HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 22Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Parks and Recreation Committee
Town of Los Altos Hills.
Meeting time: Tuesday January 22, 2013 7PM
Present: Co-Chair-Rebecca Hickman, Julia Zarcone, Val Metcalfe, Scott Vanderlip,
Kathy Evans, and Kit Gordon (by phone) Associate Member: Jane Kawasaki
Meeting called to order at 7:10 PM
No Public Comment
The committee met to hear a report of the PR sub-committee for the Westwind
Community Barn (WWCB). The sub-committee met 1/17/2013 and submitted its
minutes to the Chairs of the PR Committee.
The PR committee discussed the reasons the Town is putting forth an RFP for the
management of WWCB. These reasons include: personnel liability, training and
management issues and to decrease the deficit the Town incurs in maintaining the
operations of the WWCB.
The LAH PR Committee would like more of a role in the oversight of the WWCB as it is
a major Town resource and part of the Committee’s charter to give input on facilities and
to hold Town events at the WWCB. There have recently been several boarders who have
left the Barn. The PR committee would like to offer to do exit interviews with these
boarders as we are in a unique position to hear their reasons for leaving in a neutral way.
Regarding the Town’s immanent RFP for a contractor to manage the Barn the Parks and
Recreation Committee passed two motions as follows:
Motion 1: The Parks and Recreation Committee would like Council to consider a
30 day delay for the release of the current draft RFP proposal for the Facility
Management Services for Westwind Community Barn based on the following
concerns that the WWCB sub-committee has raised to the PR Committee:
1.The proposal lacks attention to safety
2.The RFP does not put enough attention nor detail on current conditions at the
Barn-a survey of the facility should be conducted before the RFP is released
3.The RFP is too vague and will expose the Town to liability in terms of scope and
delivery
4.There are questions about the Barn’s capacity and current maintenance of staff
levels
5.The RFP lacks scope in terms of the contractor’s need for customer service skills
and coordination with Town for stakeholders and community events
There are four distinct areas that are problematic in the RFP:
1. The overall specificity of the RFP is too weak:
a. no minimum current standards or guidelines listed for care and
maintenance
b. no concrete pest management strategy is articulated for the contractor to
comply with
c. no sanitation requirements and specifics
d. no maintenance specifically outlined on a minimum schedule
2. Customer Service and Communication requirements are not specified
3. There is no mandate to coordinate with community programs and existing
WWCB stakeholders
4. Incentives for meeting Town goals for the Barn are absent
a. LAH Boarders
b. Town events
c. Maintaining capacity
This delay would allow the PR committee to work with staff to provide better feedback
and make a more complete RFP.
Motion made by Julia Zarcone, seconded by Scott Vanderlip and passed
unanimously
Motion 2:
Westwind Community Barn is a community facility that is a large part of the
Town’s social capital and identity. The Town should proceed carefully as it brings
in a partner to manage WWCB. The Parks and Recreation Committee asks Council
to direct Town staff to take on-going feedback and input from the Parks and
Recreation WWCB sub-committee to help guide the contractor selection process so
that community interests in the Barn are represented. We also ask that Council
consider the preliminary changes that the sub-committee has made to the RFP.
Motion made by Julia Zarcone, seconded by Scott Vanderlip and passed
unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 8:10PM