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SR-6H (5) - ~ 6H ! OCT t 4 f997 CMO ADMIN 8M 8G F CMGR\STFRPRTS\NEIGHBS Council Meeting October 14, 1997 Santa MOnica, California TO Mayor and CIty Council FROM City Staff SUBJECT Recommendation to Donate and Loan Used Equipment from the NeIghborhood Support Center to Neighborhood Groups and to Provide Free Plannmg and Agenda Matenals to Those Groups I ntrod uctlon ThIs report recommends that Council waive the normal procedures for disposition of Clty property and donate equipment purchased by the Neighborhood Support Center (NSC) With City funds to Santa Monica neighborhood groups The report additionally proposes that neighborhood groups be provided With the use of translatIng equipment and With plannmg documents and agenda materials at no charge Background The City'S contract With the NSC was terminated thIs summer The agency had provided admInistrative and organizing support to five of SIX non-profit neighborhood groups In the City. In defundlng the NSC, Council decided agamst provldmg direct support to IndiVidual neighborhood groups and expressed interest in exploring other models of community outreach and Involvement Subsequently, Council acted to allow neIghborhood groups WIth 501 c3 status to meet at City faCilities at no charge. 1 6H ., .. OCT 1 ,. 1997 The terms of the City'S contract with the NSC provide that equipment purchased with City funds with a value of $1,000 or more reverts to the City Normally, any such equipment which cannot be used by the CIty would be sold at auction A coalition of neighborhood groups including Mid-Cities, OPCO, Wilshire/Montana and Friends of Sunset Park has requested that the City donate thiS equipment for the groups' use In addition, these neighborhood groups have expressed Interest In receiving copies of planning documents and City agendas without charge A free copy of such documents was previously provided to the NSC The coalition of neighborhood groups has also requested that the City provide assistance with notlcmg neighborhood association events that address City functions, and that outreach and publiCity for neighborhood group activities be made available through City media such as Seascape, GltyTV and Web pages These requests are under consideration as part of a broader staff effort to develop procedures for entering Into partnerships with community organizations of various types and Will be addressed at a later date DISCUSSion Encouragmg Widespread public participation m local government IS a long held objective of the City At Council's direction, staff IS developing an expanded range of outreach and Involvement opportunities for the public EXisting neighborhood groups Will remain an Important though not exclusive vehicle for Informing reSidents and proViding them a vOice 2 In City business For that reason, staff believes that the donation of NSC equipment to the groups IS appropriate and that the City should provide a designated representative of each group with one free copy of planning documents such as EIR's and development agreements and agenda matenals on request A fair process for dlstnbutmg the available equipment must be developed SPAN and PNA have not associated themselves wIth the coalition of groups and may also be mterested In receiving the donation of NSC equipment Staff Will work With the neighborhood groups on procedures for distribution of the equipment If CounCil authOrizes the donation The available computer equipment, which Includes older and low performance Apple Mac devices, a scanner and several printers With a total "book" value of approximately $5,500, does not meet City Information Systems standards and would be sent to auction Proceeds for computer equipment sold at auction have been mmlmal and It IS estimated that the City would realize less than $1000 for the NSC equipment Also available IS translation equipment which IS m good working condition Staff proposes to retam the translation equipment for City use, making It available to neighborhood groups for their meetmgs when not In use by the City BudaeUFmanclaJ Imoact - - The City would forgo auction revenue of less than $1000 If the staff recommendation IS 3 - -- - approved The total cost of provldmg free City documents for the SIX neIghborhood organizations IS estimated at $4600 Funds are available In the Planning, City Clerk and Non-departmental budgets for this purpose Recommendation It IS recommended that the City Council authorize the donation of used equipment from the NSC to non-profit neighborhood groups, authorize staff to work out procedures for ItS dlstnbutlon and authorize the loan of translating equipment for meetings of the groups In addition, It IS recommended that Council endorse the routine provIsion of one free copy of City planning documents and agenda materials to each non-profit neighborhood group on req u est Prepared by Susan McCarthy, ASSistant City Manager Barbara Stinchfield, Actmg Director, Community and Cultural Services Julie Rusk, Human Services Manager 4