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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-04-15 City CouncilTO: City City of Palo Alto Summary Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Community Services AGENDA DATE:April 15, 1996 CMR: 222:96 SUBJECT:Implementation of the Mayor’s Proposal for Creating Unity through City-Facilitated Action REQUEST In a March 14, 1996 Memorandum to Council, the Mayor outlined a proposal to create unity through a City-facilitated community action plan (Attachment A). This report presents staff’s plan to implement the Mayor’s vision and requests that Council give its approval for the plan. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that Council approve implementation of Palo Alto Together, a new volunteer community action program, which is described in this report. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This report is consistent with City policy. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mayor’s proposal describes a program that would build and rebuild our social and physical community through volunteer activity. The program would be designed to leverage limited government resources with a volunteer network, which identifies, sets priorities and mobilizes neighborhoods and community groups for a variety of parks, recreation and beautification projects. Palo Alto Together will be an adjunct to the City’s already successful volunteer programs. The goals of Palo Alto Together will be to provide a volunteer program that will enhance our urban environment, focus on heritage and public facilities, promote self-help, and expand volunteer opportunities. In brief, Palo Alto Together will promote grass roots volunteer neighborhood enhancement programs, using local business as a resource, and the City as a catalyst for the program’s continuation and a clearinghouse for project ideas. CMR:222:96 Page 1 of 2 The implementation plan for Palo Alto Together consists of: ¯The development of a Palo Alto Together Volunteer Project Kit. °The development of partnerships with local businesses to help promote and implement projects. ¯The design of a promotional campaign meant to educate the public as to the benefits of this proj ect. °The holding of community meetings to motivate and educate the public and solicit projects. ¯The participation of City staff to promote the program, act as a clearinghouse for community projects, and determine the appropriate City resources that may be available for projects. ¯The participation of neighborhood organizers and volunteer groups, who will be responsible for the majority of the work a project dictates. These responsibilities include requesting projects, recruiting volunteers, finding funding, developing plans for construction, and performing the work itself. FISCAL IMPACT Short-term funding for the project is approximately $10,000, which will be applied to promotion, design and publication costs. Staff will return to Council with a Budget Amendment Ordinance requesting this amount. Assessing the long-term fiscal impact to the City is difficult. Many projects should leverage City resources and reduce or maintain future levels of expenditures. Some will be value- added projects, coming at little or no cost to the City and increasing the value of the City’s infrastructure. The cost for long-term maintenance of new projects is impossible to determine. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Future volunteer projects may be subject to California Environmental Quality Act requirements. Prepared by: Richard James, Community Services Department Head Review: City Manager Approval: PAUL Dir.~tor FLEMING Manager CMR:222:96 Page 2 of 2 City City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report SUBJECT: Implementation of the Mayor’s Proposal for Creating Unity through City-Facilitated Action RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that Council approve implementation of Palo Alto Together, a new volunteer community action program, which is described in this report. BACKGROUND In a March 14, 1996 Memorandum to Council, the Mayor outlined a proposal to create unity through a City-facilitated community action plan (Attachment A). The memorandum requested City staff to retum to Council with a report outlining a specific plan for implementing the proposal. Council provided that direction to staff at their April 1, 1996 meeting. The Mayor’s proposal described a program that would build and rebuild our social and physical community through volunteer activity. The program would be designed to leverage limited government resources with a volunteer network that identifies, sets priorities, and mobilizes neighborhoods and community groups for a variety of parks, recreation and beautification projects. Residents, community groups and local businesses would drive the program, with a focus upon developing unity through volunteer action and personal contributions to the greater whole. Presently, more than 2,000 people annually volunteer their time and energy to help make City services and programs a reality. Such programs as Animal Services, the Cultural Center, Library Services, Children’s and Community Theatres, Crime Prevention, Recreation, Special Events, Recycling and Sciences rely heavily on volunteer activity to make their services vital and successful. Other programs such as Neighborhood Watch and the forthcoming Emergency Management Plan add hundreds of participants to the City’s volunteer ranks. Additionally, thanks to a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, a Citywide volunteer coordinator has been hired. The objective of this position is to formalize current City volunteer programs, and to initiate volunteer programs in City departments that do not already use volunteers. Palo Alto Together will be an adjunct to these new or already successful volunteer programs. The goal of the new program will be to provide a volunteer program that enhances urban CMR:222:96 Page 1 of 4 environment, focuses on heritage and public facilities, promotes self-help, and expands volunteer opportunities. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This report is consistent with City policy. DISCUSSION Palo Alto Together will be a program powered by the needs of residents. It defines a process that links neighborhoods and community organizations to local businesses and local government, all leveraging our resources toward one goal, the betterment of our community. These endeavors may take many forms and may include such projects as the revitalization of a neighborhood park through the Adopt-A-Park program, the enhancement of a community center or playground, the landscaping and maintenance of public median strips, or the rehabilitation of a public eyesore. In brief, this program will promote grass roots volunteer neighborhood enhancement programs, using local business as a resource, and the City as a catalyst for the program’s continuation and a clearinghouse for project ideas. Palo Alto Together - Action Plan The following section explains the steps that will be taken to implement the Palo Alto Together program. As with all programs of this type, early success and flexibility in the method of implementation will be the key to its realization. Step 1 - Develop a Palo Alto Together Volunteer Project Kit. These kits will contain the vital information and forms necessary to begin a community volunteer project. The kit will include project application forms, a procedure guide, a City volunteer resource guide (see step 2), and all necessary background to make the project a success. The procedure guide will walk a participant through the program, from filling out the project application forms, to seeking various approvals and permits, developing a budget, implementing fund-raising (if needed), scheduling project dates, to the project’s final review. Step 2 - Develop Partnerships with Local Businesses. Staffwill seek participation from local businesses to help promote the program, and to act as consultants and resources. Partnerships may be formed with local print and electronic media sources to help with program promotion and volunteer recruitment. Other businesses will be asked to participate as a resource for volunteer projects. These businesses may be able to lend their expertise or donate in-kind goods to projects. Participating companies will be listed in the resource guide. Businesses, church congregations and community service organizations may also provide volunteers. Step 3 - Program Promotion. To promote community interest in Palo Alto Together, a series of advertisements will be run in local print and electronic media. These promotions will be intended to educate Palo Alto residents and businesses as to the opportunities inherent in the CMR:222:96 Page 2 of 4 program and to act as notification for upcoming meetings. It is staff’s hope that many of these promotions will come as "in kind" contributions from local media sources wishing to provide co-sponsorship for the program. Additionally, an initial community volunteer program will be set as a kick-off for the program. This project will be designed to have the maximum amount of community and media interest, giving public exposure to the fledgling program. Step 4 - Community Meetings. As mentioned above, the driving force of this program will come through the needs of the community. To accomplish this, a series of neighborhood meetings will be held throughout the City. The object of these meetings will be to 1) educate the public as to the concepts of the program; 2) identify and prioritize potential volunteer projects; and 3) motivate neighborhoods to work together toward mutual goals. City support for this project will come through the Citywide Volunteer Coordinator, Community Services Department, Public Works Department and any other department a volunteer project may involve. The Citywide Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for acting as a clearinghouse for requests, developing certain program components and promoting the program, and by helping to identify possible intemal City resources that may be available for projects. At this point it is unknown what, if any, City resources will be needed to carry out individual projects. Each project will be judged for merit using such criteria as appropriate volunteer staffing, funding, and availability of resources. The City’s role in the program will be mainly as a facilitator. It will be the community’s responsibility to perform the majority of the work. Neighborhood organizers, as identified during the process, will be responsible for the following actions: ¯Request projects ¯Recruit volunteer participation °Find funding, as needed, and materials for projects o Get necessary approvals and permits (with staff guidance) °Develop plans for construction, landscaping, etc. °See the project through to its completion °Provide ongoing project maintenance and support Residents and community groups will have two methods to make project requests. The first method will be through the initial community meetings used to initiate the program; then, after the initial meetings have ceased, by requesting and filling out a project application form and submitting it to the City’s volunteer coordinator. This report outlines a preliminary implementation plan for Palo Alto Together. To successfully execute the plan additional staff effort will be expended in refining the process, specifying procedures and laying the groundwork for the program. It is staff’s intent to have the program in place by late fall 1996. CMR:222:96 Page 3 of 4 ALTERNATIVES There are no alternatives addressed in this report. FISCAL IMPACT Short-term expenditures associated with this project include costs associated with the development of the project kit and the costs of marketing and promotion. The approximate cost for implementation of the project, excluding staffing, is $10,000. Kit development and printing Advertising graphic designer Advertising Total expenses $2,400 1,600 $10,000 Layout and printing Layout and camera-ready copy Display advertising space Staff will return to Council with a Budget Amendment Ordinance requesting this amount. Assessing the long-term fiscal impact to the City is difficult. Many projects should leverage City resources and reduce or maintain future levels of expenditures. Some projects will be value-added, coming at little or no cost to the City and increasing the value of the City’s infrastructure. The cost for long-term maintenance of new projects is impossible to forecast, but could be integrated into each year’s budget as the need arises. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Future volunteer projects may be subject to requirements. California Environmental Quality Act STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL The program will take approximately four to five months to plan and Implementation will begin in late summer or early fall of 1996. Steps include: 1. Continue to develop the implementation plan. 2. Design volunteer project kits. 3. Develop partnerships with local business and media sources. 4. Design an advertising campaign. 5. Hold the initial community volunteer project. 6. Conduct a series of community meetings. 7. Set priorities and budget submitted projects. 8. Set project time lines and begin implementation. develop. ATTACHMENTS~XHIBITS Attachment A: Mayor’s March 14, 1996 Memorandum to Council CMR:222:96 Page 4 of 4 Attachment OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL Memorandum TO: FROM: SUBJECT: March 14, 1996 City Council Colleagues Mayor Wheeler A Proposal for Creating Unity through City-Facilitated Community Action When I was elected Mayor on January 8th, my comments focused upon how I intended to use the mayor’s office to rebuild and revitalize a strong sense of community in Palo Alto. Since then I have worked with our staff and colleagues to frame my goals in view of our needs and available resources. This memorandum details my proposal and seeks conceptual Council support to begin our efforts. "Community" is a concept founded upon human needs for social interaction and beneficial public improvements. Community comprises both how we feel about our neighbors and our neighborhood interactions, and the things we build and maintain to provide places for that interaction. I believe that the CPAC-proposed Governance Element represented a broader call to the Council to propose decision-making systems and infrastructure improvements that would help retain and rebuild the community spirit that distinguishes Palo Alto and Palo Altans. Perhaps not surprisingly, other cultures have found that there is an essential interrelationship between constructing the physical elements of our common places and building the feeling of participation and ownership that defines a social community. In Hawaii, for example, residents of the island of Kauai have created a program called Ho’olokahi, which means quite literally "Creating Unity." The Kauai program leverages very limited government resources with an extensive community volunteer network which identifies, prioritizes and mobilizes communities for a variety of parks, recreation and beautification projects. I propose that Palo Alto should embark on a program to build and rebuild our social and physical community. The program should be driven by both residents and local businesses. Our effort should focus upon developing a community-based volunteer program with the following broad goals: 1.Enhance the .Urban Environment CPAC’s vision turns on "walkable," human-scale neighborhoods with public spaces for meetings and interaction. Many areas of Palo Alto Page Two already have significant public spaces. I believe these spaces can be maintained and enhanced by neighborhood volunteer efforts which are leveraged and facilitated by City resources. 2.Focus on Our Heritage and Public Facilities Community efforts to preserve our public buildings and other public facilities will build community, enhancing a sense of our heritage, public ownership, stewardship and value. 3. Piomote Self-Help It is practically a truism that community revitalization works best "with a hand, rather than a handout." I believe community unity must come from the grass roots up, with the City serving a catalyst role, rather than directing any particular effort. 4.Expand Volunteer Opportunities The City’s residents are its greatest resource. We should broaden to the greatest extent possible the opportunities for volunteer service to the community. The volunteer program I envision for Palo Alto will be powered by the needs of our community. Through a process yet to be defined, neighborhood vitalization projects will emerge from individuals, neighborhood associations, businesses and community organizations. These projects may take many forms and be intended for neighborhood, regional or city benefit. Projects may overlap traditional agency boundaries including properties controlled by the City, the school district, the county, and even private property. Examples of these projects include the revitalization of a playground, the enhancement of a community center, the replanting and upkeep of median strips, or the rehabilitation of a neighborhood eyesore. The City’s role will be to act as a catalyst and facilitator, helping to identify and prioritize these community-born projects and then provide the coordination to galvanize the volunteer effort required to make them a reality. Action plans will be created to maximize available resources using partnerships among the community, government and business. The key is to empower the community with an effective process designed to tap our community’s energies to get things done. One of the core goals of the program will be to augment City resources, not use more of them. The City’s resources and expertise could be pooled with the volunteer efforts of the community to achieve great things. Many problems may not be solved by any one group, but together, by leveraging our finite resources, we may be able to address them. Page Three For all the reasons outlined above, I seek your support to approve, in concept, a program to promote the active involvement of all Palo Alto residents and businesses in a neighborhood improvement program founded on grass roots volunteer effort. If your support is received, I would then ask that staff return to Council with a specific plan to put this process into place. I urge the Council’s support for this program.