STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of October 22, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Christopher Roke, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: Discussion on Inclusive Recreation Programming for Individuals with Disabilities RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive a report on a potential inclusive event designed to serve individuals with disabilities, discuss the subject, and provide additional feedback.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council requested that staff explore and propose an event or initiative to promote accessibility and social inclusion among individuals with disabilities for Council consideration. Staff has identified a cooperative program known as Quad-City, which includes Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, and Walnut Creek. Together, Quad-City offers a monthly dance program and inclusive movie and game nights that rotate between each of the four cities (Attachments 1 and 2) Staff has contacted the Quad-City representatives to learn more about their offerings, event costs, and staffing needs. Staff has also contacted several West County cities to gauge their interest in potentially partnering to develop a similar program along the Highway 80 corridor.
Tonight, staff will discuss this concept and seek feedback from the City Council before moving forward.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Hercules is home to a diverse population, with a growing need for programs that reflect and accommodate differences in physical abilities, among other things. The Parks and Recreation Department is recognizing this with the increasing number of children with special needs. This has been most apparent in our afterschool (RAP) and summer camp (Camp Dynamite) programs.
Despite making progress in recent years by adding the all-abilities swing at Refugio Valley Park, there are still gaps in programs for marginalized groups such as those with physical limitations.
ANALYSIS:
Staff has had very preliminary discussions with staff in Pinole, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Richmond and Albany to try to capture the collective spirit that the Quad-City group has achieved for over a decade.
Before staff gets too far along, staff is reporting back to City Council to confirm that such a program fits conceptually with what City Council had in mind.
Despite the value of such events, due to current staffing level deficits, staff seeks to develop a partnership with some of our colleagues along the Highway 80 corridor to explore the viability of replicating what is already working for other agencies.
The fiscal impact to the City of Hercules for implementing inclusive programing at the time of this report is unknown. Costs would depend upon partnerships formed, staffing, and costs associated with the dances (DJ, food/drink, etc.).
Assuming the City Council agrees with this suggestion, staff will work with the other communities to set up a program and schedule for the number and frequency of inclusive events in the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this discussion. Once the City Council provides direction, staff will return with a full fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
Inclusive Recreation Dances
Inclusive Movie and Game Night