Title
Recommendation to Approve an Updated Slate of Recreation and Parks Department Community Events. (Recreation 280)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City), via the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD), coordinates numerous community events throughout the year. The COVID-19 Pandemic resulted in the cancellation of all City-led events. In recent months, staff has been evaluating community events. The level of interest and anticipated attendance, as well as inclusivity and diversity have all been used as criteria to evaluate. The proposed updated and reimagined slate of community events reflects these considerations and values.
BACKGROUND
ARPD has a long history of providing community events, many of which have been in place for decades with the longest running event being the 108th Alameda City Tennis Tournament this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all community events were cancelled in 2020 and only a few smaller events are returning in 2021. As we look toward bringing back large community events in 2022, it is also a unique opportunity to reimagine City-sponsored community events and consider what is working well and what could change. Additionally, the community continues to reflect on the values of inclusion, diversity, and equity.
DISCUSSION
The Reimagined ARPD Community Events (Exhibit 1) lists “Primary Events” and “Secondary Events.” The Primary Events are large in scale and scope and require a significant amount of staff time and larger budgets. These events generally draw thousands of attendees. The Secondary Events are smaller in scope with either a smaller amount of staff resources required to coordinate and/or are in collaboration with an external organization that manages most of the event coordination.
The following is a description of the Primary Events being proposed.
Existing/Continuing Primary Events
The Sandcastle and Sandsculpture Contest is recommended to remain unchanged. This is a well-loved, uniquely Alameda event with large attendance each year. This event is co-sponsored by the East Bay Regional Park District and Bayview Women’s Club.
The Starlight Movies in the Park, co-sponsored by the Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation, is recommended to continue with enhancements. Specifically, adding a movie in August (currently there is a movie night in June, July, and September) and rotating locations so that each movie is in a different park across the City to enhance geographical equity. In addition, staff will continue to evaluate the possibility of adding live music and food trucks. Finally, there may also be an option for a fifth (“Dive-in”) movie, where people could relax on the pool deck or on pool floats in the water while watching the movie.
The Fourth of July Parade is a well-established event in Alameda and the City will coordinate this event for the first time in 2022 (a team of community volunteers had coordinated the event in prior years). While the coordination of the event is being moved to ARPD, we don’t anticipate significant changes anticipated for this event.
New/Reimagined Primary Events
The new Spring Earth Festival event is a combination of the Earth Day Festival and Spring Egg Scramble events. The Egg Scramble, while well-attended, is logistically problematic and is focused on a Christian holiday; therefore, it is not inclusive of our residents of many faiths and religions. The Spring Earth Festival is envisioned to include community organizations, educational, and interactive activities about Earth Day and climate change, music and possibly a skate or bike fest plus family friendly competitions such as 3-legged races.
The Water Festival Regatta is a completely new event that celebrates Alameda as a community next to and surrounded by water. This would be an opportunity for people to get out on the water and try new sports and activities at the newly improved Encinal Boat Launch Facility. ARPD will collaborate with local paddling and boating organizations to create opportunities for residents to get in a sailboat, outrigger canoe, dragon boat, or paddle board and to try fishing for the first time or possibly participate in a fishing derby. This event could also include demonstrations by the U.S. Coast Guard as well as landside activities with Alameda’s maritime companies.
The Storytelling and Drumming Festival is an incredible opportunity to host storytellers, drummers and puppeteers from many diverse cultures and communities. Examples could include Indigenous, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, LGBT and Jewish storytellers as well as African and Japanese drumming. It is envisioned to be an indoor event at Mastick Senior Center with headliner storytellers in the main hall and workshops in smaller rooms where people can learn how to tell their own stories, create puppets, hear local storytellers, learn how to drum and more.
The Mayor’s Tree Lighting Ceremony is the most expensive community event, costing over $10,000 and utilizing a significant amount of staff resources while only attracting 300 - 500 attendees. This event also focuses primarily on one religion and does not represent or include everyone in our community. ARPD has attempted to be more inclusive in this event by adding a lighted menorah and peace sign, posting banners representing many winter holidays (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and Christmas), and including a local Jewish choir in the music line up. However, none of this is enough to be truly equitable and feel inclusive of all cultures and faiths. The recommendation is to instead decorate City Hall with white lights to celebrate the season and ARPD will coordinate for the Mayor to light a tree at business districts such as South Shore and to light a menorah at a Hanukkah celebration.
Staff is also currently in discussion with the Downtown Alameda Business Association and local residents to help coordinate a new Pride in the Park event at Chochenyo Park. This event is tentatively planned for October 2022 and could include live music such as the East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus performance, a children’s area, food and drinks, drag show, and an evening Pride Pub Strut on Park Street.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve the new slate of community events as presented.
• Approve any configuration of these community events. However there is a financial impact to keeping existing larger events such as the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Earth Day while also adding new proposed events.
• Not approve the reimagined community events which will keep the existing events in place.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no additional financial impact to the City from approval of a reimagined slate of community events. The Fiscal Years 2021-23 budget appropriation is $207,417 for community events, including staff expenditures. This total budget is sufficient for the reimagined events due to the elimination and adjustment of higher cost events such as the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Earth Day.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This action is not a project pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve an updated slate of Recreation and Parks Department community events.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the Recreation and Parks Director.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Reimagined ARPD Community Events
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager