February 21, 2023
Library and Community Services
DATE: February 21, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager, Community
Services
Ranjana Maharaj, Deputy Director for Community
Services-Recreation
Jene Levine-Snipes, Development Project Manager
Stephanie Ny, Associate Administrative Analyst
Subject:
Grant Application for the California Department of Food and Agriculture Fairground and Community Resilience
Centers Program
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no General Fund financial impact.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
Not applicable.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Community Services-Recreation Department has an
opportunity to apply for a grant from California
Department of Food and Agriculture Fairground and
Community Resilience Centers Program that could yield
up to $10M dollars for enhanced emergency
preparedness measures and capabilities for community
facilities, among other benefits. Prior to applying for this grant, the City’s Grant Management Policy requires that City Council approve application submissions where the
City envisions working in partnership with others to fulfill the grant’s mission.
AGENDA
REPORT
February 21, 2023
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving the Community Services-
Recreation Department’s request to authorize it to file a grant application for the California Department of Food and Agriculture Fairground and Community Resilience
Centers Program; and to approve its proposed, potential partnership list in said grant - Community Services
Department (LaShonda White/Ranjana Maharaj/Jene
Levine-Snipes 510-620-6793).
DISCUSSION:
Community Services-Recreation staff are in the process of consideration of, and preparation for, a grant application (“Application”) for the California Department of Food and Agriculture Fairground and Community Resilience Centers Program (collectively, the “Grant Program”). The Grant Program provides up to $10M dollars for community facilities to enhance emergency preparedness capabilities, including and, in particular, response(s) to climate change.
The benefits of this particular Grant Program extend beyond the important community facility infrastructure improvements it would provide. The Grant Program will also aid in building social infrastructure to a) help support social services; b) advance workforce development; and c) at the same time, provide multi-beneficial, holistic projects that support year-around community services and activities with sustained benefits beyond emergency/evacuation events.
As is well understood, community partnerships are essential to building social infrastructure. City staff has, or is planning to, reach out to the following entities for partnership in its Application and seeks the City Council’s approval of the following organizations and groups (collectively, the “Partners”):
1. Groundwork Richmond
2. YES Nature to Neighborhoods
3. Rebuilding Together East Bay-North
4. First 5 Contra Costa
5. Positive Coaching Alliance
6. 18 Reasons
7. Trust for Public Land
Community Services-Recreation staff created the proposed, potential Partners list based on each Partner’s known contributions to programming near the project site and/or Richmond Resilience Roadmap planning.
The City’s Finance Department authored a Grant Management Policy (“Policy”) that, inter alia, promotes transparence for grant applications when the City envisions a public-private partnership evolving as part of any grant award. In those circumstances, Section 3(e) of the Policy requires staff to first seek City Council approval prior to
February 21, 2023
submitting a grant application. By implication, this includes preapproval of the City’s proposed partnerships for grant applications.
At this stage, the City’s included Partners for its final Application have not been formally determined; however, any of the Partners listed in 1 through 7, above, may join forces with the City as part of its Application; and, were the City fortunate enough to be awarded a Grant Program, the City would enter into a sole-source contract with any Partners so joined.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
This action is exempt from CEQA, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines where a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity meets the general rule that CEQA applies only to those projects with potential for causing a significant environmental effect. Where, with certainty, there is no possibility of such effect, then the activity is not subject to CEQA. The instant approval authorizes a City Department to submit an application to a grant, which complies with a City Policy of seeking prior approval for specific grant applications; there is no possibility that this approval will have a significant effect on the environment.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution Authorizing the Community Services-Recreation Department’s to File a Grant Application with Its Proposed Partner List