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Home My WebLink About2004-10-25 City Council (4)TO: City of Palo Alto City Manage Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE:OCTOBER 25, 2004 CMR:453:04 SUBJECT:ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $600,000 AND TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR A YOUTH SOCCER AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $600,000 FOR THE RENOVATION OF A SOCCER FIELD AT THE CUBBERLEY COMMUNITY CENTER RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council approve the attached resolution to: 1. Authorize the submittal of a grant application under the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Act of 2002, for a Youth Soccer and Recreation Development grant in the amount of $600,000 for renovation of a regulation-size soccer field at the Cubberley Cominunity Center, and approve the terms and conditions of the grant agreement. 2.Authorize the City Manager or his designee to make any required certifications and any amendments on behalf of the City. BACKGROUND Demand for soccer and playing fields in Palo Alto, for both practice and league competition, far exceeds available facilities owned by both the City and the Palo Alto Unified School District. Renovation of the Cubberley Community Center football field with artificial turf would provide a year-round, regulation-size playing surface for soccer, lacrosse, football and other field sports, and will thereby increase field usage from approximately 400 scheduled games per year to approximately 600 games per year, serving approximately 6,000 players, including under-served children from the Ventura neighborhood. The installation of artificial turf will not only provide a multi-use playing surface that will not need to be taken out of use during wet weather and for annual re-seeding of the turf, but will significantly reduce water consumption, mowing, irrigation and pest-control CMR:453:04 Page 1 of 4 maintenance. The cost savings that will be realized by the renovation of this field is estimated at $18,000 annually .. : ’ " Grant Program In March 2002, California voters approved Proposition 40, the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act. This act is intended to revive state stewardship of natural resources by investing in neighborhood and state parks, clean air and water protection, coastal beaches and scenic areas. This program is administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Funding from the Bond Act was allocated into seven separate programs in order to ensure that the demands of various constituents and recreational needs were met. The City is now seeking grant funds from the Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Grant Program, whose purpose is to fund high priority projects that satisfy the most urgent recreational needs related to soccer, baseball, basketball and softball in urban areas of California. The funds for this program are awarded on a competition basis. A total of $46,675,000 has been allocated to this program statewide. Grants from this program are intended to supplement, not supplant, local expenditures for park and recreation facilities. DISCUSSION The Palo Alto Fields Advisory Committee report, which was submitted to City Council in July 2002, detailed the critical shortage of recreational playing fields. The report reconnnended the renovation of playing fields with artificial turf in order to reduce the amount of time that fields are out of service for maintenance and protection from damage during inclement weather. The report specifically recommended the renovation of fields at the Cubberley Community Center as a priority. As noted above, the replacement of natural turf with artificial turf could result in a 33 percent increase (approximately an extra 4 months) in usage and will serve an additional 3,000 players annually. The athletic fields at the Cubberley Community Center are located on land which is cun’ently under lease from the Palo Alto Unified School District. The lease expires December 31, 2014 and has two five year options to extend the lease until 2024. The State grant program does not require that the City own title of the improved facility. However, a facility that is owned fee simple or that has at least a twenty year lease would be more competitive. RESOURCE IMPACT The cost of renovating the Cubberley field, including design and construction is estimated at $800,000. The Youth Soccer and Recreation Development grant program will require at least a 25 percent match from the City of Palo Alto in order for the City’s application to be competitive. Options for the matching funds include using Infrastructure Management Program (IMP) funds and reprioritizing future parks projects or drawing on the General CMR:453:04 Page 2 of 4 Fund Budget Stabelization Reserve. Since Cubberley fields do have IMP funds dedicated to future field improvements, staff recommends dedicating IMP funds toward the match. Approval of the grant application may result in impacts on the completion timelines of other scheduled park or community facility projects. However, the State would allow the City of Palo Alto up to five years to complete a funded project, it is anticipated that this project could be scheduled so that high prior!ty projects already scheduled would not be delayed. The renovation of the Cubberley football/soccer field will significantly decrease operational expenses for mowing, re-seeding, irrigation and pest-control maintenance. This savings is estimated at $18,000 annually. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation is consistent with existing City policy and furthers Policy C-24 of the Cormnunity Services element of the Comprehensive Plan in that the project would reinvest in an aging facility to improve its usefulness and appearance; Policy C-26 by maintaining and enhancing existing park facilities; and Program C-19 by developing improvement plans for the maintenance, restoration and enhancement of community ¯ facilities, and keep these facilities viable community assets. The soccer field renovation at Cubberley is also consistent with the Cubberley Community Center Master Plan. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The application for a grant for the renovation of existing facilities is considered an action exempt under Section 15307 of the California Environlnental Quality Act; therefore, no environmental assessment is needed at this time. Environmental review will be conducted prior to the adoption of specific construction plans for either project. ATTACHMENTS Attactunent A:Resolution Authorizing the Filing of Application to the State of California Resources Agency from the Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Grant Program. under the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002, for soccer field renovation. CMR:453:04 Page 3 of 4 PREPARED BY: G BE~TS "~ Superintendent, Open Space & Sciences DEPARTMENT HEAD: JAMES Director of Community Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:453:04 Page 4 of 4 ***NOT YET APPROVED*** RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING THE FILING OF A GRANT APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALO ALTO WITH THE YOUTH SOCCER AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM UNDER THE CALIFORNIA CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR,SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS,AND COASTAL PROTECTION ACT OF 2002 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD AT THE CUBBERLEY COMMUNITY CENTER ATHLETIC FIELDS WHEREAS, the people of the State of California have enacted the California Clean Water, Clean ~Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, And Coastal Protection Act Of 2002, ~which provides funds to the State of California for grants to eligible Applicants; WHEREAS, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has been delegated the responsibility for the administratio~ of the Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Program and the artificial turf field (~Project") referred to herein within the State, setting up necessary procedures; WHEREAS, the procedures established by the California Department of Parks and Recreation require an Applicant’s governing body to certify by resolution the approval of the Grant Application before the submission of that application to the State; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto ("Applicant") will enter into a Grant Contract 2002 Resources Bond Act [Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Program] with the State of California for the Project; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION i. The Council of the City of Palo Alto hereby approves the filing of a Grant Application for local assistance funds from the Youth Soccer and Recreation Development Program under the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Act of 2002. SECTION 2. The Council hereby certifies that (A) the City, as the Applicant, has or will have sufficient funds to operate and maintain the artificial turf field ("Project"), (B) the City, as the Applicant, has reviewed, understands, and agrees to the General Provisions contained in the Grant ..Contract shown in the Procedural Guide, (C) the City, as the Grantee, has 041013 cl 0072444 1 ***NOT YET APPROVED*** or will have available, prior to commencement of any work on the Project, the required Match, and (D) the Project conforms to the recreation element of any applicable city or county general plan. SECTION 3. The Council hereby authorizes the City Manager or his designee to act on behalf of the City and conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to, the Application(s), agreements, and payment requests, which may be necessary for the completion of the Project. SECTION 4. The Council finds that this is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Mayor APPROVED: Senior Asst. City Attorney City Manager Director of Community Services Director of Administrative Services 041013 cl 0072444 2