|
DATE: |
October 22, 2025 |
02 |
SUBJECT
Title
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT OF GIFTS AND DONATIONS AND RATIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS AND DONATIONS EXCEEDING $5,000 TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) enhances quality of life in the San Diego region by providing exceptional parks and recreation experiences and preserving significant natural resources so that people can enjoy clean air, clean water, rich biodiversity, and access to open space. DPR’s ability to provide exceptional customer service to millions of patrons each year is supported by donations from the San Diego County Parks Society (Parks Society). County Board of Supervisors (Board) Policy A-112, Acceptance and Use of Gifts and Donations, permits the acceptance of donations by the administrative head of each County department. County Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, requires Board ratification of the acceptance of such gifts and approval prior to the expenditure of the gift if the amount exceeds $5,000.
During the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, DPR received cash and in-kind donations from the Parks Society totaling $91,364.89. These donations provided materials and funding for multiple public holiday events, active recreational activities and equipment, and educational programs at parks throughout the county. This includes recurring, donation-supported events that take place countywide, such as Summer Movies in the Park, Travelling Miss T’s Math Maps Program, and the Discovery Program. The Parks Society is a non-profit organization established in 1980 to support and improve the County’s vast park system. The Parks Society’s support helps maintain and operate County parks and assists with ongoing and expanded programming.
Today’s proposed actions are to accept DPR’s Report of Gifts and Donations for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, to ratify the acceptance of those gifts and donations to DPR totaling $91,364.89, and to authorize the Chair of the Board to sign letters of appreciation to donors whose donations exceed $5,000.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find that the proposed actions are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(3) and 15378(b)(5).
2. In accordance with County of San Diego (County) Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, and Board of Supervisors (Board) Policy A-112, Acceptance and Use of Gifts and Donations, accept the County Department of Parks and Recreation Report of Gifts and Donations from the San Diego County Parks Society for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, totaling $91,364.89.
3. In accordance with County Administrative Code 66 and Board Policy A-112, ratify the acceptance of gifts from the San Diego County Parks Society for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, that exceed $5,000.
4. Authorize the Chair of the County Board of Supervisors to sign a letter of appreciation on behalf of the County of San Diego to the San Diego County Parks Society.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The acceptance of donations assists the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) in continuing and expanding special events, community celebrations, activities in nature, and active recreation for the benefit of all residents and visitors. Donations allow DPR to provide additional supplies and services for youth, families, and communities that encourage sharing experiences, cultural traditions, and resources to strengthen a sense of belonging.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Acceptance of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) Report of Gifts and Donations supports several of the County of San Diego’s (County) Sustainability Goals, including Sustainability Goal No. 4, protecting health and well-being, by expanding opportunities for community members to access outdoor recreation and nature through special events, programs, and activities that are supported through donations DPR receives. In addition, donations to DPR support County Sustainability Goal No. 6, providing opportunities for all residents to access and enjoy the outdoors, by protecting and expanding open space and park/recreation access through aligning available services with resources to maintain fiscal stability and ensure long-term solvency.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with today’s recommendations. The Department of Parks and Recreation received donations from the San Diego County Parks Society totaling $91,364.89 from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. Of these donations, $67,173.63 were in cash and $24,191.26 were in-kind. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) provides numerous educational, social, and physically active programs and celebratory holiday events annually throughout its parks system. Established in 1980, the San Diego County Parks Society (Parks Society) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support DPR goals, activities, and programs, and to preserve and enhance cultural, community, and natural resources through charitable contributions. The Parks Society offers these donations to assist in offsetting the costs of public events and programs that support the County’s effort to provide exceptional customer service.
Donations received from the Parks Society support DPR’s mission to enhance quality of life in the region by providing exceptional parks and recreation experiences and preserving significant natural resources. Donations are accepted for parks and programs that take place in the County parks system throughout the region. These programs and events introduce new opportunities for many people who have never participated in a hike, campout, or had the opportunity to visit parks outside of their neighborhood. Through donations from the Parks Society, DPR can provide these opportunities at little to no cost to the end user. This includes donations that support events and programs that take place countywide, such as Summer Movies in the Park and the Discovery Program. Donations for the Summer Movies in the Park program helped support outdoor movie special events at locations such as Heritage County Park and other County park locations throughout the region. Donations for the Discovery Program helped immerse students and teachers from urban areas in nature-related activities designed to educate about scientific phenomena and the history of the local environment, including a classroom visit by a County Park Ranger and a follow-up field trip to the Park Ranger’s facility. This period also included donations for environmental and historical educational programs at County parks such as Agua Caliente, Lake Morena, Live Oak, Louis A. Stelzer, Oakoasis, San Elijo Lagoon, and Rancho Guajome Adobe. In addition, donations from the Parks Society supported the addition of pickleball lines to the tennis courts at Nancy Jane County Park in Rancho San Diego and the repair of fencing along the Fry-Koegel trail in Ramona. Donations also supported holiday-related special events throughout the region, including various spring-themed festivals such as the Spring Egg Hunt at Otay Lakes County Park and other Eggstravaganza events; the semi-annual Warrior Hike; a partnership with the digital content creator “Travelling Miss T” to create County park multisubject educational social media content and DPR math maps; and a volunteer restoration of the historical Vallecitos Stage Station. A complete list of programs receiving donations, donation types, and parks supported by the Parks Society is listed in Attachment A.
Donations received during this reporting period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, provided opportunities to improve residents’ mental and physical health and helped educate residents on the region’s native animals and the environment we share with them. Donations were used to improve special events and facilities so communities could come together to celebrate and support their local community.
In accordance with County Administrative Code Section 66, Acceptance of Gifts, DPR is reporting donations for the period of January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, as shown in Attachment A. The total of all donations received from the San Diego County Parks Society is $91,364.89.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
The proposed actions are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(3) 15378(b)(5). The actions to accept the Report of Gifts and Donations from the San Diego County Parks Society are covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA only applies to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. It can be seen with certainty that today’s actions will not result in a significant effect on the environment because they are administrative in nature. Also, today’s actions are not projects as defined by Section 15378(b)(5) of the State CEQA Guidelines because the actions are administrative in nature and will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action to accept the donations shown in Attachment A supports the Sustainability and Community Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan by protecting and promoting our natural and agricultural resources, diverse habitats, and sensitive species, and providing programs and services that enhance the community through increasing the well-being of our residents and our environment.
Respectfully submitted,
Dahvia lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Department of Parks and Recreation Report of Gifts and Donations
Attachment B - Letter of Appreciation