REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 4/17/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
PROPOSED OPERATIONS PLAN FOR CITY PARK
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide feedback on the proposed Operations Plan for City Park. The Operations Plan was developed to provide a better understanding of the future programming and operations of City Park.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council provide feedback on the proposed Operations Plan for City Park.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City of Corona 2021-2026 Strategic Plan includes a strategy under the goal of Sound Infrastructure to “Redevelop City Park, including a new full-service, purpose-built community center.” To carry out this strategy, the Community Services Department underwent an 18-month process to develop the City Park Master Plan, which provides a vision for the revitalization of City Park that honors its rich history, enhances the connection to the revitalized Downtown, and provides amenities and programs that will bring the community of Corona back to City Park for many generations to come.
The City Park master planning process included extensive community outreach to determine what type of amenities and programming the community would like to see at City Park. Significant marketing and outreach efforts were conducted with the Corona community in both English and Spanish through door knocking, social media, video posts, and pop-up events. As a result of these efforts, over 2,100 survey responses were collected, representing a wide range of respondents throughout the City. The takeaway from the outreach is that the community desires an experience within the park, not simply a stagnant collection of amenities.
ANALYSIS:
To prepare for the future development of City Park, the Community Services Department developed a City Park Operations Plan (Attachment 1) to better understand the programming and operational needs for the facility. The Plan is divided into three sections and includes the following information:
1. Current Programs & Operations - This section provides an overview of the City’s current recreation programming, including where programs are currently offered, the number of programs offered annually, program participation rates, facility use trends (specifically at the Circle City Center), and a summary of the FY24 revenue and operating budget.
2. Future City Park Programming Plan - This section identifies the amenities and programs the community would like to see at City Park, based on feedback collected during the master planning process; presents a plan for the type of programming the City intends to offer at City Park; and provides a model of staffing for the City Park.
3. City Park Revenue & Expenditure Projections - This section discusses the proposed revenue model for City Park, which includes a combination of free passive amenities, traditional user fees, and memberships; provides a summary of estimated annual revenues based on memberships, drop-in use, facility rentals, and programs; and includes annual budget projections for expenditures and revenues.
COMMISSION ACTION:
The Parks and Recreation Commission received a report on the City Park Operations Plan at their meeting April 9, 2024. Following the report, a motion was made by Commissioner Wentworth and seconded by Commissioner Munoz to recommend that partnerships be further explored with entities such as the YMCA to operate aquatics and community center programming at City Park. The motion passed 3-1 with Commissioners Wentworth, Munoz, and Kinne voting “Yes”, and Vice Chair Bass voting “No”. Chair Olsen was absent.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the review of the City Park Operations Plan. All revenues and expenditures identified for the future operations of City Park are estimates and will be further analyzed and refined based on the final design and programming plan for City Park.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common-sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is to review and provide feedback on the City Park Operations Plan, and there is no possibility that approving this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
Attachment:
1. Exhibit 1 - City Park Operations Plan