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Report regarding a presentation on the City of South San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department’s programs and services. (Greg Mediati, Director of Parks and Recreation)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Commission on Equity and Public Safety be apprised of the Parks and Recreation Department’s various divisions responsible for the delivery of public services.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Parks and Recreation Department is one of 14 City departments. Under the direction of the Director, Deputy Director, and management team who report to the City Manager, the Department is responsible for the provision of opportunities for physical, cultural, and social well-being; effective use and maintenance of public facilities, parks, and open space; and the delivery of services in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
The Department is among the largest operating departments and is the largest by way of employees with over 400 staffers - both full time and part time / hourly.
The Department is comprised of four divisions, which are further detailed below.
Administration Division
The Administration Division manages departmental business activities and provides leadership and oversight in an effective and efficient manner to support the other three divisions while providing high-quality customer services.
The Administration Division is largely a support division for the larger Department. Administration staff provide budget oversight, manage the Department’s hundreds of contracts and agreements, maintain relationships with vendors and contractors, support the Cultural Arts Program, and coordinate with City co-sponsored groups, such as the various non-profit youth sports leagues, and other recreation and social organizations that support the Department’s mission. Administration staff also serve as the liaison to the Finance and Human Resources Departments and are assigned with special projects and events as needed that support departmental and City initiatives.
The team also liaises with the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Commission’s duties include providing staff with advice in the areas of recreation programming, policies, and fees; to convey citizen concerns; to advocate for the parks and recreational needs of the community; to participate in planning for new recreation programs, facilities, playgrounds, and parks; and to serve as the appeal body for the City's Tree Ordinance.
Parks Division
The Parks Division is responsible for the maintenance of all City parks, certain medians and right-of-way areas, Common Greens areas, Sign Hill, certain SSFUSD ballfields, and all publicly owned trees. In all, this equates to approximately 350 acres of parks and open space, 13 miles of medians, and over 10,000 trees.
The Parks Division has approximately 30 full-time field staff, three part-time staff, two maintenance supervisors, one administrative assistant, and one manager. In addition to daily maintenance activities, the Parks Division also provides services for residents and other City departments. These include tree permit application review, capital improvement project management, public and private project plan review, administration of the community gardens, response to service requests, and emergency response.
Creating a sustainable healthy environment is paramount to the Parks Division’s goals. The Division focuses on green practices: reducing energy and water consumption when feasible and recycling tree mulch from trees that are removed or pruned around the city. In addition to these practices, the Parks Division works to preserve and restore habitat on Sign Hill. Fire safety, public education, and endangered species protection are the primary goals of the extensive work that the Division continues to perform on the hill.
The Parks Division also prides itself in providing numerous opportunities for the community to get involved through volunteerism. Improving Public Places and Sign Hill Stewards are two of the largest volunteer groups, but the Division also offers other individual opportunities to help beautify our park spaces and engage in the community.
Building Maintenance Division
The Building Maintenance Division strives to meet the maintenance needs of facility occupants. These services include custodial and general maintenance of all City owned facilities.
There are 26 permanent buildings, nine park restrooms and seven portables, being serviced by 16 full-time custodians, two craftworkers, and four part-time / hourly positions. This team is responsible for work requests submitted by City staff, emergency repairs, general cleaning, access controls, fire / life safety systems, security alarm management, HVAC systems, elevators, lighting, plumbing repairs, and others. This Division also manages minor maintenance projects and capital improvement projects, such as tenant improvements, lighting and other energy upgrades, equipment / appliance replacement, access controls, and other repairs.
Recreation Division
The Recreation Division provides recreation and enrichment programs for community members, promotes wellness, creates a culture of curiosity and learning, enhances the quality of life for participants, and stimulates community building. Additionally, the Division hosts numerous large-scale public events, such as Concert in the Park, quarterly art exhibits, Halloween Extravaganza, Movies in the Park, among others. There are several sub-divisions, known as Program Areas, within the Recreation Division, detailed below.
Aquatics Program
The Aquatics Program operates Orange Memorial Pool, a heated, indoor, 25-yard by 6-lane facility. The Aquatics Program offers a wide range of activities to meet the needs of most persons living in South San Francisco. Programs are divided into lessons, fitness, recreation, and rentals.
The Aquatics Program has lessons, both semi-private and private, for all ages and abilities.
Fitness activities include water exercise and lap swim. The water exercise classes are a group activity for those ages 18 and older. Specific sessions are developed specifically for older adults and those who have difficulty with strenuous exercise. The evening water exercise class is a high-intensity water aerobics class geared for those who want a high-tempo workout. Lap swim is an unstructured program geared for those 16 years and older who wish to swim laps.
Recreation swim is an unstructured program for those who wish to enjoy the water but don’t necessarily want to exclusively swim laps or exercise. Recreation swim is divided into two programs: adult and open. Adult recreation swim is for those 18 years and older. Three lanes are set up for those who wish to swim laps, and the remainder of the pool is open for stationary exercise, walking, or lounging in the water. Open recreation swim is for all ages. The pool is divided into deep and shallow zones and is designed for swimmers to have fun in the pool.
Orange Memorial Pool is also available for rentals. The primary users are those who rent the pool for birthday parties. Additionally, the pool hosts daily practices organized by the co-sponsored Aquatics Club.
It should of course be noted that a new Aquatics Center is under construction at Orange Memorial Park. The project includes:
• A 24,000 square-foot aquatic facility.
• Two pools: a 25-yard outdoor lap pool and a separate indoor warm water teaching/recreation pool. The indoor pool will also have an all-abilities zero-depth beach entry.
• Swimmer’s lounge and locker rooms.
• Rentable multi-use rooms.
• New veteran’s memorial.
• Restored open lawn / athletic field.
• A future phase includes a new all-abilities playground where the existing playground near the Fernekes Building is located.
Classes Program
The Classes Program offers classes for children, teens, and adults on a quarterly basis. Classes are offered at five City facilities. There are currently over 55 instructors that teach a variety of classes.
Over 30 classes each quarter are offered for preschool children in the areas of kindergarten readiness, arts and crafts, exercise, and martial arts. Classes are available for children in the study of dance, music, martial arts, Cantonese, Hindi, arts and crafts, tennis, and more. The ballet program, known as the South San Francisco Civic Ballet, has two to four large performances each year for participants and their families.
Approximately 15 to 20 classes per quarter are offered for teens. Some examples include ballet, exercise and fitness, art, martial arts, dance, and music. Teens may also take classes that are offered through the Adult / Teen section.
Hundreds of adults, many of whom are seniors, participate in classes offered in exercise and fitness, dance, martial arts, arts and crafts, and programs each session.
Cultural Arts Program
The South San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department supports community arts through various programs.
The South San Francisco Cultural Arts Commission is a citizen’s advisory board comprised of nine members. Staff and the Commission oversee the installation of art at public and private locations throughout the City, including administration of the public art developer requirement.
The Cultural Arts Program presents a series of quarterly art gallery exhibits, live and virtual, designed to showcase the creativity of local artists. The vision for the art gallery program is to continue presentations that reflect a wide spectrum of art styles and media crossing all areas of art and interest groups.
Fostering creativity, artistic discipline, cultural appreciation, and a sense of accomplishment in local youth is a priority. To that end, in partnership with the South San Francisco Unified School District, the Cultural Arts Program sponsors an annual Youth Art Show.
The Program also sponsors the annual presentation of the Jack Drago Cultural Arts Commission Youth Art Scholarship to graduating high school seniors. It is a financial award established for the purpose of providing continued education in the arts. The scholarship is funded exclusively by community fundraising dollars and donations. This scholarship will soon pivot to a fellowship program where the recipient will receive real-life experience working in the realm of public art programs while receiving a stipend.
The City Council has periodically allocated funds for the acquisition of public art. In 2020, the City adopted an ordinance, the Public Art Requirement and In-Lieu Fee for Non-Residential Developments, establishing a public art requirement for specified non-residential development projects.
In September 2023, the City of South San Francisco adopted its first Public Art Master Plan. The Plan is a tool to guide the City in arts planning on a long-term basis. The Public Art Master Plan makes 14 recommendations and sets of goals, policies, and objectives to provide direction to the Cultural Arts Commission, City Council, and City staff for the development, improvement, and enhancement of the City's public art inventory and cultural arts programs. It is a comprehensive document that establishes a foundational pathway and achieves executable guidelines to strengthen the City's unique regional identity from the present to the future.
Preschool and Early Learning
The Preschool and Early Learning Program provides a curriculum and learning environment that helps young children develop socially, intellectually, physically, and emotionally. The Program is play-based and is characterized by a predictable structure, providing children with a dependable routine.
Programs are licensed through the State of California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing. Teachers meet education requirements set by Community Care Licensing and vary in levels of education in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Supervision, Curriculum, and Emergency Response. Student-teacher ratios are one qualified teacher for every 12 students. Teachers provide a safe, nurturing environment with many developmentally appropriate activities and opportunities for the children to creatively explore and learn through play.
Westborough and Siebecker Preschool are fee-based programs, and the Big Lift grant funded Little Steps Preschool at the Gene Mullin Community Learning Center is free or at a greatly reduced fee for families who are income-eligible in accordance with County of San Mateo income guidelines.
Facility Rentals
Four recreational facilities are available for rent for community and private gatherings. Types of rentals include christenings, birthday parties, homeowner’s association meetings, family gatherings, wedding receptions, non-profit group events, anniversaries, dinner dances, etc. All fees include use of the tables and chairs, building supervision, regular cleaning, and arrangement and tear down of tables and chairs. The Department also offers rentals at 17 picnic sites in seven park locations.
Senior Services
The Senior Services Program operates a Senior Center, a licensed Adult Day Care Program, and a Congregate Nutrition Program.
The Roberta Cerri Teglia Senior Center is located at 601 Grand Avenue and is open Monday through Saturday. Programs are designed to encourage independence and socialization, reflecting the diverse needs among older adults. The Senior Center offers a variety of services including information and referrals, a number of free drop-in programs, tax preparation services, a Congregate Nutrition Program, special events, and volunteer opportunities. The Congregate Nutrition Program is free for seniors ages 60 years and older. Some of the free drop-in programs at the Center include fine art exploration, Hawaiian arts, karaoke, yoga, knitting and crochet, mahjong, ping pong, zumba, technology assistance, billiards, and an open gym.
The Adult Day Care Program is open Monday through Friday. The program objectives are to maintain and enhance participants’ physical, social, and emotional functioning, while encouraging the highest level of independence and enhancing their quality of life. The Program enables frail or impaired older adults to remain in the community and to prevent premature institutionalization. It also provides on-going support, respite, and assistance with community resources for caregivers and families of participants. The Adult Day Care’s activities are designed to provide mental, physical, and social stimulation for participants. Structured recreation, education, and social programs include exercise, wellness and nutrition education, arts / crafts, music, memory games, walking, and more. Participants receive a nutritionally balanced hot lunch and snack daily, and transportation assistance and information is available.
Sports Program
The Sports Program offers a wide variety of programs for participants of all ages. These include kindergarten - 2nd grade basketball clinics, 3rd - 5th grade basketball league, middle school sports, girls volleyball, flag football, basketball, track and field, golf, badminton, adult sports leagues, softball, basketball, Junior Giants baseball program, open gym use, field preparations, and special events.
The Sports Program is also the liaison to the co-sponsored groups, including the South San Francisco Youth Baseball Managers Association and South San Francisco United Youth Soccer League. The Department works with each group to provide field space, administrative assistance, and other facility uses.
Youth Enrichment Services
The Youth Enrichment Services Program operates four licensed After School Recreation Programs, two After School Education and Safety Programs, seasonal camps, and a Full of Fun Program for young adults with special needs.
The After School Program is offered Monday through Friday. Programs operate on the following elementary school campuses: Buri Buri, Monte Verde, Ponderosa, and Spruce. Full day programs are also offered during school holidays and breaks.
The REAL After School program is funded through the California Department of Education After School Education and Safety (ASES) grant. REAL operates on the Los Cerritos and Martin Elementary School campuses. The purpose of our REAL program is to expand learning beyond the school day and beyond classroom doors and walls. Our program compliments, supports, and enhances daily classroom instruction.
Summer Camp operates at Orange Memorial Park, Terrabay Gymnasium, and one SSFUSD site. Teen Camp is for 13 to 14 year olds. Traditional Camp activities include science, sports, art, cooking, music, and movement as well as swimming, community adventures, and field trips. Specialty camps provide a week of focused activity that develops children’s skills and knowledge in areas of sports and enrichment. Full of Fun Programming offers three weeks of summer camp and monthly events during the school year. The program is for young adults 14 years of age and older.
CONCLUSION
Staff will provide a verbal presentation on each Division’s responsibilities and welcome questions and discussion from the Commission.