AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
Gabrielle Ressa, Management Analyst
Subject: APPROVAL OF THE BEVERLY HILLS CITY COUNCIL LIAISON /
NEXT BEVERLY HILLS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
THE NEXT BEVERLY HILLS WORK PLAN AND BUDGET FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2022-23
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
The Beverly Hills City Council Liaison / Next Beverly Hills Committee (“Next BH”), comprised of City Council Liaisons Vice Mayor Gold and Councilmember Wunderlich, recommends the City Council approve the Next BH work plan and budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 (“FY 22-23”). If approved, the work plan items proposed by Next BH for FY 22- 23, with the exception of Next Night, can be absorbed within the proposed FY 22-23 budget for the Policy & Management Department and the Transportation Division of Public Works Department.
Additionally, should the City Council approve Next Night as part of the work plan, the City Council would need to appropriate $150,000 in FY 22-23 general fund reserves to the Policy & Management Business Development budget (00101313) budget.
INTRODUCTION
Next BH was established in 2015 to engage residents through innovative initiatives that address their lifestyles, economic and civic needs, and to inspire them to make Beverly Hills a better place for all. The Next BH Committee is requesting the City Council approve their work plan and the associated funding for FY 22-23.
DISCUSSION
In January 2022, the Next BH Committee established the following Priority Areas as their focus for the calendar year:
• Leadership Development
G-6
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
• Next Gen Events & Outreach
• Next Gen Arts & Culture
• Historical Appreciation
• Economic Development
• Safety & Quality of Living
• Charitable Engagement
At the May 3, 2022 Next BH meeting, the City Council Liaisons recommended approval of the Next BH Work Plan and Budget for FY 22-23, totaling $188,200, as detailed below. This budget includes bringing back the Next Night evening event which was placed on hiatus during the pandemic as well as a new initiative on cultural unity.
First Thursdays - $13,200 (Existing)
The goal of First Thursdays is to promote community engagement and increase patronage of local businesses throughout the wider Los Angeles region. Held on the first Thursday of each month, Next BH works in partnership with Now Beverly Hills. First Thursdays began as a pilot in fall of 2021 and is scheduled to sunset in June 2022. If the Council chose to continue First Thursdays, funds would be used to program a community activity each month to kick off the evening and encourage the local community to get out, come together and enjoy the City. When applicable, Next BH will partner with the Community Services Department or other departments to reduce costs and cross promote existing programming such as Concerts on Cañon. Examples of programming include salsa dancing, lawn games, comedian, magician, thematic holiday activities, the Beverly Hills trolley, and other family friendly programming. Funding for this program is from the Policy & Management Budget ($10,000) and Public Works – Transportation ($3,200) for use of the Trolley.
First Thursdays Event - Beverly Cañon Gardens
Art Initiatives - $2,000 (Existing)
The goal of Next BH Art Initiatives is to lend a “next generation” perspective to existing art programs in the City. Next BH has enjoyed continued success partnering with the Arts & Culture Commission and the Human Relations Commission on Visions of the Future, and look forward to ongoing presentations of next-gen artists at events such as the Art Show booths each year. The funds would be used to cover the expense of art transport, installation and other required fees such as insurance.
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Sustainability Initiatives - $2,000 (Existing)
The goal of the Sustainability Initiatives is to lend a “next generation” perspective to City programs in partnership with the Public Works Commission, Community Services Department, and other departments. The funds would be used to cover the expense of hosting a Next BH booth at the Farmer's Market, Earth Day events, and other City events where appropriate to showcase sustainable products and next-gen ideas for encouraging sustainability, in addition to partnering to create workshops and discussions to educate and encourage sustainable practices.
Marketing and Miscellaneous Expenses - $6,000 (Existing) Next BH plans to continue utilizing existing funds to promote and market the proposed initiatives in the work plan. This funding may go toward items such as producing print media, placing a local ad or producing collateral related to Next BH. Funding is also set aside for paying for miscellaneous expenditures throughout the year, such as supplies.
Next Night - $150,000 (Returning from 2019)
The goal of Next Night is to create a street party with live entertainment, food, and games which appeal to the next generation of Beverly Hills residents as well as tourists in the region. The event encourages residents, people who live in the region, and tourists to come together and to celebrate Beverly Hills. The event has traditionally been held on South Beverly Drive such that residents and tourists can visit the businesses in the area. In 2018 and 2019, the Next Night event provided the closing entertainment for the City’s Summer BOLD program.
Next Night could be a stand-alone event as it was in 2017 or in partnership with a larger City-wide event as it was in 2018 and 2019. The event could take place later this calendar year, possibly in fall of 2022. Traditionally, the Next Night event has been funded by the General Fund and there is the option to appropriate funds from the General Fund unassigned reserve to the Policy & Management Business Development Budget.
Cultural Unity Initiatives - $10,000 (New)
The goal of the Cultural Unity Initiatives is to lend a “next generation” perspective to cultural programs in the City, while creating new opportunities to celebrate the diverse cultural backgrounds of Beverly Hills residents, promoting education and unity. The funds would be used to cover the expense of creating opportunities to bring the community together, such as mixers with multiple Consulates and hosting discussions with community leaders. Next BH is also very open to partnering with fellow commissions to produce a larger event. Staff is proposing this item be funding from the proposed FY 22-23 Policy and Management budget.
Membership Outreach Drive - $5,000 (New)
The goal of the Membership Outreach Drive is to educate the community on the initiatives of Next BH, increase visibility of the committee, grow membership, retain current members, and encourage member participation in the committee and other City programs. The funds would be used to create ongoing opportunities to showcase the advantages of living and working in Beverly Hills which appeal to the next generation.
Ideas for this include a Community BBQ and picnic at Roxbury Park in partnership with Community Services and other City departments, and Next BH branded merchandise to give away throughout the year. Staff is proposing this item be funding from the proposed FY 22-23 Policy and Management budget.
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for Recurring Programming
Traditionally, the Policy & Management Business Development budget (00101313) provides $20,000 in annual funding for Next BH Committee initiatives. This year was the inaugural year of First Thursdays, which was funded by a portion of the aforementioned Business Development budget as well as Public Works Transportation funds for the trolley. If the work plan is approved by the Council, Staff is recommending these same funding sources be used in FY 22-23. Should the City Council approve the proposed FY 22-23 Policy & Management and Public Works Departments’ budgets, then funding would be allocated as follows:
Description Cost
First Thursdays
($10,000 from Policy & Management, $3,200 for trolley from Public Works)
$13,200
Art Initiatives $2,000
Sustainability Initiatives $2,000
Marketing and Miscellaneous $6,000
Total from the Policy & Management and Public Works
Department’s proposed FY 22-23 budget
(No additional funding needed)
$23,200
Funding for New Initiatives
Staff has identified funding within the City’s proposed FY 22-23 budget for the Policy & Management Department for the Next BH Committee’s proposed new initiatives. The costs for these activities are shown below:
Description Cost
Cultural Unity Initiatives $10,000
Membership Outreach Drive $5,000
Total from the Policy Management FY 22-23 Proposed Budget (No additional funding needed) $15,000
Funding for Next Night
The Next Night inaugural event occurred in 2017 with recurring events in 2018 and 2019 as part of the City’s BOLD initiative. All three events were funded from the General Fund in the Business Development budget (00101313), with a City Council FY 2019-20 approved budget enhancement of $100,000 providing recurring funding. This funding provided the base funding for the 2019 Next Night event. The City Council then approved a one-time additional amount of $30,000 from the General Fund to enhance the 2019 Next Night event.
In 2020 and 2021, the Next Night event did not occur due to COVID-19, and the recurring funding of $100,000 was eliminated from the Policy & Management budget as part of the COVID-19 budget reductions.
The event has an estimated cost of $150,000, which is an increase of $20,000 from the 2019 event costs to account for supply chain issues and rising labor costs.
Meeting Date: May 24, 2022
Consistent with prior years, the City’s proposed soft costs and in-kind costs for Next Night would be absorbed within the proposed FY 22-23 budget for various departments.
These soft costs include, but are not limited to, the use of City staff and resources associated with the event including a full street closure; security; marketing and advertising; printing and graphics work; and waiving permits and parking fees.
Should the City Council approve Next Night as part of the Next BH work plan, the City Council would need to approve an appropriation of $150,000 from the General Fund reserves to the Policy & Management Business Development Budget (00101313) in FY 22-23 for a Next Night event.
George Chavez,
City Manager
Approved By