Finley Center  
2060 W. College Avenue  
Cypress Room  
City of Santa Rosa  
Board of Community Services  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Wednesday, July 24, 2024  
5:00 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER  
The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m. by Chair Pitts.  
2. ROLL CALL  
Also in attendance: Recreation & Parks Director, Donte Watson,  
Parks Deputy Director, Jen Santos, Recreation Deputy Director, Jeff  
Tibbets, IT, Bryson McNally, and interim ASO, Jacqui Hamann.  
6 -  
Present:  
Chair Logan Pitts, Vice Chair Omar Lopez, Board Member Guido  
Boccaleoni, Board Member Paul Castillo, Board Member Madonna  
Cruz, and Board Member Carolina Spence  
1 - Board Member Carole Quandt  
Absent:  
3. REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED)  
To consider and act on any request from a Board Member to participate  
in a meeting remotely due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances  
pursuant to AB 2449 (Government Code Section 549539(f)).  
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA MATTERS  
No public comments  
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
5.1  
Regular Meeting Minutes of June 26, 2024.  
Minutes were approved as submitted.  
6. REPORTS ON UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACCOMPLISHED EVENTS  
6.1  
Upcoming & Accomplished Events  
A list of accomplished and upcoming events was distributed to the  
board and made available prior to the public prior to the meeting.  
Upcoming & Accomplished Events  
·
·
SW Community Park a month had a good turnout  
Sunday Live has returned at Juilliard Park.  
7. DIRECTOR UPDATES  
Deputy Director Santos provided the following updates:  
Going to Council on 8/6/24 for Aquatic Contract renewal consent  
·
· Submitted preliminary grant request to apply for SF Bay Area  
Conservation Grant for SE Greenway. Granting agency approved  
the preliminary request and requested a full grant application be  
submitted.  
· 2nd MLK Master Plan discussion on 8/24/24 from 10-12 pm at  
Light House Church located at 920 Bennett Valley Rd.  
· Mechanical issues with spray ground at Prince Memorial  
Gateway, closed today.  
· The Board of Community Services requested an update regarding  
Fremont Park status at their regular June meeting. Update: staff  
received the Fremont Park updated designs from consultants on  
historical analysis and feedback from community. Provided  
consultant with additional feedback to further refine the design  
concepts and will schedule a public meeting for community input  
once conceptual designs are available later this fall.  
· The Board of Community Services requested an update regarding  
the SW Community Hub project status at their regular June  
meeting. SW Community Hub funding approved for Fire Station  
and Library, on southside of Hearn at intersection of Dutton.  
There’s room for future Community Center but it is not part of the  
plan right now. Currently demolishing existing buildings.  
· SE Greenway delay in closing final escrow until September or  
thereafter. The delay is due to the ongoing final negotiations  
required to be complete prior to close of escrow with the Sonoma  
County Water Agency and the Sonoma County Agricultural  
Preservation and Open Space District. All agencies involved are  
working diligently to finalize negotiations and escrow; staff will  
keep the Board updated on progress  
· The Board of Community Services (BOCS) requested an update  
regarding the status of all Parks Capital Projects at their regular  
June meeting. Update: the BOCS received a Capital Project  
update in March and another Capital Projects Update is planned  
for the August BOCS meeting.  
· The Board of Community Services (BOCS) requested an update  
regarding the status of sports programs at their regular June  
meeting. Update: Sports Programs will be a future Agenda topic  
at the BOCS once the Recreation Supervisor position is filled,  
which is currently being recruited. The update is likely in early  
2025 or before if possible.  
· Board Ordinance Update: Received feedback from City Attorney.  
Once updates are reviewed by the Board Ordinance  
Subcommittee the item will be added to a future agenda for full  
Board review of the Ordinance and Bylaws.  
· Finley Aquatic Center completion date sometime in September or  
thereafter. Negotiating with the construction contractor regarding  
accelerating the pace, however, delays persist due to allowable  
rain delays the contractor received earlier in the year.  
8. CHAIR/BOARD MEMBERS REPORTS  
Vice Chair Lopez - attended Mayors Lunch and visited Nagasawa Park.  
Board Member Castillo - Commend staff on the Aquatic Center.  
Board Member Cruz - nothing to report  
Board Member Spence - nothing to report  
Board Member Boccaleoni - noting to report  
Chair Pitts - on vacation, nothing to report.  
9. SCHEDULED ITEMS  
9.1  
Fire Memorial Art Project  
Parks Deputy Director Jen Santos introduced Tara Thomson, Director  
of Sonoma County’s Creative Sonoma & Karin Demarest, a County  
Consultant with Demarest Strategy Group who provided a Fire  
Memorial Art Project  
presentation. The presentation reviewed the steps thus far and future  
projected schedule for installation of art at Nagasawa Community Park.  
The art would focus on acknowledgement, remembering and gathering  
reflections for those that  
experienced and will process grief because of the fires since 2017.  
Creative Sonoma is seeking feedback from the Board of Community  
Services and for future collaboration with the city.  
Recommendation: Information & Feedback  
BOCS discussion and questions ensued.  
Public Comments:  
Pamela Van Halsema - A public call went out to anyone interested in  
getting involved with the art task force for the project which is how she  
got involved. Invited anyone interested to attend the task force public  
meetings, they embrace suggestions.  
9.2  
Recreation Fee Waiver  
Recreation Deputy Director Jeff Tibbetts provided the Board with an  
overview of a potential policy to delegate authority to the Director of  
Recreation & Parks to waive or reduce certain recreation fees.  
Recommendation: Information & Feedback  
BOCS discussion ensued  
Public Comment  
None to report  
10. COMMITTEE REPORTS  
10.1  
MAYOR’S LUNCH FOR COMMITTEE/BOARD CHAIRS  
Lopez - attended Mayor’s luncheon where budget was discussed, not  
doing well and there might be some major steps. Talked about  
Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and having study session to  
understand Rosenberg’s Rules of Order.  
10.2  
10.3  
SANTA ROSA WATERWAYS ADVISORY COMMITTEE  
Nothing to report  
BOCS GOVERNING DOCUMENTS SUBCOMMITTEE  
The BOCS Governing Documents Subcommittee will reconvene at a  
future date to be determined to review updates recommended by the  
City Attorney’s office regarding the Ordinances and Bylaws.  
11. WRITTEN AND/OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS  
None to report  
12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS  
Update on Scholarship fund either quarterly or annually.  
This schedule is tentative and subject to change pending final  
publication and posting of the Meeting Agenda. This time is reserved for  
discussion to place matters on a future agenda for further discussion.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 28,  
2024 at 5 pm. Meeting adjourned at 6:51 pm.  
Approved on August 28, 2024  
________________________________________  
/s/ Ursula Swan, Recording Secretary