Scotts Valley City Council during its Feb. 16 meeting voted unanimously to skip collecting fees for a pair of upcoming fundraisers, including an event where firefighters will compete against each other to support people who have suffered burns.
Speaking as a dispatch radio sang intermittently in the background, Josh Nehf, the organizer of the Cornhole Tournament set for June 5 at Siltanen Park, said he’s thrilled.
They’ll now be able to contribute even more to the San Jose Burn Foundation, he said.
“I can only imagine what it’s like to go through something like that,” Nehf said, adding the foundation even brings teddy bears to children at the Santa Clara County Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center. “Some people spend months and months in there.”
During the meeting, Mayor Donna Lind noted she’d inquired whether the City should miss out on revenue from an event assisting a group located outside City boundaries, but later learned the San Jose Burn Foundation serves local residents, too.
Vice Mayor Jim Reed suggested future worthy nonprofit-based events be rolled into the consent calendar. Council directed staff to bring back a policy update to streamline similar future fee-skip approvals.
At the Cornhole Tournament, firefighters will try to toss bean bags into a hole for points, Nehf explained, adding participants will get a T-shirt, and that beer is being donated by Steel Bonnet brewery.
Scotts Valley also agreed to waive fees for the Rotary Club’ Drive-thru BBQ fundraiser to be held at the Scotts Valley Community Center on March 19.
Council OK’s More Skypark Work
Scotts Valley’s beloved Skypark was ravaged by heavy equipment during the CZU Lightning Complex fires when it served as a staging ground for firefighters. But it went through a round of upgrades last summer, getting a recycled water irrigation system and a fresh coat of seeded grass. Now, the council has set the stage for the next round of improvements.
“Due to the level of staffing in the Public Works Maintenance Division, the City cannot commit the necessary resources to the Skypark sports fields to keep them in the conditions expected by the public and regular users,” noted Public Works Director Chris Lamm in his report, adding it takes two workers a day to cut the grass.
The City has received complaints, and some locals have shown up with their own riding mowers. So, on Jan. 14, Scotts Valley issued a maintenance Request For Proposals. K&D landscaping, Inc. came in at $54,935. But Brightview Landscape Services, Inc. ended up scoring the three-year deal with their $42,940 offer, which includes caring for the greenbelts, too.
City Councilman Jack Dilles told the Press Banner it’s important to maintain the popular “jewel” for local residents.
“We do struggle to provide enough maintenance for all of our beautiful parks, and we must make the best use of our limited dollars,” he said, adding he hopes Scotts Valley can ultimately hire back its own crews. “But in the meantime, using an outside contractor allows the City to cost-efficiently take good care of Skypark.”
