Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Joe Devries
City Administrator Deputy City Administrator
SUBJECT: 2024 Summer Food Service Program DATE: January 17, 2024
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting And Appropriating A Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Grant From The California Department Of Education (CDE) In The Amount Of $426,870 (Four Hundred Twenty-Six Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Dollars); And
2. Awarding Professional Services Agreements (PSAS) To Uptons, Inc. (dba School Foodies) In An Amount Not To Exceed $221,875 (Two Hundred Twenty-One Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-Five Dollars); To Flo’s Friendly School Lunches In An Amount Not To Exceed $253,750 (Two Hundred Fifty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars); And To Cook And Run, Inc. In An Amount Not To Exceed $257,500 (Two Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars), To Provide Food Services From May 28, 2024, Through August 9, 2024; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional SFSP Funding That Becomes Available And Amend The Above PSAS To Increase Amounts Within The Term Of May 28, 2024 Through August 9, 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing the City Administrator to accept a $426,870 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) grant from the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division. This grant will reimburse the City of Oakland for providing 75,000 lunches and 67,250 snacks to Oakland children at various community sites from May 28, 2024, to August 9, 2024.
Staff also recommends the City Council authorize agreements with selected vendors, namely Uptons, Inc. (dba School Foodies), Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, and Cook and Run Inc., for food vendor services during the 2024 SFSP program. These vendors were competitively selected through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process administered by the Oakland City Administrator’s Office.
Jestin Johnson (Feb 14, 2024 19:44 PST)
Feb 14, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2024 Summer Food Service Program
Date: January 17, 2024 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
For thirty-nine years, the City has been committed to delivering the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) with funding sourced from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 225, administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division.
On May 3, 2023, the Council approved Resolution 89745 C.M.S ., which awarded Professional
Service Agreements to five vendors to provide food service for the 2023 Summer Food Service Program.
In the summer of 2023, SFSP vendors delivered meals to 53 sites, including 17 recreation centers, 24 community programs, and 7 libraries. Throughout the summer, SFSP distributed 65,840 lunches and 55,441 snacks, addressing critical hunger needs and ensuring children receive nutritious meals during the school break.
On October 3, 2023, the Council approved Resolution 89914 C.M.S., which modified the compensation amounts and terms of the PSA Agreements with 5 of the 6 vendors in the 2023 Summer Food Service Program.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The City of Oakland's Summer Food Service Program aims to provide free, nutritionally balanced meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months when they are not in school. Approximately 72 percent of Oakland Unified School District students qualify for free or reduced lunches, and about 25 percent of Oakland children live in families below the Federal poverty level.
The City contracts with vendors to prepare snacks and lunches for delivery to Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development (OPRYD), and lunches for Oakland Public Library (OPL) and various community sites. The SFSP's coordinator and Site Monitors ensure compliance with California Department of Education (CDE) regulations for transporting, delivering, and serving meals through daily site visits. City staff handles meal ordering for all sites, provides training for site staff to ensure program compliance, communicates with vendors, and submits required documentation to the state, including applications, site enrollment data, and reimbursement reports. The City is reimbursed based on meal delivery in compliance with CDE and USDA requirements. To supplement SFSP funding, additional support is added from Measure HH – Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax, enabling the provision of larger and more nutritious meal portions.
Vendor Selection
In response to the RFP issued on December 21, 2023, four bids for vendor services were received, covering both snack and lunch offerings. Three out of the four vendors participated in a Taste Test on January 9, 2024, where City staff engaged members of the Oakland community Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2024 Summer Food Service Program
Date: January 17, 2024 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
to sample offerings from the vendors and evaluate them based on taste, appearance, and other relevant factors.
Subsequently, staff diligently reviewed and scored the proposals, considering taste test results, price, capacity, and past experience. The evaluation results are presented below:
Table 1: Combined Scores for Vendor Bids
Rating School
Foodies
Flo’s Friendly
Foods
Cook and
Run Category
Price 40 40 37 35
Menu/Food
Samples 40 32 36 39
Capacity 10 10 9 8
Past
Performance* 10 9 9 8
Total 100 91 91 90
Table 2 reflects the current reimbursement rate set by the California Department of Education for the cost of each snack and lunch provided by the City of Oakland SFSP.
Table 2: California Department of Education SFSP Grant Reimbursement Rate:
CDE Reimbursement Rate Snack Lunch
$1.04 $4.48
Table 3 reflects the price per delivered meal that vendors proposed in their bids.
Table 3: Bid Prices for Delivery Direct to Sites
Vendor Lunch Snack
School Foodies $6.85 $2.25
Flo’s Friendly School Lunches $7.15 $3.00
Cook and Run $7.50 $3.50
Table 4 reflects the number of meals to be delivered by each vendor, the cost, and the final cost after reimbursement has been received by the CDE.
Table 4: Estimated Food Service Cost Per Vendor for Lower Total Snack and Lunch Service
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2024 Summer Food Service Program
Date: January 17, 2024 Page 4
Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
Vendor Meal type Number
of meals
Bid Price Reimbursement rate Vendor Cost
School Foodies Lunch 25,000 $6.85 $4.48 $171,250
School Foodies Snack 22,500 $2.25 $1.04 $50,625
Flo’s Friendly
School Lunches
Lunch 25,000 $7.15 $4.48 $178,750
Flo’s Friendly
School Lunches
Snack 25,000 $3.00 $1.04 $75,000
Cook and Run, Lunch 25,000 $7.50 $4.48 $187,500
Cook and Run, Snack 20,000 $3.50 $1.04 $70,000
Total $733,125
The vendor cost reflects the expense of each meal provided between May 28, 2024, and August 9, 2024. The total California Department of Education (CDE) reimbursement represents the rate of reimbursement for each meal throughout the program's duration. The total cost to the city after CDE reimbursement is the difference between the vendor cost per meal and the CDE reimbursement rate per meal.
The Summer Food Service Program aligns with key citywide priorities, fostering:
1. Holistic community safety
The Summer Food Service Program addresses childhood food insecurity, a significant factor in creating safe and healthy communities. Access to healthy meals enhances children's concentration, learning, and participation in physical activities. Offering free meals during the summer also eases financial burdens on families, reducing stress and anxiety that may contribute to unsafe living conditions.
2. Housing, economic, and cultural security
The Summer Food Service Program plays a pivotal role in supporting families and communities facing economic challenges. By providing free meals, families can allocate limited resources to essential needs like housing, utilities, and healthcare, contributing to economic stability. It also promotes cultural security by incorporating diverse meals that reflect Oakland's communities, celebrating and preserving cultural traditions and values.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this resolution authorizes the City Administrator or designee to accept and appropriate a grant from the California Department of Education in an amount not to exceed $426,870.
Furthermore, adoption of this resolution authorizes the City Administrator or designee negotiate, award, and execute professional services agreements with Uptons, Inc, Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, and Cook and Run, Inc, in an amount not to exceed $733,125.
Funding for this contract is budgeted and available in the following funding sources:
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2024 Summer Food Service Program
Date: January 17, 2024 Page 5
Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
Table 5: Funding Sources for SFSP 2024
Fund Org Project Account Program Amount
1030 –
Measure HH
02111 1007373 54919 YS03 $306,255
2102 – CDE
SFSP Grant
(Department
of
Agriculture)
02111 1006932 54919 YS13 $426,870
Total Funding $733,125
The total cost for SFSP vendors amounts to $733,125, sourced from the SFSP grant provided by the California Department of Education (CDE) and supplemented by local funding from the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Fund (Fund 1030).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Public outreach for the SFSP is conducted through a press release and prominently displayed banners at all community site locations, publicizing the free lunch program in low-income communities. The awarding of the vendor contracts followed a competitive Request for Proposal process, which was appropriately advertised in alignment with the City's Purchasing Ordinance and other relevant policies.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Vendors' past performance was a crucial factor in their selection. School Foodies has been delivering since 2017, Flo’s Friendly Foods since 2020, and Cook and Run joined in 2022.
To assess last year's performance, surveys were sent to all sites, evaluating meal quality, reusable packaging use, timely delivery, temperature control, and meal completeness. These survey results will guide ongoing adjustments for continuous improvement to the program.
Moving forward, the City will continue to monitor vendor performance, emphasizing high-quality meals, reusable packaging, timely and controlled delivery, and complete meals.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: SFSP offers part-time employment to eight to ten program monitors and fosters local entrepreneurship by engaging small businesses as vendors.
Environmental: Meals in SFSP use reusable, compostable, and recyclable materials, aligning with waste reduction efforts and State mandate SB 1383.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2024 Summer Food Service Program
Date: January 17, 2024 Page 6
Life Enrichment Committee
February 27, 2024
Race & Equity: SFSP ensures access to free, nutritious meals for low-income children, correlating with improved academic performance and overall child health and wellness.
Participating sites in SFSP are required to meet the USDA standards for free and reduced price meals. Over 70% of the participating sites are in West and East Oakland.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That the City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting And Appropriating A Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Grant From The California Department Of Education (Cde) In The Amount Of $426,870 (Four Hundred Twenty-Six Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Dollars); And
2. Awarding Professional Services Agreements (PSAS) To Uptons, Inc. (Dba School Foodies) In An Amount Not To Exceed $221,875 (Two Hundred Twenty-One Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-Five Dollars); To Flo’s Friendly School Lunches In An Amount Not To Exceed $253,750 (Two Hundred Fifty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars); And To Cook And Run, Inc. In An Amount Not To Exceed $257,500 (Two Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars), To Provide Food Services From May 28, 2024 Through August 9, 2024; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional SFSP Funding That Becomes Available And Amend The Above PSAS To Increase Amounts Within The Term Of May 28, 2024 Through August 9, 2024
For questions regarding this report, please contact Michael Akanji, City Administrator Analyst, at 238-6454.
Respectfully submitted,
JOE DEVRIES
Deputy City Administrator
Prepared by: Michael Akanji, City Administrator
Analyst
Attachments (1):
Attachment A –SFSP Distribution Sites 2023