City of Sacramento
Law and Legislation Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2022-01813 10/18/2022 Discussion Item 5.
Ordinance Relating to the Establishment of a Department of Youth Development File ID: 2022-01813
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: 1) Review an Ordinance Establishing a Department of Youth Development; and 2) pass a Motion forwarding to City Council for approval.
Contact: Councilmember Jay Schenirer, District 5, (916) 808-7005; Councilmember Eric Guerra, District 6, (916) 808-7006; Councilmember Mai Vang, District 8, (916) 808-7008 Presenter: Councilmember Jay Schenirer, District 5, (916) 808-7005; Councilmember Eric Guerra, District 6, (916) 808-7006; Councilmember Mai Vang, District 8, (916) 808-7008 Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: A significant body of research has documented that investment in youth programs, particularly high-quality youth programs, plays a central role in preparing young people for the workforce and/or higher education and improves their economic future. Currently, nine of the City’s 16 Departments and Offices (56%) offer one or more children and youth programs, yet the City does not have a formalized infrastructure or system in place to fully align these efforts under a common youth development framework of practice that promotes program quality, increases coordination, and allows for strategic decision-making.
At the same time, it is important to note that, since the adoption of its cradle-to-career Citywide Youth Development Plan (Youth Plan) nearly five years ago, the City has taken several steps and made significant strides towards aligning its youth development programs. Led by the Office of Youth Development (OYD) in the City Manager’s office, several strategies have been identified as core to Youth Plan’s implementation and, when combined, make up a comprehensive citywide continuous
File ID: 2022-01813 10/18/2022 Discussion Item 5.
quality improvement system for youth investments.
Yet, the identified system components have been slow to roll out due to everchanging youth priorities and limited staff capacity to manage such a comprehensive systems-level integration in addition to shifting youth development priorities and an insufficient and inconsistent allocation of resources.
These challenges have stalled progress and resulted in missed opportunities to fully operationalize the Youth Plan and standardize metrics, outcomes, and assessment of the City’s overall youth investments.
OYD’s responsibility is to refine, develop, and promote the City’s overall strategic vision to achieve citywide youth development goals in accord with the Youth Plan. While the OYD is a good foundation to advance continuous quality improvement and begin the facilitation of interdepartmental coordination, OYD is not properly resourced or well-positioned to fully implement its entire charge.
The need for dedicated systems-level coordination to maximize investments and achieve population- level positive youth development outcomes persists.
In summary, the City’s current youth development effort is a piecemeal approach with multiple agencies managing various youth programs, lacking a coordinated citywide effort to identify strategies that meet the needs of our City’s youth and increase positive outcomes and opportunities.
Policy Considerations: On November 8, 2022, City residents will be asked to consider Measure L that would require the City to set aside an amount of its General Fund equivalent to 40% of the revenue generated by the cannabis business operations tax into a Sacramento Children’s Fund.
Initial estimates, based on the City’s Finance Department’s projections for cannabis business operations tax revenue, show that approximately $10 million from the General Fund would be directed to the Sacramento Children’s Fund. Pursuant to State election law, the ballot measure would need majority approval by the voters.
Should it be approved by a majority of voters, Measure L, in recognition of the increased responsibilities placed on the City, allows for a percentage of the funds in the Sacramento Children’s Fund to be expended on administrative costs which are defined as the City of Sacramento’s costs for strategic planning, grant making, grants management, data collection and evaluation, technical assistance, organizational capacity-building, communications, community engagement, and service performance and impact evaluation.
The percentages allowed for administrative costs are as follows:
· For fiscal year 2023-2024, no more than 20% of the Sacramento Children’s Fund may be spent on administrative costs.
· For fiscal year 2024-2025, no more than 15% of the Sacramento Children’s Fund may be spent on administrative costs.
File ID: 2022-01813 10/18/2022 Discussion Item 5.
· Beginning with fiscal year 2025-2026 and ongoing, no more than 10% of the Sacramento Children’s Fund may be spent on administrative costs.
The Department will be responsible for the following:
1. Implementing the Citywide Youth Development Plan adopted by City Council in December 2017;
2. Working with other city departments that provide youth programs or services, for the purpose of supporting, evaluating, or restructuring programs or services provided to youth by those departments;
3. Establishing, as necessary, new youth programs and services;
4. Developing for the City Council recommendations related to the Sacramento Children’s Fund;
5. Supporting community-based organizations that serve youth;
6. Support the Sacramento Children’s Fund Citizens Oversight Commission; and
7. Overseeing the allocation of Sacramento Children’s Fund monies and the evaluation of services provided by the department or other entities that receive monies from the Sacramento Children’s Fund.
The City not only must be prepared to administer the Sacramento Children’s Fund which includes an extensive planning process every five (5) years, but also to work towards a high-level strategic direction and coordination across Departments to ensure that the Children’s Fund and other City investments are equitable and maximize their positive impact on the City’s youth. Establishing a Department of Youth will build the necessary infrastructure to achieve these roles and responsibilities. The infrastructure would allow for a singular focus on children and youth; analysis of data from multiple sources; an ability to coordinate with the County, school districts, and community- based organizations; and capacity to pursue Federal, State, and private funding opportunities.
The operations of the Department would be supported by the Sacramento Children’s Fund in alignment with the allowable percentages for administrative expenses.
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: Creating a new Department of Youth Development would allow the City to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in Measure L should it pass as well as to implement high- level strategy and coordination of all the City’s investments in children and youth programs. The
File ID: 2022-01813 10/18/2022 Discussion Item 5.
measure’s language, in fact, recognizes the increased requirements placed on the City by allowing a certain percentage of the resources in the Sacramento Children’s Fund be allocated towards administrative expenses. Moreover, the City lacks the infrastructure to 1) assess whether its current investments in children and youth programs are having maximum positive impact on program participants, 2) establish strong coordination across those Departments that do provide or fund children and youth services, and 3) ensure its dollars are used in an efficient and equitable manner.
Financial Considerations: Should Measure L be approved by the voters; it is estimated that the allocation of General Fund revenue towards the Children’s Fund would be approximately $10 million annually for children and youth programming. While the measure allows for a percentage of Children’s Fund dollars to cover some of the City’s administrative expenses, the creation and ongoing management of a new department as defined will likely require funding beyond available administrative costs. Resources would need to be allocated from the General Fund to cover costs above the administrative allocation necessary to support the new department. In addition, because the General Fund resources identified to fund the Children’s Fund are already part of the City’s adopted operating budget, reductions in ongoing programs and services will be required to fund this effort. Efforts to identify commensurate funding reductions will be initiated in late November should the measure pass.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): None.
Ordinance No.2022- Adopted on 1
1205080
ORDINANCE NO.
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
Date Adopted
AN ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 2.36 TO THE SACRAMENTO CITY CODE, RELATING TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2.36 is hereby added to the Sacramento City Code to read as follows:
Chapter 2.36 DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
2.36.010 Department of youth development established.
There is established within the city a department of youth development.
2.36.020 Department director.
The director is the head of the department of youth development and serves at the pleasure of, and is subject to the supervision and control of, the city manager. The director must have a background in youth d evelopment, with experience in strategic planning, implementing or overseeing youth programs, managing contracts, supervising staff, and developing budgets.
2.36.030 Department purpose, functions, and duties.
A. The purpose of the department of youth development is to help Sacramento’s youth achieve a successful future, by helping the city’s youth to be healthy, ready to learn, and able to succeed in school, career, and life.
B. The department of youth development is responsible for:
1. Implementing the Citywide Youth Development Plan adopted by city council in December 2017, as amended from time to time, and any succeeding plan;
2. Working cooperatively with other city departments that provide youth programs or services, for the purpose of supporting, evaluating, or restructuring programs or services provided to youth by those departments;
3. Establishing, as necessary, new youth programs and services; Ordinance No.2022- Adopted on 2
1205080
4. Developing recommendations for the city council related to the Sacramento Children’s Fund;
5. Supporting community-based organizations that serve youth;
6. Supporting the Sacramento Children’s Fund Citizens Oversight Commission; and
7. Overseeing allocations from the Sacramento Children’s Fund and the evaluation of services provided by the department or other entities that receive money from the Sacramento Children’s Fund.
C. The department of youth development shall present to the city council an annual report that describes allocations from the Sacramento Children’s Fund and the effectiveness of all the city’s youth programs and services, including both those that do and those that do not receive money from the Sacramento Children’s Fund.
Adopted by the City of Sacramento City Council on by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Abstain:
Absent:
MAYOR
Attest:
City Clerk
Passed for Publication:
Published:
Effective: