DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Xavier D. Urrutia
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City wide
SUBJECT:
Acceptance of Grant from National League of Cities and Cities Connecting Children & Nature
SUMMARY:
This ordinance ratifies the submission of a grant application and authorizes the acceptance of grant funds in an amount not to exceed $75,000.00 from the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families and the Children & Nature Network (NLC) as part of the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative. The term of the grant will begin March 2018 through October 2020. This ordinance also authorizes the Parks and Recreation Director to execute any and all related documents.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The NLC released a special call for applications for their CCCN grant which is geared toward an equity-based approach to connecting children with the natural world. The CCCN grant program is designed to help support cities across the country develop planning strategies and pursue projects that create equitable access and connections between children and nature in urban areas. In March 2018, San Antonio was selected along with Atlanta, Baltimore, Gary Indiana, Houston, and St. Louis as grant recipients.
During an intensive eight-month CCCN planning phase, grant funds would be used toward community assessment, planning, and the development of an implementation plan designed to encourage the City of San Antonio to pursue projects that create equitable access and connections between children and nature in urban areas. To achieve this, a core team consisting of City staff and community partners will interact with CCCN project staff to establish baselines of community engagement, map existing citywide systems, identify priority populations and analyze assets, gaps, barriers, and opportunities. The planning phase will focus on data discovery as related to identifying possible target areas that can be addressed in the implementation phase. This will require broad participation among local government agencies, non-profits, schools, and other community organizations. Some potential concerns that may be addressed are childhood obesity, transportation, and walkability as it relates to nature deficit disorder among school-age children. In early May, members of the core team and CCCN will hold a technical assistance planning meeting with local stakeholders and community partners to carefully outline the strategic vision for San Antonio.
Based on the efforts and outcomes from this planning process, San Antonio may be approved for the two year implementation phase of the grant. This implementation phase will focus on one or more projects and policies that will address a focus area determined by the stakeholder and community partner groups during the planning phase.
ISSUE:
The NLC has selected the City of San Antonio as one of the 2018 CCCN grant recipients to receive grant funds in an amount not to exceed $75,000.00. The CCCN grant is consistent with the SA Tomorrow Community Health & Wellness goal for residents to have convenient access to recreation opportunities.
ALTERNATIVES:
CCCN grant funds are awarded on a competitive basis and if the City chooses not to ratify the submission of this grant application and authorize acceptance of funds, then the City will forfeit the right to leverage this award of up to $75,000.00 for planning and implementation purposes. City staff and community partners will be required to seek other opportunities to connect San Antonio children with nature and would occur on a much smaller scale in the absence of grant funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional impact to the General Fund as a result of this action nor are matching funds required. The FY 2018 Parks and Recreation Budget includes funding for Natural Areas programming and education that will be augmented by these grant efforts.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends ratification of the submission of the grant application and the acceptance of funds in an amount not to exceed $75,000.00 from the NLC.