TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eve Kelso, Recreation Services Manager
Martin Betz, Cultural Arts Manager
Linda Robb, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Discussion of Parks and Recreation Commission, Library Commission, and Cultural Arts Commission Proposed Work Plans (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Discuss and provide direction on the Parks and Recreation Commission, Library Commission, and Cultural Arts Commission proposed Work Plans.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
No fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
At the April 18, 2017 City Council Regular Meeting, staff presented a modernized and updated Boards and Commissions Handbook for City Council review and approval.
Amongst the motions made by City Council, City Council approved the Work Plan Process and directed staff to make a variety of revisions for final approval of the Boards and Commissions Handbook at the July 5, 2017 City Council meeting.
The Work Plan section of the Draft Boards and Commissions Handbook states:
“Prior to the annually scheduled Joint City Council/Commission meeting, the Staff Liaison will develop a list of ideas to discuss with City Council. At the Joint meeting, the commission will receive direction and prioritize ideas from the City Council. Subsequently, at the next regularly scheduled commission meeting, the commission will further develop a Draft Work Plan based on City Council direction. Ideas will then be filtered to be consistent with City Policies and develop fiscal implications. Following the approved Draft Work Plan, Staff Liaisons shall provide a cover memo indicating whether the Commission’s Draft Work Plan corresponds with the Department’s Work Plan. The process allows staff and commissioners to draft a Commission Work Plan that properly accounts for their priorities and requests funding to meet their goals.
The discussion section below outlines the first step of the Work Plan Process for the respective Parks and Recreation Department commissions. Following the Joint City Council meeting, the Parks and Recreation Department Commissions will hold their regularly scheduled meetings in June and develop their draft work plans for City Council review at the July 18, 2017 City Council Meeting.
DISCUSSION:
Parks and Recreation Commission
The Parks & Recreation Commission advises the City Council on the recreational and park needs of our residents, and promotes use of open space as well as supervised public recreation within the City. The Commission’s primary discussion item has been the “Salute to the Troops” which the Commission initiated and City Council approved three years ago. The event is planned, organized, and executed by the Commission with staff support and has become the kick-off event to the Summer Concerts series. Moving forward, the Commission has suggested some additional discussion items, with the Park Master Plan being the most significant. If the City Council approves moving forward with the Park Master Plan, Staff recommends that the Parks and Recreation Commission assist in gathering community input and making recommendations to the City Council. This would include hosting a number of Commission and community meetings at each park and facility to gather input to provide recommendations to the City Council. As part of an ongoing work plan, staff recommends that the Parks and Recreation Commissioners attend and support Parks and Recreation Department activities and events, acting as ambassadors of the department.
Projects proposed by the Parks and Recreation Commission for City Council consideration include:
• Park Master Plan - facilitate community outreach, input, survey collection and resident engagement
• User Group Field Allocation Policy - review and make recommendations to Council
• Senior/Scout House - Commission role in supporting or providing outreach
• Receive updates on capital projects and make recommendation to City Council as requested (i.e. Synthetic turf at Marine Avenue Baseball, Begg Field, and Manhattan Village Turf)
• Appropriate community members/groups to recognize
Library Commission
The Library Commission advises the City Council regarding library services provided by the Los Angeles County Library System to the citizens of Manhattan Beach. This Commission also serves as a liaison between the County, City and public/private community groups supportive of library services. Since the library is owned and operated by the County, the Library Commission’s role is slightly different than that of the other commissions within the Parks and Recreation Department. Their role is still advisory and all suggestions proposed by the commission need the approval and support of the County to implement. The Library Commission is pleased with the current involvement of Library staff, especially Melissa McCollum, in the monthly commission meetings, where she reports on Library activities. The Friends of the Library non-profit organization currently exists to raise funds for the support and enrichment of the Manhattan Beach Public Library to enhance programs, provide equipment and even augment the current inventory as needed.
As part of an ongoing work plan, staff recommends that the Library Commissioners attend and participate at Library, Friends of the Library and Parks and Recreation Department events, acting as ambassadors of the department.
The Library Commission has a number of recommendations for their work plan for the upcoming year. It would be important to identify staff resources needed before adopting the individual work plan items.
For consideration, the Commission proposes the following mission statement for approval by City Council:
The mission of the Library Commission is to support, encourage and enhance the use, appreciation and involvement of the Manhattan Beach Library as a vital member of the Manhattan Beach community.
The Library Commission envisions the Library as a centerpiece for learning, literacy, and community involvement. The Library Commission serves as a community focal point, providing a forum for residents to express their ideas and needs, and raising community awareness of what is going on at the Library and in the community.
Projects proposed by the Library Commission for City Council consideration include:
• A yearly Meet & Greet event to bring together County and School Librarians with Commissioners and community
• An annual event that invites Outstanding Readers from MBUSD schools to speak before the Commission, thus adding public speaking to their reading skills
• One or two informal Business Lunches with speakers of interest to local merchants, arranged in conjunction with the Library and possibly Pages Bookstore
• Work with Library Staff and community organizations to curate a place in the Library that’s reflective of the unique history, attributes and personality of the Manhattan Beach Community
• To support and enhance the Library’s impact within the community and the City’s interface with the Library and the Library Commission, we propose to develop a number of activities including (1) a survey of residents to find out: How do you use the Library? How does the Library fit in your life? What do you want from your Library? (2) a periodic review of Library hours, the availability of parking for Library users, and the maintenance of the Little Free Libraries in the community; and (3) an exploration with Eve Kelso, Recreation Services Manager, of ways in which the Library can support and interface with various recreation services and community events.
Cultural Arts Commission
The Cultural Arts Commission assists the City Council to develop the master plan for cultural arts in the City, encourages and supports art education programs in the community and schools, and visual and performing arts and Art in Public Places. The commission also promotes the arts in the community and administers the Sculpture Garden and Strand Alcove Bench Programs.
As part of an ongoing work plan, staff recommends that the Cultural Arts commissioners attend and support Parks and Recreation Cultural Arts activities and events, acting as ambassadors of the Department. In addition, staff recommends that the Commission explore a Cultural Arts Trust Fund Re-granting Program, a Public Art Conservation assessment and bus tours to the Manhattan Beach Art Center and special exhibit materials for students at MBUSD.
Projects proposed by the Cultural Arts Commission for City Council consideration include:
• Projection sculpture piece
• Replacement of Main ID sign at the Manhattan Beach Art Center on Manhattan Beach Blvd.
• Replacement of the city entry monuments
• Public Sculpture related to birth of Beach Volleyball/Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachment/Attachments:
None.