TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Jonathan Serret, Cultural and Community Services Director DATE:October 22, 2024
SUBJECT: FY 2024-25 Off-Cycle Community Event Grant Recommendation RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve Off-Cycle Community Event Grant to Healing Ink totaling $3,070.70.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the Off-Cycle Community Event Grant agreement with the Grantee.
3. Authorize expenditure in the amount of $3,070.70 in FY 2024-25 from A/C #001- 1120-611-5920 (CF2025, General Fund – Grants & Donations) for the Off-Cycle Community Event Grant.
4. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: Yes
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. $10,287.32 is included and available in the Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Community Events Grant budget for off-cycle funding requests that may arise throughout the fiscal year. Minimal administrative staff costs associated with executing contracts and compliance monitoring are included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The Community Events Grant (CEG) provides financial support for community arts and cultural activities and events that take place within the City’s boundaries. The CEG also provides financial support for school performance groups representing the City at competition events located outside of the city. The CEG is available to
FY 2024-25 Off-Cycle Community Event Grant Recommendation October 22, 2024
local, non-profit, community, and school groups. The FY 2024-25 General Fund Grants and Donations Budget included $100,000 for CEG with the proposed allocations:
$90,000 available through the annual grant funding cycle application process for Community Funding Review Committee (CFRC) recommendation and City Council approval.
$10,000 held in reserve for City Council to approve unanticipated, off-cycle funding requests that may arise throughout the fiscal year.
On May 7, 2024, City Council approved $89,712.68 to 24 programs through the annual CEG grant funding cycle, leaving a remaining balance of $287.32. With the balance of $287.32 and the $10,000 restricted to off-cycle funding requests, there is a total balance of $10,287.32 in funding available for FY 2024-25 off-cycle CEG grant requests.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
On October 8, 2024, Healing Ink submitted an off-cycle CEG grant application requesting $6,141.39 to support the Healing Ink Thousand Oaks event taking place on November 11, 2024. Healing Ink is a non-profit group which hosts events to provide therapeutic tattoos to survivors, first responders, second responders, and families of the deceased of incidents of mass violence. Healing Ink will be holding a therapeutic tattoo event to support the Thousand Oaks community and is open to anyone impacted by the Borderline incident. Participants will be put in touch with a tattoo artist to create a meaningful and significant tattoo. The intention is to help individuals process and overcome some of the pain caused by traumatic events and to reclaim their bodies to continue healing physically and emotionally.
The event is multicultural and multiage, and will showcase an artistic medium to demonstrate not only the kindness and resilience of Thousand Oaks but the unique creative community that makes Thousand Oaks a home for artists.
Healing Ink has hosted more than ten similar events in locations across the United States. They were unable to apply for a CEG grant during the regularly-scheduled application period because they did not know they would be hosting this event in Thousand Oaks at that time.
Three staff from the Cultural and Community Services Department separately reviewed the off-cycle application for compliance and scored it based on the CEG grant-specific criteria, including the organization’s mission and background, activity or event goals and objectives, and benefit to City residents.
Allocation Scoring Method
FY 2024-25 Off-Cycle Community Event Grant Recommendation October 22, 2024
In May 2019, the CFRC approved an allocation method based on collated points scored on the application as shown in Table 1.
Table 1
85 – 100 points scored on application 100% of requested amount 70 – 84 points scored on application 75% of requested amount 55 – 69 points scored on application 50% of requested amount 54 or below points scored on application No funding
On October 14, 2024, staff met to discuss the collated scores of the application.
Based on the three staff scorecards and using the CFRC-approved allocation method in Table 1, the application scored between 55-69 points and is recommended at 50 percent of the requested funding amount for a grant equaling $3,070.70.
Staff recommends City Council approval of the CEG Off-Cycle request in the amount totaling $ 3,070.70. The application qualifies as an off-cycle request and the event meets the required CEG grant criteria by providing a cultural event to the Thousand Oaks community.
Upon City Council approval, Healing Ink will enter into the standard Community Grant Program grant agreement, effective October 22, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. The agreement states that the City has the right to request reimbursement of all or part of the grant funds if the funds are not provided for the program as described in the contract. As the grantee, Healing Ink, will receive payment upfront and will be required to submit a Final Performance Report that demonstrates how the City funds were used to benefit the community.
LEVINE ACT (California Government Code § 84308):
This item is subject to the Levine Act (Attachment #1). City Councilmembers who have received a campaign contribution of more than $250 (aggregated) within the preceding 12 months from a party or their agent/representative, or a financially- interested participant involved in this proceeding may do either of the following: (1) disclose the contribution on the record and recuse themselves from this proceeding; or if applicable (2) return the portion of the contribution that exceeds $250 within 30 days from the time the official knew or should have known about the contribution, and participate in the proceeding.
All parties and their agents/representatives must disclose on the record of this proceeding any aggregated contribution of more than $250 made to any Councilmember within the preceding 12 months. Councilmembers are prohibited from accepting, soliciting, or directing a campaign contribution of more than $250 FY 2024-25 Off-Cycle Community Event Grant Recommendation October 22, 2024
(aggregated) from a party, their agent/representative, or a financially-interested participant during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is made. In addition, a party, their agent/representative, or a financially- interested participant is prohibited from contributing more than $250 (aggregated) to a Councilmember during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is made.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts,Youth and Senior Programs).
PREPARED BY:Sarah Mailes, Community Services Analyst
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Levine Act Form
CCS: 480-10\sml\H:\COMMON\Community Services\City Council Items 2024\Staff Reports\102224\FY 2024-25 Off-Cycle Community Event Grant Recommendation