Administration - Community Parklands Act Of - Public Resources - CA

Section § 5720

This law describes how grant funds are distributed to counties, cities, and districts for park and recreation purposes based on their population sizes. The Department of Parks and Recreation, with the Department of Finance, uses census and other data to allocate these funds. Forty percent of the funds go to counties and regional districts, ensuring each county gets at least $100,000, with adjustments based on population within or outside district territories.

Sixty percent of the funds are allocated to cities and non-regional districts, with each getting at least $20,000. If a city and district overlap, funds are divided based on their responsibility for parks in those areas, unless only one manages the parks, then they receive all the funds. A specific plan must be agreed upon and submitted by overlapping areas by October 1, 1986, or the allocation will be determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

(a) The grant funds authorized for the program shall be allocated to counties, cities, and districts on the basis of their populations, as determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Department of Finance on the basis of the most recent verifiable census data and such other population data as the Department of Parks and Recreation may require to be furnished by any county, city, or district.

(b) Forty percent of the total funds available for grants shall be allocated to counties and regional park, open-space, or park and open-space districts formed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5500). Each county’s allocation shall be in the same ratio as the county’s population is to the state’s total population, except that each county shall be entitled to a minimum allocation of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). In any county that embraces all or part of the territory of a regional park, open-space, or park and open-space district whose board of directors is not the county board of supervisors, the amount allocated to the county shall be apportioned between the county and the regional district in proportion to the population of the county that is included within the territory of the regional district and the population of the county that is outside the territory of the regional district.

(c)

(1) Sixty percent of the total funds available for grants shall be allocated to cities and districts, other than regional park, open-space, or park and open-space districts. Each city’s and each such district’s allocation shall be in the same ratio as the city’s or district’s population is to the combined total of the state’s population that is included in incorporated areas and in unincorporated areas within districts, except that each city or district shall be entitled to a minimum allocation of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). In any instance in which the boundary of a city overlaps the boundary of a district, the population in the area of overlapping jurisdictions shall be attributed to each jurisdiction in proportion to the extent to which each operates and manages parks and recreational areas and facilities for that population. In any instance in which the boundary of a city overlaps the boundary of a district, and in the area of overlap the city does not operate and manage parks and recreational areas and facilities, all grant funds shall be allocated to the district.

(2) Each city and other district whose boundaries overlap, shall develop a specific plan for allocating the grant funds in accordance with the formula specified in paragraph (1). If, by October 1, 1986, the plan has not been agreed to by the affected jurisdictions and submitted to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Director of Parks and Recreation shall determine the allocation of the grant funds among the affected jurisdictions.

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Section § 5721

To apply for a grant, individuals need to submit applications to the department, ensuring they meet the chapter's requirements. The application must also include certification that the project aligns with local park and recreation plans and addresses a high priority need. Collaboration between neighboring jurisdictions is encouraged for joint applications. Grants request a minimum of $20,000 per project, and all applications must adhere to the California Environmental Quality Act.

When grants involve buying property, the state will fund 75%, while the rest must come from local funds or donated property. Applicants must prove nonstate matching funds before starting the project. Each year, the Director of Finance is informed of the total funds to be appropriated, which are then included in the state budget. A list of approved projects and funds for each jurisdiction will be published. Finally, grant recipients need to commit the funds within three years from when they were allocated, regardless of approval date.

(a) Individual applications for grants shall be submitted to the department for approval as to conformity with the requirements of this chapter. The application shall be accompanied by certification from the planning agency of the applicant that the project for which the grant is applied is consistent with the park and recreation element of the applicable city or county’s general plan or the district’s park and recreation plan and will satisfy a high priority need. In order to utilize available grant funds as effectively as possible, overlapping or adjoining jurisdictions are encouraged to combine projects and submit a joint application.

(b) The minimum amount that the applicant may request for any individual project is twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).

(c) Every application shall comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)).

(d) Grants that are wholly or partially for the acquisition of real property shall be made on the basis of 75 percent state funds and 25 percent local matching funds or property donated to be part of the project. The grant recipient shall certify to the department that there is available, or will become available prior to the commencement of any work on the project, matching funds or property in the required amount from a nonstate source. Certification of the source and amount or value shall be set forth in the application.

(e) The director shall annually forward a statement of the total amount to be appropriated in each fiscal year for projects approved for grants to the Director of Finance for inclusion in the Budget Bill. The amount of grant funds to be allocated to each eligible jurisdiction shall be published in the Governor’s Budget for the fiscal year in which the appropriation for those grants is to be made and, as soon as possible thereafter, a list of projects for which grants have been approved shall be made available by the department.

(f) Grant funds shall be encumbered by the recipient within three years of the date the appropriation became effective, regardless of the date when the project was approved by the department pursuant to this section.

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Section § 5722

This law specifies that grant money can only be used for projects on land that the applicant owns or has significant control over, like through a lease. If the land isn't owned by the applicant, they need to prove to the director that their project will benefit the land proportionate to their level of control over it. Additionally, grant funds can only be used for activities directly related to managing and running parks and recreational facilities.

Grant funds may be expended for development, rehabilitation, or restoration only on lands owned by, or subject to a lease or other long-term interest held by, the applicant. If the lands are not owned by the applicant, the applicant shall first demonstrate to the satisfaction of the director that the development, rehabilitation, or restoration will provide benefits commensurate with the type and duration of interest in land held by the applicant. No grant funds may be expended for any purpose that is not directly related to the operation and management of parks and recreational areas and facilities.

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Section § 5723

This law explains the conditions an applicant must agree to in order to receive grant funds. First, they must promise that any property acquired or developed with these funds will be used only for its intended purpose, unless the Legislature allows a change. Second, they must agree to maintain and operate the property for a duration that matches the project's nature and funding. Finally, they must make the property accessible to the public by a specified date, which shouldn't exceed three years from project approval. If there are delays beyond the applicant's control, an extension may be granted. Otherwise, if the property isn't open to the public on time, the grant must be fully returned, and the applicant can't receive more funds under this chapter. Returned funds will be reallocated as described in another section of the law.

(a) No grant funds authorized by this chapter shall be disbursed until the applicant agrees that any property acquired or developed with those funds shall be used by the applicant only for the purpose for which the funds were requested and that no other use of the property shall be permitted except by specific act of the Legislature.

(b) No funds shall be disbursed unless the applicant agrees to maintain and operate the property to be acquired or developed for a period commensurate with the type of project and the proportion of state funds and local matching funds or property allocated to the capital costs of the project.

(c) No funds shall be disbursed unless the applicant agrees to make the property to be acquired or developed open to use by the public by a date specified in the agreement. That date shall not be more than three years after the date upon which the project was approved by the department pursuant to Section 5721. The department may grant a postponement of the specified date if the property is not or will not be open to use by the public by the specified date due to circumstances wholly beyond the control of the applicant. If the property is not open to use by the public by the date specified in the agreement, and any postponement thereof granted by the department, the grant funds shall be restored in full to the department and the applicant shall become ineligible to receive any further funds that may become available pursuant to this chapter. Any funds restored pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the fund and shall be available for appropriation pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5711.

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Section § 5724

This law states that if someone receives a grant under this chapter, the department can audit both the grant and how the recipient is using the funds at any time.

Any grant made pursuant to this chapter, and the performance of the applicant in expending the grant, may be audited at any time by the department.

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Section § 5725

This law allows up to $400,000 from the funds available under this chapter to be used for state administrative costs related to the implementation and management of this chapter.

Of the total funds available for appropriation pursuant to this chapter, an amount, not to exceed four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000), may be appropriated for state administrative costs directly incurred in connection with this chapter.

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