Resolution 2024-014, accepting donations from Carmel Cares, an official City Support Group, and approving a Budget Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Adopted Budget

Resolution 2024-014, accepting donations from Carmel Cares, an official City Support Group, and approving a Budget Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Adopted Budget.

Background

The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in general, and Public Works in particular, have benefitted significantly from a number of volunteer non-profit organizations who have stepped up to help us beautify and maintain the City. One volunteer organization, “Carmel Cares,” started as a result of the pandemic’s effect on the City’s budget reduction and ability to maintain public spaces, but, over the past 3-1/2 years, has continued to grow in diversity of projects and number of volunteers.

According to their website, “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 we manage volunteers and fund professional contractors to work on maintenance and improvement projects as well as community engagement programs. We work under the direction of Carmel’s Public Works Department. Our 100% volunteer-managed organization is funded through private donations and grants. Go to www.CarmelCares.org to volunteer or donate.”

Carmel Cares operates with oversight from the Public Works Director, City Forester, Administrative Analyst, Public Works Superintendent, Community Planning and Building Director, and other City staff. Bi-weekly status meetings are held to keep all parties updated on projects and coordinate ongoing activities. Routine improvement projects and maintenance activities are approved through the Public Works and Community Planning and Building 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. This arrangement is truly a one-of-a- kind, Public-Private Partnership focused on improving the community.

Carmel Cares is a “Keep America Beautiful” affiliate which allows them to apply for grants for litter reduction and beautification projects. Carmel Cares also acts as a fiscal sponsor to allow smaller, non-501(c)3 organizations receive grant funding from charitable sources when it helps to achieve their mission. They also work closely with “Carmel Gives,” which is a donor fund created and partially funded by Tim Allen and managed by Carmel Cares’ President Dale Byrne. Since June 2020, Carmel Gives has issued over $1.7 million in grants charitable organizations and local businesses.

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. Council previously adopted resolutions accepting donations of projects, equipment, goods, and services in October 2020, January 2021, June 2021, and December 2022 which were collectively valued at approximately $276,000.

Community Engagement Programs 

Carmel Cares continues to implement various community engagement programs as follows:

Downtown Detail: A highly-energized team of volunteers who work around downtown to perform beautification projects such as clearing, sweeping, and planting easements, curb bump outs, and trash containers, and weeding, placing, watering, and maintaining pots and plants. Every Thursday and Saturday, 2 to 8 volunteers pick a spot to beautify. In 2023, they performed a major landscape renovation of the Post Office parking lot. They also partnered with other volunteer groups, such as the Carmel Rotaries and Carmel High School lnter-Act Club students, for larger cleanups.

Median Minders: A 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. Some larger medians, such as at Fourth and San Antonio Avenues and Fourth Avenue and Guadalupe Street, were cleaned up and planted over the past year. Carmel Cares is also partnering with MPC horticulturist Professor Alan Wheat to design, raise funds for, and implement enhanced landscaping for the Ocean Avenue median islands as conceptually approved by the Forest and Beach Commission.

Pick Up Posse: Up to 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. Partnering with “Keep America Beautiful,” 55 new cigarette butt receptacles were installed replacing the deteriorated “butt stops here” canisters, mostly attached to trash containers. All butts picked up off the ground and from the receptacles are recycled. Carmel Cares is also participating in Clean California, a joint Keep America Beautiful/CalTrans program to hold large community cleanups.

Tag Team: A small team of volunteers with special training to remove graffiti and stickers within 24 hours after being reported to cctagteam@gmail.com or noticed by other volunteers. The Tag Team reports significant incidents to the Police Department, and works with Public Works on situations that involve special handling.

Key Accomplishments in 2023

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 December 2022.

Scenic Pathway Restoration Project:

• Carmel Cares implemented the barrier rail replacement project which replaced 1,200 feet of deteriorated landscape barriers along the Pathway with high-quality redwood. Their contractor, Tony Trujillo Landscaping, completed this first phase of the project in September at a cost of $50,789. The City also contributed $50,000 from the Capital Improvement Program to pay for the lumber and hardware.

• Every Wednesday, 5 to 13 volunteers work their way from Eighth Avenue to Martin Way to maintain this valuable asset. Work included pruning, raking, removing ice plant, sweeping, clearing sand and debris from stairways, gutters, and pathways, and steam-cleaning trash enclosures.

• In June 2023, Council authorized $28,000 for FY 2023/24 to reimburse Carmel Cares to provide contracted gardening services along the Pathway.

• Carmel Cares purchased new Mutt Mitt dispensers, pink Mutt Mitt bags, and trash enclosure signage.

• A new, FY 2023/24 Capital Improvement Project, with a City budget of $100,000, was approved for Phase II Scenic Pathway hardscape improvements. Carmel Cares will endeavor to match those funds.

Forest Theater: Volunteers restored this historic outdoor theater grounds to excellent condition which included:

• Contractors pressure washed, sanded, and stained all bench seating and handrails.

• Watered trees planted by the Friends of Carmel Forest.

• Cleaned the grounds prior to every show, and maintained adjacent pathways and surrounding areas.

• Removed a large amount of tree debris from winter storms and 18 stumps.

• Funded, installed, and enhanced the native plant garden in partnership with three Carmel Rotary Clubs.

• Installed a rollup door for the sound booth and new LED stage lighting.

• Continued planning for a proposed ADA pathway and picnic tables at the northwest corner of the grounds.

Vista Lobos Park: Volunteers rejuvenated this park by trimming plants, planting seasonal wildflowers, and keeping the park and the surrounding grounds clean. Last year, the City awarded a $3,000 discretionary grant to repair and rehabilitate portions of the park, and planning is currently underway for this project.

Structures: Volunteers and local professionals have teamed up to create a number of unique structures that provide specific functions and add to Carmel’s character. Last year, maintenance was undertaken on all eight map display cases. Several projects are planned including a new show bill display case for Sunset Center and tables and benches at Vista Lobos Park and Forest Theater.

Carmel Underground: Carmel Cares is working with neighborhood groups to raise donated funds using their 501(c)3 status to underground power and other utility lines. The first proposed project would underground utility lines from the poles along San Antonio Avenue from the Pebble Beach gate to Ocean Avenue. Carmel Cares entered into a contract with a professional project management firm with relevant experience and have coordinated with PG&E to initiate their design. In addition, Carmel Cares assisted another community group to raise funds for an attorney to draft a proposed wireless ordinance.

Cherry Center for the Arts: While not a City property, the park-like grounds at this facility provides a place for public gatherings and enjoyment. Carmel Cares volunteers provide all of the grounds maintenance and are currently planning more improvements.

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 $2,500 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 predominantly taken place during calendar year 2023. Expenses for services and materials include actual expenditures and associated volunteer hours. The total value of all goods and services donated to the City during 2023, as listed below, is $148,814 plus 5,958 volunteer hours.

• Scenic Pathway Barrier Rails Project - project management and construction contractor installation costs. $50,789 and 500 volunteer hours.

• Forest Theater grounds maintenance and materials, including landscaping, weeding, cleaning seating areas, parking lot, and surrounding streets, sanding, and painting seating area, and installing a roll-up door. $45,898 and 350 volunteer hours.

• Carmel Underground project management and engineering fees related to an undergrounding utility conversion project. $15,000 and 50 volunteer hours.

• "Downtown Detail" buckets, pickers, acquiring, designing, purchasing, and installing graphics and butt dispensers. Picking up litter on Carmel Beach, Scenic Pathway, and downtown, maintaining cigarette butt receptacles, recycling butts, and providing services as "Carmel Ambassadors" with residents and visitors. $7,900 and 1,600 volunteer hours.

•  Scenic Pathway Mutt Mitt dispensers, pink Mutt Mitt bags, and trash enclosure signage in excess of City reimbursement. $5,255 and 40 volunteer hours.

• Acquisition, fabrication, painting, and installation of LED lighting at Forest Theater. $5,117 and 128 volunteer hours.

• Architectural services and project planning related to a proposed ADA pathway at Forest Theater. $5,000 and 40 volunteer hours.

• Weekly downtown maintenance including holiday decorations, cleaning tree wells and gutters, disposing of refuse, acquiring pots and plants, and planting, watering, and landscape maintenance. $4,624 and 650 volunteer hours.

• Donation of a Viking range for the Carmel Fire Station. $3,500.

• Median Minder cleaning and planting medians and easements - $2,935 and 150 volunteer hours.

• Acquisition of 30 new helmets for Carmel CERT Team. $1,475.

• Scenic Pathway weekly landscaping maintenance by volunteers, $1,000 and 2,400 volunteer hours.

•  Graffiti removal and materials. $321 and 50 volunteer hours.

City Donation and Gift Policy No. 2017-02 requires City Council acceptance of donations with a value over $2,500. There were several items listed above that exceed that threshold.

Carmel Cares has donated an array of professional services, materials, and equipment and performed significant labor during 2023. All donations are very much appreciated. For 2023, the combined total cost of items donated to the City from Carmel Cares is approximately $148,814 plus 5,958 volunteer hours.

By adopting the attached Resolution, Council would accept all of these donations and approve the Budget Amendment for Fiscal Year 2023/24 which is a part of the Resolution.

In October 2020, Council adopted Resolution 2020-067 accepting donations of projects, equipment, goods, and services valued at $9,262. At the December 2020 Special Meeting, Carmel Cares Chief Caring Officer Dale Byrne gave a presentation regarding the objectives, accomplishments, and pursuits of Carmel Cares and Carmel Gives.

In January 20221, Council adopted Resolution 2021-001 accepting donations of additional projects, equipment, goods and services valued at $86,441. In June 2021, Council adopted Resolution 2021-021 accepting donations of additional projects, equipment, goods and services valued at $29,977. 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 December 2022, Council adopted Resolution 2022-105 accepting donations from Carmel Cares of additional projects, equipment, goods and services valued at $150,316 and approving a Budget Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022/23 Adopted Budget.