TO: Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Douglas E. Smith, City Manager
DATE: May 6, 2015
Title
CONSIDERATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PET SAFE "BARK FOR YOUR PARK" CONTEST FOR DOG PARK FUNDING.
Body
BACKGROUND: The PetSafe "Bark for Your Park" Contest will award one (1) Grand Prize of $100,000 and four (4) Runner-up Prizes of $25,000 toward the building or renovating of a dog park. The contest will begin on May 13, 2015 at 1:00 P.M. Entry period voting will be open until June 10, 2015 at 12 P.M. Finalists will be selected based on availability of land, civic leader support, population size, and the total number of votes cast. If the City is selected as a finalist, another round of voting will begin on June 17, 2015 at 1:00 P.M. and ends on July 22, 2015 12:00 P.M. Popular vote will determine the winners in this round. Winners will be announced on July 31, 2015. The City of Margate entered into this contest last year but was not selected as a finalist.
In order to be eligible to be a finalist, the City must agree to accept and be bound by the Contest Rules (copy attached), and the City would need to submit the following before 12:00 p.m. on June 10, 2015:
· A verification letter from the land owner (the City) where the proposed dog park will be built that confirms the City's support for the project;
· Letter(s) from the Mayor, City Manager, the Parks and Recreation Director, or other civic leader within the City that document their support of the proposed dog park and their willingness to complete the project if the City is chosen as a Prize Winner.
In order to be eligible to receive a Prize:
· The City is obligated to provide land for construction and operations of the dog park. The location is subject to the program Sponsor's approval. A budget must be documented for the design and construction. In addition, evidence of appropriation or availability of sufficient funds to complete construction must be provided. A budget must be provided for the operation of the park, and the budget is subject to the Sponsor's reasonable approval. The park must be in operation for at least three years from when the park is opened to the public. The park must be available for use by the public at no charge.
· To win a prize, a community must agree to permanently include the Sponsor's name (Radio Systems Corporation according the contest rules, but they might use the name "PetSafe") in the name of the dog park and include Sponsor's name and logo in all materials related to the dog park.
· Other requirements are listed in the Contest Rules.
Some other points to consider are:
· The $100,000 prize cannot be used to purchase land and will only cover development and constructions costs such as design fees, permits, site preparation, construction, building materials, installation of utilities, and other related capital expenses.
· Determining a final location for a potential dog park (as well as priority of this project compared to other Parks projects) should be considered in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Study
· Open Space 75 has been previously considered as a dog park location and a design has previously been done. However the $100,000 prize, if we received it, would not cover the full cost of this project. The additional cost (above the $100,000 grand prize) of completing the final phase of a dog park project at this location (with on-site parking) could be over $200,000.
RECOMMENDATION: Commissioner consideration and direction regarding the City's participation in the "Bark for Your Park" contest. If the Commission supports participation, the City will need to agree to accept and be bound by the Contest Rules and will need to submit the required documentation prior to 12:00 P.M. on June 10th.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A at this time, but potential additional costs for dog park construction if the City is awarded the $100,000 Grand Prize or one of the $25,000 Runner-up Prizes.
CONTACT PERSON: Douglas E. Smith, City Manager