PREPARED BY: GREG DWYER DATE OF MEETING: 07/01/19
SUBJECT:
TITLE
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM FOR FY2019/20 TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO HELMS MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK AND SURROUNDING SPORTS AMENITIES DURING SPECIFIED MONTHS AT A COST OF $15,421
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
Improve connections to healthy eating and active living is an adopted policy item in the FY 2019-21 City Council Priority Work plan, effective March 1, 2019.
CEQA Compliance Statement
This is not a project as defined by CEQA.
BACKGROUND
Since the reconstruction of the Helms Middle School and the opening of the San Pablo Community Center, many San Pablo residents have asked the City for increased access to the site to utilize the football field/track, basketball court and surrounding amenities at the Helms Middle School (“sports amenities”). However, those sports amenities are owned and operated by the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) and are dedicated for their programming during the school day and other times when WCCUSD rents them out for different functions and activities.
WCCUSD has not opened the sports amenities for public use even after WCCUSD is done using them for the day. Community members started to access the field without permission and were gaining access to the site by climbing over or crawling under the fence.
In order to expand accessibility to the public, City staff members have communicated with the WCCUSD to propose opening the sports amenities after WCCUSD programming is completed on a daily basis. Staff have formulated two options that would allow for the sports amenities to remain open later in the evening and on the weekends for residents and the community to enjoy on a pilot program basis.
OPTION #1: YEAR ROUND USAGE (52 Week Program) - estimated cost of $25,059
The first option is to open the site and allow for community access to the sports amenities Monday-Friday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. for a total of 52 weeks. Under this option, part-time City staff would open the site and close the site at the specified times each week, all year round.
OPTION #2: SEASONAL USAGE (32 Week Program) - estimated cost of $15,421
The second option is to open the site and allow for community access to the sports amenities Monday-Friday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. for a total of 32 weeks within the year. Under this option, part-time City staff would open the site and close the site at the specified times each week, between seasonal peak time periods which run March-October on a pilot program basis.
City staff recommends OPTION #2: using this pilot program as an opportunity to gauge community interest in opening the site for 32 weeks throughout the peak season.
Community Services Standing Committee
On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, both options were reviewed by the Community Services Standing committee (Xavier/Cruz), which unanimously recommended Option #2 which is the 32-week pilot program for City Council review.
If approved, this pilot program will begin in August 2019 and run through the end of October 2019, and re-open again in March 2020, and run through June 30, 2020. At that time, the program would be re-evaluated to determine whether continued funding is warranted in FY 2020/21.
FISCAL IMPACT
This Pilot Program is not currently part of the adopted Quadrennial Budget and would require potential one-time funding from City Manager Contingency Fund for FY 2019/20 and would then need to be appropriated to the salaries and benefits accounts in the FY 2019/20 Community Services Department / Recreation Division Budget, (100-5210-41001) in the amount of $15,421 for FY 2019/20. Staff will return to Council prior to the beginning of FY2020/21 to determine whether the pilot program should continue and identify funding for that continuation.