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PRCSC - Discussion of the Park Prohibitions Signage in Culver City Parks and the Removal and/or Replacement of Existing Signs.
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Meeting Date: September 1, 2020
Contact Person/Dept: Corey Lakin/PRCS Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6682
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (08/27/2020); (Email) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (08/27/2020)
Department Approval: Corey Lakin, PRCS Director (08/27/2020)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission discuss the park prohibitions signage in Culver City Parks and the removal and/or replacement of existing signs.
BACKGROUND
The use of field space for adult sports in Culver City Parks, park prohibitions and the related signage have been PRCS Commission meeting topics in recent years. On January 17, 2018, PRCS Commissioners requested that staff bring back an agenda item on adult sports in Culver City parks. On February 6, 2018, the Commission received an informational item regarding fields and grounds maintenance from Parks Manager /City Landscape Architect Patrick Reynolds. During this discussion, both the PRCS Director and the Parks Manager explained the dynamic relationship between field and grounds maintenance practices and the types of activities that take place on park fields in Culver City. Also, at this time, the issue of the long-standing prohibition of adult soccer in Culver City parks was raised. Commission Members expressed an interest in gaining a better understanding of the background and implications of this prohibition.
Based on the information presented by the PRCS Director and the Parks Manager on February 6, 2018, Commission Members expressed support on March 21, 2018, for funding a Turf Consultant’s report in order to provide recommendations and estimated costs to improve and maintain turf to accommodate all community needs. Also related to the February 6, 2018, discussion, the PRCS Commission held a Special Meeting on May 15, 2018 in the Rotunda Room of the Veterans Memorial Building to discuss the use of field space for adult sports in Culver City Parks. Extensive public outreach preceded the meeting, which emphasized community input and was held using a round-table format. Commission Members sought clarification regarding some elements of the topic and asked that a representative of the City Attorney’s Office be invited to a future meeting.
On August 7, 2018, Assistant City Attorney Heather Baker attended the PRCS Commission meeting and responded to questions and concerns expressed during the discussion on the use of field space for adult sports. Topics that were covered included a general discussion of the current park prohibitions, the Culver City Municipal Code as it relates to the prohibition of adult soccer and other activities and the possibility of updating the signage in the parks. On August 7, the Commission considered a motion to present a request to the City Council to consider removing the signage prohibiting soccer in Culver City parks subsequent to receiving the Turf Report. The motion failed to pass (1 aye; 3 nays; 1 abstention). On November 5, 2019, the Turf Report was presented to the PRCS Commission for discussion.
As part of a separate discussion on August 7, 2018, the Parks and Facilities Sections of the Culver City Municipal Code Review (CCMC Review) Ad Hoc Subcommittee was formed to review and provide potential recommended updates to the Culver City Municipal Code related to parks and facilities under the purview of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. The members of the CCMC Review Ad Hoc Subcommittee, Chair Mohammed and Commissioner Rickards provided some recommendations to staff over the following months and met with PRCS Director Corey Lakin in late February and mid-March 2020 to review all the research and recommendations. In preparation for that meeting staff compiled park prohibition information from the municipal codes of 10 Southern California cities for the Ad Hoc Subcommittee’s review. The cities reviewed included Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Cerritos, El Segundo, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Monica and Torrance. In addition to the Prohibitions section of CCMC Section 9.10.055, the Ad Hoc Subcommittee made recommendations regarding some of the other sections of Culver City Municipal Code Chapter 9.10: Parks, Public Buildings and Property.
Based on the CCMC Review Ad Hoc Subcommittee’s recommendations, staff began preparing a draft document for the City Attorney’s Office to review. Unfortunately, the process was delayed for several months due to the prioritizing of operational and legal matters related to the coronavirus pandemic and other City Council priorities. It is expected that legal review of the proposed changes to Chapter 9.10 will be completed in time for the PRCS Commission’s review at its October 2020 meeting. A copy of the current Chapter 9.10 is provided as Attachment 1.
DISCUSSION
On August 4, 2020, there was consensus to agendize a discussion regarding the existing signage in Culver City parks. There are several different sign designs currently in use, some with text, some with icons only and some with a combination of the two. Attachment 2 is an image of three park prohibitions signs, the “Adult Soccer Activities Prohibited” sign, the park prohibition sign that lists the most information, which will be referred to as the “Main Park Prohibitions” sign and a commonly used smaller sign which displays icons of four of the primary park prohibitions or the “Four Icons” sign.
The Main Park Prohibitions sign is permanently posted in all of the City’s parks, including Coombs Parkette and Fox Hills Parkette. The lower half of the Adult Soccer Activities Prohibited sign which contains text in Spanish was redacted with tape after the August 7, 2018 PRCS Commission meeting. Staff re-applies the tape each time it is noticed and or reported that it has been removed.
Currently, the Adult Soccer Activities Prohibited sign is posted at:
• Blair Hills Park
• Blanco Park
• Coombs Park
• Fox Hills Park
• Culver City Park
• Culver West Alexander Park
• El Marino Park
• Syd Kronenthal Park
• Tellefson Park
• Veterans Memorial Park
The posting of signage is not legally required in order to enforce park rules and regulations, however, signs serve as a way of putting the public on notice of prohibited conduct. The absence of signage, especially for regulations that have previously been in place for decades, could potentially cause some confusion.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact associated with the discussion of this Agenda Item. However, if signs are removed and replaced, the cost to replace them will be determined by fabrication and installation costs, including materials, labor and the number and size of the signs.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2020-09-01 - ATT 1 CCMC Chapter 9.10: Parks, Public Buildings and Property
2. 2020-09-01 - ATT 2 Three Park Prohibitions Signs
MOTION
None required for a discussion item.