In February 2023, RPOSD awarded over $12.9 million to fund nine programs geared towards improving access to parks and open spaces and seven programs designed to provide valuable training to youth and veterans for job opportunities in the parks and recreation field.
$6.8M Awarded to Recreation Access
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The Recreation Access Program grants, totaling over $6.8 million, will support various projects geared towards providing youth, students, and families with increased opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and recreational facilities. Examples include free access to electric bicycles to ride along the Emerald Necklace, Rec N' Go programs providing excursions to cultural heritage areas, regional parks, museums, and other recreation spots in Greater Los Angeles that will benefit more than 72,000 County residents by providing free transportation to quality parks and recreational activities. |
$6.1M Awarded to Youth & Veteran Job Training and Placement
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Additionally, $6.1 million Youth & Veteran Job Training and Placement grants were awarded to fund programs that will provide approximately 600 paid training positions for youth ages 18-25 and veterans with a specific focus on careers in parks and recreation. By investing in the next generation of professionals in this field, we are helping ensure that our parks and green spaces remain vibrant and well-maintained and creating meaningful career pathways for those looking to make a difference in their communities. |
Congratulations to the awardees! RPOSD is thrilled to support their efforts and collaborate towards removing the barriers for County residents to experience green spaces and recreational activities and creating career opportunities for youth and veterans. For more detailed information on the awarded programs, please visit our Awards Announcement webpage.
As the second Measure A competitive grant cycle ended, RPOSD is now turning its focus to the Measure A Grants Administration Manual (GAM). RPOSD is currently overhauling the GAM and has been actively seeking input from stakeholders through focus groups and virtual information sessions. RPOSD invited the document’s primary users and stakeholders to provide input for the update by April 14, 2023. Following these feedback sessions, a redline preview session for the GAM Update is expected to follow in the future. Stay informed by subscribing to our mailing list and following us on social media for upcoming events and announcements.
New Addition to the Team
In February 2023, Karmina Lopez joined the team as our new Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Grants Officer. As the TAP Grants Officer, she will be assisting the TAP Coordinator by helping TAP-eligible cities access funding and resources to create and maintain high-quality and creative parks and open spaces for park-poor communities. Welcome, Karmina!
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Virtual Information Session for NGOs
On March 30, 2023, the TAP team held a virtual information session to inform nonprofit organizations about the program and how they can collaborate with TAP-eligible entities on park development projects. This session provided crucial details and guidelines to nonprofit organizations, highlighting the different ways they can participate in the process. Nonprofits can either become qualified consultants to provide services or offer valuable project ideas for eligible projects. The team looks forward to continuing to support these partnerships and fostering stronger community connections through the development of public spaces.
Brown Bag Lunch Series
TAP launched a new initiative called the Brown Bag Lunch Series, where park planning and development experts share their experiences and the latest trends and best practices in the industry. The first Brown Bag Lunch was held on April 12, 2023, with Chester Kano, the Chief of the Development Division, Planning & Development Agency, at the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Mr. Kano has over a decade of public project experience and a background in designing and constructing buildings across the western United States, Hawaii, and Japan. He manages a team of architects, landscape architects, designers, project managers, and construction managers working on improving the department's extensive network of parks, cultural facilities, and more.
Mr. Kano shared the work of Los Angeles County's parks, including an overview of their projects and funding methods, with examples of current and recent projects. He also briefly discussed their past and present partners, such as the Conservation Corps and LA Neighborhood Land Trust. The presentation highlighted their approach to projects, considering community benefit, programmatic and operational impacts, and ongoing budget impacts.
The Brown Bag Lunch Series will be held quarterly. Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to learn more about park planning and development! RPOSD will announce upcoming Brown Bag Lunches via our email blasts and social media posts.
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On April 19, 2023, the Citizens Oversight Advisory Board for Measure A hosted their second meeting of the year. The in-person element of this quarterly meeting was resumed while retaining the ability for virtual attendance by the public that was introduced during the pandemic. The meeting began at 6:00 p.m. and all the items on the agenda were discussed. The District Administrator had the opportunity to provide the latest developments on several important issues to the Board, including the positive follow-up report released by the Auditor-Controller and progress on an upcoming solicitation to upgrade our Grants Management System (GMS). Minutes from the meeting will be available on the Advisory Board webpage upon Board approval. The next meeting will take place in July; exact date, time, and location to be determined.
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Greater Whittier Regional Aquatic Center
What used to be a parking lot at Pioneer High School is now an impressive aquatic center for residents in the unincorporated community of West Whittier. The center boasts two swimming pools, a 50-meter Olympic-sized swimming pool and a 25-meter swimming pool, and a new facility with locker rooms, restrooms, and classrooms. Proposition A granted $5.5 million to DPR towards this project, and it is a much needed resource for West Whittier and the Los Nietos neighborhood that previously lacked a public swimming pool. Now, residents don’t have to travel outside the community to enjoy the benefits of swimming and aquatic activities, especially in the upcoming summer months. This new resource opened in late October 2022, and we encourage everyone in the area to come and check out the new aquatic center and experience its many amenities firsthand.
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"There I was, in my warm and fluffy bed, having just laid down my head for my mid-morning, post playtime nap, when my dreams of a lazy Saturday were arrested by my humans who strapped a harness on me and dragged me to some place called Barrel Springs Trail in some place they call Palmdale. Well, there weren’t any barrels and there weren’t any springs but there sure was a lot of stuff to sniff and there were squirrels and birds and butterflies, and I wonder if the squirrels here are friends with the squirrels back home - they aren’t mean like the ones back home. And there were other dogs with their humans, and they were nice too. I had a lot of fun. My humans brought a lot of water which is good because it can get really hot here. If your human takes you, make sure they bring a lot of water too. All in all, I give Barrels Springs Trail four paws out of four, but I’d still rather be in my bed.”
- Translated and submitted by human dad, Ioan.
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