City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 04/21/08 Item Number: A-1
AGENDA ITEM: 1) Authorize Staff to Apply $50,000 in Proposition A Excess Funds
Previously Approved by the City Council for Use at the Skateboard Park to Make
Improvements as Recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission; 2)
Authorize Staff to use the Recently Awarded $250,000 in Proposition A Excess
Funds to Demolish the Existing Playground and Construct a New Playground at
Culver City Park as Recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission; and if
Authorized, then, 3) Adopt a Resolution Approving a Grant Application for $250,000
in Los Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds for a New Playground at Culver
City Park; and, 4) Approval of a Budget Amendment to Authorize the Appropriation
of $250,000 in Proposition A Funds Upon Receipt of the Fully Executed Grant
Agreement.
Contact Person/Dept.: Pam Robinson,
Recreation Manager
Phone Number: (310) 253-6632
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master Notification List (04/17/08).
Department Approval: Pam Robinson (for
PRCS Director Bill La Pointe) (04/01/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/16/08)
Fiscal Impact Review:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (04/16/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (04/17/08)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council: 1) Authorize staff to apply $50,000 in Los
Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds previously approved by the City
Council for use at the Skateboard Park to make improvements as recommended by
the Parks and Recreation Commission; 2) Authorize staff to apply the recently
awarded $250,000 in Los Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds to a project
which would demolish the existing playground and construct a new playground at
Culver City Park as recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission; and, if
authorized, then, 3) Adopt a Resolution approving a grant application for $250,000 in
Los Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds for a new playground at Culver
City Park; and, 4) Approve a budget amendment to authorize the appropriation of
$250,000 in Proposition A Funds upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement.
A four-fifths vote is necessary to approve a budget amendment.
BACKGROUND:
At the July 9, 2007 meeting, the City Council adopted a Resolution approving a grant
application for $50,000 in Los Angeles County Proposition A funds for the Culver
City Skateboard Park Project and approved a budget amendment to add both the
grant revenue and appropriation in the amount of $50,000 to Capital Grants Account
42300830 upon receipt of the fully executed contract. An excerpt of the minutes of City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
the July 9, 2007 City Council meeting is provided as Attachment 1. Fortunately, the
major elements of the Skateboard Park were completed using grant funding from
other agencies and the $50,000 in Proposition A funds is still available to the City to
use toward Skateboard Park construction.
Earlier this year, the City Council was informed by the Office of Los Angeles County
Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke that Culver City had been awarded a Los Angeles
County Proposition A grant in the amount of $250,000. In order to secure these
funds, the City must submit a Resolution adopted by the City Council and a grant
application with supporting documentation to the County’s Regional Park and Open
Space District on or before June 2, 2008. In addition, Youth Employment Plans
related to both Proposition A grants must be adopted by the City Council before the
reimbursement of City funds can occur. Staff will bring proposed Youth Employment
Plans before the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council as soon as
the project elements appropriate for completion by at-risk youth have been identified.
After much discussion and consideration, project possibilities for the use of the
Proposition A funds and staff’s recommendations were then presented to the Parks
and Recreation Commission at the March 4, 2008 meeting. In addition to the project
possibilities mentioned in the staff report (Attachment 2), staff provided the
Commission with six (6) more elements that might be considered regarding
additional skate park amenities (Attachment 3).
At the March 4, 2008 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the Commission
took action to make a recommendation to City Council regarding the use of the
$50,000 in L.A. County Proposition A funds at the Skate Park. With regard to the
use of the $250,000 in recently awarded L.A. County Proposition A funds, the
Commission expressed concern that the public had not been involved in the project
selection process. Thus, the Commission took action stating that if there were more
than two months before the City has to commit the $250,000 in Proposition A funds
to a use, project possibilities should be brought back to the Parks and Recreation
Commission for public comment (Attachment 4).
With the confirmation from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space
District (RPOSD) Project Manager the final date the City can submit an application
for the $250,000 without risking the loss of funding is June 2, 2008.
Once it was determined that the City had until June 2, 2008 to submit the application
for funds, staff began outreach efforts to solicit public input regarding project ideas
for the use of the funds. Many project suggestions were relayed via email. A
summary of the public comment received via email is provided as Attachment 5.
At both the March 4 and April 1, 2008 Parks and Recreation Commission meetings,
staff made the recommendation that, based on a number of important
considerations, the City’s most pressing need for a new project is in Culver City
Park. Staff recommended a renovation of the playground at Culver City Park that City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
includes the removal of the existing playground equipment, the design of a new
playground and the installation of updated playground equipment. This would allow
the City to improve the playground, thereby addressing safety and accessibility
issues associated with the aging equipment. Staff has done research on this
project and feels confident that it can be accomplished within the $250,000 budget.
At the April 1, 2008 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, after much
discussion and after considering a significant amount of public comment on the
issue, the Parks and Recreation Commission took action to make the a
recommendation to the City Council regarding the use of the $250,000 in Proposition
A Excess Funds.
“Moved by Commissioner Daly Redholtz and seconded by Chair Cooper: That
the $250,000 grant money be spent to update (the playground at) Culver City
Park and, if there is any money left, the remainder be spent toward Vets Park.”
Motion passes: 3-1-1 (Commissioner Deen dissenting and Commissioner Shapiro
absent).
The dissent mentioned his thoughts in weighing all things, he was concerned that
there may be potential additional costs related with providing a more accessible site
at Culver City Park and wanted to make sure the project was “done right”. He also
expressed his feeling that with more kids using Veterans Park there would be less
demand at Culver City Park
DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the grant is to allow Culver City to use its own discretion to prioritize
and utilize the $250,000 pursuant to the Proposition A guidelines. Proposition A is
the 1992 Proposition approved by Los Angeles County voters which provides
funding for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, protection and restoration of
beach, wildlife, park and natural lands with the County, tree-planting, gang
prevention and intervention, and improvement of recreation facilities for youth and
senior citizens. The 1996 Proposition provided funding for the development,
acquisition, improvement, restoration and maintenance of parks, recreational,
cultural and community facilities and open space lands within the County of Los
Angeles. Projects that fall into any of these broad categories qualify for Proposition
A funding.
Projects that are ineligible for Proposition A funding include:
• Operations and maintenance projects or programming
• The development of Master Plans
• Highway beautification and parking for other than recreation purposes
• Projects located on school properties that are expressly for educational purposes City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
• Projects that will involve private, non-governmental uses or activities.
A list of past and ongoing Culver City capital improvement projects funded by
Proposition A is provided as Attachment 6.
Should the City Council accept the recommendation of both the Parks and
Recreation Commission and staff, that the $250,000 in Proposition A funds should
be used to demolish the existing playground in Culver City Park and build a new one
in its place, then staff recommends that Resolution 2008-R_______ (Attachment 7)
be adopted at this evening’s meeting.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The Skate Park Improvement Project ($50,000) will be entirely funded by Los
Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds.
If the City Council determines that the $250,000 in Proposition A Excess Funds
should be used to demolish the existing playground in Culver City Park and build a
new one in its place, then staff is requesting that the City Council approve a budget
amendment to add both the grant revenue and appropriation in the amount of
$250,000 in Proposition A Funds to a newly designated Capital Grants Account
upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement from the Los Angeles County
Regional Park and Open Space District. A four-fifths vote is necessary to
approve a budget amendment.
If there are any funds remaining after the completion of the Culver City Park
Playground Construction Project, these funds can then be used toward other
Council-approved Capital Improvement Projects.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Excerpt of the minutes of the July 9, 2007 City Council meeting.
2. March 4, 2008 Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda Item A-5 (minus
attachments).
3. March 4, 2008 Memo to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
4. Excerpt of the minutes of the March 4, 2008 Parks and Recreation Commission
meeting
5. Summary of Public Comment Received via Email on Project Possibilities for the
Use of the $250,000 in Los Angeles County Proposition A Excess Funds
6. Past and Ongoing Culver City Capital Improvement Projects Funded by
Proposition A
7. Proposed Resolution No. 2008-R________.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Authorize staff to use the $50,000 in Los Angeles County Proposition A Excess
Funds previously approved by the City Council for use at the Skateboard Park to
make improvements as recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission,
including some or all of the following (with all necessary contracts returning to the
City Council for consideration and potential award): and,
a. A Shade Structure,
b. A Drinking Fountain,
c. Permanent Bleachers
d. Landscaping Improvements
e. Informal Seating on the Hill Improvements
f. Trash Receptacle Improvements;
2. Adopt a Resolution approving a grant application for $250,000 in Los Angeles
County Proposition A Excess Funds; and,
3. Authorize staff to use the recently awarded $250,000 in Los Angeles County
Proposition A Excess Funds to demolish the existing playground and construct a
new playground at Culver City Park, and, if funds remain, to make improvements
to other parks as approved by City Council (with all necessary contracts returning
to the City Council for consideration and potential award); and,
4. Approve a budget amendment to add both the grant revenue and appropriation in
the amount of $250,000 in Proposition A Funds to a newly designated capital
grants account upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement from the Los
Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District; and,
5. Authorize the City Manager or his designate to execute all documents related to
the submittal of grant applications for those projects approved at this evening’s
meeting.
A four-fifths vote is necessary to approve a budget amendment.