beach, Rio Dell, San Juan Capistrano and Sonoma, along with out-of-state visitors from Connecticut and Wisconsin.
A special temporary exhibit was installed in the front room of the museum, honoring the Native Sons of the Golden West’s February 12 re-dedication of the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds grandstands.
The display includes photographs and framed newspaper pages from the museum’s collection, showing the original dedication of the grandstands on September 29, 1940. Also featured in the exhibit are items of Native Sons memorabilia on loan from NSGW Parlor No. 93 Ferndale and from the Humboldt County Historical Society. On February 12, around 40 attendees of the rededication ceremony toured the Depot Museum. The exhibit will be on display until the end of March.
Consent Calendar Item 4e
Fortuna Transit
Passengers on the Fortuna Transit Bus totaled 610 trips during the month of February 2022. The lift was used for non-wheelchair riders 54 times and 54 times for wheelchair trips. The Fortuna Transit had 8 new riders during the month of February. The Eureka medical trips on Tuesdays have been going well averaging around 3-5 riders.
Sports, Classes and Facility Rentals
Results Fit Camp continues holding classes in the Pavilion and the Rohner Rec Hall was used 9 times during the month of February. Redwood Prep School continues basketball practices in the Pavilion. Adult recreation basketball league started in February, we have 18 teams and they have games Monday – Thursday at Fortuna High School.
Skating Rink
The Fortuna Skating Rink operated Public Skate Friday nights and Sunday afternoons in February.
There was no Saturday Public Skate and private parties had limited availability throughout the month, as the Pavilion was utilized by the Hot Shots Youth Basketball Program all day every Saturday. This will continue to be the case through Saturday March 5th. Over the course of the month, the skating rink hosted 7 private parties with 190 attendees, and in addition to the 675 skaters that attended public skate, hosted an overall total of 865 skaters in the month of February.
Recreation Programs
The Recreation Department spent every Saturday in February facilitating the Hot Shots Youth Basketball program for youth in Kindergarten through 4th grade. With a record 42 teams, each with 7-9 children, both the Fireman’s Pavilion and the gym at Toddy Thomas Middle School were booked solid every Saturday with games running from 8:30am until 7:15pm. The program utilizes parent & family volunteers to coach teams, and we logged 190 volunteer hours for coaches in February. The referees this season also included 3 volunteers that logged an additional 41 volunteer hours cumulatively by the end of the month.
Drop-in volleyball on Sunday evenings continued throughout February, with attendance ranging from 9-16 players per night. Our drop-in basketball program also continued throughout the month on Thursday evenings, with attendance ranging from 23-29 players per night.
February
2021
February
2022
YTD ~ July 2020 –
June 2021
YTD ~ July 2021 – June
2022
# of passengers 571 613 7444 4693
Total Miles 1762 1757 22481 15507
Service Miles 1616 1638 20834 14004
Hours Worked 227.5 209.5 2608.75 2009.5
Service Hours
Worked 186 179 2220.25 1672.25
Consent Calendar Item 4e
February also saw the planning and execution of the Presidents Week Break Camp for youth ages 5-12. 34 children attended camp through the week, and the program included hosting a visitor from the Fortuna Library. The program also had one teen volunteer Leader In Training (LIT), who volunteered for 24 hours over the course of the week.
In February, the Recreation Department also began coordination and planning with First 5 Humboldt on a new playgroup for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Planning and development of the program is expected to take a few months with a goal of opening mid-late spring, resources- & COVID-dependent.
Community Service
The Parks & Recreation Department had 5 people signed up to perform Community Service, and workers completed 16.5 hours in the month of December. The Community Service Work Program is a big part of the parks’ success. The workers help with trash pickup and various basic maintenance projects in Rohner and Newburg Parks, the River Lodge, and other Parks-maintained spaces throughout the City. Since the program started in 1997, there have been 52,554.5 service hours completed in the throughout the City of Fortuna.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive Parks & Recreation Department Monthly Report. Consent Agenda vote.