HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2011 0216 CC REG ITEM 10JITEM 10.J.
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
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AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council 4f 9*h
FROM: Deborah S. Traffenstedt, Deputy City Manager '�:11)5`T
PREPARED BY: Stephanie Shaw, Recreation Superintendent
DATE: February 10, 2011 (CC Meeting of February 16, 2011)
SUBJECT: Consider Resolution Adopting Park Restroom Hours of
Operation
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Ordinance No. 392 amending Chapter 12.16, Parks and Open Space, became effective on
August 21, 2010. The ordinance includes section 12.16.020, Hours of Operation. Per the
ordinance, parks with lighted -facilities close at 10:00 p.m. and parks without lighted
facilities close at sunset. The ordinance also states that council may approve by resolution
more restrictive hours of operation for certain facilities or structures, including restrooms.
Attached is a draft resolution that would establish the park restroom hours of operation
from eight (8:00) a.m. until five (5:00) p.m. for Pacific Standard Time and from eight (8:00)
a.m. until seven (7:00) p.m. for Pacific Daylight Savings Time. The resolution also states
that the park restrooms shall be closed when needed for maintenance and repair, and that
notice of park restroom hours of operation shall be posted at each restroom building in
accordance with Section 12.16.030, Signs (of the MMC).
Staff's opinion is that setting specific times to open /close restrooms lets the public know
more precisely when the park restrooms will be open and closed. In practice, some
restrooms will be open prior to 8:00 a.m., because the assigned personnel (landscape
contractors or City staff) generally open the first location beginning approximately one hour
before the posted time and then move on to subsequent sites for opening. The same
practice would be followed for closing parks, with the first location closed no sooner then
5:00 or 7:00 p.m. (depending on the time of year) and then moving to the next location
until all restrooms are closed. The total time involved in opening or closing of restrooms is
approximately 1 '/2 to 2 hours when accomplished by one person.
Currently, the park restrooms are all scheduled to be opened before 7:00 a.m., but in
practice, this does not always occur. Typically, landscape contractors open the park
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Honorable City Council
February 16, 2011 Regular Meeting
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restrooms on weekdays, and City staff open the park restrooms on weekends and
holidays and also close and lock them everyday. With relatively a small staff and budget,
the current practice of utilizing both landscape contractors and City staff to accomplish
opening and closing responsibilities is most efficient. Staff is proposing to have all parks
opened prior to 8:00 a.m. With this change, the parks would begin to be opened by
approximately 6:15 a.m. and would all be open by 8:00 a.m.
A private security company is currently responsible to lock the Home Acres Buffer gate
and the tennis courts at Miller and Mammoth Highlands Park beginning at 10:00 p.m. (or
later depending upon which park is locked first and which is locked last), as well as the
Arroyo Vista Community Park (AVCP) tennis courts on weekends and holidays. The
tennis court lights become inoperative at 10:00 p.m. The tennis courts are locked to deter
vandalism to the nets and court surfaces. Excluding AVCP, where the restrooms are
closed independently, the restrooms at the other nine parks (and soon to be ten with the
addition of the Glenwood Park restrooms), are opened and closed sequentially by either
landscape contractors or City staff. For the closing of restrooms for parks without lighted
tennis court facilities, the restrooms are currently closed beginning at 5:00 p.m. or 7:00
p.m. (depending on the time of year). At AVCP, the park restrooms are currently being
closed at the standard closing time when no City sport league activities are scheduled.
The restrooms in the recreation center building at AVCP are open until 10:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday, until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Even though
the City has had lighted basketball courts at College View Park for many years and at
Mountain Meadows and Peach Hill Parks since about one year ago, the restrooms at
these parks are locked by City staff at the standard closing time.
Staff is recommending having City staff lock all of the restrooms at 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.
(including those with lighted tennis courts or other lighted facilities). Staff feels that the
users of these facilities generally live relatively close, and in any event, will know from the
signs that will be posted that the restroom facilities will not be available after the
designated closing time. Closing the restrooms at a specified time and at the end of the
daylight hours will be done for general public safety reasons. The more extensive
vandalism typically occurs after dark, and having the restrooms open after dark is an
attractive nuisance which may result in vandalism or other criminal activity. Captain Nelson
of the Moorpark Police concurs with staffs public safety recommendation for locking the
restrooms at 5:00 p.m. during Pacific Standard Time and 7:00 p.m. during Pacific Daylight
Savings Time.
The attached draft resolution does include the authority for the City Manager or his /her
designee to approve different opening or closing hours of operation for park restrooms for
a City sponsored special event, a City operated sports league at a lighted facility when a
city staff member is present, and for park and facility rentals for which payment is received
to compensate City for the staff time to open and close the facility and monitor the rental.
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February 16, 2011 Regular Meeting
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FISCAL IMPACT
None.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 2011-
Attachment: Draft Resolution
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RESOLUTION NO. 2011-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING PARK RESTROOM
HOURS OF OPERATION
WHEREAS, Section 12.16.020 of Chapter 12.16, Parks and Open Space, of the
Moorpark Municipal Code states that the City Council may by resolution approve more
restrictive hours of operation for certain facilities or structures, including restrooms.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby determines that the City's park restroom
hours of operation shall be from eight (8:00) a.m. until five (5:00) p.m. for Pacific Standard
Time and from eight (8:00) a.m. until seven (7:00) p.m. for Pacific Daylight Savings Time.
Park restrooms shall be closed for maintenance or repairs as needed. The City Manager
or his /her designee may approve different opening or closing hours of operation for park
restrooms for a City sponsored special event, a City operated sports league at a lighted
facility when a city staff member is present, and for park and facility rentals for which
payment is received to compensate City for the staff time to open and close the facility and
monitor the rental.
SECTION 2. Notice of park restroom hours of operation shall be posted at each
park restroom building in accordance with Section 12.16.030, Signs.
SECTION 3. 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 day of , 2011.
Janice S. Parvin, Mayor
ATTEST:
Maureen Benson, City Clerk
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