CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
September 11, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Benita DeFrank, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF POMONA TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTER PROGRAM THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-150 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTERS PROGRAM 2) Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute all documents related with this action, with approval of the City Attorney as to form.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Adoption of the Resolution (Attachment No. 1) will allow staff to submit a grant proposal for the Community Resilience Centers Program through the California Strategic Growth Council for Washington Park Community Center.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact with action, as this is authorization to apply for funding. If the City is awarded this grant, funding will be brought into the FY 2023-24 Operating Budget though Council resolution.
DISCUSSION:
Within the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) recognizes that recent and ongoing climate events and public health emergencies impact every part of California and highlights resilience opportunities for planning, preparation, and adaption. Climate science projections anticipate that these climate impacts will worsen, expand, extend, and compound. In the face of these challenges, building and strengthening resilience requires investments in both physical and social infrastructure.
The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) advances the State’s key policy priorities in four main categories: investment programs, collaborative policy initiatives, integrated policy and planning, and capacity building and technical assistance. The newest of the SGC’s investment programs is the Community Resilience Centers (CRC) Program. The CRC program will fund planning, development, construction, and upgrades of neighborhood-level Community Resilience Centers to provide shelter and resources during climate and other emergencies, such as extreme heat events and poor air quality days. The program will also fund ongoing year-round community services and programs, such as food distribution and workforce development training, which build overall community resilience. SGC will prioritize community-serving locations, such as schools, libraries, and community centers. The program will fund planning, pre-development, and implementation activities through the following grant opportunities: Planning Grants, Project Development Grants, and Implementation Grants. SGC received a $110 million General Fund appropriation in FY 2022-23 to implement the program. Of the total funds, $98.6 million will be available for Round 1 grants. Planning Grants are a minimum request of $100,000 and maximum request of $500,000.
The Planning Grant will fund planning activities to prepare communities for future funding opportunities in programs that align with CRC Program Objectives with a specific focus on preparation for CRC Rounds 2 and 3 Implementation Grants. CRC Planning Grant activities should focus on developing a proposal for a future CRC Implementation Grant or similar funding opportunity, and must demonstrate effective, robust local community engagement and planning efforts. To apply, projects must reflect priorities, needs, assets, and approaches from the local community. Equipped with these core components, community resilience centers will empower communities, respond to climate emergencies, and provide year-round services and programs to enhance both climate resilience and community resilience.
All communities are eligible to apply for CRC program funds. However, SGC must prioritize CRC projects located in and benefitting priority community. Priority communities for the CRC program Round 1 include under-resourced communities, which include the following:
Census tracts identified as ‘disadvantaged’ by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Census tracts with median household incomes at or below 80% of the statewide median income or with median household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits; OR Census tracts with a median household income less than 80% of the statewide average.
CRC Planning Grant Proposals will be scored out of a total of 100 points according to the following criteria:
CRC Vision and Objectives
Community Profile and Engagement Plan
Lead Applicant Capacity
Project Impact and Feasibility
Sharing Plan
Staff considered all 13 community centers and concluded that Washington Park Community Center had the most competitive data in comparison to other potential community centers. Further, staff selected Washington Park Community Center as a proposed community resilience center based on its central location in the south, it currently serves as a senior center and an After School Recreation site, and offers youth sports programming. The expansion and renovation of the community center would significantly benefit and increase the capacity of the surrounding community by offering year-round programs, classes, and services.
Blais and Associates will compose the grant proposal, in collaboration with staff. Approval of this action will allow staff to submit grant application for SGC’s CRC program by Monday, September 18, 2023.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS:
This item supports the 2021-2022 City Council Priority 1: Fiscal and Operational Responsibility – Goal C: Obtain additional grant funding and other revenues to help achieve City goals and Priority 4: Safe and Clean Community – Goal M: Improve safety and cleanliness at parks and public spaces.
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Monica Belloso
Management Analyst
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2023-150
Authorization to Submit a Community Resilience Centers Program Grant Application