Consent Calendar Item 4e
STAFF REPORT
Consent Agenda Item
DATE: August 21, 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 July 2023 STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report as an informational item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Director’s Report
• The Rohner Park dual basketball courts project was completed on 7/22. The painted acrylic surfacing (with striping) was the final step in construction. The courts were open to the public on 7/24, and planting shrubs in the planters is planned for August. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is tentatively planned for Tuesday, September 5th at 5pm. • The Rohner Community Recreation and Park District (RCRPD) meeting occurred on 7/5.
A USDA pre-application for a loan to fund the construction of a future aquatic center has been approved by the USDA. Thus, a site visit from two USDA loan representatives visited the future facility site occurred on 7/27, meeting with the Fortuna City Manager, two RCRPD Board members, as well as Board members from the McLean Foundation and the Eel River Valley Community Foundation. The RCRPD will be able to move forward with the loan application with the USDA for the required loan amount needed to construct the aquatic center (minus funding from a local donor to contribute to the construction). This donor has also indicated an annual contribution to cover the debt-service of the loan over a 30-year period. Once these final amounts/ costs are determined, an engineer’s report will calculate the annual amount per parcel in the RCRPD boundary through a Benefit Assessment. Identifying legal bond counsel was also discussed in order to assist the RCRPD with the assessment benefit and Proposition 218 (ballot) process. Before a (mailin) ballot is sent to those parcel owners as part of the Benefit Assessment, a large effort and public outreach will be undertaken to market the benefits of the facility to the community, in hopes of the parcel tax passing (requiring over 50% voting yes through returned ballots).
Parks & Facility Maintenance (non-routine items)
• Softball field prepping was performed throughout the month of July every Monday – Thursday for the adult softball league/ games in the evenings Consent Calendar Item 4e
• The 3rd of July Fireworks Festival prep occurred on 7/1-7/3 at Newburg Park, with an extensive cleanup occurring on 7/5
• High-lift work was performed in the Rodeo grounds to replace and repair metal-halide light fixtures that were inoperable
• Brush in the 11th St. public parking area LID basins was trimmed and landscaped • Irrigation repairs were completed on multiple Main St. flower bulb-outs • Fireworks debris was cleaned on the turf areas where the 3rd of July Fireworks were let off, using the grass sweep to vacuum up the debris
• 80 bags of mulch were delivered and spread on the Main St. flower bulb-outs for the Fortuna Garden Club
• Extensive Fortuna Rodeo event prep work, set-up, and break down of the various Rodeo events occurred the week of 7/10-7/16
• Extensive clean-up from the Fortuna Rodeo occurred, with a swift changeover to prepping for the Auto Xpo event the week of 7/17-7/23
• Set-up and breakdown occurred for the free outdoor, drive-in Movie in the Park (Grease) shown in Rohner Park on 7/22, in which about 200 people attended the viewing • The deep pit barbecue’s in Rohner Park were cleaned out and prepped twice for both the Rodeo and Auto Xpo BBQ events
• Both Newburg Park and the Fortuna Blvd. medians received annual irrigation repairs and systems all set on timers for watering
• Multiple light fixtures were replaced at the River Lodge Depot Museum
July’s visitor total at the Fortuna Depot Museum was 380 people. This July, the museum was open Wednesday through Sunday, rather than the pre-pandemic summer hours of seven days per week.
Recent years’ July visitation totals were: 2022: 337, 2021: 487, 2020: (open only four days) 14, 2019: 596, 2018: 537, 2017: 699, 2016: 732, 2015: 569, 2014: 659, 2013: 570. In July 2023 we welcomed California visitors from Angwin, Arcata, Chico, Corning, Corona, Desert Center, Dinsmore, Elk Grove, Eureka, Fortuna, Galt, Glenn, Livermore, Loleta, Los Angeles, Manton, McKinleyville, North Fork, Oroville, Pacifica, Red Bluff, Redding, Rio Dell, Rohnert Park, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, Sunnyvale, Temecula and Weaverville. We also welcomed out-of-state visitors from Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, as well as international visitors from British Columbia, Canada.
Our July visitors included a group tour of ten people from the Humboldt Senior Resource Center.
Our visitation on Auto Xpo weekend, typically our busiest weekend of the year, was consistent with pre-pandemic Auto Xpo totals: 41 visitors on Friday, 87 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday. At the end of July we installed a new exhibit in the front room of the museum, tying in with the Gene Lucas Community Center’s “Dog Days of Summer” events throughout the month of August. The exhibit features photographs and trophies from the collection of H. C. “Dan” McGrew of Fortuna, whose cocker spaniels were prize-winners in national competition during the 1950’s. Also included are dog-themed postcards, artworks, photographs and books from the Depot Museum collection, as well as photographs of contestants in Rodeo Week’s Ugly Dog Contest in the late 1980’s.
Consent Calendar Item 4e
Fortuna Transit
Passengers on the Fortuna Transit Bus totaled 785 trips during the month of July 2023 which is 189 more riders then July 2022. The lift was used for non-wheelchair riders 37 times and 32 times for wheelchair trips. The Fortuna Transit had nine new riders during the month of July. The Eureka medical trips on Tuesdays have been going well averaging around four - six medical appointments per week. Paul Glennie retired as our Bus Driver l in July and we wish him the very best! Sports, Classes and Facility Rentals
Results Fit Camp continues holding classes in the Pavilion six times a week, Pickleball plays in the Pavilion on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 9am – 12pm the cost is $3.00 and is open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Rohner Rec Hall was rented five times during the month of July and we hosted a two-day Gymkhana event in the Rodeo grounds, 3rd of July Festival and Fireworks, Chamber Mixer and Cattleman’s Play Day, Crab’s Baseball Camp the Fortuna Rodeo, and the Auto Xpo. The adult softball league continued in June, with 17 teams competing at Newburg Park fields.
Recreation Programs
The biggest focus in July was the summer youth day camp programs, Kiddie Kamp and Summer Fun. Camps ran all through the month, with both camps spending a week at Newburg Park during Fortuna Rodeo events, and Summer Fun spending an additional week during Auto Expo, due to event activities utilizing our usual camp space in Rohner Park. We had approximately 100 children registered for each week-long session. During Rohner Park weeks our Kiddie Kampers walked to the Library every week for Story Time, and during the time campers were at Newburg Park both camps were able to partake in walking the wetland trails behind the Gene Lucas Community Center. During the final week of the month campers had a special treat when visitors from the Department of Health & Human Services came by to give presentations on bike safety and care during a Bike Day.
The Pavilion was closed for programming from July 10 – 23 due to special events associated with Fortuna Rodeo & Auto Xpo, and in addition to closing for July 4th weekend our drop-in volleyball and playgroup were only open 2 weekends in July. Drop-in volleyball continued through the month on Sunday evenings, with attendance ranging from 6-12 players per night.
July 2022 July 2023 YTD ~ July 2021 –
June 2022
YTD ~ July 2022 – June
2023
# of passengers 596 785 7713 596
Total Miles 1816 2262 24885 1816
Service Miles 1682 2134 22710 1682
Hours Worked 238.5 309 3183.5 238.5
Service Hours
Worked 206.5 236.5 2671 206.5
Consent Calendar Item 4e
Our playgroup for children aged 0-5 and their caregivers, in partnership with First 5 Humboldt, took place Thursdays and Sundays from 10:30am – 12:30pm. Attendance ranged from 2-6 children at each session.
Roller Skating
The Fortuna Skating Rink operated on summer hours for the month of July, and was open for Saturday, and Sunday Public Skate in addition to Friday and Saturday private parties. The rink was closed Sunday July 2nd for the 4th of July holiday weekend, as well as for the period of July 10 – 23 due to special events in the park. Over the course of July the skating rink hosted 6 private parties with 155 attendees, and in addition to the 91 skaters that attended public skate, hosted an overall total of 631 skaters over the course of the month.
Part-Time Recreation Staff Hours YTD
Recreation utilized a total of 2036.25 staff hours for the month of July Projected vs. Actual Part-Time Rec
Hours
23-Jul 2250 Jul-23 2,036.25
23-Aug 1210 Aug-23 -
23-Sep 300 Sep-23 -
23-Oct 550 Oct-23 -
23-Nov 530 Nov-23 -
23-Dec 520 Dec-23 -
24-Jan 550 Jan-24 -
24-Feb 460 Feb-24 -
24-Mar 750 Mar-24 -
24-Apr 560 Apr-24 -
24-May 340 May-24 -
24-Jun 1980 Jun-24
Total: 10,000 Total: 2,036.25
Community Service
The Parks & Recreation Department had three people signed up to perform Community Service, and workers completed 55.5 hours throughout the months of July. 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 53,343 service hours completed in the throughout the City of Fortuna.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive Monthly Parks & Recreation Department Report. Consent Agenda vote.