San Bruno Community Foundation March 2019 Community Report

Article Source: San Bruno CA Community Foundation

March 2019 Foundation News

Foundation Receives Updates on
Recreation and Aquatics Center Project and
First Responder Effectiveness Strategic Initiative

At its March 6, 2019, meeting, the Foundation Board of Directors received informative reports from the City of San Bruno about two of the Foundation's key initiatives: the design and construction of a new Recreation and Aquatics Center in San Bruno City Park, and the Foundation's First Responder Effectiveness Strategic Initiative.

Recreation and Aquatics Center: San Bruno City Manager Jovan Grogan, Community Services Director Joanne Magrini, and Dawn Merkes, a principal at Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, updated the Board on progress in the schematic design phase of the Recreation and Aquatics Center project. The Foundation has committed to funding the design and construction of the center (conceptual design drawing above) with grants totaling $50 million. The presentation slides are available for viewing on the City's website.

The City has launched Phase 2 of the development process, which includes creation of final design drawings and construction documents. Preliminary design documents illustrate a two-story facility that includes a gymnasium, cardio/weight room, a group exercise room, classrooms of various sizes, a year-round indoor pool, locker rooms, and other support features. City staff discussed the challenges in finding the appropriate balance between program elements envisioned by the community and the projected costs of building and operating the facility. Mr. Grogan reported that the City is identifying other possible funding sources that would enable the City to include additional program enhancements, including a seasonal outdoor pool, a large community hall, an elevated walking track, and a more robust community lounge space, in the facility's design. A community-wide update on the project is planned for the April 9 City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Mr. Grogan, Ms. Magrini, and Ms. Merkes outlined the timeline for the project, including completion of final design drawings and construction documents by the summer of 2020, a two-year construction period anticipated to conclude at the end of 2022, with a grand opening celebration in early 2023. At the meeting, the Foundation Board approved a $1,079,000 grant that will enable the City to hire a project and construction management firm to manage the project.

First Responder Strategic Initiative: In March 2018, the Foundation awarded a $160,723 grant to the City of San Bruno to bolster the effectiveness of San Bruno's first responders, both in their daily interactions with the community and in the event of a serious disaster like the 2010 gas pipeline explosion that led to the Foundation's creation. San Bruno Fire Chief Dave Cresta and San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini (photographed below, with the Foundation Board), reported on implementation of the three community-oriented projects being funded by this grant:

• Emergency Shelter Supplies: Grant funds have been used to purchase necessary equipment and supplies that would enable the City to operate a standalone emergency shelter if the need arose. The equipment includes items such as cots, blankets, first aid kits, food and beverage serving supplies, hygiene supplies, lights, a generator, and a trailer to securely and safely store and transport the equipment. With these supplies, the City is no longer dependent on external entities such as the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services or the American Red Cross, in the event of an emergency requiring shelter operations.

• Critical Facilities Site Assessments, Incident Action Plans, and Joint Public Safety Training: Within its borders, the City of San Bruno has multiple locations that would be considered higher probability targets for major public safety incidents. The grant is enabling the City, with the assistance of experienced consultants, to conduct a thorough site assessment, produce detailed site maps, develop an incident action plan, and conduct site-specific training exercises for three critical facilities in San Bruno: Capuchino High School, Parkside Intermediate School, and San Bruno City Hall. This effort significantly enhances the preparedness of the San Bruno Police and Fire Departments in dealing with potential natural disasters and other incidents through advance planning and training.

• Police Officer Mindfulness, Compassion, and Resiliency Training: With the grant, the Police Department has implemented a department-wide mindfulness and resiliency program. All Police Department personnel have participated in a two-day residential immersion course conducted by the Mindful Badge Initiative. This training equips police officers to perform through occupational trauma with greater capacity for awareness (self and situational), cognitive performance, and empathy. Feedback from SBPD personnel has been very positive. Some of the benefits that attendees have reported include drastically improved sleep; improved relationships and interactions with family members; improved diet and exercise regimens; increased feelings of control over emotions and reactions; overall feelings of greater calm and ease; and greater comfort with feeling compassion for the people they deal with throughout the day as police officers.

In addition, following the tragic April 2018 shooting at YouTube’s San Bruno headquarters, First Responder donations from Google.org and employees from Google and YouTube have totaled more than $300,000. The City is working on an additional First Responder proposal for a mobile command vehicle - which would enhance the City’s ability to manage responses to critical incidents, natural disasters, and planned large scale events - to be funded by these donations.

Apply to Serve on the Foundation Board

We are now accepting applications from community members interested in serving on the Foundation's Board of Directors.

The San Bruno City Council will appoint three individuals to serve on the Foundation Board for four-year terms commencing on January 1, 2020, and concluding on December 31, 2023. For information on the application process and expectations for Board Members, visit the Foundation website.

To apply, interested individuals must complete and submit an online application by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

Questions? Contact Executive Director Leslie Hatamiya at lhatamiya@sbcf.org or (650) 763-0775.

Supporting Local Organizations
Through the Community Grants Fund

In December, the SBCF Board awarded Community Grants to 25 local organizations doing important work in our community. The Foundation is pleased to partner with Community Grants Fund this year. Read the full list of 2018-2019 Community Grants Fund awards here.

As part of our efforts to reach out into the community, SBCF Board members have been hand-delivering grant checks to recipient organizations. SBCF Secretary John McGlothlin (photo below, left) presented a $9,500 grant check to staff and volunteers at Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, which is using the funds to support its food distribution efforts in San Bruno. SBCF Board Member Pat Bohm (photo below, right) delivered a $10,000 grant check to staff at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. This grant supports the organization's efforts to provide legal assistance to San Bruno residents facing eviction or living in substandard conditions with the goal of keeping them in their homes through the HomeSavers Program.

March Board Meeting Summary

The Board of Directors of the San Bruno Community Foundation held its regular monthly meeting on March 6, 2019, at the San Bruno Senior Center. In addition to receiving reports on the Recreation and Aquatics Center project and the First Responder Effectiveness Strategic Initiative (see above), the Board handled other agenda items, including:

Report on Programs: Executive Director Leslie Hatamiya reported on the Foundation's other programs and initiatives:

• Crestmoor Neighborhood Memorial Scholarship: The 2019 Scholarship Program is proceeding on schedule, with the application deadline the evening of the Board meeting. Online registration for the Scholarship application was robust, and the number of submitted applications is expected to be similar to last year. The 2019 Crestmoor Scholars will be recognized at the Foundation's June 5 Board meeting.

• Community Grants Fund: Highlights of the grant reports submitted by 2017-2018 Community Grants Fund award recipients were shared with the Board. Grant agreements have been executed for all of the 2018-2019 Community Grants Fund awards, and grant checks have been distributed to those organizations (see photos above). Thanks were extended to the Board members who have hand-delivered grant checks. The 2019-2020 grant cycle will launch in July and follow the same schedule as the past three years.

• Music Education Strategic Initiative: Implementation of the second year of the Music Education Strategic Initiative is proceeding on schedule. Under the leadership of San Bruno Education Foundation Vice President Bryan Vander Lugt, the Initiative's steering committee recently met to discuss plans for the 2019-2020 school year, including a second "Music in the Air" community concert. The steering committee is also looking at coordinated fundraising efforts among the San Bruno Education Foundation, the Capuchino High School Alumni Association, and the school PTAs in order to sustain the music programs at Capuchino High School and San Bruno Park School District schools at their current levels once SBCF funding sunsets. Finally, the Initiative was recently recognized with an Association of California School Administrators Region 5 Award in the category of Partners in Educational Excellence!

• SBPSD Schools Transformation Grant: The two programs funded by a $250,000 SBCF grant to the San Bruno Education Foundation - the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) Program at Belle Air and Allen Elementary Schools and the Parkside Intermediate School Accelerating Student Learning Through Systems Transformation - are being implemented in the San Bruno Park School District. Teachers participating in the SEAL program have completed two units of training and are utilizing the techniques and strategies learned in their classrooms. At Parkside, a school transformation consultant from Partners in School Innovation is providing the principal, instructional leadership team, and faculty with a broad range of professional development support.

• Community Day 2019: This year's event is scheduled for June 2, 2019. The Foundation has recruited several community partners in sponsoring the event, including the Sammut Family Foundation, YouTube, Skyline College, and Recology San Bruno. City staff is also actively soliciting sponsorships from other local businesses.

• Pedestrian Safety Strategic Initiative: The Foundation's project, in partnership with YouTube and the City, to improve pedestrian safety in San Bruno has finally concluded. In 2018 the City completed installation of five sets of flashing beacons around town (two sets near Parkside Intermediate School, one set each near Portola and John Muir Elementary Schools, and one set on the southern end of San Mateo Avenue). Upon receiving the final grant report on the project, the Foundation disbursed grant payments totaling $222,985 to the City.

• Florida Avenue Park Development: Construction of the new City-owned park on Florida Avenue, which the Foundation has supported with a $200,000 grant, continues to be stalled due to a threat of a lawsuit by a group of community members related to the removal of two trees on the site. The City continues to work on resolution of the issue in an effort to avoid litigation.

• San Francisco Bay Discovery Site Documentary: The Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to the San Mateo County Historical Association to support its public education efforts related to the 250th anniversary of the Spanish discovery of the San Francisco Bay from Sweeney Ridge on the western border of San Bruno. These efforts include a half-hour video production on the Sweeney Ridge discovery site by Doug McConnell that will be aired on NBC Bay Area's "OpenRoad" series on Sunday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m.

Report from Ad Hoc Committee on Board Development: As Committee chair, Vice President Emily Roberts reported on the Committee's activities and presented, for Board consideration, its proposal creating a process for soliciting and reviewing applications from individuals seeking appointment to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. With three seats opening at the beginning of 2020, the Foundation will offer an online application through which individuals can express their interest in serving on the Foundation Board for terms beginning on January 1, 2020, and concluding on December 31, 2023. The Committee will evaluate all applications received by the April 3, 2019, deadline, interview selected applicants in May, and present to the Foundation Board a slate of finalists to recommend to the San Bruno City Council in June. In accordance with the Foundation's bylaws, the City Council will appoint the new Board members this summer.

Report from Investment Committee: Treasurer Ross, who serves as Investment Committee chair, reported on the February 13 quarterly meeting of the Investment Committee, at which Sand Hill Global Advisors, LLC, reported on the performance of the Foundation's investment porftolio in the fourth quarter of 2018. The combined balance of the Foundation's investment portfolio on February 28, 2019, was nearly $73.7 million. He reported that the Committee has begun discussions about how to thoughtfully and systematically transfer funds from the strategic investment portfolio to meet the significant cash needs to fund the Recreation and Aquatics Center project over the next few years.

Next Foundation Board Meeting
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Scholarship Reception at 6:30 p.m.
Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
San Bruno Senior Center
1555 Crystal Springs Road

901 Sneath Lane, Ste. 209, San Bruno, CA 94066

Visit us at sbcf.org

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Robert Riechel

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Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: San Bruno CA Community Foundation

Leslie Hatamiya - Executive Director

lhatamiya-sbcf@sanbruno.ca.gov

Office (650) 763-0775

Web Site: www.sbcf.org

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