Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 21 - Status of SAUSD Facilities Use for Neighborhood Meetings Planning and Building Agency www.santa-ana.org/cm Item # 21 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report November 2, 2021 TOPIC: Status of Santa Ana Unified School District Facilities Use for Neighborhood Meetings AGENDA TITLE: Status and Future Option for Neighborhoods to Access School Facilities at Santa Ana Unified School District Schools for Neighborhood Association/Community Meetings RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and file. DISCUSSION For decades, the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) has supported and sponsored Santa Ana’s neighborhood associations and groups by allowing them to use their campus facilities for neighborhood and community meetings free of charge. This has been a long-standing practice of SAUSD that benefits the constituents served by the City and the SAUSD. These school venues have served as an important, safe, and nearby location to convene residents to discuss and organize themselves on quality-of-life issues. Although the City of Santa Ana identifies 64 unique neighborhoods in Santa Ana, approximately 20 of those neighborhoods regularly use SAUSD facilities for their meetings. Of the remaining neighborhoods, some use their own space (i.e., a resident’s home), reserve space at a City of Santa Ana-owned facility (such as a park or community center), or do not convene meetings at all because those neighborhoods have not or do not self-organize into an active neighborhood. The Neighborhood Initiatives Division works to provide auxiliary support to Santa Ana’s various neighborhoods, which all operate independently and are independent of the City of Santa Ana and SAUSD. These constituents are not mutually exclusive to either one of these local government organizations. Based on past practice, there has been a strong desire to support the constituents outside the City’s and SAUSD traditional role of serving the community. One of the ways in which the Neighborhood Initiatives Division works to support neighborhood groups is to facilitate facility use reservations between the neighborhood Status of Santa Ana Unified School District Facilities Use for Neighborhood Meetings November 2, 2021 Page 2 2 2 0 6 groups and the representatives from SAUSD. Recently, City staff has encountered mixed communication with SAUSD staff regarding collaboration for neighborhood association/community meetings. For example, SAUSD staff offers to improve the process via sponsorship by the Superintendent’s Office while other staff request full payment for reservation fees in advance. City staff have also observed an inconsistent fee structure applied toward the SAUSD online reservations platform, Facilitron, in addition to an increase rate of cancelled reservations for nonpayment. This recent experience moves away from the 30+ year arrangement by the City and SAUSD to provide facilities for neighborhood/community meetings. The attached exhibit references information regarding the venues accessed by neighborhood groups for neighborhood meetings prior and during COVID-19. Considering that the City of Santa Ana and SAUSD serve the same constituents, the City appreciates the opportunity to have discussions with representatives from SAUSD to identify the problems, improve communication, and work toward a solution that will work for our shared constituents—particularly our neighborhood groups. Next Steps This item is an informational report only and no action is required. Staff recommends that the School Collaboration City Council subcommittee consider this matter and discuss options to collaborate with officials from the Santa Ana Unified School District to provide a sustainable method of ensuring continued access to SAUSD facilities for Santa Ana constituents to convene neighborhood meetings. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT There is no environmental impact associated with this action. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact association with this action. EXHIBIT(S) 1. Inventory – Santa Ana Neighborhoods and Meeting Locations Oct. 2021 Submitted By: Minh Thai, Executive Director of Planning and Building Agency Approved By: Kristine Ridge, City Manager INVENTORY - SANTA ANA NEIGHBORHOODS - VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND LOCATIONS PRIOR TO COVID-19 54 ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS/GROUPS 27 NEIGHBORHOODS HELD MEETINGS DURING COVID-19 20 SAUSD FACILITIES 16 CITY FACILITIES 15 OTHER SITES (RESIDENCE, CHURCH, ETC.) Artesia Pilar / Flower Park Zoom El Salvador Community Center Bella Vista / Central City / New Horizons / Casa Bonita Monte Vista School Southwest Senior Center Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Casa De Santiago Residence Cedar Evergreen KidWorks Unit onsite Cornerstone Village Zoom -Neighborhood Watch Lighthouse Learning Center Delhi Zoom Delhi Center Downtown Santa Ana Senior Center Fisher Park Zoom Jack Fisher Park Log Cabin Floral Park Zoom Residence French Court Davis Elementary French Park Davis Elementary Mercy House or Residence Heninger Park Zoom Heninger Elementary Lacy Garfield Community Center Logan Garfield Community Center Madison Park Zoom -Independent Madison Elementary Mar-Les Residence Meredith Parkwood / Portola Park John Muir Fundamental Metro Classic Thorpe Fundamental Morning Sunwood Thorpe Fundamental Morrison Park Pentecostal Church Pentecostal Church Pacific Park Zoom Roosevelt Walker Community Center Park Santiago Zoom -Independent Santiago Park Lawn Bowling Center Pico-Lowell / Mid-City Pio Pico Elementary Republic Homes Residence Riverview Zoom Izaak Walton League Cabin (Santa Clara/Alona) Riverview West Newhope Library PRIOR TO COVID-19, NEIGHBORHOODS MET AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Oct. 26, 2021 Page 1 of 2 INVENTORY - SANTA ANA NEIGHBORHOODS - VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND LOCATIONS PRIOR TO COVID-19 54 ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS/GROUPS 27 NEIGHBORHOODS HELD MEETINGS DURING COVID-19 20 SAUSD FACILITIES 16 CITY FACILITIES 15 OTHER SITES (RESIDENCE, CHURCH, ETC.) PRIOR TO COVID-19, NEIGHBORHOODS MET AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Rosewood Baker South Coast Global Medical Center Saddleback View Remington Adult Education Center Sandpointe MacArthur Fundamental Santa Ana Memorial Park Zoom Manuel Esqueda and Washington Elementary Memorial Park Recreation Center Santa Anita Zoom Santa Anita Community Center Russell Elementary (GGUSD) for future use South Coast MacArthur Fundamental Summerfield Neighborhood Watch Thorpe Fundamental Thornton Park Jefferson Elementary or McFadden Intermediate Thornton Park Valley Adams / Centennial Park / Laurelhurst / Shadow Run Adams Elementary or Valley High Washington Square Zoom Wilson Elementary West Floral Park Residence Santiago Elementary Residence Willard Zoom Willard Intermediate St. Peters Lutheran Church Wilshire Square Zoom -Independent Lathrop Intermediate (future)Residence Windsor Village & Windsor Village North Zoom Jackson Elementary Windsor Park Young Square Residence Com-Link Board Zoom City Hall Com-Link General Zoom SAPD Community Room WESTEND COP & other Neighborhood Watch Groups Zoom SAPD Westend-Sub Station Bristol Memory Coalition Fairbridge Square Lyon Street Riverglen West Grove Valley Concord Fairhaven Mabury Park Santa Ana Triangle Edna Park Grand Sunrise Northwest Sunwood Central 13 INACTIVE NEIGHBORHOODS PRIOR TO COVID-19 Oct. 26, 2021 Page 2 of 2