Agenda Item #13.7
For Council Meeting of: June 18, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MEGAN BASINGER, DIRECTOR
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUBJECT: FIFTH AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT NUMBER F002014 WITH LEGAL AID OF SONOMA COUNTY AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Housing and Community Services Department that the Council, by resolution, approve a Fifth Amendment to Professional Services Agreement Number F002014 with Legal Aid of Sonoma County to increase compensation by $111,000 from the General Fund for a total amount not to exceed $599,000, and to extend the time of performance from June 30, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Council has funded Legal Aid of Sonoma County (“Legal Aid”) to provide tenant education; habitability, retaliation, and discrimination claim defense; Section 8 assistance; eviction defense; assistance for qualified landlords; and mobile home park resident advocacy since 2017. This Fifth Amendment to Agreement F002014 will increase compensation by $111,000, extend the period of performance to July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
BACKGROUND
At the direction of Council, the City entered into agreement F001408 with Legal Aid for $20,000 for the period of May and June 2017. During the FY 2017/18 Budget Study Sessions, the Council directed staff to budget General Fund money for renter legal services in the FY 2017/18 budget.
In June 2017, staff issued a Request for Information for a contractor to provide renter advocacy and legal representation. Legal Aid was the only respondent with a scope of services to include tenant education; habitability, retaliation, and discrimination claim defense; Section 8 assistance; eviction defense; eviction assistance for qualified landlords; and mobile home park resident advocacy at an annual cost of $87,000.
On September 26, 2017, the Council, via RES-2017-198, approved an agreement with Legal Aid to provide services for $87,000, for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018.
In FY 2018/19, Council directed staff to continue funding the Legal Aid. Staff recommended: 1) that the funding be allocated on a fiscal year basis with $62,250 available for the period of October 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019; and 2) that the contract be reviewed as part of the annual budget process. On October 16, 2018, the Council, by resolution RES-2018-179, approved an agreement with Legal Aid for $62,250 for a period of nine-months, for the period of October 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
Since July 2019, annual amendments to the Legal Aid contract have been made to continue to provide tenant advocacy and legal representation services. In 2020, adjustments were made to the required Quarterly Reports submitted by Legal Aid. In 2021, the contract amount was increased $5,000 available from CARES Act CDBG-CV funds add Federal provisions were added to the contract to include data required by the Federal government.
In June 2022, the annual contract amount was increased to $111,000, including $5,000 of CARES Act CDBG-CV funds and $106,000 of City General Fund and revise the Quarterly Status Report requirements to include a metric for eight onsite presentations to residents and community members.
For FY 2024/25, staff recommends approval of the Fifth Amendment to agreement for an annual amount of $111,000.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On February 28, 2017, the Council, by motion, awarded $20,000 to Legal Aid to provide renter advocacy and legal representation services, and directed Legal Aid to return to Council with a report on their activities at a later date. The City entered into agreement F001408 with Legal Aid for the period of May and June 2017.
On September 26, 2017, the Council, by resolution RES-2017-198, approved an agreement with Legal Aid to continue to provide services at an annual cost of $87,000 for the period of October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018.
On October 16, 2018, the Council, by resolution RES-2018-179, approved an agreement with Legal Aid to continue to provide services at a cost of $62,250 for a period of nine-months from October 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019.
On June 18, 2019, the Council, by resolution RES-2019-065, approved a new agreement with Legal Aid to provide services at an annual cost of $87,000 for the period of July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 (FY 2019/20), setting the contract amount at $87,000.
The First Amendment to the agreement for the period of July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021, adding an additional $87,000 to the contract amount, for a total contract amount of $174,000.
On August 17, 2021, the Council, by resolution RES-2021-141, approved the Second Amendment to agreement F002014 with Legal Aid to continue to provide services at an annual cost of $92,000 for the period of June 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 (FY 2020/21), for a total contract amount not to exceed $266,000.
On June 21,2022, the Council, by resolution RES-2022-120, approved the Third Amendment to agreement F002014 with Legal Aid to continue to provide services at an annual cost of $111,000 for the period of June 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023 (FY2022/23), for a total contract amount not to exceed $377,000.
On June 20,2023, the Council, by resolution RES-2023-098, approved the Fourth Amendment to agreement F002014 with Legal Aid to continue to provide services at an annual cost of $111,000 for the period of June 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 (FY2023/24), for a total contract amount not to exceed $488,000.
ANALYSIS
The $111,000 funding for this Fifth Amendment is included in the Housing & Community Services Department FY 2024/25 budget. Legal Aid has met the conditions of all their agreements with the City since 2017 when services began.
To ensure service to all members of the community, including those historically underserved and overrepresented, the Scope of Service for FY 2023/24 was revised to enhance tenant education and outreach presentations at apartment complexes, health fairs, and other community events, with a particular emphasis on BIPOC communities. This enhanced focus is maintained in the FY 2024/2025 Scope of Services. Furthermore, the Anticipated Outcomes within the Scope of Service consistently show that one-third of the clients served are from BIPOC communities.
Council approval is required for this Fifth Amendment because the total compensation to Legal Aid will be $599,000.
FISCAL IMPACT
This agreement is funded by the City General Fund and is included in of the Housing & Community Services Department FY 2024/25 budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the provision of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Ronit Rubinoff, Executive Director, Legal Aid of Sonoma County
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution / Exhibit A – Fifth Amendment to Agreement
PRESENTER
Koy Stewart, Program Specialist
FIFTH AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT F002014 WITH LEGAL AID OF SONOMA COUNTY