The Sacramento City Council passed an initiative from the Department of Parks and Recreation to raise money through sponsors and advertisers during Tuesday night's meeting.

The program, formally called the Community Sponsorship Initiative, is intended to allow the department to find alternative funding amidst the state's hefty budget deficit. According to the department's April 6 report to the City Council, creative means of funding are now desirable for the department that has faced two consecutive years of budget cuts.

"All we're putting forth is permission to advertise at our specialized facilities," Operations Manager Dave Mitchell said. "This endeavor before you tonight is not new to California, just new to Sacramento. It is consistent with our master plan in seeking out new revenue opportunities."

The initiative would allow individuals to sponsor various events and participants, and open commercial advertising opportunities for businesses on the department's property, according to the report. Acceptable commercial advertising includes sale of real estate or personal property, services or entertainment. Guidelines are in place so that the advertisements do not become a public forum, the report states.

"The No. 1 goal of our department is to ensure that residents have access to our parks and open spaces," Media and Communications Specialist Hindolo Brima said, "and anything that interferes with that in any way does not allow us to do that. Anything that we do at a park should not take precedence over anything that the park is not designated for. If a park is designated for baseball, for example, there should be nothing that takes away from that."

The department developed the initiative along with policies for sponsors and advertisers.

The report also states: "The department intends to implement a specialized facility and publication sponsorship and advertising program that will enable revenue-generating agreements with the private sector. Revenue from such agreements will help support essential programs, services and facilities."

"We're hoping to raise somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 in the first year," Mitchell said.

The Sacramento Softball Complex at Del Paso Regional Park is the only location chosen so far as a potential venue for advertising.

"We're currently looking at any advertisers that fit within our policy," Brima said.

The department's report stated that advertising would only occur on their property at specialized facilities that's designated for a single purpose. Examples include dog parks, pools, skate parks, community gardens and single-sport facilities.

The report states: "It is important to note that community centers, club houses, playgrounds, and parks in general do not meet this definition of specialized facilities. One of the department's key goals when implementing CSI at specialized facilities is to ensure that CSI-related activities, e.g., advertising, do not interfere with the designated purpose of other neighboring facilities/amenities or have a visual impact on the surrounding community."

Brima emphasized that the prospect of advertising in parks, sports venues and gardens should not overshadow CSI's other opportunities. Potential sponsorship of Sacramento's children and youth include programs such as Jr. Kings Basketball Skills Program, city-wide summer day camps and safe places for youth/teen centers.

"We want everyone to know that they can sponsor a child or an event. A business can sponsor an advertisement, but this program is wide open. It's not just for advertisers. It can be for anyone who says, 'I want to make sure kids can go to summer day camp, and I'd like to make sure 10 kids can go,'" Brima said.

The program passed unanimously with strong praise from councilmembers.

"It's not only the right thing to do, but it's the right time to start," Councilman Robert Fong said. "I think (the department) has been very thoughtful in what we want to see and don't see."

Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell agreed, but with concern for the council's funding. "I think it's a great idea. It's kind of something we already do, we give the shares and we have sponsors.

"As long as it's not going to take away from the Gifts to Share, Inc. funding that we get for our own projects," Pannell said.

"It would not," Mitchell responded. "It opens opportunities for us. CSI helps us control and helps advertisers we're interested in doing business with. It helps us weed out those we're not interested in doing business with."

"I think what you're proposing tonight makes sense," Councilman Steve Cohn said. "When we start talking about parks in our neighborhoods, we have to be sensitive. We have to be aware of issues, and I think you're taking a deliberate approach that makes sense."

CSI is already in place and was awaiting City Council approval. The program and its website will launch next week, said Brima.