TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services through its Outdoor Equity Grant program, in an amount not to exceed $175,000, to support the Adventures in Outdoor Education and Exploration Program; and, if awarded, execute a grant agreement, and any documents necessary including subsequent amendments, to accept and expend the funds. (District 6)
DISCUSSION
The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) has $57 million of funding available to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for under-resourced communities. The grant program provides outdoor recreation experiences to multi-generational residents, with an emphasis on youth. For many, these opportunities are out of reach due to financial and other barriers. Getting outdoors and appreciating nature can provide enrichment opportunities that have a lasting, positive impact on physical and mental health and well-being, especially during a pandemic.
The City proposes to implement the Adventures in Outdoor Education and Exploration Program (Program) with McBride Park serving as a community home base. McBride Park was selected because it meets several key metrics that demonstrate the need for outdoor recreation. For example, residents within a half mile radius of the park have access to 15.12 acres of park space which equates to .90 acres per 1,000 residents in this densely populated neighborhood. Youth make up 30 percent of the population and the median household income is $39,926. The McBride Park Community Center is also home to a teen center and a senior center, which expands the Program’s multi-generational impact.
The Program proposes activities within or around the community home base, including swim lessons for mostly youth and some adults at the nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Park Pool. The lessons are meant to teach aquatic safety and expand water recreation opportunities to the target population. In addition, youth will participate in building a community garden for the seniors at McBride Park in partnership with Sowing Seeds of Change, a local nonprofit that currently operates a gardening program at 620 San Francisco Avenue under a Parks, Recreation and Marine Department permit. The Program’s proposed outdoor activities include educational trips to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and tidepools, an overnight camping trip, a one-day hiking trip, and visits to the El Dorado Nature Center, Los Cerritos Wetlands, Rancho Los Cerritos, and Bayshore Beach. Each activity will have an educational focus with opportunities for self-discovery.
In collaboration with the Health and Human Services Department, a Mental Health Coordinator will facilitate mental health trainings at each field trip. These trainings will provide participants with education of common mental health experiences associated with chronic stress and trauma associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The training will also provide education on self-care. The self-care section will also be designed to complement the natural surroundings of the nature visit. The Mental Health Coordinator will also develop and provide handouts and tools that can be taken home. These materials will be translated into Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog, in accordance to the City’s Language Access Policy. The trainings will all incorporate the same messages to reduce the stigma of mental health, normalizing the experiences of residents during the pandemic, and the offering of healing through self-care.
The grant performance period is from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. If awarded, the Program will be implemented by Parks, Recreation and Marine and Health and Human Services Departments staff. Except for the community garden, which is planned as a one-time activity, the rest of the Program activities will be offered twice: once in 2022 and again in 2023. It is estimated that the Program may reach up to 5,000 contacts with community members across the multiple activities and implementation years.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Anita Lakhani on November 9, 2021 and by Budget Analysis Officer Greg Sorensen on November 11, 2021.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on December 7, 2021, to submit the Resolution to the granting agency in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the grant application is successful, the City will receive grant funding in an amount not to exceed $175,000 to implement the Adventures in Outdoor Education and Exploration Program through June 30, 2023. No match or in-kind service mandate is required. If awarded, staff will return to City Council to accept and appropriate funds. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
BRENT DENNIS
DIRECTOR OF PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE
KELLY COLOPY
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER