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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12a - Operation Hometown Heroes Program RestructuringOperation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 4 of 5 DATE: May 4, 2021 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager By: Michael Bruckner, Deputy City Manager Laena Shakarian, Management Analyst SUBJECT: OPERATION HOMETOWN HEROES PROGRAM RESTRUCTURING Recommendation: Approve SUMMARY In 2005, the Arcadia City Council approved the creation of the Operation Hometown Heroes Program (“Program”). The Program is a military tribute that salutes Arcadians that are currently serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. As part of Operation Hometown Heroes, participants’ names are listed on the Hometown Heroes Billboard (“Billboard”) located on the grounds of Arcadia City Hall. In 2018, as part of the discussion for artwork at the new Le Méridien Hotel, the City Council expressed a desire to make the Hometown Heroes display a more permanent and fitting tribute to Arcadia residents in the military. At the February 4, 2020, City Council Meeting, the City Council voted to approve a tribute to Anita Baldwin at that location and for staff to develop other alternatives for updating the Program. Staff has prepared a range of options for the City Council to consider, which are described fully in this report. It is recommended that the City Council approve the removal of the existing Billboard and replace it with a digital Program on the City’s website along with a flag tribute during Armed Forces Week. The cost of the proposed program includes a one-time donation of $1,000 to the Arcadia Rotary Club, and approximately $2,000 in ongoing costs for the annual tribute event for Armed Forces Day. BACKGROUND In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent deployment of America’s Armed Forces in the War on Terror, in 2005 the Arcadia City Council approved the creation of an Operation Hometown Heroes Program. The Program included the construction of a Hometown Heroes Billboard along Huntington Drive near the entrance Operation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 2 of 6 to City Hall that features the names of Arcadia residents who serve in America’s military. The current list of active duty Arcadians in the military includes approximately 65 names. While the Billboard is well maintained and professionally presented, it was constructed out of plywood on the expectation that the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be a long-term engagement. More than 15 years later, the Billboard remains in place even as our nation’s conflicts abroad have largely abated. The Billboard is updated annually to reflect the ever-changing group of Arcadia residents serving in the military, removing names of those discharged from service, as well as to refresh the paint. The potted plants that were placed near the Billboard generally have been left unattended, reducing the overall attractiveness of the display. Since 2005, the City has spent approximately $4,300 to update and maintain the Billboard. In 2018, the City Council approved a Development Agreement (“Agreement”) for a new Le Méridien Hotel along Huntington Drive. Included in that Agreement was a provision for the installation of a public art piece at the northeastern focal point of Huntington Drive. During the approval process, the City Council deliberated on the theme for the public art and decided on a tribute to Arcadia’s Hometown Heroes to establish a more permanent and fitting tribute to Arcadia residents in the military. The City Council decided that the new Hometown Heroes Monument would replace the existing Billboard at City Hall. On November 4, 2019, staff submitted a Request for Proposals for the commissioning of a monument with the theme of Hometown Heroes. By the submission deadline of January 9, 2020, staff had received a total of 2 proposals. During the review process, at the February 4, 2020, City Council Meeting, the City Council voted to change the theme of the public art at the Le Méridien Hotel site from Hometown Heroes to a tribute to one of Arcadia’s pioneering founders, Anita Baldwin. As a result of the change in direction, the Program’s future needed to be reimagined. DISCUSSION Staff has reviewed several military tribute programs sponsored by other cities throughout southern California. The following discussion includes a summary of what program alternatives are available for the City Council to consider: Option #1 – Maintain Operation Hometown Heroes Billboard: The most straightforward option is to maintain the current Billboard since it requires minimal staff time to keep the names of active duty service members up-to-date. Staff annually reaches out to the families of active duty Arcadians on their service status and updates the Billboard accordingly. In addition, the application for new service members is available on the City’s website and names are added as applications are received. Should the City Council wish to maintain the existing Billboard, a refurbishment is in order to extend the life as long as possible. That refurbishment is estimated at $925 to fix existing fading and deteriorating artwork on the top portion of the current Billboard. It should also be noted Operation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 3 of 6 that the Billboard is over 15 years old and is not a permanent structure. At some point in the next 5 years or so it will likely need to be replaced. Option #2 – Rebuild Operation Hometown Heroes Billboard: The estimated cost for replacing the Billboard with similar materials is approximately $2,285, $400 of which would be for materials, $925 for the artwork, and $960 for labor, which includes a total of 20 hours of labor from two employees from the Public Works Services Department. In addition to the one-time costs, there would be a standard $65 installation charge for each site visit and a $10 charge per name when the sign is updated, similar to what is currently incurred. Option #3 – Create A More Permanent Monument: The City Council could choose to create a more permanent monument for Hometown Heroes. This could be as simple as adding a marker and an eternal flame at the Veteran’s Monument at the Community Center, or as complex as erecting a brick and bronze monument with scrolling digital boards featuring the names of those currently serving. Another option could be an abstract art piece with a plaque noting its purpose. The costs would vary widely depending on design choices. A standalone monument at City Hall would likely cost in the range of $25,000 to over $100,000 depending on size and materials chosen. Ongoing costs would generally be minimal. Option #4 – Banner Program: A Banner Program is the most common military tribute program. Under this option, street banners honoring individual heroes are placed in a highly visible business or civic district, or a major transportation corridor. Based on a survey of surrounding cities, families or sponsors are charged anywhere from $155 to $417.50 per banner. The length of time that the banners are featured is variable with some on display for a year or more and some as short as a few weeks. To demonstrate what these types of banners would look like, below are some examples from other cities in Los Angeles County: Monrovia’s Blue Star Banner Program Duarte’s Military Banner Program Operation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 4 of 5 The City currently has 218 light poles along the Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue corridors that can feature military tribute banners. A map displaying the light pole locations is included under Attachment No. 1. The City received an estimate of $135 per banner that can either be paid for by the City, or the cost can be passed along directly to the sponsoring family. It should also be noted that the City does not currently charge for hanging banners; however, if the City Council wanted to recoup that cost a new fee would need to be added for that purpose. Public Works Services Department estimates that the costs to hang a banner is $67 which could be added to the overall cost to Hero families. The banners are a viable option, but they do fade with weathering over time and can be difficult to read depending on their location and traffic speed. If the City Council elects this option, the cost of replacing the names on the Billboard with tribute banners is $8,775, which does not include staff time to hang and maintain the banners. An additional question is whether military families should be burdened with the expense of honoring their Hero and how long each banner should be on display. Option #5 – Digital Program and Armed Forces Week Recognition: Another approach would be to reorient the Program to a digital environment and host a dedicated space on the City’s website to honor Arcadia’s service women and men. A digital platform would also enable Hometown Heroes to be honored with a picture, which would give a more personal touch than the current names on the Billboard or on a street banner. The Program would also be able to be updated with far greater ease and less expense to the City or Hero families. An example of what the new digital format would look like is included under Attachment No. 2. In addition, a flag tribute event can be created to coincide with Armed Forces Week (third week in May) to further support the Program. Similar to the Arcadia Field of Honor Tribute established by the Arcadia Rotary Club, a flag tribute can be placed on the City Hall lawn honoring each active duty Arcadian, along with a yard sign that can be taken home by Hero families and displayed in their yards for Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May). An example of the yard signs are similar to the depictions in Attachment No. 2. Since Armed Forces Day is for active duty service members and honors everyone serving in the U.S. military, this ties in well with the original intent and purpose of the Operation Hometown Heroes Program. The Arcadia Rotary Club has agreed to partner with the City by donating their American flags for a City-sponsored Armed Forces Week event, with a one-time, $1,000 contribution towards the Arcadia Field of Honor Tribute. Also, with the contribution, the City will be a Silver Sponsor for the Arcadia Field of Honor Tribute event, which is held during the week leading up to Memorial Day and honors those who have fallen while serving in the U.S. military. Silver Sponsors are given 10 flags at the County Park during the Field of Honor Tribute along with invitations to the opening ceremony for City Council Members and other City officials. Any proceeds raised by the Arcadia Rotary Club for their Field of Honor Tribute goes towards veteran’s programs in the San Gabriel Valley and other local charities. Operation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 5 of 6 And finally, adding a yard sign for families to take home to honor their Hero would cost approximately $30 per Hero for a total cost of $2,000 per year. There would also be minor staff time required annually to prepare for the Tribute event and update the website. The digital program and Armed Forces Week Recognition is the recommended option due to a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the current Billboard is near the end of its useful life and is showing signs of wear and tear. Having a dilapidated billboard that is in need of maintenance does not accurately honor our active duty service members. In addition, the names displayed on the Billboard are difficult to read while traveling at 40+ miles per hour along Huntington Drive and the location is not heavily trafficked by pedestrians. By creating a digital program, the military tribute would be accessible to all family members, as well as deployed Heroes, without the additional costs to the City or families associated with displaying military tribute banners. Furthermore, banners tend to fade and show age over time, requiring repair or replacement which can come with added costs. Similar to the problem with the current billboard, military tribute banners may be difficult to read while driving by from a distance and are displayed and accessible in only one physical location. In addition, the digital tribute also provides an opportunity to display more information about our Heroes which may include a short biography. Once created, the digital program can be easily maintained and updated at no cost. Overall, the digital program option would require minimal staff time to launch a new dedicated space on the City’s website, which would be free for community participation. The Armed Forces Week tribute creates another opportunity for Arcadia to celebrate its long tradition of supporting the military. The partnership with the Arcadia Rotary Club, which sponsored the creation of the Veterans Memorial at the Arcadia Community Center, also reduces the City’s costs for acquiring and storing American flags. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), based on Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA. FISCAL IMPACT The cost of the proposed program includes a one-time donation of $1,000 to the Arcadia Rotary Club, and approximately $2,000 in ongoing costs for the annual tribute event for Armed Forces Day. There is sufficient funding in the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget for the $1,000 donation, in addition to available ongoing funding in future year’s budgets. No additional appropriation is required as a result of the recommended programmatic changes. If the City Council choses an alternative, additional funding or fees may be required. Operation Hometown Heroes Program Restructuring May 4, 2021 Page 6 of 6 RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council approve the removal of the existing Billboard and replace it with a digital Program on the City’s website along with a flag tribute during Armed Forces Week. Program participants will have a dedicated space on the City’s website for the duration of their service. ATTACHMENTS Attachment No. 1: Operation Hometown Heroes Light Pole Locations Map Attachment No. 2: Operation Hometown Heroes Digital Template Attachment No. 3: Operation Hometown Heroes Yard Sign Template Attachment No. 1 &$370,&+$(/%(51$&&+, 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD 7+$1.<28)25<2856(59,&( 1$9< 6SRQRUHGE\WKH%RUUDV)DPLO\ Attachment No. 2 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD %5,**(1$,'$7%255$6 7+$1.<28)25<2856(59,&( $50< 6SRQRUHGE\WKH%RUUDV)DPLO\ 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD &2/'21$/'/ 5(9(// 7+$1.<28)25<2856(59,&( 0$5,1(6 6SRQRUHGE\WKH5HXNHPD)DPLO\ &$37 0,&+$(/ %(51$&&+, 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD 7+$1.<28)25 <2856(59,&( 1$9< 6SRQRUHGE\WKH%RUUDV)DPLO\ Attachment No. 3 $50< 6SRQRUHGE\WKH%RUUDV)DPLO\ %5,**(1 $,'$7 %255$6 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD 7+$1.<28)25 <2856(59,&( 0$5,1(6 &2/'21$/'/5(9(// 3528'/<+21256 7KH&LW\RI$UFDGLD 7+$1.<28)25 <2856(59,&( 6SRQRUHGE\WKH5HXNHPD)DPLO\