EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 18, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Azalea Renfield, Assistant to the City Manager
Maurice Baker, Acting Community Services Manager
SUBJECT: Request for Fee Waiver for Public Agency- San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution to waive fees for the San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District to utilize Cooley Landing for several days in support and service to the community of East Palo Alto.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 3: Increase Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Priority No. 5: Improve Communication and Enhance Community Engagement Background
The San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District (SMCMVCD) stated mission is to safeguard the health and comfort of residents in San Mateo County through a science-based program of integrated vector management. As they prepare to survey East Palo Alto residents about vectors, climate change, and health safety, they are seeking a location within the city to use as a temporary headquarters for staff and volunteer support. Cooley Landing Educational Center has been identified as the best location for this purpose. SMCMVCD is seeking Council support to waive the fees for their facility reservation.
Analysis
As the most in demand city owned public facility, Cooley Landing is used for a variety of purposes; everything from community meetings to training sessions to resident gatherings.
Weekends are a high time for bookings. SMCMVCD is requesting the dates of October 16 through 19. Due to the resident benefit of this reservation, City staff is recommending that fees be waived for this public agency. For the four-day usage, the cost would be significant for an organization serving the community. A one-day rental of Cooley Landing costs $528. The total cost of the requested reservation would be $2,112.00 for four days of use. The staffing and cleaning fees for this reservation would not exceed $1056.00.
Staff recommends that the City Council accept this request to waive the fees and allow San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District use of Cooley Landing Educational Center.
Future Recommendations within the Parks Master Plan
The City Council is aware of the City staff-led Parks Master Planning process initiated in 2021 to be brought for final City Council consideration in Winter 2023.
Through this process, staff identified initial recommendations for future City Council consideration regarding the potential reduction of rental/usage fees for local non-profits and other governmental organizations.
Fiscal Impact
There will be a financial impact of $1056.00 for the cleaning and staff required to host to the reservation at Cooley Landing Educational Center.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University.
Environmental
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a “project” pursuant to 15378(b)(4) because it is a fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
Awarding this contract is not a project under The California Environmental Quality Act (Section 21000, et. seq. of the California Public Resources Code, hereafter CEQA) because the action has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
Attachments
A. Resolution Attachment 1- Request for Fee Waiver to Public Agency (SMCMVCD) B. Attachment 2 Cooley Landing External Reservation (SMCMVCD)