Background
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in general, and the Public Works Department in particular, have benefitted significantly from a number of volunteer non-profit organizations who have stepped up to help us maintain and beautify the City. One volunteer organization, “Carmel Cares,” was started as a result of the pandemic’s effect on the City’s budget reduction and ability to maintain public spaces but has continued to grow in scope and effectiveness, even as we return to a pre-pandemic staffing level.
According to them, “Carmel Cares is a 501(c)3 City Support group dedicated to keeping Carmel-by-the-Sea a beautiful, safe, and inviting place. We help by partnering with the City of Carmel and other non-profits whereby our volunteers, and professional contractors we fund and manage, work on maintenance and improvement projects as well as community engagement programs. We work under the direction of Carmel’s Publics Work Department. Our 100% volunteer-managed organization is funded through private donations. Email CarmelCares1@gmail.com to volunteer or donate, or to learn more, visit www.CarmelCares.org.”
Carmel Cares operates with oversight from the Public Works Director, City Forester, Administrative Analyst, Community Planning and Building Director, and other City staff. Bi-weekly teleconferencing meetings are held to keep all parties updated on projects and to coordinate ongoing activities. Most routine improvement projects and maintenance activities are approved through the Public Works, Community Planning and Building, and Police Departments as applicable. Larger projects, or those requiring the allocation of City funds, require approvals from the Forest and Beach and/or Planning Commissions, as well as the City Council when required.
Carmel Cares also acts as a fiscal sponsor to allow smaller, non-501(c)3 organizations to receive grant funding from charitable sources when it helps to achieve their mission. They also work closely with Carmel Gives, which is a donor advised fund created and partially funded by Tim Allen and managed by Carmel Cares’ President Dale Byrne. Since June, 2020, Carmel Gives has issued over $1.2 million in grants to the City, charitable organizations, and to local businesses challenged during the COVID pandemic.
In September 2021, Council adopted Resolution 2021-046, designating Carmel Cares as an official City Support Group in accordance with Support Group Policy No. 89-47.
In the Spring of 2022, Carmel Cares and staff submitted an application to the League of California Cities for the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for Excellence under the category of Community Services and Economic Development. Although we have a one-of-a-kind Public-Private Partnership focused on improving the community in so many diverse ways, we were not successful this year, but we plan to try again.
Key Accomplishments
Carmel Cares continues to provide ongoing maintenance and improvements around City facilities and public spaces. The following describe some of their most key accomplishments since the last donation acceptance in June 2021.
Scenic Pathway Restoration Project: Every Wednesday, for 108 weeks, 5 to 13 volunteers and 3 paid gardeners worked their way from Eighth Avenue to Martin Way to maintain this valuable City asset. As noted in the FY 2022/23 budget, gardening services along the Scenic Pathway are now reimbursed by the City, up to $2,000 per month, or gardening services will be performed by the City’s landscaping contractor.
Carmel Cares also prepared a plan which inventories the existing Scenic Pathway barrier rails and pathway borders, with recommendations for replacement and extensions of many portions of both along the Pathway. They are also fundraising to cover the construction cost for the project, with the City contributing up to $50,000 in previously-approved capital funding to pay for the materials.
Forest Theater: Over the past 2 ½ years, volunteers have restored this historic outdoor theater grounds to excellent condition. This includes weeding, refurbishing the bench seating, watering trees provided by the Friends of Carmel Forest, and cleaning the stage area and grounds prior to every show.
With approval of the Forest and Beach Commission and administrative approvals, Carmel Cares have funded and installed a major Landscape Restoration Project in partnership with three Rotary Clubs. Planning is also in progress for installation of picnic tables and pathways, including an ADA-compliance pathway and table.
Vista Lobos Park: Volunteers have rejuvenated this park, and we now have a working irrigation system, trimmed plants, and seasonal wildflowers. They also keep the surrounding grounds cleaned and plan to improve the seating area.
Carmel Cares Structures: Carmel Cares volunteers and local professionals have teamed up to create unique a number of physical structures that provide specific functions and add to Carmel’s character.
Community Engagement Programs
Carmel Cares has created a variety of community engagement programs including:
Downtown Detail: A highly-energized team of volunteers who work downtown to perform beautification projects such as weeding, sweeping, clearing and planting easements, curb bump outs, and trash containers, and acquiring, placing, and maintaining pots and plants.
Median Minders: A managed group of resident volunteers across the City who “adopt” median islands, bump outs, and easements in their neighborhoods and plant and maintain them over time.
Pick Up Posse: Nearly 50 volunteers pick up litter with blue-branded buckets and pick up claws while acting as Carmel Ambassadors. This group has scheduled members every day of the week for Carmel Beach, Scenic Pathway, and downtown Carmel, as well as others who volunteer at the time and places of their choosing.
Tag Team: A small team of volunteers who received special training and materials to remove graffiti and stickers that have been reported to cctagteam@gmail.com. Or noticed by other volunteers or reported by the public. The Tag Team reports significant incidents to the Police Department and works with Public Works on situations that involve special handling.
Combined, these projects and programs have resulted in major improvements and upkeep of important City assets and the overall beautification of the Village. This past year, Carmel Cares also became an affiliate with “Keep America Beautiful,” https://kab.org/. Called Keep Carmel Beautiful, this effort will leverage the programs and grants that the national organization provides, connects us with other affiliates to share ideas. Included in this initiative is production of an annual survey of the Village in terms of litter and beautification.
Donations to be Accepted
The City's Donation and Gift Policy No. 2017-02 establishes a formal process for the acceptance and documentation of donations made to the City in a responsible, transparent, and accountable manner. Donations of items valued at $2,499 or below may be accepted by the City Administrator. Donations of items valued at $2,500 or more must be accepted by the City Council. A Donation Acceptance Form is filled out and issued to the donor for all non-labor donations.
At this time, the City Council should accept the following generous donations from Carmel Cares which have taken place since June 2021. The expenses for services and materials include actual expenditures and associated volunteer hours. The total value of the goods and services donated to the City as listed below is $150,316 plus 7,808 volunteer hours.
- Provided weekly maintenance along the Scenic Pathway consisting of 5-13 volunteers and 3 professional, paid gardeners. Trimming, raking, removing ice plant from seawalls, clearing sand from stairways, and sweeping connecting pathways. $40,412 and 2,400 volunteer hours.
- Weekly maintenance services at Devendorf Park. Includes deep cleaning of grounds, hedge trimming, lawn mowing, and creating and improving several garden areas with stone surrounds and plantings - $23,560 and 200 hours.
- Fabricated mahogany map display cases, mahogany show bill presentation case at Sunset Center, eight mahogany marquees in front of Scenic Pathway trash enclosures, and two custom housing enclosures that protect backflow preventers at Public Works and Forest Hill Park - $17,291 and 200 hours.
- Increased the height of granite walls to reduce erosion on four beach stairways along the Scenic Pathway - $11,500 and 40 hours.
- Installed house lighting at Forest Theater with partial funding from Lion’s Club - $8,880 and 16 hours.
- Provided maintenance services at Forest Theater including weeding, tree and plant trimming, gate repairs, cleaning seating area, parking lot, and surrounding streets and medians - $8,295 and 400 hours.
- Median Minder cleaning and planting median islands and easements, including Fourth Avenue pathway, Lincoln, North Dunes boardwalk, Ocean Avenue medians, and others - $6,551 and 1,000 volunteer hours.
- Professional sidewalk cleaning downtown - $5,655 and 32 hours.
- Downtown beautification projects including pots, stone, and plants - $4,928 and 1,000 hours.
- Installed granite border around the landscaped island on the Scenic Pathway at Thirteenth Avenue, and added plants and mulch - $4,800 and 24 hours.
- Fabrication and installation of safety handrails for ADA ramp outside Forest Theater - $4,140 and 16 volunteer hours.
- Installed safety improvements along the Scenic Pathway at Eight, Tenth, and Eleventh Avenues - $4,000 and 32 hours.
- Forest Theater restroom sidewalk support - $2,800 and 8 hours.
- Reconstructed safer stone curb at ADA parking space at Forest Theater - $2,447 and 8 hours.
- Improved trash enclosure on the Scenic Pathway at Eighth Avenue to allow for use of two trash bins - $2,117 and 20 hours.
- Tag Team supplies for graffiti and stickers removals - $1,000 and 200 hours.
- Fabricated a wooden library shrine at the Lincoln side of Harrison Memorial Library - $800 and 80 hours.
- Design and production of new beach fire A-frame beach fire signs - $640 and 32 hours.
- Pick Up Posse supplies for Carmel Beach, Scenic Pathway, and Downtown - $500 and 1,500 hours
- Preparation and presentation of status meetings with Public Works - 600 hours.
Other Community Activities and Activities
In addition, Carmel Cares has worked on several other projects including the following:
- Assisting in fundraising and planning and execution volunteer projects with
o Carmel Art Festival
o Carmel Dance Festival
o Carmel Woman’s Club
o Carmel Youth Center
o CERT program
o Monterey County Boys & Girls Club
o Monterey County Workforce Development’s Green Cadre workforce
- Working with neighborhood groups and PG&E to organize undergrounding powerline projects.
- Managing nonprofit overhead operations: accounting, marketing, communications, board meetings, and fundraising - $52,000 and 1,000 hours.