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SMART CAMP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
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DEPARTMENT: PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
PRESENTED BY: JASON MINTER, PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: JASON MINTER, PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR, (714) 754-5009
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and Newport-Mesa Unified School District to provide SMART Camp to Costa Mesa residents and authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the agreement and future amendments to the agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Sports, Music, and Art (SMART) Camp is a free summer camp provided to Costa Mesa’s youth through a joint partnership between the City of Costa Mesa (City) and the Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD). SMART Camp includes three different program areas in which participants receive instruction in various sports, through different artistic mediums, and with a variety of musical instruments. NMUSD Teachers and Coaches provide coordination and instruction in these program areas. Participation is limited to Costa Mesa residents entering 4th through 8th grades.
SMART Camp has been a joint partnership since 2014, with the City handling marketing and registration, and funding all NMUSD teachers and coaches that are hired as SMART Camp contract instructors/coordinators. Over the years, NMUSD has provided busing, nutrition, and use of various camp equipment, classrooms, facilities and fields. In 2019, the League of Cities recognized SMART Camp for its innovative approach to providing high quality enrichment programing to the City’s youth free of charge.
ANALYSIS:
SMART Camp is a highly successful program that has approximately 1,000 enrollments on an annual basis. Planning for SMART Camp requires coordination from various City and NMUSD staff to ensure the camp’s execution is a success. There is traditionally a kick-off meeting in late January, with planning taking place through the month of May. SMART Camp is conducted exclusively on NMUSD property and occurs on campus simultaneously with NMUSD summer school sessions.
In prior years, the planning process between NMUSD and the City had been largely informal. SMART Camp has grown in popularity and is now a staple of the Parks and Community Services Department’s summer offerings.
The request to create an official Memorandum of Understanding to formalize responsibilities of each party became a necessity due to the expansive scope of SMART Camp’s components in conjunction with staff turnover at the City and NMUSD.
This memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City and NMUSD largely describes the camp as it has occurred since 2014. City staff have conferred with NMUSD staff on the substance of the agreement and arrived at the current draft in mutual agreement (Attachment 1). This agreement is set to go before the NMUSD School Board on June 13, 2023. The term of the agreement is retroactive to June 12, 2023, the first day of 2023 SMART Camp. The term shall continue for a period of five (5) years, ending on August 20, 2028, and will automatically renew every five (5) years thereafter.
One change that is not specifically stated in the MOU, but was recommended by the City Attorney and Risk Manager, is the implementation of additional liability insurance for the contracted teachers and coaches. This additional policy is being implemented for the current SMART Camp program.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council may direct staff to continue the planning and operation of SMART Camp with NMUSD on an informal basis.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The SMART Camp program is currently included in the Parks and Community Services Department’s annual operating budget.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City’s Attorney’s Office has reviewed this report and approves it as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item supports the following City Council Goal:
• Strengthen the Public’s Safety and Improve the Quality of Life
CONCLUSION:
SMART Camp is an exciting and engaging camp experience that provides valuable enrichment opportunities to our youth in the community. The combination of Sports, Music, and Art in one camp has created a well-rounded program that, with the help of NMUSD teachers and coaches, can improve the quality of life here in the City of Costa Mesa.
Therefore, staff recommends the City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and Newport-Mesa Unified School District to provide SMART Camp to Costa Mesa residents and authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the agreement and future amendments to the agreement.