BACKGROUND:
The Parks and Community Events Commission (PACE) continues to provide opportunities to engage the community and provide awareness of the park resources available here in the City. As part of PACE’s charge, PACE is active in initiating, volunteering and supporting community events and related functions.
Included in the approved Fiscal Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 budgets, PACE is allocated $10,000 per year to be able to fund all, or portions thereof, small events at parks within the City. This may include services and/or materials, or a combination thereof, related to the event to assist in the event’s success. All events initiated to receive funding from this budget item, are first vetted by the PACE and upon PACE’s favorable recommendation, these events are then brought before the City Council for approval for the funding.
PACE is again initiating a new event to engage the community and bring awareness of the newest public park resource that the City has to offer, the “Panorama Dog Park.” The event is the Panorama Dog Park Halloween Dog Costume Event – 2023. The event will showcase the new dog park facility and bring community members, especially dog aficionados, together for a fun fill gathering. The Event is designed to encourage dog owners to dress up their canines in Halloween costumes and have their dog participate in a costume contest if so inclined.
DISCUSSION:
At the June 6, 2023 PACE meeting, consideration for the Panorama Dog Park Halloween Dog Costume Event – 2023 (Event) was presented and submitted by PACE Vice-Chair Baciu. This Event will be held on October 30, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. within the confines of the Panorama Dog Park, with dogs big and small welcome (owners also).
The Event’s showcase will be the costume contest for those who want to participate with prizes given out for 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd place in the big or small dog category, respectively. PACE has successfully secured prizes for each category and has a sponsorship for refreshments as well.
Additionally, as part of the festivities, PACE Chair Hyland is coordinating an adopt-a- dog venue in conjunction with the Humane Society of the Desert, adjacent to the perimeter of the Dog Park during the Event. Hopefully some of these canine orphans will have new permanent home after the Event.
The Event is free for all who want to come and participate, and having a dog is not required. This Event will be fun just to watch. At the June 6, 2023 PACE Meeting, PACE approved a recommended budget of $400 for the event, with $300 allocated for contest prize winners and $100 for refreshments. PACE recommended that this be forwarded to the City Council for the budget allocation approval.
In the time since the June PACE meeting, PACE has been able to get sponsors to donate the prizes for the contest winners and a sponsor for the refreshments.
Subsequently, in discussions with PACE Chair Hyland and PACE Vice-Chair Baciu, PACE is now only requesting that $100 for Event incidentals be approved if needed.
This PACE meeting item was unanimously recommended at the June 6, 2023 meeting, supporting the proposal and, at that time the respective requested budget of $400 in funding from the PACE Events budget. As cited prior, the funding request has now been reduced to $100. The recommendation also included that this item be forwarded to the City Council for approval.
Overall, PACE is requesting that the City Council approve the funding request of $100 from the PACE Events budget for Event incidentals.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This requested that the Panorama Dog Park Halloween Dog Costume Event funding of $100 will be funded from the remaining available $6,850 PACE Events budget to be apportioned out of the FY 2023-2024 Parks – PACE Community Events budget item 100-500-510-511-8200-8201–M03511-OPS-PARKS-M&S.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
GOAL F: EMBRACING, INCLUSIVE CITY
Objective: Cathedral City is valued and respected as a community that welcomes and embraces diversity, has an abundance of high quality and affordable housing options, and vibrant businesses. Our neighborhoods are attractive and well-maintained and issues surrounding homelessness have been compassionately addressed with thoughtful, coordinated, and collaborative programs.
Action F-6 Promote additional community events and celebrations.