REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL December 14, 2017 FROM: PARVIN J. NELOMS JR., Director Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department BY: SHAUN SCHAEFER, Community Services Manager Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department SUBJECT ..Title Actions pertaining to Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park 1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15301 2. Approve a Second Amendment to the Joint Use Agreement with Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) for the Weekend Recreation and Fitness Program (WRFP) to add Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park (District 4) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that City Council approve a Second Amendment to the Joint Use Agreement with FUSD to add Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park as a WRFP site commencing in early 2018, and authorize the PARCS Director to sign the agreement. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff is recommending approval of an agreement with FUSD to add Vinland Elementary School/Park as a WRFP site. The Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park site will be the first school-park pilot model which utilizes "green space" acreage of adjoining partnership facilities and connects the facilities with a sliding locking gate. PARCS and FUSD have the ability to add additionally identified school-park sites to the WRFP as resources become available. The Vinland Elementary School (5.25 acres) - Vinland Park (7.5 acres) pilot WRFP site will create a 12.75 acre dual usage open green space site. BACKGROUND Both the City Council and the FUSD School Board approved the Joint Use Agreement in May 2016 and renewed it May 2017. The Joint Use Agreement allows for site addition or modifications with approval by both parties. Recently, PARCS entered into discussion with FUSD to identify school sites that are located adjacent to PARCS sites, with the goal being to add them to the WRFP in the future. PARCS and FUSD recognized 12 sites that meet the criteria of having a school site and park in proximity: * Addams Elementary School - Basin XX Park * Ayer Elementary School - Sunnyside Park * Ewing Elementary School - Carozza Park * Forkner Elementary School - Orchid Park * Holland Elementary School - Cary Park * Lincoln Elementary School - Frank H. Ball Community Center * Robinson Elementary School - Robinson Park * Slater Elementary School - Lions Park * Starr Elementary School - Holman Park * Thomas Elementary School - Large Park * Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park * Williams Elementary School - Quigley Park. On November 8, 2017, the FUSD School Board unanimously approved the Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park pilot program that will operate on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (adjusted seasonally) throughout the year. The WRFP will provide community service programming in the areas of sports, fitness, nutrition, and leisure activities at the Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park site. As agreed upon by both entities, PARCS will install a 20 ft. sliding gate that will be open during the WRFP hours of operation and closed during FUSD school hours. WRFP staff is responsible for maintaining the school/park gates during the weekend operation. The Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park site will be staffed by two district staff assigned to the school and one PARCS staff person assigned to the park. In addition, PARCS will engage the Fresno Police Department patrol units to add visibility and their presence at the site to ensure the safety and security of WRFP program participants and its operation. PARCS and FUSD continue to develop potential opportunities to expand green space acreage for citizens in Fresno. A key finding identified in the Parks Master Plan is that surveyed individuals responded that access to green space at local area school sites was a desirable option for recreational opportunities. The partnership between PARCS and FUSD provides the mechanism to bridge the lack of available open green space for residents by adding school sites. In October 2017, PARCS staff provided a WRFP year-in-review presentation to the Council. FUSD representatives, who were in attendance, said that benefits of the FUSD and PARCS partnership include: increased access to available green space for the community and a noticeable reduction of vandalism and unauthorized use of the district site. Since its inception in 2016, WRFP has served 61,753 attendees. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Class 1 Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301, as this amendment will allow the City to operate Vinland Elementary School as a park on the weekends. Furthermore, none of the exceptions to the Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference is not applicable to this item because this item does not include the award of a construction or consultant contract. FISCAL IMPACT The estimated cost of a sliding gate at Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park is anticipated to be $10,000 or less; funds for the gate will be allocated from Planned Maintenance. The FY 18 PARCS Budget has approximately $900,000 in resources to support the WRFP. PARCS will identify potential cost savings within the Department to fund the Vinland Elementary School - Vinland Park pilot program budget estimated at $28,500 (6 month operation) through June 30, 2018. Attachment Joint Use Agreement Addendum