Many volunteers in Huntington Beach could soon run into red tape as city council members look to consider creating formal contracts with volunteer groups – some of whom have been critical of the city council.
Mayor Pat Burns and Councilmembers Casey McKeon and Gracey Van Der Mark say the city needs to formalize its relationship with groups like the Friends of the Library and the Shipley Nature Center because of their “quasi-agency” status working at public facilities.
“We have become increasingly aware that certain ‘nonprofits’ and other organizations and individuals have been operating in the City, to help provide valuable services to the City and its residents at little or no cost,” the three wrote in a joint memo.
“In many cases there is no written agreement between the City and the group or individual,” they continued. “Not having an agreement can increase liability and lead to unintended cost and consequences where liability cannot be managed.”
Council members are expected to publicly discuss the proposal on Tuesday night, but any future discussions are set to be carried out by three council members behind closed doors.
In a Friday interview, McKeon said the goal is to formalize lines of communication for volunteers with city hall, saying that over the past two years it’s been hard to figure out where to send them.
“Sometimes a volunteer group might need something, they go through different avenues like public works, they might go to the fire chief, they might go to city council. There’s no consistency,” McKeon said. “There’s a lot of inefficiencies in government so we’re trying to tighten that up.”
The discussion is also coming as city council members increasingly butt heads with some of these volunteer groups, who’ve raised concerns about some of the changes at the library and the city’s Central Park.
The Friends of the Library, one of the groups explicitly mentioned in the memo, helped put two ballot initiatives up for a special election this coming June aimed at dismantling the city council’s proposals for a book review committee and their past conversation around outsourcing library management.
[Read: Surf City Continues Struggling Over the Future of Library]
Dina Chavez, a spokesperson for the group, issued a statement that they were “looking forward to working with the City Council,” and highlighted the group’s work.
“Friends remains committed to ensuring that the City’s residents continue to enjoy the world-class resources and benefits of our Public Library,” Chavez wrote.
McKeon also mentioned the group, highlighting that despite running a shop at the city’s library there’s no contract in place.
“To me that’s nuts,” McKeon said. “We’re just trying to formalize everything and in the benefit of these groups so they know what the rules and regulations are on what they can and cannot do.”
Steve Engel, who’s volunteered in Central Park for over 20 years and is one of the city’s most well-known advocates for the park, said while it makes sense for some groups that use the city’s resources to get a contract, it doesn’t make sense for all of the groups.
“Shipley needs one. They have the keys, they lock up the gates, it’s a little different,” Engel said. “The rest of us are just out there watering, weeding, planting and beautifying.”
He also pointed out an arch he’d helped install at the park’s Secret Garden, highlighting how they went through the Central Park Collaborative to approach city staff and got it approved by the city council.
“If it’s a major thing we’ll go through the steps if we have a (memorandum of understanding) or not.”
Engel has also been an outspoken opponent of a proposed light show at Central Park.
Last month, state regulators questioned if the light show would have a harmful impact on the environment.
[Read: California Regulators: Huntington Beach’s Proposed Light Show Threatens Wildlife]
“I’m just a volunteer. I care about the park, there’s no monetary thing in it for us,” Engel said. “I don’t think (the park) has ever looked better.”
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.