Park and Recreation Commission - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon.

Yes, it is.

Good afternoon. I am Luz Negron, a chairwoman of the Museum of Riverside board, and I would like to welcome you all to the Museum of Riverside board meeting. Today, August 26, 2026, and the meeting is called to order at 3.04. Thank you. And then we have to ask Claudia Rodriguez please to recite the museum land acknowledgment.

Thank you. The Museum of Riverside is grateful to stand on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Cahuilla, Gabrielino, Tongva, Lucino, and Serrano people. The Cahuilla, Gabrielino, Tongva, Lucino, and Serrano continue to live and thrive in Southern California.

Thank you, Claudia. Tony, would you please take roll?

Yes. Luz?

Present.

Claudia? Present. Cynthia? Here. Anna? Here. Julie? Here. Paula? Here. Jennifer?

Here.

Mary? Here. Sharon?

Here.

Everyone is in attendance today.

Anyone excuse? No? No one excused for the meeting today?

All nine members are present.

Oh, beautiful. That is fantastic. This is a portion of the meeting specifically set aside to invite your comments regarding any matter within the Museum of Riverside Board's jurisdiction. Individual audience participation is limited to three minutes. If you are in person, please complete and submit a speaker card to the museum staff. To comment via telephone, call 1-951-826-8688. Again, 826-8688. Press 9 to be placed in the quick to speak. Individuals in the quick will be prompted to unmute by pressing Start 6 when you are ready to speak. To come via Zoom, use the following link. which is https-zoom.us-j-9269699-1265. Select the raise hand function to request to speak. On a screen message, An on-screen message will prompt you to unmute and speak. You can also comment using the e-comment feature at www.riverside.gov-meeting. Do we have any callers on the line or public comment cards?

We do currently have zero online callers for item number two. We have not received any in-person comment cards, and we did not receive any online e-comments by the 1 o'clock p.m. deadline today.

Do we have a motion to approve consent calendar items three and four? minutes from our July 22nd meeting, and an absent motion to excuse Chair Negron-Vermo due to vacation, and an excuse absent for Board Member Tenell for less than 24 hours notice due to work.

So moved.

I'll second. Who second? You second, okay. Thank you. Any discussion? Tony, please roll call.

Yes. Claudia? Yes. Luz? Yes. Cynthia? Yes. Anna? Yes. Julie? Yes. Paula? Yes. Jennifer? Yes. Mary? Yes. Sharon?

I'm staying.

Okay, thank you.

OK moving into the discussion portion of the agenda Tony do we have any colors for public comment.

No colors for item number 5.

Okay. We have item number five. And please correct me if I mispronounce some of the information here. You know English is my second language. So do we have a recommendation to city council for the of the mounted moose antler rack item a 1128-5 from the permanent collection do we have a motion for that so moved second second okay any discussion Tony, please roll call.

Yes, motion for DxSession. Claudia? Yes. Luz?

Yes. Cynthia? Yes. Ana? Yes. Julie? Yes.

Paula? Yes. Jennifer? Yes. Mary?

Yes.

Sharon? Yes. Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you. Item number six is in our quarterly report on the strategic plan. Is there any discussion? or else we will receive and file this report.

I have a question about it, and it's probably just my not understanding. The measurable success criteria, obviously a lot of it is prior years. I'm just curious about financial impact was also prior years for the ones that happened already.

Which item are you referring to?

There's a few that have... I mean, everything has the financial impact listed, but let's say . . .

I will say while you're searching for it that the financial impact and the measurable success measures were determined at the time the plan was drafted. Okay. So we were, as the plan progressed through the years, some of those got increasingly out of date. But we still worked to the task itself, even if there were adjustments in what we thought they were going to cost, what they were going to cost to operate, or what we decided to consider was a benchmark for success.

Right. Okay. No, I understand that. And expenses, just buy some eggs. So I guess what I'm not clear about, and please forgive me for this, it's just new to me, in the financial impact, are some of those, those are expenses going forward or anticipated, or some of them have already been...

Right. So the expenses are divided between the financial impact column is divided between capital and operating. So the capital projects, of course, are multiyear for the most part. And at the time the plan was put together, we didn't know the full impact of some of those. Operating expenses were built into our operating budgets during the period of the plan. We did identify in green where we thought certain programs or initiatives had the potential to generate sponsorship or other contributed support. Whether we achieved that or not was generally mentioned in the status section.

Okay. Okay, awesome. I was just curious. I just wanted to make sure I understood.

Thank you so much. Any other discussion or questions?

I had a question. Is it safe to assume then that going forward it'll be this nice, clean, refreshed, pretty one, but now that we're off to the new plan?

So this is the last quarterly report on the plan we just retired. So going forward, the plan that you recently approved, and the City Council approved just in time for the beginning of the fiscal year, will be the one that I'll be reporting on. So some of them, if we're talking about actions that are projected for later in the plan, there will be no status updates because we won't have started them.

But it'll just look different because it's not going to be...

It'll look very similar in structure, but the content will be revised for the coming five years.

It'll just be kind of a fresh start kind of look to it.

Okay, thank you. Thank you item number 7. Do we have a recommendation to City Council for their station of these 5 lot of. Our key. Our people. Archival, thank you, and historic items to the permanent collection, one Martin Luther King Jr. bronze, a ring tinting plaque, Henry Jekyll archival materials, I speak from National Ice and Coal Storage of Riverside, and two 1930 photograph. Do we have a motion?

I'll second.

Second? OK. Any discussion?

I had a question on the Jekyll reel, I guess is the best way to put that. Is that going to be digitized so it would be preserved? Yeah. Okay. Is that part of this process automatically?

Not automatically. It has to be built into our conservation budget going forward. It's in stable condition now. It's not like it's actively deteriorating. But yeah, the intention is always to digitize everything, really, but particularly the media that are susceptible to degradation like this is. Great. Thank you.

I have a question. The bronze statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., is that the same one that's on Main?

Yeah, it's a small version of the one on Main. Same artist. There were 25 of them cast as a fundraising measure in advance of the one on Main being installed.

Got it. Okay. Thank you.

And this is number one of the 25 of those casts.

Okay.

Tony, please roll call. Yes.

Claudia? Yes. Luz? Yes. Cynthia? Yes. Ana? Yes. Julie? Yes. Paula? Yes. Jennifer? Yes. Mary? Yes. Sharon? Yes. Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you, Tony. Item number eight. We have our annual collections activity for fiscal year 2025 through 2026. Dr. Peterson, do you have any comments? Do we have any board discussion on this report? If none, this report will be received and filed.

This should primarily be material that you will have remembered approving earlier in the year. We just try to give you a summary at the end of the year to make sure you are aware of the activity we maintain in the collection.

So if any other questions? So collection activity report file. Okay, thank you. Okay. Next up is item number nine in the agenda. Oh, okay. So the report from the Riverside Museum Associates and the Harada House Foundation will be postponed for the future. Okay, thank you. Okay, next we have Dr. Peterson, museum director, presenting her monthly director report update for item 11.

And so I have very little to add to the report. We have a short list of very big projects, as you all know. Maine Museum and Hirata moving forward. Preparations for the Maine Museum reopening exhibitions are taking a lot of time in the recent days and weeks because we're getting ready to prepare a big package for a fabricator. I think you're all aware, too, and have been invited to the topping out ceremony at the main museum site early tomorrow morning, 9 o'clock. Hope you can be there with your closed-toed shoes to have your signature embedded into the building. The architects, of course, will be here for that, and they will be here in the evening tomorrow to give a presentation about their process, the design process for the building during our Nights with the Museum series. That'll start at 6 at the main library community room. And on Friday, we'll be touring the new interim city manager, Tom Hatch, through Heritage House and then bring him back downtown to have a hard hat tour of the main museum site so that he can get acquainted. That'll be Friday morning. He's going to be on a really tight schedule. He's been working about 70 hours a week since he started and getting acquainted with the city and its operations and is placing high priority on homeless issues. So we have not yet had a chance to meet with him in person and look forward to this on Friday. Also, please do look at the list of programs coming up. Moon Festival is a big one, September 25th. We can always use volunteers for that. Moon Festival, as you know, is a moving feast. It can occur in September or October. This year it's early. So we look forward to any involvement that you can offer us, even if it's just showing up with your friends. Thank you.

Thank you that there Peterson do we have any comments for I to 11.

I want to go back I'm sorry I have a question about the moon festival yes the last I know in the past we've had sign ups. Usually led by chairperson are we still doing that where we can know who's attending what time frames are available.

Well, that's a good idea. As a matter of fact, I've been attending all the moon festivals since they started. And sometimes it's very, well, anytime, always, it's very good to have our faces exposed to the public because people have many questions. Also, between the participants, you get a lot of children, but you get a lot of organizations, potential donors. So our presence in that event is very important. So who may want to volunteer for that day?

I have a quick question. If I have so far neglected to fill out the paperwork to be a volunteer, is there enough time left for me to do that?

We can do a one-day waiver for you, that one day of volunteer is possible. Okay. And if you wanted to participate in that event before you get ready to, yeah.

I think if I might go back to Sharon's question, Madam Chair, are we going to have some sort of a schedule put out with hours to be there, and are we going to have a table, that sort of thing, or what are you thinking?

Let me tell you something. Last year, I took Riverside Connect transportation to go to the event. For one of those reasons, they dropped me in Casablanca. But I make a commitment with the museum and with the event. Remember that the Moon Festival, you have a lovely, incredible story. Plus, you can get pictures with the moon. It's fantastic. But above everything, it's about inclusion, because most of the participants are the Asian people. of the Asian culture. And as you know, in UCR, the enrollment of the students, enrollment, the high percentage are asian even though we are inclusive we invite everybody but it's very important to be committed so the bus led me in casablanca and i walked two miles to go to the heritage house but i did my commitment because i give my word

Chairwoman, I don't think you're addressing the question, though. We're asking about a schedule for all of us to participate and to see how we can organize together. And this is about a past experience.

Yeah, I just thank you for your comment. I just want to share, because we live about experiences, and if you can, we can do that as Cynthia suggested. one or two hours per person, that will be fine. So my question is if we can do this through the museum, through Tony, like have a prepared schedule of two hours and... How long is the event?

The event's from 6 to 8 p.m.

Okay, so it's still 6 to 8. I can take that on, Madam Chair, if you don't mind, and I can get an email. Did you want to do that?

I was just going to volunteer to do a little spreadsheet if that's agreeable to everybody. Yes.

Or whatever.

Thank you. Love it. Love it.

Okay. I was going to volunteer.

I think Cynthia has an example from last. Can you maybe share with the group what the schedule was last year so we can.

Yes. They were one hour from six to seven and then from seven to eight. And you can only have, I believe it's three board members at a time there because of the schedule. Brown Act. Yes. So, and you can only, you have to get with, you have to coordinate your emails can only go out to so many board members at a time as well. Okay. You have to keep that, all that information in mind. But that was my schedule. Okay. Thank you so much. Sure. Thank you.

I just want to add that the event starts at 6, but we have to be there at 5 because we have to do the setup, and when the event is over, we have to help the museum to pick up anything that is left over.

I'll coordinate through the museum staff to make sure that's all correct. Thank you, Paula. Okay, thank you.

I have no further comments on my report.

Madam Chair, I have one comment. I just wanted to take the time on the museum website is the link to the progress video of the renovation of the main museum. It's excellent. They walk through, they show different visions of what's being built and the beauty of the building as it is, and so I would just take the time to let everyone know that that is available to view.

Thank you.

I'm trying to question as well. So I saw on the Riverside, I think it's the Riverside History Enthusiasts Facebook page that they said that the museum is opening in 2027.

Oh, dear.

Well, and so that was kind of my question. Is there a plan to kind of give the public a new date so that that could be socialized or?

And maybe if you could just, until we're able to announce an actual date, if you could just continue to let us know when you see things like that, we'll get with the organizers to fix them.

Thank you.

Okay. Any other questions or comments? No? Okay. Moving into item 12. If you have any activities or events that you may want to, or updates that you may want to share, Okay. Well, I have an event. I can bring more details in our next meeting, but many of you are familiar with Ilandia Institute, and recently Ilandia created a new committee that is named Culture Without Borders. Cultura Sin Fronteras. And we will have a special reception to present this project to the community, and it will be the second weekend in October. So I will provide the flyer information and any other details. Thank you. 12 mm-hmm Okay, yeah. So any other comments about any conferences, seminars that, they're pretty close, the 12 and the 13, that you may want to share with the group? Thank you.

Thank you.

So for Madam Chair, for me, for the Riverside Historical Society, we have our annual local history book fair on October 4th. I think there's going to be about a dozen or so authors with their books. And then, of course, we will be out with our special publication on the history of baseball in Riverside.

And how many pages is that?

It's 838 pages. Exactly. 838.

Thank you.

Any other activities? Do we have any suggestions or requests for future Museum of Riverside meetings? No. Okay. Well, I have a suggestion. Okay. Go ahead.

I was going to ask for clarification of your statement, but...

Which one?

The one you just stated, but maybe you're going to clarify it with your suggestion.

Okay. It's item number 13. Oh, yes.

Okay.

Well, we're between 13 and 14, or really in 13. Do we have any items to request for future Museum of Riverside board meetings? Do you have any suggestion about something that is going on on your wards related that can benefit the museum or especially can help us to network from the community? I don't know if that is viable, but you know that the... that the city have many boards and commissions. And one of those commissions, all of them are very important, but the Human Relations Commission is a commission that is doing a lot in the community. And I don't know, I just mentioned the Human Relations Commission, but maybe as part of the agenda, we can have other commissions invited to the meeting to give us an update about what are they doing, activities and so on.

I'm not sure that's in our purview. No, that's what I was going to say.

Yes, it's my understanding that the things being brought up before this board have a relationship with the Museum of Riverside and its properties. So I'm not sure that that would be something that would be of interest or allowed.

And just a reminder, too, that all of the other boarding commissions meetings like this one are public meetings, and if you have interest in them, you can attend them.

Okay. I am a network person, and I think that any relation with other groups or organizations, we have other nonprofits in the community, like the Black History Parade. All these organizations have resources, And once the museum is open, what do we want? We want people to come. We want children and we want youth. And you can find those everywhere. So I just want to... to reconsider in the future bringing some other groups in the community that if we don't know, then that's the opportunity. Thank you.

I would be happy to prepare a report on the organizations with which we collaborate regularly.

Okay. Thank you, Tony. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. If we don't have any other questions, that brings us to the end of our agenda for today. Thank you all for attending. It really makes a difference because, as you know, these are public meetings. They are recorded. And when we all are here, it's like the family getting together to do good. so i like to adjourn the meeting today at 3 35 p.m please be sure to validate your garage six parking car in the back of chambers if you have no already done so we will see you for our next board meeting on September 23rd at 3 p.m. Thank you so much. Muchas gracias.