To: Board of Supervisors
From: General Services, Supervisor McGourty, and Supervisor Mulheren
Meeting Date: March 15, 2022
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Department Contact: |
Janelle Rau |
Phone: |
234-6050 |
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Department Contact: |
Dan Mazzanti |
Phone: |
234-6050 |
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Item Type: Regular Agenda |
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Time Allocated for Item: 30 min |
Agenda Title:
title
Discussion and Possible Action Including Direction to Staff Related to the Mendocino County Parks Needs Assessment Report, Phase II
(Sponsor/s: Parks Needs Assessment Ad Hoc (Supervisors Mulheren and McGourty) and General Services Agency)
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Recommended Action/Motion:
recommendation
1) Accept the report; 2) provide direction to the General Services Agency (GSA) to proceed with the development of a parks operational budget, including a funding formula for maintenance, appropriate staffing resources and the development of a Parks Master and Capital Improvement Plan(s) to implement the report findings and 3) direct GSA to proceed with researching appropriate collaborations with stakeholders related to the ongoing programs and operations of the various parks, as described in the report.
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Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:
The Board of Supervisors approved the Standard Services Agreement with Blue Point Planning for the Parks Needs Assessment Phase I on June 18, 2019: item 5f, and accepted the Presentation of the Phase I report and approved funding of Phase II on February 25, 2020: item 5e. The Board of Supervisors accepted a presentation of the Mendocino County Parks Needs Assessment Phase II by Blue Point Planning and provided direction to consultant to complete the assessment and appointed Supervisors Mulheren and McGourty to an ad hoc to work with GSA on the next phase of the assessment.
Summary of Request:
Supervisors Mulheren and McGourty, along with the General Services Agency and BluePoint Planning Consulting will present the findings associated with the Parks Needs Assessment Phase II, which includes an overview of the condition of each park, identified potential hazardous conditions and necessary improvements, potential collaborations with stakeholders associated with the ongoing operations and maintenance at certain parks, along with parks funding models regarding maintenance and operations.
The Phase I Report of the Mendocino County Parks Needs Assessment included County parks amenities inventory, online community survey and community meeting findings, parks conditions assessment, community needs analysis, policy and parks assessment, and considerations.
Understanding that bringing the parks up to a sustainable standard for operations and function will require substantial investment and time by the County, this Phase II report provides detailed information and order-of-magnitude quantitative information to assist the County in determining the best direction for the parks. The Phase II report includes quantifying and prioritizing planning level capital cost estimates for hazardous and safety upgrades, park enhancements, and overall improvements, as well as identifies operational costs and appropriate funding and staffing levels based on industry standard and in comparison to surrounding counties. The Phase II report also identifies potential revenue sources for sustained operation of the parks (potential once the safety and hazardous improvements are made), one-time capital improvement strategies, and possible partnerships and ownership scenarios.
Staff and the consultants met with the Parks Needs Assessment ad hoc monthly since their appointment in August. Additionally, staff have researched various potential stakeholder collaborations and researched the Count’s ability to surplus or decommission certain areas if that were the direction of the Board. The discussions with the ad hoc also led to exploring potential stakeholder collaborations with the City of Ukiah and other interest groups. What has been realized is that in order to pursue any potential enhancements with the parks educational programming, expanded programs to attract and generate additional revenue streams, or in order to collaborate with stakeholders on parks operations, significant improvements to the parks must be planned and funded, along with ensuring that staffing resources are enhanced in the parks operations and administration areas in order to support such efforts. Additionally, should the Board wish to pursue surplusing or decommissioning certain parks or access areas, there would need to be additional research and investigation into the historical aspects related to the land and any deeded restrictions or dedications associated. Another considering factor is that our community considers certain County “access areas” as historical valuable assets, however, many of these areas pose a significant risk to the County for various reasons identified in the report.
It should be noted that during this assessment period, GSA staff have been addressing certain safety and hazardous areas within certain parks, including removal of hazardous trees and clean up of the public nuisance site of the former caretaker at Bower Park, and coordinating vegetation management at Mariposa access area and areas within Low Gap Park.
It is requested that the Board of Supervisors receive this report, and provide direction to GSA to proceed with presenting a Parks budget during the FY 2022-23 budget development process. This budget would include sustainable maintenance funding for operations and staffing of the County’s maintained parks and access areas, along with funding to proceed with the development of a Parks Master Plan and capital improvement plan.
Alternative Action/Motion:
Provide alternative direction to staff.
Does This Item Support the General Plan? N/A
Supervisorial District: All
vote requirement: Majority
Supplemental Information Available Online At: n/a
Fiscal Details:
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source of funding: n/a |
budgeted in current f/y: N/A |
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current f/y cost: n/a |
if no, please describe: |
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annual recurring cost: Refer to report |
revenue agreement: N/A |
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budget clarification: Refer to report |
Agreement/Resolution/Ordinance Approved by County Counsel: N/A
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CEO Liaison: Executive Office |
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CEO Review: Yes |
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CEO Comments:
FOR COB USE ONLY
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Executed By: Atlas Pearson, Deputy Clerk II |
Final Status:Approved with Modification |
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Date: March 17, 2022 |
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