Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/21/2000, 11 - LAGUNA LAKE PARK DOG PARK FENCING COUnci L Mc November 21, 2000 acEnda nEpont "`m"°�b" C I TY OF S AN L U IS O B I S P O FROM: Parks and Recreation Commission Prepared By: Paul LeSage,Director of Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: GUNA LAKE PARK DOG PARK FENCING CAO RECOMMENDATION Approve the Parks and Recreation Commission's recommendation that the installation of permanent structures in Laguna Lake Park for the purpose of providing a fenced, off-leash dog area not be allowed. DISCUSSION Background At the request of the City Council (September 5, 2000), the Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the feasibility of adding a fenced, off-leash dog area to Laguna Lake Park. The Parks and Recreation Commission's recommendation to the City Council is based upon the following considerations: • Such a project would be contrary to the intent of the Laguna Lake Park Master Plan, as is interpreted by the Commission. • The project would be precedent setting and lead to requests for additional structures in the park. Laguna Lake Park Master Plan Laguna Lake Park is viewed by this community as a unique scenic and biological resource. For that reason, a master plan was adopted for the park by the City Council in 1993. The plan called for a passive use of the park and the creation of a number of environmental enhancements such as: additional wetlands, shoreline re-vegetation, wetland buffers, a nature center, tree plantings, and trails. Unfortunately, though, the plan was adopted at a time that the City was experiencing financial difficulties, and it's implementation was not funded. In subsequent years, the plan continued not to receive funding, because other projects, including athletic fields, gymnasiums, and neighborhood parks, were judged to be of greater need. Finally, in 1998, the Council authorized funding to begin the implementation of the Master Plan. A bank stabilization and tree-planting project was completed this year and another is in the planning stage. Even with these projects, Laguna Lake Park appears to be mostly undeveloped, especially to people who are not familiar with the Master Plan. Because of the lack of new developable park space in the City, Laguna Lake Park usually becomes the focus of requests for new activities. 11-1 Council Agenda Report—Laguna Lake Park Dog Park Fencing Page 2 Over the past several years, the Parks and Recreation Commission has reviewed several proposals for facilities in the park. This has included: athletic fields, boating concession, disc golf course, campground, and off-leash dog park. The Commission review of these projects was usually quite contentious, because residents who supported the Master Plan considered these activities contrary to the intended use of the park and were not shy about expressing their views. The Commission revisited the plan in 1998 in order to make recommendations to the City Council on implementation. At that time, they adopted an interpretation of the plan as it relates to the installation of permanent structures in the park. It is as follows: Activities in the park should be consistent with the intent of the Master Plan. Any activity that requires the installation of permanent structures not found in the Master Plan is not considered appropriate. The Commission took this action in hopes of providing clear guidance to anyone who might request facilities for the park. An off-leash dog park would require the installation of a number of structures, most notably fencing. With that in mind, the Commission cannot recommend the project. Precedent-setting nature of the decision No one can deny the need for one or more off-leash dog areas in San Luis Obispo. It is a worthwhile program that is as much about socialization for dog owners as it is about exercise for the pets. In fact, the program will be included as an unmet need in the update of the Parks and Recreation Element that will be before the City Council early next year. However, there are other unmet needs, such as a disc golf course, additional sports fields, and a community center. A decision to allow a fenced, off-leash dog area in Laguna Lake Park could be seen as precedent setting and lead to requests for many other facilities not found in the Master Plan. As was previously noted, the Commission has reviewed a number of these requests in the past. While the Commission has opted for a strict interpretation of the Master Plan, it understands that its role on this matter is to provide the City Council with advice, and the ultimate decision is that of the Council. If that decision is to allow an off-leash dog area in Laguna Lake Park or any other structure, then the Commission would recommend an amendment to the plan to reflect the changes. While this would be a controversial action, at least to those who were involved in adopting the original Master Plan, it would be an appropriate action. CONCURRENCES This recommendation is consistent with previous Parks and Recreation Commission action on Laguna Lake Park, including the July 31, 1998, interpretation of the Laguna Lake Park Master Plan. This matter was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission at their October 4, 2000, meeting. The Commission's recommendation was approved unanimously. 11-2 Council Agenda Report—Laguna Lake Park Dog Park Fencing Page 3 Also in attendance at that meeting were eleven individuals who regularly exercise their dogs at Laguna Lake Park in what is known as the pilot, off-leash area. Ten of those people expressed a preference to leave things as they are in Laguna Lake Park and not construct a fenced, off-leash area. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the action recommended by the Commission. The establishment of an off-leash dog area is a significant capital project, regardless of location. As was pointed out to the City Council recently by a representative of the SLO4PUPS organization, such an area requires: • 1-2 acres of land in an area designated strictly for off-leash dog activity • Fencing(1000 feet) • Separate areas for large and small dogs • Lawn or a ground cover • Water and an irrigation system if the ground cover is turf • Shade • Bench seating • Signboard or kiosk to post rules • Trash receptacles Such a project should only be considered by the City Council as part of goal setting and provided significant community interest is demonstrated. 11-3 Mariiy Dene council �1-z1-0o acEnda RepoRt I¢m Pfum6e�� CITY O F SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Paul LeSage,Director of Parks &Recreation Prepared By: Carolyn Goossens, Recreation Coordinator I SUBJECT: MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT CAO RECOMMENDATION Receive the report of the Mardi Gras Task Force on the operation of the 2001 event and provide further direction as needed. DISCUSSION Background On July 11, 2000, the City Council reviewed the Mardi Gras Status Report. Staff recommended not to sanction a night time Mardi Gras Parade in 2001 and continue working with Mystic Krewe on exploring alternative celebrations for this annual event. After much discussion, Council approved Mystic Krewe's recommendation to conduct the parade on a Tuesday night at an appropriate time. The issues surrounding Mardi Gras were referred to a task force to develop recommendations regarding the event. The Council indicated that the recommendation should include 1) options on how to modify the parade route without impairing traffic circulation; 2) a definition of"zero tolerance" for alcohol, with safety and budgetary impacts of that policy; and 3) a discussion of ways of minimizing the impact of any increase in costs of the event to the City. Task Force Members The Mardi Gras Task Force consisted of a number of representatives from the following entities: ❑ City of San Luis Obispo staff (4) ❑ Mystic Krewe of Karnival (3) ❑ Cal Poly ASI and Alumni Association(2) ❑ Neighborhoods (3) ❑ Downtown Association (2) Cuesta College representatives were unavailable to attend scheduled meetings. A Task Force roster is provided as Attachment A. Meetings The Task Force unanimously agreed to schedule three meetings to address each key issue as requested by City Council. The meetings were held on July 20, August 24, and September 28 at the Parks & Recreation Department Office. Agendas and minutes for each meeting were submitted to each participating member for review and are currently available on file in the Council Reading File and the Parks &Recreation Department Office. 12-1 Council Agenda Report—Mardi Gras Task Force Report Page 2 Key Issues Discussed The focus of the Task Force's discussion was the Mardi Gras Parade to be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2001. Each of the meetings consisted of lengthy discussions and good representation on a variety of important issues surrounding this annual event. Attachment 1 is The Mardi Gras Task Force Report detailing the results of ten key issues. The following list indicate the issues included in the report: 1. Parade Issues 2. Zero Tolerance for Alcohol 3. Reducing Consumption and Availability of Alcohol 4. Downtown Concerns 5. Neighborhood Concerns 6. Student Events After Parade 7. Public Education–Slogan 8. Downtown Signage Regarding Event 9. Videotaping of Parade 10. Reducing the Cost of the Event to the City The Task Force reached consensus on all issues of discussion except for reducing the cost of the event to the City. This topic was frequently addressed during the discussion, and both the staff and Mystic Krewe have taken advantage of any reasonable opportunities to reduce the costs. However, ultimately, staff felt that it was critical to increase the presence of police personnel at the event, and Mystic Krewe did not suggest any new sources of revenue to off-set expenses above its $10,000 payment. Accordingly, that section of the Task Force Report contains statements reflecting both the staff and Mystic Krewe's positions on this issue. CONCURRENCES The Mardi Gras Task Force has reviewed the Mardi Gras Task Force Report (Attachment 1) and concurs with all the recommendations except for that of the section "Reducing the Cost of the Event to the City". Mystic Krewe's position on this issue is stated separately in this section of the report. FISCAL IWACT At this time, City staff has not yet determined the cost of its services for the 2001 event. While the change to Tuesday night may reduce attendance, the Police Department is reluctant to change its recommendation to increase staffing of law enforcement from the 2000 parade. As a result, the total cost of City services is estimated to be in excess of$80,000, an increase from last year's $55,000. As indicated above, the Mystic Krewe members were unable to offer any suggestions toward raising more money to offset the high costs of City services for this special event. Based on the current Council direction and the City's Special Events Policy, the cost of this event charged to Mystic Krewe will be $10,000. This is the final year of the Council approved $10,000 cap, so the issue of retaining, eliminating or changing the cap will need to be addressed in the upcoming year. 12-2 Council Agenda Report=Mardi Gras Task Force Report Page 3 ATTACHMENTS 1. Mardi Gras Task Force Report I Mardi Gras Task Force Roster 3. Map of Parade Route 4. Copy of No=Alcofiol Slogan. Council Reading,File: Task Force Agendas.and Meeting Minutes 12-3 ATTACHMENT 1 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT OCTOBER 2000 Several issues surrounding the annual SLO Mardi Gras (reviewed and discussed by City Council on July 11, 2000) were referred to a task force to develop recommendations for the event. This document is a report of the discussions held and recommendations concurred upon by members of the Mardi Gras Task Force. It is noted that issue#10, Reducing the Cost of the Event to the City, did not receive full concurrence by all members. Therefore, conclusions are stated from City staff and Mystic Krewe of Karnival. KEY ISSUES DISCUSSED 1. PARADE BASICS Start Time: The Task Force discussed parade start times ranging from 5:33 to 7:02pm. City staff recommended keeping the same start time approved for the previous Mardi Gras parades. Mystic Krewe and the Downtown Association suggested starting the parade at a later time to avoid closing off access to the downtown area early in the day. The affected streets were closed last year at 2:00pm for a parade start time of 5:33pm. The Task Force unanimously agreed to a compromise of a 6:33 start time. Recommendation: the parade will begin at 6:33pm on Tuesday, February 27, 2001. Route: The Task Force discussed various options to altering the established route for this parade. Some ideas include expanding the route to Johnson Avenue, using Marsh Street (between Toro and Johnson) as the staging area and proposing Marsh Street(between Toro and Santa Rosa) as the family area. Discussion then turned to maintaining the approved existing route, familiar to event organizers and the public. Staff recommended focusing on issues that need attention rather than altering the physical location of an already established route. Recommendation: maintain the previously approved route, allowing no variations for the 2001 event. The parade will be held on Marsh Street, beginning at Osos and ending at Carmel. Family Area: The Task Force reviewed the importance of developing a family area along the parade route. This would provide a safer viewing location for families with younger children apart from the easily excitable crowd. The Downtown Center was suggested as a possible location, however, it was noted that the owner has expressed hesitation to closing off this area. Mystic Krewe offered to issue wristbands for admittance into a sectioned off area, thereby controlling the number of people within the family area. The Task Force also considered setting up bleachers (which Mystic Krewe would provide) along the route for the families only. Recommendation: to establish and develop a family area,possibly using the bleachers, and consider the family zone be located on Marsh between the Jack House and Carmel Street. 12-4 ATTACHMENT 1 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT Page 2 October 2000 Required Monitors: The Task Force reviewed the number of monitors required for the parade(past parades have required 90 on the route) and the behavior of a few working on the parade route. Recommendation: Mystic Krewe has established a goal of recruiting 300 monitors for staging and parade route and has already begun contacting agencies. Portable Restrooms: The Task Force discussed the continuing problem of urinating in public during and after the parade. In past years, the sponsor has supplied 8 portable restrooms that everyone agreed were inadequate for the number of people in attendance at this event. Recommendation: increase the number required to 20 portable restrooms, locating 1 on each side street along the route on both sides of Marsh. The City's portable restrooms are not available for this event as current policy states they may only be used at City sponsored and co-sponsored event. 2. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ALCOHOL The Task Force discussed strong promotion of no alcohol at the downtown Mardi Gras events and the realities of enforcing"zero tolerance". The topics of this discussion included stopping alcohol from entering the event area; providing a consistent message to the public; an earlier presence of police on the streets prior to the event; increasing the number of arrests, which will require additional officers/resources; promoting "intolerance" or"active enforcement"; increasing the number of arrests in downtown, thereby sending a message of intolerance; issue tickets and/or consequences; a reduction in the number of out-of-towners in attendance due to a Tuesday night event; and developing a strong message/slogan that alcohol violations will be strictly enforced. Recommendation: The Task Force unanimously concurred that supporting "zero tolerance"does not mean the each and every person committing a violation will be apprehended as this action would require more resources than are currently available. Supporting "zero tolerance"will mean 1) alcohol violations will be strictly enforced; 2) Mystic Krewe will develop a slogan promoting no alcohol at the event;3) law enforcement officers will be on-site earlier; 4)monitors will take an active role in discouraging alcohol and report violations to an officer; S) students will take an active role in pro-actively discourage drinking;and 6) the Task Force will be pro-active with educating specific student oriented groups about Mardi Gras. 3. RED UC1NGCONS UMPTIONAND AVAILABILITYOFALCOHOL The Mardi Gras Task Force discussed the importance of reducing consumption and the availability of alcohol throughout the City. This issue was included with each topic discussed as ultimately alcohol has had an enormous impact on the community's response to this event. The Task Force reviewed the possibilities of requesting downtown area bars and liquor stores to refrain from selling alcohol during this event. A license to sell liquor is regulated by the state and local cities have no local authority. A city does have the legal ability to close down liquor sales after a civil disturbance has occurred and an emergency is declared. The members of the Task Force concurred that 12-5 ATTACHMENT 1 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT Page 3 October 2000 holding the parade on a Tuesday night should reduce the number of visitors (i.e. students from other college communities) attending the parade and discourage late night activity throughout the town. Recommendation: members of the Task Force will work in unison on actively promoting the parade as an "Alcohol Free Zone'; educating the schools, community organizations, and downtown business owners on alcohol awareness. The Task Force concurred that the message of no alcohol at this event should ultimately enhance the safety and enjoyment of the parade. 4. DOWNTOWN CONCERNS Representatives for the Downtown Association discussed their concerns for overall safety for those attending the parade, increased trash and debris remaining throughout downtown, the potential property damage to local businesses, and the escalation of public urination. There are mixed emotions within the downtown business owners regarding this event. Some businesses feel it is not worth all the effort and others appreciate having the biggest night of the year in sales. It was noted that the sidewalks are becoming increasingly more crowded as the parade attracts a larger crowd each year. Many of the downtown business owners have expressed concern for the rooftops not withstanding the vast number of people congregating on them. The rooftops along with parade route continue to become the more common spot for viewing the colorful parade. The SLO Police Department has requested businesses to post "No Trespassing" signs on all accesses to their rooftops, which would allow police to respond to trespassers. The Parks &Recreation Department will provide the approved signs for each business to post for this year's event. In addition,the Police Department is reviewing liability responsibility and various options to ensuring safety for the affected businesses, including utilizing security officers and/or Police Academy personnel to monitor each roof. This additional responsibility would be an increase to the services currently provided by the City. Recommendation: additional trash containers and portable restrooms will be required for the parade event to alleviate excess debris and public urination. The SLO Police Department will review the issues surrounding the downtown rooftops and develop an action plan. 5. NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS The Mardi Gras Task Force included members of the Residents for Quality Neighborhoods and two downtown neighborhood business owners. They expressed concerns for the high volume of vehicle traffic at high speeds throughout the City whenever a special event is scheduled, specifically on Foothill Boulevard, and an increase in vandalism. Many of the complaints received from neighbors are for activities occurring long after the parade is over. The Police Department reiterated that all of their resources,plus additional sheriff officers, are committed to the event and maintaining safety throughout the entire city. Recommendation: continue to improve on police officers monitoring of problem areas, based on reports received and resources available,particularly when special events are scheduled within the City limits. 12-6 ATTACHMENT 1 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT Page 4 October 2000 6. STUDENT EVENTS AFTER PARADE Over the past few years, suggestions have been given to develop an activity or event for students to attend immediately after the Mardi Gras Parade. The idea was to attempt to decrease the large number of people who congregate within the downtown area after the parade with simply nothing to do. The lines to enter several restaurants/bars are so long that people are literally hanging around on the sidewalks until the early morning hours. A popular activity or event could attract a vast majority of those who cannot get into the bars or restaurants or do not want to wait in line. The planned event would be required to be located anywhere other than downtown,preferably on the Cal Poly campus. While this idea has been suggested previously, there has never been an organization or club willing to coordinate such an event for students to attend. Recommendation: The Task Force unanimously supported the concept of a planned event for students immediately after the parade, to be located on the Cal Poly campus. Members of Cal Poly ASI also supported this concept, although no activity will be planned for the 2001 Mardi Gras. 7. PUBLIC EDUCATION—SLOGAN The Task Force was unanimously concerned for the need to reduce the amount of alcohol consumption and sales before, during, and after the parade. They supported public education by speaking to organizations and schools on what Mardi Gras is really about and promoting no-alcohol at the event by developing a slogan to be advertised widely. In addition, the Police Department discussed facilitating a joint meeting of all business owners of local bars, restaurants, liquor stores, Mystic Krewe, and representatives from the Downtown Association to review the concerns about alcohol consumption surrounding this event. Recommendation: Mystic Krewe's King and Queen will arrange to speak at local high schools, Cal Poly, Cuesta College and other locations addressing the issue of alcohol violations during this event and educating people on the history of Mardi Gras. The Police Department will organize and facilitate a joint meeting of affected business owners to discuss alcohol sales during Mardi Gras. Mystic Krewe will actively promote "Alcohol Free Zone"slogan at their parade. 8. DO WNTO WN SIGNA GE REGARDING EVENT The Task Force discussed various way of"spreading the word" on no-alcohol at this event. By developing a catchy slogan to associate with Mardi Gras, the concept is that the public would begin accepting and ultimately adhering to an"Alcohol Free Zone" event. Promoting these slogans could be done with posters, advertising in local newspapers, contacting local media, etc. Recommendation: Mystic Krewe will include the slogan on each of their posters distributed throughout the county. 9. VIDEOTAPING OF PARADE The Police Department will be videotaping the parade activities for the February 27, 2001 event. This method of monitoring an activity has proven to be quite helpful in tracking a problem especially if an incident erupts. Currently, the Police Department uses videos in their vehicles and has been notably successful. They also would be able to use this video 12-7 ATTACHMENT 1 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE REPORT Page 5 October 2000 in preparing for other events, training staff for special event assignments, and strategies for avoiding occurring problems. A plan for this undertaking is still being developed by the Police Department. Recommendation: the Police Department will develop and implement a plan for videotaping the parade activities to enhance their abilities to solve occurring problems. 10. REDUCING THE COST OF THE EVENT TO THE CITY Throughout the various topics discussed by the Task Force, the issue of costs was frequently mentioned. There was a unanimous concern for the cost of services required for this annual event, and that was, therefore, the primary reason for maintaining as much of the plan as we can from previous years (not altering from last year's event) to avoid as many additional costs as possible. The Police Department has already indicated that, based on last year's experience, it will be increasing the number of safety personnel present at the event by hiring more outside police officers. While both Mystic Krewe and City staff hope that by moving the parade to Tuesday night the number of attendees will be reduced, until such a reduction is actually.demonstrated, the Police Department feels that it is necessary to increase its staffing level over last year. As a result, we know that the cost to the City will be greater this year than last year. The Task Force discussed possibilities of more sponsorships to support the event and using police academy personnel for specific crowd control issues as possible ways to reduce costs. Staff Recommendation: Ultimately, Mystic Krewe indicated their organization is actively searching for sponsorships to meet their own needs and did not feel they could raise money to offset the City's costs. City staff is still planning the 2001 event and, therefore, cannot determine its total fiscal impact until there is opportunity to review the February 27, 2001 event. However, any possible cost reduction in City services cannot be considered until the impact of the move to Tuesday night can be evaluated after the upcoming event Mystic Krewe's Position: The Task Force was empowered to find ways to reduce the cost of the annual Mardi Gras Parade to the City,it was not empowered to find ways to offset the City's cost The Mystic Krewe "offered"many suggestions and has made many compromises to help reduce the cost of the event In fact, the City Risk Manager has lowered the City's request for a $5million insurance policy, back to our traditional $2million insurance policy, based on compromises that have made Much of the increased cost is due to law enforcement requests. These costs may be for the concerns of public safety, but they set a precedence that will affect the future of every large event in the City. The Mystic Krewe feels that they pay$10,000 to hold a festival and a parade The 35,000 people who come into our downtown and support those events are why we are a community and a city that people want to live in. 12-5 ATTACHMENT 2 MARDI GRAS TASK FORCE MEMBER ROSTER City Representatives: • Paul LeSage, Parks & Recreation Director • Jim Gardiner, Police Chief • Wendy George, Assistant to the Asst. City Administrative Officer • Cliff Chelquist, Police Captain • Carolyn Goossens, Recreation Coordinator Mystic Krewe Representatives: • John Thomas • Pete Dorn • Tammy Seale Neighborhood Representatives: • Naoma Wright • Kathy Smith • Barbara Hadden Downtown Association Representatives: • Christine Bragg • Brett Weaver Cal Poly Representative: • Samuel Aborne • Darren Cordova Cuesta Representative: • No representative attended WAV Recommended plan for this Task Force is to have three, two-hour meetings with a set agendas that address all areas of concern. After issues are resolved, the Director of Parks and Recreation will prepare a report for Council. All task force members will receive a copy and be able to comment prior to its submission to Council. 12-9 s II ` w • U Mimi a . ME t01 oil % \• . V111- Z lot 1`� Q { 1 / 1r{ ✓Yawlf_ Jy Y S oil J AR { , v No {� � ~Y •fid �y�ly' y if ��yl � oil. Z. a " p a �'s•aw a r _ qL P 19999 �I _I �f v