New Park, Additional Summer Programming for South Sacramento Neighborhoods
On Tuesday, May 22, the Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a series of measures to bolster youth and family programs in the Meadowview Community. This follows the recent opening of the new Richfield Park in south Sacramento.
Council members voted to allocate just over $300,000 for the effort. Some of the money - $16,000 - will be used to pay a community engagement coordinator who will organize and oversee youth and family programs and events in the area. Another $130,000 will pay for expanding hours at the Laguna Libraries from five to seven days a week. Sacramento Summer Night Lights will return to the neighborhood for the summer with city funding of $100,000.
Another $15,000 will go to assist an ongoing effort - initially organized by Mayor Steinberg's office - to bolster mental health services in the area, where many residents say they have been traumatized by the police shooting of Stephon Clark as well as an ongoing cycle of poverty and violence. The rest of the money will pay to keep the Meadowview Pool and Pannell Community Center open longer.
The City also celebrated the renovation of Richfield Park in south Sacramento on May 9. Improvements include a new Tot Lot and Children's Adventure Playground, shade structures, exercise equipment, additional benches and BBQ grills. Thank you to City staff, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Community Leaders and Councilmember Larry Carr for your pivotal role in this important project.
