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Item 4L
)U CITY SOUTHLAKE OF MEMORANDUM January 19, 2010 TO: Shana Yelverton, City Manager FROM: Chris Tribble, Director of Community Services SUBJECT: Approve SPDC Matching Funds request from Southlake DPS Citizens Association (SDCA) in the amount of $50,000 for Southlake Safety Town Action Requested: City Council approval of the SPDC Matching Funds request from the Southlake DPS Citizens Association in the amount of $50,000 toward the construction of Southlake Safety Town Background Information: Southlake DPS Citizens Association (SDCA) is a non - profit organization in Southlake that is working with the City's Department of Public Safety and Community Services Department to construct Southlake Safety Town on park property located west of the DPS West facility off Randol Mill Drive and Southlake Boulevard. Safety Town will be a miniaturized version of a downtown, used to promote and teach safe practices for children within the community through educational programs and interactive facilities. The current estimated construction cost for the development of Safety Town is $1,375,051. Funding for the project in the amount of $584,000 has been allocated to date. Fundraising is ongoing for the project. To date, SDCA has raised $128,100 towards the project from sponsors and are actively seeking additional sponsorships. SDCA was awarded $50,000 in SPDC Matching Funds by City Council on April 15, 2008. As SDCA continues raising funds to cover their portion of the total cost needed for construction of Safety Town, they will periodically seek SPDC matching funds to hold in reserve until such time as construction may commence. Construction may begin as early as Mid - March. Financial Considerations: SPDC Matching Funds in the amount of $250,000 were allocated within the FY 2010 SPDC CIP Capital Budget. To 4L -1 Shana Yelverton, City Manager Meeting Date — February 16, 2010 Page 2 of 2 date, $16,000 in matching funds has been approved and allocated and $81,000 is pending approval and allocation: KSB planters $8,000 ($16,000 total) o approved and allocated Tennis Court $40,500 ($81,000 total) o pending approval and allocation If the current request for $50,000 ($100,000 total) from SDCA is granted, an unencumbered balance of approximately $53,000 would remain in the FY 2010 Matching Funds budget. Strategic Link: This item is linked to the City's Strategy Map related to the focus area of Safety and Security, Quality Development, Performance Management and Service Delivery and Partnerships and Volunteerism. It meets the corporate objectives to Achieve the Highest Standards of Safety and Security, Provide Attractive and Unique Spaces for Enjoyment of Personal Interests, Provide High Quality Customer Service, Actively Promote Opportunities for Partnerships and Volunteer Involvement, and to Invest to Provide and Maintain High Quality Public Assets. Citizen Input/ Board Review: Parks Board recommended approval of the request at their February 1, 2010 special meeting. SPDC will consider the request on February 16, 2010 just prior to the City Council meeting. Legal Review: Not applicable. Alternatives: Alternatives may include the following: • Approval as presented • Approval with input as desired • Decision not to approve Supporting Documents: Supporting documents include: ■ SPDC Matching Funds request form Staff Recommendation: City Council approval of the SPDC Matching Funds request from the Southlake DPS Citizens Association in the amount of $50,000 ($100,000 total) for Southlake Safety Town. 4L -2 PROJECT MATCHING FUNDS REQUEST FORM Project Name: Southlake Safe! Town Contact Person: Anne Wise Mailing Address: SDCA P.O. Box 93081 City: Southlake State: TX ZIP: _76092 Day Phone: _214- 207 -7354 Night Phone: Same — Fax No. Additional Contact Person: Genny Hale Day Phone: 817 348 8597 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Southlake Safety Town is a miniature town environment that will teach children all about safety. Southlake Safety Town will be open for all in the Northeast Tarrant County area to come to classes and to be able to utilize the town. The Safety Town curriculum will first target children from pre- school to fifth grade. As the program develops we hope to expand the curriculum to include middle and intermediate school age. Curriculum is being developed with materials from the National Safety Town Center, Southlake DPS personnel and teachers for the Carroll ISD. Southlake Safety Town is needed because unfortunately in our schools today they do not have the available time to spend on safety like they use to be able to do. The extra classroom time is now allotted to TAKS preparation. Field trips are still on the schedule and Southlake Safety Town will be an excellent environment to teach the safety courses children need. Southlake Safety Town curriculum was developed by the National Safety Town Center in Ohio. We have taken their courses and have tailored them to meet the needs of the children in the Northeast Tarrant County area. The curriculum will be broken down by age group so returning students get fresh information each year they participate. We are also working with the Frisco Safety Town to incorporate some of the curriculum that they have developed for Texas students. Southlake Safety Town is an aid for teaching young children basic pedestrian, bicycle and helmet safety. It will also cover fire safety habits, severe weather safety, and computer safety. Southlake Safety Town will assist parents in teaching the foundational rules of the road to their school age children, skills that are important not only for the child's immediate safety, but also are the building blocks for good citizenship. This program will also teach children trust and respect for the Department of Public Safety officers. The safety classes will be taught in an specially designed education building to incorporate the `at home environment' through a kitchen set with the typical hazards found in one's own kitchen, a bedroom that will fill with smoke so children learn how to escape the room safely and where to go, and to also become with storm warning and where to seek safety. The town itself will consist of miniature buildings, light fixtures, traffic signals and signage and other traffic items consistent with Southlake and surrounding areas, such as round -a- bouts. The children will have access to bikes and helmets as well as battery`Qperated cars that will teach good driving practices We anticipate that in our first year of operation that we should serve close to 45,000 students. Southlake /Carroll 1SD has agreed that Southlake Safety Town is a great environment to teach children basic to advanced safety habits. We anticipate that once we are up and running that the surrounding communities of Grapevine, Colleyville, Keller, Roanoke and Trophy Club will also send their students on field trips to Southlake Safety Town. The classes will be taught by professionals but will also have high school age students assisting in the classes, this will further instill in them good safety and driving practices. Required Start Date: Projected Completion. Date: Projected. Cost: $1.5 Million Amount of Funds Requested: ,_$50,©00