HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7566 City of Palo Alto
COLLEAGUES MEMO
December 12, 2016 Page 1 of 3
(ID # 7566)
DATE: December 12, 2016
TO: City Council Members
FROM: Council Member Holman, Council Member Filseth, Vice Mayor
Scharff, Council Member Burt
SUBJECT: COLLEAGUES MEMO REGARDING SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE
BARRON PARK DONKEY PROJECT
Goal:
Provide support funding for continuing the neighborhood and community tradition of keeping
and caring for donkeys in Barron Park.
Background and Discussion:
Donkeys have been a part of the landscape in Barron Park since the Depression Era when
Cornelis and Josina Bol’s 13 acres of farmland included a donkey pasture. Cornelis Bol was a
long-time Stanford professor who also invented the mercury vapor light. The Bols allowed
neighborhood children to visit and ride the donkeys. Donkeys have served as neighborhood
pets ever since.
When Cornelis Bol died in 1965, the neighbors taxed themselves to create Bol Park, a wish of
Bol’s. The park opened in 1974, a year before Barron Park was annexed into Palo Alto. When
Josina Bol passed away in 1996, neighborhood volunteers “adopted” Mickey and brought Niner
and Perry to be his new companions.
Donkeys have served as Gunn High School mascots at football games, are Sunday regulars in
Bol Park for personal attention from children, and Perry is famous as the model for Donkey in
the Shrek movies.
Among those who regularly visit the donkeys are staff and patients of the VA Hospital, Stanford
Research Park employees, young children with parents, and countless students coming and
going from Gunn High School.
The community was reminded of how important the donkeys are when passersby kept asking
when Perry was coming home after the recent passing of Niner. And at the memorial for Niner
on November 20 when some 120 or so neighbors came to pay their respects. And by the
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(ID # 7566)
excitement of children and adults to get a look at Perry and his new friend Jenny who both
arrived at the pasture on November 15.
In August 2013, the Acterra / Barron Park Donkey Project was established between Acterra and
the subsequent owner of the Bol property, James Witt, who continues the donkey pasture as
the home for the donkeys. A prior relationship with Acterra had been established providing a
non-profit umbrella so that donations made to cover expenses for the donkeys could be tax
deductible. Acterra also holds these funds and pays approved bills for the Project.
The donkeys are supported by individual donations, and to secure the donkey tradition, the
Barron Park Donkey Project has begun a fundraising effort to cover the next 5 years of expenses
estimated to be $125,000. Routine expenses account for veterinary costs, Acterra fees
(including insurance), pasture lease expense, food and misc expenses totaling $75,000 over the
5 year period. Special expenses such as just experienced with the care for Niner plus clean up
and maintenance at the pasture in coordination with efforts by the owner come to $20,000
based on experience. And finally, a reserve of $20,000 with a goal of $30,000 (replenished as
needed) is held at Acterra to assure there is funding for potential extraordinary expenses such
as just described. Because of recent special expenses, this reserve needs to be rebuilt.
Recommendation:
We ask Colleagues to join us in committing $15,000 from Council contingency funds to support
the Barron Park Donkey Project fundraising goal of $125,000 to cover 5 years of donkey-related
expenses. The first $10,000 from the City will serve as a challenge toward other fundraising and
the remaining $5,000 upon successful match of the $10,000. In doing so, the Council will help
ensure the tradition of donkeys in the Barron Park neighborhood and continue the strong
community they generate.
This memo requests that Council make this decision at the meeting of December 12, 2016. To
do so, Council should:
1. Direct and authorize the City Manager to prepare and execute a Memorandum of
Agreement with Acterra to make an initial grant of $10,000 for donkey-related
expenses, and, upon successful private fundraising by the Barron Park Donkey Project of
$10,000, provide an additional City grant of $5,000.
2. Amend the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Appropriation Ordinance for the General Fund
budget by:
a. Increasing the Community Services Department appropriation for grants and
subsidies in the amount of $15,000;
b. Decreasing the Non-Departmental City Council Contingency appropriation in the
amount of $15,000.
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Staff and Fiscal Impact:
There is more than sufficient funding in the Council Contingency fund to allow this
expenditure. A modest amount of staff time will be needed to prepare the Memorandum of
Agreement and administer the transactions.