FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - At the Feb. 19 Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) board meeting, the Parkway Disc Golf Foundation asked that some disc golf baskets at Miller Park be reinstalled on weekends. 

The board recently had seven baskets removed from the course due to concerns about safety risks for children as they walked to and from school and played in the park. The Parkway Disc Golf Foundation requested that those baskets be reinstalled on weekends so players can use the full course. They said this option would allow safe park access to families during the week while providing recreational opportunities for the disc golfers on the weekends. 

Director Darren Mounts said he has seen a lot of compromises about the disc golf course from both parents and players. So, Mounts said, it would be reasonable to allow full play on weekends as an interim measure, while the district explores the option of moving the disc golf course to Bannister Park. 

District Administrator Mike Aho cautioned that the district doesn’t have adequate staffing to cover weekly installation and removal of the baskets. 

Director Raymond James Irwin asked that this proposal come back as an agenda item at a future meeting for full discussion. 

The board then continued a previous discussion about a possible change order regarding panels for the hanger doors at the new Performing Arts Center at Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre. 

The original design specified 1.5-inch-thick panels to cover the doors and create a secure, insulated wall when the stage doors are closed. With the width of the panels, it would take two panels to cover each door, for a total of four panels required. However, Aho explained that those particular panels have been discontinued, with that manufacturer now only offering panels that are either one or two inches thick, neither of which will fit in the custom doors already completed and installed. 

Another company makes 1.5-inch panels but they are a smaller width across, so each door will now need four panels, for a total of eight, which will require additional mounting, blocking and flashing on each door, as well as increased labor costs. Due to the change in materials and labor, a total increase of $77,454 was requested. 

Some of the directors suggested that the panels should have been ordered much earlier, before they were discontinued, so they said his problem was the responsibility of the project contractor, Bobo Construction.

“It seems to me we shouldn’t be taking the full brunt for that because it should have been foreseen,” Director Ralph Carhart said. “Somebody made a mistake here. Either the design was bad (or) the contractor failed to get the materials lined up. I just don’t believe it’s the district’s problem.”

If they had ordered the panels earlier, Aho said, that would have come with an extra cost as well, since they would need to pay for storage, insurance and extended warranties to protect that investment.

“It’s costing us $77,000 but the reality is that our initial bid from Bobo would have probably been much higher than $77,000 more if we had put these kinds of restrictions and qualifications on them prior to them ordering the door,” said Aho. 

District consultants Dave Fukui with construction management firm ICS and architect Tim Mattheis with WMB both agreed that it wasn’t feasible for Bobo to purchase all necessary materials up front and they said the planned sequencing was reasonable. 

Mattheis explained that before the panels could be installed, there was a lot of electrical installation, stucco work, and other details to be completed.  

Fukui said it is not uncommon for products to become discontinued: “This is actually a minor change in the scheme of things.”

Director Irwin said it was hard to believe that no other company can make the correct size panels for a similar cost, and he was frustrated that representatives from Bobo didn’t attend the meeting to answer questions. Aho clarified that he didn’t ask Bobo to attend. 

Director Carhart asked if anyone had specifically asked the original manufacturer if they could build the 1.5-inch panels as a custom order.

“Bobo is very responsible contractor. I would think they would have explored all of their options at the time,” Fukui said.

Fukui said he can look into the possibility of a custom order, but he reminded the board that timing is a serious issue and a delay in approving this change could hold up project completion. 

The Board consensus was to delay the decision until a special meeting, when they will go over timelines for manufacturing and shipping of either the new panels or a custom set from the original manufacturer. 

The board then considered a proposal to hold the Chicken Festival at Fair Oaks Park again this September. Historically, the annual event was held in the Village but it was relocated due to the ongoing construction. Recreation Supervisor Sabrina Bernardo said that the new location has more parking as well as more usable space, which allowed the district to expand the event and add more activities. The district was also able to save costs on the event at that location. 

Director Carhart said he wants to see a split venue, with at least some activities happening in the Village, such as a kick-off concert the evening before. 

During Public Comment, two residents expressed disappointment that the full event won’t be returning, because the traditional Village location was part of what gave the event its unique charm. 

Director Mounts clarified that this motion was just to approve the location for 2025 and not to permanently move the festival. The board voted unanimously to approve Fair Oaks Park as this year’s Chicken Festival location. 

The board also heard an update about a potential parking management plan. There has always been limited parking available in the Village, and when the new parks and facilities open this year, it will likely bring even more visitors. There were originally 70 parking spaces owned by the district that surround the park-owned land in the Village. During construction, 21 spaces were added, for a total of 91 parking spaces.  

The district spaces are only supposed to be used for up to two hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. However, Aho said, many employees of Village businesses park in those spaces and individuals also park there to bike or walk to the river. 

While the district wants everyone to be able to use the parking spaces, they want to encourage quicker turnover, so more people have access. Staff recommended a paid parking plan as a possible solution. 

Parking could be paid for with a mobile app, by calling or by visiting the district office. The first hour would be free, with the fees increasing from a dollar or two for the second hour up to a daily maximum between $12 to $17. A non-payment violation fee of $15 to $20 could also be imposed. The fees would cover the cost of a parking enforcement officer. 

Staff presented the paid parking idea at two recent public outreach meetings and Aho said most people do not support the proposal.

During Public Comments, several residents spoke against the idea, stating that paid parking doesn’t solve the real issue, which is the limited number of parking spaces. One resident pointed out that parking has always been an issue in the Village, and visitors just figured out a way to deal with it. 

Director Carhart suggested waiting until after the re-opening to determine the extent of the parking problem. 

Director Irwin disagreed and said that if the district is eventually going to implement paid parking, it should go into effect when the Village parks reopen. He asked that this issue be brought back as an action item at a future meeting for full discussion. 

Finally, the board considered a change order for $86,923 for additional curb and gutter work, which is required before they can do the paving work on park perimeter streets in the Village. Aho explained that the demolition, re-grading and concrete work is necessary to meet Sacramento County requirements. 

Director Irwin said it was frustrating to have to consider yet another change order but the board did vote unanimously to approve it. 

Aho also provided an update on the opening of the Village parks and facilities, which is now expected in early June. 

The next regular Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 19.