CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
April 3, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Benita DeFrank, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: Award a contract to ELE Corp to design, implement, and operate a Pomona-based Community Learning Center, FOR an amount not to exceed $200,000 IN American RESCUE PLAN funds RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Award a contract to Education, Leadership, Enterprise (ELE) Corp to design, implement, and operate a Pomona-Based Community Learning Center, for an amount not to exceed $200,000 in American Rescue Plan funds.
Authorize the City Manager to execute the contract and all necessary documents, amendments, and extensions, subject to approval by the City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Award of the contract to ELE Corp will establish a physical space where learning opportunities for Pomona adults and youth in the areas of employment development, computer literacy, English as a Second Language classes, and other learning opportunities will take place. This learning center will be funded through the use of American Rescue Plan funds, allocated to Council District 4. These funds must be expended prior to December 31, 2026 FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient funds for this service found in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds allocated to District 4 (191-0204-52285-10023) as part of the ARP Expenditure Spending Plan, adopted by City Council on September 20, 2021.
PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS:
In accordance with Pomona City Code Section 2-993.1, the Request for Proposals was posted on Planet Bids on October 19, 2022, with a due date of November 16, 2022.
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On June 6, 2022, the City Council adopted the FY 2022-23 City Operating Budget, which included district allocations of American Rescue Plan Act Funds to be used by Councilmembers to fund qualified programs and activities. On September 20, 2021 the ARP Expenditure Spending Plan was approved by the Mayor and City Council.
DISCUSSION:
In response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis, the U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act on March 11, 2021. These assistance programs provided needed relief to state, local and Tribal governments to enable them to continue to support the public health response and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable economic recovery. The City was allocated $45.37M in ARP funds.
As part of the approved ARP Expenditure Spending Plan, $750k was allocated to each Councilmember to be used in their respective Districts for activities eligible under ARP regulation. Following that, Councilmember Ontiveros-Cole requested that $200,000 of her allocated funds be used to develop a Pomona-based community learning center. In response, staff released a Request for Proposals to seek an organization to fulfill this request.
In accordance with Pomona City Code Section 2-993.1, Request for Proposals (“RFP”) No. 2022-62 – Pomona-Based Community Learning Center was posted on Planet Bids on October 19, 2022, with a due date of November 16, 2022. Proposals were solicited from qualified community based organizations to design, implement and operate a learning center focused on employment development, computer literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and other learning opportunities for Pomona adults and youth.
The RFP was sent to 31 vendors and was downloaded 16 times prior to the due date. The City received only one proposal in response to the RFP.
Evaluations were conducted by three Staff members. Evaluators thoroughly reviewed and scored the submitted proposal based on three key criteria: a) Overall project approach, design and methodology; b) Qualifications, background, and prior experience of the Proposer in performing services for similar projects; b) Past performance on contracts with business or government agencies in terms of quality of work and compliance with schedules; and c) Experience, organization, and technical skills to successfully accomplish the project’s Scope of Services and objectives. The table below displays the Bid evaluation scoring results.
Proposer
Score
ELE Corp
227
Staff recommends an award of contract to ELE Corp to design, implement, and operate a Pomona-based Community Learning Center, for an amount not to exceed $200,000. With the proposed funding ELE Corp will provide: 1) Early childhood development services; 2) Youth (8-18) extended learning services; and, 3) Adult skill enhancement services. These services will be provided at 800 S. White Avenue, Pomona.
All ARP funds must be used strictly in accordance with the federal rules and regulations that guide the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, from which ARP funds were allocated to the City. All projects funded by ARP funds will be monitored for regulatory adherence. These funds must be expended prior to December 31, 2026.
Prepared by:
Benita DeFrank
Neighborhood Services Director
Award of Contract to ELE Corp for a Pomona-Based Community Learning Center