HomeMy WebLinkAbout5A Public CommentAnthony Mejia
Subject: RE: Action Park Alliance Skatepark Management Item SA tonight
From: mark@actionparkalliance.com <mark@actionparkalliance.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2021 3:46 PM
To: Christy Holstege <Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>; Lisa Middleton <Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>
Cc: Grace Garner <Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>; Dennis Woods <Dennis.Woods@palmspringsca.gov>; Geoff Kors
<Geoff.Kors@palmspringsca.gov>; Llubi Rios <Llubi.Rios@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: Action Park Alliance Skatepark Management Item SA tonight
Importance: High
Dear Mayor Holstege, Mayor Pro-tern Middleton and our Council Members,
It has been brought to our attention that the service we provide to the community in Palm Springs may be at risk. Our
understanding is that the skatepark facility is being discussed as a possible location for a teen center, which would be
managed by city staff. Although this may seem like a reasonable option initially, it is vital to understand the benefits of
having a professional skatepark management team in place to support the city in operating its skatepark facility.
Over the past 8 years we have successfully managed operations in Palm Springs by hiring and training local staff to
follow our company guidelines. Through our policies and procedures we have fostered a blossoming action sports
community in Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley. We have been able to provide monthly community
events, summer skateboard camps, lessons, clinics and promotional efforts to drive traffic and tourism dollars to Palm
Springs. We have also saved the city money by reducing police calls by 80%, completely eliminating all problems with
graffiti, and ensuring the facility is safe and clean for our local youth to enjoy on a daily basis. This past year has been
especially challenging due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. We faced this challenge with a detailed plan that we
developed which allowed us to reopen. To date this plan has shown to be successful with zero confirmed cases related
to our operations.
We believe that we are an incredibly valuable asset to Palm Springs, as our contract shields the city from any liabilities or
issues from user injuries, etc. Our insurance is primary and noncontributory, meaning that if an injury settlement ever
arose, this would require no city resources. We have reviewed other municipalities that insure their facilities, and the
deductible for an injury settlement started at $250,000. This past year we have seen our operational budget cut, our
insurance premiums increase, and allowable user capacity cut to a minimum. Through all of this we have pushed
forward to ensure our community still has a safe and clean skatepark to enjoy, while maintaining the policy that all Palm
Springs residents may utilize the facility 100% FREE. With skateboarding becoming the newest Olympic sport, removing
our skatepark program would be a terrible mistake. The facility already operates successfully as a teen center for action
sports enthusiasts, and we humbly ask that you work with us to keep it that way.
Sincerely,
Mark Laue
Action Park Alliance, Inc.
6824 S Centinela Ave .
Los Angeles, CA 90230
1
~]ii(wi1
ITEM NO. '.:28 ~~nt
626-330-5803 ext.210/ phone
626-330-5503/ fax
951-634-6537 /cell
Mark@actionparkalliance.com
www.actionparkalliance.com
OUR VISION: Action Park Alliance, Inc. is committed to creating responsible action sports facilities through risk
management, programming, and youth development.
2