Final

City of Santa Clara

Meeting Minutes

Parks & Recreation Commission

10/20/2025

7:00 PM

Hybrid Meeting

Sparacino Conference Room - City Hall East Wing

1500 Warburton Avenue

Santa Clara, CA 95050

The City of Santa Clara is conducting the Parks & Recreation Commission meeting in a hybrid

manner ( in-person and a method for the public to participate remotely).

Join Zoom meeting

https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/89140287145?pwd=vxTpbZL37PSa9tyNRsapnbNKFauJJP.1

Meeting ID: 891 4028 7145

Passcode: 863597

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

This meeting was called to order by Chair Chu at 7:05 PM.

6 -

Present

Dana Caldwell, Maureen Chu, Derek DeMarco, Eversley Forte, Vikas

Gupta, and Edward A. Souza

CONSENT CALENDAR

25-1048

1.A

Action on the Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes of the August 18,

2025, Meeting

Recommendation:

Approve the Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes of the August 18,

2025, Meeting.

A motion was made by Commissioner Forte and seconded by

Commissioner Gupta to approve the minutes of the August 18, 2025

Parks & Recreation Commission meeting as amended.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

25-1045

1.B

Make a Recommendation to City Council to Adopt the Proposed 2026

Calendar of Meetings for the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Recommendation:

The Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council to adopt

the proposed 2026 calendar of meetings for the Parks and Recreation

Commission.

A motion was made by Commissioner Forte and seconded by

Commissioner Gupta to recommend approval of the Parks &

Recreation Commission 2026 calendar of meetings.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

None.

GENERAL BUSINESS

25-1050

Status Update on the Progress Made on the FY 2025/26 Parks &

Recreation Commission’s Work Plan Goals

Recommendation:

Discuss and develop Parks & Recreation Commission Work Plan Goals

and Activities for FY 2025/26.

Commissioner Chu recommended to move this item to item 5 on the

agenda. Commission agreed. No motion made and no vote was taken. No

action was taken on this item.

25-982

Consideration of the Revised Council-Approved Schematic Design for the

New Public Park at 3905 Freedom Circle

Recommendation:

Recommend that City Council approve the revised Schematic Design for

the New Public Neighborhood Park located at 3905 Freedom Circle.

A motion was made by Commissioner Forte and seconded by

Commissioner Gupta that city council approve the revised

schematic design for the new public park at 3905 Freedom Circle,

with the condition of improved parking signage.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

25-1056

Recommend a Nominee(s) as the 2025 Honorary Holiday Tree Lighter

Recommendation:

Recommend a nominee(s) to serve as the 2025 Honorary Holiday Tree

Lighter.

Commissioner Chu made a motion, seconded by Commissioner

Forte to recommend Wanda Buck as the 2025 Honorary Tree

Lighter.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

25-756

Action on Proposed Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories,

Priorities of Use and a Proposed Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025/26

Municipal Fee Schedule and Proposed Adjustments through Fiscal Year

2028/29

Recommendation:

Recommend that the City Council:

1. Adopt Definitions for Aquatic Facility Use Categories;

2. Adopt Priorities of Aquatics Facility Use; and,

3. Approve Proposed Amendment to the FY 2025/26 Municipal Fee

Schedule through Fiscal Year 2028/29

Commissioner DeMarco made a motion, seconded by

Commissioner Gupta to continue this item to next month,

specifically directing staff to flesh out the categories, specifically the

government use/non-residential non-commercial use.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

STAFF REPORT

Parks & Recreation Director Sparacino

The Director has nothing new to report other than next month we have the

tree lighting. No major updates. There are no updates for the dog park but

he hopes to have some soon. As a reminder, the department is showing

Coco in Mission City Memorial Park for Dia De Los Muertos.

Recreation Manager Castro

Recreation Manager Castro says MacDonald High School PTSA did not

make a lot of revenue at Art & Wine and would like to rethink how non

profits participate in the festival for next year and what pieces they can help

with other than food. She invites anyone to brainstorm with her and staff.

The Nebula Rider's last day is November 14th. Spooktaclara and Diwali

event are coming up.

Senior Management Analyst McDowell

She gave an update on ISC construction drawings and staff workshop. All

representative departments were involved. We summarized all the

comments and turned them in. We expect they will turn in 100 percent

drawings by November 6th. She says we are getting close on physical

designs and shovel to the ground potentially in February 2026. More to

follow. Eight new grounds maintenance workers were brought in July, three

additional in October, with one starting in November. Priscilla

Candel-Ramirez is the new Staff Aide in the admin office. She started in

October.

COMMISSIONERS REPORT

Chair Caldwell: He had a great time working at the Art & Wine Festival.

He drove in the Parade of Champions. He also visited Maywood Park,

Fremont Park and the Senior Center. He appreciated that the parks and

Senior Center were in great shape.

Commissioner Chu: She was excited and thankful for the Nutcracker’s

new ticketing system. In recent years the performance has been general

seating, it is now going back to assigned seating.

Commissioner DeMarco: He walked to Bowers Park many times with his

wife. He noticed graffiti and excessive trash in the park. He was pleased to

hear about the newly hired grounds maintenance workers. He hoped the

increase in staff will help with the upkeep of the park.

Commissioner Forte: He worked both days of the Art & Wine Festival.

He also attended the Parade of Champions.

Commissioner Gupta: He attended the State of the City. He was happy

he had the opportunity to see the fantastic dance performance twice.

Commissioner Gupta visited Central Park and was pleased to see the

Magical Bridge being enjoyed by many visitors. He had worried the

Magical Bridge Playground would not be used to full capacity. He also

visited Maywood Park. He commented that the park felt like a

gerrymandered park now that the school had taken over a portion of it. He

disliked the solar panels and noted the character of the park had changed.

Commissioner Souza:

He enjoyed the Art & Wine Festival. He thought the music and crowd were

very good this year. He also attended the Parade of Champions and

visited War Memorial Park. He continued his weekly visit to the Senior

Center for fitness classes. He was impressed by the new fitness

equipment.

ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner DeMarco made a motion, seconded by

Commissioner Caldwell to adjourn the Parks & Recreation

Commission Meeting at 8:58 PM until the next regular meeting on

November 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Sparacino Conference Room

at City Hall.

6 - Caldwell, Chu, DeMarco, Forte, Gupta, and Souza

Aye:

MEETING DISCLOSURES

The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any

quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the

Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other

provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any

quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day

following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal

challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person

wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to

raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in

this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or

prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the

interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.

If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name

will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect

"Public Speaker."

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act

of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified

individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or

activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the

maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request,

provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for

qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision

impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and

activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies

and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to

enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.

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public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format.

Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative

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Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or

any other disability-related modification of policies or procedures, or other

accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of

Santa Clara, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as

possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.