Many of the parks are not viable options because the unused spaces are too close to other park amenities. Image by Joshua Choate from Pixabay

 

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - The Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) Board of Directors held the swearing-in of the directors re-elected to the three open seats in the November 2024 election during its Dec. 18 meeting. 

John O’Farrell, Delinda Tamagni and Darren Mounts all took the oath of office to begin another four-year term of service. 

Parks and Facilities Manager Sean Ventura provided an update to the board about the possibility of relocating the disc golf course from Miller Park to another park within the district. Ventura offered the pros and cons of various locations, including Fair Oaks Park, Phoenix Park, Gum Ranch Park, Montview Park and Bannister Park. 

Many of the parks are not viable options because the unused spaces are too close to other park amenities, such as playgrounds and walking paths, which would replicate the same ongoing safety issues and user conflicts occurring at Miller Park. 

The most promising option presented was Bannister Park, which Ventura said is “incredibly underutilized” and would offer varied and interesting terrain for a disc golf course. There is no playground at Bannister Park, which is used very infrequently but the parking lot is often used for free parking to access the river. Since the Bannister Park field is rented by only one user group, the district could consider moving that group to another site and making Bannister Park a dedicated disc golf course, avoiding any conflicts with other users. 

From 4 to 8.5 acres are available for use at the site but the district would need to conduct a site survey to determine the park’s exact boundaries. The wooded areas back up to neighboring homes and, Ventura said, some neighbors have posted “No Trespassing” signs in areas that likely encroach into the district’s land. 

While parking at Bannister Park is limited, there is enough available space that the district could expand the parking areas as part of the project. Ventura also suggested that implementing a parking fee at the site could deter the river users from taking up the parking spaces and those fees would generate more revenue for the district than the current Bannister Park field rental fees. 

Chair Ralph Carhart said the Bannister Park option was “intriguing.” 

Director O’Farrell said it could be a good option since it is so underutilized. 

Vice-Chair Tamagni said the district would need to conduct extensive outreach, “go to every door that lines that park,” to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to provide input. 

The board directed staff to move forward with a Bannister Park site survey. 

During Public Comment, several residents expressed gratitude that the board is considering alternate locations for the disc golf course. But they said that the conflicts with disc golfers at Miller Park are continuing. In response to safety concerns, the district instituted course closure hours in the morning when children walk to school through the park and in the afternoon when they play in the park after school. 

However, residents reported that disc golfers at Miller Park are still playing during those times, ignoring the posted rules and even tearing down some of the signs posting the closure hours. And when informed by the parents that the course is closed, the residents added, some golfers yell and swear at them in response. The residents asked that the four baskets causing the most conflicts be removed until the board decides on a permanent solution. 

“If we have continuing safety problems, we need to take some action,” Chair Carhart said.

Director O’Farrell said, “It’s not only the safety of it; it’s the attitude of the people that are out there that are causing the problem. And I don’t know how you fix that.”

Director Raymond James Irwin said, “There has to be consequences.” 

The board directed staff to temporarily remove the baskets causing the most conflict and Carhart asked that they add signage telling the golfers that the course is “on probation and if there’s continued violation of the hours of use, it will be removed.”

Arts and Entertainment manager Jen Schuler then presented an operational overview for the Village Park facilities reopening this year, including the Fair Oaks Performing Arts Center, Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre, Community Clubhouse, Arts and Crafts building, the outdoor band shell and the Village Plaza. 

With construction expected to be completed this spring, Schuler said, the district is planning a soft opening sometime between April and early summer. At that point, the facilities will be open to the public and the district will begin initial operations and staff training. A grand opening event will be planned for the summer.

Since there is limited parking in the Village, Schuler said, the district plans to initially focus on smaller events (200 to 400 people), with occasional larger events such as the Chicken Festival and Christmas in the Village. 

Schuler said programming in the Village facilities will include music, theater, acrobatics, comedy dance, art, movie nights and pop-up events. The spaces will host community events and be available for rent. 

The district will strive to ensure that revenues from ticket sales, sponsorships and rentals cover the expenses for the facilities, according to Carhart. But, he said, it will take time to get there and the first few years might be “a little shaky.” The district will monitor usage and will redirect funding and staff time as needed. 

Carhart said the Village improvement project was intended to keep “the infrastructure in place for another generation, another 40 or 50 years. … I’m confident we’ll grow into it overtime.” 

The board voted unanimously to approve the operational overview. 

Schuler then presented a proposed $48,000 contract with GreyDot Media to provide marketing services for the Village facilities. Schuler explained that GreyDot Media would provide specialized work, including logo creation, branding materials, marketing of the available rental properties, and enhanced ticket sale and event promotion.

The cost of the contract will come from the district’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. 

The board voted unanimously to approve the marketing contract. 

The board also voted unanimously to approve a minimum wage increase to $16.50, a necessary adjustment to remain in compliance with state law that went into effect on Jan. 1. This planned increase was already accounted for in the current budget. 

Since this was the final meeting of 2024, the board then selected a new chair and vice chair to serve for 2025. Chair Carhart nominated Vice-Chair Tamagni to serve as chair and Director O’Farrell to serve as vice-chair, and the board voted unanimously to approve the nominations.