Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 4
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $10,000, to Hope Horizon East Palo Alto to help defray travel expenses for the ChurroBots Robotics Team to attend the World Championships in Houston, Texas from April 17-20, 2024, providing an exception to the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds to allow for advanced payment, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 4 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 4 (Supervisor Slocum) - Hope Horizon East Palo Alto to help defray travel expenses for the ChurroBots Robotics Team to attend the World Championships in Houston, Texas from April 17-20, 2024 |
$10,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018, with the following exception. Hope Horizon East Palo Alto has requested the grant amount as upfront, rather than reimbursement payment. This payment structure requires Board approval because the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018 provided for reimbursement payments. The upfront payment schedule is necessary to allow for travel of Hope Horizon East Palo Alto ChurroBots Robotics Team, including students and coaches, to and from the Robotics World Championship from April 17-20, 2024. The Board may approve this exception to the criteria by adopting the resolution.
District 4 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 4 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Hope Horizon East Palo Alto, and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $10,000, to help defray travel expenses for the ChurroBots Robotics Team to attend the World Championships in Houston, Texas from April 17-20, 2024. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
Hope Horizon East Palo Alto is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1984 and located in East Palo Alto. Its mission is to equip the youth of East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park to grow spiritually, gain life skills and develop as leaders. Hope Horizon EPA offers after-school, evening, and summer programs, using a relational, wholistic and collaborative approach to empower the next generation of community leaders.
One of Hope Horizon’s afterschool program is Churrobots, a robotics team that began in 2019. Students enrolled in Churrobots develop communication, teamwork and leadership skills while working together to build competitive robots. Though based in East Palo Alto, students from 10 different schools within District 4 participate in Churrobots, the majority of which will be first-generation college students. Many Churrobot alumni have gone on to study fields of engineering at prestigious colleges and universities.
The Churrobots Robotics Team 8048 was part of a winning alliance at the First Robotics Competition Silicon Valley Regional on February 29-March 3, 2024 which was held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. This team has now qualified for the first time for the World Championships to be held in Houston, Texas from April 17-20, 2024.
This district-discretionary grant will enable Hope Horizon East Palo Alto Churrobots Robotics Team 8048 to attend the World Championship for the first time by contributing to the team’s travel expenses. Funding by this district-discretionary grant will be used immediately by April 20, 2024.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $10,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Josette Langevine
Co-Executive Director
Hope Horizon East Palo Alto
1001 Beech Street
East Palo Alto, CA
650-327-1139
Josie@HopeHorizonEPA.org <mailto:veronica@casacirculocultural.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Churrobots Robotics Team attends the Robotics World Championship in Houston, Texas from April 17-20, 2024 |
Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2023-24 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget.