Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution amending the Master Fees and Charges Schedule to add two Modified Summer Camp Programming Fees.  (District 3)
Councilwoman Price. Motion is carried. Think you are hearing 14? Report from Parks Recreation and Marine recommendation receive supporting documentation into the record, include the public hearing and adopt a resolution amending the master fees and charges schedule to add to modified summer camp programing fees. District three. There is an oath required for this item. If the witnesses can stand to you and each of you solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the court now and pending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. I did. Mara, I'd like to introduce. Our Parks and Recreation director Brant. Dennis and Janice McMullen, our financial services. Officer, to do. A presentation on this item. Thank you, Linda. So honorable mayor and members of City Council, we're bringing before you today two fees to add to the master fees and charges schedule for the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department. The proposed fee changes establish a fee range for modified summer camp programing. The department proposes a fee range for two day camp programs, which are one modified summer camp programing fee for camp only. For a fee range of $30 to $114 per child per week. And two modified summer camp programing fee, including before and after care for a fee range of $50 to $149 per child per week. The fee range will give the department flexibility to adjust day camp fees as needed. As programing returns to pre-pandemic levels. The proposed fee ranges for modified summer day camp programing are lower than pre-pandemic day camp fees for regular specialty and aquatic day camps. We're excited to bring again once we're excited once again to bring day camps to youth ages five through seven this coming summer. I'll now pass it off to Community Recreation Services Superintendent Joy Warren. Thank you. Modified summer camp programing offers in-person camp during the summer for youth ages 5 to 12. Summer camps will operate weekdays from 9 to 4 and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.. For those enrolled in Extended Care, modified summer camp programs were created in 2020 during the pandemic to offer youth programs which complied with health protocols prior to the pandemic. The department offered both free drop in and fee based options for youth in the summer. In 2020, newly implemented health protocols, strictly regulated group ratios and program capacities that were difficult to implement in a drop in style environment since the day camp program structure implemented many of the protocols in the health orders. The department converted all free youth drop in programs into day camps at a reduced fee. This strategy increased the number of day camp programs from 9 to 23 and ensured that there were low cost options for Long Beach families to participate in safe and structured recreational activities for youth. In 2022, the department plans to provide fee based day camp programs to 12 sites and allow for the return of free drop in programs. The department proposes to implement a fee range for modified summer camp programing fees, which allow the flexibility to adjust camp fees for a phased in approach to increasing fees as the programing returns to pre-pandemic levels. The proposed fee range is lower than the Commission approved general fund portion of modified summer camp programing fees. I'm sorry. On March 17, this action will approve the same rates for the Tidelands area. So this concludes our presentation. Okay, great. Councilman Price. Councilman. Awesome. A second. Just wanted to know, do we have a list of parks that will host the summer day camp? And a rhythm. Good. We have we have 12 sites and those are at Bayshore, Belmont, Bixby, Eldorado, West, Helton King, PanAm. Silverado Stearns Veterans Park, Wardlow and Whaley Park. Okay. And will our program still be going as well? We do have be safe. Okay. For the. Summer. Thank you. Come on, Mango. Yes. What is the cost of supplying this program? What's the subvention rate? What are their sources of revenue besides fees? Well, we have the general fund and the tidelands fees for the source of the budget. And it's cumulatively about I'm not sure we can get those numbers about 460,000. And then we do have additional support from CDBG for scholarships. What is the cost per child per week? How much is the subvention? So if an average summer program costs $250 a week, it says that it's aligned with the YMCA programs in the area. I don't know what those are. And then my my question would be, what does it cost us to provide the program? And a lot of that is dependent on the staff to youth ratios and what we're doing with that based on. Are we out of COVID or are we doing full capacity? We haven't done a cost per camper analysis yet, but we do have other costs that are not covered by the fees. For example, field trips, shirts, any supplies that the families are charged on top of the weekly count fee. So one of the things that I think is really important when we bring forward fees is for us to tell people what things really cost. We don't want to create a false expectation that there's always going to be general fund money, which is made up of sales tax and property tax and other areas to supplement youth programs . And so in the past, we've been in a place where we have had maybe Councilman Price can remember, but eight or nine afterschool programs, but the revenue did not cover it. And so instead of charging the parents what the program costs, we just cut programs. And in talking with parents, they would have rather paid for the cost of the program to be able to sustain it. So I hope that by the time that these fees come out that we let parents know the total cost of this program is actually closer to 250 per kid per week. But due to great opportunities through CDBG grants and port funds or whatever the funds are that will be using the cost to parents this year is a very low price of whatever number you end up coming up with. I just think it's really important that people know what the cost of things are because those same costs are then compared to other programs. So then people will say, Well, why is the Junior Lifeguard program this price? But the after school programs that price and why is the general fund money being put towards this program or that program? So if if we could encourage that in the posting, that would be appreciated. Thank you, Councilwoman. Thank you. Customers in the house. Thank you. Thank you for that presentation. These are amazing programs for our youth. These programs provide safe spaces for kids to have fun and opportunities for them to explore creative activities and sports that they mean. Leader continued to enjoy and play. With that being said, it is crucial to make sure that all of our youths have access to these type of opportunities. I know that these programs are often costly, and though in Long Beach we do our best to minimize the costs for families. I know that for many the cost is too much and it becomes a barrier. So I find it immensely important to go over any programs that are available for low income families because in Long Beach, coming from a low income family should not be a barrier that robs a child from these life changing opportunities and life shaping opportunities as well. On that note, me staff highlight what we are doing as a city to support our low income families and to support parents who may be not be able to afford these summer programs. Thank you, Councilwoman. Yes. We actually have a variety of free programs that are available for families. One, we are we are resuming the free drop in programs that are available at all our 24 sites, which is known as Summer Fun Days, and that's free to families. And it offers supervised activities for free from 12 to 5. In addition to that, we also have our mobile recess program that's going out to neighborhoods specifically that don't have easy access to our park programs. And then we also have our BCC programs that we mentioned earlier. There are also a number of family events like movies in the park concerts that we have to provide families. And then for those that do want this, the de camp experience, we offer scholarships for families. Thank you. I thank you very much for that. Mary, you brought up some excellent points. And I think that one of the things that's really valuable to also share is the opportunity for people who could pay full price, even though the price of the program is discounted, to have an opportunity to donate to Partners of Parks so that there will be more money available for the financial aid. Just something to think about, especially if you tell someone, you know, the price of this program should have been $350, but due to grants and other things, you're only going to pay $60 a week. If you'd like to make a donation to help financial aid participants in future years, please put it here. Thank you. Great work. Comment. There's no further comment on this item. Scattered votes. Councilman Allen. Councilman, the death. Motion is carried.