May 17, 2022
Public Comment Re: 21. (22-0560) LB Recovery Act
Honorable Councilmembers, Mayor Garcia, and City Manager Modica:
We want to thank you all for your efforts in supporting Long Beach and the recovery and relief efforts.
We are happy to see the LBRA funding and programs begin to come out to support the City of Long Beach, Businesses, Nonprofits, and the community as a whole.
In the initial stages of planning and advocacy for funding for our communities, we asked the following questions:
In what ways is the City ensuring that LBRA funds are being allocated in an equitable manner?; How is the City bringing in nonprofits/community organizations to meet the nee ds, and how can the City provide more access to these organizations for resources? What does the city want the landscape to look like in 6 months or 1 year? The support given to the community now will play a key role in what nonprofits/businesses exist to serve the community in years to come.
As implementation of LBRA Funding and Programs move forward, we are reaching out to support continued improvement in process and implementation so that funding is allocated in a way to ensure the following:
• Reduction of barriers including long waiting periods for funding to reach these organizations and communities they are intended to support;
• Distribution of funding that does not financially burden those receiving funds. To limit the financial burden placed on contractors, partners, nonprofits, we encourage upfront funding of projects when possible, reasonable reporting requirements, and expedited invoicing processes . • Provide upfront payment s for funding that is being redistributed, or for purchasing, should be provided prior to expense being incurred.
• Providing funding that covers the full cost of doing business is critical. This includes administrative, indirect expenses. Indirect costs capped at 5% or 10% do not fully cover the cost of operating a nonprofit, and should be increased when possible to fully support the services r equested. We recommend increasing the indirect cost to 20-30%
The City of Long Beach has been a leader in supporting the community with funding for relief and recovery, and innovative in its approach to partnering with organizations and examining practice s that have created barriers, especially to those organizations reaching the most impacted communities. The City staff and leaders we have worked with from the LBRA team, Health Department, and Economic Development, have all been great partners in working to provide support to meet the needs of the community and the nonprofit partners.
We support the recommendation for the City Manager to move the LBRA plan forward with fewer barriers, and advocate for continued opportunities to provide feedback into that process.
We offer our support in providing communication of resources, sharing data and information relevant to supporting the nonprofit and business community, and d eveloping equitable allocation of resources to ensure the community is supported and that it endures.
Sincerely,
Michelle Byerly
Executive Director