MEETING DATE: March 18, 2015
AGENDA ITEM: Provide Comments to the City Council on the Proposed Fiscal
Year 2015/2016 PRCS Department Budget and Work Plans.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
A. PRCS Commission Members’ Comments Regarding the
Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/16 PRCS Department Budget
and Work Plans as Submitted Via Email
1 - 4
B. Highlights of Projected Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/2016
PRCS Department Budget
5 - 7
PRCS Commission Members’ Comments Regarding the
Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/16 PRCS Department Budget and Work Plans
as Submitted Via Email
Page 1 of 4
LAURA STUART’S DRAFT OF LETTER TO COUNCIL
DEAR CITY COUNCILMEMBERS:
We have been invited to send recommendations to the Council on funding for new programs for the
Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department (PRCS).
We believe that the PRCS is and should be considered as part of the core services that create the
“quality of life in Culver City”. The PRCS should be treated equally in funding and attention as the Public
Works, Community Development, Police and Fire departments.
PRCS facilities and programs are available to, and used by, every citizen (and the communities
surrounding us), from infants to seniors, and are used by everyone, whether in a passive or active
manner. The services and facilities provided give opportunity and, many times, a safe place to go, for
many of our citizens. We have programs that mentor our children and give them insight into their
futures. Without these programs, these kids may be latchkey or on the streets getting into trouble. In
fact, our programs need to be expanded. Kids that are in PRCS programs are not committing crimes,
but rather, are planning their futures.
We believe that the issues of funding any new programs cannot be solved until the issues with
Operations is solved. Without proper staffing and updated tools, any new programs are merely wish
list items that cannot be implemented. We were not provided with a Work Plan nor a Budget that
compares line item income to expense, so we are working in a vacuum when it comes to Programs, their
value, their continued feasibility, or what we would recommend to Council with regard to future
arrangements with the operators of such programs.
We would like to recommend the following with regard to Operations:
1. Our PRCS staff is stretched beyond its limit. It is clear from looking at the parks, Downtown and
other areas that the PRCS staff is in charge of maintaining, that we are incredibly shorthanded.
We would recommend to Council that the Department that does maintenance and implements
capital improvement projects add the following full time staff, either by direct hire or contract
hire:
1 Irrigation Staffer – someone to maintain all of the irrigation lines and water supplies to our
parks. Right now, we have 1 person who spends the majority of his time salvaging the irrigation
at Culver City Park, especially for the hilltop playing fields due to the daily and constant land
shift.
Promote the 1 Irrigation Staff we have to crew leader, to allow for a smoother operation of
these tasks.
1-2 Facility Maintenance staffers – These are the people who maintain playgrounds and facilities
We have 1 person who does all of this work for all of our playgrounds and facilities – this staffer
needs to be promoted to crew leader and needs help immediately.
ATTACHMENT APRCS Commission Members’ Comments Regarding the
Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/16 PRCS Department Budget and Work Plans
as Submitted Via Email
Page 2 of 4
1-2 Grounds Maintenance Workers
1 Full time Administrative person with landscape architecture background to oversee capital
improvement projects.
We see that with this additional staff, many Work Plan projects will be able to be fulfilled in a
manner that fits the time frame the Department needs to complete these projects - Projects
such as refurbishing the fields, downtown mediums, and playgrounds to name a few.
2. We are also recommending the City hire a Grant Writer (perhaps share with 1-2 other
Departments) either by direct hire or contract. As you know, grant writing is very highly
specialized and we need full time people working on looking for appropriate grants, and writing
grant applications. The value of a grant writer cannot be overly stated. As a small city, we are
competing with much larger municipalities who spend the time it takes to obtain Grant funding.
We need to be better and faster.
3. We are also recommending that the Council hire several full and part time staffers for our
recreation programs. The summer camps, teen center, and after school programs are all at
capacity and cannot be expanded due to a lack of staff. The need for these programs far
outdistances our staffing.
We would like to recommend the following with regard to Contracts and MOUs:
1. There must be an immediate review of all PRCS Contracts and MOUs to determine the
cost/benefits of each of these programs and whether we need to eliminate, enhance,
reduce or increase the fees. An excellent example is the Baseball and AYSO Leagues. Unlike
surrounding cities, Culver City does not charge these leagues the value of the use of the
fields – i.e., the cost of maintenance, staffing, upgrading, and replacement of fields and
facilities damaged by the users. The City needs to update all MOUs and contracts to make
sure that these users are paying a fair share for field maintenance, lights, and actual costs.
These organizations (and especially the for profit organizations) should be required to
provide Council with their actual income/expense statements so that Council is able to
determine if they can or cannot bear the true costs, and what they should be paying.
We recommend this because we believe there are many programs that could be added, that
the areas currently being used could be used by more people, should we have both staff to
maintain them, and the users paying their fair share of the cost of use.
We would also recommend to the Council that the following projects be implemented and funded.
These projects cannot be done without adequate staffing, and our staffing recommendations would
need to be met for most of these projects, not only for implementation, but long term maintenance.
For many of these programs we can use contractors to implement, but we use staff to maintain: PRCS Commission Members’ Comments Regarding the
Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/16 PRCS Department Budget and Work Plans
as Submitted Via Email
Page 3 of 4
1. 6 of our playgrounds are in dire need of equipment replacement – the cost would be
approximately $300,000 each. Staff can recommend the order in which they need to be
replaced – this order being based on safety concerns and use.
2. There are 2 passive use areas in Culver City Park that have been on the “list” for over 5
years. These areas are located near the Dog Park. Both of these areas were visioned as
picnic resting areas for users of the park and the hiking trails. They have become
wastelands due to the lack of funding. These areas are important to the community and
should be completed. As an example of an unused area in this park that, because the Staff
dug in their heels and made it happen, we now have a huge picnic area at the entrance to
the park, which generates income from reservations. This is a perfect example of spending
money to make money.
3. A 2
nd
Community Garden. We haven’t seen such passion for a project since the Friends of
the Culver City Dog Park. We need to find space to put a 2
nd
community garden. Even if this
space is land belonging to the City, the City of Los Angeles, or to the College, we recommend
you create a sub-committee to work with interfacing with landowners in and out of Culver
City to create this Garden.
4. The PRCS needs additional fields to accommodate the increasing needs for sports. As you
are aware, the demand for, and use by, organizations such as AYSO outdistance what we
have. There has been requests that certain Parks have lighting either turned on at night or
installed. While we wish to respect the needs of a neighborhood, these Parks should be
able to be used to their fullest potential. Obviously the cost of staffing and lighting will have
to be factored into the fees for the usage, but we believe it’s a subject that needs attention.
5. LEAVE OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS
6.
7.
8.
9.
Very truly yours,
Laura Stuart, Chair
ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS, RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION PRCS Commission Members’ Comments Regarding the
Proposed Fiscal Year 2015/16 PRCS Department Budget and Work Plans
as Submitted Via Email
Page 4 of 4
*********
COMMISSIONER KAY HEINEMAN
There are two areas that I feel need to be looked into further:
1. In the area of Projected Proposed Budget there was a proposed increase to have a part time
staff of a Senior Center Security Guard (contracted) With almost 4,000 members there is a
greater need for a part time Social Counselor who could be available for members daily. The
security guard I feel is unnecessary.
2. Remodeling the Senior Center Patio: Eight years ago the Paetzold donation was left to the
Center for remodeling the patio. Recently a proposed project at a total cost of approximately
$300,000 dollars was told to the Commissioners during our Park tour. The CCSCA Board of
Directors recently met and they are suggesting that not all of the City’s remodeling is necessary.
For example: a portable performance stage is not needed nor the expense to move the water
fountain/pool. What the Seniors need is more useable space. If the large tree and cement
planter in the middle of the patio were removed more space could be used for outside classes.
The Board of Directors are willing to put a large amount of money into this project if the City is
willing to equal that amount. Along with the Paetzold funds this project should be completed.
*********
COMMISSIONER KELLY KENT MARIN
My proposed budget ideas are as follows (in this priority order):
1. Land purchase or lease for community gardens
2. Upgraded and/or installed lighting for youth sport use on multiple park fields.
3. Reallocating baseball diamonds to soccer field use as is appropriate for current use.
*********
2/24/2015|1010|? Total Budget >$7,635,172
• Similar to FY 2014/2015 Budget
• @ 7.6% of City’s General Fund expenditure
• 32.59 Regular Positions
• 77,823 Casual Part-Time Hours
• Proposed Increases to Part-Time Staff:
? 3 Senior Recreation Leaders
? 3 Fitness Center Managers
? Senior Center Security Guard (contracted)
Fiscal Year 2015 / 2016
Projected Proposed Budget
Fiscal Year 2015 / 2016
Projected Expenditures
% ofTotal
Administration 7.6%
Facilities 14.2%
Recreation 27.7%
Parks 32.1%
Sr. Social Services/RSVP 12.8%
Operating Grants 5.7%
ATTACHMENT B
Page 52/24/2015|1010|Fiscal Year 2015 / 2016
Projected Revenues
% ofTotal
General Revenues 62.4%
Operating Grants 4.6%
Recreation 17.1%
Permits 2.0%
VMC Rentals 12.0%
Miscellaneous Revenue 0.5%
Donations 1.5%
LOCATION DESCRIPTION
Syd KronenthalPark New Playground & Surfacing
Fox Hills Park Install Shade Structure
Downtown
Re-landscapeRestaurant Row and
Downtown Plaza
MultipleSites Water Auditsto CertifyBackflow Devices
SeniorCenter 14 Large Boulders as Barricade
Current Projects
Capital Improvements
Page 62/24/2015|1010|LOCATION DESCRIPTION
Studio Estates
Re-landscapePortions of the
Right of Way
CC ParkNature Trail Rehabilitation/Potential BHC Grant
Dog Park Retaining Wall Repair/Refurbishment
CWA Park PaddleTennis Court Re-surfacing
MultipleSites Irrigation Upgrades per AB-1881
Current / Upcoming Projects
Capital Improvements
? Upgrade Playground Equipment
-Blair Hills Park -Lindberg Park
-Tellefson Park -El Marino Park
-Culver West Alexander Park
? Turf Renovation
-Syd Kronenthal Park
-Veterans Memorial Park
? Remodel to Create More Usable Space
-Senior Center Courtyard
Projected Future Projects
Unfunded / Underfunded
Page 7