GENERAL MANAGER S REPORT Recreation And Park Department Commission Meeting -- Thursday, November 1, 2007

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1 Projects of Note / In-Progress Items: Small Business Contracts The Recreation and Park Department (RPD) attempts to utilize local businesses as often as is practical in its day to day operations as a City Department. The two most prominent avenues for local business utilization are in Purchasing and Contract Administration. Purchasing City Departments are authorized to issue direct Purchase Orders following Prop Q, (otherwise known as Delegated Departmental Purchasing) guidelines for purchase of materials, supplies and general services up to $10,000. This method is the most common method of Purchasing for RPD. This method allows RPD staff to solicit quotes from any Certified City Vendor for orders up to $10,000. RPD also utilizes Citywide contracts to for materials and supplies, however, the majority of purchase orders issued are Prop Q. As of 10/23/07, during FY RPD has issued 920 purchase orders for general services, materials and supplies. Out of the 920 POs, 401 have been issued to vendors located in San Francisco. These 401 purchase orders total $1,968, Contract Administration Personal and professional services contracts and small scale construction projects (less than $750,000) are administered by the Purchasing and Contract Administration Division of RPD. The City of San Francisco, Human Rights Commission requires competitive bidding for these projects and administers a significant Local Business Enterprise Program that applies to these competitive solicitations. This program establishes bid discounts and subcontracting goals that give local contractors and vendors preferences in the bidding process. Of the 18 smaller construction projects administered by RPD to date, 10 have been awarded to contractors located in San Francisco. RPD s larger construction and professional services contracts are administered through the Department of Public Works. Those contracts are subject to the same provisions regarding Local Business Utilization. The Recreation and Park Department (RPD) attempts to utilize local businesses as often as is practical in its Purchasing and Contracting practices. Utilization of local business is more efficient due to decreased shipping cost and time, while assisting RPD in fostering good relationships in the community. It is clear that we can not supply all of our needs with businesses in San Francisco. It is also clear that we should and will continue to utilize as many local businesses as possible in our day to day business as stewards of the recreation facilities and parks of San Francisco. Japanese Tea Garden Placement of Plaque on Drum Bridge The Department was recently copied on a letter from the Miyoshi International Law Offices to the Mayor regarding Mr. Katsuya Nakatani s campaign to relocate the Drum Bridge Plaque within the Japanese Tea Garden. Briefly, here is a summary of the Department s lengthy interaction with Mr. Nakatani on this matter: Mr. Nakatani asserts and the Department accepts that his family s oral history ascribes his ancestor, Shinshichi Nakatani, as the builder of the Drum Bridge. Several years ago, at Mr. Nakatani s behest, the Department placed a commemorative plaque in the base of the Drum Bridge steps acknowledging his ancestor as the bridge builder. Although Mr. Nakatani accepted this placement and was present at the dedication, he has since demanded that the plaque be removed from the step location and be relocated to a more honorable site. page 1 of 5

2 In 2006, the Department removed the plaque from the steps and had it recast in the same bronze motif as other Tea Garden plaques (cost to the Department: $4000). The Department examined the Drum Bridge site and installed the new plaque against a stand of bamboo on the western side of the Drum Bridge. Mr. Nakatani does not like this site because he claims that it is the back of the bridge. He only wants the plaque installed on what he describes as the front of the bridge (eastern side). The Department has examined the eastern side repeatedly and it is inappropriate for two important reasons: 1. Safety: There is only a small tight corner at the base of the bridge on the eastern side bordered by stones that form a pathway across the water stream. For visitors to read the plaque at this location, they would either have to step off the paved path on to the manicured landscape (not acceptable for the garden) or risk falling into the water stream due to the stones. 2. The Department believes that a plaque on the eastern side actually detracts from the Drum Bridge beauty by diverting the visitor s view from the bridge s smooth and dramatic lines. The Department consulted with Fumio Suda, a native Japanese architect who specializes in drum bridge construction (he built the drum bridge inside the Japan Center). After a site visit to the Tea Garden, he confirmed that the western side would be the most appropriate and authentic location for the plaque. The Department has met directly with Mr. Nakatani, has corresponded with him repeatedly, and has arranged meetings, tours, and consultations in the Tea Garden for him. We believe that we have dealt with Mr. Nakatani respectfully and truthfully and further find that his claims and interpretation of garden and bridge design to be without merit. This information has been forwarded to the Mayor s Office for his response to the Miyoshi Law Office letter. Golden Gate Park Horseshoe Pits Possible Skateboarding Park Earlier this year Supervisor Mirkarimi introduced legislation to authorize the creation of a skate park in Golden Gate Park at the Horseshoe Pits. This appears to be in response to complaints about skateboard activity within the Music Concourse and advocacy by some park users that the Horseshoe Pits would be an appropriate site to renovate for skateboarding. The legislation is currently assigned to the BOS City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee. Although the Horseshoe Pits site is currently underutilized, the Department does not believe that it is an appropriate site for a skateboard facility: The site is sequestered in a heavily landscaped section of GGP that is nearly totally enclosed by steep hillsides. There are no sight lines to monitor activity and it is far removed from other more public areas of the park. The majority of the skateboarding population is youth this site does not meet acceptable safety and sight line criteria for a recreation venue that would necessarily attract youth participants. The main planning factors for a successful skate park are adequate square footage and surface quality. While surface quality can be addressed, the finite available flat surface of the Horseshoe Pits significantly limits the number and kind of structures that can be incorporated into a skate park plan which, in turn, limits how many skaters it can handle. The current trend in skateboarding is street skating rather than honing skills on a half pipe. The Horseshoe Pits venue does not provide enough space for a street skating course and it is street skaters in the Music Concourse that seems to be the impetus for this legislation. A Horseshoe Pits skate park would not alleviate this situation. As an alternative, the Department proposes the Waller Street closure site as a possible GGP skate park venue: page 2 of 5

3 It has very open and clear sight lines in a very visible and public section of the park It is an actual closed street, so it is a very adaptable venue for a street skating course and is large enough to handle a high number of skaters without mutual interference. The original street closure was created for this type of activity. The Department is touring both of these GGP sites with Supervisor Mirkarimi on November 2. He and the San Francisco Skate Board Alliance have expressed interest in the Waller Street closure as a potential skate park site. Supervisor Mirkarimi will hold a hearing on this legislation on November 8, the Department will request that he amend the proposed ordinance language to substitute the Waller Street closure for the Horseshoe Pits as the intended site. RPD Property Concession List The attached document is the Department s 2006 Possessory Interest Tax report for our current concession agreements. Every year we are required to give the Assessors office a list of our agreements for the past year and how much they paid us. The Assessor determines the amount of interest tax that will be assessed, which is roughly the equivalent of property tax for City leased property, and bill our tenants directly. The Department received the recommendation from our previous audit to create a lease tracking system that would communicate with the revenue side of the department. MIS, Finance and Property divisions are working together to create this system, which should be complete by early spring. Among other things the system will be able to automatically generate reports including a similar report, with property information, lease status and revenue, that we will present to the commission on a quarterly or bi-annual basis. (see attachment) Bonneville International Corporation s Access to Bayview Hill The Planning Division, with assistance from the office of the City Attorney and the Department of Real Estate are working to finalize a new draft permit and fee for Bonneville International Corporation s access to a transmitter facility located on Bayview Hill Road on Bayview Hill. Bonneville International Corporation Bonneville owns a parcel on Bayview Hill (Lot 001C). The only vehicle access to the Transmitter Site is via a dirt road over Bayview Park connecting Key Avenue to Bayview Hill Road (see attached map). At one time there was an access easement on, over and along the dirt road allowing Bonneville to legally access the Transmitter Site. However, the easement expired when the underlying property was conveyed to the City and County of San Francisco. Red-Legged Frog Ponds in Golden Gate National Parks Planning Staff and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy are working together to meet federal regulatory guidelines for the protection of recently constructed red-legged frog ponds on Golden Gate National Parks property boarding Rec Park property at Sharp Park. A temporary encroachment permit will be issued while the details of a permanent permit can be discussed and brought before the Commission on November 15, Events / Openings / Groundbreakings: PAST EVENTS: October 22, Joseph Lee Gymnasium Re-Opening FUTURE RPD EVENTS: page 3 of 5

4 October 24, Golden Gate Rose Society Event/Lecture, 7:30 p.m., "Show and Tell - Favorite Tools and Items used in your Garden, plus what to do in your Rose Garden in November plus Silent Auction," County Fair Building, 9 th and Lincoln October 24, Park Patrol offers Training to all staff on Personal Safety, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the County Fair Building October 25, Halloween Ball for the Disabled, County Fair Bldg, Must sign up in advance, Invitation only, Noon, October 25, Parks Trust Members Day at Bloomingdale's Shopping Benefit Day 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., free massages from 11 to 2 p.m., each purchase earns a $5 donation from Bloomingdales to Parks Trust if you use your member's coupon which entitles you to 15% off most purchases on that day Ongoing... Rehearsals for Young People's Teen Musical Theatre Company's production of "Bat Boy," running in January and February 2008; Auditions are Wednesdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Randall Museum October 27 Corona Heights Grassland Restoration, 10 to noon Golden Gate Park Alvord Lake work party, 9 to noon Park Presidio Neighbors, 9 to noon Twin Peaks work party, 9 to noon November 4, Last chance to see CHOMP! exhibit and the Conservatory of Flowers November 9, Beginning of MIND: A Major New Exhbition, in the making for 4 years, includes over 40 new exhibits exploring the mind at the Palace of Fine Arts Exploratorium November 10, Boy and Girls Citywide Table Tennis Tourney, 10 to 17 years, Richmond Rec Center, 10 a.m. November 29, 78 th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at McLaren Lodge, 5:30 p.m. Entertainment, light refreshments, children s activities, visit from Santa NSA Halloween Events (partial list) October 26, Louis Sutter Visitacion Valley, from 4 pm to 7 pm Activities: Carnival Games, Crafts, Haunted House, and relay games Oct 30, at Miraloma Playground- from 3 pm to 4:30 pm October 30, Douglass Playground- at 3 pm to 4:30 pm October 31, 2007 Youngblood Coleman Playground, from 4 pm to 10 pm Activities: Carnival Games, Refreshments, relay games October31st, Herz Plgd. & Visitacion Valley, Louis Sutter Tiny tot party 11:00 am to 12 noon. page 4 of 5

5 Oct 31, Glen Park- from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm BOS Full Board & Committee Mtgs: November 5 Government Audit & Oversight Committee Agenda item Lake Merced (called by Elsbernd) Land Use & Economic Development Committee Agenda item: GGP JFK Saturday Closure Yearly Event (called by McGoldrick) November 8 City Operations & Neighborhood Services Committee Agenda item: Skateboarding Park in GGP (called by Mirkarimi) Park Patrol / Police Incidents: September 16, 2007 October 18, 2007 Due to the fact the Park Ranger Supervisor, Marcus Santiago, is busy training the ten newly hired Park Rangers, a list of Incidents through October 18 th will be provided at the November 15 th meeting. page 5 of 5