Recreation Commission Meeting

City of Piedmont Recreation Commission Agenda Wednesday, October 15, 2025 7:30 p.m. City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA Call to Order Public Forum This is an opportunity for members of the audience to speak on an item not on the agenda. Regular Agenda 1. Approval of Recreation Commission Minutes for September 17, 2025 2. Chair’s Report 3. Director’s Report 4. Report from the 4 th of July Committee 5. Report on the Piedmont Recreation Department’s Self-Assessment of Gender Equity in Youth Sports as it relates to California Fair Play in Community Sports Act (AB 2404) 6. Update on Adult Recreation Expo Event Announcements, old business and consideration of future agenda items Adjourn Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Recreation Commission are available for public inspection in the Recreation Department during normal business hours. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (510) 420-3040. Notification at least two business days preceding the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II] In accordance with G.C. Sec. 54954.2 (a) this, notice and agenda were posted at the City Hall bulletin board and Veteran’s Hall at 401 Highland Avenue on October 10, 2025.

DRAFT PIEDMONT RECREATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, September 17, 2025 – DRAFT A Regular Session of the Piedmont Recreation Commission was held on September 17, 2025, in the City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Vista Avenue. In accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2 (a), the agenda for this meeting was posted for public inspection on September 12, 2025. CALL TO ORDER Chair Aamir Virani called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Aamir Virani, Vice Chair Lisa Gardner and Commissioners Jenny Feinberg, Christopher Hart, Sara Ironside, and Rebecca Posamentier Absent: Commissioner Sean Byrnes Staff: Recreation Director Chelle Putzer and Administrative Assistant Cora Wood PUBLIC FORUM There was no Public Testimony received. REGULAR AGENDA The Commission considered the following items of regular business. Approval of Minutes Resolved, that the Recreation Commission approves the posted Recreation Commission meeting minutes of August 20, 2025. Moved by Hart and Seconded by Feinberg Ayes: Feinberg, Gardner, Hart, Ironside, Posamentier and Virani Noes: None Abstain: None Absent: Byrnes Chair’s Report Chair Virani commended the Piedmont Recreation Department (PRD) for their accomplishments with limited resources and fostering community. He noted that after the last meeting, there were a couple of things that had come up with some uncertainty and frustration. but essentially how best to bring future commission agenda items. Chair Virani then reviewed the Commission’s role per City Code to focus 1. programming activities 2. rules and ordinances of city facilities 3. topics assigned by Council. A lot of which is dictated by time, money and space. How best to help with future agenda items: • Does this relate to something coming up in the year or how can this relate. • Take your ideas and talk to Chelle first • Regarding future topics, limit the discussion to a bullet point what you would like to discuss. Finally, yearly report to review and make any recommendations. Commissioner Ironside thanked Chair Virani for his diligence and clarifying the role of the Commission. She inquired if he had a specific ask of the Commissioners or the topics that need to be put on the agenda. There was no Public Testimony received. Director’s Report Recreation Director Putzer reported the following:

Recreation Commission Minutes - Draft September 17, 2025 2 • Friday, September 19, 2025, 4th Annual New Families Night • Friday, September 19, 2025, Movie in the Park will be Migration. • Saturday, September 20, 2025, Police Department is hosting Coffee, Cars, and Cops • Sunday, September 21, 2025, 27 th Annual Harvest Festival There was no Public Testimony received. Annual Report on Facility Usage Data on 801 Magnolia Director Putzer stated that the City has a facility use agreement with the Piedmont Center for the Arts (PCA) that went into effect in May 2022, the agreement designates the Recreation Director to work with the PCA on the scheduling and setting up operational guidelines to maximize the use of the facility. She acknowledged working with Carter Dunlap as the PCA. Presentation slides were shared on the screen. • Director Putzer explained that the Center for Arts is a nonprofit organization focused on arts related programming. Current use agreement expires in May 2027. The facility is scheduled by an annual allocation schedule that is in place starting in March where dates are selected and it covers the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30, and has a 90-day release option and 180-day limited release option. • Commissioner Posamentier asked if renters are turned away on weekends, then directed to the PCA. Suggested considering the financial impact of a new facility use agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the school district, since the City owns the building but may face higher costs or reduced access after school hours. o Director Putzer stated that it does occur. Limited weekends and PCA use make full-day requests difficult. • Chair Virani asked how many people don’t get turned away and whether revenue is generated. o Director Putzer noted rentals are few and priced at $30/hour to provide community access. Use is limited to the main hall without a kitchen, and most weekday programming is free, so little rental revenue is generated. • Commissioner Ironside asked how last-minute rentals are handled and if they use the same reservation system. o Director Putzer responded that last-minute rentals go through Ivy, she manages the calendar and can check availability. If dates are known in advance, hours can be requested. • Chair Virani asked how many hours PCA was used before the agreement was in place and if their steady state is around 1,100 hours a year. o Director Putzer stated that she cannot provide full utilization due to starting just before COVID but feels the new agreement has improved efforts to maximize use and collaboration. There was no Public Testimony received. Review the Memorandum of Understanding with the Piedmont Baseball and Softball Foundation for Use of the Batting Cages at Coaches Field Director Putzer noted this was first brought to the Commission in April 2023, aimed to improve the cage previously tied to the field rentals, usually under-12 baseball team due to the size of the field. The new plan ensures availability for girls and other age groups through Piedmont Baseball and Softball Foundation (PBSF). Presentation slides were shared and a five-minute video created by KCOM.

Recreation Commission Minutes - Draft September 17, 2025 3 Director Putzer explained the cages ensure equal access for girls’ softball/baseball programs, in line with California’s Fair Play Act (AB 2404). • PRD worked with David Emanuelson on new programming to develop players and ensure equal batting cage use. • She shared the agreement, executive summary, and MOU, which cover collaboration and scheduling, PBSF responsibilities, and monitoring and compliance. • PRD retains scheduling priority of the batting cages, when there isn’t a permit issued, the batting cages are open to the community on a first come, first served basis. • PRD and PBSF will meet each fall and spring to review requests and ensure equitable access for both baseball and softball, with PBSF able to use the cages during scheduled or organized time slots. • PBSF is responsible for ensuring safe and equitable use consistent with AB 2404, preventing encroachment on other fields and parking, enforcing helmet usage, prohibiting metal spikes, limiting pitching machine operation to adults, and prohibiting private paid instruction as per City code. • For monitoring and compliance, PBSF submits proposed schedules, which PRD reviews for safety and equity, adjusting as needed. • At the end of the season, PBSF provides a report on player and team usage by gender, and the agreement is reviewed annually for possible modifications. Commissioners asked questions and provided comments with included: pitching machines permanent or movable,cage usage while field in use, field availability and private paid instruction. Public Testimony was received from: David Emanuelson, President of PBSF, thanked the City, PRD and the Commission for their partnership, noting that PBSF and Director Putzer were aligned on the MOU from the start. He said Assembly Bill (AB) 2404 guides their efforts, and PBSF had 648 kids register in Spring 2025, a 30% increase from 2024, with similar growth in the fall. The league now has 500 boys and 150 girls, and while baseball has long been the draw, softball is also becoming a magnet program, with the new cage supporting that growth. Mr. Emanuelson emphasized efforts to increase softball participation by recruiting more volunteers, including moms for diversity. PBSF now has a commissioner for each of its five softball leagues and a head of new player development from the University of California Davis (UC Davis). The batting cage and expanded volunteer base are helping the organization grow, with every team getting cage time, mainly on weekends. PBSF is also adding clinics with paid instructors and opening them up to the community. David McMurtry from PBSF thanked the Commission and said they are nearing a perfect storm, with programs becoming magnet programs, 587 new housing units coming, and post-pandemic demand for kids’ outdoor activities rising. He noted also being part of the board for Piedmont Makers where they see 30-40% annual growth, much from outside Piedmont, and warned they are reaching a breaking point. He requested the City not only rehab and remodel fields but also add new ones, as the hardest part of his job is turning families away due to lack of space. Consideration of the Establishment of a Subcommittee to Review the Piedmont Recreation Department’s Director Putzer noted that the scholarship and fee-assistance form dates to at least 2009, with very few resident requests but 20 to 30 non-resident requests during summer. The topic resurfaced through the Pool Advisory Committee’s (PAC) work on the Pool Pass Model, which recommended a review by the Recreation Commission. She suggested forming a subcommittee to study other cities’ practices, eligibility, scholarship amounts, application process, and funding, with a subcommittee to be voted on.

Recreation Commission Minutes - Draft September 17, 2025 4 Scholarship/Fee Assistance Program • Commissioner Feinberg asked about fees. • Administrative Assistant Wood said the program began with Schoolmates before expanding to programming. • Commissioner Posamentier asked if the budget includes a line item for scholarships or assistance. o Director Putzer answered no. • Chair Virani asked the goal or revisiting the program. o Director Putzer responded the goal is to review other cities’ models and seek updated recommendations. • Commissioner Ironside, a PAC member, explained the discussion is aimed at promoting greater diversity in who accesses programs. Pool pricing model favors residents, the City should consider whether a similar scholarship approach should apply to other programs, given this has not been updated in several years. • Commissioner Feinberg noted factors like Schoolmates, space limits, program costs, and access for more kids. She emphasized Piedmont’s pride in providing affordable childcare but said the broader question is whether to simply discount a few programs or not. • Commissioner Ironside added that forming a subcommittee makes sense to research data, determine needs, identify residents and nonresidents, and review comparable cities. • Vice Chair Gardner stated that the issue is sensitive, and not everyone will openly ask for help, so any approach must be handled with sensitivity and transparency. There was no Public Testimony received. Commissioners continued to discuss the matter. Resolved, that the Recreation Commission approves establishing a subcommittee to review the Piedmont Recreation Department scholarship/fee assistance program and have three members on the subcommittee. Moved by Feinberg, Seconded by Hart Ayes: Feinberg, Gardner, Hart, Ironside, Posamentier, and Virani Noes: None Abstain: None Absent: Byrnes Report on Registration Data for Schoolmates The Hangout Director Putzer explained that the recommendation to separate out the 4th and 5th graders in Schoolmates came out of the Subcommittee report and childcare in Piedmont. As requested from the last meeting enrollment by school at The Hangout by school. Presentation slides were shared on the screen. Director Putzer noted a handwritten correction in the packet for after hours on Wednesdays. The Hangout has 180 registrations, with kids enrolled in multiple slots. Actual enrollment is 19 from Beach Elementary School, 21 from Havens Elementary School and 6 from Wildwood Elementary School. Presented usage by day and hour, with a maximum of 31 and open spaces on Wednesdays. • Commissioner Posamentier inquired about Wildwood’s lower numbers. o Director Putzer replied that fewer 4 th and 5 th graders are registered at Wildwood, which has a strong ASE program. She clarified that registration numbers are higher than student counts because many enroll in multiple time slots.

Recreation Commission Minutes - Draft September 17, 2025 5 There was no Public Testimony received. Update Adult Recreation Expo Event Dick Carter shared that he and Vice Chair Gardner have been working on the Second Annual Piedmont Adult Recreation Expo, scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Veterans Hall. The volunteer-led event is in collaboration with PRD, Piedmont Adult School, and Piedmont Center for the Arts, showcases recreational programs for adults in Piedmont. The event is free and requires no pre-registration. Photos from last year’s event were shared. Dick Carter noted that about 25 recreation providers and approximately 200 people participated in the event previously. In 2023, the Recreation Commission formed an older adult recreation subcommittee, which found many opportunities existed but were not well known, leading to the Adult Recreation Expo recommendation. Commissioners asked questions and provided comments with included: Increased participation after last year’s expo. ANNOUNCEMENTS Commissioner Hart announced Piedmont Oktoberfest will be on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Community Center from 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. Coaches and teachers are free. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, Chair Virani adjourned the meeting at 9:13 p.m.