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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 ProposedYouthFeeAssistanceProgram , . ~,t OF DpB e0y 19 82 AGENDA STATEMENT PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING DATE: December 15, 2008 SUBJECT: Proposed Youth Fee Assistance Program Report Prepared by Frank Luna, Recreation Supervisor ATTACHMENTS: None RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report and recommend approval of the proposed Youth Fee Assistance Program to the City Council FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: For Fiscal Year 2008-2009, the City Council has an objective to establish a Youth Fee Assistance Program to promote access to City recreation services by youth from financially disadvantaged households. Following is some background information and a summary of the program proposed by Staff. BACKGROUND In 1993 the City Council approved a model for a Fee Assistance Program for Dublin residents; however no funding was allocated for the program. During Fiscal Year 2007-2008, the City Council had an objective to explore the feasibility of establishing a Police Activities League (PAL) chapter in Dublin. At the March 31, 2008, City Council Budget Study Session, the City Council decided not to establish a PAL chapter. Instead, Staff was directed to prepare a Higher Service Level for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 to provide staffing to establish and operate a Youth Fee Assistance Program. Staff has reseazched similar programs offered in other communities to determine best practices and estiinate the revenue needed to sustain the program. Staff used this research and the model approved by the Council in 1993 to develop the proposed Youth Fee Assistance Program. Following are the proposed program guidelines. 1. Fee assistance would only be provided to Dublin residents ages 17 and under. 2. Fee assistance would be funded from outside sources, not the City's General Fund. 3. The program would be applicable for all Department programs for youth and teens. 4. Fee assistance would be granted for up to 75% of the registration fee. 5. Funding requests would be limited to $200 per person per fiscal year. The $200 must be used within the Fiscal Year. Participants would not be able to rollover unused funding from year to year or transfer unused funds to other members of the household. COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 8.2 G:U'ARKS COMMISSION\AGNDSTM712008U2-15-08 Youth Fee Assistance Program.doc 6. Applicants must meet the HIJD income guidelines for lower, very low or extremely low income. 7. Applicants must apply in writing on forms provided by the City. 8. To insure applicant privacy, applications for fee assistance would be approved by the Parks and Community Services Director or his/her authorized representative. 9. The program would be evaluated annually to insure it meets the needs of the community and is funded adequately. PROPOSED ELIGIBILITY REOUIREMENTS AND FEE ASSISTANCE LIMITS Staff from the Parks and Community Services Department and the Housing Division met to discuss eligibility requirements. Staff proposes using the HUD income limits for Alameda County for lower income households and below to determine eligibility, which are as follows: Number of Persons in Household Annual Household Incomel 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MEREMENSEEM HUD Median Income$60,30068,900 77,500 86,100 93,000 99,900 106,800 113,700 HUD Moderate Income$72,30082,60093,000 103,300 111,600 119,800128,100 136,400 Staff recommends establishing a fee assistance cap of $200 per fiscal year per person, and a 75% subsidy of the registration fee. Based on the demand for programs in other cities and taking into account the size of Dublin's population, Staff estimates there would be approximately $5,000 to $7,500 in annual requests for fee assistance. With a$200 cap, this would serve from 25 to 37 youth per year. The following table compares the proposed program with others in the East Bay. Number . • . % . . Requests Amount . . . . - (FY 07-0• (FY 07-0• Dublir? $200 75% N/A N/A Donations to Pro osed er erson start Pleasanton $200 50% 110 $7,234 General Fund er erson $125 Brentwood per 50% 52 $1,492 Donations household 1 scholarship $1 surcharge per summer 50% on Concord and 1 for and 90% 220 $13,817 registration the in summer fees and remainder donations of the ear FUNDING SOURCES As proposed no CiTy funds would be used to provide fee assistance. Staff recommends accepting applications for fee assistance after the first $5,000 in donations has been received, and capping it at $5,000 for the first fiscal year. In order to sustain the program, Staff must generate a total of $10,000 in donations during the first year, and then at least another $5,000 each year thereafter. 2 of 4 In order to secure the first $5,000 to start the program and the remaining $5,000 to sustain the program, Staff intends to solicit donations from "founding sponsors" for the program. This will include local non- profit organizations, service clubs, businesses, and foundations. Additionally, if the City generates any net proceeds from the Dublin Community Golf Tournament they will be put into the youth fee assistance fund. This will be an annual event taking place at the Dublin Ranch Golf course. The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is also planning a fundraiser to benefit the youth fee assistance program. Without knowing the level of demand for the program it is difficult to determine the amount of donations needed to sustain the program. Based on the cunent economic recession it is also unknown the level of donations that can be secured. Therefare it is unknown if solely relying on donations will be enough to sustain the program. If funding to sustain the program became a problem, Staff could pursue other alternatives to develop ongoing funding such as: ¦ Slightly increase registration fees and then on an annual basis transfer one-half of one-percent (.5%) of the gross registration fees collected for Department classes and programs (except Senior Center programs) to the youth fee assistance fund. Based on the revenue estimates far Fiscal Year 2008-2009, this alternative could generate approximately $6,000 annually. ¦ Add a$1.00 surcharge onto class registration fees (except Senior Center programs) and deposit to the youth fee assistance fund. Based on the number of registrations during Fiscal Year 2007-2008, this alternative could generate approximately $12,500 annually. ¦ Apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The annual amount of funding would depend on the level of competition for these funds. Until the actual level of demand for fee assistance is known, Staff recommends focusing on securing donations for the program. If the donations are not enough to sustain the program, then Staff will bring back alternatives for the Commission and City Council to consider. IMPLEMENTATION The implementation plan was developed in a customer-focused manner to ensure privacy, flexibility, and minimize the number of hurdles while ensuring accountability. On an annual basis those seeking fee assistance would be asked to complete a one-page Eligibility Form that would be kept on file for the year with the Recreation Supervisor for youth programs. The eligibility form would require participant contact information, the names of those residing in the household, annual household income, sources of income, and proof of income such as the most recent income tax return. Once approved, participants would contact the Recreation Supervisor directly to register for programs at the discounted rate, until the $200 cap was reached for the Fiscal Year. Participants would need to re- apply each year to show they are still eligible for the program. The fee assistance program would be advertised on the City Website, in the Activity Guide, and on the registration receipts and confirmations that customers receive. Information would also be made available through the Housing Division and the Police Services Department to try and reach youth who could potentially benefit from the fee assistance program. 3 of 4 RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Parks and Community Services Commission receive the report and recommend approval of the proposed Youth Fee Assistance Program to the City Council. 4 of 4