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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2025 0702 CC REG ITEM 10GCITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of July 2, 2025 ACTION APPROVED STAFF RECOMMENDATION. BY A. Hurtado. G. Consider Request from the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley (Boys & Girls Club) to Waive Rental Fees for Use of the Apricot Room at the Community Center. Staff Recommendation: Waive rental fees for use of the Apricot Room at the Community Center by the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley from July 7 to August 15, 2025. (Staff: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director) Item: 10.G. MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks & Recreation Director DATE: 07/02/2025 Regular Meeting SUBJECT: Consider Request from the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley (Boys & Girls Club) to Waive Rental Fees for Use of the Apricot Room at the Community Center BACKGROUND The Boys & Girls Club has been serving Moorpark for approximately 40 years and have occupied their current location at 200 Casey Road since approximately 1991 when they purchased the building from the Moorpark Unified School District. The location includes their Moorpark Clubhouse, which consists of two rooms that are utilized for a variety of youth programming, and an attached gymnasium with a full-size basketball court. Additionally, the property included an outside hardtop area with several basketball courts and multi-use areas, as well as a double-wide modular building that was installed by the Boys & Girls Club to accommodate the number of children that participate in their programs. However, several years ago, the hardtop area was sold to Essex Property Trust for a future housing development, which was subsequently sold to Danco Communities (Danco). Although the Boys & Girls Club was allowed to utilize the hardtop for several years, the Boys & Girls Club lost use of the area and the modular building once Danco started construction on the Vendra Gardens housing development. At that time, the Boys & Girls Club planned to move all supplemental programming into their gymnasium. However, they discovered that the existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was significantly under-sized and was not able to adequately cool the building during the summer months. According to the Boys & Girls Club, the cost to renovate the HVAC system would cost approximately $500,000, and funding is not currently available to complete this work. DISCUSSION Due to the loss of the hardcourt area and modular building, the Boys & Girls Club reached out to staff to inquire about use of the Apricot Room to supplement their summer Item: 10.G. 208 Honorable City Council 07/02/2025 Regular Meeting Page 2 programming space and requested a fee waiver for use of the facility. The Boys & Girls Club explained that they operate on a slim budget and having to pay rental fees would limit the number of children that they could serve. The Boys & Girls Club frequently utilizes the Community Center Park for lunch time activities during the summer and they explained that afternoon availability of the Apricot Room would coincide well with their scheduled activities. Currently, the Apricot Room is used by the Active Adult Center (AAC) during the week for a variety of programs, such as strength training, dance classes, movies, and other programs that support the AAC. Except for special occasions, most AAC programs are finished by 1:30 p.m. Additionally, the Community Center is rented by businesses and families for a variety of rentals, such as private parties, church services, etc. However, most rentals are either scheduled after 5:00 p.m. or on the weekends. With the exception of two days when there are scheduled rentals, staff has verified that the Apricot Room is available between 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, from July 7 through August 15, 2025. Staff has reached out the Boys & Girls Club to let them know that the two days that are already scheduled would not be available. The Boys & Girls Club has agreed to set up and put away any tables and chairs that they use, and have agreed to complete light daily custodial duties, such as sweeping and emptying trash receptacles. The City’s custodial contractor already provides daily custodial services at the Community Center, so there would be no additional custodial costs associated with the use of the facility. Additionally, the AAC staff end their day at 4:00 p.m. and can secure the facility, so there would also be no direct staff costs associated with use of the facility. Should the Boys & Girls Club need to reserve the facility after 4:00 p.m., one of their supervisors will lock the facility and the City’s part time recreation staff will set the alarm during their normal rounds in the evening. Historically, the City Council has waived fees for non-profit organizations when the rental was a one-time event, when there were no fees required to attend or participate, and when the rental provided a benefit to Moorpark Residents. Because of this, the City’s current Facility Rental Fees were revised a few years ago to allow Moorpark non -profit organizations to use a facility at the City’s direct costs (Group 1 rate) when there are no fees to attend, the activity is not recurring, and attendance is less than 2,000. For instance, the Rotary Club’s annual Car Show is allowed use of the fields and parking lots at Arroyo Vista Community Park to hold their event, and are only charged the City’s direct costs, such as electrical costs, and vendor permit fees. Since participants are required to pay a fee to attend the Boys & Girls Club and the rental is recurring, use of the Apricot Room by the Boys & Girls Club would not qualify for the Group 1 rate and would require City Council approval to waive any fees. Although the rental is recurring, the rental is for a limited duration and will only occur for the six weeks previously mentioned. Additionally, although the Boys & Girls Club requires fees to participate in their programs, according to the Boys & Girls Club, the fees do not cover the costs to support their programming, and they rely heavily on sponsorships and fundraisers to operate. Should the City Council approve the fee waiver, staff will require that the Boys & Girls Club complete a standard rental application, including required 209 Honorable City Council 07/02/2025 Regular Meeting Page 3 insurance, and will require a $500 refundable security deposit to cover any damage to the facility. Additionally, if any direct costs are incurred by the City due to the use, the Boys & Girls Club will be required to reimburse the City for said costs. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it does not constitute a project, as defined by Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines. Therefore, no further environmental review is required. FISCAL IMPACT As mentioned previously, under the City’s Facility Rental Fees, Moorpark non-profit organizations are only allowed use of a facility at the City’s direct costs (Group 1 rate) when there are no fees to attend, the activity is not recurring, and attendance is less than 2,000. Since participants are required to pay a fee to attend the Boys & Girls Club and the rental is recurring, use of the Apricot Room by the Boys & Girls Club would not qualify for the Group 1 rate. The Boys & Girls Club qualifies as a Group 2 renter and would be required to pay fees equal to $68/hour for use of the Apricot Room, not including use of tables ($5/hr. ea.) or chairs ($0.25/hr. ea.), plus a permit application fee, and security deposit. Over the course of the summer, the total cost to the Boys & Girls Club would be equivalent to approximately $4,760 for the hourly fees, plus the costs associated with use of tables and chairs, which would depend on the number of tables and chairs used. There are some overhead costs that would be incurred by the City, such as the costs for electricity and water. Based on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 operating budget, staff estimates that it would cost approximately $175 for electricity and approximately $75 for water during the time that the Boys & Girls Club have requested to use the facility. The Boys & Girls Club has agreed to pay the City $225 to cover these costs. There are no anticipated direct costs to the City. COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE This action does not support a current strategic objective. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Waive rental fees for use of the Apricot Room at the Moorpark Community Center by the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark & Simi Valley from July 7 to August 15, 2025, as described in this report. 210