City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-00677 4/9/2024 Consent Item 4.
Grant Agreement Amendment: Sierra Service Project (#CaliforniansForAll Youth Workforce Development Program)
File ID: 2024-00677
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a Motion authorizing the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee to execute the Second Amendment to American Rescue Plan Act Grant Agreement with Sierra Service Project (City Contract #2023-0370) in the amount of $346,001 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $595,902.
Contact: Kevin Daniel, Workforce Development Project Manager, (916) 808-7845, [email protected], City Manager’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Sierra Service Project ARPA Amendment
Additional Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: In June 2022, the state of California awarded the City a $6.98M #CaliforniansForAll (CFA) Youth Workforce Development grant funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). The #CaliforniansForAll Youth Workforce Program is a Governor’s Office initiative administered by California Volunteers in partnership with cities and counties across California. The purpose of the initiative is to increase youth employment, develop youth interest in and experience towards a non-profit or public sector career, and to strengthen city capacity to address key areas of climate, food insecurity, and local COVID-19 recovery. This program brings together youth across the state to help address urgent challenges in their communities, while simultaneously learning key skills and earning money to help create career pathways. #CaliforniansForAll has three primary goals:
File ID: 2024-00677 4/9/2024 Consent Item 4.
GOAL 1: Increase youth employment.
GOAL 2: Develop career pathways.
GOAL 3: Strengthen city/community capacity to address key areas of food insecurity, climate, education, and public service.
The program provides funding to youth and young adults 16-30 years of age giving priority to individuals who: are living in community priority neighborhoods, have difficulty finding employment, are low-income, are unemployed and/or out of school, are or were justice-involved, are in or transitioning from foster care, or are engaged with the mental health or substance abuse system.
In November 2022, the City released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) seeking non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs) and governmental entities to partner to launch a pilot Climate Action and Resiliency Youth and Young Adult Pathways Program. This program is designed to support the “just transition” for an integrated approach to economic inequality and climate change by preparing youth and young people with education, training, and skill development to affect a reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in support of the City of Sacramento’s goal for carbon neutrality by 2045.
Through that process, the City selected three community-based partners to participate in the program, including Sierra Service Project (SSP). In April 2023, the City entered into an Amendment to American Rescue Plan Act grant agreement with SSP in an amount not to exceed $249,901. The contract was to serve 26 youth ages 16-30 with training and work experience related to climate action and food insecurity. To date, SSP has served 27 youth with over 7,000 work hours. The program has served low-income youth, including foster, justice-involved, and homeless youth.
The CFA grant was originally set to expire in May 2024 and has now been extended to September 30, 2024, allowing for additional programming through the summer. As a result, the City and SSP entered into a no-cost amendment to the grant agreement to extend the time to provide program services (City Contract #2023-0370-1). Because of SSP’s success, staff recommends amending the grant agreement to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $345,821 to train and employ 37 additional youth and young adults during the spring and summer months. The program curriculum is structured around design technology, energy conservation, community stewardship, and urban agriculture.
Through these lenses they promote climate resilience, community engagement, entrepreneurship, skill building and creating pathways for participants to access lucrative economic opportunities.
Training cohorts include:
· Urban Agriculture cohort will work on food production with community garden partners creating and stewarding biodiversity hotspots throughout the city of Sacramento. · Community Building and Energy Conservation program in partnership with Community Shop Class.
· Online Computer Aided Drafting Class training participants to build, repair and calibrate 3D printers.
File ID: 2024-00677 4/9/2024 Consent Item 4.
Policy Considerations: The City’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development is focused on better connecting residents in underserved communities with critical workforce resources. The work with SSP supports the ARPA Workforce Development Framework and Spending Plan Goal #1 of developing pipeline access for our most economically impacted communities to in-demand quality jobs and Goal #2 of building capacity and expanding the reach of workforce development training activities and provide wraparound and supportive services into the neighborhoods.
Economic Impacts: SSP program participants gain skills to prepare them for careers in climate- related fields while also earning wages. To date, participants have earned over $95,000.09 in wages.
Environmental Considerations: The proposed action is not a project under CEQA because it relates to government fiscal activities that do not involve any commitment to a specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, §§15060(c)(3), 15378(b)(4)). The proposed action involves activities that are exempt from NEPA under title 24, section 58.34, of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Sustainability: In June 2022, the City of Sacramento accepted a $6,980,080 grant from the State (the “CFA Grant”) to implement the CaliforniansForAll Youth Workforce Development Program. The City made the first round of funding available to the grantees under the Climate Action and Resiliency Youth and Young Adult Pathways Program, which was designed to support training and employment in climate related career pathways. SSP has provided training in the following climate related areas:
energy conservation and efficiency and urban agriculture (including irrigation design and installation).
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: Sierra Service Project (SSP) has successfully provided training and work experience to 27 youth exceeding their contract requirements. The CFA grant was extended through September 30, 2024, and therefore staff recommends amending SSP’s agreement to add 3 additional cohorts (37 additional participants). The participants will gain on-the-job training urban agriculture, building and energy efficiency, and computer aided drafting.
Financial Considerations: In June 2022, the City of Sacramento received a grant from the State of California in the amount of $6.98M for CaliforniansForAll Youth Workforce Development Program. In April 2022, the City entered into an ARPA Grant Agreement with Sierra Service Project in the amount of $249,90. Staff proposes increasing the grant amount by $345,821 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $595,722. Sufficient funds remain in ARPA Youth and Workforce Training Project (I02612020).
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not Applicable.