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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-2019 POST Full Agenda Packet TOWN OF TOWN OF TIBURON Regular Meeting Tiburon Town Hall Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Tiburon 1505 Tiburon Boulevard July 16, 2019 Tiburon, CA 94920 6:30 PM Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission July 16, 2019 Page 1 AGENDA PARKS, OPEN SPACE & TRAILS COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Feldman, Vice-Chair McInerney, Commissioners Allen, Hornbrook, Nikfar ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Persons wishing to address the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission on any subject not on the agenda may do so under this portion of the agenda. Please note that the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission is not able to undertake extended discussion, or take action on, items that do not appear on this agenda. Matters requiring action or follow-up may be referred to Town Staff or placed on a future Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission agenda. Please limit your comments to no more than three (3) minutes. Testimony regarding matters not on the agenda will not be considered part of the administrative record. COMMISSION AND STAFF BRIEFING Staff Briefing Commissioner Updates Subcommittee Updates MINUTES 1. Minutes – Approve minutes of January 29, 2019 Meeting 2. Minutes – Approve minutes of February 26, 2019 Meeting 3. Minutes – Approve minutes of May 21, 2019 Meeting ACTION ITEMS AI-1. Rotary Club Rail Trail Clean Up Day – Receive presentation and provide comments and recommendation AI-2. Del Mar Middle School Area Traffic Calming Plan – Review consultant plan and provide comments and recommendation AI-3. Blackies Pasture Self Service Bike Repair Station– Review design and provide comments and recommendation AI-4. Election of Chair and Vice Chair – The Commission will appoint a new Chair and Vice Chair for Fiscal Year 2019-20 ADJOURNMENT Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission July 16, 2019 Page 2 GENERAL PUBLIC INFORMATION ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Planning Division at (415) 435-7390. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Copies of all Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Agendas, staff reports, and supporting data are available for viewing and inspection at Town Hall and at the Belvedere-Tiburon Library located adjacent to Town Hall. Agendas and staff reports are also available on the Tiburon website (www.townoftiburon.org) no later than 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the regularly scheduled meeting. Any documents produced by the Town and distributed to a majority of the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission members regarding any item on this agenda, including agenda-related documents produced by the Town after distribution of the agenda packet 72 hours in advance of the Commission meeting, will be available for public inspection at Town Hall, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920. Upon request, the Town will provide written agenda materials in appropriate alternative formats, or disability- related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in public meetings. Please deliver or cause to be delivered a written request (including your name, mailing address, phone number and brief description of the requested materials and preferred alternative format or auxiliary aid or service) at least 5 days before the meeting to the Planning Division at the above address. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS Public Hearings and Action Items provide the general public and interested parties an opportunity to give testimony on agenda items typically involving an action or recommendation of the Commission. If you challenge any decision in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing, or in written correspondence delivered to the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission at or prior to the Public Hearing. GUIDELINES FOR TIME LIMITS ON PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY The Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission’s general meeting procedure and time limit guidelines are as follows:  Staff Report Presentation – 5 to 10 minutes  Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission questions to staff  Applicant’s presentation (if any) – 10 to 15 minutes  Public Testimony (depending on the number of speakers) – 3 minutes for each speaker  Members of the audience may not allocate their testimony time to other speakers  Time limits may be modified at the discretion of the Chairman Interested members of the public may speak on any item on the agenda. TIMING OF ITEMS ON AGENDA While the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission attempts to hear all items in order as stated on the agenda, it reserves the right to take items out of order. No set times are assigned to items appearing on the Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission agenda. NOTE: ALL MEETINGS ARE AUDIO RECORDED Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 1 MINUTES NO. 47 PARKS, OPEN SPACE & TRAILS COMMISSION February 26, 2019 Special Meeting Tiburon Town Hall---Council Chambers 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, California CALL TO ORDER The Special Meeting was called to order by Vice Chair Angela McInerney at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 26, 2019 in the Town Hall Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, 1st Floor, Tiburon, California. ROLL CALL Present: Vice Chair Angela McInerney, Commissioners Park Allen and Isaac Nikfar Absent: Chair Philip Feldman Ex-Officio: Town Manager Greg Chanis and Patrick Barnes, P.E., Director of Public Works/Town Engineer; ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None ACTION ITEMS 1. Receive Report From McKegney Green Subcommittee and Consider Approval of Recommendations. Town Manager Greg Chanis said on January 29, 2019 POST received a presentation from staff related to McKegney Green, and the staff report is attached to the packet. POST was asked to consider: 1. Rates for field use; 2. Dogs on the field; 3. Priority for field users; 4. A schedule for play for Spring 2019; and 5. Consider a request from Lacrosse for changes in the use policy After the item was heard and public comments taken, POST chose to form a subcommittee and appointed Commissioners Allen and Nikfar who would split their duties into short- and long-term reviews. For short-term activities, the subcommittee was to: 1. Consider the schedule for Spring 2019; 2. Make a recommendation regarding dogs on the field, and 3. Set recommendations for field use in 2019. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 2 The issue of the request from Lacrosse for changes to the policy regarding age limits and safety was agreed to be a longer term issue. Therefore, staff would recommend continue working with staff on some of the longer term issues. Subsequent to the January meeting, the subcommittee met with staff to review the issues and then met separately with representatives from soccer and lacrosse to discuss the various issues. The subcommittee tonight will provide a brief report on their findings and on the draft schedule for proposed Spring 2019 field use as Exhibit 2; to set the 2019 hourly rate for reserved field use at $70/hour and charge that rate to all users equally; and they would recommend that dogs be prohibited on McKegney Green. Additionally, the subcommittee would like POST to consider recommending that the Town Council consider a future project to install an aesthetically pleasing fence around McKegney Green. Of the four recommendations, the only one that staff feels comfortable implementing is the schedule for play for 2019. The other three would be recommendations that would be taken to the Town Council. If POST adopts the schedule, POST gives the Town Manager the authority to allocate play and the other items would require ordinance amendments and staff would work quickly to have these items heard by the Town Council. Commissioner Nikfar then provided an overview of the subcommittee’s meeting with lacrosse and soccer with the goal of coming up with a recommended schedule across both sports to ensure as many kids can use the field and that any policy change requests that are necessary to protect the field are recommended. The subcommittee took into account impacts of over-use and this year there will be more limited use than future years because of the field’s newness. They also took into account pedestrians and the impact of dogs on and around the field as well as other factors. Subcommittee meetings were very productive and he recognized both clubs for working on ways to find a good process. He also recognized that both clubs understood the limited amount of use for the initial season. Both clubs agreed they would support a recommendation for no dogs on the field and that educating the communities and families were good first steps around that policy. Commissioner Allen echoed Commissioner Nikfar’s comments relating to both clubs being open, understanding the field is new, and the need for compromise to be able to participate. They talked about how they could give rest periods to the fields and made recommendations for those. For example, the soccer club indicated they would give up Wednesdays. Also, both clubs had periods of time when they were inactive at different periods of the seasons, so they identified 8 weeks over overlapping time which was quite good. They put together a schedule with what they knew to get to a place where they could put something in front of the commission to get more feedback. They then hope to determine how to better fine-tune the schedule to satisfy as many needs as possible. As an example, the subcommittee ran the assumption that soccer had more coaches that were hired and therefore could get to a field at a 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. timeframe whereas lacrosse had mostly parents as coaches and working parents would have trouble getting to the field that early. So, it made logical sense that the later time slot would benefit those parent coaches. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 3 Commissioner Nikfar presented the draft schedule, stating it was their best first effort. He was not sure what process should be proposed to tweak it if soccer or lacrosse was willing to do a little trading here and there but said the season starts for lacrosse on Friday. Also, in recommending the no-dog policy, as part of their resolution they were going to recommend leaving the temporary fence up and put signs on the fence for the month of March and also educate people on the future no-dog policy. Since this does require the Town Council changing policy in order to limit dogs on the field, he asked if they would need the Council’s approval to put the signs up. Mr. Chanis stated he and Mr. Barnes have discussed this a bit and he was unsure how to handle that but could still recommend that action. He believes signage can be installed indicating the POST recommends dogs be prohibited and the Council will consider that change. Regarding leaving up the fence, he believes it was leaving up a portion of it for a month, and he has not spoken to Mr. Barnes about this and whether it makes sense. He also believes it is fine for POST to make that recommendation after the commission takes a vote. Regarding field rate usage, Mr. Chanis said he did not believe the subcommittee got into the details of this. After the meeting last week they received feedback on a number of issues as well as that issue and he thinks it is more clarified as a staff recommendation. The actual rate required to maintain the field and set aside money to re-sod it every 10 years would be higher than $70/hour so they are trying to strike a balance between today’s low rate, the market rate other fields charge, and also the recognition they will spend a lot more money on annual maintenance as well as sodding it every 8-10 years. He would look at this as a staff recommendation and one that the Town Council would rule on given it is fee change. Vice Chair McInerney opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Kim Stibich, Executive Director of the Tiburon Peninsula Soccer Club (TPSC), thanked Commissioners Allen and Nikfar for their time in meeting with both organizations and for coming up with a schedule this year for field use this spring. TPSC is happy to accept their recommendation as it allows them to continue a decade long afterschool program they have had and look forward to being good stewards of the beautiful new field. John Porter, Executive Director of the Southern Marin Lacrosse Club, echoed thanks for the time and energy put into the process. They understand there is emotion involved and public feedback and appreciates the subcommittee and staff’s efforts and thanked the Town for the opportunity to use the field this spring. Regarding negotiating times allocated, the assumptions made were fair. The bulk of the Tiburon teams are girls’ teams using McKegney and their coaches are mostly mothers who can coach afterschool. However, if times go unused by lacrosse, he asked if this would be perceived as non-interest because in the past they have turned back time because of this dynamic. Brian Holl, 695 Hawthorne Drive, said he is a parent of three girls playing lacrosse and soccer and has been a volunteer coach for four years of several girls’ teams. He also participated in the subcommittee meetings and thought it was a valuable discussion. He voiced 100% support for prohibiting dogs from McKegney Field given the significant investment supporting youth athletics and for safety reasons, as well. He voiced support for leaving the fence up than taking it down and putting it up again. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 4 Regarding hourly rates, those who use the field a lot should pay for it, so to the extent there is an opportunity to cover maintenance costs he agreed it should be placed on those using it. Regarding the schedule and the initial setup establishing hours, he voiced his support as a good place to work from. He suggested that from a lacrosse perspective, the season started one month ago and trying to re- schedule existing practices to fit into specific blocks may be difficult. He asked for an opportunity to discuss this with the subcommittee. Lastly, to the extent they can have the same dialogue with the subcommittee and staff in setting the schedule he asked that it start in the future with as much time as possible prior to the season, if possible. Vice Chair McInerney questioned if the Commission should take all of the points in one group or individually, as well as signage and leaving all or a portion of the fence up and thanked the subcommittee for their expeditious work. Mr. Chanis recommended using the front page of the staff report where recommended actions are listed as 1, 2, 3 and 4 which are identical to those listed as 5, 6, 7 and 8. 1. Adopting a Proposed Schedule for Spring 2019 Field Use as Detailed in the Attached Exhibit: Commissioner Allen asked if there was another field where there are multiple users and sports where there is negotiation that takes place, and if so, how did that work. Mr. Barnes said no, as McKegney is the one field used for sports. He pointed to the policy which clearly states, “Reservations must be paid for in advance.” No one can sublet their reservation and doing so causes that body to lose their reservation for the entire year with no refund. Commissioner Allen said the two parties are about 80% towards coming to a basic agreement. He asked if Wednesdays could be traded for Mondays or another example they could mirror in the town. Mr. Chanis said there is not as stated by Mr. Barnes. This is a unique situation and the Town has a policy to look to in implementing use of the field and this is why the subcommittee needs to continue to exist and look at the larger policy for potential adjustments. Commissioner Nikfar said there are two weeks where soccer has Mondays and Lacrosse has Tuesday through Friday. For those two weeks, he asked if they wanted to allow for flexibility as long as they stay within their 90 minute block if they are there from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday or from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. just for the first two weeks until they finalize the rest of the schedule. Vice Chair McInerney thought it might be difficult with carpooling, fees and telling people where to go. Commissioner Nikfar asked about March 4-17 and Mr. Barnes indicated that today soccer told him they will not be on the field on March 4th and are not putting in for that day. It will also probably be a rain-out day. The Town also does not have complete applications from anyone and staff will want to discuss this later. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 5 Commission discussion ensued regarding adopting the schedule and the ability to tweak the schedule to accommodate usage by both clubs. Mr. Chanis said staff is willing to be flexible and can work with the subcommittee outside of the meeting on the schedule but it does need to be resolved fairly quickly. He reiterated that there is a set number of hours the field can be used and as they work out the kinks for this spring, staff can work with the subcommittee and clubs on adjusting it, keeping in mind they have a policy they are supposed to be adhering to regarding fees, schedule and applications, as well as other requirements placed on the use of the field regarding safety, set up, etc. Mr. Barnes emphasized that each groups submitted their proposed desired schedule and they may want to modify it, but unless it has been paid for it really does not exist. Vice Chair McInerney said it seems like for the middle 8 weeks, both clubs are requesting 5 blocks, each of 1 ½ hours a week with soccer getting 4 early days and lacrosse getting 3 late days and 1 early day for March 18-May 19. If they adhere to the sport of the season getting priority it would be reversed because lacrosse is the sport of the season. Commissioner Nikfar clarified that the early time was not priority. The early time was because there are coaches that are not parents and they can show up after school. Vice Chair McInerney said the Tiburon lacrosse teams are U8 and U10 girls, with moms primarily as coaches. She thought the Tuesday/Friday time slots would be challenging, given her own 8 year old is in bed at 7:30 p.m. so she thought the scheduled might need some tweaking. Commissioner Allen stated Brian Holl showed him the time slots for the practices for girls of age when they are already scheduled and said they would like to practice at McKegney. He thinks the Commission could make a motion about the general concept for March 18-May 19 time of 8 weeks because the next two weeks and the final two weeks before the summer it is one sport. For example, the soccer club said if they had to give up Wednesdays they would but then there does not look like there is a girls team that plays on Wednesdays at that time so that might be an easy swap. But, he cannot tell this without talking with the clubs. Mr. Chanis again suggested POST could vote to empower the subcommittee to meet again. If the Commission was comfortable with the subcommittee not returning with a recommendation he could be authorized to work with the subcommittee and clubs to finalize things as the policy gives the Town Manager discretion to allocate play. Commissioners agreed with the Town Manager’s suggestion and for POST to make a motion on the remaining recommendations 2, 3, 4 and 5. ACTION: It was M/S (Allen/Nikfar) to accept the report from staff and the subcommittee; to recommend the hourly rate at $70/hour for field use (#2); recommend prohibiting dogs and animals on McKegney Green (#3); recommend the Town Council consider a future project to install an aesthetically pleasing permanent fence around McKegney Green (#4); and recommend leaving the temporary fence up through the month of Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes February 26, 2019 Page 6 March and installing “no dogs allowed on McKegney” signs as well as the fine for dogs off-leash below it, to signal a potential change (#5). Motion carried 3-0-1 (Feldman absent). ACTION: It was M/S (Nikfar/Allen) that POST authorizes and empowers the subcommittee to continue to work with soccer and lacrosse clubs and make a final recommendation on the schedule to the Town Manager who would adopt it without returning to POST for a recommendation from the full Commission, and to not exceed the total hours scheduled in those time periods. Motion carried 3-0-1 (Feldman absent). Commissioner Allen commented that Mr. Porter said lacrosse is already underway. If moms decide they would like to keep their existing schedule at Bel Aire and use the McKegney schedule the next time, he thought that was reasonable, and Commissioners agreed. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:19 p.m. to the next regular meeting of May 21, 2019 ____________________________________ PHILIP FELDMAN, CHAIR Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission ATTEST: ____________________________________________ David O. Eshoo, ACTING SECRETARY Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 1 MINUTES NO. 46 PARKS, OPEN SPACE & TRAILS COMMISSION January 29, 2019 Special Meeting Tiburon Town Hall---Council Chambers 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, California CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Philip Feldman at 6:01 p.m., Tuesday, January 29, 2019 in the Town Hall Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, 1st Floor, Tiburon, California. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Philip Feldman, Vice Chair Angela McInerney, Commissioners Park Allen and Isaac Nikfar (arrived at 6:14 p.m.) Absent: None Ex-Officio: Town Manager Greg Chanis; Patrick Barnes, P.E., Director of Public Works/Town Engineer ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None COMISSION AND STAFF BRIEFING Staff Briefing: Director of Public Works/Town Engineer Patrick Barnes announced that the Town Manager Chanis has taken a job in the private sector and the Town is currently recruiting to fill his position. Commissioner Updates: Chair Feldman sadly announced the resignation of Commissioner Jim Wood at the end of last year, and he and Commissioners expressed thanks for his good service and wished him well on the Green Team. Director Barnes announced that the vacant POST Commission position is advertised in the Arc and Town Council will be interviewing candidates. Subcommittee Reports: There was no subcommittee report. MINUTES 1. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of September 24, 2019 Vice Chair McInerney requested changing the date of the minutes to read, “September 24, 2018”. ACTION: It was M/S (McInerney/Allen) to approve the Minutes of September 24, 2018 as amended to change the meeting date from 2019 to 2018. Motion carried 3-0-1 (Nikfar absent). Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 2 2. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of October 29,2019 Vice Chair McInerney requested changing the date of the meeting to read, “October 29, 2018” ACTION: It was M/S (McInerney/Allen) to approve the Minutes of October 29, 2019, as amended, to change the meeting date from 2019 to 2018. Motion carried 4-0. ACTION ITEMS Chair Feldman said he received request to move up Item AI.3 up ahead of Action Items and he called on Jim Wood for a presentation. 3. Jim Wood Wildflower Proposal near Trestle Trail Noted Present: Commissioner Nikfar arrived and was noted present at 6:14 p.m.) Mr. Wood presented the Wildflower proposal near Trestle Trail at Blackie’s Pasture. Chair Feldman asked and Mr. Wood described the proposed location and date of the opening on February 16th from 9AM to 12 noon Town Manager Greg Chanis stated staff had concerns when visiting the site with Mr. Wood and reviewed the scope, as envisioned. He said the Town does not support the proposal as written and attached to the Staff Report, but would support a greatly reduced pilot project with the following stipulations: 1. The pilot project would include the spreading of no more than 8 cubic yards of topsoil. 2. Completion of a wetlands assessment by a qualified biologist will be provided and approved by the Town prior to any work being completed. 3. The area of the pilot project will be approved by the Town prior to any work being completed. 4. POST support, if provided this evening, would be for the pilot project only. Any future proposal to expand the project would require approval from POST and/or Town Council, and any future proposal must be submitted to staff at least 4 months prior to the projected work being done. 5. There will be no direct financial contribution from the Town for this project. The Town will work with the project proponents to provide water for the project installation day only. No additional irrigation water will be provided for the pilot project. Commissioners asked for comment from Mr. Wood on the Town’s proposal. Mr. Wood said the Town has been mowing the area for 10 years, did not know it existed and after review found there is a wetlands area. The study can run approximately $5,000. The Green Team and Tiburon Peninsula Foundation have expended funds to date and suggested the Town pay for the report. Vice Chair McInerney asked if the request was for approval tonight. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 3 Town Manager Chanis said the recommendation is to support his stipulations for the proposal and request that POST set any necessary parameters. Chair Feldman stated the cost was not included in the original proposal and he confirmed the Commission did not have authority for allocating expenditures, and Mr. Woods would need to go to the Council with a request. Also, a contract would need to executed with a wetlands biologist, and he noted changes in project timelines. Mr. Woods commented that they have the wherewithal to pay for the work but was unsure of the cost and would like to move forward. Chair Feldman asked if the pilot project will require funding of the wetlands study. Town Manager Chanis said any work would require the wetlands study funding first. Vice Chair McInerney said even though the meadow will be funded, implemented and maintained by the Trestle Trail Green Team, she asked if this would impact staffing resources and maintenance monitoring. Director Barnes said no; and he discussed what was done for Blackie’s picnic area. They hydro-seeded it with a mix of wildflowers and other plants which were told would last 3 to 5 years which it did. The question is, what is the long-term future of this, given they will simply need to mow around it. Mr. Chanis said water would be provided only for the day of installation for the wet down of the cardboard. The project is meant to be self-sufficient. Chair Feldman said if the request is for approval of the project subject to conditions, it would also be subject to working out financial issues with the Town Council. Director Barnes agreed and it would be without recommendation for financial contributions by the Town. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Cathy McCloud, volunteer, voiced support of wildflower plantings to grow naturally and said no monies are being requested of the Town. Vice Chair McInerney commented that the wildflowers would enhance the area and also did not support Town funding at this time. Commissioners concurred. ACTION: It was M/S (McInerney/Nikfar) to approve the Wildflower Proposal Pilot Project as stipulated by the Town Manager’s report. Motion carried 4-0. 1. Recommended changes to McKegney Green Use Policy Director Barnes stated the Town is in final stages of completing a renovation of the field. They are prepared in late winter/early spring to open the field. The staff report makes specific recommendations from staff. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 4 Staff received a number of correspondences and given the issue is multi-faceted and complex, the recommendations made by POST will ultimately affect a large number of families. Therefore, he asked not to vote on the staff recommendations but to form a subcommittee of two members of POST to 1) expedite work with staff and stakeholders to form a recommendation on how to handle the spring schedule and, 2) to review recommended changes related to the use policy. Chair Feldman preferred to expedite spring usage of the field and move carefully with review of the current use policy. He said the one issue of pets on the field will need to be addressed due to the fence coming down. Director Barnes said if POST accepts staff’s recommendation to form a subcommittee, this can be reviewed. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Shannon Tyne, Southern Marin Lacrosse Club, requested the field remain unchanged for Lacrosse and provided information of their 150-family member club with multiple children, spoke of Lacrosse as the fastest growing sport, background checks for coaches, their primary practice season with games beginning early March. They hope to provide local families with the ability to play in Tiburon and said they received $50,000 in grant funds which has been donated towards renovations. Troy Quett(?) said his children play lacrosse and soccer, spoke of costs to play, and spoke of the need for fair access. Vice Chair McInerney asked why a subcommittee was needed on expedited usage if Lacrosse is the spring sport and fundraising has been done. Director Barnes noted that staff had recommended not opening it until spring. While the soccer club expressed disappointment in not being able to play in the fall, soccer agreed to forego use of the field in the fall to help with the long-term health of the field. He did not think fundraising should be discussed tonight, but noted soccer was the predominant partner in fundraising as requested by the Council, and provided the full $400,000 when Lacrosse had not raised their share. Since soccer had given up their fall play it seemed unfair to not allow them to use the field in the spring. They did not give a more detailed presentation, given the recommendation of a subcommittee, and he recommended this be formed to address with a host of issues. Vice Chair McInerney asked if Lacrosse has their spring fields for this spring or were they looking for field time. John Porter, Southern Marin Lacrosse, Executive Director, said no; they have not allocated times on the field for practices and are three weeks out. He did not recall the meeting in January where they were not able to come up with 25% of the $400,000 in January as grants have been awarded along with family fundraising, and thinks they will do whatever is directed from the Town. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 5 He confirmed they were looking for 15 teams; 4 girls’ teams sand 1 boys’ team in Tiburon. For youth to 12, there are 2 teams and U8’s registration is still open. U10 practice is twice weekly and U8 is once weekly. This will also help out baseball and they share fields to be able to keep kids in town. Commissioner Allen suggested the subcommittee might explore questions regarding the timing of open use of the fields year to year as the fields age, as well as what they do in the spring and in the long-term. Chair Feldman said it seems spring 2019 is critical for teams and for the field and that the equity of it should be respected. He suggested the subcommittee ask about how many hours of play would be reasonable for the various sport teams in balancing the use. He confirmed with Mr. Barnes that the subcommittee can work with staff in terms of recommended hours of play along with recommendations from the Town’s consultant, and will meet as soon as feasibly possible. Chair Feldman suggested a motion to form a subcommittee with the immediate goal to review use of field by Soccer and Lacrosse this spring and dogs on the field, and with the longer timeframe for McKegney Use Policy revisions. He also suggested the subcommittee could return to POST or not and could make recommendations to the Town Council on behalf of the Commission. ACTION: It was M/S (Allen/Nikfar) to form a subcommittee with the immediate goal to review use of field by Soccer and Lacrosse this spring and dogs on the field, and with the longer timeframe to consider McKegney Use Policy revisions, and for the subcommittee on behalf of the Commission to make an expedited recommendation to the Town Council.. Motion carried 4-0. ACTION: It was M/S (Feldman/McInerney) that Commissioners Allen and Nikfar be assigned to serve on the subcommittee. Motion carried 4-0. Chair Feldman suggested the Commission may want to hold a special meeting to hear the recommendations of the subcommittee. For purposes of the spring use policy, he confirmed with the Town Manager that he has the authority to move forward. Town Manager Chanis added that it would be helpful if both sports organizations provide name(s) of up to one or two representatives to work with the subcommittee that have the knowledge and authority to speak on behalf of the organizations, and Commissions concurred. 2. Blackie’s Pasture Old Rail Trail Subcommittee Vice Chair McInerney thanked Commissioners, former Commissioner Wood and staff for considering their many presentations regarding maintenance and nature-based enhancements for Blackie’s Pasture. She spoke about the role of the subcommittee, said their scope was challenging to keep it small and within the parameters of what Commissioners could do. She described the maintenance of the first scope of work regarding maintenance and said they conducted site visits to comparable parks. She disclosed she personally paid for and worked with a professional landscape architect to review parks and used the 2007 DPW study by Matrix Consultants. The Matrix report identified Tiburon scored an A and now it would be considered a C grade. The Town has added areas such as medians Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 6 and more pasture and administration time without increasing staffing. The key take-away from the study was implementation of the computerized maintenance program and she described its efficiencies and benefits and Tiburon will be the first to use this technology. They also reviewed the budget over time and DPW work sheet to determine needed maintenance hours and the budget revealed about 1,000 hours of uncovered maintenance. The FY 2016/17 budget had included $50,000 for seasonal maintenance workers; however, it has been challenging to find the right person at the right time of year and it is also unknown as to how much McKegney Green will impact DPW until they actually maintain it. Secondly, regarding nature-based enhancements they reviewed amenities and features for various parks. She referred to and described information in the spreadsheet, noting that Bayfront should be stated as 16 acres which was not identified in the report. The spreadsheet identifies information about fields and the type of sports played on them. “Features” include games, and “amenities” would be things like restrooms, trash cans, benches and some fields have EV charging. The subcommittee also used a 2011 Tiburon Peninsula Needs and Existing Condition Assessment which found recreational opportunities were sufficient to achieve resident satisfaction. They recommended planning for multi-generational family spaces and social activities and to add cultural informational and art elements to park spaces. In October, the subcommittee recommended that the Town consider adding elements to keep people at the park longer. The DPW is already strained with staffing and funding, so new features would be hard to maintain without staffing resources. Furthermore, adding nature-based enhancements is out of the scope of POST without going to the Town Council. Therefore, if this is a good idea, they should appeal to the Council for further guidance and direction. It is unknown as to what will happen with Richardson Bay Sanitation District, and she could foresee incorporating more comprehensive strategy for the area but not hodge-podging things in the park. In conclusion, the subcommittee collected a lot of information on the 4 parks and recommended: 1) that the Council should consider allocating more resources and funds for park management and maintenance in the next budget; and 2) consider directing POST to look into the establishment of a “Friends of the Parks” support group to provide long-term financial assistance with maintenance, renovations, community events and nature- based enhancements. Chair Feldman thanked the subcommittee for their work. He asked staff for comments. Town Manager Chanis said this has been a challenging process for staff. At the beginning of the process they recommended the subcommittee reach out to the Council and obtain support and direction for staff to assist. This did not occur and, throughout the process staff tried to assist the subcommittee as they could when requested. However, given the fact that the Council was unaware of what was going on, he thought it was somewhat inappropriate for him to provide an analysis of the findings. In broad terms, the work done did provide a lot of data which he appreciates, and the Matrix study pointed out there was a delta between the work required and resources being applied which has not improved, especially with the addition of McKegney Field. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 7 Vice Chair McInerney clarified that she and Commissioner Wood met with a couple of Town Councilmembers and one Councilmember requested they stop holding public meetings so they focused on recommendations. She thought that if this was something POST believes should be pursued further, they have done the research and could bring this to the Town Council in a formal way to determine what they would like to do. Commissioner Nikfar recognized efforts and he asked if other groups have discussed the delta of the report and current resources. Town Manager Chanis said the study was done 10 years ago and he would presume that the Council discussed the findings at its completion. During his tenure, the Council has increased the budget in parks and open space. In his first full budget proposal $50,000 was added for seasonal help. He agreed with Vice Chair McInerney’s comments and agreed that tracking seasonal workers was an on-going problem and they hope to do better. In addition to the $50,000 they have increased the amount of money spent on open space, particularly vegetation management and those are in the same budget. However, this is not to say the Town does not recognize there are unmet needs and whether they dedicate funds or not, they need additional resources to raise the level of service. Director Barnes said one of the things they are working on is a computer management system, said it takes about 18 months to implement and they will identify what gaps they can close and hopefully see benefits. It will take a while before identifying exactly what is needed. Commissioner Allen thanked staff again for the work and thinks the more information, data, pictures and comparisons the better as it helps. Regardless of its validity, it provides context and it leads to more questions. There is the current state, maintenance and the future state, and it all needs to be addressed with a plan and he thinks there are people excited to participate in what could happen in the future. As to whether or not POST is asked to participate is up to the Town Council and at some point they will just have to await direction. He thinks this is one of the first times they had a bottoms up approach and it was more challenging, but again, it should be the Town Council directing them to do any work. Commissioner Nikfar asked if the Commission could make a recommendation to the Town Council, given discussion and information obtained. Chair Feldman said he reviewed the resolution and communication is identified as being sought in Section 1C, D and E of the resolution to periodically review and to advise Town Council. She said it lists a number of things the Commission has been discussing. Sometimes things happen where there is disagreement or changing priorities, all of which has kept the Commission busy and he believes the Commission can make a recommendation, as well as what gets done in the subcommittee moving forward. In focusing on what the subcommittee had as their final conclusion, it was to recommend to the Town Council that this project was included. It included a request for consideration for more money from the budget to parks and open spaces. He was supportive of a Commission a resolution indicating the findings of the Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 8 subcommittee included the need for more financial resources and, specifically, the subcommittee had come to this conclusion based upon careful review of the hours. Also identified was the need for an improved data management system. He suggested the subcommittee report to the Council that they have concluded their work and this is their recommendation. He also thought about reorganizing or forming another subcommittee and to ask the Town specifically for augmentation based upon their recommendations. Commissioner Nikfar asked if the Commission wanted to take action on this. Chair Feldman said the first question is whether they want to send any type of report material to the Council that lays out the work of this subcommittee, as it sunsets tonight. Secondly, he thinks they should ask the Council to consider directing the Commission to do more detailed evaluation and recommendations. Commissioner Allen said when the subject of the barn for the lawnmower came up and whether or not the building was the right price there was always a question about what would happen to the ponds, so there is a little bit of work outside of the Commission’s authority. The Council may indicate they need more information and a 3 or 5 year plan can be developed. But, it was not clear at the time that there was an opportunity, but it came out in the Arc. He suggested not putting the cart before the horse and to realize there is more to consider. Vice Chair McInerney said the subcommittee is asking to consider asking the Town to consider more funds and resources to manage and maintain the parks in the next budget and establishing a Friends of the Park group. These are the two recommendations from the subcommittee. She commented that Mill Valley and Marin County have Friends of the Park groups, volunteer groups and Piper Park has a bench and table donation program. Chair Feldman noted that Mill Valley’s population is five times greater than Tiburon’s but he wants to respect the subcommittee’s work and thought it was appropriate to communicate that. With regards to the Friends item, he questioned how the Friends of the Park would be created. Vice Chair McInerney clarified it would be to consider those interested to come to POST to establish a support group. Chair Feldman suggested this be in the form of a motion, and Commissioners and staff discussed and clarified the wording of the proposed motion which was contained on Exhibit 3, page 3. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers. ACTION: It was M/S (McInerney/Allen) to accept the subcommittee’s report and to forward two recommendations to the Town Council; 1) that the Council should consider allocating more resources and funds for park management and maintenance in the next budget; and 2) consider directing POST to look into the establishment of a “Friends of the Parks” support group to provide long-term financial assistance with maintenance, renovations, community events and nature-based enhancements. Motion carried 4-0. ADJOURNMENT Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes January 29, 2019 Page 9 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:34 p.m. to the next regular meeting of March 19, 2019 ____________________________________ PHILIP FELDMAN, CHAIR Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission ATTEST: ____________________________________________ David O. Eshoo, ACTING SECRETARY Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 1 MINUTES NO. 48 PARKS, OPEN SPACE & TRAILS COMMISSION May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting Tiburon Town Hall---Council Chambers 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, California CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Philip Feldman at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in the Town Hall Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, 1st Floor, Tiburon, California. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Philip Feldman, Vice Chair Angela McInerney, Commissioners Park Allen and Chuck Hornbrook. Absent: Commissioner Isaac Nikfar Ex-Officio: Town Manager Greg Chanis; Patrick Barnes, P.E., Director of Public Works/Town Engineer; David Eshoo, Associate Engineer ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Bruce Abbot asked if staff could provide him with the status regarding the proposal to put in a dedicated dog park in Blackie’s Pasture. Kathy McCloud asked that invasive shrubs be removed in Tiburon and asked if the newly updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan projects were moving forward. Chair Feldman suggested Ms. McCloud stay for the CIP Update item on the agenda and asked if Mr. Chanis could provide an update on the storage shed. COMISSION AND STAFF BRIEFING Staff Briefing: Town Manager Greg Chanis reported the Council heard an update from staff regarding CIP projects at their May 1st meeting. One project staff requested direction on was the proposal to build a maintenance storage facility near the existing restrooms. The Council directed staff to refer the item back to POST for further discussion. Chair Feldman recommended the Commission hold a special meeting in June where staff could give a presentation along with time for public input and discussion. Mr. Chanis agreed to poll Commissioners as to their availability for June 11th or the 25th. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 2 Mr. Chanis then introduced David Eshoo, the Town’s new Associate Engineer, and Commissioners and staff welcomed him. Commissioner Updates: None. Subcommittee Reports: There was no subcommittee report. MINUTES 1. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of February 26, 2019 This item was deferred to the next meeting. ACTION ITEMS 1. Seat New POST Member Summary: Introduction and welcome of Commissioner Chuck Hornbrook as a new member of POST. Action: Welcome new Post Commissioner Chuck Hornbrook. Commissioners welcomed new POST Commissioner Chuck Hornbrook. Commissioner Hornbrook then gave an overview of his background and interests in parks and recreation in and around Tiburon. 2. CIP Update Summary: POST serves as an advisory board to the Council in the areas of parks, open space, bicycles pedestrian facilities and trails. Staff believes that it would be useful for POST to provide their top two or three projects for consideration by the Council. Actions: 1) Hear any public comment on this item; 2) Provide any comments to staff regarding the project list; and 3) Provide the top two or three projects POST would recommend to Council. Town Manager Chanis stated the CIP is a list of projects staff proposes to the Town Council in every year’s budget. He did not believe that for this year any of the projects had been taken to POST in the past for their review or input, but the Town is required to do this by law with the Planning Commission. The Complete Streets policy requires staff to go to POST with projects that have to do with transportation or pedestrian, with POST acting in the capacity as BPAC. Mr. Chanis then provided an overview of how the CIP is formulated. Associate Engineer David Eshoo presented the subset of the following three projects in the CIP proposed in this year’s budget: i. ORT Path Repairs (New) - This item allocates $400,000 for the rehabilitation of parts of the Old Rail Trail pathway. It will include patch paving, slurry seal and striping. Commissioner Hornbrook commented on the signage, benches and other items which impact use and he asked if this would also be addressed under the project. Mr. Chanis stated this is a separate project that lines up well with the overall ORT Path Repairs project, and it will be discussed under Item 5 tonight. It will include an analysis of signage, trash cans, benches, water Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 3 fountains, etc. ii. Biannual Street Paving Project - This covers 15-20 street sections in Town slated for engineering this fall. It will include analysis of what types of treatment the streets need in addition to slurry. Construction will be next spring/summer to get the slurry done. Chair Feldman asked about bike safety relating to this project. Mr. Chanis said given the streets identified, there is not a great nexus except for the Complete Streets policy. There is some opportunity for some streets to receive installation of sharrows if appropriate, but none of the streets lend themselves to higher levels of bike lanes because of their widths. iii. Class III Bike Lane on Greenwood Beach Road – The bike lane extends from the County to the Town limits and ends at Blackie’s Grove parking lot. The first phase of the project would be installing signage and pavement treatment to let bicyclists know they are entering a slow zone with neighboring properties. Staff is working with the County on the project and design will occur in the fall and work on signage and pavement treatment in the spring. Chair Feldman asked if this work will return to the POST with an informational report. Mr. Eshoo stated yes; once a design has been completed staff will bring it to the Commission to review. iv. New Morning Café Street Frontage Improvements (Carry-over) - This $54,000 item would pay for removal of existing concrete pavement and appurtenances and constructing a new concrete sidewalk. The purpose of the construction is to provide a wider path of travel for pedestrians. The adjacent building, known as the New Morning Café, is in the process of being redesigned. The owners of the building own a portion of the sidewalk area in front of the building. It is a two-year project, beginning with demolition and then improvements to the sidewalks. Mr. Chanis commented that this is an unusual project for the Town given it is private property with Caltrans right-of-way. There was Town money allocated in this year’s budget for the design and permitting associated with Caltrans, and the developer agreed to fund the construction of it. Chair Feldman said if any lighting is installed he asked to replicate the Town’s beautiful bollards across the street from where they were installed. He asked for comments from Commissioners on the four projects mentioned and stated the action is to accept the staff report and indicate that POST supports inclusion of these projects in the CIP. Vice Chair McInerney asked staff to display the Tier 1 and 2 projects. She said Exhibit 1 shows they mostly involve pedestrians and potential bicyclists. She asked if there were more than these four projects staff would like comments on from POST and thought getting Tiburon connected through trails and pathways should be a high priority as well as continually maintaining ORT. Mr. Chanis displayed the ORT Paving, the Street Paving and Overlay which are Tier 1 projects. The Class III Bike Lane from Greenwood Beach Road is a Tier 2 project. If POST wanted to engage in a discussion and Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 4 make specific recommendation to the Council on other projects which staff is not including they are welcome to do so. He thought the Tier 1 projects weighs highly on projects dealing with health and safety issues. Commissioner Hornbrook stated two items on the list are for bicycles and buffered lanes having to do with safety and he asked what the role of the Commission was for these. Mr. Chanis noted this is the first time staff has ever taken the CIP list to POST and the Commission can discuss and make specific recommendations. The three projects are going to be included in staff’s proposal to the Town Council on June 5th and they can change the list, add or delete projects, and staff is simply sharing what staff’s proposal will be for the Council’s annual CIP budget. Chair Feldman asked to have an update on the Hacienda Ridge Trail access at the next POST meeting. Since it is not on the list he assumes it is not ready for this year’s budget. Mr. Chanis explained there are two significant gaps the Town is trying to close. One is relating to future development and the other is gap that exists northwest of Trestle Glen, and both have issues. He agreed to agendize the item at the next meeting for an update. Vice Chair McInerney referred to street projects and said when her street was slurry sealed she worked with DPW and traffic consultants to make more of a shoulder, given they will not have a sidewalk. She asked if this is considered every year. Mr. Eshoo replied that typically all slurry seal projects do not change the geometry or the configuration of the road. Analysis and plans will be compiled and if the consultant feels improvements can be made to the existing street and it is within their budget it can be done. Commissioner Allen asked if the Design Review Board or Planning Commission will deal with trash cans, benches and other design-related items in front of the New Morning Café. Mr. Chanis stated he believes the Town has a completed design for that area and planters are associated with a drainage structure, and he did not believe there were any benches or trash cans proposed. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Bruce Abbott said he lives on Greenwood Beach Road and referred to Class II lanes on Greenwood Beach Road. He asked that they not detract from possible implementation of a possible Class IV on Tiburon Boulevard as this is a very narrow and winding road. Chair Feldman commented that this plan has moved its way up and was discussed by POST and recommended over two years ago. Therefore, the plan has been well-vetted and it is consistent with what concerns had been discussed in the past. Kathy McCloud said she lives at 21 Mercury near Trestle Glen and noted the Trestle Glen improvement project is second on the priority list. She hoped that bike lanes will be put in uphill as cars must go around Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 5 bicyclists and go over the double line, with kids coming and going to school. She noted this is a link for the entire Paradise Loop going all the way around Tiburon’s popular bike ride, as well as a link to the Bay Trail, a Safe Route to Schools route and in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Chair Feldman and Commissioners accepted the staff report and indicated POST’s support for inclusion of these projects in the CIP. Chair Feldman moved up Item 4 on the agenda at the request of speaker. 4. Tree Planting near Trestle Trail – Jim Wood Summary: Jim Wood presented staff with a vision for tree planting in the Wildflower Meadow near Trestle Trail. Staff is referring this item to POST. Actions: 1) Hear the presentation from Jim Woods; and 2) Provide input on the presentation. Mr. Chanis stated the Green Team has proposed planting of two native California Buckeye trees in the area between Tiburon Boulevard and the Trestle berm which he displayed and described. Jim Wood, representing The Green Team, said the two beautiful trees have been donated by Bayside Nursery and will be installed on Saturday by volunteers, if approved. He presented an aerial of the Trestle Trail and spoke about weeding around poppies by The Green Team and use of sheet molding and planting of California wildflowers. These are all reseeding plants and hopefully every year it will grow larger and larger. He added that they are looking for a contractor caretaker, and said hopefully local foundations and The Green Team will sponsor this so the area is kept maintained. The team has completed mulching of the picnic area. DPW mows the flat areas; the Green Team weed whacks the edges and provides the mulch. Mr. Chanis stated the trees will not pose a view issue for anyone and staff supports their planting in the proposed two locations. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Kathy McCloud said buckeye trees have seeds that drop and she confirmed the proposed trees to be planted are of the same species. Jim Wood explained that buckeye trees are the first to lose their leaves in the fall and the first to get them back in the spring. He displayed photographs of the trees and said they have an interesting trunk and beautiful canopy, and the seeds pose no problems. Vice Chair McInerney voiced support of the Trestle Trail and wildflower meadow. She referred to the Town’s procedure for tree alteration/removal/planting which she described. She asked and confirmed that no plaques will be placed on the trees. In researching the trees, she found that nuts are poisonous, the large seeds contain toxic compounds similar to that found in rat poison, and leaves and shoots are also poisonous to livestock. She asked if neighbors have been noticed of the tree installations as they may potentially change their view(s). Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 6 Mr. Chanis stated they have not noticed neighbors on this issue. Their location is deep in the valley and noticing is not mandatory, as residents look down at the valley and trees would have to be enormous to get up and over the berm and impact any water views. Staff will also comply with all other requirements for the tree plantings. Regarding potential toxicity, buckeyes currently exist in the area and are much closer to pedestrian and pet traffic and there has never been an issue. Commissioners thanked Mr. Wood for his presentation and voiced their support. ACTION: It was M/S (Allen/Hornbrook) to approve the planting of two Buckeye trees near Trestle Glen. Motion carried 3-0-1-1 (McInerney abstained; Nikfar absent). 3. Open Space Update Summary: On November 17, 2010 the Town of Tiburon adopted its Open Space Resource Management Plan. Each year, the Public Works Department implements open space management based upon recommendations and objectives as outlined in the Plan. Actions: 1) Hear any public comment on this item; and 2) Provide any comments or direction regarding the Open Space Invasive Species Removal Project. Associate Engineer David Eshoo gave an update on the Open Space native species removal project, stating the Town Council had adopted the Open Space Resource Management Plan and this is the 9th year the plan is being implemented. This spring’s work focused on the Meadowridge open space area with the Conservation Corps of the North Bay. He pointed to the map showing the extent of work performed, noting they removed about 4-5 debris boxes, cleared more than 10 feet of the fire road access, removed pine trees from Gilmartin up, and they then moved on to Mt. Tiburon staircase which was cleaned up near the water tanks. Work is being planned for this coming fall and spring of 2020, and Mr. Eshoo displayed exhibits showing the areas to be cleared. Work includes removal of brush from fire roads, coordination with the County for removal of brush from the LaCresta area in fire roads which is outside of the incorporated Town limits but Town-owned property. Chair Feldman spoke of a County project, discussion of signage and the interaction between the Tiburon trails and County-owned trails and said a POST representative will work with the County representative in parallel to update signage. Mr. Eshoo then displayed the southern portion of the middle ridge for fall and spring work to remove brush, stating this year there are Measure A parks funds of about $75,000 to help with the work and open space in the town. One of the last plans submitted to the County was to revisit some of the areas they worked on in previous years to check for re-growth and removal. Mr. Chanis stated that he suspects the amount of money allocated for this type of work, particularly the open space, has probably quadrupled, stating the Town is up to about $125,000 a year dedicated to removing brush. Nearby fires emphasize the need for the work and there will be some talk of a countywide parcel tax planned to be devoted to vegetation management and fuels reduction. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 7 Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: CC Muller said she lives on Greenwood Beach Road and she has dead pine trees in the open space area in front of her house, and she asked if these could be removed. Vice Chair McInerney asked and confirmed with Mr. Chanis that residents can report/request vegetation removal process through the Town’s Public Works Department website. Cathy McCloud spoke of the large area behind her house which is Town property and full of brush. She obtained a permit to remove the French broom but the permit has expired and she can no longer volunteer to work to remove dry brush and asked for assistance. Beyond that space is the Perini property owned by a neighborhood association who also does not manage their property, and asked that this be addressed somehow as well. Bruce Abbott said he reviewed what elements of open space were included in the discussion and he did not see Blackie’s Pasture mentioned. He asked and confirmed that he should attend and speak at the special meeting relating to comments on the storage shed. A resident said he lives next to the St. Hilary’s open space in the County and a group called the Broom Busters goes out and addresses French broom. He did not know a permit was needed and asked if there were ways citizens could be more involved. Mr. Chanis explained the Town does not have a group similar to the Broom Busters but those interested can apply for an encroachment permit which is at no cost if the area is deemed a fire hazard or dead or dying. The Town also has a contract with North Bay Conservation Corp to work on brush. They have not developed a volunteer group but would be happy to work with POST to develop one. Chair Feldman commented that this is the 9th year of the Open Space Plan and he suggested staff question whether Council would like POST to review the plan in 2020. Mr. Chanis agreed it was a good idea to revisit the plan periodically to ensure assumptions and priorities are correct, given the increased emphasis on fire and the budget. He will suggest this item be agendized in six months to a year from now or in the 10th year of the plan. Vice Chair McInerney lastly referred to a quote, “90% of respondents to the County of Marin Park survey rated vegetation management and wildland fire fuels reduction as their top priority.” She thanked the Town for including monies in the budget in Tiburon to address this. 5. Bike/Ped/Motorist Educational Signage – Vice-Chair McInerney Summary: Vice-Chair McInerney presented staff with a vision for Bicycle/Pedestrian/Motorists Education signage – such as temporary “etiquette signs” that would be put up and taken down on the ORT. Staff is referring this item to POST. Actions: 1) Hear the presentation from Vice-Chair McInerney; and 2) Form a subcommittee to determine the feasibility for installing signage along the ORT. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 8 Vice Chair McInerney stated in August 2016, then Vice Mayor Jim Frazer requested POST strengthen the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan section on education programs. He asked to create a subcommittee to review the issue of bike/pedestrian/automobile safety and education in Tiburon. In the plan adopted by POST, the Town Council directed POST to begin its efforts in strengthening education programs section of the plan by “re-engaging with their partners in the training programs and develop an on- going sustainable training program for bicycle and pedestrian safety, working with interested parties to research options and best practices for the development of community education, campaigns focused on bicycle/pedestrian/automobile safety. The subcommittee does not promote one mode of transportation over the other. Rather, the single goal of the subcommittee is to assist the Town of Tiburon in enhancing safety for auto drivers, transit drivers and those who walk and bike in Tiburon through enhanced outreach.” The ad-hoc subcommittee chose the following three recommendations: 1. Greater use of the Town’s website, Town Talk on-line newsletter and social media. 2. Greater funding for the local Tiburon outreach and education programs. 3. Infrastructure improvements to enhance bicycle/pedestrian/automobile safety and education. She stated she was on the Sausalito and Mill Valley pathway and noticed they had “lollipop” signs. This is what she has recommended to educate bicyclists and pedestrians on the Old Rail Trail; that they would be put up in the nicer weather and in the fall when school started, and she described some examples of the signs which can be found on www.sharethepath.org. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers. Mr. Chanis stated he indicated in his staff report the need for a discussion regarding any type of signage. He believes Blackie’s Pasture/Old Rail Trail complex all the way from the parking lot to downtown or along San Rafael Avenue would benefit from a careful review of all elements to determine whether they are the right elements, in the right place, and to come up with a standard on how elements are installed. Staff is proposing to put some funding in this year’s budget that could be used to implement recommendations that come from review. Commissioner Hornbrook said he likes the lollipop signs and noted he sees pedestrians following the rules when the signs are up and it is noticeable when the signs are taken down. Mr. Chanis added that another element of the budget includes staff’s proposal for $25,000 in the police budget to increase weekend patrols of the ORT/Blackie’s Pasture complex and towards the purchase of an electric bicycle for police. He also likes the lollipop signs and can work with POST to flush out the details for these. Commissioner Allen recognized Vice Chair McInerney’s efforts, stating she had done a lot of work along the entire corridor in identifying areas for improvement. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 9 Vice Chair McInerney said she sees this as separate items; the lollipop signs as well as the square signs welcoming people to Tiburon and one at the Cove Shopping Center. She asked what would happen if someone has not reserved signs for the week. She asked if certain bike/pedestrian/auto signs could be put up whenever possible. Mr. Chanis said these signs are available. The sign by Blackie’s Pasture with the two squares is heavily coveted by non-profits and others and the sign at the Cove is not as busy. However, he would not limit interest to only when someone is not using it and would schedule times when they would want these signs up. Vice Chair McInerney said if POST supports this, she would be happy to spearhead finding out more about the lollipop signs and return to POST. Chair Feldman said it seems like signage ties in with all of the other elements and with the repaving of the ORT which will include striping. Therefore, the idea of a subcommittee is great and he voiced support of having the lollipop signs separated and dealt with at the next meeting. He suggested having information on the visuals, proposed locations and budget. Mr. Chanis stated he included monies in POST’s budget for things like this and these funds would be appropriate to purchase seasonal signs or lollipop signs for the bike path. Chair Feldman asked and confirmed with Mr. Chanis that to form a subcommittee, POST would vote to form an ad-hoc committee and appointment of members is through a majority of a quorum. Vice Chair McInerney asked that the ad-hoc committee have a laser focus on amenities to be mapped, to identify where benches are, and to pick out what is going to be replaced. Chair Feldman said a special meeting will be held for June 11th or 25th for the shed. He asked and confirmed that the following proposed items should be considered by POST regarding the ad-hoc committee’s work: 1. POST will consider forming an ad-hoc committee for the purpose of working with Town staff on an inventory of all elements including benches, trash cans, permanent signage, water fountains, doggie bag dispensers, as well as paving/striping work; 2. The ad-hoc committee will work with Town staff to understand, prioritize and make recommendations in a report to POST; 3. POST will take action as a commission on ORT; 4. Staff to formally name the ad-hoc committee; and 5. The ad-hoc committee will work through the calendar year and sunset by December 31, 2019. ACTION: It was M/S (Feldman/Hornbrook) that POST forms an ad-hoc committee for the purpose of working with Town staff on an inventory of all elements including benches, trash cans, permanent signage, water fountains, doggie bag dispensers, as well as paving/striping work; that the ad-hoc committee work with Town staff to understand, prioritize and make recommendations in a report to POST; for POST to take action as a commission on ORT; for staff to name the ad-hoc committee; and that the ad-hoc committee work through the calendar year and sunset by December 31, 2019. Motion carried 4-0-1 (Nikfar absent). Commissioner Hornbrook and Chair Feldman volunteered to be on the ad-hoc committee. Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 10 ACTION: It was M/S (Allen/McInerney) to nominate Commissioner Hornbrook and Chair Feldman to serve on the ad-hoc committee. Motion carried 4-0-1 (Nikfar absent). Vice Chair McInerney suggested naming the ad-hoc committee “Blackie’s Pasture/ORT Amenities Ad-Hoc Committee”. 6. McKegney Green Sub-Committee Update Summary: The McKegney Green subcommittee was formed on January 29, 2019 and comprised of Commissioners Allen and Nikfar. The Subcommittee’s immediate goal was to review use of the field by Soccer and Lacrosse for this spring and also dogs on the field and report back to POST with recommendations. Action: Hear an update on McKegney Green from Commissioners Allen and Nikfar Commissioner Allen stated he and Commissioner Allen were asked to look at the usage of the McKegney Green, given the soccer and lacrosse season, and said they sought feedback with both leagues and worked out a nice compromise. Given rains, he did not believe the field was used as much but the field is beautiful and green. He said the second part of the subcommittee’s work is to develop a long-term plan, and he and Commissioner Nikfar have not yet met to discuss the long-term plans. He asked if staff had a recommendation on the long- term plan’s development. Mr. Chanis explained that the second part of the subcommittee’s work was to take the existing document and see if there is anything needing to be changed. While not time-sensitive, he recommended the subcommittee meet as they could to review the policy and determine whether any changes might be needed. He thanked Commissioners Allen and Nikfar for their preliminary work, stating the field is amazing. He believes people are complying in keeping dogs off of McKegney Green and at some point staff will be going to the Town Council. Vice Chair McInerney questioned whether there were ways to restrict residents driving down the access pathway. Mr. Chanis said it is a road and Richardson Bay Sanitary District employees have the right to drive their vehicles on that road. Often times, other drivers do not have any idea they should not and the Town has discussed the installation of power gates which Richardson Bay employees and the Town staff could open. Chair Feldman opened the public comment period. Public Comments: Cathy McCloud said she believes a bike repair station will be soon be built at this location and she confirmed with Mr. Chanis it would not within the next few weeks. ADJOURNMENT Tiburon Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission Minutes May 21, 2019 Page 11 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:57 p.m. to a special POST meeting on June 11th or June 25th and, thereafter, to the next regular meeting of July 16, 2019 ____________________________________ PHILIP FELDMAN, CHAIR Parks, Open Space & Trails Commission ATTEST: ____________________________________________ David O. Eshoo, ACTING SECRETARY