City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: _01/03/13__ Item Number: _A-1__
PRCS COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM: Review and Make Recommendations
Regarding the PRCS Department Donation/Sponsorship Program, including the
Development of the “Park Hero” Brochure.
Contact Person/Dept.: Dan Hernandez,
PRCS Director
Phone Number: (310) 253-6655
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas – Parks, Recreation and Community
Services Commission (12/27/12).
Department Approval:Dan Hernandez
(12/26/12)
City Attorney Approval: N/A
Chief Financial Officer Approval: N/A City Manager Approval: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS)
Commissionreview and make recommendations regarding the PRCS Department
Donation/Sponsorship Program, including the development of the “Park Hero”
brochure.
BACKGROUND:
The PRCS Commission has, over the years, continued to explore ways of securing
external resources to support the PRCS Department facilities and programs.
Pursuant to Commission action taken at the January 4, 2011 meeting, following
update was communicated to the City Council via email on January 12, 2011:
The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission would like to keep the City
Council apprised of the Commission’s progress on the topic of a PRCS Department
Sponsorship Program. The points in the outline below are not necessarily listed in order of
priority:
1. An online format is preferred over a brochure format for the presentation of the
details of the sponsorship program
2. A tri-fold brochure should be developed as a basic marketing tool to spur interest in
the program and direct people to the website
3. The sponsorship program should have its own website and/or web pages
4. The Subcommittee hopes to find a volunteer to design the website/web pages
5. Links to the program site should be included in local online newspapers and
Neighborhood Association websites
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
6. Colorful pictures and inviting copy are essential to making the online gift catalog
noteworthy and appealing to potential donors
7. The amenity prices listed in the gift catalog should include the maintenance cost
8. Park amenity sponsorship opportunities should be organized and presented by park
9. An “Adopt-A-Park” theme highlighting one park at a time might be a good way to
market the sponsorship program to those who live near and/or have a special
interest in specific Culver City parks
10. Both amenity replacements and the addition of new amenities should be included in
the program
11. Staff should prioritize the parks and amenities that are most in need of replacement
12. Staff should identify park locations where amenities could be added
13. Jeff Muir, Chief Financial Officer of the City of Culver City, has recommended the
following language to apprise potential donors of the City’s tax status:
Tax Status of City Tax Status of City Tax Status of City Tax Status of City: : : : Contributions or donations to the City for a public purpose are tax Contributions or donations to the City for a public purpose are tax Contributions or donations to the City for a public purpose are tax Contributions or donations to the City for a public purpose are tax- - - -
deductible under section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. deductible under section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. deductible under section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. deductible under section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please check with your Please check with your Please check with your Please check with your
tax advisor. tax advisor. tax advisor. tax advisor.
Since donations to the City for a public purpose are tax-deductible, it appears that it
may be unnecessary to develop a 501(c)(3) foundation for the specific purpose of
accepting park donations.
14. An internal City process must be developed to ensure that the donations are
earmarked for the sponsorship program
15. Donations under a predetermined amount will be acknowledged with a certificate;
donations at and over that amount will be acknowledged by a plaque on or near the
donated amenity
16. Donation plaques should be a standard size and design; once the monetary donation
threshold has been met, the donation amount should not be reflected by the plaque
itself
17. The PRCS Department Sponsorship Program should be phased in as follows:
a) Park Amenities – examples: park benches, picnic tables, barbeques, drinking
fountains, concrete-cast trash receptacles
b) Park and Recreation Facility Improvements, including the Senior Center and
the Veterans’ Memorial Building – examples: tables and chairs, building fixtures,
audio-visual equipment, rug and/or floor replacement
c) Services and Programs – examples: teaching a new or existing class,
developing/funding a new program or class; offering additional services to
program participants; underwriting a camp or afterschool program
d) Corporate Sponsorship, including Naming Rights – if approved by the City
Council, a Naming Rights Policy will be developed for the PRCS Department
18. The PRCS Commission requests the City Council’s support in looking into floating a
bond to pay for Park amenities
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
19. Explore having a check-off box on Business License applications and renewal forms
for Park donations
If the members of the City Council have any questions or concerns regarding this progress
report, please let the Commissioners know. If the City Council does not have any
questions or concerns regarding this update, then staff and the Commission will move
forward with the development of the PRCS Department Sponsorship Program based on
the four-phases outlined in # 17 above.
Brochure for the Park Amenity Element of the Program
At the April 5, 2011 meeting, the Commission reviewed and agreed upon the
concept of a draft brochure for the replacement amenity donation programand a
draft webpage that was designed as a template for the development of single park-
specific web pages for each Culver City park with unmet needs. Pursuant to
Commission action at that meeting, the members of the Financial Resource
Development Subcommittee, Chair Daly Redholtz and Commissioner Stuart
addressed the City Council on behalf of the Commission and distributed the sample
brochure and webpage to Council members during the “Public Comment – Items Not
On the Agenda” portion of the April 11, 2011 City Council meeting.However, at
September 6, 2011 PRCS Commission meeting, the following action was taken:
MOVED BY CHAIR KIM, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GREENE, AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED THAT THE PARKS, RECREATION AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION SEND THE ITEM BACK TO THE
NEWLY CREATED (CULVER CITY GIVING DONATION/SPONSORSHIP
PROGRAM) AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS AND
RETURN TO THE COMMISSION FOR A FURTHER LOOK.
At the time that the Ad Hoc Subcommittee was created, then Vice Chair Stuart and
Commissioner Yanda were the members; they were re-appointed to the Culver City
Giving Donation/Sponsorship Ad Hoc Subcommittee in Fiscal Year 2012/13. The
brochure for the replacement amenity donation program has now been re-branded
as the “Park Hero” brochure.
Funding and Accounting Mechanisms of the Program
With regard to the funding and accounting mechanisms of the Donation/Sponsorship
Program, initially the intent of the Commission was to have donations made directly
to the City, since donations to the City for a public purpose are tax-deductible (see
point #13 above). Donating directly to the City works very well when money is given
for a specific amenity as identified by the donor. For example, a Parks Division
budget amendment was done recently for a $5,000 donation that was specified for
the purchase and installation of a new softball scoreboard at Veterans’ Memorial
Park. The budget amendment process in this case involved posting the donation in
a revenue account and simultaneously allocating it to the appropriate expenditure
account within the Park Division’s budget. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Unfortunately, as per the Chief Financial Officer, this mechanism will not
accommodate the Commission’s desire to enable donors to contribute smaller sums
(for example, $5.00 or $10.00) for specified or unspecified purposes, allowing such
donations to accumulate until there are sufficient funds to purchase a Park amenity.
Therefore, staff is currently in the process of evaluating which local non-profit that
would be willing to act as a Fiscal Receiver for the Program would be the best fit for
the City, the Department and the Program.
Fiscal Receivership provides non-profit status and funding management for other
organizations. Typical services of a Fiscal Receiver include:
• Provide tax deductions for donors.
• Deposit and maintain records of all funds received and disbursed.
• Disburse funds for charitable purposes as specified by the partner agency.
• Provide annual report of funds received and paid.
September 4, 2012 PRCS Commission Meeting
Over the past two years, both the Subcommittee overseeing this project and the
PRCS Commission have periodically discussed the Culver City PRCS Department
Donation/Sponsorship Program. The most recent Commission discussion on this
topic took place at the September 4, 2012 meeting. The following issues were
discussed at that time:
Issues Relating to the Brochure
a) Not including the amenity prices in the brochure
b) The importance of adding the City Seal to the brochure
c) General support for the “Park Hero” branding of the brochure
d) Ensuring that certain parks do not get overlooked by donors; for example, the
following statement could be added to the brochure:
We are dedicated to the equitable treatment of all our City parks
e) Noting on the brochure that the City has the ultimate say on how donations
are used based on unmet needs
f) Ensuring that the brochure illustrates the diversity of those who utilize our
parks
g) Language changes and other suggestions regarding the brochure from the
Commissioners should be emailed to PRCS Director Hernandez City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
h) The Parks Manager should review the brochure to make sure that the
appropriate amenities are listed
Issues Relating to Accounting Mechanisms
i) Finding the appropriate mechanisms to accommodatelarger donors such as
businesses, corporations and estates as donors
j) Creating a “holding account” for smaller donations
k) Working with a non-profit organization in order to set-up a fiscal receivership
for the Program
Issues Relating to Program Promotion and Development
l) Adding language to the website to indicate why the City is asking the public
for financial support of our parks
m) There is still work to be done on outreach and the website, including a list of
“Frequently Asked Questions”
n) Details of recognition for donors still need to be worked out; for example,
categories or levels of giving could be:
o Gold / Silver / Bronze
o Lantana / Sun / Producer / Bear (the imagery of the City seal)
o) Certain elements of the Culver City Giving Program, such as Naming Rights
and Legacy Giving, are issues that will be determined by the City Council
p) Looking into having a check-off box for Park donations on Business License
applications and renewal forms (i.e., point #19 of the PRCS Commission’s
communication to the City Council)
q) Although the images on the City Seal might serve as the inspiration/model for
donor levels, due to cost constraints the City Seal will not be added to the
donor plaques.
DISCUSSION:
Staff conducted appropriate follow-up with both the City Manager’s Office and the
City Attorney’s Office in order to answer questions raised at the September 4, 2012
Commission meeting regarding the use of the City Seal, both on the “Park Hero” City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
brochure and as an inspiration/model for donor categories, and on the issue of
including a box for Park donations on new and renewal Business Tax Certificate
applications. The responses are included here for the Commission’s information:
Section 1.03.006(A) of the CCMC states: “The City Clerk shall be the custodian of
the City Seal described in § 1.03.005. The City Clerk, City Manager and/or designee
shall be authorized to use the City Seal on any resolution, proclamation, certificate or
other instrument approved by the City Council or executed by the Mayor.”
Section 1.03.006(B) of the CCMC states in pertinent part: “Except upon the
approval of City Council, it shall be unlawful to use the City Seal, or any copy,
facsimile, imitation or reproduction thereof, for any private or commercial purpose,
including but not limited to:…(3) Using the City Seal, or any copy, facsimile, imitation
or reproduction thereof, on any letterhead, document, badge, circular, envelope or
other disseminated material, except for official City business.”
Based on these Sections of the CCMC, the City Seal may only be used “for official
City business.” Therefore, until the Park Hero program is presented to the full
Commission and ultimately to the City Council for approval and such City Council
approval is obtained, the City Seal may not be placed on the document. In this draft
stage, it is suggested to simply indicate “City Seal Proposed Here” or similar
language in the draft documents.
The same applies with respect to the donor categories and the use of the Business
Tax Certificate renewal forms, the Subcommittee/Commission may suggest such
use to the City Council for their consideration.Ultimately, if the City Council provides
its approval, the City Seal, seal elements, and business tax certificate renewal forms
could potentially be used for the purposes stated. But such approval is necessary
before such use can be implemented.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
With the exception of the staff time spent on the project, there is no fiscal impact
associated with the discussion of this Agenda Item. Staffing and budgetary
restraints prevent PRCS Department staff from allocating significant resources
towards this project.
MOTION:
That the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission:
Review and make recommendations regarding the PRCS
DepartmentDonation/Sponsorship Program, including the development of the
“Park Hero” brochure.