DATE:
May 23, 2023
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Community Development
TITLE: Amendment of Agreement with
Community Legal Services of East Palo
Alto for Legal Assistance and Services to
Mountain View Tenants at the Housing
and Eviction Help Center
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize expenditures by the Community Development Department in an amount not to exceed $155,000 through June 30, 2025 for legal assistance and services to Mountain View tenants.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute an amendment to the p rofessional services agreement with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, Inc., for legal support and assistance to Mountain View tenants, to increase maximum compensation by $105,000 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $155,000.
BACKGROUND
The Housing Division and Rent Stabilization Program of the Community Development Department organizes a Housing and Eviction Help Center (Center) with in -person staffing (in multiple languages) to provide a centralized location where service providers can offer assistance for a variety of housing-related issues for Mountain View tenants and landlords . This allows for a comprehensive approach to providing housing services as many community members are experiencing multiple housing issues, including difficulty paying rent, need for an affordable unit, and legal issues. The Center helps to fulfill the Council’s Strategic priorities of “Community for All,” and “Intentional Development & Housing Options.” The City contracts with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, Inc. (CLSEPA) , to serve as a legal resource at the Center and to provide legal assistance and services to Mountain View tenants . CLSEPA has provided services to Mountain View for many years and is the only nonprofit legal services agency with expertise in tenant protections/evictions in the region that has the capacity to serve Mountain View.
CLSEPA is very familiar with Mountain View, the tenant community, and the Communit y Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA).
For Fiscal Year 2022-23, the City Council approved $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the continued oper ations of the Center, of which $50,000 was used to fund
Amendment of Agreement with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto for Legal Assistance and Services to Mountain View Tenants at the Housing and Eviction Help Center
May 23, 2023
services from CLSEPA and $200,000 for City administrative costs, including translations, program staffing, and communications materials through Fiscal Year 2022-23.
Of the $200,000, $95,000 of the ARPA funding has been allocated toward staffing, translations, and communication materials expenditures through the completion of Fiscal Year 2022 -23.
These expenditures were lower than anticipated due to savings in staff costs and the use of existing City resources to implement the communications plan. This leaves approximately $105,000 in ARPA funds, which can be used to fund future programming through June 30, 2026 but must be encumbered by June 30, 2023. Staff anticipates that services provided by CL SEPA will continue to be critical to the Center’s operations beyond Fiscal Year 2022-23 and is requesting that $105,000 from the remaining funds be encumbered for CLSEPA through June 30, 2025.
ANALYSIS
City Council Policy A -10 requires City Council authorization for contracts in excess of $100,000 .
The existing agreement with CLSEPA is to provide services in the amount of $50,000 in Fiscal Year 2022-23. Staff recommends amending the agreement to add similar funding levels for each of the next two fiscal years, including a cost -of-inflation adjustment of 3 % each year for an additional $105,000. This would bring the agreement to a three -year total o f $155,000 for services from Fiscal Year 2022-23 through Fiscal Year 2024-25. Because this amount exceeds the $100,000 threshold in Policy A-10, Council approval is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of $155,000 is fully funded by ARPA funds already received by the City. No additional City appropriation is being requested at this time.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not authorize the recommended expenditures or agreement amendment.
2. Provide other direction to staff.
Amendment of Agreement with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto for Legal Assistance and Services to Mountain View Tenants at the Housing and Eviction Help Center
May 23, 2023
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Patricia Black
Senior Management Analyst
Wayne Chen
Assistant Community Development
Director
Approved by:
Aarti Shrivastava
Assistant City Manager/Community
Development Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager
PB-WC/1/CAM
821-05-23-23CR
203131