Santee Teen Center Turns 13

The Santee Teen Center is now a teenager.

Some current members of the Santee Teen Center

Thirteen years ago, the city opened its first teen center at a former retail space in a shopping center in central Santee. Five years later, in 2006, it moved to a cottage-sized building at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve.

Although the move put the teen center in a less accessible area of town, the city partnered with the Santee School District to provide affordable after-school transportation for students in grades 6 to 8.

“Santee Lakes is an excellent location for our teen center because of the access to nature and outdoor recreation opportunities” said Recreation Supervisor Aliah Brozowski, who oversees the city’s programs for teens and seniors. “Having our teen center located at Santee Lakes allows us to provide recreation programs to our teens in a pleasant, safe and well-maintained park setting.”

The city’s cooperative relationship with Padre Dam Municipal Water District, which operates the Recreation Preserve, proved invaluable in early 2012 when the teen center was threatened by closure due to budget cuts.

Padre Dam’s board of directors agreed to lower the district’s rent for the teen center building to $1 per month, saving the city more than $12,000 annually.  The action spared the teen center from being closed, and a valuable community resource was preserved.

The teen center follows the classic model of an after-school drop in recreation program. But it’s more than a place to play ping pong or toss a Frisbee. It’s also an incubator where young people can mature and learn leadership skills under the Junior Leader program.

Some current staff members began coming to the center as middle school students, then graduated from Junior Leader training before returning as part-time aides in their college years. Teen center staffers must pass a background check, are first aid and CPR certified and receive special training for working with adolescents and teens.

“Our staff members are passionate and dedicated young adults who take their role as mentors very seriously,” Brozowski said. “They are the most important amenity the center has to offer.”

“The center uses a low staff-to-participant ratio to ensure safety and personal connections with each teen,” she said.

Activities at the center are geared toward students from grades 6 to 9.  A typical after-school session includes homework time, an indoor activity, such as a pool tournament, and an outdoor activity, such as bicycling or fishing.  Teens are encouraged to help plan and implement the daily activities, ensuring their engagement and interest in the programming.   

When the opportunity arises, high school students are recruited as volunteers to help younger students with their homework and to serve as a role model while they navigate the teenage experience. The city would like to entice more high school volunteers to fill the “junior staff” positions.

“We’re trying to recruit 11th and 12th graders to be tutors and mentors,” said Brozowski.  “It’s one component where we have room for growth, and it would add a lot to our program.”

Editor’s Note: Annual membership is $41 for Santee residents and $55 for non-residents, or $5 per day. Parents can register online or at Santee City Hall.  Financial aid is available. After-school transportation also is available during the school year for Santee School District  students in grades 6 to 8 for $46 per month or $15 per week.

Water Board Extends Teen Center Lease

Directors of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District today unanimously approved a one-year extension of a $1-per-month lease with the city of Santee for the Santee Teen Center at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve for fiscal year 2013-14.

Santee Teen Center participants thank Padre Dam board.

The board’s action solidifies the water agency’s role as a partner and sponsor of the city’s after-school teen program, which has operated from a 1,140-square-foot building at the park since May 2005. “It is our pleasure to be able to extend this contract so that we can continue the program at the Teen Center,” noted Board President Bill Pommering.

Faced with harsh budget cuts triggered by the state’s elimination of redevelopment funding, the city last year negotiated with the water district to reduce the Teen Center rent from $1,036 per month to $1 per month. The district obliged, and the city has been able to continue operating the Teen Center’s after-school program that benefits local students as well as working parents.

 “We appreciate the board’s renewal of the reduced-cost lease, which is a fine example of an inter-agency partnership that benefits the public,” said Santee Community Services Director Bill Maertz.

For more information about the city of Santee Teen Center at the Lakes visit the city of Santee website.

 

 

Traffic Alert - Water Main Break

A 36” main water transmission line into Santee is leaking significantly at Mission Gorge and Big Rock Road. Lane closures will be in effect on both the east and west bound lanes of traffic on Mission Gorge between Big Rock Road and Carribean Way through tonight, expecting to last through Saturday. At this time, no customers are without water service. Padre Dam crews are working to excavate the road to determine the source of the leak and make repairs. Please visit Padre Dam’s website at http://www.padredam.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=43 for additional updates.

Santee the First to Conserve Water While Keeping Streets Clean

Santee will soon become the first city in San Diego County to use partially treated or reclaimed water for street sweeping rather than drinking water.

The switch to reclaimed water will save a small amount of money.  But more importantly, it will reduce the use of potable water by 60,000 gallons each year and add to our region’s water conservation efforts.
“Although the cost savings is minimal, switching to reclaimed water is a great idea because it conserves a valuable resource: drinking water,” said Kathy Valverde, who oversees the city’s Sustainability Program.  “It may seem like an obvious alternative, but we’ll actually be the first city in the region to accomplish this.”
The change was a collaborative effort between the City of Santee, CleanTECH San Diego and Padre Dam Municipal Water District.  It was also a change that took three years to accomplish because it required complicated approvals from the California Department of Public Health and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, a state agency that enforces the federal Clean Water Act.

Padre Dam is installing special filling stations at five locations throughout the city where street sweepers can fill up with reclaimed water.  The district will also provide required training for street sweeping crews on procedures to prevent reclaimed water from cross connecting with the potable water system.

While the city will be saving potable water as a result of the switch, the state approvals will also allow Padre Dam to save over 1 million gallons of drinking water annually, which are used to clean and maintain the sewer system.

Canon Pacific, which currently contracts with Santee for street sweeping, has been cooperating with the switch to reclaimed water and has agreed to retrofit its equipment.  The city will also require the use of reclaimed water for street sweeping in future contracts. 

“As a water conservation measure, I hope the switch will be one that other cities and water districts can model,” said Valverde.