PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to forward to City Council, the Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Youth Endowment Services, a recommendation from the Youth Endowment Services (YES) Fund Advisory Committee to approve grant awards totaling $320,719 in YES Grant funds.  The 16 grant award requests include improvements at various Burbank Unified School District and City of Burbank sites.  Grant recipients include, the Burbank Tennis Center, the Burbank Little League, the Burbank Family YMCA, Burbank Unified School District and the City of Burbank.

BACKGROUND:

On May 5, 1998, the Board of Director�s of the YES Fund, approved the recommendation from the Youth Endowment Services Fund Advisory Committee and staff for the establishment of a newly developed Youth Endowment Services Fund Grant Awards Program Guidelines and Application.  The grant awards program provided a financial mechanism for the expenditure of YES Fund monies that would meet the Committee�s goals.  These goals are: (1) to provide funding to better accommodate the unmet needs for youth-oriented facilities and activities in the various Redevelopment Project areas or their adjacent neighborhoods; (2) to provide donated discretionary funding to better accommodate the unmet needs of Burbank youth; and (3) to establish a formalized review and recommendation process which would take place annually with the Board of Directors of the YES Fund for the allocation of YES funds.

Since the first grant cycle in 1998, the YES Fund Board of Directors has also approved modifications and recommendations from the YES Fund Advisory Committee in efforts to improve and maximize the grant awards program and expenditure of funds.  These have included modifications to the grant application and process to encourage more applicants.  The committee also recommended allocating any fund balances remaining at the end of the fiscal year to the City of Burbank Robert Ovrom Park project.  Further, it was determined that for all YES Grant Awards programs, the grant amount to be spent annually would be equal to the Redevelopment Tax Increment Funds available, and calculated by the Financial Services Department prior to the annual application process. 

ANALYSIS:

The FY 2002/2003 YES Grant Awards Program cycle opened in January 2003 with a filing deadline of February 14, 2003 for the $320,719 in restricted tax increment funds.  There were no unrestricted funds available.  This cycle�s applications were reviewed at the same time as the City of Burbank�s PAY Grant Cycle Two applications.  Upon convening in March, the YES Fund Advisory Committee recommended that two of the PAY Grant applications be considered for YES Grant funding because of the nature of the projects proposed by the applicants.  These projects included a batting cage, applied for by John Burroughs High School, and a sound system proposed by Disney Elementary School.  These two projects were recommended for funding along with five YES Grant applications for a total of seven YES Fund grants being recommended for funding.  These seven recommendations total $91,420. 

Before adjourning, the YES Fund Advisory Committee agreed to open up a second cycle, with a filing deadline of May 30, 2003 in order to receive proposals for the remaining $229,299of available funding.  On June17,2003, the YES Fund Advisory Committee recommended awarding an additional $150,250 for nine different YES Fund grants.  It is the recommendation of the YES fund Advisory Committee that the remaining $79,049 be allocated to the Robert Ovrom Park project.

The two cycles of applicant awards represent a combined $241,670 in proposed Youth Endowment Services Grant awards, and are summarized as follows:

1. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from the Burbank Family YMCA and recommended for funding in the amount of $12,683 for child care facility improvements.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to make improvements to the YMCA's School Aged Child Care program facility at Luther Burbank Middle School as described in grantee's application. 

2. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Jordan Middle School and recommended for funding in the amount of $16,104 for auditorium improvements.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to replace curtains, travelers, rework rigging, lubricate and reinforce tracks and ropes in the school auditorium as described in the grantee�s application. 

3. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Little League and recommended for funding in the amount of $9.007 for athletic field improvements.  The proposed use of the grant award would to improve the field at Brace Canyon Park to include planting grass, infield dirt or clay and installing irrigation as described in grantee's application. 

4. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Jefferson Elementary School and recommended for funding in the amount of $13,000 for a shade structure.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install a shade structure that will cover the equipment area on the lower playground as described in grantee's application. 

5. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Luther Burbank Middle School and recommended for funding in the amount of $25,000 for a lunch shelter.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install a shade cover for the lunch area as described in grantee's application. 

6. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from John Burroughs High School and recommended for funding in the amount of $10,000 for a girl�s softball batting cage.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install a batting cage, including concrete, fencing, electrical and demolition work as described in grantee's application. 

7. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Disney Elementary School and recommended for funding in the amount of $5,626 for a sound system.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install a sound system at the school's Creative Arts Center as described in grantee�s application. 

8. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from the City of Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department and recommended for funding in the amount of $6,000.00 for the Olive Recreation Center dance floor.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to refinish the Olive Recreation Center dance floor, including sanding, finishing and painting as described in grantee's application. 

9. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from the Burbank Tennis Center and recommended for funding in the amount of $1,250 for a storage shed.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install a storage shed for keeping equipment related to the center�s USTA youth tennis instructional program as described in grantee's application. 

10. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Unified School District and recommended for funding in the amount of $15,000 for field improvements at John Burroughs High School.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to design and install netting along the first base foul line at the school�s baseball field as described in grantee's application. 

11. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Unified School District and recommended for funding in the amount of $10,000 for lighting at Burbank High School.  The proposed use of the grant award would be for replacement of light fixtures at the school�s baseball field as described in grantee�s application. 

12. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Unified School District and recommended for funding in the amount of $10,000 for lighting at John Burroughs High School.  The proposed use of the grant award would be for replacement of light fixtures at the school�s baseball field as described in grantee�s application. 

13. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Unified School District and recommended for funding in the amount of $8,000 for lighting at John Burroughs High School.  The proposed use of the grant award would be for replacement of light fixtures at the school�s tennis courts as described in grantee's application. 

14. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from Burbank Unified School District and recommended for funding in the amount of $10,000 for lighting at John Burroughs High School.  The proposed use of the grant award would be for replacement of light fixtures at the school�s memorial field as described in grantee's application. 

15. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from the City of Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department and recommended for funding in the amount of $45,000 for playground equipment.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install new playground equipment at Robert Lundigan Park as described in grantee�s application. 

16. A YES Fund grant application was accepted from the City of Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department and recommended for funding in the amount of $45,000 for playground equipment.  The proposed use of the grant award would be to purchase and install new playground equipment at Vickroy Park as described in grantee�s application.

All recommended requests for YES Fund expenditures fall within the amount of Redevelopment Tax Increment Funds available for these current grant cycles and sufficient funds are available.  All grant recommendations of the board are solely related to making capital improvements and qualify for the use of redevelopment tax increment funds.  Each of these organizations qualifies as a �community organization whose goal is to provide facilities, services and/or programs, which serve the youth of Burbank.�  All proposed projects would be primarily directed to and for the benefit of the youth of Burbank.  Also, the YES Fund Advisory Committee recognizes that all projects meet recreational and developmental needs of youth in the community with use by multiple schools and community organizations. 

Based on these findings, a motion was made and carried by the YES Fund Advisory Committee, approving the aforementioned funding recommendations, which total $241,670.  Copies of the grant applications are provided as Attachment I.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The YES Fund Advisory Committee and staff recommend that the Board of Directors, Redevelopment Agency and City Council authorize $241,670 in expenditures for the above listed proposed projects and the remaining $79,049 for the Robert Ovrom Park project, for a total appropriation of $320,719.  It is also the recommendation of staff that the Board of Directors for the Youth Endowment Services Fund, the Redevelopment Agency and City Cuoncil allocate the $320,719 needed for the completion of these projects from the Fiscal Year 2002 YES Fund balance, YES Fund Account No. 130-ND000.30004, to the appropriate expenditure Account No. 130.PR31F.70003.

RECOMMENDATION:

It is the recommendation of the YES Fund Advisory Committee and staff that the following resolutions be adopted: 1) the City Council adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank authorizing certain Youth Endowment Services expenditures; 2) the Board of Directors of the Redevelopment Agency adopt a resolution of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Burbank authorizing certain Youth Endowment Services expenditures; and 3) the Board of Directors of the Youth Endowment Services Fund adopt a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Youth Endowment Services Fund of the City of Burbank approving a grant award and amending fiscal year 2002-2003 budget for the purposes of appropriating funds for grant fund recipients of the YES Funds. 

Attachments

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