Consent Item 4e
STAFF REPORT
City Council Consent Item
DATE: March 20, 2023
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 2023 STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report as an informational item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Director’s Report
The City completed all submittals for the Rohner Park Basketball Court Rehabilitation Project with contractor Mercer-Fraser, in which the Notice to Proceed/ project is scheduled to begin on 3/20/23, with a completion date of 4/24/23 (weather dependent). This project will replace the single court with two newly paved and painted fenced-in courts, and is being funded by Measure E.
The Rohner Community Recreation and Park District (RCRPD) held their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on 2/1/23. The City Manager gave a presentation on the current status of the swimming pool (construction, expense/revenue, loan, donors) projection financials, as well as the next steps in completing a pre-loan application with the USDA which could fund the construction of the aquatic center. Additionally. Once the/a loan is approved, a marketing effort of a Benefit Assessment to the taxpayers/ parcel owners in the RCRPD boundary will follow.
Parks & Facility Maintenance
Logs from downed or fallen branches during storms that were blocking trails in the Rohner Park forest were removed, debris cleared
Prep work and equipment training was completed for the start of the Hot Shots basketball program
A load of infield red-rock was delivered and spread on Hardball Field #1 at Newburg Park English Ivy growing on the Poplar trees in the Rodeo Grounds were removed and growing suckers were trimmed
Due to continued leaks in the Firemen’s Pavilion roof (due to earthquakes, heavy rains), measures were made to mitigate multiple locations
Infield prep work was completed on both softball fields at Newburg Park in preparation for a high-school softball jamboree, including infield red rock being spread on Softball #2 String-trimming around trees and valve boxes was completed on the Fortuna Blvd. medians Consent Item 4e
Three replacement LED lights were installed at the Firemen’s Pavilion entry for security purposes
Bleacher repairs were completed in the Rodeo grandstands A water line and valve box was removed/ discontinued in Rohner Park in preparation for the new basketball courts project
Graffiti was covered on the backside of the Rohner Park cookshack and the fireplace Leaks in a supplies shipping container were patched
All fire extinguishers received annual inspections and refills or replacements, as necessary, for all parks, Monday Club, and River Lodge facilities
Theft and damage occurred in the storage pen behind the Firemen’s Pavilion, with most stolen items being recovered and an estimated $1,700 in losses The rain gutters were cleared at the Firemen’s Pavilion Chairs, electronic waste, hazardous waste, and other janitorial items were removed from the POD in preparation for the rebuild
The cushions on all folding chairs at the Monday Club were steam-cleaned Depot Museum
February’s visitor total at the Fortuna Depot Museum was 239 people. This is at the high end of our recent Pre-COVID February visitor totals; in fact, it is our second-highest February visitation total in the past ten years. Recent years’ February visitor totals were: 2022: 168, 2021 (open for four days in the month): 22, 2020:213, 2019: 133, 2018: 264, 2017: 180, 2016: 148, 2015: 205, 2014: 162, 2013: 215. In February 2023 we welcomed California visitors from Arcata, Carlotta, Dillon Beach, Eureka, Fortuna, Hydesville, Garberville, Loleta, McKinleyville, Oakland, Redding, Rio Dell and Santa Rosa. We also welcomed out-of-state visitors from Maine, Montana, Ohio and Oregon, as well as foreign visitors from Argentina and Venezuela.
Fortuna Transit
Passengers on the Fortuna Transit Bus totaled 685 trips during the month of February 2023. The lift was used for non-wheelchair riders 53 times and 65 times for wheelchair trips. The Fortuna Transit had 15 new riders during the month of February. The Eureka medical trips on Tuesdays have been going well averaging around three-six medical appointments per week.
February 2022 February 2023 YTD ~ July 2021 –
June 2022
YTD ~ July 2022 –
June 2023
# of passengers 610 685 7713 4793
Total Miles 1867 2031 24885 14689
Service Miles 1755 1908 22710 13528
Hours Worked 203.25 269 3183.5 1828.25
Service Hours
Worked 176.5 232 2671 1661.5
Consent Item 4e
Sports, Classes and Facility Rentals
Results Fit Camp continues holding classes in the Pavilion, the Rohner Rec Hall was used 11 times during the month of February, and Fortuna High Baseball started practices and games at Newburg Park.
Recreation Programs
The 2023 Hot Shots Youth Basketball program for youth in Kindergarten through Fourth grade kicked off their first games of the season on the first Saturday in February, and games continued Saturdays throughout the month. This year’s program has 307 children registered across 42 teams.
Our program utilizes volunteer coaches, assistant coaches, and referees when able. In the month of February, our volunteer hours totaled 233.5 hours.
February was also spent planning and implementing our Presidents’ Week Break Camp, which took place February 21 – 24th. We had 44 children registered for the four-day camp, which included walking field trips to the Fortuna Library for a story time.
Drop-in volleyball on Sunday evenings & drop-in basketball on Thursday evenings continued throughout February, with attendance ranging from 3-16 players per night at volleyball & 12-25 players per night at basketball.
Our playgroup is for families with children age’s newborn-five and their caregivers, in partnership with First-5 Humboldt, also continued through February, every Thursday and Sunday from 10:30am – 12:30pm. Attendance ranged from 2-14 children at each session.
Skating
The Fortuna Skating Rink was open for Friday, and Sunday Public Skate in February, but was closed all day on Saturdays due to the facility being in use by our Hot Shots basketball program.
In February the skating rink hosted five private parties with 188 attendees, and in addition to the 931 skaters that attended public skate, hosted an overall total of 1,119 skaters over the course of the month. We also hosted a special donation night in February, and were able to collect donations or requested items for Miranda’s Rescue and the Fortuna Family Resource Center that were dropped off at their respective organizations following the event.
Community Service
The Parks & Recreation Department had two people signed up to perform Community Service, and workers completed 13.75 hours throughout the months of February. 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 53,228.5 service hours completed in the throughout the City of Fortuna.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive Parks & Recreation Department Monthly Report. Consent agenda vote.