TITLE
Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in City Managers Department Partners of Parks by $50,000, offset by the Second Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a donation to Partners of Parks to support A Giving Heart Tree Project in the Second District; and
Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $50,000 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.
DISCUSSION
Councilwoman Pearce is launching the A Giving Heart Tree Project as a gift to the Second District, intended to help us be the best version of ourselves. There are 2,300 empty tree wells in the Second District. We know trees consume 50% of their weight in Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the chemical associated with lung disease, asthma, and cancer. Trees clean our air, but they do so much more. Buddha found enlightenment beneath a bo tree, Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell from a tree, and Aristotle did his best thinking in the shade of majestic trees. The hope is the community comes together to support this project, to help each other strengthen the roots and support for a cleaner future for everyone.
Councilwoman Pearce has led on issues of Health, Trauma Resiliency, Community Building and Environmental Stewardship during her term on Council. A Giving Heart Tree Project is an extension of these key issues and is a token of appreciation for the residents of the Second District, which she hopes will foster a healthy community.
The program is launched with $50,000 from the Second District’s Divide by Nine funds. The City has set up a fund with Partners of Parks where donors can make a tax-deductible donation to sponsor a tree or many trees. The City’s website will provide information on how many trees each donation level supports, the number of jobs, and the estimated climate impact over the next 5 and 10 years. This is information that companies can include in their Corporate Social Responsibility (C.S.R) Plan. CSR’s are becoming increasingly popular with Fortune 500 companies, as millennials overwhelmingly support organizations that focus on the 3 P’s - People, Planet and Profit as a business model.
When all 2,300 trees have been planted, there will have been 6,000 work hours created. This project is about more than climate change and trees. It’s about creating a sustainable community, with good living wage jobs. This project will deliver Sustainable, Ecological, Environmental Dedication (SEEDs) to the Second District of the City of Long Beach.
The majority of the trees are located in neighborhoods and will reduce heat islands by creating much needed shade. Neighborhood associations are also being asked to commit to watering some of the trees based on how much the project raises.
These funds will go towards the cost of trees, labor and maintenance. The goal is $345,000.
Sponsorship Levels are:
$50,000, Urban Canopy (333 Trees)
$10,000, Community Shade (67 trees)
$5,000, Tree Lover (33 trees)
$2,500, Setting the Roots (16 Trees)
$1,500, Plant the Seed (10 trees)
$25 + Helping Hands
This matter was reviewed by Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon on November 6, 2020.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation requests the City Manager to provide a contribution to Partners of Park to support A Giving Heart Tree Project in the Second District. The total appropriation increase in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $50,000 is offset by a decrease of appropriation of the Second Council District One-Time District Priority Funds in the in the Citywide Activities Department. The requested action is anticipated to require a minimal level of staff hours beyond the budgeted scope of duties and is expected to have a minimal impact on existing City Council priorities.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
JEANNINE PEARCE
COUNCILMEMBER, SECOND DISTRICT
SUZIE PRICE
COUNCILWOMAN, THIRD DISTRICT
ROBERTO URANGA
COUNCILMEMBER, SEVENTH DISTRICT
REX RICHARDSON
COUNCILMEMBER, NINTH DISTRICT