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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS05-City Administrator .- :) '-" C I T Y 0 F SAN B ERN A R DIN 0 INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE DATE: December 4, 1994 TO: Mayor and Common Council FROM: Shauna Clark, City Administrator SUBJECT: Request for fee waiver - Seccombe Lake Park COPIES: Annie Ramos, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services ------------------------------------------------------------------- In a letter dated November 29, 1994, Ms. Donna Conant has asked the Mayor and Council to waive all costs associated with using Seccombe Lake Park for a sit-down dinner for the homeless to be'held Sunday, December 18, 1994. City fees associated with this event are listed below: 1. Damage bond: $750.00 (201 to 500 participants) 2. Clean Up dep: $750.00 (201 to 500 participants) 3. Park rental fee: $75.00 In addition to city fees and permits, the County charges for health inspections which must be obtained prior to serving food. According to Section Five, Subsection I, of Resolution 94-66 establishing fees for pUblic facilities, liThe Mayor and Common Council may exempt non-profit associations...organized primarily for...civic betterment or charitable purpose or any local civic or charitable organization" from the park rental fees upon a finding ". . . that the fee would create a financial hardship jeopardizing the activity or event planned and that the activity or event will be of unusual benefit to the residents of the city and should be supported with public funds...". There are no provisions to waive the clean up deposit or damage bond. The Mayor and Council have two choices: 1. That waiver of the $75.00 park rental fee be granted based upon a finding that Ms. Conant's group is a non-profit civic association organized primarily for civic betterment or charitable purposes, that the $75 fee is a financial hardship, that public funds should be used because the event is of unusual benefit to s-s c '-" Memo to Mayor and Council Request for fee waiver - Seccombe Lake Park December 4, 1994 Page 2 the residents of the city, and that Ms. Conant be required to pay all necessary deposits and bonds and obtain all necessary permits prior to receiving the fee waiver and park permit. - Or - 2. preclude fees are That the fee waiver be denied. (Note: This does not Ms. Conant from using the park as long as all necessary paid and permits are obtained) ~~~~/ /City Administrator , . "...., '-' ~ov. ? 1994 ~./ 1200 Hi 11 Drive San Bernardino. CA Mayor and Common Council 300 "D" St. San Bernardino, CA I am addressing you today in behalf of the homeless of San 8erna~d;no. . For t~e last two years at Court Street Square. and for three years before that in other parts of the city, the students at Cajon High School have been helping to feed homeless people in San Bernardino. For two years ~efore that students from Colton participated in feeding homeless people. For at least five years before that students from other schools where I have worked have fed homeless people. Throughout this time I have been involved in this project I have not seen solutions for this problem. The poor continue to live in boxes. under br i dges, in pa r ks, in a bandoned autos. They don't go away. Mostly they live in the downtown area. It seems that we have not yet resolved the issue of discrimination surrounding the use of Court Street Square to feed homeless people. but the holidays are upon us. We still want to offer food and caring to these unfortunate people who, at this time, are not able or willing to help themselves. So I appeal to you to grant me the funds required by the city to use Secombe Park on Dec. 18, 1994 to provide a holiday meal for the homeless of our city. S-.s-' ,- "-' <..." , ~ About fifteen yea;'s age -~w a Donahue st,ow that ,:,c"nged my 1 i fe. ~a 1~terviewed ~ ~umber of ~'ome 3SS ~~.,=,:= ;j': e w no descriop.: , ,~ ;\/83 -j n '.)on~ c det.1' They ::oio doaut :; ,-' ,"j':;l ,~~ .~umo3t2rs to Obt~i~ f'Jod. A3 .3 esu -i t ..] f tha l: prCJ-j ..:.....: ~) :,'=';1 ,1 n try to e~t as ~ homeless ~ei~30n ~ig~t aat. : .~. ..... -co \]urnost?r"'5, waited outside af fast foc= - :aS2S. ana rescued "good" garoage ror:;::,l:: week. 1 ~.~~ 3 o:a~8 ~o go, ,~nc aftar my a~~C~lrSlons into tne C~~;~lcscer, returnee to a warm. safe '.'-:)(ll8 W(i8re tecK .3 Shower. .~ashed my clot~as. scrubbed dnc ~eeled tne vegetao1es, boili~a them thoroughly, 3G,3S0nea t~em. ,3na ::~en .~t3 them. They s t ill s me 1 1 ed 1 i ke a .jurnpste,""'. My ':i,",t:2 I lect ::Jid that the fOOd was ~ou~ish1r~g and no 1onge~ ~ontaminatad. ~ut my emotions to.j a .":'1-=:- NclS eating fOOd that was unfit for human .:cnsurnot --; on. rt NdS ;J~e week too ~ong for Ine. hated everything at2. !t was all reoulsive and disgusting to ~e. Tf~~~~ ~s an :ndi.3n oroverb that says something to the effect that you should not judge t~e way a man walks until '/:=:.... ".ave WQ('n his moccasins. Afta~' ~ne week 2xcloring ~~rrloste~s. I have a fee~ for what the :'ome~ess have .::',-<..:::.er"fenced. S1(')d I .'''1ad ,3 ,~cof. 3hower. 'A'ds.""'\er and ;jryer. d..,e coo~, 1,'-::-, feU':: ~ - it"18S. ~~ ~e end O~ ~:'~at ~eek orarnised t~dt '-'IOU ld do Nora te\/e,"" :.:cu I d '.' :18: 0 tnose in r~a2d . You have ::).~nahue :::~"') .-: ,'" .:J I; ~'Jr :T1Y Jr2Sence i1ere r~Jday. ~;t~out that ~rogram .. '._' '~. ".J ::~e <:1,~ wa (' 2:) f -:-;'7 <~e;..;::h a;,d omnipresent ,lee.::. t" ~. 3 , ,j I mentioned that the students at Cajon have been participating in helping the homeless. They are doing much more than that. These students visit the elderly in convalescent hospitals. They sing and dance and make valentines for the elderly. Mrs. McGregor's choir classes are presently collecting cans to buy food for homeless children. She also puts on a Christmas program each year. Price for adlnission, just one can of food for the hungry. Peer Leadershic collects stuffed animals for the children of AIDS. Student Council puts together Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for those in need. I am Sure similar programs exist in the other schools in San Bernardino. I know that at Pacific, several teachers coordinate an International Picnic to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the multi-ethnic cultures we find on our campuses. When I started this program of feeding the homeless at Cajon, one parent gave me thirteen turkeys and 100 pounds of potatoes. Other parents participated. Yearly, about fifty students and parents from Cajon turn out to help with the meals we fix for the needy. This is not the same group year by year; these kids graduate. We have a new group each year. These students have a vision that they can do something to make a difference in this world, in San Bernardino. They know they make a difference in this .. c '. .I world. They have seen hungry people fed. They have touched the face of a child wearing a dirty poncho and a dirty smile. I've overheard them say, "I wish I could take off my clothes and give them to these people." These are the leaders, not of to~orrow, but of today. I say of today, because I believe that because of what we do here today, you will be changed and want to do more to help those in need. . We live in complicated times. I read in the Sun recently that San Bernardino is the second worst city in the U.S. in regards to crime. That's right, isn't it, Dr. Carlin? I'm sure I remember you reading that statistic to the Council. Which of us hasn't been touched by family or friends whose lives have been ravished by drugs? Which of us doesn't know of a teenager who has been murdered? As if what is happening in our immediate neighborhood isn't enough, we watch or read the horrible news about what is happening in Los Angeles. My point is we S2n make a difference in our community. Last year I had a quintuple bypass. There are action steps to take for recovery. You will easily follow my analogy, I'm sure. Part of my heart is not functioning correctly. But the muscle of my heart must be exercised regularly and patiently. I must continue to lose weight. Of course, watch my diet, and drink plenty of water. The part of my heart that does work must carry the load for the rest of it. The working part is not sitting -.- - ----_.,-~._-~---~-- --. ._--._._._.--_.~ --.-..---. 5 ",........ '- ........ around complaining that it has to work harder. it is just overjoyed that it is still beating and that it is getting blood to the rest of my body. Even my hair is growing better. Last year when I wanted to use Court Street Square to feed the homeless. Tim Steinhaus gave me tons of reasons why I shouldn't. . no food. mind you. just lots of excuses. He said that the Square didn't have bathroom facilities for 200 people. Well. shortly thereafter there was a carnival and later yet there was snow and ice. I think that there were 2000 people there. Tim said that the Square was designed to entertain people. I told him that he would be happy to know we would entertain them. We had a Sunday brunch and fed about 200 people and had IT Day (that's International Togetherness) and held a five-hour program put on by people from allover San Bernardino. the bulk of whom were students from Cajon High School. Tim was not happy. This week he suggested that I out on the Thanksgiving Dinner at Cajon High School, that's way out by the University, probably about eight miles. I don't think the calories produced in food would cover the sixteen-mile trek. --_-'_0" '~__'_~_'_'_'_"";"#".__.___._.~'__, .._~. 6 --. '-' ,,.-' But it's become a bigger issue than calories now. It's a matter of discrimination. One thing Tim said was that the Square was not made for "those people" to come to. He said that the Mayor and Council told him that the Square could not be used to feed the homeless, that they didn't want to encourage "those people" to come to the square. Although Tim says that the Square is not designed - to feed large groups of Deoole, every Friday night you can see people kickin' it, listening to music, drinking beer, and EATING. I believe they even used the bathrooms. I found myself not believing Tim Steinhaus. The Mayor, himself attended IT DAY and saw the homeless there, yet he wrote a proclamation supporting IT DAY the following year. ~hat in more international than the group of homeless who inhabit the streets of San Bernardino. You see all cultures, ages, sexes, religious faiths. You see a microcosm of San Bernardino; you see the heart of downtown San Bernardino. Yes, it is the part of the heart that is not working, but it is still alive. ~e who are working should rejoice that this group , . i 1ves. We who live in the periphery of the downtown area should rejoice that we work and can pump life into the non-working part. Imagine what would happen to my body if the working part of my heart said, "I'm not sending any more blood to you in that left ventricle. You're not , sharing the work of the heart, you're just dead weight. Boy, are you a piece of junk!" We must think of the heart in the matter of having heart, of having compassion. ......... '- 7 ",,,,,_,J Tim Steinhaus told me on Thursday afternoon that the Mayor and Council told him that the homeless could not be fed at Court Street Square. He wants to know why J and students from Cajon High School want to use Court Street Square to feed the homeless a Thanksgiving dinner there. There are lots of reasons: a covered place in case of inclement weather. electricity. tables. central location. We are taking the food to the heart of the problem, and if we can't do some little thing to help these people occasionally, then just what is the purpose of all of our computerized programs and giant expenditures to improve the downtown area? The benchmark of a society is the manner in which it treats its weakest members, those who cannot speak or fight for themselves. Look around, do you see the homeless here? Which of you campaigned for the vote of the homeless? Which of you encouraged them to register to vote? Why not? These are the disenfranchised. J've heard the homeless comment that they appreciate so much what the kids are doing for them. They appreciate the smiles, the caring, the loving preparation of that food. Why do you go home for Thanksgiving? You can get calories at the Salvation Army. But love comes from the heart of these young people who know they can make a difference in one little part of their world. .;"-'" r"",. '-' ''''''; What I want to know is this. did Tim tell me the truth? Did the Mayor and Council tell him that the students of Cajon High School, or any high school, could not use Court Street Square to feed homeless people. Can the Square be used to sell, booze and food, but not to give a Thanksgiving meal to those who have no home to go to? I don't think you want that. I think you have more respect for those homeless human beings than that. I believe . . that the people of San Bernardino, and the Mayor and the Council are actually inspired by the work of young people like this, young people that sometimes come from an environment that is no more than one board removed from the people they are going to help. And that board could be the one you are sitting on today. Today I am inviting you to waive the costs, fees, and expenses related to using Secombe Park to give a sit-down dinner to the homeless people of San Bernardino on Sunday, December 18. 1994 for the holidays. I don't know all the expenses related to this venture, but I know it includes a park rental fee, insurance, cleanup, security. and some kind of food permit. I'm askinag the Mauor and Common Council to provide for any such expenses required by the City, Parks and Recreation Department. and the Health Department. Isn't this, after all, what we all want to see: young people making a difference in their community. This is what this generation of youth has to offer their community and their world. We are taking heart to the heart of San Bernardino to give heart to people who have '0>' h.mIl::::: I;)~~~