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RESOLUTION NO. 2014-020 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING DONATIONS AND GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $22,181 FROM MULTIPLE DONORS AND GRANTORS FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNITY FUN RUN, NORMAN PARK CENTER, VETERANS CENTER AND CITYWIDE AQUATIC AND RECREATION FACILITIES AND AMENDING THE FY2013-2014 RECREATION BUDGET TO REFLECT THE APPROPRIATION OF THESE DONATED, SPONSORSHIP AND GRANT FUNDS (4/5 VOTE REQUIRED)
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommended Action
Council adopt the resolution.
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SUMMARY
Multiple donors and grantors are donating funds to the Recreation Department for costs associated with the Community Fun Run, Norman Park Center, Veterans Center and citywide aquatic and recreation facilities. Today’s action asks the City Council to appropriate these donated funds.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Development Services Director has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State of California CEQA Guidelines because the activity consists of a governmental administrative/fiscal activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State of California CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Not Applicable.
DISCUSSION
The 6th annual Community Fun Run (“Fun Run”), a 5K run or walk community event, is being held on May 17, 2014 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. This event has been presented annually by the City since 2009, organized and managed by the Recreation Department. Sea World LLC dba Aquatica San Diego (“Aquatica’), SeaWorld’s waterpark, is the Community Fun Run’s Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year. They are donating $5,000 in sponsorship fees to be used by the City to pay for the initial, up-front costs associated with the Fun Run, including printing of fliers, production of participant t-shirts, advertising and other miscellaneous costs. No funds are budgeted in the Recreation Department’s budget for this community event. Additional sponsors of this year’s Fun Run are Baldwin & Sons and Sports Authority, who are each donating $1,000, and McMillin Companies, who is donating $500. These funds will also be used to pay for the up-front costs associated with the Fun Run.
The Friends of Chula Vista Parks & Recreation is donating $6,931 from proceeds from the 2013 Fun Run to the Recreation Department for programming and the purchase of equipment and supplies for various aquatic and recreation facilities, sufficient funds for which are not included in the Department’s budget.
The USA Swimming Foundation is providing $4,000 in scholarship grant funds to the Recreation Department’s Aquatics Program, which will serve as a “Make a Splash” Grant Local Partner for the provision of a Read to Swim Program. This program is a quality, multi-level, learn-to-swim program offered during the current fiscal year that will expand opportunities for at-risk students to learn to swim and to use the sport of swimming to expand fitness and recreational opportunities. This Read to Swim Program combines literacy and swimming lessons, with an overall goal of providing free swimming lessons to Chula Vista residents who cannot otherwise afford them while encouraging reading at the same time. The program will provide 270 children, ages six and over, with ten swim lessons after writing a book report. With this swim program, which will utilize the Department’s existing Learn-To-Swim curriculum, children will begin with water acclimation and progress through levels of instruction and skill acquisition to pre-competitive stroke skills, with a student to teacher ratio of no greater than 6:1.
An anonymous donor is donating $2,000 to Norman Park Center for the purpose of providing digital signage, a dynamic communications tool that will enhance customer access to daily facility information, scheduled activities and programs as well as tie in the Department’s existing Active.Net program registration and facility reservation software program. This will assist in providing an additional advertising/marketing opportunity to reach customers who may not be fully aware of all the programs and services offered by the Department. The digital signage will better serve seniors with vision challenges by having larger fonts, pictures and flyers and will eventually provide an additional, revenue source if used for advertising/sponsorships of special events and classes. The anonymous donation will provide the system computer, set-up, customization, training and on-going support, as well as the first year of digital signage software licensing.
Two clubs that meet at Norman Park Center are also donating funds for special events at the Center. The Garden Club is donating $150 and the Senior Club is donating $100.
Veterans Recreation Center has been awarded a $1,500 grant from the City of Chula Vista 2013 Performing and Visual Arts Fund for the design and painting of a mural inside the center’s annex by the same local artist who, with financial support from the Chula Vista Art Guild and help from neighborhood youth, created a mural in the Veterans Center Game Room in 2009. The Performing and Visual Arts Fund Grant Program was established to promote and stimulate the growth of Chula Vista’s performing and cultural arts. The Fund supports art projects in dance, design arts, media arts, music, photography, theater, traditional folk arts and visual arts, or interdisciplinary expressions involving more than one of the above fields.
Past award recipients include the City of Chula Vista Harbor Days, High Tech High, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Dance Theater, South Bayfront Artists, Christian Youth Theater, Mexicayotl Indio Cultural Center, San Diego Youth Symphony and many others.
Funding for the grant is through a portion of ticket sales from the Sleep Train Amphitheatre to the City of Chula Vista’s Performing Arts Fund. Therefore, the amount of money awarded each year varies. The range of grants is typically between $250 and $2,500, although higher amounts can be awarded.
The grant is open to Chula Vista-based tax-exempt, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, or religious organizations, performance and visual arts groups associated with schools or educational institutions, City of Chula departments and boards and commissions, outside organizations working in partnership with Chula Vista-based entities, and various other groups or individuals listed in the application. Funds can be used to pay artists for a performance or exhibition, school projects, programs promoting cultural diversity or cultural tourism, and various costs for printing and materials, or costume rental. Projects must be completed one year from the grant notification date.
DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site specific and consequently, the 500-foot rule found in California Code of Regulations section 18704.2(a)(1), is not applicable to this decision. Staff is not independently aware, and has not been informed by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter.
LINK TO STRATEGIC GOALS
The City’s Strategic Plan has five major goals: Operational Excellence, Economic Vitality, Healthy Community, Strong and Secure Neighborhoods and a Connected Community. Entering into partnerships with outside donors and sponsoring organizations such as these allow the Department to expand special events, programs and services such as the Fun Run and Read to Swim Program, increasing economic vitality and community engagement as well as providing diversified activities for youth through seniors that promote a healthy lifestyle and community.
These partnerships also enhance the Recreation Department’s stature and role as the “Heart of the Community” and serve to encourage and develop strong and secure neighborhoods and a connected community by providing diverse recreational opportunities that bring families together and foster civic pride through comprehensive communication strategies and cultural and recreational programming.
Collaboration with individuals and organizations for programs such as the digital signage at Norman Park Center serves to provide responsive and responsible public service and operational excellence by improving the effectiveness of how the Department communicates the diverse opportunities and resources available to seniors.
CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this resolution will result in an appropriation of $6,264 to the Recreation Department’s personnel services budget and $15,917 to its supplies & services budget. Multiple donors and grantors are the source of the funding; therefore there is no fiscal impact to the City.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
$7,500 of the donated funds will used in support of the Fun Run. The Fun Run will continue to be an annual, City-run, community event.
The Read to Swim Program is totally supported by the funds donated by USA Swimming and will continue to be offered in subsequent years entirely dependent upon the availability of additional offsetting funding.
The one-time donations from the Friends of Chula Vista Parks & Recreation, Performing and Visual Arts Fund, Garden Club and Senior Club have no ongoing fiscal impact.
The digital signage program made possible by $2,000 donation from the anonymous donor will result in an ongoing impact of $69 per month, or $828 annually, to the Norman Park Center budget for software licensing, but it is proposed that this cost will be fully covered by potential advertising/sponsorship revenue opportunities made possible by the program itself.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution