Report Prepared by: Michelle Reid, Recreation Supervisor, Parks and Recreation
Title
SUBJECT: Recommendation to the Merced City Council to Change the Disbursement Time Frame of the Wahneta Hall Trust Fund from June to September Allowing Staff Time to True the Amount to be Awarded by June 30th.
REPORT IN BRIEF
The Commission will provide a recommendation to the Merced City Council to change the disbursement time frame of the Wahneta Hall Trust Funds from June, the end of the fiscal year, to September allowing staff time to determine the exact amount available to award by June 30th.
RECOMMENDATION
Recreation and Parks Commission - Adopt a motion:
A. Recommending Approval to the Merced City Council of change of disbursement time from of the Wahneta Hall Trust Funds from June to September to the Merced City Council.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by staff (identify specific finding and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items (specific items to be addressed in the motion.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2020-21 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION
In 1995, the City Council adopted a motion accepting the trust conditions of the Wahneta Hall 1991 Trust by establishing an endowment fund. Provisions of trust require that the City of Merced use a specific portion for the endowment fund with interest income being designated to establish and maintain a mini-train system and/or band concert program in Applegate Park.
Traditionally, the Parks and Recreation Department sends letters of invitation in late February or early March to recipients from previous years and other possible interested parties to apply for Wahneta Hall Trust funds. These have included: the Merced County Arts Council, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Merced, the Merced Symphony Association, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Merced College Concert Band, Merced Marching 100, Golden Valley High School Band, El Capitan High School Band, The UC Merced Bobcat Band, Tenaya Middle School Band, Hoover Middle School Band, Cruickshank Middle School Band, and Rivera Middle School Band. The department also sends a press release to the local media notifying the public of the pending trust distribution and advertises on the Department website and Facebook page.
By the time applications are received by staff and sent to the Recreation and Parks Commission for a recommendation to the City Council, the actual amount in the Trust Fund fluctuates by the end of the fiscal year.
Staff is asking the Recreation and Parks Commission to recommend to the City Council to formally change the application and disbursement timeline to allow the Finance Department to determine exactly how much is available so applicants can receive the maximum benefit of the Trust funds. The change would move awarding applicants from June, when the Trust is still collecting funds, to September, after the fiscal year has closed and an exact available amount has been determined.
The new timeline would see letters of invitation mailed to potential applicants, press releases sent out, and the application period move to July. The applications would be reviewed by the Recreation Parks Commission in August, with final recommendations for funding sent to the City Council in September. After Council action, a request for payment will be submitted to the Finance Department and payment potentially disbursed by the end of the month.
The amount set forth in the invitation letters for Fiscal Year 2021 was $2,933. As of April 19, 2021, the new estimated distribution amount is $4,588. Two organizations submitted applications by the current April 2nd deadline based on the amount listed in the invitation letter. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Merced requested the full amount of $2,933 to be used to operate and maintain the train at Kiddieland in Applegate Park. The Merced Marching 100 requested $1,500 to hold a concert at the Merced Open Air Theater in Applegate Park.
Staff has contacted both applicants to inform them of the potential change to the timeline.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Awarded amount will be paid out of Fund 795 Wahneta Hall Trust Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Wahneta Hall Trust Letter of Invitation
2. Wahneta Hall Trust Press Release