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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program funds from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) or Metro for the Nature Education Program at the Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness Park for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
1. Motion accepting Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program ID# RAP02 funds in the amount of $252,755.46 from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) or Metro for the Nature Education Program at Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness Park - LACMTA Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26; and authorizing the City Manager or a designee to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funds.
2. Resolution of Appropriation to appropriate $252,756 in Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program ID# RAP02 funds from Metro for the Nature Education Program at Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness - for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved for November 28, 2023 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
METROy awarded Community Services & Parks (CSP) a Recreation Access Competitive Grant of $252,755.46 for the Nature Education Program at the Stone Barn Nature Center in Deukmejian Wilderness Park from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, for FY 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, with a 10% local matching fund ($25,275.60) requirement from the City. The project’s Scope of Work includes bus transportation with designated stops in Glendale to visit Deukmejian Wilderness Park once a week to allow youth and their families to explore the park on their own as part of the monthly Glendale Outdoors (GO!) Program where youth and their families can ride the bus at no charge. CSP will also offer bus transportation for school field trips to the Park with GUSD and other local schools.
The City of Glendale will utilize the funds to complete the project as described in the Scope of Work and in accordance with the Reporting and Expenditure Guidelines. 2{{section.number}}d
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RECOMMENDATION
Authorize City Manager to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and appropriate the Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program funds in the amount of $252,755.46 from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) or Metro for the Nature Education Program at Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness Park for FY2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
ANALYSIS
The Metro Board of Directors adopted the Transit to Parks Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan) in June 2019. The Strategic Plan presents a systematic vision for increasing access to parks and open spaces countywide. The goal of the Strategic Plan is to find targeted, holistic ways to increase access to parks and open spaces, especially for communities most in need of such access. Improving access to parks and open spaces by filling in the gaps in the regional transportation network requires collaboration at all levels of government. As such, the Metro Board of Directors directed actions to implement several key items related to the Strategic Plan, including collaborating with the Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) by contributing $1 million in funding for the Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program.
The overarching goals of Metro’s funding for the Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program include the following:
• Advance key Metro policies, especially the Transit to Parks Strategic Plan and the Equity Platform.
• Provide connections to High Need quality parks and open spaces, especially for communities that lack access.
• Serve as a catalyst to advance Transit to Parks projects and initiatives across Los Angeles County.
• Encourage innovative partnerships, supportive programming, and advance models for Transit to Parks connections.
The application filing period for the Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program opened on June 20, 2022, and closed on September 29, 2022. On September 29, 2022, the City of Glendale applied to request funding for the Nature Education Program at Stone Barn Nature Center in Deukmejian Wilderness Park. The funds would support the chartered bus transportation for the youth participating in the Nature Education Program offered at the Stone Barn Nature Center from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026. CSP will implement a chartered bus service with designated stops located in south Glendale to visit Deukmejian Wilderness Park, and on the northside once a week to allow youth and their families to explore the park on their own, as part of the monthly Glendale Outdoors (GO!) Program where youth and their families can ride the bus at no-charge. Also, CSP will schedule field trips with GUSD and other local schools, to address barriers that 3{{section.number}}d
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underserved and economically marginalized communities face to accessing nature experiences.
On March 15, 2023, the City of Glendale project was submitted to the Metro Planning & Programming Committee for award recommendation. The Committee provided support for the award recommendation, and the project approval advanced to the Metro Board Meeting. On March 23, 2023, the Metro Board of Directors approved the project selection and programming of $1 million for the Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program for two projects: City of Pasadena and Nature for All’s project, “Mt. Wilson Express Route Development & Operations” and City of Glendale’s project, “Nature Education Program at the Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale's Deukmejian Wilderness Park”.
The project’s Scope of Work includes bus transportation with designated stops in Glendale to visit Deukmejian Wilderness Park once a week to allow youth and their families to explore the park on their own as part of the monthly GO! Program where youth and their families can ride the bus at no charge. CSP will also offer bus transportation for school field trips to the Park with GUSD and other local schools in Glendale.
As of November 2, 2023, the funding agreement between Metro and the City of Glendale has been fully executed with Effective Date of August 14, 2023. The grant requires a 10% local match from the City and CSP identified Measure S – Stone Barn Nature Center funds as the local match funds.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The target participants for this program include City employees and families, Glendale residents, community members and visitors from other cities all over LA County. Other participants include GUSD faculty, students from GUSD elementary, middle and high schools, and other students from local Glendale schools. CSP advertises the nature education programs through the department website, social media, flyers at counters, City and department newsletters and GTV6, City of Glendale’s official government access channel, featuring city meetings, public affairs and educational programs. CSP is also working with GUSD to advertise the field trip opportunities to elementary schools and help pay for the buses for the field trips.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Recreation Access Competitive Grant Program funds awarded through Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) or Metro in the amount of $252,755.46 were not included as a part of the FY 2023-2024 budget, as it was awarded after the budget process. Therefore, staff is requesting to appropriate $252,756 from local grant revenue.
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The appropriation request is outlined below:
Requesting Appropriation
Amount From (Account String) To (Account String) Funding Source $252,756 GL: 34301-2160-CSP-
0020-P0000
PL: CSP01117AG
GL: 43110-2160-
CSP-0020-P0000
PL: CSP01117AG
Grant Fund
The 10% local match is available in the Stone Barn Nature Center program budget in the General Fund (Measure S) for the current fiscal year and the match requirement for future fiscal years will be appropriated as part of the FY 2024-2025 and FY 2025-2026 budget processes.
The existing appropriation is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$8,425.18 GL: 43110-1070-CSP-8509-P5204 General Fund (Measure S)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
Because no possibility exists that the activity in question (approval of Metro funds for bus transportation service for the Nature Education Program) may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA review under the commonsense exemption set forth in 14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Do not accept the grant funds in the amount of $252,755.46 from LACMTA for the Nature Education Program at Stone Barn Nature Center in Glendale’s Deukmejian Wilderness Park or increase the contract for Mission School Transportation, Inc., which will mean bus transportation will not be available for elementary schools or south Glendale residents to get to Deukmejian park to participate in nature education programs or visit the nature center.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff. 5{{section.number}}d
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks Prepared by:
Gabrielle Goglia, Community Services Manager
Amirah Limayo, Senior Administrative Analyst
Tereza Aleksanian, Deputy Director of Community Services & Parks Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1 – Funding Agreement between City of Glendale and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)