Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Parks Commission meeting. Let's go ahead and call the roll. Let's see. Oh, no, actually, I'm so sorry. Yeah, opening call to order. And then let's go ahead and do the Pledge of Allegiance with Commissioner Cushon.

Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Ms. Wang, would you please call the roll? Yes, thank you, Chair. Commissioner Cushon?

Present.

Commissioner Perez? Present. Commissioner Fields?

Present.

Commissioner Lozano? Present.

Present. Chair Romero?

Present.

And let the record show that commissioners Allsweet and Litwin are absent. Thank you.

Thank you very much. So we're going to begin the Parks Commission meeting with a presentation from MIG on an update on the Westside Park.

So, Commissioner and Chair, good evening. I'd like to introduce our presenter tonight is Oscar Johnson, Principal Landscape Architect with MIG Inc. MIG is our contracted design firm for the new park in West Orange. Oscar will be providing an update on our new park in West Orange project, including the current design concept, cost estimate, and project schedule, and will also explain how OC Flood's SAR Reach 5 Levee Height Correction Project affects our final park plans and project timeline. Oscar, myself, our project coordinator Nathan Bloom will all be available after this presentation to answer any questions the commission may have. So let me hand it over to Oscar.

Yeah, good evening. I don't think I have to vent, you can hear me. So thank you for having me. I will, as Robert said, go over the design. I wanted to start off with a little bit of a background first. I know there's two new commissioners, so I just wanna make sure that you guys are all up to speed on what we're doing here. So the first slide that we're gonna show is just the context. So can you actually see the cursor on the screen? Not on our- Okay. Yes, okay. So as you know, this is Santa Ana River Trail. It's the new park just along West Chapman Avenue. And the area included is within this white line here. And so as part of the initial concept and what we were tasked to do is create this passive park. And you can see some of the elements here. It's historical. It's environmental. It has landscape furniture. It also has immersive activities like games, chairs. And the parking isn't going to be part of this. There just wasn't enough room as we went through the concept and we went through the design. different parameters for that, so we weren't going to include a parking area in this, but it is along the existing bike trail, so that really offers a nice connection to that amenity, and there's also interface with the water station, and we're looking at a kids play area as well, so we'll go through those elements as we look at the concept, but In addition to this, we wanted to give you a little bit of background on terms of why it's taken as long as it has. I'm not sure if you realize we've started this in 2024. So here we are, and it's gone by fast, believe me. When we said it was gonna be a year or two, we thought that's gonna be forever, but it's gone by like that. As you all know, time goes by quickly. So this next slide just shows the OC Public Works is actually working on a levy project. And so initially, part of that project was actually to propose a levy in this orange area. I'm not sure if you can look. The orange area here is where they were proposing that levy. The good news is that they were actually able to look at that and reconsider that design and come back with a different design. It's the next slide. It shows that this current design, they're actually proposing a wall, which actually gave us a lot more room. And it gave us about 20 more feet of area to use within the park. So we were able to circle back to this design reconfigure the design to actually utilize that space. And so the next photo you'll see, the next slide, is the actual design currently. So I'll walk you through that design. As you know, the West Chapman Avenue is here on the right-hand side if you're looking at the plan view. The entrance would be pedestrian entrance, and it would include a a ramp area as well as a stairwell, and that provides the ADA accessibility from the public right-of-way, which is primarily the sidewalk along West Chapman Avenue. And that then brings you down into this plaza area where we would have a flagpole. It would be lit. And this is kind of like just this open plaza area that you can congregate at and meet somebody. And then as you walk down, there's the play areas. The play areas are located in this area. There's a 2 to 5 and a 5 to 12 play area. And we'll go into more detail on what those look like. But those are primarily the play areas. As you move further on down into the site, there's a fitness area. And this is a really cool ninja course fitness area. We saw this at the Parks and Rec. And it's just a really nice amenity for this space. And then further on down the line is at the end of this area is a skate plaza, not a skate park, but a skate plaza. So it allows people to utilize that space for that type of activity. And we heard all of this in the community input and when we went through that process with the city. And so we got all that input. In addition to that, we also have a wood pole fencing that would be located along the play area and the fitness area. And that keeps kids from going on to the bicycle path. We also changed the we went we had wood chips and we went to rubberized surfacing. So as we get into, I'll go over the cost estimate and you'll understand why it changed from one cost to the next because of that, as well as other elements. We've also included The existing trees, so there's existing oak trees on the site that we're preserving. Those are in the light green. All the darker green and the medium green, those are all new trees. So we're proposing a lot of shade in this space. We know it gets hot out there, so we wanna make sure that we utilize that. There are other amenities such as picnic tables, benches, and drinking fountains. And so those provide comfort for the users as well for this space. At the top of the slope, there's also a fence as well. So it's going to be a new fence to separate the existing space from the new space. So if you go to the next, oh, actually, yeah, this is fine. Go back one, please. Oh, the other way. There you go. One more. Yeah, so this is a highlight of the play areas. So these play areas, we really looked at this nature-based play. And we incorporated not only the nature-based theme, but also the colors too. So you have these nature-based like greens and browns and a little bit of light orange. So that really ties into that nature element. So the two to five-year-olds have this space over here on the left. And that includes an ADA swing. It includes some spinners, as well as a smaller plate structure. And that's also covered by shade. So in the plan B, you don't see the shade. But in these elevations, you'll see the shade structures that would be included over those spaces. And then the five to 12, a little bit larger equipment for the kids of that age. And then on the slopes, just behind that, we have some climbing elements to utilize that slope area. So we're taking advantage of those contours in that grading. And then there's a small slope slide, and then you can actually climb up the slope through the use of the synthetic rubberized surfacing. And then the next slide, is a picture of the ninja course. So we were actually able to utilize that same color scheme that tied into that nature theme. So this is a really cool ninja course. If you're familiar with that show, it just takes that into account. And we really felt that this would be a nice amenity for that space. I think it's gonna be something that people utilize as they're traveling along the bike trail, and it might be a destination for people to utilize this. And then the next slide is the Skate Plaza. Maybe we'll go to that. And so you'll see the skate plaza has some of these elements. It has a quarter pipe, which is number one. It has a manual pad. Those are basically, they just skate on that. It has some grinding elements, but it's really this elongated space, and it's intended for just those casual skaters, not intended for these bowls or anything like that. We have limited space as well, so we're utilizing that limited space. And there are some embankments as well that we're taking into consideration when it comes to that space. So there'll be a little bit of retaining for some of these elements. And I believe that was it. So at this point we can go back to the site plan and we can answer any questions that you have. Actually, I wanted just to touch base on the schedule. So as far as the schedule, what we're hearing from the OC Public Works is that we will probably be getting their finalized plans in July or August, at which time we can actually start. We've done a little bit upfront, knowing that we have some details that we can get ready, so we've done some of that, just trying to be able to hit the ground running when we finally do get the approved plans from them. And that will take about five months to complete 100% CDs, at which point it can go up to bid. And so, again, we're hoping that will go end of September or August, early August. As far as the cost estimate, in 2024, our initial concept, we were at about $3.3 million. The latest is about $3.9 million. And the... Increasing costs is really attributed to the ninja course. That was a lot more expensive than just the fitness area that we had before, as well as the rubberized surfacing. And then we also incorporated more play equipment as well as the fencing that we included, in addition to the fact that we did get bigger. So we had more square footage to show. and have other elements like the decomposed granite walkway, which I didn't, if you go to the next slide. Sorry, two more. Yeah, so in this view, the decomposed granite walkway is the pathway that really runs through the middle of the site and it's brown, you'll see that. And then concrete is really at the front. And we also have a, sloped wall that we're intending to hopefully do some sort of mural. And this is an entry wall mural design that we came up with. It's just an example. It could be a public artist. It could be something that the contractor hires somebody to do. But that's the idea is to have some sort of public art. You can really see this from the freeway as well as from West Chapman Avenue. Now I'll open it to questions.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the thorough presentation. A couple things. If I'm remembering correctly, originally this was going to be in conjunction, or there was going to be a hotel also built adjacent to this. Is the hotel still in play here?

Thank you for the question, Commissioner. I believe it is, but we don't have a most recent update from that, but that was part of the collaboration or agreement with the hotel was that we would utilize some of their parking for this park.

That's what I was asking, because how that will affect what we have to invest as far as the parking. And then number two, have we considered any space for an activation? I was just recently speaking with... one of the members of the Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance. And one of the things that he's talked about, he rides trails all across the country. And one thing Orange is sorely missing is any place to stop along the bike trails and stop and grab a coffee, stop and grab a light snack, stop and get something. We're talking about an outlay of capital with no return on it. So I want to think about, since we gained more space, is there a way that we can position something, open up a little bit of space for a private public partnership with somebody that this thing can start returning some revenue to the city, because the name of the game is revenue. One more question is as it relates to the Ninja course. Obviously, yay, it looks like a lot of fun, but what are we looking for? Is somebody going to have to scan a QR code to say the city isn't liable? How are we handling the liability? because right there it doesn't create a no nuisance with having this as a right there available for the public to go and fall off of.

Yeah, so I'll go back to your first or second comment about the concession. I think that's a great idea and I think there's space within this plaza to possibly do some sort of pop-up or something like that. We would definitely have to coordinate with staff to see if that's feasible.

We need to go back and review the lease agreement, because I believe in the lease agreement with the county, I don't think that we can charge on this property. So I need to go back and re-look at that, if that's an option.

As far as liability, I'll leave it up to the city attorney to maybe weigh in on that.

Yeah, no problem. I actually have some experience in this. When I used to work for Huntington Beach, we had an adventure park, which is California's term for high-danger playground areas. And cities do have strict immunity from those, and we would post some signs warning that this is a high danger play area and venture zone, but that legal liability should not preclude you if you think this is valuable for the park.

Yeah, and the same thing with the skate plaza, too. That's just as risky.

We would definitely consider signage for the whole park, kind of like the same as playgrounds that stay age limits and liability.

Can I ask a question in regards to the funding? How is this? I know we received some grant money. Can you elaborate on how much we received?

So for the new park, right now, currently, we have a TRF bond for $3 million. The grant we received from Assemblyman Lou Correa's office was $850,000. And then from our own 510 park and field funds, we have about $250,000. So that's where the money's coming from. So $850,000 is a grant. The other TRF bond is basically old redevelopment money that can be used towards capital projects. So that's why we were given that money, so we could use it towards this capital project of building the park.

Do you have any idea what we have in that fund? How much money is in that fund?

Are you referring to the TRF?

TRF.

That I don't know.

You know that one off?

Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, I don't know what the balance would be. I just know that that's what was attributed, appropriated for this project.

Okay, and also I'd like to add there's a great burrito place right next to this park. I don't know if we're going to need a concession stand. It's like the best breakfast burrito in Orange.

Good to know.

Do any of my other colleagues have any questions?

Thank you. You know, literally, we threw the kitchen sink at this. And when you came to us X number of years ago, and this is like literally making me smile from ear to ear because you all have done everything plus more to incorporate all of this. Thank you for answering the question about the funding. I was unaware of the TRF bond, and thank you to Congressman Correa again for the earmark. So I have a couple questions. One is that, you said we get, this park is gonna get 20 more feet. Is that square feet? Is that linear feet? Is that just?

Yeah, so we expanded 20 feet towards the river trails. So in terms of square feet, I wasn't, not quite sure, but just 20 feet in length.

Okay. So, and then in terms of the scheduling, We're seeing July, August of 2026, yes?

I can go ahead and answer that question, Commissioner. So as far as the scheduling, as Oscar had mentioned, we are basically waiting for the finalized construction plans from the county, which they're currently working on. Once we get those plans, MIG can then incorporate their plans into our plans to you know engineer out park border and so forth so they will need approximately a month or two once they get the plans from the county to develop our plans once they develop those plans and they'll have to go through the review with the city they'll have to go through a review with the county as it's their property so it'll have to go through that process and then once we get final approval plans just like all our other projects that's when we put it out to bid But the timeline overall, if we get those plans and they have a couple months to put it together, we may not have finalized plans until the end of this calendar year, early next year. and then we will put that out to bid. Perfect, thank you.

If I can just add to that too. As far, we could go out to bid, but we also have to wait before we can break ground for them to finish their project, so that won't happen right away. So once the county finishes their project, then we're able to break ground. We also are in the process of going through the application to receive the grant money. It's been allocated to us, but we don't actually have it yet, because we still have to go through that process as well.

Ms. Eva?

Thank you so much for your report, and this is wonderful. I would like to know about the mural wall. Does staff know any more about that than me?

So right now it's just suggestive designs, as MIG is stating. They've showed us some suggestions, but that's part of the final construction document process. We will go ahead and look at various pieces and make that decision, which I think we may bring that back to the commission once we get that far in the process, as far as the art. But right now it's just, we're in conceptual phase, so it's just the conceptual idea that we want to place art. But as far as the final selection, I think we would have to discuss that with the commission at a later date.

I was just curious if who's going to provide, who's going to paint?

Yeah, that would be the selection by the commission is we could put it, I'm assuming I'm kind of thinking ahead here, but to the commission, if there's any artists, you know, that you want to suggest, or if we bring our pieces to you, I think we have to discuss that a little further at a staff level. But we'll, it'll be either or maybe both.

Okay. I think that's a great idea. I'd like to see more of a personal touch from, from Orange. from our community, especially the way you said it's gonna be facing, there's gonna be visual. So thank you very much.

In regards to the lighting, I didn't see any renderings for lighting. Will it be lit at night?

Yes, so there'll be security lighting along the path, and that's part of the plan as well. Yeah, there's no renderings at this point until we get into construction drawings. That's when our electrical engineer will show the post locations.

And then in regards to the park hours, I'm sure you guys know where I'm going with this because we've heard a lot of people say because where this is, it's along the creek, we get a lot of unhoused in there. How do we think we're going to prevent that at night? Are we going to have security at night or what are the park hours going to be?

So definitely we could add that to our private security rotation in the evenings, but the director has authority to change the park hours as needed. So we can go ahead and start with normal park hours and then reduce those if needed, or we could just start off with reduced hours. We have various parks that have various hours, a few, so we could always take a look at that later, but definitely we don't have to stick be religiously dedicated to having the 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. if we think that's gonna be an issue, but I don't think we've gotten quite that far in the discussion, but it would be considered.

Okay, great, thank you. Do any of my colleagues have any further comments?

Just a quick comment. It's a fantastic use of the space, so thank you so much for the forethought on all of it.

Well, thank you very much. I have to add, it's just been a pleasure working with staff. They've really pushed the project along and really gave us a lot of good insight and ideas, too. And so it's been a collaborative process. So this is one of my favorite cities to work with in terms of just getting that collaborative process and working with them.

And I'd like to return the compliment to MIG because he has been very patient with the process and with our many comments and suggestions and the timeline, which is all out of his control, unfortunately. But him and his team have been a great pleasure to work with as well. So just returning that compliment. Appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for your presentation. Of course. OK. At this time, we will move to public comments. Members of the public may address the Commission on matters not listed on the agenda. which are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission provided that no action may be taken on off agenda items unless otherwise authorized by law. Public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. Ms. Wang, have we received any requests to speak tonight?

No, we have not.

Wonderful, thank you. Okay, approval of the minutes, item 3.1. Approval of the minutes from our May 19th meeting. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes as presented? Thank you very much. And do I have a second? Do you have, if you press a, press a view vote, yeah. Uh-oh. Oh, okay. Please vote, everyone. There you are. Wonderful, that passes. Are we having a computer issue? Okay, perfect. Okay, on to commission business. Item 4.1, selection of park playground to be replaced as part of the playground equipment replacement project through the fiscal year 2026-2027 capital improvement program. We have a staff presentation.

Good evening, once again, chair and commissioners. So before you tonight is our playground equipment replacement project for fiscal year 26 to 27 capital improvement program. As part of the city's ongoing commitment to maintaining safe and high quality park facilities, staff is proposing the replacement of one aging playground every facility year based on playground age, condition, accessibility and maintenance history.

16 parks in Orange have playgrounds.

Public playground equipment typically has a service life of about eight to 12 years. And while our parks maintenance staff have done an excellent job of extending the life of our playgrounds through inspections and repairs, several of our playground structures are exhibiting significant signs of wear and tear and have now reached the point where continued repairs are no longer the most cost-effective solution. So the purpose of the playground equipment replacement project is to replace aging playground equipment with modern, safe, accessible and engaging play environments that better serve today's families. In addition to addressing deteriorating equipment, replacement projects will also provide opportunities to introduce innovative and inclusive play features to accommodate children of varying ages and abilities. The proposed $800,000 project budget would fund the replacement of one playground and would also include associated site improvements such as ADA accessibility, upgrades, and shade sales where still needed. The scope of the project will include design and engineering, preparation of plans, and installation of the playground equipment. So for fiscal year 26 to 27, staff evaluated all city playgrounds based upon age, condition, amenities, accessibility, and maintenance history. And upon our findings is recommending that the commission select either the lower playground at Eisenhower Park, which is off of Bixby Avenue, or the playground at Hart Park for the replacement project this fiscal year. Both playgrounds were installed more than 20 years ago, have exceeded their anticipated service life, and have required significant maintenance over the years to remain safe and operational. That concludes my staff report. Myself, along with our Parks Maintenance Supervisor, Bill Bird, is here this evening, should the Commission have any further questions.

Thank you.

Oh, excuse me. I'll go through my slides. If you wouldn't mind starting back from the beginning real quick. I don't know if the commission was getting to take a look, but we have three different slides showing Eisenhower Park. Basically, it's the wear and tear. You can see the panels right there are faded. you can kind of see the indentations in the slide you can see the you know the rub right there on the slide so you can go ahead and go to the next one right there you can see we have the bracket connections are rusting out we have old rusted chains that are going on there we have the faded slide down pull just from excessive wear and tear still doing the job still safe just for fading away, like you see there. I mean, it's still holding tight, it's still safe, it's just worn. And like I said, our parks maintenance staff does the best they can to maintain all that equipment. But that's just an example of the lower playground at Eisenhower Park and what that currently looks like up close. Next is Hart Park. So you see we have the old little rocking horses there still, faded little seat, faded horsey, still serves a purpose, but he's there. You know, we have the walk-up right there, the walk-up steps, if you may, just faded, wear and tear. And also off to the right hand side there, same thing. Those are just worn out platforms, worn out panels. You can see the new, you know, the new bolts that are put into there by our staff. Obviously those look new because they are, you know, the staff do the best they can to keep that safe and secure on all levels. So that's what's that showing. And then lastly, just some more photos right there. That's a step-up platform. You can see the pool just a little faded. The slide right there, the slides get a lot of excessive wear and tear, not just the sliding down, but kids stepping on them, climbing back up them. So they get all scuffed up and scuffed out. And then we have those platforms right there, which are very expensive. to replace, as our supervisor here, Bill, could attest to. Those are probably one of the most expensive things that have to be replaced on these playgrounds would be the platforms and the slide that you're seeing in this picture right here. So that's just kind of a run-through right there of, you know, photos speak a thousand words type thing of the two playgrounds that we would say that, you know, are our highly expensed playgrounds, the most wear and tear. Yes, a lot of our playgrounds are of an older age, but these are the most worn and tore, you know, just over time. This is naturally what's going to happen. So we bring that to the commission for any questions you may have.

Would any of my colleagues like to speak? Commissioner Fields? Oh, Commissioner Cushon?

Thank you for the presentation. Roughly, how many vehicles do you think pass the lower park at, go past Glassell on? How many vehicles? Yeah. There's a ton.

Yeah, right.

And I'm just looking because I, I have to, I would admit I'm remiss, I don't visit Eisenhower Park that often, but quite a bit of vehicle traffic goes past the one side of Eisenhower Park as well. This commission spent several meetings and a lot of time outside of the commission developing a sponsorship program. The council spent council time City attorneys, staff spent time approving it for things just like this. We have an incredible opportunity for visibility at the lower park, at Hart Park, to replace the playground. The equipment on this playground was sponsored by XYZ company that would get all of the traffic coming into Old Town off of the 22. 800,000 could replace multiple playgrounds when there's sponsorship. And when we're... And I understand that having just worked through the sponsorship, I understand there are some difficulties. I had hoped that we would have had a meaningful discussion about this this evening, just in general, so that we could... So when it comes to situations like this, we could go out and make the most of our friends and neighbors' money. Because that's what we're spending here. And to be most fiscally responsible with this is to take a program that we have that exists. And I'm not putting this on you, Robert. It's on all of us. We up here were appointed by the people that were elected by our friends and neighbors, and we came up with something to find a way to be most fiscally responsible. And I'm not grandstanding. I'm pained by this. I'm actually pained by this. Because we can all do better. That's why I was so excited and was so adamant about pushing that sponsorship program so that we didn't have to make a Sophie's Choice. Which 20 plus year old playground gets the new equipment? So can we find a way to put together a subcommittee and look at a way, go back to council and look at a way to really implement this program that we've had for two plus years that we've not done anything meaningful with. And again, this isn't an admonishment. If we're going to talk about the Orange Way being dead, let's actually do something new. Let's do something different. Let's do this thing that we've had in place for a better part of two years. People want to help. We have to go out and get them. And I, for one, am willing to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, James. Commissioner Fields?

Thank you, Chair. I have a couple of questions. Has there been any identified safety needs or, or concerns at either or park? Like say just, I'm just throwing out numbers like two at heart versus one at Eisenhower.

We don't currently have any safety needs in the fact that we're making those repairs as needed, ordering the new equipment as needed. So no, there's, there's nothing of that sort.

Are there, it's been a while since I've actually taken my daughter to play at Eisenhower. Is there a shade structure there, a shade sale there?

There is not. So there's neither. That's a great question. There's not a shade sale at neither Hart nor Eisenhower. So no matter which project you pick, that would be something we would include.

And would renovations at Hart also include rubberized surfaces rather than the wood chips? At this point, yes. And how long would it take to replace or redo the entire thing once we identify which playground to do?

So we would basically have to put together a scope of work to go ahead and put this out for design because it would need to be engineered out. And the fact that you have the surface, we want to make ADA improvements, installation. So that's pretty much what it is, is we're looking for the direction from the commission this evening so we can go ahead and move forward with developing a scope of work to put this together and put out to bid so we can get started.

So does staff have a preference or a recommendation, one way or the other?

I really couldn't say. I'd almost rather leave that to the commission. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.

Do we have a preference?

I think it's safe to say that we presented two options that are in equal need to be looked at. So there's really no bad choice. And this is a program that we have in our CIP so that whatever we don't get to this year will still be on the list for the following year.

Thank you.

I have a question. Oh, sure, Commissioner. I just have a question. Is there a way or do we have any knowledge of... Which park is utilized more?

That's my question. I mean, we don't necessarily, since it's unmonitored, we don't know. We just know they're very highly used in doing the inspections at both parks.

Like, you know, for example, when people take out the permits to have birthday parties or things like that, I'm kind of wondering if one's being utilized more than the other. Because I know Eisenhower Park is very big. Yes.

Yes, that's a good question. And I might defer to Bill on that because his team is out there every day and can visually see the usage. Obviously, we don't keep statistics. However, I will say that there are two playgrounds at Eisenhower. There's the upper playground and the lower playground. Hart only has the one. So they're both very heavily used. Eisenhower does get a lot of families weekends are very busy but i will defer to our park supervisor if he wants to chime in about usage okay i would probably say both of them are probably about the same thank you

I have a question. So I regularly look for water playgrounds to take my kids to, especially with the heat that we're in. I was thinking about that this morning. Is there any possibility of us getting, is that out of the scope of the funds that we have? Will Orange ever get like a water type playground?

So I do know that has been something that has been mentioned in the past. For example, when we had our Grijalva Park Master Plan Outreach, you know, community meeting, it was in there. Unfortunately, I don't know if it's community prioritized quite high enough to go there quite with it. I love splash pads myself. I came from the desert community before Orange. And of course, we know the weather out there in the Coachella Valley. So splash pads were a huge asset out here. Like I said, it's definitely something that would be you know, liked and I'm sure to appreciate it, but I don't know if it's been quite prioritized there yet.

We could potentially look at that. It probably comes down to cost. I will say that they are also more expensive to maintain when they break a little bit more frequently. But we go through this design process. We'll definitely bring back some options to commission to get, we obviously want public input on the playground because those are the people who are going to be using it.

Mm-hmm. And we're tired of wood chips. All the kids have splinters from the wood chips. We're so glad, yeah.

We'll definitely be considering rubberized surface at this point. Leslie and I had a conversation about that and point taken.

Thank you. And I do take my kids to, we go to Hart for concerts and then we go to Eisenhower, you know, and feed the ducks. And the playground at Eisenhower is very rough. So I'm really torn, especially because I know what is said about Hart Park. We do its borders in Anna. And I'm not sure if cleaning up Hart Park would kind of get out some of the nightly riffraff that we have. If there's a way that when we're designing the playground that hopefully we could prevent some of that.

So I will mention Heart Park does have its share. I'm not trying to throw the balance either way right now, but Heart Park restroom renovations are next on the list. The Heart Park tennis courts resurfacing, next on the list. So to your point, Chair, if you're looking to add more to Beautifying Heart, you know, maybe if you want to consider that we're also looking at restoring our restrooms and restoring our, you know, our surface on our tennis courts. But at the same time, if you want to share the wealth with another park, then you could say, well, Hart's getting those two things. Maybe we should pick Eisenhower. So once again, I leave that to the commission, but I thought it'd be fair to kind of put that out there that we have a couple of projects at heart right now.

And we just got the pickleball question.

And we just got pickleball. I wasn't going to go there, but yes, we just got the pickleball. Yeah, that goes without saying, of course. So yeah, Hart Park is getting some love right now, as we call it.

Do we need to redo any of the restrooms at Eisenhower? Are there any other projects coming to Eisenhower?

We do need to do the restrooms at Eisenhower, and that's actually being looked at currently as well. Probably right, I'm assuming, maybe right after Hart. So it's definitely in the top three as far as those restrooms.

And does that add anything to the cost? Like if we're doing several projects at one park at a time, does that reduce the cost as opposed to separating projects like that?

Yeah, normally we pick a different contractor for each project. I see what you're saying, like an economy of scale. So if we do both restrooms, we could have the same contractor do both, if that's what you're referring to. We couldn't probably have the playground contractor doing our restrooms as well, but we could have... same contractor doing both restrooms and have a little bit of savings because they're getting the materials for one restroom. Now we're just going to ask them to materials for both. So there is some savings. I think, like I said, they call an economy of skills for that. So we would definitely be looking at that for Eisenhower.

Does that make financial sense then for us to do a playground in the bathroom and then a playground in a bathroom rather than doing both playgrounds and then both bathrooms? Wouldn't we have a cost savings if we're doing two projects at the same time?

Yeah, I don't think so. In essence, I mean, I'm, I don't think it works that way. I think because we'd have a playground contractor doing one project and then we'd have a restroom contractor doing another project, I don't think they would correlate in any way and be considered two individual independent contracts.

But if we had a contractor doing Eisenhower Park playground and Hart Park Park playground at the same time, instead of doing...

That would just come down to budget. We don't think that we could do two budgets within the $800,000. We might be surprised, but we're not anticipating that.

I think we'd all rather have one awesome playground and wait to have another awesome playground than two mediocre playgrounds. Any feedback from my colleagues?

I have a question. Apologies. I believe Mr. Fields. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, no, no. Just seeking clarity here. The replacement priorities, is this based out of liability or age or...

It's based out of age, most of all. Secondly, it's based out of the number of maintenance repairs we've had to do, the number of replacements. So staff, we did, like for the last two or three years, we went back into invoices and records that we paid for repairs and replacement parts, excuse me, at all of our parks. So we took into consideration the age first and then the number of replacements and repairs and the cost that we've had to invest in these playgrounds. Eisenhower was up there. Heart was a very close second, so that's pretty much why we recommended these two is based on the age and the cost that we're spending on materials.

So liability is not a question here at all?

Yeah, not at this point, right, because our playgrounds aren't red flagged or anything like that, so it's not a liability aspect. We do a great job of replacing things as needed and they're usable. It's just the natural wear and tear and cost of equipment replacement parts.

Okay. I'm seeking just further clarity on the funds. Are they strictly for these playgrounds only or I'm hearing bathrooms I'm hearing and I apologize if I'm not fully versed on what the budget is allocated for.

So the money is all of our CIP. It's our 510 money. So this money has been approved for this particular project and we have money that's been approved for the park restroom project. So the money is all coming from the same pot. It's just been allocated to different projects.

Okay. So we're seeking, but we've already made the decision that we're prioritizing playgrounds over timeline wise over bathroom projects.

Not necessarily. We have a lot of projects that happen at the same time. Sure. They're two separate projects. I don't want to confuse the two, but as far as location of where these projects are happening, that's what I just wanted to share with you.

Sure. Yeah, as Leslie's saying, they're two separate projects. Right now, the restrooms has a little bit of a head start in that we've had that funding approved and we've already developing scopes of work for Hart Park, whereas we haven't quite got there with the playgrounds because this is a brand new one for this fiscal year.

Got it. Okay. Thank you. Any further discussion? Commissioner Fields?

Shout out to Erica DeVries who was excited and lobbied hard to get the bathroom renovations at Hart Park somewhere in the city of Warren. She's smiling. I would move that we recommend that we choose Eisenhower. Not just because I live in adjacent to that area, but that area serves two districts. I'm trying to think of the nearest park in District 3 to Eisenhower. It'd be Ambrys, but they don't, you know, it's kind of a stretch. You know, Hart has gotten a lot of, they're getting a lot of I won't call it love. It's getting a lot of attention, and I think it would be good to spread that attention through our parks so that folks throughout the city can see what the good work that staff can do. So I would move that we recommend to go with Eisenhower.

I'd like to second it.

Oh, I went ahead and seconded it.

Oh, okay. I agree. I'm in total agreement with that. I'm in favor of that.

With that, we have a motion on the floor. Would everyone please vote? And that motion passes three to two. Is that correct? Do we have a quorum here for that? I'm not sure, because I know we have some commissioners in here. Okay, and that passes. Thank you very much, Commissioner Fields, for your motion.

Okay.

Okay. Okay, we now have a Community Services Director's Report. Emily Bustamante, Community Services Assistant Director, will you please brief us on some updates?

Sure, just one update tonight. Jessica, can you turn on that presentation for me? Oh yes, just one from me. Just one from me and then we'll hear from Robert. I'm sorry. Okay, tonight we just wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the city's commemoration of America's 250th anniversary and recognize the many ways that this commission coordinated with city staff to celebrate this historic milestone. When we began the conversation a little over a year ago, we knew that we would need to be creative about how we recognize such an important occasion. And rather than viewing our current financial situation as a limitation, we embraced it as an opportunity to build a celebration that was community-driven, collaborative, and reflective of Orange's unique character. So we launched a dedicated USA 250 webpage that served as a central resource for residents, providing information about local and regional commemorative events, educational opportunities, historical resources, and activities taking place in the city throughout Orange County and beyond. Throughout this process, we encouraged local organizations to celebrate with us all year long and saw tremendous support from local nonprofits, historical groups, volunteers, and community partners who incorporated the USA 250 theme into their own programs and events. And their participation helped extend the celebration far beyond what the city alone could have accomplished. We also unveiled the USA 250 Freedom Quilt Project. Community members from all ages contributed individual quilt squares expressing what freedom, community, and America meant to them. Together, those pieces became a collaborative work of art that reflects the diverse voices and shared pride of our community. Our social media campaign featuring a Celebrate America in Orange video series highlighted different aspects of Orange through seven different themes, knowledge, community, landmarks, recreation, heritage, beautification, and freedom. Featured subjects included the Orange Public Library, Hart Park, Banshell and Pool, iconic fountains, Antipasado Park, and the Veterans Memorial at Depot Park. Residents were invited to explore Orange through our Star Spangled Bingo Challenge. Participants were able to pick up a limited edition USA 250 sticker at the Orange Public Library, Sports Center at Grahova Park, or Hart Park Pool. In case you weren't able to make it out to any of those locations, you should each have a commemorative sticker in front of you to enjoy tonight. And we have extras if you want more for kiddos or friends. Lastly, we were able to join forces with Premier Aquatics to offer a free rec swim on July 3rd at the historic Hart Park pool. Perhaps the greatest success of this effort wasn't measured by the size of a single event, but by the partnerships that were strengthened, the stories that we shared, and the opportunities that were created for residents to connect with our nation's history, with their city, and with one another. So on behalf of our department, I'd just like to say thank you. to each of you for your time, dedication, and creativity, thinking out of the box to make sure that we celebrated this commemorative, historic anniversary in a meaningful way that was rooted in our Orange community. So, thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms. Bustamante, and this officially gives us one year to figure out 3rd of July. a year from today. On that note, I also wanna ask, I don't know if I can mention Commissioner Cushon's comment about wanting to do some activations with some of our parks and looking at some types of funding, whether that's grants. I know you guys work on that all the time. He had mentioned a subcommittee. Maybe that's something that we could bring back on the next agenda and just looking at if they've been working on that for two years. I think the rest of a lot of us here are new to the commission and it may be a great idea for us to get caught up on what exactly that was.

just a brief overview of what our sponsorship program looks like, our donation program looks like?

Yes, not in regards to special events, but in regards to parks. James mentioned that he was working, that we had, I don't know if we had a subcommittee that was working on those items or what they had been working on for the last couple years, but I know, I would love to know, as well as the rest of the new members on the commission. Sure. Okay, wonderful. On that note, I want to thank everyone for tuning in tonight.

I'm sorry, no.

Oh, Robert, oh my gosh. I'm sorry, I didn't want to cut you off, Chair. No, no, that's okay.

So just some quick ones. So first off, our Skate Park at Grijalva Park project, our CIP, staff has met recently with the contractor, actually last week, for a pre-construction meeting. So our contractor is now working on material submittals and a construction schedule. So we anticipate breaking ground in August. with the project taking approximately eight months to complete. So we're getting there. Our olive netting project, CIP, which is basically to replace worn and tattered netting over at Olive Park. Staff, once again, just recently met with the contractor a couple of weeks ago for a pre-construction meeting. That contractor has ordered the netting materials and anticipates a lead time of four weeks. Concrete work will begin actually next week, July 27th. and we anticipate project completion early September with the project taking approximately seven weeks to complete. We've just recently put out to bid a couple of design projects, first off being our Almadena Basin design project CIP. We received 11 proposals for design in June. Those are now being reviewed by our staff review committee, and they're rating those responsive proposals. And as far as funding, we have the funding in our budget right now already for design. As far as construction, we once again have been lucky enough to secure $2.25 million in funding for construction through Representative Lucrea's office. So we now have that funding for also for construction in La Medina Basin. Next, the other project we recently received proposals for was our Rampart Park design project CIP. 12 proposals for design were received in June. Staff review committee is currently reviewing and rating those responsive proposals. 1.5 million in 510 park infill funding has been secured for that project design and construction. And that's it for updates. I just wanted to mention, if any of the commissioners are ever interested in a parks tour, to please reach out to our executive assistant, Jessica Wang. She can inform staff and provide potential dates at your leisure. So please, if any of you are ever interested in that, we recently met with Commissioner Lozano, and so you are all welcome as well. Just let us know. On that note, that's my updates. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ambrose. I'm so sorry to cut you off on that. Are you able to invite the commission to the groundbreaking at Grijalva? Is that something that we could attend?

We do not plan at this time to have a formal groundbreaking, but we are we're going to start construction as soon as possible.

As soon as possible. And I think I know that the city has been so excited about this project. It doesn't have to be formal maybe, but I think it would be great for the city to be there to break that ground. That's a long time coming, that project. So if possible.

Okay.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Am I okay to adjourn? Wonderful.

Okay. On that note, we are adjourned. Thank you so much, everyone, for being here tonight. Have a great night.