PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to forward to City Council, the Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors, and the Youth Endowment Services (YES) Board of Directors YES Committee�s recommendation to realign two previously awarded YES Grants to the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD) into one revised grant award.

Background

During the 2002-2003 YES Grant Cycle, BUSD was awarded two separate grants. The first was an award of $15,000 to be used at John Burroughs High School (JBHS) (Attachment 1 � Grant Application) for extending the 1^st base foul ball baseline overhang by ten feet. BUSD has received numerous complaints from the residents that live across from the baseball field on Keystone Street. Many of the foul balls are hit over the existing foul ball netting and land on the resident�s property. The project scope included the design, the extension of the overhang by ten feet, new netting and inspection.

The second award was a $10,000 grant (Attachment 2 � Grant Application) for re-lamping the baseball field lights at JBHS�s Memorial Field. At the time of the award request many of the lamps had failed and the situation was attributed to failed fixtures. The project scope awarded for this grant was for the replacement of the fixtures for the lamps as required.

DISCUSSION

On January 13, 2004 staff received a letter from BUSD (Attachment 3) requesting the reprogramming of their two grants totaling $25,000 toward a program change in their capital plans. During the summer of 2003, BUSD commenced with the work on the Memorial baseball field lights. As work progressed, it was determined that the fixtures had not caused the light failures and did not need replacing. Therefore, none of the BUSD�s $10,000 YES Grant Award was utilized for fixing the Memorial Field lights.

The JBHS Foul Ball Netting project also began as BUSD hired a structural engineer to verify that they could extend the foul ball posts as required by the Division of State Architect. Based on the structural engineer analysis, and to meet the wind load factor requirements, it was suggested that four poles with the height of 50 feet be installed with the netting along the Keystone Street perimeter fence. The total project cost for this safer alternative would be $25,000.

Accordingly, BUSD submitted their request to change the scope of the Foul Ball Netting Project to installing four 50-foot high poles with netting instead of extending the existing foul ball posts as previously planned. In addition, the BUSD is requesting reprogramming the unused $10,000 allocation from the Memorial Field Light Fixture Project toward the increased costs of the Foul Ball Netting Project. The total $25,000 for the revised project would pay for the design, inspection, testing, and construction costs for installing the Foul Ball Netting.

At their January 21, 2004 meeting, after BUSD presented their request, the YES Fund Advisory Committee agreed to recommend to the City Council, Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Youth Endowment Services to approve the reprogramming of the previously awarded YES Grants toward the new project scope of the Foul Ball Netting Project. The YES Fund Advisory Committee believes that while there have not been any serious injuries or damage to resident property so far, the potential is great enough to recommend the Foul Ball Netting Project proceed with the scope and funding change.

FISCAL IMPACT

Since the grant reprogramming does not include any increase in, or additional funding for the BUSD, there is no direct fiscal impact. It is important to note that this proposal was approved by the YES Fund Advisory Committee at the January 21, 2004 meeting prior to the recommendation to appropriate the remaining balance or 2003-04 YES Fund dollars to the Ovrom Park Project.

RECOMMENDATION

The YES Fund Advisory Committee and staff recommend that City Council approve the attached resolution realigning the two previously awarded YES Grants into one revised YES Grant totaling $25,000 for the JBHS Foul Ball Netting Project.