SR-301-001-01 (3)
f:hsd:share:strpts:playroundcapital
Council Meeting: July 23, 2002 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Change in the use of Community Development Grant awarded to
the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District as part of the
FY2000-03 Community Development Plan
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that City Council: 1) approve a change in the use of the
Community Development Grant awarded to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD) as part of the FY2000-03 Community Development
Plan to fund a playground and related ADA upgrades at the Washington West
Preschool; 2) direct staff to finalize the amount of the grant award, not to exceed
$200,000; and 3) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a grant
agreement with the SMMUSD for this project.
BACKGROUND
On June 20, 2000, the City Council approved the three-year Community
Development Plan (FY2000-03), including over $9 million for capital and
operating grants supporting facility improvements and programs serving multiple
target populations, with an emphasis on education and early childhood supports.
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One of the approved Community Development Grants was a $200,000 grant to
the SMMUSD to purchase two relocatable classrooms for 42 preschoolers from
low-income families. SMMUSD planned to place the new classrooms on the
Pine Street campus for an expanded early education program.
DISCUSSION
Subsequent to finalizing the grant agreement with the City, SMMUSD discovered
they could not meet Coastal Commission parking requirements if they placed
relocatable classrooms at the Pine Street campus. Consequently, SMMUSD
secured additional classroom space for forty preschool children from low-income
families at the Washington West campus. With the procurement of 40 new
classroom spaces for preschoolers at an existing facility, SMMUSD no longer
needs to allocate Community Development Grant funds towards the purchase of
relocatable classrooms.
The new classroom space at Washington West Preschool has successfully
addressed the need for expanded early childhood education programming and
serves the intended target population- children from low-income families.
However, the classrooms are not wheelchair accessible and the existing
playground space does not meet safety guidelines or provide an age-appropriate
learning environment for preschoolers.
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Reallocating the City’s Community Development Grant funds from the purchase
of relocatable classrooms to playground and ADA improvements at the
Washington West campus successfully ensures the expanded early education
programming – both indoors and outdoors- for low-income preschool children.
The project includes designing and building an age-appropriate learning
environment including climbing equipment, tricycle path, quiet activity area, and
flexible learning spaces. It also includes building wheelchair ramps, retrofitting a
staff restroom for ADA accessibility and renovating two children’s restrooms.
While $50,000 in District funds are available to support the improvements, the
total estimated cost of the project is $250,000. Therefore, the District has
requested $200,000 of City funds from the original grant award to support the
project. Staff has reviewed the scope of work and initial cost estimates, and
recommends these funds be awarded contingent upon reviewing final cost
estimates and a commitment from SMMUSD to operate the preschool
classrooms for a minimum of five years.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
There are no budget impacts. Funds were budgeted in the FY2000-01 operating
budget for the Community Development Grants Program (account #
1262PY.567192).
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council: 1) approve a change in the use of the
Community Development Grant awarded to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD) as part of the FY2000-03 Community Development
Plan to fund a playground and related ADA upgrades at the Washington West
Preschool; 2) direct staff to finalize the amount of the grant award, not to exceed
$200,000; and 3) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a grant
agreement with the SMMUSD for this project.
PREPARED BY: Barbara Stinchfield, Director, Community and Cultural Services
Julie Rusk, Manager, Human Services Division
Tracy Scruggs, Supervisor, Human Services Division
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