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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 12425 (Pickleweed Center Enterprise Plan)RESOLUTION NO. 12425 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL TO APPROVE THE PICKLEWEED PARK COMMINITY CENTER AND LIBRARY ENTERPRISE PLAN WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael opened the Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library in July 2005 after extensive community involvement with the design, plan, funding and construction; and WHEREAS, the community participated in the formation of policies and procedures that determine the operations of the Center and Library; and WHEREAS, the community retains accountability within the policies and procedures for review of balance and benefit of programs and services to the residents; and WHEREAS, the City desires to memorialize the purpose of the Center and Library, how they relate to the community, and commitment of all stakeholders to its continued success; and WHEREAS, the Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library Enterprise Plan is a model for application to other civic facilities. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL DOES RESOLVE TO APPROVE THE PICKLEWEED PARK COMMUNITY CENTER AND LIBRARY ENTERPRISE PLAN. I, Esther C. Beirne, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Rafael, held on Monday, the 4th of February, 2008, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Brockbank, Connolly, Heller, Miller & Mayor Boro NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None mss- .C.oX e- . F -a4 Z--C-k Esther C. Beirne, City Clerk The City of San Rafael strives to strengthen, enhance, and heal the ever changing web of social, ecological, and economic relationships that make up the Canal Neighborhood symbolized in the Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library. Communities are wise to the extent they use diversity well. Only through dialogue among the varied viewpoints do the most comprehensive and powerful truths emerge. Only through respectful interplay among the distinct, different ways of life does the fullness of life arise. The Canal Neighborhood, that 2.5 square mile area in South East San Rafael replete with a diversity of people, homes and businesses, is made up of people throughout the world whose cultures lend vibrancy, energy, and texture to life in San Rafael. Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library is a special place for people to recreate, socialize, celebrate, and learn from each other to remember their past, understand their present, and develop their future. The communities of the Canal Neighborhood and Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library management will actively collaborate in engaging public, private, and civil sectors to deliver services and foster dialogue that improves and betters the Neighborhood and the Center. The Staff of the Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library acts as a team to manage, maintain, program and continually connect the Center to the communities of the Canal Neighborhood. Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library embraces communication for social change, a process of public and private dialogue through which people define who they are, what they want, and how they can get it. Communication for social change emphasizes people as agents of their own change, places K. information in the dialogue of issues of concern, and empowers people to act collectively to bring about change. The Mission and six value statements serve as a framework to guide daily action and decisions of staff and in the measurement of all individual and collective actions for the self development of the communities of the Canal Neighborhood. WhoThe Center and Library serve the 12,000 residents of the Canal Neighborhood in East San Rafael as the primary target and greater San Rafael as the secondary market. Historically, the Canal area has been a place for new beginnings. Apartment buildings in the area were first constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, serving young families saving for down payments on houses in the suburbs. Asian immigrants, mostly from Vietnam, settled in the Canal area during the 1970s. In the 1980s, Latinos from Central and South America began arriving, many fleeing war-torn countries. In recent years, Haitian refugees have joined this ethnic mix. With a population density that is the equivalent of 12,000 people per square mile, it is an area of 00 apartment buildings and other multi -unit rental housing and an island of low-income working families j surrounded by affluent neighborhoods. A secondary target market is the population of greater San Rafael who are drawn to the Center by community serving programs and events, and Marin County residents who are invited to take part in public forums, cultural events, social services and recreation programs. The Canal Neighborhood is home to a vibrant mix of people who hope for a better future, and work for it. There is a strong sense of community, neighbors work, play, celebrate and problem solve together and there is great natural beauty close at hand. The wetlands between the park's soccer fields and the San Rafael Canal support a variety of wildlife. Providing open vistas across San Rafael Bay, the recently developed Shoreline Park is only a few steps away from the Pickleweed Park Community Center. In addition to the hills across the Canal, Marin's most famous landmark, Mt. Tamalpais, is visible from several 4 viewpoints in the park. Bahia Vista School opened in 2006 as a rebuilt campus for over 400 students. The County of Marin Health Campus will open in the near future. Canal Alliance and the Welcome Center are non -profits with significant impact on human services delivery in the Canal Neighborhood. Grass Roots leadership development is occurring daily. The Pickleweed Advisory Board, Canal Youth and Family Council, Welcome Center, Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troop 2000, Girl Scouts, plus numerous cultural organizations and tenant groups exist to address issues and involve citizens in self governance. y Y ^II" Np tlII ryu i��il H,`� Ilii II, i, Im1iWIW )' II iiil a II' iYlYv ids i r �I,I„ Citv Council provides Goals for the overall City Organization and approves the Departmental budgets including any contribution to Center operations by the General Fund. Park and Recreation Commission advises the City Council on policies and projects that serve the neighborhood needs for leisure and social services; assisted by the Pickleweed Advisory Board. Library Board is a Council appointed Board that advises the City Council on policy and delivery of Library services. Pickleweed Advisory Board is a nine member appointed Board that makes recommendations on the use and operations of the Community Center and Park. The Board also hosts community meetings and act as liaison on issues, projects and proposals directly affecting the residents of the Canal neighborhood. Members are Canal neighborhood residents and are often called to make recommendations on services and operations. Communitv Services Staff plans, organizes, develops, markets and supervises on going programs, administrates co-sponsored programs, rents portions of the facilities to community and private organizations, supervises the proper maintenance and repair of the facilities, acts as a liaison to City departments and community residents. 5 Library Staff provide reference information to the community, maintains the library materials inventory, provides access to MariNet, supervises the public hours of the computer lab and communicates with city departments and community residents. City Departments, including Police, Fire, Public Works, provide specialize services for safety, maintenance, and repair of the Center, Library and Park. Co -Sponsorship Partners provide programs and services at no cost to the City and no or low cost to residents in exchange for use of Center, Library and Park facilities. Community supports programs and services with its attendance, volunteerism, leadership and feedback. By policy, and with approval from the Pickleweed Advisory Board, the City enters into partnerships with program providers, non -profits and organizations to bring programs and services to the community at Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library. These are referred to as co -sponsorships because the City supports the programs through gift of facility use. Program partners may apply for space at no charge to conduct community -serving programs at no or low cost to participants. Applications are reviewed by staff and the Advisory Board to assure the programs meet community needs. The Board may recommend a full or partial fee waiver for applicants, and may obligate space for up to one year. Co-sponsored programs may apply for renewal, subject to a program evaluation and review by the Board. The policy provides for objective review process, tracks information on the programs at Pickleweed Park Community Center, and promotes services for the community that are balanced, cohesive and inclusive. 6 x%u�p ui NpV111��, V> a �pu ,�� •w r � � " � �� '�'�,k WhatThe Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library, serves the Canal Neighborhood and greater San Rafael with programs and services that reflect the community's educational, recreational, social, cultural, child development, health and safety and personal development desires p y Co sponsored programs with non-profit service providers such as Kid's Club after school mentoring program, i if7�''llly'I k (Catholic Charities and Marin YMCA), Crossroads Teen Mentoring Program, (Marin Academy High School) computer technology training with Canal Alliance, ESL classes with Canal Alliance, Home Child Care Job Training (College of Marin), teen theater (Marin Shakespeare Company). Library services such as checking out materials from the collection and through MariNet Consortium; reference NI a services, access to public computers, access wi-fi connections; literacy programs, children's story time and literacy events; assisting patrons with reference, u development of information literacy Recreation programs include basketball and volleyball leagues and drop in sessions, indoor soccer, youth soccer, martial arts, fitness, fine arts, and dance. Educational programs include English as Second Language, Jazzercise, Karate, and Art and Drawing. The library provides additional opportunities for individual, self directed education and additional group educational opportunities especially in the areas of literacy and computer technology. Social events include weddings, Quinceaneras, dance parties, dinners, movie nights, music recitals, church services. Cultural events include Mayan Dance Group programs, Vietnamese Language School Graduations, Festivals including Dia de Los Muertos, the Vietnamese Mid - Autumn Festival, Spirit of the Holidays Youth Carnival, II7 Asian New Year's Celebration and Las Posadas. Child development programs include Pickleweed Pre School and Children's' Center child care services, teen mentoring programs, teen counseling. Health services include Health Fairs, clinics, and public health screenings. Life skills and civic engagement including legal assistance, voter registration, tax preparation assistance, children's aid and insurance, financial literacy programs, and mobile consultants Safety services include San Rafael PD Community Policing office resources, Fire Safety Camp, public forums, community meetings. Public meetings and conferences on various topics of interest to the neighborhood and community including those listed above r�C�Al�y�;c,; The Center and Library proudly hold these core competencies: ■ Exemplary Customer Service ■ Community responsive programming and services ■ Collaborative partnerships ■ Inclusion of the entire community ■ Efficient use of resources ■ Effective facility management and maintenance Issues that challenge the Center and Library: ■ Sustainable funding for free and low cost programs and services ■ Expanded staff resources ■ Sustainable funding for facility maintenance and replacement ■ Stable foundation of community supporters and contributors 0 In the future, the Center and Library will strive to achieve: ■ Utilization of the facilities at full capacity ■ Balance of community serving and revenue producing programs ■ Creation of a non- profit Foundation to sustain funding support ■ Construction of an expanded Child Care Center ■ Installation of year round sport fields facilities When The original Pickleweed Park Community Center was constructed on the City owned property at 50 Canal Street in 1985. The $2 million project was funded in part by the Marin Community Foundation based upon a Joint Use Agreement between the City of San Rafael and Canal Community Alliance. The City staffed the Center and conducted recreation and community programs. Canal Community Alliance operated a Teen Center and community education programs in the building. By the mid 1990's the demographics of the neighborhood had changed dramatically. The Center was not used by a majority of the residents. It closed early on Fridays due to lack of use, and remained closed over the weekends. A dramatic change in the community's participation in the Center came about in 1996 when the City changed profoundly the way it operated the Pickleweed Community Center, by converting it from a "branch" of its community center network into a distinct, Canal -serving institution. The City introduced an open -use policy that reduced use fees for room rentals at the Center and made space more accessible to nonprofit organizations, community group meetings, and family gatherings. Groups offering programs to the public at nominal or no charge were hosted in the Center at no charge. Satellite offices for police, code enforcement, library, and health referrals provided residents access to important City services. This first stage of revitalization was completed when the City renovated the surrounding Pickleweed Park with the largest picnic, playground and sports fields in the City inventory. The partnership between the community and the City opened the doors and grounds of the Center to more than 100,000 individual visits per year. Forty organizations and community groups offered 10 tutoring, job training, life skills, art classes, sports and recreational programs. Gatherings range from classes of 10 to an annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration that draws more than 3,000 people. This partnership between the community and the City created a wide range of activities at the Pickleweed Community Center appealing to diverse, multi -cultural interests. 43 non-profit agencies began offering programs at the Center. The Center became host to community celebrations such as Dia de Los Muertos, the Chinese Mid - Autumn Festival, Spirit of the Holidays Youth Carnival, Asian New Year's Celebration and Las Posadas. Families and community members utilized Pickleweed Park Community Center for weddings, baptisms, Quinceaneras and other celebrations. In 2003, 18 organizations and agencies joined resources to create a "Summer of Peace" at Pickleweed Community Center. Recreation, sport, education, counseling, job training, art, dance, and music programs brought hundreds of youth ages 12- 18 to the Center for activity, social interaction and life skill help. The full spectrum of offerings ranged from bicycle maintenance and drama classes to conflict resolution taught by San Quentin prison inmates. Parents and families attended programs designed to teach adults how support their teenagers. The program has received funding from the Koshland Foundation to continue programming year-round. Private organizations rented the community center well, including soccer leagues, fraternal organizations and church groups. Their use created a "win-win" situation - the renter has competitively priced space, the community has more program opportunities, the Pickleweed Park Community Center has net revenues to use for services. The Center soon operated at capacity, and valuable community programming was turned away for lack of space. 11 In 1999, the City Council commissioned the Pickleweed Advisory Board of Canal residents to conduct a community outreach project to identify priorities for a Pickleweed Revitalization plan. Hundreds of door-to- door surveys, several community meetings and other outreach contacts achieved an outpouring of ideas from more than 600 residents. A striking theme emerged: a commitment among responded to create opportunities for economic self- sufficiency for their families. After-school tutoring, college -level classes, computer skills, arts programs and instruction, and job training were among the top five activities requested from a list of hundreds of possibilities - along with additional educational resources, indoor sports, live music and entertainment. Strong community support for an enlarged library was also identified. Increased space and operations of the library were in line with the desire for more technology access and tutoring services to augment the already well-established literacy program. The Group IV Architects of South San Francisco expressed needs and aspirations of the Canal neighborhood into space designations. Nine months of public meetings created a plan approved by the community and the City for the renovation and expansion of the Pickleweed Community Center. Fundraising and construction ensued. The renovated and expanded Pickleweed Community Center and Library opened in July 2005. The 24,000 s/f f ! facility includes a ! gymnasium, art room, a.- community room, teen lounge, classrooms, homework center, computer lab, library, new lobby, entry parking and outdoor deck HowThe initial investment in the renovation and expansion of the Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library was $8.5 million. Funding for the project came from public sources such as Federal, State, County, and Redevelopment Agency funds, eleven philanthropic organizations, and private donations. Operational costs including staff, maintenance, utilities, replacement funds, materials and supplies, marketing and direct program costs for the Center and Library are approximately $522, 000 per year. Program fees and rental income currently produce about $155,000 per year. Sources of income: City Subsidy - The General Fund subsidizes a portion of the operation of the Center and Library. i I lo Participant Fees - $2 per night open gym admission to $45 for 11 week computer program. Facility Rentals - private citizens, corporations, churches, and non profit organizations rent the facilities when programming is not taking place. Fees range from $28/hr for a classroom to $2,000 for an all day event such as a wedding or large event. Local Non Profit Organization Support- Friends of the Library, Friends of San Rafael and the KOPP program raise and donate funds for services, programs and equipment at the Center and in the Library. Foundation - A key factor for the future of the Center and Library is a link to the greater community and its resources. Local fundraising for the Center construction campaign revealed a deep sense of support for the Center and the neighborhood on behalf of greater San Rafael and Marin County. The Mayor appointed a group of business and community leaders to continue the flow of funding from these sources. This group, Keep Our Pickleweed Promise, shall adopt new initiatives and sustaining measures identified as unmet needs by the to connect business and private funding to those needs. 13 Grants - Grants are solicited for specific programs that match criteria of the funding organization, Marin Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Koshland Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank, are a few of the granting organizations that support services at the Center and Library. Program Partners - Valuable contributions of personnel, materials and services are received from program partners in return for utilization of the Center and Library. Sinking Fund - Maintenance and replacement costs can be addressed through a sinking fund that calls for an amount or percentage of revenue each year to be reserved to address regular maintenance issues such as roofing, painting, furniture replacement and similar expenditures. 14 A cohesive, stable community provides individuals the best opportunity for educational, financial and social success. Successful individuals contribute significant economic, social, cultural returns for the greater community, City and County. Why The Pickleweed ParkCommunit Center and Y Library provides shared experiences that honor cultural origins and meld diverse cultures into new approaches for life in San Rafael. The facility hosts ;,; cultural events, education programs, artistic performances and observances of all kinds. It is common for these events to be open to the general public. In this way neighbors gain understanding and insight to each other. Parallel to these events are those new to many, but part of the San Rafael fabric of community: film nights, dances, picnic days, sports leagues, theatrical performances, literacy programs. Participation creates a common platform for experience, creating mutual reference among neighbors. Residents who share positive experiences create cohesive neighborhoods. Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library serve as a gathering place rather than a service center. It is a community gathering place where people learn and play. A place where people spark one another to make a difference in the neighborhood. At the Center, people are empowered by the services and opportunities to make a difference in their own lives and futures as well as a difference in the neighborhood life and its future. It is a place of lively exchange and growth; of coming together as groups with mutual interests and initiatives, and standing up as individuals. With this Center the families within the neighborhood have the opportunity to build a cohesive, stable community. A cohesive, stable community provides individuals the best opportunity for educational, financial and social success. Successful individuals contribute significant economic, social, cultural returns for the greater community, City and County. 15 The Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library builds and sustains a network of information that supports the community. Through community initiative, residents benefit from a higher awareness of issues affecting the neighborhood. They become increasingly aware of existing opportunities that lead to workable, collaborative approaches to the issues, the public participation increases, along with leadership and representation. Collective decisions reflect the consensus views of the community. Consensus views contribute to the political fabric of the City and County. oIII( li du The "Central Address" of the Canal Neighborhood provides a place, space, and catalyst to promote individual change and following that, social change. The presence and invitation of the Center and Library engages residents in community dialog that clarifies challenges and conflicts; identifies options, objectives and action. Collective response begins at the Center and Library and radiates to the community at large impacting individual knowledge and behaviors which lead to overall social change for the ultimate improvement to the quality of life for all San Rafael citizens. 16 Catalyst Pickleweed Park Community Center and Library Social Change leadership, community capability, degree & equity of participation, sense of ownership, cohesiveness Community Dialog: Residents, City Council and Commissions, Advisory Board, Partners and Staff Individual Change Knowledge, skills, ideation, intention, behavior Collective Action: programs, services, operations, Facilities Integrated Model of Communication for Social Change