Recreation, Music & Parks Commission

Recreation, Music & Parks Commission — February 28, 2024

This was a regular meeting of the Recreation, Music & Parks Commission held at City Hall. Five of seven commissioners were present; Cody Chisham and Marianne Bertuccelli were absent. The session covered a volunteer park program update, a policy recommendation for pest management, and a range of commissioner and staff updates.

Adopt-A-Park Program Update

Superintendent of Parks and Facilities Cindy Chong presented an overview of the city's existing Adopt-A-Park volunteer program and outlined a proposed shift toward an organized, event-driven model. Chong explained that the program had largely stalled after 2008 due to staffing shortages and budget cuts, but that the city has since expanded its parkland acreage and added staff. Her plan is to restart the program gradually to ensure funding can support it, with a goal of potentially securing business sponsorships over time.

Director of Parks and Recreation Drew Halter added that the city's philosophy has evolved: rather than using volunteers to supplement routine park maintenance, staff now aim to be more strategic and intentional with volunteer efforts.

Commissioners offered several suggestions. Kate Greenspan expressed enthusiasm for the program based on her own prior park cleanup experience. Megan Kelly suggested engaging youth in volunteer opportunities. Karen Nau proposed spotlighting a different park each month to celebrate neighborhood contributions. Stacey Earl recommended developing a standardized template that tracks work completed at each park over time, building a running maintenance history.

During public comment, J. Rhodes, a member of Friends of Southgate Park, spoke in support of the program. He noted that Southgate lacks an HOA, leaving residents without a natural advocacy structure for the park, and said his group has appreciated the city's guidance and responsiveness.

*No vote was taken; this was a presentation and discussion item.*

Approval of Minutes — January 17, 2024

The minutes from the January 17, 2024 meeting were approved without discussion.

Vote: Moved by Megan Kelly, seconded by Kate Greenspan. Approved unanimously.

Integrated Pest Management Plan

Patrick Carter, Assistant to the City Manager, presented a draft update to the city's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy and Program and asked the commission to recommend it move forward to City Council for consideration. The IPM plan governs how the city manages pests in parks and public spaces, and staff described it as a significant step toward greater transparency and community engagement, noting that stakeholder meetings had already been held.

Commissioner Nau asked that reporting under the new IPM policy be shared not just with Council but also with the commission and the broader public. Carter confirmed there is an annual reporting mechanism to Council and said the policy document and a dedicated webpage would be kept as close to real-time as possible. Commissioner Greenspan welcomed the increased transparency. Commissioner Kelly thanked staff for their community outreach efforts. Commissioner Simons asked whether funding for implementation would come from Council; Halter confirmed that it would, though some staffing cost details may be refined as implementation proceeds.

The commission voted to forward the draft Integrated Pest Management Plan to City Council for review and consideration.

Vote: Moved by Megan Kelly, seconded by Kate Greenspan. All in favor.

Commissioner and Staff Updates

Several commissioners shared community notes. Karen Nau reported that Council had discussed its top ten goals and priorities, and reminded the public that the Butter and Eggs Parade is scheduled for April 20th with volunteer opportunities available. Megan Kelly announced that a Black History exhibit is now on display at a local museum, which has recently hired a full-time executive director. Hannah Simons flagged that a recent large event at the fairgrounds revealed a need for additional trash receptacles. Kate Greenspan raised ongoing gopher activity in the parks and asked when the Parks Master Plan would come before the commission. Stacey Earl mentioned active transportation planning discussions at PBAC and noted recent tree work along Washington Street that she found concerning; she also expressed disappointment that the Parks Master Plan was not included among the city's top goals and priorities.

Drew Halter responded to the Parks Master Plan concerns by explaining that capital projects go through their own prioritization process and that the city's General Plan update needs to move forward first before other master plans — including the Parks Master Plan — can be properly advanced. He also provided several operational updates: the Petaluma Community Sports Field baseball project will go to Council on March 18 for closeout; pre-construction meetings for a park access path improvement project are being scheduled; summer camp registration opens March 1st at 8:00 a.m.; and the city is piloting an organic turf management program in partnership with Osborne Organics. Halter also thanked Petaluma Little League for being the first event at the renovated fairgrounds facilities.

Key Takeaways