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C.125

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla
Date:	January 12, 2010

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

2009 Annual Report from the Citizens Advisory Committee M-16 (Clyde Parks)

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/12/2010

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

L. DeLaney, 5-1097

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 12, 2010
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT the 2009 Annual Report from the County Service Area M-16 Citizens Advisory Committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No direct fiscal impact to the County.

BACKGROUND:

On June 18, 2002, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2002/377, which requires that each regular and ongoing board, commission, or committee shall annually report to the Board of Supervisors on its activities, accomplishments, membership attendance, required training/certification (if any), and proposed work plan or objectives for the following year, on the second Tuesday in December. The following report fulfills this requirement for the CSA M-16 Citizens Advisory Committee.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

2009 Annual Report

The Citizens Advisory Committee for County Service Area M-16 (Clyde Parks) wishes to present our report of accomplishments for calendar year 2009 and objectives for the upcoming year. We feel we have accomplished even more this year than last and acknowledge with appreciation the expertise and assistance of the Public Works Department and its contractor Harris & Associates, without whom we could not have hoped to make the substantial gains we take pleasure in reporting.

2009 Accomplishments:

Regular meeting dates and times were continued.
The popular Clyde Parks column in our Newsletter was continued as a means of keeping the community advised of our activities..
Dialogue with Public Works and other parties was continued on development of the Clyde Railroad Walking/Bicycle Trail. While not actually an M-16 issue, it dovetails with our parks/recreation plans. A second round of soil sampling was completed under the supervision of Public Works and the results given to DTSC for review. Dialogue with Union Pacific was continued to work out a mutually acceptable purchase price for the property. A Trails architectural firm, Stantec, and its planner Maisha Ruth were selected to develop the trail plan. Two meetings (September and November) were hosted by M-16 and given over to presentations to the community on the progress of the trail. The conceptual trail presented was well-received by the members of the Clyde community.

In conjunction with this project, M-16 committee member Cindy Welles has begun working with the National Parks Service on the inclusion of the northern end of the former railroad property, now owned by the U.S. Army as part of Military Ocean Terminal Concord, as a Port Chicago Memorial adjunct site. The property north of Warwick Avenue is now military property, but has no real use, just as the southern portion, for anything substantial except as an historical site. The President's signature authorizing Port Chicago as its own National Parks Historic Site in the fall of 2009 paves the way for such an improvement of the subject property.

A parks improvement project to add mulch and wood chips to the berm at Clyde Park and the northern section of Marie Porter Park was planned and carried out using volunteer help by more than 40 Clyde residents, including several young persons who, in addition to the important aspect of being accepted and acknowledged as part of an adult project to improve their community, gained valuable community service points at their schools. This project was completed with only nominal cost to the Parks budget (rental of a Bobcat to move the 98 cubic yards! of chips). Several Clyde and Concord businesses contributed time and materials free of charge to the project as a service to the community. We are particularly proud of this “Chip In” as it showcases the community spirit of Pride in Clyde and the huge gains that can be accomplished with a supportive volunteer group. A CD with pictures of this project is available from Susan Cohen of Public Works or Supervisor Bonilla's office for perusal and use by other Special Districts to generate and encourage similar enthusiasm in their areas.

Another entirely volunteer donation of time and materials gave us new signs for Clyde and Big Oak Tree Parks and a refurbishing of the sign at Marie Porter Park. All four Clyde Parks now have appealing signs unlikely to be vandalized, Maybeck Park's not needing replacement. The same generous resident bought and installed a new hoop and net at the Clyde Park basketball pole and repaired the tennis net and cranking mechanism, returning that structure to usable condition. A second anonymous volunteer repainted the old flaking paint on the pole itself.

Completion of the work to improve Big Oak Tree Park was the primary focus of our year: Actual construction (preliminary grading) began in December 2008, with all other steps including fine grading, trenching, installation of drainage, water, electrical lines, hardscape, retaining and seat walls, greenery, walkways and wood chips was completed and approved by regulatory bodies in 2009. A community match of $13,500.00 was accomplished by the decision of the Clyde Improvement Club to disband and authorize the transfer of all remaining monies to the Clyde Civic Improvement Association for the express use of parks improvements. Additional funds in the amount of $545.07 from this source were authorized to replace the “tire swing” at Clyde Park, which had become unusable due to age and deterioration.

Attendance: No meetings were held in January, February, July or December.
The September and November meetings were given over to Railroad Trail updates, no quorum was necessary.

Dietmar Plichta missed no meetings
Cindy Welles missed no meetings
Scott McConnell missed 3 meetings
Ken Wacker (alternate) missed 4 meetings
Tom Wright missed no meetings
Steve Schwartz missed 1 meeting
Alan Phalen (alternate) missed 5 meetings (extenuating circumstance: Alan is rebuilding his home and living with his in-laws, who live out of town, for the time it takes to complete that renovation).

NOTE: Both alternates were very good about keeping in touch and verifying that their presence was not necessary to reach a quorum, assuring us that they were available if needed.

Training/Certification: No new committee members came into the group this year, no new training/certification was needed.

2010 Goals and Objectives

Continue the efforts necessary to achieve a Railroad Trail Walking and Bicycling Trail along the current Union Pacific Railroad Property.
Continue the efforts necessary to include the portion of the rail bed now owned by MOTCO as an adjunct site to the Port Chicago Memorial to improve the appearance of the property and provide a pleasing and interesting end-point to the trail, which may eventually connect to both the De Anza and Iron Horse trails, and at some point potentially to the Great California Delta Trail.
Continue efforts to secure additional funding and/or donations to provide for the playground equipment projected as Phase II of the improvements to Big Oak Tree Park

Items of a general nature to be addressed on a continuing basis:

Continue the use of Newsletter items to inform, generate interest in and opportunities for volunteerism, and encourage communication between the Committee and the community.

Incorporate, to the extent possible, the use of volunteers such as the Girl and Eagle Scouts and other community groups and businesses to lessen the budgetary impact of improvements and maintenance of our parks.

Thank you for your interest in and efforts on behalf of our small community. It is our hope that we, in turn, can continue the improvements to the parks in Clyde to contribute toward the betterment of our area of the county.


Submitted,

Cindy Welles, President

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

RECOMMENDATION(S):

FISCAL IMPACT:

BACKGROUND:

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: