title
RECREATION REPORT
recommended action
Informational Item Only
Recreation staff to provide informational updates on aquatics, youth basketball conclusion and upcoming sports seasons, teen programming, a wrap-up of March’s Arts Night, Victory Park Sculpture update, and Williams Brotherhood Mural ribbon-cutting event.
body
Summary
Aquatics
On February 6, 2024, the City Council unanimously approved three recommendations presented by our Director, Kris Farro. They included the approval of transitioning the management and operations of aquatic programming of Brooking Park, Holiday Park, McKinley Park, Oak Park, Sousa Park, and Victory Park pools back to our department; the approval of six part-time, unrepresented, and unclassified classifications in the Community Services Department, Pool Manager, Assistant Pool Manager, Lifeguard, Senior Lifeguard, Aquatics Instructor, and Aquatics Assistant; and last, amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Annual Budget to appropriate $87,000 from Measure M fund balance to Recreation - Aquatics Division accounts for the operation of Brooking Park, Holiday Park, and Oak Park pools.
Since the February 6 meeting, staff has been working with our Human Resources Department on filling the approved part-time positions, purchasing equipment and supplies, scheduling certification, and lifeguarding courses, and working with the Information Technology Department on projects to retrofit the pool sites with computer access to process swim lesson registrations and transactions this upcoming swim season.
For the 2024 swim season, which is Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend, the department will operate the swim lessons and open swim times at Brookings Park, Holiday Park, and Oak Park pools. An assessment of the Sousa Park pool will determine if it can be operated in 2024. This marks the first time our department will operate the city pools for nearly 20 years, which has previously been outsourced through operating agreements. We feel strongly this will allow for increased program consistency, community responsiveness, community collaboration, and to build more summer jobs for our youth.
Youth Sports
Youth Basketball has concluded this month with 30 teams and over 300 youth participating in this year’s Winter season. The staff overseeing the program received positive feedback from parents and participants throughout the season. April marks the month for the start of our Start Smart and Steppingstones introductory outdoor soccer programs for ages 2-6, as well as the Spring seasons for Youth Volleyball and Soccer for youth ages 7-14. Additionally, we will begin accepting registrations for our Summer Youth Basketball season and the very popular free Junior Giants Program in April.
Teen Programs
For the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Recreation Division was approved to hire a Recreation Supervisor position to manage and implement new city-wide teen programs focused on life skill development, job and college readiness, and enriching activities. Since Kathleen Bergman’s hire in January 2024, she has been busy planning a series of upcoming exciting activities and events that will be rolled out over the next three months. Details are being finalized on college open houses being hosted at the community centers, a job fair in May 2024 with over 20 local businesses participating, a series of financial literacy workshops that include a curriculum sponsored by the Richard Myles Johnson Foundation called Bite of Reality, certification programs such as the Red Cross Babysitting & Child Care Training, and summer day trips to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Seaquest in Folsom. Final details and marketing items will be made public in April.
Stockton Arts Night
On March 12, 2024, the Stockton Arts Commission hosted their first quarterly Stockton Arts Night at the City’s Civic Auditorium. March’s event was a success as it showcased 15 artists and 3 performers with the Commission welcoming over 200 attendees to the event. The next Stockton Arts Night is scheduled for June 5, 2024, and applications for local artists to be part of this event are available on our website at stocktonca.gov/arts.
Victory Park Public Art Sculpture
Public Work staff is in the process of having the previous footing from the totem pole removed before May 1, 2024. Contractors are waiting for the lighting to be received which is expected within the next four weeks. Once lighting is received and the previous footing is removed the contractors will begin trenching the electrical lines for lighting and pouring footings. City staff is working to coordinate a same-day inspection and then the Artist and Contractor will mount the sculpture to the footing. We are anticipating completion of this art installation within the next six to eight weeks.
Williams Brotherhood Park Mural
Reinvent South Stockton Coalition completed its mural at Williams Brotherhood Park. A ribbon-cutting celebration is planned for Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at 4:00 pm at Williams Brotherhood Park 2040 S Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206.