Town of Yountville
Staff Report
6550 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Agenda Item #: {{section.number}}B
Yountville Town Council Staff Report
DATE: November 21, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Samantha Holland, Parks & Recreation Director
PREPARED BY: Samantha Holland, Parks & Recreation Director
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss and Consider Approving Resolution Number 23-4240 Adopting the 2023 – 2028 Yountville Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
In fiscal year 2021-22, the Town began a Parks and Recreation Master Planning process. After analysis of the cost-benefit of having an outside consultant firm complete the full plan, staff proposed a longer but lower cost process of hiring a consultant for the public outreach, survey and data analysis but handling the rest of the plan in-house. Over the next two years, staff worked to complete the plan and with the assistance of two contract consultants for RGS to facilitate the public input process and data analysis are bringing the draft plan before you this evening for consideration of adoption.
The Plan was on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission agenda formally twice. It received unanimous approval from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission at the September meeting. The Commission considered if the recommendations accurately reflected the public feedback from the survey results and consultant reports. Does the time frame and prioritization seem reasonable and appropriate? Are the recommendations connected to the General Plan appropriately? Is there anything missing? This public meeting was one of six opportunities for formal public involvement. The draft plan was available to the public for 60 days to comment on via email, in person, or by phone as well as at two Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meetings.
WHY HAVE A PLAN?
The plan is a tool for a longer-range strategy for the creation, optimization and maintenance of our community assets and programs. Unlike some Master Plans, Yountville’s does not focus on one park or program but rather the overview of the system, documenting where it stands today and plans for our future. The outcome is a framework for improving and evolving parks and recreation facilities, programs, and services to best serve the residents of Yountville.
The benefits of a Master Plan include:
• Building credibility, support and consensus from community members and stakeholders. • Informing citizens about needs and community assets.
• Identifying capital improvement goals and fiscal requirements. • Positioning the Town for alternative funding opportunities like grants. • Guiding decisions about facilities, infrastructure, programs and services. • Developing recommendations and an implementation strategy to continue moving forward.
When drafting the plan, staff took into consideration already existing plans and documents including the Town’s general plan, the Climate Action Plan and ADA Accessibility Plan as well as our existing Capital Improvement Plan. The goal was to have a flexible, cost-effective, achievable, and useful document that included many opportunities for public input and involvement along the way.
WHAT IS IN THE PLAN DOCUMENT?
• Information on the benefits of Parks and Recreation
• Inventory of Existing Programs, Parks and Facilities
• General Plan Considerations
• Needs Assessment Overview and Analysis
• Recommendations and Implementation Plan
• Inventory of Historical Documents for Reference
A time-consuming part of the work was to research, capture and document historical information for future planning and reference. This part of the process took considerable time and effort to collect and analyze the records and assemble them in an easy-to-navigate webpage and referenced in the plan document for ease of use in the future. The inventory is included as an appendix in the document as well as being available online at https://townofyountville.com/336/Historical-Documents.
Of course, another major part of the plan was to take the pulse of our community. We hired two RGS consultants to facilitate the Community input and visioning process with a goal of finding out how Parks and Recreation in Yountville are viewed by our residents and what the unmet wants and needs there may be.
In May of 2022 a public survey was released online and in paper form. The survey was open through Mid-August of 2022 and we collected 186 responses with 78% from Yountville residents. In September of 2022, a community meeting was held with 48 individuals in attendance providing additional and more focused feedback. Below is a work cloud that was generated from the question, “What are the Top Five Most Important Items in the Survey Results?”.
From the Survey and Public Meeting, staff were provided analysis and statistics on the results from the consultants that we then adapted into a series of recommendations into three categories. 1. Parks and Facilities 2. Programs, Events and Services 3. Policies The grid format in the plan identifies the recommendations, estimated timeframe, notes, connection to the General Plan, estimated cost and staffing impacts.
The “PLAN” includes the following recommendations.
Implementation includes Near Term (0-2 Years), Medium Term (3-4 Years) and Long Term (5+ Years) and Other (ongoing or unknown). Cost estimates are [$- Under $25,000; $$- 25,000-75,000; $$$- 75,000 – 150,000; $$$$ - 150,000+] and FTE= Full Time Equivalent.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PLAN IS ADOPTED?
Staff will begin making a workplan working through the recommendations. This could include budget and capital improvement plan proposals, specific community surveys, policy recommendations and program changes over the next five years. Depending on the specific recommendation, the process may include bringing items forward to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and Town Council as necessary for decision making and approval.
Some Near-Term items may already be in progress. Other items noted as Long Term may be modified or proposed for shorter term solutions on a trial basis based on community interest and need and as opportunities arise. Although the plan estimates time frame, it remains fluid to be able to adapt to changes and opportunities.
The plan should be updated every 5 years. The framework and history of the plan can be updated as needed with the main emphasis being on the public input portion of the plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact? No
Is it Currently Budgeted? No
Where is it Budgeted? N/A
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? Discretionary
Is there a Staff Resource Impact? Yes
STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL
Is item Identified in Strategic Plan? Yes
If yes, Identify Strategic Goal and Objective. Engaged Residents: The Town embraces our residents' commitment to community as seen through volunteerism, civic engagement, and public participation that enhances the quality of life in Yountville. Quality of Life: The Town enhances the livability of Yountville by providing well-maintained public facilities, parks, and trails, and quality programs and events. Visionary Leadership: The Town's leadership maintains an open-minded, forward-thinking decision-making process. We value engagement and participation from all members of the community as we work together to create policies and plan for the future.
Briefly Explain Relationship to Strategic Plan Goal and Objective.
The Parks and Recreation Master Planning process engaged our residents and businesses in a process to provide guidance and input into the future. Strategically and thoughtfully planning for the future of Parks and Recreation in Yountville assists in maintaining and providing a high quality of life for our residents and visitors.
By planning for the future, we are visionary leaders working together for the best possible Yountville.