City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 04/08/13 Item Number: A-2_
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of a Recommendation from the
Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission to Establish a
PRCS Commission Fundraising Subcommittee.
Contact Person/Dept.: Dan Hernandez,
PRCS Director
Phone Numbers: (310) 253-6655
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [X] No [] Date: February 5, 2013
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas – City Council (04/02/13); (Email)
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (04/03/13).
Department Approval:
Dan Hernandez (03/04/13)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/01/13)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller)(04/02/13)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (04/02/13)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider a recommendation from the Parks,
Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission to establish a PRCS
Commission Fundraising Subcommittee (Fundraising Subcommittee).
BACKGROUND:
During the years 2006 through 2011, the Parks, Recreation and Community
Services (PRCS) Commission had a two-member Fundraising or Financial Resource
Development Subcommittee. The Subcommittee did not engage directly in
fundraising; it was formed to assist the PRCS Department in developing fundraising
strategies. In a January 12, 2011 email to the City Council, the PRCS Commission
proposed the development of the “CC Giving Donation/Sponsorship Program” which
would ultimately provide the following types of donation opportunities:
Phase I. Park Amenities; “Park Hero Program” – currently in development
Phase II. Park and Recreation Facility Improvements
Phase III. Services and Programs
Phase IV. Corporate Sponsorship, including Naming Rights
September 6, 2011 Dissolution of PRCS Commission Advisory Subcommittees
At the September 6, 2011 meeting, the Commission’s six Advisory Subcommittees
were reviewed in terms of several factors, including the most appropriate application
of the Brown Act. The outcome of the Commission’s review was that all six Advisory
Subcommittees were dissolved; some because they had become obsolete and City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
others, which were considered to be Standing Subcommittees, were dissolved due
to fiscal and staffing implications associated with the public noticing and
accommodation requirements of the Brown Act. Ad Hoc Subcommittees with a
limited purpose and duration, which do not require public noticing and
accommodation, were formed as deemed appropriate.
The CC Giving Donation/Sponsorship Program Ad Hoc Subcommittee
The CC Giving Donation/Sponsorship Program Ad Hoc Subcommittee was formed
as an alternative to, and a limited-term extension of, the Financial Resource
Development Subcommittee. The objective of this Ad Hoc Subcommittee is to
create promotional materials, both in hard-copy and web-based, for the Park Hero
program. The current members are Chair Stuart and Commissioner Yanda. They
have been working on a Park Hero program brochure which is still in the
development stages. In the interim, staff has developed and web-posted a price
sheet to provide information for those wishing to donate park amenities.
PRCS Commission Recommendation Regarding a Fundraising Subcommittee
During recent discussions of the CC Giving Donation/Sponsorship Program, the
Commission proposed that additional support from the City Council is needed to
meet the Department’s fundraising needs and that a permanent fundraising arm of
the PRCS Commission should be established. The Commission is empowered to
create subcommittees as the need arises. However, staff and the Commission have
been advised that the establishment of a Fundraising Subcommittee is a special
circumstance which should receive City Council approval since such a
Subcommittee would potentially be representing the City if it were to engage in the
solicitation of donations from the public for the PRCS Department. At the February
5, 2013 meeting, the Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council
authorize establishment of a Fundraising Subcommittee.
DISCUSSION:
The Current Status of PRCS Department Fundraising Efforts
Under the current operational format, PRCS Department staff is free to work directly
with members of the public and various user groups and organizations in the
community to discuss the Department’s needs and accept donations. For example,
on January 28, 2013 the City Council accepted donations of equipment and services
to the City from the Culver City Senior Citizens Association and Team Santa Monica
for use in the PRCS Department valued at approximately $24,000. Additionally,
over recent months, other donors have provided equipment and amenities for use in
the Department valuing $13,000. These donors interacted directly with staff to make
their contributions to the City.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
The Park Hero Program, which is currently being developed to encourage people to
donate needed amenities at Culver City parks, is a very common type of fundraising
program that is done effectively in many communities. The PRCS Director has had
success with these types of donation-specific programs in previous agencies,
generating over $100,000 in sponsored amenities. This was accomplished through
direct staff contact with various community groups and stakeholders without the aid
of any pass-through fundraising body.
Therefore, staff recommends that if a Fundraising Subcommittee is established, it
should be structured in such a way as not to impact the already successful
interaction between the City and many donors. Rather, such a Subcommittee
should look at areas outside normal PRCS Department interactions for opportunities
to raise funds. If authorized to be established as outlined by the Commission, such
a Committee would be a standing subcommittee as defined under the Brown Act.
Staffing Considerations Regarding Establishing a Standing Subcommittee
Consistent with current practice and in accordance with the Brown Act, standing
subcommittees are required to abide by the following:
– Agendas must be posted at least 72-hours prior to the meeting.
– Meetings of standing subcommittees must be held in a place accessible to
the public (and, consistent with long standing City practice, in a City-Owned
facility such as the City Council Chambers, Patacchia Room, or a room at the
Veterans Memorial Complex).
– Consistent with past practice, subcommittees are empowered to make
recommendations to the PRCS Commission (and the Commission, as an
advisory body, makes recommendations to the City Council).
– Consistent with past practice and to help ensure compliance with the
requirements of the Brown Act, at least one staff member must be present at
standing subcommittee meetings.
– Consistent with past practice, meeting minutes must be recorded, presented
for approval, and made part of the permanent public records of the City.
With regard to all existing programs and projects, staff resources currently are fully
devoted to existing workplan items approved by the City Council. Any proposal
that would require allocation of additional staff resources would require re-prioritizing
staff duties and would impact the ability of staff to complete existing workplan items.
It should be noted that many successful fundraising components of various cities
throughout California do not utilize city staff and, in fact, some of the most productive
are fully-staffed by volunteers.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
February 5, 2013 PRCS Commission Meeting Discussion
Based upon the conversation held at the February 5
th
Commission meeting, one of
the reasons the PRCS Commission is bringing this issue forward is so that the
Commission can be the incubator of the partnership concept of fundraising. With the
support of the City Council and staff, the Commission proposes that the Fundraising
Committee would develop a new paradigm that the City can then make bloom. As
conceptualized, after it is fully developed and functioning effectively, the Fundraising
Subcommittee could eventually become a stand-alone body (similar to the Culver
City Education Foundation).
Some of the other comments made at the February 5
th
Commission meeting
regarding the establishment of a Fundraising Subcommittee are paraphrased below:
• For us to better partner with individual corporations and entities we need to be
able work with them in a more holistic way than we can in a task-oriented ad
hoc subcommittee environment
• The subcommittee structure will promote better partnerships through the
recruitment and coordination of in-kind donations of time and talent
• Establishing cross-partnerships and discussing cross-funding with other City
bodies is difficult for an ad hoc subcommittee
• Moving away from the ad hoc subcommittee format gives members the ability
to be the “connectors” rather than the “worker bees”
• Longevity and consistency in personnel needs to be part of the proposal to
establish a fundraising body
• The Fundraising Subcommittee should extend beyond the PRCS Commission
to include staff and others with expertise
• Possibly the Fundraising Subcommittee could partner with the Cultural Affairs
Foundation
• All the Commission needs to do at this time is to recommend to the City
Council that a Fundraising Subcommittee be established and the details of
how the Subcommittee will operate can be worked out by the Commission
later
• A potential model that we could work toward is that of the Baldwin Hills
Conservancy
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Should the City Council authorize the creation of this Standing Subcommittee, the
materials to develop the meeting Agenda and the staff time necessary to prepare
and post it would be absorbed by the PRCS Department Administrative Division.
However, additional duties would require the allocation of additional resources.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
As an example, a two-hour public meeting typically costs the City between $200 and
$240 for meeting minutes as prepared by a contracted transcriber.
MOTIONS:
That the City Council
1. (PRCS Commission Recommendation) Authorize the PRCS to Establish a
Standing Fundraising Subcommittee; and/or,
2. Provide staff with other direction as deemed appropriate.