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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-11-02 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 7 FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE: SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 2, 1998 CMR: 374:98 AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO, PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, RAVENSWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT, YWCA OF MID-PENINSULA, HAAS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THE ROTARY CLUB OF PALO ALTO TO OPERATE A YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM IN PALO ALTO RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council authorize staff to enter into a collaborative agreement with the City of East Palo Alto,’ Palo Alto Unified School District, Ravenswood School District, YWCA of Mid-Peninsula, Haas Center for Public Service, and the Rotary Club of Palo Alto to provide a youth community service program in Palo Alto. BACKGROUND The City of Palo Alto’s Recreation, Open Space and Sciences Division and the Youth Community Services Project (YCS) have collaborated through an informal agreement since the program’s inception in 1990. YCS is an unincorporated association, established to foster youth leadership through involvement in community service projects. The program has grown substantially over the years, and the association of partners wishes to more clearly define the responsibilities of each partner through the attached bylaws and memorandum of understanding. DISCUSSION The YCS offers a variety of opportunities for Palo Alto and East Palo Alto youth to participate in community service and leadership activities. Since 1990, the YCS partnership has grown from 350 participants to over 2500, contributing some 70,000 hours of volunteer service to 65 community agencies. The City of Palo Alto, a founding partner of YCS, has informally supported the program with a number of in-kind services. This agreement formalizes the relationship of the partners as an unincorporated association, and establishes a governance structure. CMR: 374:98 Page 1 of 2 *Participate in the organization’s governing board. o Provide sponsorship of the Summer of Service Camp for which the City is reimbursed for all direct program costs by grant and/or program fees. *Provide staff support to recruit program volunteers and connection with local nonprofits. ,Provide meeting and training space. o Provide liability coverage for participants when they are involved in a City-sanctioned program activity. The City may terminate this agreement at any time by providing written notification to the YCS Steering Committee of its intent to withdraw from the partnership. RESOURCE IMPACT YCS will not be granted any funds to operate the program under this agreement. A nominal amount of regular City staff time is devoted to attending YCS Steering Committee meetings and other activities. This is more than offset by a number of projects performed for the City by YCS volunteers. All direct costs to provide the Summer of Service camp are recovered through program fees and grant funds. The City, however, will provide the services listed above. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation is consistent with existing City policy. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This program is not subject to the Califomia Environmental Quality Act. ATTACHMENTS A. Proposal Agreement B. Overview of YCS PREPARED BY: Daniel B. Williams, Director Recreation, Open Space & Sciences DEPARTMENT HEAD~ Paul Thiltgen Director of Community Services CITY MANAGER HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR: 374:98 Page 2 of 2 ATTACHMENT A BYLAWS AND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN MEMBERS OF YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE AN UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION The Ravenswood City School District (Ravenswood), the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), the City of Palo Alto, the City of East Palo Alto, the YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula, and the Rotary Club of Palo Alto, hereafter referred to collectively as "Partners," having collaborated informally for some time in a project entitled Youth Community Service, hereby agree, effective , to formalize their relationship as an unincorporated association, as follows: A. NAME. The name of the association shall be Youth Community Service (YCS). B. PURPOSE. In order to promote the ethic of service, foster youth leadership, build community and enhance education, Youth Community. Service provides community service, 16adership, and service learning opportunities ~to East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Palo Alto young people. C. CONTRIBUTIONS OF PARTNERS. The Partners shall contribute the materials and/or services set forth in Exhibit "A" attached hereto. D. MANAGEMENT. 1. Steering Committee. The Association’s activities shall be managed, and its powers shall be exercised, by or under the direction of the Steering Committee (Committee), which shall consist of one representative of each Partner, who shall serve at the pleasure of that Partner. Each Partner shall be entitled to one vote. 2. Meetings. The Committee shall meet regularly bimonthly, unless it decides to cancel a meeting. Special meetings may be called at the request of the Chair and one other partner, or at the request of any three partners. A quorum shall consist of four partners. 3. Officers. The Committee shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary at the first meeting of each fiscal year. The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of meetings, provide notice of meetings to each Partner, and author all official communications as requested by the Committee. 4. Duties of Partners. Either the representative of each Partner or his/her designee shall attend each Steering Committee meeting and also serve on at least one committee. 5. Committees. The Association shall establish such committees as it deems necessary from time to time, including but not limited to the following: Budget, Program, Fund Development, and Personnel. 6. Executive Director. The Committee shall appoint an Executive Director to carry on the activities of the Association subject to the guidance of the Committee. The terms of employment shall be decided by the Committee. The Executive Director shall have final authority in the employment and termination of staff. E. AUTHORITY AND INDEMNITY. 1. Each Partner represents that its participation in the activities of the Association has been duly authorized by the governing body of the Partner. 2. Each Partner shall provide a legal defense, indemnify and hold harmless each other Partner, its governing board, officers, agents and employees from and against any and all actions, claims, demands, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses, including attorney’s fees and costs, arising out of or in any manner related to any act, omission, or negligence of the indemnifying Partner, or anyone acting under the indemnifying Partner’s direction, control, or on its behalf in connection with its performance under this Memorandum of Understanding. F. AMENDMENT; PROCEDURES.. Amendment of this Agreement shall require the written consent of a majority of the Partners. However, the Committee may also establish written Procedures for conducting its business under this Agreement, and such Procedures may be amended by a majority of a quorum at any meeting. G. TERMINATION OF PARTNERSHIP. A Partner may terminate membership in the Association at any time by providing written notification of such intent to the Steering Committee. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Partners have executed this Memorandum on the dates set forth below. Date Partner Palo Alto Unified School District By (Title) City. of Palo Alto By (Title) Ravenswood City School District By (Title) City of East Palo Alto By (Title) YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula, a nonprofit corporation By (Title) Rotary Club of Palo Alto, a nonprofit corporation By (Title) * Though not signing this MOU, the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University and the Palo Alto Rotary Club are supporting partners of YCS and will continue to provide the in- kind provisions listed in Attachment A. 3 EXHIBIT A YCS Partner Provisions 1998 The City of East Palo Alto has been a YCS partner since 1995. The City of East Palo Alto supports YCS by providing: Meeting and training space Liability Coverage: for East Palo Alto high school participants Use of City of East Palo Alto Vans The City of Palo Alto has been a YCS pa.rtner since 1990. The City of Palo Alto supports YCS by providing: Sponsorship of the Summer of Service Camp Staff support for recruiting adult volunteers Meeting and training space Staff support for connecting with local non-profits The Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University has been a YCS partner since 1990. The Haas Center supports YCS by providing: Assistance in the recruitment of Stanford student interns and Volunteers Facilitation of funds for work-study students to assist with YCS activities Advise with evaluation efforts Space for service learning meetings and trainings Access to E-mail account Use of Haas Center vans Palo Alto Unified School District has been a YCS partner since 1990. Alto Unified School District supports YCS by providing: Office Space Telephones Computers ~ Photocopying Mailing Supplies Use of PAUSD vans Meeting space Substitute coverage for teacher trainings Assistance at school sites with coordination of program efforts Liability coverage for PAUSD student participants The Palo The Ravenswood City School District has been a YCS partner since 1990. The Ravenswooct City School District supports YCS by providing: Supplies Use of RCSD vans Substitute cc~verage for teacher trainings Assistance at school sites with coordination of program efforts Meeting space Liability coverage for RCSD student participants The Rotary club of Palo Alto has been a YCS partner since 1997. The Rotary Club supports YCS by providing: " 10 Adult Volunteers for 3 of YCS’s major service days. The opportunity to apply for funds from the Rotary’s .gift committee. The YWCA of the-Mid-Peninsula has been a YCS partner since 1990.. The YWCA supports YCS by: Acting as the employer of record Serving as the fiscal agent Hosting YCS youth volunteers ATTACHMENT B Overview of YCS The mission of Youth Community Service (YCS) is to promote the ethic of service, foster youth leadership, build community and enhance education. YCS accomplishes this mission by providing community service, service learning and leadership activities to East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Palo Alto young people. Founded in 1990, YCS is a local collaboration sponsored by Ravenswood City School District, Palo Alto Unified School District, City of Palo Alto, City of East Palo Alto, Palo Alto Rotary Club, Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University and YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula. Current Successes The YCS Community Service and LeadershipProgram-organizes over 300 students to meet each week at school-based community service clubs. The students work with a teacher sponsor and a college student to assess needs in the community and to design and implement service projects to meet those needs. These students unite with YCS participants from other schools for 6 service days and leadership trainings. YCS also operates a community service club for East Palo Alto high school students and an. intensive YCS Fellows leadership training project for high school students. This summer YCS will offer its first-ever Summer of Service Camp.for middle school s.tudents. This year the YCS Service Learning Program, mobilized 58 teachers from 11 schools to use service learning as a teaching strategy, YCS staff provides training for teachers, start-up funds, links to community agencies and advice on curriculum connections. In 1998-1999, YCS will expand the service learning pro.gram to 18 schools in Palo Alto and Ravenswood. This program is funded through a $75,000 grant from the Corporation for National Service and State Department of Education CalServe Office. The YCS partnership is one of only 13 organizations in California to receive these funds. The History of YCS At its inception in 1.990, YCS supported primarily co-curricular community service activities. These pro~ed very popular; students at 12 schools and community centers have participated in YCS community service clubs. In 1993, YCS received CalServe funding to promote broad-based service learning implementation at schools in the Ravenswood City and Palo Alto Unified school districts. Since 1993, the YCS partnership has grown from 800 student participants in 1993 to 2,500 students participants in.1998. YCS participants have contributed over 70,000 hours of service to 65 community agencies. Over 120 teachers have participated in YCS service learning trainings and professional development activities. YCS partners continue to offer in-kind support including office space, printing, transportation, computer services, meeting space and supplies. In addition, local foundations, individuals and civic groups have provided financial support and adult volunteers for YCS activities. 1990-93 1993-94 1994-95 Staff: Annual Budget: Annual participants: Program Focus: Partners: Staff: Budget: Participants Program Focus: Partners: Staff: Budget: Participants: Program Focus: Partners: An Historical Timeline of YCS 1 full-time, 1 half-time $70,000 350 Summer Leadership Training Community Service Clubs at 9 locations and 3 Service Days City of Palo Alto Constitutional Rights Foundation of Los Angeles Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University Palo Alto Unified Schdol District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula 2 full-time $84,000 800 Community Service Clubs at 12 locations and 3 Service Days Service Learning Program at 5 schools City of Palo Alto Constitutional Rights Foundation of Los Angeles Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University Palo Alto Unified School District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula 2 full-time $84,000 1,900 Community Service Clubs at 9 locations and 5 Service Days Service Learning Program at 6 schools City of Palo Alto Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University Palo Alto Unified School District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 Staff: Budget: Participants: Program .Focus: Partners: Staff: Budget: Participants: Program Focus: Partners: Staff Budget: Participants: Program Focus: Partners: 2 full-time, 1 half-time $132,000 2,500 Community Service Clubs at 9 locations and 5 Service Days Service Learning Program at 7 schools East Palo Alto High School Club City of East Palo Alto City of Palo Alto Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University Palo Alto Unified School District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula 2 full-time, 2 half-time $177,000 2,700 Community Service Clubs at 9 locations and 5 Service Days Service Learning Program at 7 schools East Palo Alto High School Club City of East Palo Alto City of Palo Alto Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University -Palo Alto Rotary Club Palo Alto Unified School District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula 3 full-time, 1 half-time $205,000 2,500 Community Service Clubs at 9 locations and 6 Service Days Service Learning Program at 11 schools East Palo Alto High School Club YCS High School Fellows Leadership Training Summer of Service Camp City of East Palo Alto City of Palo Alto Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University Palo Alto Rotary Club Palo Alto Unified School District Ravenswood City School District YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula