Documented by Kristina Mansfield
Here’s what you need to know
- The commission voted (5-0) to recommend to the City Council adoption of the fiscal year 2025 PARCS Master Fee Schedule Amendment recommendations with the proposed change for the youth sports fee to be modified from $0-$150. Other proposed changes include Riverside Municipal Golf Course Green Fees; Neighborhood Centers, Parks, and Playground Facilities Fees; General Recreation Fees; Tower Theatre Rental Rates and Camp Fresno Fees.
- The Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission voted (5-0) to adopt the Calendar Year 2024 Meeting Calendar. Check it out here.
- The Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission announced the Fresno Arts Council will host grant-writing workshops in January for those who need help submitting for Measure P funding for projects.
Follow-up questions
- Aaron Aguirre said nine new park rangers were sworn in recently for a total of 15 officers assigned to patrol Fresno parks. Do these officers work specific shifts at specific parks? Are there any overnight shifts, or do they only patrol during the parks scheduled operating hours?
- What is the selection process for the new commissioner, and when does Mayor Jerry Dyer plan to announce the replacement on the commission for Dr. Francine Oputa?
The Scene
The regular meeting of the Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission took place Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall (2600 Fresno St., second floor) in Fresno.
The Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission was created in 2021 by Measure P – a tax that helps fund Fresno’s parks and facilities, create new parks and trails, and fund recreation, community and arts programs – to provide oversight and give the public a voice on how the initiative’s money is spent, and ensure proper budgeting of its expenditures. It is made up of nine members appointed by the mayor and approved by the Fresno City Council.
According to its website, the commission’s primary authority on behalf of the city is to conduct hearings and receive public input on programs, facilities and services funded with Measure P, and to make recommendations to the City Council for the adoption of Measure P expenditures in connection with the annual budget process.
Meetings are open to the public and are encouraged to attend. You can participate in person – just show up and fill out a speaker card if you’d like to give a public comment on an item – or electronically, via Zoom. You can also submit an e-comment, which allows you to send your agenda-related comments to the commission through a website prior to the meeting. Those comments are limited to 1440 characters and will become part of the official record. Detailed instructions on how to do each can be found on the meeting agenda here.
You can also view the commission meetings in a non-participatory manner five different ways. Check out the list here.
The Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commissioners in attendance were:
Chair Kimberly McCoy
Commissioner Jose Leon Barraza
Commissioner Mona Nyandoro Cummings
Commissioner Kelly Kucharski
Commissioner Laura E. Ward
Vice Chair Jon Dohlin and Commissioners Scott Miller and Harman Singh were absent. The ninth commissioner seat is vacant. Also in attendance at the meeting were Deputy City Attorney III Angela Karst and Deputy City Manager Jennifer Ruiz.
Items 1-3 McCoy called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. and called the roll, then led the flag salute.
Item 4 The agenda was approved (5-0) as presented.
Item 5 The regular meeting minutes of Nov. 20 were approved (5-0).
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS, Item 6 Next, the commission heard reports from the Cultural Arts Plan and Parks Master Plan subcommittees.
- Cultural Arts Plan, Item 6A Ward said the guidelines were approved earlier this month.
- Parks Master Plan, Item 6B Nothing to report.
MEMBER REPORTS and COMMENTS, Item 7 The next section of the meeting was for reports and comments from commission members.
- Barraza thanked Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama for implementing the new uniforms for the police rangers. He said he ran into two of them in a store and took a photo because “one guard was using the blue uniform and one was using the brown uniform.” He asked when they were moving into the new change and was told the new uniforms had been ordered. He thanked the chief for listening.
- Cummings, Kucharski and Ward had nothing to report.
- McCoy gave a shout-out to the Parks Department for all of its holiday programming.
CITY ADMINISTRATION and PARCS STAFF REPORTS and COMMENTS, Item 8 Next was set aside for city and PARCS staff reports and comments.
- Ruiz thanked each commissioner for the time they have committed for the year on behalf of the administration.
- Aaron Aguirre said the department put on 16 events for the holiday in addition to a number of harvest parties in November. He said the new park rangers participated in a swearing-in for nine new officers for a total of 15. The Fresno Arts Council will host grant-writing workshops in January for those who need help submitting for Measure P funding for a project.
UNSCHEDULED COMMUNICATION, Item 9 During this section of the meeting, members of the public may address the commission regarding items that are not listed on the agenda but within its jurisdiction. Speakers are limited to three minutes each.
- Lisa Flores, a resident of Fresno, made a comment via Zoom. She begged the parks department to turn the water on at the Roeding Park dog run and asked for assistance with outreach for an upcoming event for a grant winner.
WORKSHOPS, Item 10 There were no workshops.
DISCUSSION ITEMS, Item 11 There were no discussion items.
HEARINGS, Item 12
Item 12A First, the commission voted (5-0) to adopt the Calendar Year 2024 Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission (PRAC) Meeting Calendar.
- McCoy said Dyer releases the budget in May and one meeting isn’t enough time to get recommendations. Aguirre said for the last few years they’ve scheduled special meetings after the mayor has rolled out the budget.
- The item was approved 5-0.
Item 12B Then, the Commission received input on allocations related to Measure P, updates to the Parks Master Plan and Cultural Arts Plan, and annual PARCS Department Budget and Capital Improvement Plans.
- There was no public comment.
Item 12C Then, the commission reviewed the recommended changes pertaining to the fiscal year 2025 PARCS Department Master Fee Schedule.
The commission voted (5-0) to recommend to the City Council adoption of the amendments to the 2025 PARCS Master Fee Schedule with the proposed change for the youth sports fee to be modified from $0-$150 (per McCoy’s motion).
Other changes include Riverside Municipal Golf Course Green Fees; Neighborhood Centers, Parks, and Playground Facilities Fees; General Recreation Fees; Tower Theatre Rental Rates and Camp Fresno Fees.
Key changes include:
- New General Recreation Fees: $250 per Community Sports Teams (18+) per team, per league, for expanded new sports trends not explicitly listed; $0-$150 per Youth Sports (ages 3-17) per person, per league, separate from day camp category; and $0-$300 for Classes, Events and Activities (does not include action sports, youth sports or summer day camps); and a $250-$1,250 Flat Fee Per Day for Outdoor Sport Court Tournaments, plus a new $100-$500 Security/Cleaning Deposit (per facility).
- A daily snack bar rental fee of $75-$150 added to accommodate snack bar requests and $1-$3 fee added to accommodate admission and entrance fee requests. The attendance fee is to be applied to all tickets sold for attendance to events hosted by organizations or individuals charging admission at Regional Sports Complex, Ted C. Wills, Romain, Holmes, Frank H. Ball and Maxie L. Parks facilities and will go towards improvements at the reserved facility.
- Camp Fresno fees will now require an 80% refundable $100 security deposit.
- New Tower Theatre Basic Rates: noon-6 p.m. from $800 to $1,200; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. from $1,400 to $2,000; and 8 a.m.-12 a.m. from $1,600 – $3,200. There is also a new noon-12 a.m. half-day rate of $2,400. See the new Tower Theatre NonProfit Rates here.
The master fee amendment is on a citywide timeline. In January, the City Council will have their consideration of the amendments, and, if approved, fees become effective July 1, 2024. After the presentation concluded, the commission heard discussion and comments.
- Lisa Flores asked how much it would cost to rent the dog park for a small party and asked if there was a fee waiver schedule for “low-income folks.”
- Barraza asked that all communications targeted at low-income communities letting them know funding is available also be sent to the commission. There was a bit of back-and-forth about sport fees, adult sports, youth waivers and discounted fee schedules before he asked how Measure P has helped residents to pay for sports. He said he was expecting at some point it would be less expensive to use park facilities because of Measure P since residents are also paying the taxes. Aguirre said they haven’t explored a reduction in fees for adult sports and have focused on youth groups.
- Barraza said he expected to see a reduction in cost that the public pays; Aguirre countered with a barrage of senior-and youth-specific free and low-cost events that the city has put on during the last year. Barraza said the department should make available mobile snack bars to rent to generate revenue for the organization. “I don’t know if you guys have ever done that.”
- Cumming and Kurcharski had no comments, while Ward said a lot of performing arts nonprofits are limited by the cost of venue rental fees for their performances.
- McCoy made a motion to accept the recommendations with the proposed changes for youth sports fee be modified from $0-$150. The vote passed 5-0.
ADJOURNMENT, Item 13 McCoy adjourned the meeting at 6:38 p.m. in memory of Dr. Oputa. The next scheduled meeting for the Fresno Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission is Jan. 22.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
