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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2021 1006 CCSA REG ITEM 10ECITY OF MOORPARK,  CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of October 6, 2021 ACTION APPROVED STAFF RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. 2021- 4045. (ROLL CALL VOTE UNANIMOUS, COUNCILMEMBER GROFF ABSENT). BY B. Garza. E. Consider Installation of a 20 foot Fence at Mountain Meadows Park and Adoption of a Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 Budget Appropriating $50,000 from the Community Wide Park Development Fund (2010) for Additional Softball Field Fencing at Mountain Meadows Park. Staff Recommendation: 1) Authorize the installation of a 20-foot high fence at Mountain Meadows Park; and 2) Adopt Resolution No. 2021-4045 amending the FY 2021/22 budget to fund the installation of additional softball fencing at Mountain Meadows Park. (Staff: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director) Item: 10.E. MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director DATE: 10/06/2021 Regular Meeting SUBJECT: Consider Installation of a 20 foot Fence at Mountain Meadows Park and Adoption of a Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 Budget Appropriating $50,000 from the Community Wide Park Development Fund (2010) for Additional Softball Field Fencing at Mountain Meadows Park BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION Mountain Meadows Park was constructed with two softball fields located along the eastern border of the park. The fields are rented on a regular basis by various softball leagues for tournaments, games, and league practices. Additionally, the fields are popular with nearby residents and are used frequently for informal gatherings. The fields generally consist of a 16-foot high fenced back stop, 8-foot high foul line fences on both sides of the field and dugout areas. The north field is located approximately 38’ feet from the nearest neighbor’s property fence, and the south field is located approximately 22 feet from the nearest property fence. A row of mature trees borders the park along the east property line adjacent to the neighboring properties. However, between 2017 and 2018 several large Sequoia trees (Sequoia sempervirens) were removed along the eastern park boundary due to a fungal disease commonly called Sequoia Canker. Sequoia Canker is the result of the pathogen Botryodiplodia spp. The fungal disease is the same disease that infected many of the Sequoia trees on Tierra Rejada Road and ultimately resulted in the loss of several hundred trees. At this time, a cure for the disease has not been identified. In 2019, staff was contacted by the neighbor directly east of the north field. The neighbor stated that over the years, many errant balls have landed on their roof and other personal property located in the back and side yard areas of their residence. Several large Sequoia trees were removed directly adjacent to this property in 2018 and it is likely that these trees provided the resident with some relief from errant balls. At the time staff was contacted by the resident, staff suggested installing a taller foul line fence to mitigate the concern. However, the neighbor did not feel that a tall fence was an adequate solution. The resident’s concern was regarding the views from his home, as Item: 10.E. 732 Honorable City Council 10/06/2021 Regular Meeting Page 2 he felt that a tall fence would be unattractive and would ultimately lower his property value. In an effort to solve this issue, staff planted a variety of tall trees between the property wall and the softball field. Staff explained to the neighbor that it may be several years before the trees grow tall enough to mitigate the issue. However, the neighbor has been pleased with the results thus far, even though an occasional ball will make its way into his yard. In 2020, staff was contacted by the neighbor that lives directly east of the south field and was informed of a similar situation. However, this neighbor’s home is considerably closer to the field than the neighbor adjacent to the north field. The neighbor explained to staff that errant balls have been coming into their yard for many years. They stated they did not notify the City in the past because they felt they had some responsibility for purchasing their home directly adjacent to the park. However, they stated that more and more balls have been making their way over their wall over the last several years. Field rentals at Mountain Meadows Park have increased over the last several years due to an increase in the number of softball leagues. However, recently staff has moved field rentals to other parks until a solution can be determined. Currently, the City has eight dedicated softball fields: four at Arroyo Vista Community Park, two at Mountain Meadows Park, one at Miller Park and one at Campus Canyon Park. Over the last 18 months, moving field rentals to the other parks has not been an issue since the leagues have not been able to schedule games or tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as California reopened and leagues are now able to utilize the fields, it is becoming increasingly difficult to move leagues to other parks. It is likely that the City will need to utilize the fields at Mountain Meadows Park in the near future to accommodate all the leagues. Currently, the south field at Mountain Meadows Park is installed with a 16-foot backstop and 8 foot foul line fence. The fencing sizes meet the minimum industry standards for softball fields. However, since the adjacent homes are within close proximity to the fields, staff is recommending replacing the 8-foot high foul line fence with a 20-foot high foul line fence on the east side of the south field, as well as extending the backstop fence an additional 8 feet to mitigate errant balls. Since the homeowner adjacent to the north field is pleased with the additional trees that were planted and is opposed to increasing the height of the fencing, staff is only recommending the installation of the fence adjacent at the south field at this time (See Attachment 1). Staff brought this issue to the Parks and Recreation Commission during the Special Meeting and Park Tour that was held on May 16, 2021. The Commission agreed with staff’s recommendation that a higher foul line fence and modifications to the backstop fence were warranted due to the close proximity of the homes to the south field. FISCAL IMPACT The cost to replace the foul line fence and make the modifications to the backstop is approximately $50,000. Currently there is no funding available in the Park Improvement Fund for Park Zone 2, as the funding was utilized in 2020 to complete the playground improvement projects at several parks. As a reminder, the Park Improvement Funds 733 Honorable City Council 10/06/2021 Regular Meeting Page 3 are funded through development projects. When a development project is not able to dedicate a new public park to the city, the Moorpark Municipal Code (MMC) Chapter 16.44 requires the developer to pay a fee in-lieu of parkland dedication. The fee is distributed 60% to the individual Park Improvement Fund where the development project is located, and 40% is distributed to Community Wide Park Development Fund (CWPDF) (Fund 2010). Park Improvement Zone 1 (Fund 2011) includes all land within the City’s boundary north of Los Angeles Avenue and Park Improvement Zone 2 (Fund 2013) includes all land within the City on the south side of Los Angeles Avenue. City Council Policy 6.7, Allocation of Park Improvement Fee Payments, describes how the funding allocation should be expended, as the intent of the Park Improvement Funds is to provide funding for the improvement of park facilities within a particular zone. In the case of the CWPDF, the funding shall be expended for either improvements at Arroyo Vista Community Park or improvements at other City parks when such improvements are determined by a majority vote of the City Council to provide a community-wide benefit. Major park amenities such as softball fields, athletic fields, and tennis and pickleball courts provide a community-wide benefit, as they serve a larger population than the immediate neighborhood. Historically, funding from the CWPDF has been approved by the City Council for improvements or modifications to these types of park amenities. The FY 2021/22 fund balance in the CWPDF is approximately $175,000. The relatively low fund balance is due to the fact that approximately $1.5M is reserved for the Inclusive Playground Project at Tierra Rejada Park (C0063). However, it should be noted that approximately $1.2M will be reimbursed through a combination of grant funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the Per Capita Parks Grant, and funding from the Art in Public Places Fund (Fund 2007). Staff estimates a fund balance of approximately $1,375,000 after the award of the LWCF and Per Capita Parks Grants, and completion of the Inclusive Playground Project. COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE This action does not support a current strategic directive. STAFF RECOMMENDATION (ROLL CALL VOTE REQUIRED) 1.Authorize the installation of a 20-foot high fence at Mountain Meadows Park, and; 2.Adopt Resolution No. 2021-____ amending the FY 2021/22 budget to fund the installation of additional softball fencing at Mountain Meadows Park. Attachment 1: Mountain Meadows Park – Proposed Foul Line Fence Location Attachment 2: Draft Resolution No. 2021-____ 734 Attachment 15735 RESOLUTION NO. 2021-_____ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021/22 BUDGET BY APPROPRIATING $50,000 FROM THE COMMUNITY WIDE PARK DEVELOPMENT FUND (2010) TO FUND ADDITIONAL SOFTBALL FENCING AT MOUNTAIN MEADOWS PARK WHEREAS, on June 16, 2021, the City Council adopted the Operating and Capital Improvement Projects budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22; and WHEREAS, a staff report has been presented to the City Council requesting a budget amendment in the amount of $50,000 from the Community Wide Park Development Fund (2010) to fund the installation of additional softball fencing at Mountain Meadows Park; and WHEREAS, Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and made a part hereof, describes said budget amendment and the resultant impact to the budget line items. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. A budget amendment in the amount of $50,000 from the Community Wide Park Development Fund (2010), as more particularly described in Exhibit “A”, attached hereto, is hereby approved. SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the book of original resolutions. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of October, 2021. _____________________________ Janice S. Parvin, Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Ky Spangler, City Clerk Exhibit A – Budget Amendment ATTACHMENT 2 736 Resolution No. 2021-_____ Page 2 FUND BALANCE ALLOCATION: Fund-Account Number Amount 2010-00-00000-33990 50,000.00$ Total 50,000.00$ EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATION: Account Number Current Budget Revision Amended Budget 2010-541-R0100-55500 -$ 50,000.00$ 50,000.00$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ Total -$ 50,000.00$ 50,000.00$ COMMUNITY WIDE PARK DEVELOPMENT EXHIBIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FOR ADDITIONAL SOFTBALL FENCING AT FY 2021/22 Fund Title MOUNTAIN MEADOWS PARK COMMUNITY WIDE PARK DEVELOPMENT FUND (2010) 737