City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
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File ID: 2024-01366 7/30/2024 Consent Item 8.
Grant Application for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Engage Empower Implement Funding Program
File ID: 2022-01366
Location: District 2, Represented by Councilmember Thao; District 3, Represented by Mayor Pro Tem Talamantes; and District 4, Represented by Councilmember Valenzuela Recommendation: Pass a Motion authorizing the City Manager, or City Manager’s designee, to submit up to two grant applications to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Engage Empower Implement Funding Program for up to $500,000 per application for the Food Literacy Center Proposed Community Engagement Project and the North Sacramento Community Capacity Building Project.
Contact: Mikel Davila, Senior Development Project Manager, (916) 808-8506, [email protected], City Manager’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development; Fatima Malik, Associate Planner, (916) 808-7812, [email protected], Community Development Department; Shannon Brown, Assistant Director, 916-808-6076, [email protected], Youth Park and Community Enrichment Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Background
3-Food Literacy Center Proposed Community Engagement Project Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The City’s Neighborhood Development Action Team (NDAT), in partnership with the Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment (YPCE), the Community Development Department (CDD), and the Office of Innovation and Economic Development (OIED) is seeking approval to apply as the lead applicant on up to two separate grant applications to the SACOG Engage, Empower and Implement (EEI) Funding Program. The EEI Program has been established to fund projects that will support economic and workforce development, planning efforts that address climate change and sustainability, and education and training programs. EEI parameters direct funding requests greater than $80,000 to come from local governments as a lead applicant with
File ID: 2024-01366 7/30/2024 Consent Item 8.
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as sub-applicant(s).
One grant application will be submitted by CDD as the lead applicant in partnership with YPCE and with the Food Literacy Center (FLC) as the sub-applicant. This application will be requesting up to $500,000 in funding. In the spring of 2019, Northwest Park LLC made arrangements with the Sacramento City Unified School District to use excess land located at the Leataata Floyd Elementary School to establish the “Floyd Farm and Community Garden”. The farm is to be developed as an educational and sustainable organic community garden and urban farm for the purpose of educating students and community members about agriculture, environmental protection, health and nutrition.
The FLC application is focused on facilitating a community-engaged planning effort around their new cooking school and one-acre student farm. Floyd Farm also serves as a city park that is supported by a recreational easement with the City of Sacramento. The entire site is owned by the Sacramento City Unified School District and operated by the FLC since October 2021. It is located near Alder Grover and Marina Vista public housing projects and adjacent to Leataata Floyd Elementary School at 401A McClatchy Way, Sacramento, CA 95818 (Attachment 3). With this funding opportunity, the FLC seeks to accomplish the following goals: 1) to provide garden education for approximately 275 enrolled Title 1 elementary students, and 2) to provide access to open space as a public park (the Food Literacy Center Proposed Community Engagement Project). This project would support the FLC with the opportunity to explore how the farm can complement its existing programs including the Oak Park Farmers Market, meal kit distributions, and student education to further meet the needs of a population that is food and financially insecure.
The other grant application will be submitted by OIED as the lead applicant in partnership with CBOs dedicated to the Marysville, Del Paso, and Northgate commercial corridors. Public Works will be engaged in this effort as well. The collaborative will be seeking a grant for up to $500,000 for the North Sacramento Community Capacity Building Project. The key partners include CLTRE, Gardenland Northgate Neighbors Association (GNNA), Greater Sacramento Urban League (GSUL), and Mutual Assistance Network (MAN). This partnership aims to enhance community engagement and capacity building to understand transportation barriers climate resiliency strategies, and utility infrastructure needs. The goals of this funding opportunity are to:
1. Strengthen CBOs' ability to involve a diverse set of community members.
2. Identify mobility barriers. The objective is to understand barriers to active transportation and transit use in the community and identify high level methods to remove those barriers, so the community has mobility choices and opportunities. Barriers may include travel distance, frequency of transit, bicycle ownership, personal safety concerns, and others.
3. Complete a needs assessment for climate resiliency and an actionable vision. Analyze existing infrastructure and environmental needs. These needs are critical for achieving housing and commercial development, green space, and workforce development goals.
4. Host education and training programs based on community input. The programs will focus on providing practical tools and resources. They will educate residents, businesses, and care
File ID: 2024-01366 7/30/2024 Consent Item 8.
holders in ways to act.
The EEI grant would be a significant investment to jumpstart the implementation of the recently approved Forward Together Action Plan, and support efforts to fund and continue community engagement for the Marysville Boulevard Vision Zero and Northgate Boulevard transportation projects. The partnership core activities will be focused on inclusive and equitable outreach and engagement with disadvantaged communities in North Sacramento, building capacity through training and education. The outcomes of this work will advance City transportation and inclusive economic development plans. The proposed work aligns with existing City and agency plans and will strengthen future funding requests to state, federal, and philanthropic institutions.
Policy Considerations: City Council approval is required to apply for, receive, or establish operating grant projects of more than $250,000 (Resolution No. 2024-0193). Applying for, and implementing projects funded by SACOG EEI is consistent with the 2040 General Plan, effective March 28, 2024, and is consistent with and supports, the following Environmental Justice (EJ) Element goals and policies of the 2040 General Plan:
EJ-2.18. Youth Food Literacy. The City shall support efforts to increase food literacy among children and youth, through collaboration with schools, hospitals, community groups and other partners to develop and deliver programs, activities, and events.
EJ-A.4. Community-led Planning. Pilot a community-led planning grant program focused on addressing the needs of people within disadvantaged and/or historically underserved communities.
The planning process would include documenting community vision for a specific neighborhood, concerns keeping the people in that neighborhood from thriving, and potential actions to increase community resiliency, equity, and/or inclusive economic development. These actions could include regulatory fixes to City ordinances, education and training on City programs and opportunities, infrastructure improvements, or others. Pending funding and staff availability, the planning effort should be accompanied by funding and staff time to address some near-term implementation as well as include a final document (or action plan) with a list of short and longer-term actions that can be used to support grant applications, advocacy to government officials, and guide ongoing community collaborations.
EJ-A.11. Healthy Food Initiatives Partnership. The City shall identify partners and coordinate closely with other agencies who together would be responsible in assessing, designing, and implementing City healthy food initiatives. City staff will engage in cross-departmental and inter-agency coordination, program administration, and community relations.
The proposal is also consistent with the Forward Together Marysville Del Paso Blvd. Action Plan (FTAP), adopted April 30, 2024.
File ID: 2024-01366 7/30/2024 Consent Item 8.
FTAP.2. Build on existing resources and networks to support residents with pathways to homeownership and wealth building opportunities.
FTAP.4. Promote more business-friendly investments along the corridor.
FTAP.7. Strengthen workforce development resources and training opportunities for workers in the area
FTAP.9. Activate vacant lots and properties to promote more vibrancy along the corridor.
FTAP.12. Promote long-term community safety through physical and programmatic interventions.
FTAP.14. Build community participation and capacity to shape planning and infrastructure projects.
FTAP.17. Reinvigorate community assets that are unique to the corridor.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: The activity to apply for grant funds and execute all agreements and documents of compliance related to the grant is not a project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines 15378(b)(4). The activity is the creation of a government funding mechanism which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment and is not subject to CEQA.
Sustainability: None.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: This grant funding builds upon and leverages the City’s NDAT investments and will positively impact the City’s ability to encourage community-led planning efforts by building community capacity.
Financial Considerations: The maximum funding request per application is $500,000. CDD, in partnership with FLC intends to apply for up to $500,000, of which the City will request up to 50%, or up to $250,000. The balance, after accounting for the CBO share, will be available to the City for any project costs including staff time and consultant costs.
OIED, in partnership with North Sacramento CBOs intends to apply for up to $500,000 and will be
File ID: 2024-01366 7/30/2024 Consent Item 8.
requesting up to 10%, or up to $50,000, of the grant for staff time, administrative and project management costs. There is no match requirement for the EEI Grant. Should the City be awarded one or both grants, in an amount greater than $250,000, staff will return to the City Council to accept the grant and create the grant projects.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background: NDAT has supported the City’s food access programs and organizations since 2020 through initiatives such as the Great Plates Delivered program, the Food Justice Task Force and grant program, and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Food, Local Places planning assistance program. In partnering with FLC, the City continues its commitment to improving food access in disadvantaged areas.
NDAT is also dedicated to the community-led transformation and revitalization of the Marysville Del Paso corridor in North Sacramento. In 2021, NDAT initiated the Marysville-Del Paso Boulevard Action Plan (Forward Together Action Plan) in collaboration with MAN and a community advisory committee.
In April 2024, the City Council adopted the Forward Together Action Plan, which includes various actions and sub-actions categorized within the themes of live, shop, work, and experience. The actions aim to create a thriving, diverse, and equitable commercial corridor and neighborhood, addressing the impacts of disinvestment. The proposal and partnership between CLTRE, GSUL, MAN, and NDAT seeks to implement the Forward Together Action Plan, increasing inclusive economic development opportunities, and building community capacity. This project will also support the work of Public Works’ Marysville Blvd Vision Zero project.
Similarly, the Northgate Blvd. and surrounding neighborhoods are experiencing the effects of disinvestment. With support from City Council District 3 and American Rescue Plan Act funding, investments in corridor placemaking projects, small business support, neighborhood beautification, and more are aiding the district’s transformation. In the North Sacramento grant application, the City will support GNNA to understand barriers to active transportation and transit use in the community and identify high level methods to remove those barriers, so the community will have mobility choices and opportunities.
Both proposals demonstrate the City’s commitment to investing in under-resourced areas and supporting community-based organizations and local stakeholders to engage, build capacity, and attract investment to their communities, fostering positive transformation.
Proposed Community Engagement Project
Background:Food Literacy Center received the keys to its new cooking school in October 2021. The site includes a one-acre student farm that doubles as a city park through an easement with the City of Sacramento. The entire site is owned by the Sacramento City Unified School District and is operated by Food Literacy Center. It is located across the street from public housing and right next door to Leataata Floyd Elementary School.
Food Literacy Center’s mission is to inspire kids to eat their vegetables. Our primary focus has been on teaching hands-on cooking and nutrition to elementary school students in Title-1, low-income schools since 2011. With the new facility, we have added garden instruction for Leataata Floyd Elementary students.
In 2023, Food Literacy Center brought on the Oak Park Farmers Market after that market was shuttered by its former nonprofit host.
Together, this portfolio of programs helps improve access to healthy food in communities facing barriers to access and increase prevention of the health disparities that result from diets lacking healthy produce.
Need:Our program targets students in Title 1 elementary schools who are at highest risk for diet-related disease. These children and their families experience high rates of health disparities. Food Literacy Center's new cooking school and student farm is located at Leataata Floyd Elementary School, across the street from public housing. There are few sidewalks or parks in the neighborhood, and little access to healthy food. The average
household income is $8,000 a year. Over ninety percent of our students are food and nutrition insecure, a problem that has tripled in households with children since the pandemic.
According to the Community Health Needs Assessment, South Sacramento's zip codes are more likely to suffer from chronic disease and poor health outcomes. Portions of these neighborhoods are identified by USDA as food deserts (urban areas that lack easy access to healthy, affordable foods). Consequently, obesity rates are dangerously high: Sacramento experiences a 40% childhood obesity rate. This is preventable if we eat our vegetables. Food Literacy Center programs help ensure our students and families have access to healthy food, while also educating them about how to cook and eat it.
Proposed Project:Food Literacy Center’s one-acre farm is underutilized by the elementary students we serve through field trips and garden classes. The amount of time and activity level of these students doesn’t meet the needs of the large space. This allows us the opportunity to think creatively about the needs of the community and its dual purpose as a public park.
We propose holding community visioning sessions to seek input from those living and working nearest our farm, including school employees, residents of The Mill at Broadway and public housing, and other stakeholders.
We have contracted Sara Bernal to help design and oversee our visioning sessions. Sara has over eleven years of experience practicing sustainable agriculture, developing, and operating urban farms and designing and building urban agriculture programs at the for profit, nonprofit and state level. Proficient in urban farming, project management, strategic planning, staff development and partnership building, she can help propel the urban farm site into action while helping to identify the WHY behind the farm’s existence. Sara has been responsible for all aspects of project development and implementation including conception, planning, launch, control and close for six urban farm sites since 2012.
The direction to take this farm project will depend greatly on input gathered by key stakeholders involved as well as unidentified stakeholders yet to get involved who could benefit from this project. Food Literacy Center wants to hold true to its two primary goals: 1) garden education for Title-1 elementary students, and 2) access to open space as a public park. Our nonprofit has the opportunity to explore how the farm can complement its existing programs, like the Oak Park Farmers Market, meal kit distributions, and student education to further meet the needs of a population that is food and nutrition insecure. Contact: Amber Stott, Founder & [email protected]