DATE: August 21, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Housing and Neighborhood Services Department
TITLE: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH VISTA COMMUNITY CLINIC FOR PROJECT REACH PROGRAM AT JOE BALDERRAMA RECREATION CENTER
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Vista Community Clinic (VCC), in the amount of $72,052, for the Project REACH Program at the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center located at 709 San Diego Street; and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement upon receipt of all supporting documents.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Established in 1995, Project REACH is one of the longest-running programs at VCC. Reaching adolescents through afterschool programs located in neighborhoods with a history of gang violence, Project REACH has served thousands of low-income middle- and high-school students, providing daily academic, social, and emotional support. Project REACH has helped to create a sense of community in the Eastside neighborhood, beginning with the youth.
Over the past year, youth activities related to nature and conservation were the most popular at REACH Balderrama. Young people from the Eastside neighborhood attended multiple forums hosted by guest speakers on topics including ocean pollution and its impact on marine life; the connection between human consumption on ocean pollution, looking at these environmental issues through a social lens; and the importance of recycling. Inspired by the curriculum, REACH youth, themselves, organized a clean-up of Joe Balderrama Park.
REACH youth at Balderrama have also made blankets for women living in a domestic violence shelter, treated younger children to face painting at Fiesta Patrias, visited Chicano Park to view the art, and participated in painting a children’s wall mural at Joe Balderrama Park. The young women in the REACH program attended a Girls Conference where they learned more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) career options, advocacy, self-care and healthy relationships.
In FY 2024-25, the focus will be on increasing numbers to maximum enrollment and engaging youth in multiple neighborhood integration activities allowing youth to break down barriers between neighborhoods and promote understanding and friendships among youth from historically rival neighborhoods. These activities were developed to address concerns about the mental health and substance use challenges seen among Oceanside youth and young adults, particularly with the prevalences of social media in daily lives.
The PSA will sustain positive youth development and gang/drug/violence prevention for 60+ Oceanside youth living in the high-risk neighborhood of Eastside and surrounding communities. The program provides youth with employment and life skills training, academic assistance, and conflict resolution. Through this program, Oceanside’s youth have a safe place to be after school, access to community resources, and assistance from highly trained, trusted adult facilitators who are invested in the youth, their families and the Eastside community.
The PSA with VCC is to operate the Project REACH program at the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center located at 709 San Diego Street from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The scope of work, budget details and reporting documents are incorporated in the agreement (Attachments A and B).
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the agreement is $72,052 which will be charged to the Non-Departmental account 170174101.5395.0019 (REACH Eastside), which has a current available balance of $74,573; therefore, sufficient funds are available. The funding source for this agreement is the General Fund. Vista Community Clinic will submit monthly invoices and quarterly progress reports to the Neighborhood Services Department and will submit quarterly Non-profit Organization Financial reports to the Finance Department.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced document has been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Michele Gehr, Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Leilani Hines, Housing and Neighborhood Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. PSA
2. Proposed Budget
3. Funding Proposal