TO: NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES FROM: Jon Cicirelli
AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: 2021 COMMUNITY DATE: February 21, 2022
IMPACT ANNUAL REPORT
Approved Date
3/3/22
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the annual report on the ActivateSJ Strategic Plan and Community Impact for 2020-2021.
OUTCOME
This report will inform the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services performance, accomplishments, and results in achieving its goals during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
BACKGROUND
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services continues to advance its mission and vision in alignment with the ActivateSJ strategic plan, which the City Council approved in December 2019. The plan is a people-first, service-driven strategy with five guiding principles: stewardship, nature, equity & access, identity and public life.
These principles provide the Department with a path forward in offering accessible programs, services and resources for all ages, cultures, and abilities, as we are a leader in pandemic recovery efforts within the City. For our neighborhoods, the Department added a new Community Services Division to focus on improving the quality of lives, working more collectively with neighborhoods in need, and providing support through a place-and-equity based strategy. At our community centers, essential childcare and curbside Senior Nutrition continue to make a daily impact. In our outdoor spaces, parks maintenance and operations staff inspected and reopened 290 playgrounds, 552 picnic areas, and 82 basketball courts that had been closed during the height of the pandemic.
With ActivateSJ as a roadmap of key priorities, goals, objectives and benchmarks, the Department adapts to community needs and addresses urgent ad hoc interests and issues. The NSE AGENDA: 3/10/2022
ITEM: (d) 4
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Date: February 21, 2022
Subject: 2021 Annual Community Impact Report
2020-2021 fiscal year was a crucial period as the City sought to recover from the effects brought on by the coronavirus and the Department continued to provide existing, reintroduced, and new essential services for the community.
This year’s Community Impact Report provides an overview of the Department’s key efforts and success in creating healthy communities that inspire belonging in every neighborhood, community center, and outdoor space in San José. In addition, through this document, the Department satisfies its obligation under Council Policy 1-21, Pricing and Revenue Policy1, to “publish an annual report that presents the Department’s accomplishments, results and performance on cost recovery goals.”
ANALYSIS
2021 Community Impact Report
The 2021 Community Impact Report highlights the Department’s vision–to create healthy communities that inspire belonging in every neighborhood, community center, and outdoor space in San José. The Department responds to different kinds of emergencies in times of need and remains essential in distributing food, necessities, and vaccines to the most vulnerable communities; providing support to hundreds of families through distance learning; caring for our City parks as they became even more important for residents to get exercise outdoors during shelter-in-place; and empowering the voices of neighborhood associations to impact effective change. The Report’s theme is “Our PRNS Story,” telling the story of the Department’s critical involvement in putting the community first within almost every indoor and outdoor corner of our City.
The full report can be viewed at:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showdocument?id=81907&t=637794751280332349 2020-2021 Financial Report
The Department continues to demonstrate financial stewardship each year by striving to offset the growing costs of doing business with fee-generated and other created revenue streams. It does so while simultaneously seeking to ensure equitable and affordable access to our community’s most vulnerable populations through various subsidies, scholarships, and pricing discounts.
In 2020-2021, the Department faced the unprecedented challenge of having to alter most of its revenue-generating programs, services, and facilities due to the ongoing response to the pandemic and Santa Clara County health orders. For that reason, the Department has again seen a drop-off in revenues compared to the growth demonstrated in past years. While the department 1 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showdocument?id=12883
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Date: February 21, 2022
Subject: 2021 Annual Community Impact Report
generated more than $17.1 million of revenue in 2020-2021 through various inter-fund transfers, fee activity programs, and other created revenue sources (such as sponsorships and grants), it was only able to recover 20.1% of its General Fund expenses, relative to the 28.2% cost-recovery rate achieved in 2019-2020. Though this is substantially lower, it is important to note that the drop-off in revenue generation is primarily (if not exclusively) attributable to the continued suspension and reduction in revenue-generating programs and services in response to the pandemic and county health orders.
Prospectively, the Department anticipates another significantly lower cost-recovery rate for the current 2021-2022 fiscal year, given two factors: the gradual re-emergence of many services to pre-pandemic levels (as public health and safety precautions are lessened or lifted); and the need to continue to subsidize program participation for our most vulnerable populations who greatly benefit from our R.O.C.K. After School childcare, San José Recreation Preschool, and other modified programs.
Equity, Access and Scholarships
In 2020-2021, the Department remained committed to promoting access to disadvantaged residents, as evidenced by the $2.9 million in scholarships dispersed to over 12,000 participants (duplicated) throughout the fiscal year.
The Department will continue working with the City Manager’s Office to explore how to creatively maintain the subsidized programming that is currently underway using federal funding, and then afterwards as the City emerges from the Coronavirus pandemic when federal funds may no longer be available.
CONCLUSION
The Department continues to explore, create, and maintain financially sustainable programs as it seeks to offset costs in accordance with market conditions. At the same time, these efforts are balanced with a strong emphasis on equity and accessibility through a growing scholarship program; adaptive programs and services for seniors and children; reopening of parks and amenities; and continued implementation of ActivateSJ. As the Department continues to expand to meet the needs of our City, sufficient maintenance and adequate staffing is essential to the success of our department. As the Department and the rest of the City strive to attract and retain staff, it will be crucial for the Department to invest in and train the next generation of leaders. In addition, the Department is exploring creative funding strategies to augment General Fund resources for the long-term health of our parks and recreation system. The Department continues to serve the community and uphold our mission of connecting people through parks, recreation and neighborhood services for an active San José.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Date: February 21, 2022
Subject: 2021 Annual Community Impact Report
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The next annual ActivateSJ Strategic Plan and Community Impact Report will be shared with the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee in 2023.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE
The recommendation in this memorandum has no effect on Climate Smart San Jose energy, water, or mobility goals.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be included in the Parks & Recreation Commission meeting agenda on March 3, 2022 and the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee meeting agenda on March 10, 2022.
COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Budget Office and the City Attorney’s Office.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-009, Staff Reports, Assessments, Annual Reports, and Informational Memos that involve no approvals of any City action. /s/
JON CICIRELLI
Director of Parks, Recreation
and Neighborhood Services
For questions, please contact Daniel Lazo, Public Information Manager, at 408-460-4468.