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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - April 15, 1998 (59)AGENDA TITLE: Update Regarding All America Cities Award Application and Recognition of Volunteers MEETING DATE: April 15, 1998 SUBMITTED BY: Deputy City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION: Presentation. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The City of Lodi recently submitted an application to the National Civic League to be considered for an "All America City" award. Debi Baker and Mayor Pro Tempore Keith Land, representing Allstate Insurance, and Linda Hansen, as a citizen volunteer, put in many hours to assist City staff with the application packet. Ms. Baker and Ms. Hansen will be present during the Council meeting to be recognized for their community effort. A copy of the completed application is attached for Council's information. Respectfully submitted, Janet S. Keeler Deputy City Manager JSK:br J:/CM/JS K/CCCIVIC.DOC APPROVED: H. Dixon Flynn -- City Manager CIVIC LEAGUE OFFICERS Senator Bill Bradley, Chairman Anna Faith Jones, Vice Chairman Albert C, Gonzales, Treasurer :leather McLeod, Secretary Christopher T. Gates, President Gloria Rubio -Cortes, Vice President DIRECTORS Gigi Armbrecht Robert C. Bobb John Claypool R. Scott Foster Steve Glikbarg Dr. J. Eugene Grigsby, III Hubert Guest Or. John Stuart Hall Or. Lenneal J. Henderson, A. Dr. Theodore Hershberg James Howard Curtis Johnson ,lon. George Latimer Dr. David Mathews Robert H. Muller Sylvester Murray Betty Jane Narver Mark Pisano Janis Purdy Robert Rawson, Jr. Juan Sepulveda Carrie Thornhill Arturo Vargas David Vidal Linda J. Wong HONORARY LIFE DIRECTORS & FORMER BOARD CHAIRS John W. Gardner ('93-'96) Hon. Henry G. Cisneros ('89-12) Hon. William F. Winter ('88-'89,'93) Terrell Blodgett ('87-'88) Hon. Terry Sanford ('86-'87) James L. Hetland, Jr. ('82-'86) Hon. William W. Scranton ('70-73) Hon. Cecil Morgan ('56 -'59) NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE National Headquarters 1445 MARKET STREET SUITE 300 DENVER, CO 802024717 Tel. (303) 571-4343 FAX: (303) 571-4404 E-mail: ncl®ncl.org WWW: http://www.ncl.org/ncl Washington, DC Office Tel.: 202-783-2961 FAX: 202-347-2161 March 27, 1998 Dear All -America City Applicant: This letter is to confirm that we have received your community's application for the 1998 All -America City Awards. Your application has been processed and will be forwarded to the Screening Committee for review. I also wanted to pass along some tips for publicizing your community's involvement in the All -America City competition: ♦ Write a press release announcing that your community's application has been accepted by the National Civic League, and send it out immediately to local media outlets. Be sure to mention that Allstate Insurance Company is the program sponsor. It's a great opportunity to highlight the community problem -solving efforts underway in your area, and to recognize the efforts of the people who worked on your All -America City application. ♦ Prepare for the announcement of the Finalists. Inform your Mayor or other prominent local official that your community may be receiving national attention, and tentatively schedule a press conference for late in the day on Monday, April 20. ♦ Even if your community is not a Finalist, you still have an opportunity to put a positive spin on all your efforts. A press release about the unifying influence of the application process or the benefits of using the Civic Index to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your community could lead to positive media coverage, which could help keep your coalition together for another try next year, the 50th Anniversary of the All -America City Awards. If you would like assistance in crafting press releases or approaching the media, contact the National Civic League's Communications Specialist, John DeMuro, at 800.223.6004. Good luck to each of you! arole R. Bloom Director All -America City Awards 1998 OFFICIAL ENTRY - Part I Lodi San Joaquin CA (Community) (City, if different) (County) (State) List the individuals who actively participated in filling out the All -America City NAME/TITLE Linda Hansen Keith Land Debi Baker ORGANIZATION l � Volunteer v Council Member Allstate Insurance All -America City Award Contact: (Major contact person available throughout competition and for follow-up.) NAME Janet Keeter E-MAIL ADDRESS citymgt@lodi.gov TITLE Deputy City Manager ORGANIZATION City of Lodi ADDRESS City Hall, 221 W. Pine Street CITY\STATE\ZIP Lodi, CA 95240-5240 TELEPHONE (209)333-6700 _ FAX NUMBER (209) 333-6807 SIGNATURE ml� COMMUNITY STATISTICS FORM OF GOVERNMENT, if applicable: City Manager/City Council POPULATION (1995 or most recent) 54,812 source: CA Dept. of Finance POPULATION PERCENTAGE CHANGE (+ or-) (1985-1995) 32% source: Associate Planner POPULATION DENSITY (1995 or most recent) 4,445 persons/sq.mile source: Associate Planner PERCENTAGE MINORITY 22.5 % source: 1990 US Census RACIAL/ETHNIC POPULATION BREAKDOWN (percentage) White (non -Hispanic) 77.5 % Black 0.3 % Hispanic ( of any origin) 16.9 % Asian 4.5 % Native American 0.7 % Other 0.1 % source: 1990 U.S. Census MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME $30,739 source: 1990 U.S_ Census PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES (percentage of total employed in each) BELOW POVERTY LEVEL Manufacturing source: 1990 Census Trade (retail/wholesale) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE Agriculture source: CA E.D.D. Services POPULATION BREAKDOWN BY AGE GROUP (percentages) (if available) source: 1990 Census below 18 years 25.1 % 18-24 9.7 % 25-44 32.4 % 45-64 17.0 % Over 65 15.7 % source: 1990 Census PERCENTAGE OF HOME OWNERSHIP WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION BY INDUSTRY (percentage of total employed in each) Manufacturing 16.7 % Trade (retail/wholesale) 24.9 % Agriculture 3.2 % Services 407% Other 14.7 % source: 1990 Census 9.0 9.9% 52.4% 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part I - Page 2 COMMUNITY BACKGROUND: Set the background for your community's story. Summarize your general community situation (not the 3 specific projects described in subsequent application questions) and the community environment which contributed to and/or resulted from these undertakings. Insure the following points are covered: 1. The most basic challenges and concerns of the community; 2. Extent and nature of citizen participation in community improvement efforts; 3. Degree of success in realizing community goals; and 4. Success in including diverse populations in all phases of community improvement. Lodi understands community; we believe it is a verb, a call to action. Lodi has met challenges in our city with broad based fund raising efforts, development of organizations which address issues important to the community, and events which inform our citizens and celebrate our rich local heritage. Our surrounding area includes agriculture and grape growing, wine making, proximitiy to the Delta and river waterways, and diverse wildlife habitats that naturally occur in our area. The seasonal migrant workforce swells during the agricultural season which presents challenges for shelters, community food banks, and clothing closets. A concern in our community has been the provision of meaningful activities and recreational opportunities for our youth. Lodi has unequivocally responded to the small town's complaint of "there's nothing to do". Between the Youth Commission events and service opportunities, the daily programs at the Lodi Boys and Girls Club facility and gym, the Teen Center activities, the Boosters of Boys and Girls Sports organization serving over 4,000 youth annually, and an active Parks and Recreation Department with 22 public parks; the challenge to Lodi's youth is "can you do it all"? Depending on the issue at hand, anywhere from several Eastside neighborhoods to the entire City have been involved in community problem solving. When arson claimed the old Lodi High School building, the resulting ground swell of citizen participation has truly included all Lodians in the myriad fund raising activities including Field and Fair Day and the Brick -by -Brick campaign. The result has been a community center with conference facilities and a performing arts complex to be completed this Spring. The Eastside Improvement Committee (EIC) is a neighborhood based community effort which focuses on property improvements, alley lighting and resolving landlord -tenant issues. Due to EIC's effective work with City officials, the City of Lodi hired a community improvement manager in 1996 to assure a minimum housing standard and assist with code enforcement. The citizens of Lodi have chosen to focus on problems in a proactive manner. Our success has come largely from involving people in solutions before a community concern becomes a calamity. In Lodi, we don't wait for "someone" to do something. When issues are identified, citizens respond. On July 2, 1994 a 12 -year old girl was kidnapped from her home. Before the police even made a request, over 350 people showed up at the Police Department asking, "How can we help?" This cadre of citizens helped the police distribute fliers over a 100 -mile radius, one of which led to the identification of the suspect. The victim was recovered unharmed after 21 hours. Examples of more formal responses include Lodi Police Department's (LPD) community oriented policing strategy which challenges officers assigned to the same patrol area to develop relationships with residents and businesses. When a citizen requests, Police Officers respond to all calls for service. In 1997 LPD hosted four "Meet the Beat" events in neighborhood parks representing the four patrol areas of the City. These informal and interactive opportunities were a way for citizens to get to know their officers and let children meet the K-9 and equestrian branches of LPD. The police have a broad outreach effort with the Partner's program which includes nearly 100 senior volunteers, the 10 -week Citizens' Awareness Program, over 200 Neighborhood Watch groups involving about 8,000 participants, and an award-winning response to National Night Out. In 1996 Lodi received national recognition for being the number one participant among cities of our size for our August National Night Out celebration. Lodi's Police Partners were awarded the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award for outstanding volunteer service to their community in 1994. In 1995 the Partners were honored with the California Cities' Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Government Efficiency and Responsiveness. Continuing their tradition, the Partners were nominated for the President's Service Award through the Points of Light Foundation last year. 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part I - Page 3 1. On the next two pages, assess how well your community is doing based on each of NCL's ten Civic Index components (Review carefully the Civic Index included with application). Support your claims with examples. Please be candid and include not only positive assessments, but negative ones, indicating what is being done to overcome weaknesses." A. Citizen Participation In youth sports, participation is so high our playing fields are filled to capacitiy. The volunteer Boosters of Boys and Girls Sports programs currently include over 300 teams serving 4,000 children and utililzing 1,300 coaches and support staff. In our literacy effort, participants are increasing as additional languages are available. In 1997, Lodi's Adult Literacy Program trained ESL tutors and the numbers of students doubled from 50 to over 100; 50% of the students have a primary language other than English. Languages include Spanish, Italian, Korean and Russian. Over 1,000 area residents have learned to read with the help of literacy volunteers. Of the 1,000 new readers, approximately 90% are Hispanic. Lodi's sense of citizen participation can also be exemplified by its high voter turnout of 52% in 1996. B. Community Leadership Lodi's many service clubs are recognized as groups which include both formal and informal community leaders. When assistance was needed with park improvements, the Parks and Recreation Department recruited the help of service club members. These organizations include Lodi Lions Club, Japanese American Citizens League, Lodi Rotary Club, Lodi Greater Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout projects), and Lodi/Tokay Rotary Club. The service clubs provided 210 member -workers and over $200,000 in physical improvements to City parks. Lodi has a leadership training program offered through the Chamber of Commerce and two youth leadership training opportunities available to those under 18. Three formal leadership training programs are active in Lodi; the Lodi Youth Commission's "Teen Lead", established by the Mayor, is our teen's version of Leadership Lodi. C. Government Performance The City Manager and Lodi's five -member City Council have been accessible and responsive to citizen concerns. After receiving feedback from the Eastside Improvement Committee, the City hired a Community Improvement Manager who began working in 1996. This position enforces building, health and safety codes while assuring a minimum housing standard is provided for Lodi property owners and renters. Lodi is one of a few cities to have an "anti -ugly" ordinance which promotes property repair and clean up to eliminate public eyesores. The ordinance has a provision to assist with costs if the resident is unable to do so. Since the inception of this program, 500-750 properties per year have been cleaned up due to code enforcement. In a 1997 survey by Lodi Police Department, 96% of those surveyed rated Lodi as a safe place to live. D. Volunteerism and Philanthropy Hutchins Street Square has been celebrated for the past 18 years with "Field and Fair Day". This annual extravaganza includes 23 volunteer committees and attracted as many as 50,000 participants in 1991 when Vice President Dan Qualye visited Lodi. While one donor contributed 2.3 million dollars, the Square's "Brick by Brick" campaign has been a vehicle for all of Lodi to participate in an affordable way by buying one brick at a time to help build our center. Hutchins Street Square is a place our entire community has helped to support, and it houses programs and services for Seniors, Children, Teens and the Arts. Another example of a volunteer effort includes the Eastside Improvement Committee which has donated over 4,000 volunteer hours since towards the elimination of blight in the community. E. Intergroup Relations A 14 -agency coalition was formed to create Lodi's Teen Center in 1997. The coalition serves as a recent example of overcoming territory and bureaucratic boundaries in an effort to provide needed services and a neutral meeting place for Lodi's youth. Services and funding were made possible by businesses, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The Teen Center is staffed and administered by the Lodi Boys/Girls Club. The Lodi Boys/Girls Club provides service to 2,000 youth and is comprised of 75% Hispanic, 19% White, 1% Black, with the balance reflecting Asian and American Indian children. 95% of the youth are ages 12-18 with 75% categorized in the very low-income bracket, and 20% in the low-income bracket. Lodi is also proud of its Habitat for Humanity Program whereby single resident lots are purchased for eventual construction of homes for low-income 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part I - Page 4 F. Civic Education "If you train them young, they are leaders for life." That is the belief behind Lodi Youth Commission's Teen Lead Program and the Lodi Boys and Girls Club Junior Staff Development Program. Leadership Lodi is provided for citizens wanting to learn about local government and to network with civic and business people. Lodi's oldest community program is the Police Department's Citizens' Awareness Program. Started in 1978, this 10 -week series has been offered twice a year for the past twenty years. Over 1,500 people have graduated, enabling them to then ride -along with a police officer. This spring, the classes will be offered in Spanish for the first time. G. Community Information Sharing At Neighborhood Watch meetings and during National Night Out, crime prevention and personal safety information is provided to all participants along with crimes reported in their immediate area. Neighborhood crime data is provided by the quarterly "Watchdog", circulation 3,500. Hutchins Street Square has a clearinghouse of senior services information and Lodi's Crisis Care Nursery provides parenting information and listings of area programs specific to children. The Chamber of Commerce Street Fair includes numerous booths from public agencies distributing information concerning its programs and services. H. Capacity for Cooperation and Consensus Building In 1997, representatives from the Lodi News -Sentinel, Chamber of Commerce, Lodi Adopt -A -Child, Wal-Mart, Lodi Boys/Girls Club, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Loel Center, Association of Realtors, Boy Scouts of America, General Mills, TOYS FOR TOTS, and the Salvation Army teamed up to create the Lodi Community Christmas Board served over 3,000 low income youth. Lodi's recent $4 million Downtown Revitalizaton represents the City's support for its merchants. The Lodi Downtown Business Association and Lodi District Chamber of Commerce have combined to provide excellent events including Street Fairs, the Thursday Night Downtown Market, Snow Nights for children (featuring snow delivered by area truckers), and donating a vacant building shared by local artisans and area non-profit organizations for the November and December Holiday Fair. The crowning event is the Parade of Lights bringing over 15,000 I. Community Vision and Pride During the 20 -year evolution of our community center, the challenge for Hutchins Street Square has been to keep the shared vision in the forefront of the community planning process and to provide relevant services to continually gain donor dollars. Our great pride comes from seeing this project through to its success as a performing arts and conference center; a home for service agencies helping children, teens, and our seniors. On August 21, 1997, the Lodi Adopt -A -Child program obtained its non-profit corporation status, which was originally created by a Lodi Police Officer. It now boasts a 15 -member Board and 240 volunteers who are dedicated to coordinating the annual Christmas Adopt -A -Child event and the annual Back -To -School Shopping Spree. Over 1,000 underprivileged children have been the recipients of Christmas gifts and school supplies since the inception of the program. J. Regional Cooperation In November 1997, Lodi hosted its first Crane Festival, celebrating the Sand Hill Crane which is indigenous to this area. Focusing on "watchable wildlife", the festival attracted over 2,000 participants including 40% who were visiting from outside the Lodi area. There were 2,500 workbooks circulated to area third through fifth graders, and twenty regional agencies provided seminars, workshops, tours and exhibits including the Traveling International Children's Crane Art from Russia. From the Audubon and Sierra Clubs to local farm groups and the wine industry, over 80 volunteers worked together to make this a success. 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part I - Page 5 2. NCL believes a strong civic infrastructure provides the skills and processes for a community to effectively address important local issues. Using the ten components of NCL's Civic Index as a guide, discuss how your community's civic infrastructure is helping the community address its key challenges. Give examples of how your community has encouraged; 1. Collaboration between community sectors; 2. Broad-based citizen involvement; and 3. Shared decision making among diverse segments of the population. One of the primary challenges facing the City of Lodi is the deterioration of older neighborhoods found on the east side of our community. Crime problems have been enhanced by the presence of gang activity ranging from graffiti and vandalism to drive by shootings and homicides. Listening to residents and community action groups familiar with this area (the Eastside Improvement Committee and Gang Alternative Project), the major need indentified was the lack of a safe, neutral place for teens to have social activities and just hang out. It became the community's goal to open a Teen Center serving our City's youth, located in the east side neighborhoods. To assure a broad base of funding and citizen support, a collaboration between the nonprofit, local government and business sectors resulted in the creation of a 14 -agency coalition. The coalition's first goal was to locate a site for the Teen Center. Once an affordable facility was secured, the Lodi Boys and Girls Club agreed to staff and oversee the project providing social and recreational activities. By having the Teen Center administered by the Boys and Girls Club, the national programs and resources of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are available to teens and staff utilizing the Center. When teens were asked what they felt they most needed, teens identified employment opportunities and training to enter the workforce as their number one priority. The Junior Staff Development Program is an employment preparedness and on the job training program for teens offered by the Boys and Girls Club. The Teen Center also houses a computer skills lab and the Keystone Club which focuses on community service projects. Keystone members are currently assisting with the Lodi Lake clean up effort. The Lodi City Council awarded a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant for startup funding. Coalition members include the Lodi Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, Gang Alternative Project, Eastside Improvement Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Lodi Unified School District, Parks and Recreation Department, Lodi Fire Department, Lodi Police Department, Lodi Memorial Hospital, General Mills, P. G. & E., Mervyns and the Lodi News -Sentinel. With such broad based supporters, decision making is shared by all members of the community that the Teen Center serves. The new facility is located in the City's east side target area and will primarily serve youth from the surrounding neighborhoods which have been documented to be at least 51% low/moderate income. However, the Club does serve kids from throughout the City and even surrounding areas such as Woodbridge and Acampo. Lodi's LOEL Senior Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of today's senior community. The Center offers services designed to reach out to a diverse group of seniors to help them become more healthy, active and fulfilled in their daily lives. Its mission is to serve the educational, health and social needs of the senior community. This organization delivered 31,000 meals to home -bound seniors and served 25,682 meals at the Center in 1997. It has 20,000 active participants with 190 volunteers. Thirty separate services and activities are provided by the Center. LOEL Center averages 5,143 attendees per month with over 800 hours of volunteeer work per month, which equates to 9,600 volunteer hours! Lodi's Habitat for Humanity built one home in 1996 and two in 1997. There are 1,500 volunteer hours per house with 150-200 volunteers involved in each house.in 1992 the American Red Cross of San Joaquin County saw a need that could be filled by the youth of the County. In times of emergency these youth could assist its Disaster Action Team. These services include first aid stations at community events, emergency shelter operations and CPR instructors and aids. Explorer Post 911 consists of 25 youth, ages 14-21 and their adult advisors. In the floods of 1997, Lodi set up an emergency shelter for the outlying communities. Post 911 was there to set up and staff the shelter. In the past two years, Post 911 has had the leadership position and operational function of CPR Saturday in Lodi. Over 500 individuals have been trained in adult CPR. Each year a class has been given in Spanish for our bi-lingual citizens. The Allstate Foundation has been very supportive of Post 911. Over the past few years, the Foundation has provided $11,000 in grants to help the Post with emergency lighting, medical supplies and a trailer for them to use to become mobile. 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part II - Page 6 Part H Part II requires a description of three recent community -driven projects that have significantly impacted the community since 1995. The projects should illustrate the community's ability to 1) anticipate problems by proactively dealing with community challenges, and/or 2) respond in collaborative and resourceful ways to a current critical problem. Project one should reflect your community's commitment to youth. In addition, all projects selected should exemplify extraordinary civic accomplishments for your community, made possible by collaborative efforts of individuals and the public, private and nonprofit sectors. PROJECT ONE 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part Il - Page 7 IA. Briefly describe the first (Project 1) of the three projects that has significantly impacted the youth since 1995. In 1995 the Lodi Boys/Girls Club moved to its current home and now enjoys the physical space to accommodate its growing membership and additional athletic and recreational activities. The Lodi Boys/Girls Club is a non-profit youth agency that works with youths between the ages of 6-18 years from diverse backgrounds. The Club operates within a six -core program area developed by the Boys/Girls Club of America (Cultural, Citizenship & Leadership, Personal & Educational, Health & Physical, Social Recreational, Outdoor & Environmental). The main Club currently serves over 2,000 members each year with an average daily attendance of 250 youths. The Lodi Boys/Girls Club also opened its new Teen Center in March 1996. The Teen Center also operates with the same six -core program areas (with focus on gang intervention and prevention) provided to teens between the ages of 13-18 years. Its current membership is 104 members with an average daily attendance of 35 youths. Because of the Lodi Boys/Girls Club, the youth in our community have the opportunity to become a member, regardless of their background, and participate in programs that benefit them. This, in turn, has both immediate and longer term effects in our community (improved attendance and grades, improved work habits, increased self-image and self-confidence, increased volunteerism, and reduced gang activity). 1 B. What prompted the community to undertake this project?. Our community leaders, parents and citizens came together over 34 years ago with concerns regarding the increased divorce rate, decreases in family incomes and the increased numbers of troubled youths. The Lodi Boys/Girls Club stands today as a product of our community efforts then, and its continued support through the years. As the need for after school child care has grown, the Club's membership has increased annually. As year round school schedules were implemented by Lodi Unified School District, one-third of our community's youth are out of school at any given time. These factors combined to make a larger, year round facility a community priority. 1 C. What significant impacts has this project had on the community? Include quantifiable results as well as changes in the way the community confronts critical local issues. The Club's Teen Center was opened 45 days after funding was received. The 14 -agency coalition which created the Teen Center enabled this quick start and has enhanced the Teen Center's efficient management of limited resources. Since the Center's opening, three members are back in school and all members have a safe and supportive place to meet and to do their homework, enjoy social activities, and participate i sports.n sports. According to the Lodi Police Department, the crime rate in the neighborhood around the Center has declined by about 15% in the year since the Center opened. Teen Center members have a mentor program with the Lodi police officers and enjoy basketball games where the Center's team opposes (and often beats) the officers. The main Club facility provides a job training program which offers employment to some members as junior staff. The Sunrise program begins at 7:00 a.m., providing working parents a less expensive option than day care when children are out of school. With year round school for all elementary age children, affordable day care is one of our community's most needed services. The Sunrise program has an average daily attendance of 30 members. PROJECT ONE 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part II - Page 8 1 D. What attempts were made to involve the citizens directly affected by the projects in program development and to what extent were they successful? How were diverse segments of the population involved in the decision-making process? What general difficulties were encountered? The Lodi Boys/Girls Club utilizes volunteerism as one vehicle for achieving quality programs. The Club currently has six active volunteers, a 24 -member Executive Board and a 14 -member Advisory Board who all volunteer at Club fund raisers and events where the entire community is invited to join together and support the Club. The Club's governing board represents all segments of our community and includes City officials, business leaders, professionals, youth advocates, parents and a youth member. A challenge to Board members and Club staff is securing continual support from key donors, while developing an increasingly broader base of supporters throughout the community. The Board is currently preparing to undertake a capital campaign to provide more secure ongoing funding for Club operations. I. E. For project 1, list the principal groups and organizations involved and the number of members participating in these efforts. Summarize their contribution to the project. Name No. Participants Contribution Bank of America 15 $10,000 Farmers & Merchants Bank 12 $15,000 Lodi City Council 5 $1,000,000 P. G. & E. 40 $10,000 United Way 5 $30,000 Wine Grape Growers Association 650 $2,500 1F. For project 1, identify three individuals who were active leaders. (Include leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.) Na merritle Organization/Address Telephone Fred Weybret Lodi News -Sentinel (209) 369-2761 Owner 125 N. Church St. Lodi, CA 95240 Jack Sieglock Lodi City Council (209) 333-6702 Mayor City Hall, 221 W_ PineSt. Lodi, CA 952411910 Richard Jones Lodi Boys/Girls Club (209) 334-2697 CEO/Executive Director 275 E. Poplar St. Lodi, CA 95240 PROJECT TWO 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part II - Page 9 2A. Briefly describe the second main project (Project 2) that has significantly impacted the community since 1995. Lodi Police Partners include over 90 volunteers, age 50 and above who have completed 40 hours of training to act as support staff for Lodi's Police Officers. Partners must attend monthly meetings and volunteer at least four hours a week at Lodi Police Department. In 1996 the Partners donated 27,020 staff hours, a 20% increase over their 1995 hours. The Partners time is the equivalent of 13 full-time employees and provided an annual dollar benefit to the City of Lodi of $327,752. Partners handle an array of routine tasks, freeing officers for more critical duties. Partners assist in virtually every aspect of police operations, from greeting visitors at the front desk to putting up tape at crime scenes. Partners make vacation house checks, issue citations for those parking improperly in spaces reserved for the disabled and take evidence to area crime labs. Partners were especially visible during the 1997 flood watch, staffing the Command Center. When a power outage hits, Partners direct traffic and handle calls. Partners served over 300 hours assisting in the successful recovery of a 12 -year old girl who was kidnapped, and they recently located an 84 - year old man with Alzheimer's who was missing overnight. In 1997 Partners searched for and recovered six lost children and responded 24 hours a day to emergencey fire scenes, traffic accidents and crime scenes. 2B. What prompted the community to undertake this project?. At a time when local government was facing budget cuts, Lodi Police Department (LPD) wanted to continue providing a high level of public service. The community acknowledged that the police couldn't do it alone; additional service providers were needed. Seniors responded strongly to the call for volunteers; they embraced the need to relieve patrol officers and began providing services that did not require arrest authority. Police Partners provide service to Lodi's citizens by managing the property room, assisting in Police Records, fingerprinting, holding bicycle safety rodeos for elementary students and patrolling city parks. In 1996 and 1997, Partners completed 4,056 vacation house checks and none of the homes they "adopted" were burgalized. In a City which continues to experience steady and moderate growth, Partners help LPD keep up with the service delivery needs of law enforcement. Partners are also required to pay the $125 for their uniforms. 2C. What significant impacts has this project had on the community? Include quantifiable results as well as changes in the way the community confronts critical local issues. In 1997, Partners volunteered over 26,200 hours while driving nearly 37,000 miles to offer their services to Lodi residents. When the program began, there was some hesitation to assign work to the Partners beyond the obvious - staffing the front desk, stuffing envelopes, assisting at crime prevention functions and eventually doing house checks and tagging abandoned vehicles. As officers have seen the Partners' commitment and credibility, they have grown to be in high demand. Now, Investigations wants to use them, the Gang and Narcotics units want them; services they provide are emerging in all areas of LPD! A Partner recently stated, "It's something new everyday. As you get older, you need something to keep your mind working and this does. It's very gratifying. So many people sit at home and groan about things. Instead of complaining, people can do something about it. There's something everyone can do here." Partners provide a meaningful way seniors can continue to contribute to their community and enhance public safety. It is a way to empower seniors at at time when they may feel less included and more vulnerable. PROJECT TWO 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part II - Page 10 2D. What attempts were made to involve the citizens directly affected by the projects in program development and to what extent were they successful? How were diverse segments of the population involved in the decision-making process? What general difficulties were encountered? Partners include former City Council members, business leaders, a firefighter, a retired Navy Captain, university professor, and those with numerous civic and professional achievements ranging in diverse areas of experience. Partners have become involved in providing services the community requests and they self-select which duties they will perform. When Lodi Memorial Hospital or the City Parks Department needs assistance at their events, Partners direct traffic, provide crowd control and help with parking enforcement. Partners mark the walkers' route and staff rest and refreshment stations at "Walk for the Health of It" which attracts over 3,000 participants annually. Partners encounter some resistance from citizens who "want a real police officer", or complain that Partners are meddling in their neighborhood when responding to a complaint. Yet negative reactions are rare. Partners receive donations and letters of appreciation on a weekly basis for the work they do in Lodi. Their detractors are usually persuaded when they understand the support role of the Partners program. 2E. For project 2, list the principal groups and organizations involved and the number of members participating in these efforts. Summarize their contribution to the project. Name No. Participants Contribution Lodi Lions Club 60 Financial Omega Nu 104 Financial Sunrise Lions Club 40 Financial Target 65 Vehicles Wine & Roses Country Inn 12 Appreciation Dinner 2F. For project 2, identify three individuals who were active leaders. (Include leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.) Name/Title Organization/Address Telephone Larry Hansen/Jeannie Biskup Lodi Police Department (209) 333-6725 Police Chief/Supervisor 230 W. Elm St. Lodi, CA 95240 Paul Alamo Alamo Alarms (209) 369-7749 Business Owner 431 N. Cluff Avenue Lodi, CA 95240 James "Don" Roe Lodi Police Department (209) 333-6727 Partner Volunteer 230 W. Elm St Lodi, CA 95240 PROJECT THREE 1998 All -America City Award Application, Part II - Pagel l 3A. Briefly describe the third main project (Project 3) that has significantly impacted the community since 1995. The development of a 10 -acre, abandoned high school campus as a future community center was the impetus of local volunteers to create a Foundation to raise private funds that would finance the capital construction projects while partnering with the City government to maintain and operate the facility. In 1997, the City Council approved a loan to the Old Lodi Union High School Foundation of $10 million to build an 800 -seat state-of-the-art performing arts theatre, five conference rooms and an outdoor 250 -seat Greek amphi- theatre. Since 1980, the Foundation has raised over $6.5 million to build a three -acre park, a Fine Arts Facility, a Senior Information Center, an indoor, therapeutic swimming pool, an Adult Day Care Center licensed for 30/day and Camp Hutchins, a Youth Day Care Center. The Adult Day Care Center provides activities for semi -dependent seniors while at the same time providing respite for care givers. The dynamics of the Community Center has led to the development of an 11 -member Arts Commission, a seven - member Senior Commission, an 1 1 -member Youth Commission, a joint partnership with Lodi Memorial Hospital and the City of Lodi for Adult Day Care and the recovery of the Chamber of Commerce's abandoned Visitors' Bureau. 3B. What prompted the community to undertake this project?. The community experienced a great loss when this local landmark was destroyed, which brought forth a surge of alumni willing to assist in the building of a community center. In 1974, the old Lodi Union High School building was set ablaze by an arsonist. After the school was destroyed, it was abandoned and thus an eyesore became an even greater blemish to the community. Recognizing the need to salvage the abandoned and drug infested site from future decay, volunteers organized local architects to master plan an all encompassing program that would touch and benefit all ages of area residents. No City general funds were available to outright buy and build the project without a partnership and buy -in from local community members, private enterprise and civic organizations. The Foundation provided the leadership and the vision to bring the project to fruition. 3C. What significant impacts has this project had on the community? Include quantifiable results as well as changes in the way the community confronts critical local issues. The project has developed and benefited the community in a variety of ways, including: l) developed a Senior Informaton Center that handles 700+ calls monthly for insurance, medical, advocate and legal problems relating to seniors and their families; 2) created a unique water therapy program, one of the few arthritis rated pools in Northern California and expands the use of the facility to assist patients in the hospital's physical therapy program. Arthritis pool therapy classes are held four times per day with an average class size of 35 participants; 3) monitors and improves youth connections with local government, advises on policy and creates environments that expand opportunities for education, employment and social avenues; 4) networks industry, government and private business in volunteer activities to work side-by-side to create a facility that cuts across all socio-economic lines to benefit the community; and 5) develops economic opportunities for the revitalized downtown by marketing facilities and connecting with local businesses for ancillary services, including hotel/motel accomodations and other tourism opportunities. The Annual Youth Conference attracts over 2,000 youth participants from five area high schools. PROJECT THREE 1998 Alt -America City Award Application, Part 11- Page 12 3D. What attempts were made to involve the citizens directly affected by the projects in program development and to what extent were they successful? How were diverse segments of the population involved in the decision-making process? What general difficulties were encountered? Community citizens of Lodi have long recognized the opportunity and challenge of identifying a concern and working with City government to fashion either a change or improvement. The establishment and existence of the independent, Council -appointed Commissions as guiding lights, allows buy -in from diverse groups of Lodi residents. Commissions working at the facility include: Senior Commission, Youth Commission, Arts Commission, Field & Fair Day Committee and Joint Committee on Adult Day Care. Each of these groups of individuals represents a segment of the Lodi community that have vested interests in the cultural and recreational opportunities at the site. 3E. For project 3, list the principal groups and organizations involved and the number of members participating in these efforts Summarize their contribution to the project. Name No. Participants Contribution All Lodi Service Clubs 500 Field and Fair Day contribution Old Lodi UHS Site Foundation 25 Provided leadership to maintain focus to raise money to build project and to coordinate volunteers. Omega Nu Sorority 60 Created large fund raisers & dollars. Led the charge to stimulate community interest. 3F. For project 3, identify three individuals who were active leaders. (Include leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.) Name/Title Organization/Address Telephone Charlene Lange Community Center (209) 333-6872 Community Center Director 125 S. Hutchins St. Lodi, CA 95240 Bruce Burlington San Joaquin Sulphur (209) 368-6676 Volunteer - Businessman 720 N. Sacramento Street Lodi, CA 95240 Terri Whitmire Lodi Memorial Hospital (209) 334-3411 Volunteer - Adult Day Care Center 975 S. Fairmont Ave. Lodi, CA 95240