DATE: February 19, 2009 TO: Interested
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DATE: February 19, 2009 TO: Interested Persons FROM: Office of the City Clerk SUBJECT: NOTICE OF EXPIRED FILE STATUS In 2005, the Council approved a policy wherein all Council files pending before the City Council, which have not been placed on a Council or Committee agenda for consideration for a period of two years or more, are deemed "received and filed." The City Clerk is responsible for the administration of this process. Quarterly, on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year, the City Clerk administratively closes all received and filed Council files. This letter provides notice that this Council file, and its subject matter, is no longer active as of January 1, 2009. This Council File is deemed closed. ARTS, ~EALTH AND AGING COMMITTEE Re o 6mntttnieation for Signature Council File Number: ot-f- D 240 Committee Meeting Date: q[h7/!)~ Council Date: COMMITTEE MEMBER YES NO ABSENT Councilmember LaBonge, Chair ,/' Councilmember Perry v Councilmember Cardenas v Sharon Gin, Legislative Assistant --------------------------------------------------- Telephone 978-1072 ARTS, PARKS, HEALTH & AGING COMMITTEE SUGGESTED NOTIFICATION OF COUNCIL ACTION Council File No. !J4-DZ&O ~cil Member(s)_4--......__~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ []Mayor (with I without file) []City Attorney/ City Attorney w/ Blue Sheet []City Administrative Officer -~ef Legislative Analyst [] Controller ~partment of Aging ~ltural Affairs Department []El Pueblo de Los Angeles []Recreation & Parks Department l ~o Department []Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families ~partment on Disability ~Greater Los Angeles ~oo Association .t:rLi~~t .D --~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I •:.,, D~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11 D/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I:-· August 31, 2006 Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee c/o Office of the City Clerk Room 395, City Hall "Nurturing wildlife Los Angeles, California 90012 and enriching the human Attn: Alan Alietti, Legislative Assistant experience" Los Angeles Zoo Subject: LOS ANGELES ZOO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUPPORT 5333 Zoo Drive GROUP Los Angeles California 90027 323/644-4200 In correspondence dated July 7, 2006, the Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee Fax 323/662-9786 (Committee) instructed various departments, including the Zoo Department to report http://www.lazoo.org back regarding any support that is received from other entities or organizations, and additional related information. Antonio R. Villaraigosa Mayor In response to this request, the Zoo Department hereby transmits information relative to TomLaBonge the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the Zoo's non-profit support Council Member 4th District organization, and the Operating Agreement that governs our relationship. Zoo Commissioners BACKGROUND Kimberly Marteau When the Los Angeles Zoo opened in 1966 it was the fourth zoo to serve the City of Los President Angeles. In 1885, the city-owned Eastlake Zoo opened in East Los Angeles Park, and in Karen B. Winnick 1912 the Griffith Park Zoo opened up a few miles from the current Los Angeles Zoo site. Vice President In 1915, Colonel William Selig opened his combination movie studio and zoo, the Selig Shelby Kaplan Sloan Zoo, in Lincoln Park. By 1956, the citizens of Los Angeles realized their City had outgrown the small Griffith Park Zoo and passed a $6.6 million bond measure to help Mark D. Persaud build a new one. Bernardo Silva A 113-acre site in Griffith Park was chosen, and in 1964 a private, non-profit Richard Lichtenstein organization was created to support this new effort. Before the new zoo even opened, ex officio member GLAZA had already graduated a class of trained, volunteer docents; produced several issues of a quarterly magazine called Zoo View; and had begun raising money and John R. Lewis Zoo Director acquiring animals. In 1979, as the Zoo was still a division within the Recreation and Parks Department, the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners approved an Operating Agreement with GLAZA outlining their roles and responsibilities, and also approved a Concessions Agreement authorizing GLAZA to manage the concession operations here are the Zoo. As time went on, and many facility and operational issues confronted the Los Angeles Zoo, the Mayor and City Council acted to establish the Zoo as its own separate City department in July 1997. Along with this new organization came a newly established Operating Agreement, approved by the Mayor and City Council in September 1997 (C.F. 94-0989-81). An Equal Employment •Opportunity Accredited by the Member of the Affirmative Association of California Association Action Zoos & Aquariums Of Zoos and Aquariums Employer ARTS, PARKSi HEALTH & AGING SEP O· 7 2006 Arts, Parks, Health & Aging vCJ,, ,mittee August31,2006 Page2 OPERATING AGREEMENT The Operating Agreement is the guiding document that clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of GLAZA as the support organization to the Zoo Department. GLAZA's primary responsibility is to seek and provide financial support to the Zoo and fund the Zoo's capital improvements. GLAZA assists in these efforts through obtaining financial assistance through individuals, corporations, charitable foundations and governmental entities. The specific highlights of the Operating Agreement are as follows: • Term - The term is for 25 years, expiring in September 2021; • Concessions - The Operating Agreement authorizes GLAZA to subcontract for concession operations; • Membership Program - GLAZA is authorized to administer the Membership Program on behalf of the Zoo. The Agreement delineates the revenue split between the Zoo and GLAZA, which is further detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU}. As of July 2006, there are 71,500 member households representing approximately 286,000 people; • Fundraising - The Agreement requires that annual goals and objectives be developed, including a written report with activities and timetables to achieve these goals provided to the Zoo Director from the GLAZA President; • Administration - The Agreement describes the reporting relationship between the City via the Zoo Department and GLAZA; and • Other Activities - The Agreement also provides the authority for GLAZA to perform additional duties as delineated in MOUs, which can not be for a term of more than three years, and must be approved by the City Attorney as to form and legality. Currently, GLAZA provides the additional services of publications and the administration of the Zoo website, coordination of volunteer programs and special events. In addition to these specific provisions in the Agreement, it also includes common sections relative to proper accounting systems, audits of books and records, dispute resolution, termination, default and cancellation of the agreement, compliance with all laws and regulations, insurance and indemnification, and utilities. RECENT CONTROLLER'S AUDIT The City Controller released an audit of GLAZA on December 26, 2002 that addressed issues regarding contract administration, governance, and fundraising. The report cited 25 recommendations designed to improve the working relationship between GLAZA and the Zoo, correct contract interpretation issues and improve internal controls. In its follow-up report dated August 24, 2005, the Controller noted that 21 of the 25 recommendations have been fully implemented and four are in progress. We are continuing to make progress on fully implementing the remaining two within the Zoo/GLAZA's purview. CONCLUSION There has been tremendous progress over the last three years in the areas of governance, productive and impactful working relationships and fundraising efforts. In the last three years, membership has grown dramatically and is at an all-time high with over 71,000 members. The annual transfers to the Zoo Department Budget, which offsets the General Fund contribution has steadily been on the rise, going from approximately $1.3 million in Fiscal Year 2002-03, to $1.8 million in Fiscal Year 2005-06. In addition, fundraising has increased dramatically, with $5.05 million raised in 2005-06. GLAZA recently completed the raising of $7 million for Arts, Parks, Health & Aging Committee August31,2006 Page3 construction of the Campo Gorilla Habitat and pledged another $4.5 million for the Pachyderm Forest Habitat. This success has been accomplished through our combined efforts and tremendous public support. We are continuing on the right track for further achievements and are focused on our common vision statement "to nurture wildlife and enrich the human experience". I am available to discuss this report with you in further detail at your convenience, and can be reached at (323) 644-4261. Sincerely, HN R. L~Manager oo Department JRUDMV:dmt cc: Connie Morgan, President, GLAZA Denise Verret, Assistant General Manager, Zoo rf'ITY OF Los ANGELES BOARD OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONERS ON DISABILITY LUIS MATA, PRESIDENT 333 SOUTH SPRING STREET 11 MARY W. WONG, 1 VICE PRESIDENT SUITE 02 SAM OVERTON, 2"d VICE PRESIDENT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90013 THERESA MAY DE VERA SANDY DRIVER-GORDON KAREN HENDERSON-WINGE (213) 485-6334 BARBARA (B.J.) HENTON (213) 485-6655 (TTY) JOHN R. JAMES (213) 485-8052 (FAX) DAVID E. WOLF www.LACity.org/DOD (213) 485-5129 ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA (213) 847-0335 (TTY) MAYOR REGINA HOUSTON-SWAIN (213) 485-8052 (FAX) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR September 5, 2006 Office of the City Clerk 200 North Spring Street, Rm. 395 Los Angeles, CA 90012 ATTN: Alan Alietti INFORMATION REQUESTED REGARDING