STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of January 14, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Christopher Roke, Parks and Recreation Director TOPIC: Herculean Mile Recognition Program - 2024 Award Winners RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends the City Council receive an update on the Herculean Mile recognition program and present awards to the winners for the 2024 calendar year.
BACKGROUND:
In October of 2023, the Hercules City Council approved a new recognition program named the Herculean Mile award. The concept of the award is to celebrate individuals that have consistently gone above and beyond to make Hercules a better place. The goal is to recognize the many outstanding efforts made by community members.
The Herculean Mile award has two categories: one that recognizes community members/business owners, and the other that recognizes city employees. In order to recognize these Herculean awardees, a set of guidelines were created, a link was set up on the City of Hercules website, and nominations for deserving community members/business owners and employees were collected.
Winners of the Herculean Mile are selected three times per year, coinciding with the three seasonal activities guides produced by the Parks and Recreation Department. Each season the designated committee members will select one community member/business owner, and one employee, as the winner of the Herculean Mile for that season. At the end of the calendar year, these award winners will be recognized in front of Council during one of the January meetings.
The inaugural winners of the Herculean Mile (Karen and Tony Sanchez and Jeanne Krall) were recognized in March of 2024. Tonight, we recognize the four other winners from the 2024 calendar year that include: community members Ernie Sanchez (Fall 2024) and Connie Van Putten (Winter/Spring 2025); and employees Kristina Griffith (Fall 2024) and Vergel (Mark) Botin (Winter/Spring 2025).
ANALYSIS:
The Herculean Mile program allows city leaders, staff, community members, and business owners to nominate potential recipients who have proven to be integral to Hercules's success.
In addition to all of the hardworking, dedicated employees, the City of Hercules has benefited from the many partnerships with the 14 City Recognized Nonprofit Groups, the dedicated volunteers at PD and the Senior Center, those giving their time in the Adopt a Park program, and those who volunteer in the Team Up to Clean Up program. Countless other members of the community have substantially contributed to the City of Hercules, and this is a great way to recognize some of these community members in Hercules.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is minimal fiscal impact in creating this award. However, the pride, honor and good will gained will have a lasting impact on the award winners. Staff designed an award for the recipients that is sure to have an impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
First winners of the Herculean Mile Award from the 2024 Summer Activity Guide Herculean Mile Award Winners from Fall 2024
Herculean Mile Award Winners from Winter/Spring 25
Names of all the winners to date
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