Oceanside City Council Approves $394K for Youth Programs

After hearing the softly spoken but impassioned plea of one of the victims of a shooting which left two other teenagers dead, the Oceanside City Council decided to put $394,000 into programs for youth and public safety, especially in the troubled Libby Lake neighborhood.
“We know these are life-and-death issues,” Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said. “It sounds dramatic, but that is what it is.” 
“Every child,” Sanchez said, “should be able to walk down any street in any part of the city safely and without fear. That is our goal, and we are going to meet that goal.”
“We'll do what we can with the budget restraints that we have,” Councilman Gary Felien said.
The money is from an unexpected surplus this year – with some funds committed for two years – but no long-term promises.
Earlier in the evening Wednesday, Teri Ferro, city financial services director, had reported to the council that its $119-million General Fund budget appears solid, with most revenues, like sales and hotel taxes, experiencing increases.
City Manager Peter Weiss noted the council had told him in March to use some of the surplus for so-called “community service gaps,”   Many programs had been cut or curtailed altogether.
“Unfortunately, we do not have enough money to fund all the programs,” Weiss said.
The unanimous vote included:

• $80,000 for Project  Reach, a gangs-drugs-pregnancy-prevention program run by Vista Community Clinic at the Libby Lake Community Resource Center.  It was on behalf of this program that David Garcia, still limping from gunshot injuries suffered in the March 13 attack in the neighborhood park that killed Melanie Virgen, 13, and Edgar Sanchez, 15, addressed the council. Garcia, 18, said Project Reach provides a safe place for teens. 
  
• $40,000 for a security-camera monitoring program in high-crime areas.
  
• $33,000 to help North County Lifeline expand its services into the abandoned Campfire building in the Crown Heights neighborhood, also the scene of violence in the past year.
  
• The two-year programs approved included:
  
• $140,000 for a third police resource officer, to be primarily responsible for the junior-high schools.  The cost could be split with Oceanside Unified School District.
  
• $82,000 for expanded evening and youth programs at Melba Bishop and Balderrama Parks and a Libby Lake summer program in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club--$6,000 for an expanded police Explorer Scout program
  

• Solicit donations for field trips.--Plan “Take Back the Park” programs in May and June. 
  
• Restore the Adelante bookmobile serving Spanish-speaking residents.