Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: MARCH 15, 2022
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: Jeffrey w. collier, acting City Manager
PREPARED BY: ALICE LOYA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION SUBJECT: MAPLE AND GILBERT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER LEASE AGREEMENTS
SUMMARY
The Parks and Recreation Department solicited Request for Bids (RFB) from partners interested in leasing park neighborhood centers and recreation facilities to provide programming and services. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the RFBs and recommends awarding lease agreements for the Maple Neighborhood Center to the Friendly Center and Gilbert Neighborhood Center to OC United
RECOMMENDATION
Approve lease agreements, in substantially the form as attached and in such final form as approved by the City Attorney, with the Friendly Center, Inc. for the Maple Neighborhood Center and OC United Together, Inc. for the Gilbert Neighborhood Center to provide neighborhood services to the surrounding communities as recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute and administer the Maple Neighborhood Center and Gilbert Neighborhood Center lease agreements and all documents related to the lease agreements including options to extend, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Infrastructure and City Assets.
Fiscal and Organization Stability
FISCAL IMPACT
The new lease agreements will provide a total annual General Fund savings of approximately $82,000 beginning in FY 2022-23 as the lessee will pay for building maintenance and custodial costs. The facilities have remained closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as the City has evaluated non-profits operating the centers. If the City resumed operating the centers, the cost required to resume staffing would total approximately $164,000. The City maintains responsibility for all necessary capital repairs.
BACKGROUND
In January 2021, the City issued a request for bids (RFB) soliciting proposals from qualified agencies to lease neighborhood and recreation facilities to provide programming and services to the community. The purpose of the RFB sought partners to continue to provide programming in place of Parks and Recreation staffed and funded programs.
The City received proposals from six agencies bidding for the following locations:
Izaak Walton Cabin
Red Cross Building
Gilbert Neighborhood Center
Independence Park Gymnasium and Racquetball Building
Maple Neighborhood Center
Orangethorpe Recreation Building.
The review committee studied the bids and identified the most qualified organizations by scoring the following requirements outlined in the RFB:
overall quality
organizational structure
past successes
experience
comprehension of goal
operations and management plan
responsibility
financial capacity
proposed programs.
The committee consisted of two Parks and Recreation Commissioners, two Parks and Recreation staff members, one Fullerton School District administrator and a consultant from Athenian Partners (a former Community Services director.) The following summarizes scores for each organization:
Proposal Rating Summary
Rater
YMCA
Friendly Center
B&G Club
OC United
Izaak Walton League
Fullerton Alano Center
Athenian Partners
4.94 4.59
4.70 4.50
3.79 3.34
Fullerton School District
5.00 4.40
4.08 3.76
3.62 4.66
P&R Staff 1
4.83 4.76
4.48 4.78
1.86 2.32
P&R Staff 2
4.61 4.71
4.04 4.33
2.08 2.34
P&R Commissioner 1
4.60 4.56
3.80 3.88
4.15 2.64
P&R Commissioner 2
4.88 4.27
4.68 3.78
4.06 3.22
Average Rating
4.78 4.54
4.22 4.11
3.15 3.04
The Parks and Recreation Department provides an after-school program for the Fullerton School District (District) at the Maple Neighborhood Center and Orangethorpe Recreation Building. The Fullerton School District receives an ASES grant to provide an educational-based after-school program at their schools that serve disadvantaged neighborhoods. The District opted to operate both ASES programs with District staff on their campuses. Due to this change, the Boys & Girls Club chose to withdraw from the RFB process before the interview. The YMCA decided to withdraw their proposal for the Orangethorpe building after their interview.
Staff invited the four most qualified agencies to a virtual interview to present on their organization mission, staff members and vision for the facility and programs they would offer to the surrounding community. The agencies answered questions related to the flexibility of their organization in adapting to the changing needs of residents, information on their current partnerships with other public agencies and their ability to pay for maintenance and utilities. The review committee then scored the proposers based on how well qualified each agency was for the proposed facilities.
Interview Rating Summary
Rater
OC United
Friendly Center
NOC YMCA
Athenian Partners
25 24
24 P&R Staff 1
25 22
22 P&R Staff 2
24 23
23 P&R Commissioner 1
23 N/A
25 Average Rating
24 23
23 All three agencies interviewed scored well and with little-to-no difference in their scores. They all have successful histories of providing community-based services and programs. OC United is the only agency that submitted a proposal for the Gilbert Neighborhood Center. OC United provides free youth and family neighborhood services and programs. Both the Friendly Center and the YMCA submitted proposals for the Maple Center. The Friendly Center provides free neighborhood service programs and social services while the YMCA focuses on fee-based youth and family programs. Although the YMCA has a scholarship program, not all participants receive a scholarship.
DISCUSSION
The lease agreements will have five-year terms with two options to extend the lease for another five years each, totaling 15 years upon agreement from the City. The two organizations will provide neighborhood services previously operated by the City Parks and Recreation Department. This change in service construct provides the City ongoing savings of approximately $164,000 a year as the City would otherwise need to restore staffing to operate the centers. Both tenants will take over building maintenance and custodial services estimated to save the City approximately $82,000 per year beginning in FY 2022-23. In exchange, tenants will pay $1 rent per year for each facility and the City will continue to provide major infrastructure repairs as needed.
The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the results of the RFB at their June 2021 meeting and recommends that City Council approve lease agreements with the Friendly Center for the Maple Neighborhood Center and OC United for the Gilbert Neighborhood Center.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Friendly Center, Inc Lease Agreement
Attachment 2 – Friendly Center, Inc RFB Proposal
Attachment 3 – OC United Together Lease Agreement
Attachment 4 – OC United Together RFB Proposal
Park Facilities RFB and Lease Agreement
March 15, 2022 - Page 4