Mobile recreation program for kids, scrapped in ‘09, might bounce back in Costa Mesa
After years in hiatus, Costa Mesa’s mobile recreation program could get rolling again soon.
On a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the City Council directed staff to prepare plans and a budget to restart the program, which the city scrapped amid a budget crunch in 2009.
The program, previously operated out of a van filled with games, activities and sports equipment, was a way to provide recreation services across the city, Recreation Manager Justin Martin said Tuesday.
“A mobile recreation program, in very simple terms, refers to a traveling playground program on wheels that provides ... structured and unstructured recreational activities in areas of the community that may have insufficient access to or financial constraints to parks and programs,” he said.
Relaunching the program, Martin added, would provide mentorship and social opportunities for local youths, as well as promote outdoor play, which he said has become “increasingly less of the norm” due to the prevalence of indoor activities such as computers and video games.
Mayor Katrina Foley said she is “very excited” about seeing the program come forward again.
“I think it provides a community service to hundreds of kids who don’t necessarily have access to recreation programming,” she said. “It also is an at-risk preventer because you have mentors there working with kids, and then they’re growing up and getting good direction to go on a good path in life. That’s very important in some of our neighborhoods.”
Councilman Allan Mansoor, who cast the dissenting vote Tuesday, said he is concerned with the program’s potential costs.
“We need to maintain what we already have before we add too much more,” he said, referring to the city’s current parks and recreation facilities.
Previously, Costa Mesa operated the mobile recreation program at an annual cost ranging roughly from $50,000 to $95,000, with most of that going toward part-time staffing.
It’s not yet known how much money it will take to restart the program. Martin said the city might have to buy a new vehicle for it.
City staff will develop a funding plan for the council to review during next month’s midyear budget report.
“If you support that, then we would move forward and make it happen as quickly as we could,” City Manager Tom Hatch told the council.
The city also will explore sponsorship opportunities to help cover the program’s costs, Martin said.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
