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CC SR 20220201 06 - 50th Anniversary RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 02/01/2022 AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business AGENDA TITLE: Consideration and possible action to initiate the planning and preparation for the City's 50th anniversary celebration. RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: 1) Review and provide input on a proposed year’s list of monthly events to count down to the 50th anniversary commencing in September 2022 and concluding in September 2023; 2) Direct Staff to reserve the banquet hall at Terranea on September 9, 2023, as the venue for the 50th anniversary dinner banquet; 3) Direct Staff to begin planning events with the 50th Anniversary City Council Subcommittee; and, 4) Direct Staff to begin a robust donation and sponsorship campaign to raise funds to offset costs associated with the 50th anniversary events. FISCAL IMPACT: None Amount Budgeted: N/A Additional Appropriation: N/A Account Number(s): N/A ORIGINATED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager REVIEWED BY: Same as above APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, City Manager ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: BACKGROUND: Historically, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes celebrates its anniversaries with community events and activities every five years. Next year, the City will celebrate 50 years since the City’s incorporation on September 7, 1973. At the request of Mayor Bradley, Staff is presenting this item to begin the planning and preparation for the 50th anniversary celebration. DISCUSSION: The celebration of the City’s 50th anniversary will be a collaborative effort with community members, including residents, local businesses, schools, nonprofits, and City vendors, to name a few. To mark this significant milestone in the City’s history, Staff recommends a 1 year-long celebration commencing on September 7, 2022, the City’s 49 th anniversary, and concluding on September 7, 2023. To make this happen, Staff seeks the following direction from the City Council: • Developing a year’s list of monthly events to count down the 50th anniversary; • Reserving the banquet hall at Terranea as the venue for the 50 th anniversary dinner banquet; • Commencing the planning of events with the 50th anniversary City Council Subcommittee: and • Implementing a robust donation and sponsorship campaign to raise funds. 1. Proposed Year’s List of Monthly Events Counting Down to the 50th Anniversary To count down the City’s 50th anniversary, Staff proposes monthly events that will bring the community together to celebrate the City’s history. The following is a proposed list of year-long monthly events for the City Council’s consideration and input including adding, deleting or modifying events: September 2022 Unveiling of the Ken Dyda Civic Center and Ken Dyda Way Street Sign: A ribbon-cutting ceremony is proposed to formally rename Upper Point Vicente Park/Civic Center property after Councilmember Ken Dyda, as well as the unveiling of the Ken Dyda Way street sign for the driveway leading to the Civic Center in recognition of his many years of civic service. A reception with food and family activities would follow this ceremony, thus launching a year’s worth of monthly events. October 2022 Harvest Festival: This event would feature food and wine from local restaurants, live music, and an array of arts and crafts vendors from Rancho Palos Verdes. Additionally, the City’s Trunk or Treat event, which was a huge success in 2021, can coincide with the harvest festival making it a family-friendly weekend activity. November 2022 Historic Talk and Walk with RPVtv: RPVtv, in collaboration with various groups, such as the Palos Verdes Library District, Rancho de los Palos Verdes Historical Society, and/or Los Serenos de Point Vicente, can schedule a series of Saturday talks and walks to learn more about the City's rich history and landmarks, such as the Nike Missile Silos, Wayfarers Chapel, and Point Vicente Lighthouse. This series would be filmed and uploaded to the RPVtv’s YouTube channel and the City’s 50th anniversary webpage. December 2022 Participate in Holiday Programming: The City proposes to host the 2nd annual tree lighting ceremony and Skating-in-the-Park event at the Civic Center that would incorporate the 50th anniversary as the general theme. Additionally, the City would participate in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Parade of Lights hosted by the City of Rolling Hills Estates by decorating a wagon to commemorate its 50th anniversary. If the refurbishment of “Bubbles” is completed in time, it would be incorporated into the 50th anniversary decorations. 2 January 2023 Historical Scavenger Hunt: A historical “scavenger hunt” would direct participants around the City to see historically significant buildings and locations. This activity would be for all to enjoy and walk away with some exciting Rancho Palos Verdes 50th anniversary commemorative souvenirs. February 2023 History of Rancho Palos Verdes Art Contest: The art contest would be open to Rancho Palos Verdes residents of all ages to highlight a historical event or place using their artistic talent. Winners would have their work presented before the City Council and featured on the City’s 50th anniversary webpage. March 2023 Celebrate the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve: In collaboration with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, the City proposes to celebrate the formation of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve that protects, in perpetuity, 1,400 acres of open space in the City. This event would consist of a nature walk beginning and concluding at the Donor Recognition site at Del Cerro park. A small outdoor reception would occur at the conclusion of the nature walk. April 2023 Whale of a Day: Every spring, the City hosts its annual Whale of a Day celebration at Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC) to celebrate the migration of the Pacific gray whale. As in years past, the event will include hands-on activities, live entertainment, and food trucks. However, to commemorate the City’s 50th anniversary, the 2023 event is proposed to incorporate a booth to share information and sell merchandise (i.e., t-shirts, etc.) on the City’s history. Additionally, the unveiling of the new “Bubbles” marque sign at PVIC is also proposed to occur at this event. May 2023 Picnic at the Fourth City Tree Grove: Staff proposes to host a picnic at the tree grove planted in 1977 at the then-Rancho Palos Verdes Park (now known as Ryan Park) honoring Gordon Curtis, Dorothy Le Conte, and Fred Hesse Jr. for their contributions to the City’s incorporation. Members of their families will be invited to the picnic. June 2023 Themed Summer Concerts at Rancho Palos Verdes Parks: Similar to 2021, the Recreation and Parks Department proposes to host a series of outdoor concerts at the Civic Center. Each concert would be comprised of a cover band performing music from one of the five decades since the City’s incorporation. July 2023 Fourth of July Fireworks: The annual Fourth of July event has been a City-hosted event since 1975, almost as long as the City’s been incorporated. Staff proposes that the event for the 50th anniversary be enhanced with the City's first drone light show that would take place instead of fireworks. The drone light show would have similar effects minus the loud booms and crackling sound of fireworks. In addition, the event would invite several food trucks, music, and children's activities. 3 August 2023 Sister City Cultural Event: August 4 marks the anniversary of establishing a sister city relationship with Sakura City, Japan. Staff proposes to recognize the relationship between our two cities by planting cherry blossom trees. Similar to the one-year anniversary, Staff can invite traditional Japanese performers, musicians, and dignitaries to attend. September 2023 50th Anniversary Dinner Banquet: To culminate the year-long celebration, Staff proposes a dinner banquet open to the community at Terranea Resort. More information will be provided at a later date. 2. Reserving the Main Banquet Hall at Terranea In order to have the 50th anniversary dinner banquet at Terranea, Staff seeks the City Council’s direction to secure the venue and event date for Saturday, September 9, 2023. Once the date has been selected and confirmed, Staff and the subcommittee will begin working with Terranea’s banquet team to determine, among other things, the estimated cost. At this time, a security deposit is not needed. 3. Direct Staff to Begin Planning Events with the 50th Anniversary City Council Subcommittee On December 21, 2021, the City Council assigned Mayor Bradley and Mayor Pro Tem Ferraro to the 50th Anniversary Subcommittee. Planning the proposed events surrounding the 50th anniversary will require securing locations, vendors, performers, ordering commemorative memorabilia, and many more logistics. The success of these events will rely on the input and assistance of the Council Subcommittee and other community members. Thus, it is recommended that the City Council direct Staff to schedule meetings with the 50th anniversary subcommittee and invite volunteers comprised of members of the community including residents, local businesses, students, the Palos Verdes Chamber of Commerce, and others to the meeting to make comments, suggestions, and volunteer to work on various planning of activities. 4. 50th Anniversary Donation and Sponsorship Campaign Staff seeks direction from the City Council to proceed with planning a donation and sponsorship campaign to offset costs associated with the various events. Staff can commence a 50th anniversary donation fund for expenses associated with planning and organizing all the events. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 50th Anniversary Website In celebration of this special milestone, a 50th Anniversary homepage on the City’s website will be developed to commemorate the City’s rich history, provide information on monthly events, a photo gallery, RPVtv videos, and more. A Countdown Clock Staff will be adding a countdown clock to the main page on the City’s website that will count down 365 days to the City’s 50th anniversary date of September 7, 2023. 4 50th Anniversary City Logo The City intends to create a commemorative 50th anniversary City logo that will used throughout the year-long celebration. 50th Anniversary Memorabilia Using the commemorative 50th anniversary logo, the City will order memorabilia merchandise, such as t-shirts, caps, stickers, mugs, banners, etc., that may be sold or provided at the various year-long events. 50th Anniversary Budget Based on this evening's discussion, staff will develop a budget with the Finance Director for consideration at the upcoming City Council budget workshop for fiscal year 2022-23. This would also include costs associated with creating a 50th anniversary logo and commemorative memorabilia. CONCLUSION: The 50th anniversary celebration will embody the rich history of how a group of residents sought local control, embraced cultural and historic preservation, and community civic engagement to form the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. This evening, Staff seeks direction from the City Council on how to commemorate this milestone anniversary. ALTERNATIVES: In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for the City Council’s consideration: 1. Do not proceed with the 50th anniversary celebration planning. 2. Take other action, as deemed appropriate. 5