The Measure P Oversight and Policy Committee (MPOC) on July 30 recommended that the City Council authorize $300,000 in Measure P funds to the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) to expand scholarships, year-round programming and targeted neighborhood outreach, and separately approved a recommendation to allocate Measure P funds to the Robin McBee Firefighter EMS Youth Academy.

The committee said the $300,000 allocation to GVRD would be divided into program “buckets” intended to increase access citywide: $75,000 to bolster GVRD’s scholarship fund (bringing the scholarship total to $150,000), $65,000 for youth programming, $90,000 for teen programming, $25,000 for targeted programming in specific districts, $25,000 for free-entry “free days” at parks and facilities, and $20,000 for marketing and outreach. MPOC members voted to forward the recommendation to council; the committee recorded unanimous “yes” votes on the motion.

Why it matters: Committee members and presenters described the allocation as a short-term strategy to increase supervised, affordable activities for young people over the coming year. Staff and presenters said the mix of subsidies, scholarships and free-entry days aims both to expand general access and to create entry points for youth who might not otherwise enroll in programs.

Officials and program leaders described how the dollars would be used. Jason, a city staff presenter, said the scholarship eligibility would include summer camps, swim lessons, after-school kids club, sports and contract classes such as art and STEM. He described the committee’s intent to make at least some programming free or subsidized across all GVRD sites so families citywide can access safe spaces.

GVRD representatives and city staff described the scholarship design: individuals who qualify (for example, through free or reduced-price school lunch or other government assistance) can use scholarship funds up to $300 per person and GVRD’s scholarship program typically covers 50% of program costs. Presenters reported 71 youth scholarships awarded so far under earlier allocations and said roughly 446 individuals have participated in subsidized programming tied to previous Measure P support.

Committee members pressed presenters on whether the GVRD approach would reach youth at the highest risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. One commissioner suggested some funding should go directly to community-based organizations with established relationships to those young people. Staff and GVRD representatives said the immediate allocation was intended for rapid summer- and year-round scale-up while a longer-term grants or targeted distribution system could be developed to direct funds to nonprofits working with justice-impacted youth.

The committee also discussed targeted geography. Staff said the targeted programming funds would focus on council-identified districts with recent elevated activity (Districts 2, 4, 5 and 6) and that city newsletters, school-district partnerships and community partners would be used to reach harder-to-reach families.

Robin McBee Firefighter EMS Youth Academy presentation: Two academy leaders described their program and current needs during the same meeting. The academy, commonly called the Vallejo Youth Academy and operating since 2016, trains middle- and high-school students in public-safety skills, community service and career pathways. Presenters said the program has reached about 5,000 children through a fire safety and prevention trailer since 2019, has enrolled roughly 624 participants over its history, and has 236 cadets who completed core training (CPR, fire extinguishment, CERT/rescue). The current 2025 academy cohort enrolls 28 cadets.

Crystal, an academy presenter, described the program’s core principles and daily structure and said the academy uses stipends for community service and places emphasis on life and workforce skills. "I don't care how you come into this program. I care how you're gonna come out," Crystal told committee members, describing the program’s intake interview and physical and written testing.

Mr. Carrasales, a community member, urged the committee to fund youth programs and praised the academy presenters. "If it was me, I'd give them more money," he said.

As a result of the presentations and subsequent motion, MPOC adopted a recommendation to forward Measure P funding to the Robin McBee Firefighter EMS Youth Academy; committee discussion recorded an initial allocation amount on the floor and an amended allocation before the vote (discussion recorded a $100,000 proposal that was amended on the floor to $150,000). The committee voted to forward that recommendation to City Council as well.

What the committee did not decide: Committee members did not adopt a new process for distributing Measure P dollars to other community-based organizations at this meeting. Several members said they intend to pursue a more formal grants or targeted distribution process later so funds can be directed to nonprofits that serve justice-impacted youth.

Next steps and oversight: Staff said the GVRD grant agreement and use of the funds will be monitored through required grant reports and that the MPOC would receive updates. Staff also said the city attorney’s office is reviewing steps to repeal or revise the former youth commission ordinance (municipal code chapter) and that drafting and scheduling a new ordinance would require time on the city agenda calendar.

Votes at a glance: The MPOC voted to forward the $300,000 recommendation for GVRD to the City Council (motion passed; recorded unanimous yes votes by the committee). The MPOC also voted to recommend Measure P funding to the Robin McBee Firefighter EMS Youth Academy after an on-the-floor amendment to the proposed allocation, and the committee recorded the motion as passed during the meeting.

The committee meeting included extended discussion about outreach and strategies to ensure the funds reach higher-risk youth, and staff said longer-term work will evaluate targeted grantmaking to community-based organizations that already serve those populations.