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APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO
ENTER INTO A STATUTORY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH
EAST BAY ASIAN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
(EBALDC) IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THE ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY PROJECTS TO BE AWARDED FROM THE FEDERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY COMMUNITY CHANGE
GRANT THAT WILL FUND COMMUNITY-BASED CLIMATE CHANGE
RESILIENCE PROJECTS FOR THREE YEARS BETWEEN TEN
MILLION ($10,000,000) AND TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS
($20,000,000)
WHEREAS, communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change face adverse health impacts of historically inequitable policies; and
WHEREAS, on November 21, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program; and
WHEREAS, the EPA received $2 Billion through the Inflation Reduction Act for the Community Change Grant and will award 150 grants across the United States in all 50 States and Tribal Territories; and
WHEREAS, the grant program requires that the grants be a partnership between a community-based organization and a local government; and
WHEREAS, the grant program requires a legally binding Statutory Partnership Agreement (Agreement) be executed prior to submission of the application and entering into such an agreement requires Council authorization; and
WHEREAS, a revised version of the NOFO indicated that anticipated initial selections are expected in April 2024 and the anticipated start of the period of performance for initial selections is June 2024. This created a new urgency to submitting the application and adoption of this resolution will allow the City to enter into an agreement and submit an application in March 2024; and
2 WHEREAS, the City’s Sustainability and Resilience Division has been meeting with the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) to develop a proposal since mid- January and agrees that EBALDC is the best choice to be the community-based organization in this partnership due to their ongoing work in distinct neighborhoods along the 880 corridor; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland will be the local government entity and additional Collaborative Entities will be included as an additional requirement for award, but those partners do not need to be a part of this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, this Statutory Partnership Agreement will lay the foundation for further implementation of the Oakland Tree Equity Program, which prioritizes maintaining the functioning Tree Canopy where it exists and planting additional trees where the canopy does not exist; and
WHEREAS, priority areas have been selected based upon EBALDC and City participation in workgroups and committees in neighborhoods within the Havenscourt, Chinatown, and West Oakland communities, and is guided by the needs expressed from the workgroups; and
WHEREAS, the projects that are prioritized for this opportunity focus on transit-oriented development and urban greenway expansion at Wilma Chan Park, the implementation of the Prescot Greening plan in West Oakland, and implementing Healthy Environment Priorities within the Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative; and
WHEREAS, this partnership represents an effort to address the historic impacts of underinvestment in frontline communities. This partnership model reflects the priorities of the Collaborative Stakeholder Structure created by the Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors Initiative that focuses on 5 square miles in East Oakland; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That, pursuant to the requirement of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program, the City Administrator is hereby authorized to enter into a Statutory Partnership Agreement with East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation to apply for an EPA Community Change Grant for an amount not to exceed Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000).
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS NOES – ABSENT – ABSTENTION –
ATTEST: ASHA REED City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of Oakland, California