WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is searching for someone to take over the management of Pinto Lake City Park.
The Parks and Recreation Department on Aug. 14 released a request for proposals (RFP) for the 8.5-acre lakeside park off Green Valley Road. The City is looking for new management to maximize its use by increasing community access and delivering creative programs, according to the RFP.
Parks and Community Services Director Nick Calubaquib said the City took over the day-to-day operations of the park in 2017 after longtime concessionaire Pat McQuade died. The City wanted to make the park a profitable operation, Calubaquib said.
“The plan has not quite panned out as planned,” Calubaquib wrote in an email.
He said that the City was breaking even on direct costs such as staffing, utilities and materials, but that it was not making up the indirect costs that came with administrative oversight and maintenance.
Along with a baseball diamond used by a local little league and several picnic areas with tables and barbecue pits, the park also allows fishing and boating on its 70 water acres, and has 28 electrical hookups for overnight RV stays.
The City currently maintains the park and will continue to do so under new management if applicants do not wish to take over the maintenance.
Adjustments to park fees, including camping, boat inspection, picnic area reservation and weekend parking, will still require approval from Watsonville’s City Council.
From February 2019 to February 2020, the City collected $228,278 in fees.
Watsonville American Little League (WALL) has historically been given priority use of the baseball diamond at no cost. Other organizations such as Pajaro Valley Little League (Franich Park) also use their respective home fields free of charge, so long as they take on all maintenance responsibilities and costs at their facilities. But that is not the case with WALL, Calubaquib said.
Though the league does perform maintenance on the field to prepare it for its teams, City maintenance crews still mow the diamond’s outfield. Calubaquib also said the City maintains and pays for all utilities, and maintains the restrooms and snack shack used by the league.
Calubaquib said the City has been in negotiations with the league over the last few years to set up a payment model. Last year they allowed the league to use the field for free, as long as it continued its maintenance efforts on the diamond’s infield.
“We understand that WALL is significantly smaller than the other surrounding leagues and has had a hard time financially, so we have been working with them,” Calubaquib said.
Calubaquib said he expects negotiations on the updated payment model would include new management.
“The hope is that we can grow weekend use by other organizations to increase revenue and further offset maintenance costs,” Calubaquib said. “This has to be done in coordination with the league though, since they have had priority use of the field for most weekends throughout the year.”
WALL president Art Sigala, who returned to the helm last year, said Monday that he has not yet spoken to anybody from the City about a possible new deal.
“This is all news to me,” he said. “I haven’t seen or talked to anybody from the City since February or March.”
Sigala said the league, which has been around for decades, helped build the facility, erecting the bleachers and dugouts years ago.
Asked if the league would have enough cash to upkeep the field and pay rent, Sigala said not without increasing league fees.
“We’re not in a position to do both,” he said. “Our kids and our families are already paying enough. It’s not realistic to ask for more.”
RFPs must be submitted by 5pm on Sept. 11.
An optional site walkthrough will be conducted at 9am on Friday.
Applications will be graded by City staff on seven criteria, including their creativity and problem solving, qualifications and their proposed compensation to the City. Finalists will then be interviewed in late September.
A deal will require approval from the City Council in late October.
The City hopes new management will take over operations by Nov. 2.
Questions should be emailed to Calubaquib at ni*************@ci***************.org no later than Aug. 26.
