Consent Item 4e
STAFF REPORT
City Council Consent Item
DATE: December 19, 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 November 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 occurred on 11/2. Resolutions needed to be passed according to Prop 218 standards to move forward with the Benefit Assessment process, so one resolution was passed to allow LACO & Associates to perform the engineers report for a Benefit Assessment. A second resolution was passed to approve the ballot process for a future Benefit Assessment (to ultimately proceed with taking a ballot/ vote to the parcel owners within the RCRPD boundary (future ballot date TBD)), in order to pay for the associated costs for a future aquatic center. Pool options were discussed between the Board and City staff, and financials associated with the options were presented by Chris Perlitz, a financial analyst with MCM Group, Inc.
The Rohner Park Basketball Court Project (funded by Measure E) went back out to the bidding process in November, and Mercer-Fraser returned the lowest bid. Once the contract is approved by City Council on 12/5, the project will begin in winter 2022, with the project expected to be completed and open to the public in spring 2023.
Parks & Facility Maintenance
Drainage inlets in the parks and forest were cleared to prep for heavy rains Bulbs and ballasts were replaced in the Firemen’s Pavilion Wooden bleachers and picnic tables in need of rehab were repaired, primed, and painted Holiday lights were placed throughout the River Lodge’s exterior Two bathroom exhaust fans were replaced at the Library Weather-stripping was replaced at the River Lodge windows in need, due to leaks All irrigation systems were deactivated for the winter Repairs in the Firemen’s Pavilion women’s bathroom were completed due to a water valve leak
Consent Item 4e
Multiple bulbs were replaced at the Library
Tire ruts/ damage in turf on five of the Fortuna Blvd. medians and in Rohner Park from vandalism were re-seeded
A turf berm was removed along the Softball Field #2 infield edge at Newburg Park and replaced with 2,400 sq. ft. of sod
Exterior lights and receptacle were replaced at the Monday Club Prep work to repair arson (fire) damage in the men’s bathroom in Rohner Park began, which included cleaning of all surfaces, re-stalling FRP (wall paneling) and door trim Limbs that were close to power lines at the Library were removed All four outdoor (photo-eye) light fixtures at the Rohner Park cookshack were replaced with LED’s
Replacement spindles were painted and replaced at the Monday Club front porch from damage
All downspouts at the Rohner Park cookshack & covered picnic area were replaced with PVC, due to constant damage to all others
The Depot Museum received multiple decorations for the holiday season (interior & exterior), including exterior lights for the Caboose
Rain gutters were cleared of debris at the Firemen’s Pavilion, Parks & Rec Office, and Rec Hall
The roof on the Pavilion Field electrical/ storage shed received an entire new roof (plywood, composition shingles, and trim)
All air filters to the River Lodge forced-air heating units were replaced Depot Museum
The November visitor total at the Fortuna Depot Museum is 139 people. Although this is on the low side, it’s in the range of some of the November visitation totals in pre-COVID years. Recent years’ November visitor totals were: 2021: 132, 2020: 53, 2019: 198, 2018: 191, 2017: 108, 2016:
143, 2015: 130, 2014: 186, 2013: 177, 2012: 180. In November 2022, we welcomed California visitors from Arcata, Arroyo Grande, Carmichael, Corona, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Lancaster, Loleta, McKinleyville, Monterey, Napa, North Highlands, Rio Dell, Salinas, Scotia and Ukiah, as well as out-of-state visitors from Oregon and Washington and 1 overseas visitor from Germany.
At the end of November, a new seasonal exhibit, “A Roaring Twenties Christmas”, was installed.
The special, limited edition of the book In and Around the Arena: the 100-Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo, published by the Fortuna Rodeo Association and written by Fortuna Historical Commission chair Susan J. P. O’Hara and Depot Museum curator Alex Service, is now available for purchase at the Depot Museum and at Sequoia Gas on Main Street. The book sells for $108.50 including tax and can be purchased using cash or check (checks made payable to the Fortuna Rodeo Association). Also newly arrived in the Depot Museum gift shop is the Humboldt County Historical Society’s 2023 calendar on the theme of “Fun-Boldt: Fun in Humboldt County,” featuring vintage local photographs from the historical society’s collection.
Fortuna Transit
Passengers on the Fortuna Transit Bus totaled 663 trips during the month of November 2022. The lift was used for non-wheelchair riders 77 times and 42 times for wheelchair trips. The Fortuna Consent Item 4e
Transit had 11 new riders during the month of November. The Eureka medical trips on Tuesdays have been going well averaging around 3-6 medical appointments per week.
Sports, Classes and Facility Rentals
Results Fit Camp continues holding classes in the Firemen’s Pavilion, the Rohner Rec Hall was rented nine times during the month of November. During November, the City hosted the NorCal Regional Championships Jr. College Cross Country meet in Rohner Park with over 400 runners.
Fortuna High School Boys Soccer finished their practices at Newburg Park and we currently have The Beast youth flag football practicing at Newburg Park.
Recreation Programs
The Recreation Department spent much of November planning, developing, and implementing our Thanksgiving Break Camp for kids 5-12 years old. There were 37 children registered for the threeday program. Planning also began on our Winter Break Camp program that takes place at the end of December.
Planning and sign-ups also started for the Hot Shots Youth Basketball program for youth in Kindergarten through fourth grade, with registration open until the end of December. Development began on new coach & referee training procedures, additional resources, as well as pre-season Skills & Drills clinic procedures.
Drop-in volleyball on Sunday evenings continued throughout November, with attendance ranging from 10 - 18 players per night. Drop-in basketball was closed two of the four weeks in November due to scheduling conflicts with a user group and the Thanksgiving holiday, with two in attendance per night.
Our playgroup for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, in partnership with First 5 Humboldt, also continued in November, and was closed Thursday 11/24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The playgroup was otherwise open every Thursday and Sunday from 10:30am – 12:30pm, with attendance ranging from 2 – 8 children at each session.
Skating
The Fortuna Skating Rink was open for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Public Skates in November, with the exception of a closure Friday November 25th following the Thanksgiving holiday. Over the course of the month the skating rink hosted 13 private parties with 277 attendees, and in November
2021
November
2022
YTD ~ July 2021 – June
2022
YTD ~ July 2022 – June
2023
# of passengers 649 663 7713 3410
Total Miles 2144 2180 24885 10707
Service Miles 1990 2013 22710 9846
Hours Worked 370.75 281.25 3183.5 1304.5
Service Hours
Worked 255.5 241.75 2671 1211.25
Consent Item 4e
addition to the 583 skaters that attended public skate, hosted an overall total of 860 skaters in the month of
November.
Community Service
The Parks & Recreation Department had five people signed up to perform Community Service, and workers completed 21.75 hours throughout the months of November. 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 Parksmaintained spaces throughout the City. Since the program started in 1997, there have been 53,143.75 service hours completed in the throughout the City of Fortuna.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive Parks & Recreation Department Monthly Report. Consent agenda Vote.