Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2001 06:10:59 +0000 (GMT) From: Joseph Woodard To: Estuary Park Action Committee Subject: JW:8 Nov Rec/Park meeting Four home owners from the 2 blocks of Eagle on either side of Willow attended the November 8th Park and Recreation Commission meeting. The commission members present were Susanna Ota - Director Dale Lilliard - Recreation Services Manager Christine Johnson, Georg Oliver, Kirk Elliot, Dale Lilliard, and Bruce Reeves - Recreation Commission members They agreed to recommend to the City Council approval of the installation of a 90 foot tall cell phone tower hosting four wireless carriers (of the 11 present in Alameda) in Washington Park, as long as 50% of the revenue from the tower goes to Park and Rec. The company installing the tower, American Tower, sent 3 representatives to the meeting and seemed to be on a first name basis with the commission members. Four towers are proposed in Alameda. The other three are to be erected on land controlled by the fire department, the golf course, and the school district. The big deal was an approval of the Proposition 12 Grant proposals. CA state has bond money available for park lands. Grants from that money come in several ways, per capita and matching. I'll put up the Proposition 12 Grant description separately on our web site in the Documents/References section. I've attached a map of all the Alameda parks which highlights the ones that would benefit from Prop 12 money, if they get it. A total of $946,965 of that Proposition 12 Grant money (plus matching) could come to Alameda. (That's what they're asking for.) Parks and Rec will use the money: a) to fix up existing parks ($330,000), b) to create a decent field next the Alameda Point Gym ($240,000), and c) to fix the Washington Park Community Center ($376,965) Matching funds would come from local sport and nonprofit groups. California lists its Park grant money, the 2000 Bond Act named Proposition 12 which provides Local Assistance Grants to cities for parks, on the web page: http://parks.ca.gov/grants/bond2000.htm (Link only works with Internet Explorer, not Netscape) $288 million bucks is available, $188 million in the program that Alameda will apply to, Roberti-Z'berg-Harris. An interesting comment was that petitions influence the spending of monies already acquired (what they're fixing in Alameda Point is partially in response to community petitions there), but no commission members are actively seeking community influence about any new projects. They are certainly not looking for money to purchase the Dutra/Fox property. They'd like to have a park there but don't have a clue how to fund it. We gave them our names and they'll notify us if the Dutra/Fox property comes up in some future meeting. We can contact the Park/Rec office if we want to tell them anything. Other items on the menu were status reports, and of little consequence. The Parks and Rec commission doesn't have many ongoing projects. - Joe Woodard