City of Gonzales
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: November 20, 2023
FROM: Carmen Gil, City Manager
THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2023-70 Withdraw Funding Donated for the Community Center
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution No. 2023-70, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Authorizing the City Manager to Withdraw the Funding Donated for the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex from the Community Foundation Account.
BACKGROUND
The City embarked on a Capital Campaign in 2021 in support of the development of the Gonzales Community Center knowing that the project was going to take an outstanding amount of funding, but that there were generous people out there that believed in the community’s vision and wanted to support the development of the center.
An initial step for the Capital Campaign was to set up an account that could provide potential donors assurance that their donations would indeed go to the development of the center. For that, we had to identify a trusted partner that could provide that assurance and that believed in the project just as much as we did.
The Community Foundation for Monterey County is the go-to for setting up disaster funds, and they manage many other community funds and although they don’t typically do capital campaigns, they were gracious enough to work with us and establish a fund in which our Center’s donations could be held.
Since then, donations in varying sizes have been trickling in. The initial donation from Bruce Taylor kicked off the campaign with $2 million dollars to name the Teen Innovation Center. Then another million from Janice Caprara, and another $1.5 from the Pura Family. Slowing the account has been building to what we have today, a total of $5.292.
AGENDA
ITEM
18 REVIEW & ANALYSIS
The funds in the account have been generously donated from members that support our community and that come from all walks of life. We have donations ranging from $5 to $5 million, showing that people from all sides of the economic spectrum believe in the project and want to support it. We are fortunate to receive every single one of them and every single donation makes a difference.
Now that we are finishing up the design development process and are ready to move into the development of the construction documents, we need to draw down those funds so that they are accessible to us as we move into construction. We also need to be able to show them as part of our budget for the project as it is one of the requirements of our USDA Loan.
Explain Recommendation and How it Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small-town charm.
Explain: As we advance to make this project a reality for the community, we need to have the committed funding made available to us.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes _____No _____ NA
Explain: Please see explanation above for the Mission.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety X Yes No N/A
• Housing Yes X No N/A
• Recreation X Yes No N/A
• Environment X Yes No N/A
• Education X Yes No N/A
Explain: Please see explanation above for the Vision.
ALTERNATIVES
If we don’t withdraw the funds and put them into our bank account, we will not be able to show the USDA that we have the funding available for the project, and will not be able to cover the construction work.
BUDGET IMPACT
The Community Center Construction fund balance will grow in revenue by $5.292 million requiring a budget amendment to reflect the new amount.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution No. 2023-70, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Authorizing the City Manager to Withdraw the Funding Donated for the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex from the Community Foundation Account.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2023-70