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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3a - Request to Solicit Money through City Water BillsC, O ~ryd r tn-. t.d n.e~.. s, 1903 STAFF REPORT Library and Museum Services Department August 18, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Carolyn Garner-Reagan, Director of Library and Museum Services C _11~ SUBJECT: REQUEST FROM THE ARCADIAHISTORICAL SOCIETY MAJOR GIFT COMMITTEE TO SOLICIT MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH THE CITY'S WATER BILLS Recommendation: Approve SUMMARY: The Arcadia Historical Society's Major Gift Committee is requesting the City Council's approval to use the City's water bills as a means to solicit monetary contributions and is asking that the open line on the water bills be reserved for their future use to raise funds for the proposed Arcadia Historical Museum Education Center. This classroom building, designed to be used by both the Museum and the Recreation and Community Services Department, is proposed to be built on the existing shuffleboards courts between the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum and the Community Center. Previously, the Council approved the use of water bills by the Arcadia Public Library Foundation three times. Staff is recommending approval of the request by the Arcadia Historical Society's Major Gift Committee. DISCUSSION On November 4, 1997, at the request of the Arcadia Public Library Foundation, the City Council authorized the use of City water bills as a means to solicit monetary contributions for City programs and operations. At this same meeting, the Council stated that future requests of a similar nature must be brought to their attention for approval and adopted the following policy: The Arcadia City Council is appreciative of all responsible efforts undertaken by community organizations for the purpose of benefiting City program or operations. To that end, the City Council will consider the use of water bills as a vehicle by which to solicit funds that will be used directly for a "City program or operation." All requests must be approved by the City Council. The water bill program involves giving customers the ability to contribute on a regular basis by selecting a pre-determined amount of money that will appear as a charge on future water bills. This effort has been very successful for the Library Foundation raising $108,895.89 to date. The Arcadia Historical Society is a non-profit and tax-exempt organization. The Society currently supports the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum with quarterly financial gifts and volunteers. The Society's Major Gift Committee has identified the need for additional classroom space as a priority given the Museum's programming success with all ages, particularly for school age children, and its limited interior space for these purposes. As mentioned above, the water bill solicitation program has been quite effective and already offers residents a convenient way to support the Library Foundation. The Historical Society would like to be able to use this same mechanism. Water customers participating in the existing program include their donations in their check to the City for water service. Operationally, the logistics of the program are already in place and the Administrative Services Department has already had experience processing ongoing donations, tracking the donations, and periodically issuing a check to the Library Foundation. With this successful model well established, Director of Administrative Services Hue Quach has indicated that a second donation program could be handled and that one line is still available on the water bills. FISCAL IMPACT The Arcadia Historical Society's Major Gift Committee understands that they would need to cover the costs for the flyer that would be included and any increased postage that might result from the added weight. There would be some cost to the City to collect and process the donations. Even though the funds raised through this program would go to the Arcadia Historical Society, the proposed Museum Education Center would benefit the City by providing much needed classroom space for both the Historical Museum and the Recreation and Community Services Department. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council approve the request of the Arcadia Historical Society's Major Gift Committee to solicit monetary contributions through the City's water bills and that the open line on the water bills be reserved for their future use to raise funds for the proposed Arcadia Historical Museum Education Center. Approved Donald Penman, City Manager