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CC: - Authorize the City Manager to Submit an Application to the CivicSpark Fellowship Program for Fiscal Year 2017/2018.
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Contact Person/Dept: Elaine Warner/CDD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5777
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Commission Name:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (05/02/17);
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (04/21/17)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to submit an application to the CivicSpark Fellowship program for Fiscal Year 2017/2018
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
CivicSpark is a Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps program dedicated to building capacity for local governments to address climate change. CivicSpark is managed by the local Government Commission in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Each year, CivicSpark selects fellows to work with local public agencies to increase capacity for local governments in order to address climate change and water management needs.
Consistent with the City Council’s Strategic Plan recommendations regarding the Ballona Creek revitalization relative to recreation and mobility, Community Development Department staff met with representatives of the Local Government Commission and identified possible use of the Americorps program to obtain Civic Spark fellows to address some of the challenges relative to the General Plan Update and the Ballona Creek Revitalization Project. CivicSpark offers a “water track” fellowship that provides staffing to assist approved projects. All Civic Spark fellows are AmeriCorps members selected through a highly competitive national application process and have a college degree in a relevant fields. Each fellow serves for 1,700 hours with 1,300-1,400 of these hours dedicated to implementing partner projects and the remainder dedicated to professional development and broader community services.
The water track fellowship begins in September 2017 and provides two fellows for 11 months. The fellowship would support both Community Development and Public Works Department staff and work directly with the Advance Planning Division to ensure that work on the Ballona Creek is well integrated with the City’s long range planning efforts.
Potential Scope of Work
1. Parcel and survey research for properties adjacent to Ballona Creek;
2. Data collection and mapping relative to Ballona Creek jurisdictions and potential circulation and access improvements;
3. Public outreach and assistance for the General Plan Update and Ballona Creek Revitalization projects;
4. Research and coordination with the County of Los Angeles for the Park to Playa Plan;
5. Development, implementation and evaluation of a survey for Ballona Creek visioning and economic development opportunities;
6. Grant writing relative to storm water runoff management;
FISCAL ANALYSIS
If selected, the City would be required to provide a 50% match for the 11-month fellowship through Civic Spark. The cost would be $41,000, for two fellows working up to 2,700 hours. CivicSpark would manage all human resource administration and payroll duties. The City would be required to provide a workspace and computers during the fellowship and pay the match requirement in monthly installments to CivicSpark. Funding for the fellowship could be absorbed within the current allocation for the General Plan Update budget, with the understanding that there is a likelihood that additional funding will be required when the consultant agreement for the update is awarded.
ATTACHMENTS
1. CivicSpark Program Overview
MOTION
That the City Council:
Authorize the City Manager to submit an application to the CivicSpark Fellowship program for Fiscal Year 2017/2018.