TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a Right-of-Entry Permit, and any other necessary documents, with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, a nonprofit corporation, for the use of a 1.1-acre area in Willow Springs Park for a satellite location for an Urban Wood Recovery and Utilization Program, for a term of five years from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024, with the option to renew for one additional five-year term through December 31, 2029, at the discretion of the City Manager. (District 7)
DISCUSSION
At its meeting on September 19, 2019, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended to the City Council the approval of a Right-of-Entry Permit with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) for an Urban Wood Recovery and Utilization Program at Willow Springs Park.
The CCLB was established in 1987 and is one of 13 State Certified Community Conservation Corps programs in California that train and educate youth by coupling state accredited alternative high school curriculum with various conservation projects. These projects may include graffiti removal, habitat restoration, recycling, urban forestry, fire fuel reduction, invasive vegetation treatment, community garden development, and construction to provide marketable work skills, while helping to preserve and restore the local environment.
CCLB approached the City of Long Beach (City) requesting to utilize a 1.1-acre site at Willow Springs Park to operate an Urban Wood Recovery and Utilization Program (Program). The Program will process wood from dead and dying trees harvested from streets, parks, and along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, then mill and repurpose the material into wood products and byproducts that can be used in parks and in industries. Willow Springs Park is a 48-acre passive park located at 2750 Orange Avenue between Orange and California Avenues south of Springs Street, and has various sustainable features (Attachment A). Fifteen acres of the Willow Springs Park are developed as natural habitat, open space, and trails open to the public, including the highest public vista point in Long Beach, Longview Park. It is also home to the City's Mulch Program and the Office of Sustainability Work Yard.
The CCLB is proposing to partner with the City to deliver a Program that would employ sustainability principles synergistic with the Willow Springs Park Master Plan, reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, provide job training for at-risk youth, and allow for supplemental grant funding available to the CCLB be available to improve Willow Springs Park . The CCLB has proposed the following activities as part of the Program:
• Harvest approximately 1,000 dead and dying trees along streets, public right-of-way, in parks, and along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, then mill the trees into approximately 96,000 board feet of wood products.
• Logs found to be unsuitable for milling may be distributed for use as landscape logs for park projects or into mulch that will be spread in the adjacent 1.5-acre restoration of the Park.
• Train an estimated 40 young adults and to transition approximately 16 of those youth into permanent employment, internship, or post-secondary education with a career pathway in urban forestry.
• Establish an "on-site" park presence to help activate the undeveloped northwest section of Willow Springs Park until funding for development is identified.
• Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through the diversion of urban wood waste from landfills and by significantly increasing available area for the planting of climate appropriate large-stature trees that will significantly increase the long-term storage of carbon.
• Competitively solicit and infuse outside funding from regional, State, and Federal agencies, as well as private foundations, to expand vocational education and job training related to urban forestry.
• Provide future opportunities for CCLB members to perform stewardship in the adjacent Park, with local member serving their community while supporting park maintenance and operations.
City Council approval is requested to authorize a Right-of-Entry Permit (Permit) to the CCLB. The proposed Permit will include the following significant terms:
• Permittee: Conservation Corps of Long Beach
• Site: 1.1-acre site in the northwest section of Willow Springs Park, 2750 Orange Avenue.
• Use/Program: CCLB Satellite Site for the Urban Wood Recovery and Utilization Program as outlined in the CCLB Site Plan (Attachment B).
• Term: Five years, January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024.
• Options to Renew: One additional five-year option to renew at the discretion of the City Manager, from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2029.
• Termination: Either party may terminate the Permit upon 30-days written notice to the other party. The City reserves the right to relocate the Program within Willow Springs Park upon 30 days written notice to CCLB. Should relocation be necessary, and at such time a relocation site is identified, CCLB will have 60 days to relocate the Program.
• Site Preparation: CCLB will demolish existing deteriorating concrete and asphalt surfaces, perform clearing and grubbing, and all grading needed to use the Site as referenced above. Additional improvements will include securing the perimeter of the Site with chain link fence, providing a minimum of one driveway for ingress and egress of CCLB trucks and equipment, provide separately metered potable water and electricity to the Site
• Permits: CCLB will be responsible for securing and paying for all local, State and Federal permits and associated land use approvals that may be required.
• Utilities: CCLB will pay for all utility connections, including any electricity, water, sewer, gas, and telephone/internet connections, and all subsequent utility charges, including refuse collection, within the Site.
• Funding: All funding necessary for Site preparation, amenities, equipment, utilities, programming, operation, and maintenance of the Site will be provided by CCLB. The City will not provide any funding, supplies or staff support, other than review of proposed Site work and a liaison for communication purposes, unless approved in advance and in writing by the City Manager or designee.
• Ongoing Maintenance: As the sponsoring, hiring and funding entity, CCLB affirms that it will cover, or cause to be covered, all ongoing costs for operation and maintenance of the Site. The Site will not be used for discarding lumber and must remain in an activated condition consistent with the use listed above.
• Security: CCLB will provide their own expense, all necessary security to ensure Site safety and security of the structures, vehicles, equipment and lumber through the use of measures, such as but not limited to fencing, alarms, security cameras, and/or on-site security personnel, etc. Notification of blight/graffiti, vandalism or environmental damage to the Site by any cause must be repaired or cause to be repaired with 72 hours of damage report or provide written notice to the City Manager or designee as to when repairs will be fully completed.
• Site Fee: In exchange for CCLB providing valuable local youth job training and reducing greenhouse gases, the City will not charge CCLB a fee for use of City park property.
• Insurance: CCLB and its agents will maintain and provide all applicable insurance and endorsements, as required and approved by the City’s Risk Manager.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Arturo D. Sanchez on November 14, 2019 and by Revenue Management Officer Geraldine Alejo on November 12, 2019.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on January 7, 2020, to ensure the new permit is in place expeditiously.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this recommendation. All costs associated with the Urban Wood Recovery and Utilization Program will be fully borne by the Conservation Corps of Long Beach. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. Approval of this recommendation will provide continued support to our local economy by providing job training for local youth. The number of additional local jobs resulting from the hiring of several subcontractors for Site construction is unknown.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
GERARDO MOUET
DIRECTOR OF PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
ACTING CITY MANAGER