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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-21 ResolutionPrepared by: Stefanie Bowers, Equity Director/Human Rights Coordinator, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319)356-5220 RESOLUTION NO. 17-89 RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY GRANT ALLOCATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017. WHEREAS, the City Council's Strategic Planning priorities for 2016 and 2017 includes fostering a more inclusive, just and sustainable Iowa City; and WHEREAS, the City Council approved funding in the fiscal year 2017 budget for Social Justice and Racial Equity ("SJRE°) grants to community-based organizations to build capacity to address social justice and racial equity; and WHEREAS, the City has disseminated SJRE Grant applications to Iowa City organizations; and WHEREAS, the City received eight applications for SJRE Grant; and WHEREAS, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission has held a series of meetings reviewing the applications regarding the allocation of funds for the SJRE Grant for fiscal year 2017; and WHEREAS, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission has recommended that Exhibit A be approved; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the public interest will be served by the adoption of the fiscal year 2017 SJRE Grant allocations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, THAT: The allocation of fiscal year 2017 SJRE Grant funds attached hereto as Exhibit A is hereby approved and adopted. 2. The City Manager or designee is hereby authorized to execute, terminate, or amend SJRE Grant Agreements executed in connection with the allocation of public funds. Passed and approved this 21st day of March, 2017. ATTEST: MAYOR Q 3-t--i3 CITY CLERK City Attorney's Office Resolution No. 17-89 Page 2 It was moved by Botchway and seconded by Dickens the Resolution be adopted, and upon roll call there were: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: x Botchway x Cole x Dickens x Mims x Taylor x Thomas x Throgmorton Exhibit A Organization FY 17 Requests HRC Recommendation Inside Out Reentry, Inc. 3000.00 3000.00 Iowa Legal Aid 2200.00 2200.00 Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition 2500.00 2500.00 City of Iowa City, World of Bikes, and Iowa City Bike Library 3250.00 3250.00 Sankofa Outreach Connection 13,500.00 13,500.00 Total Request: 1 $24,450.00 24,450.00 CITY OF IOWA CITNr COUNCIL ACTION REPORI March 21, 2017 Resolution adopting the recommendation of the Human Rights Commission for the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Allocations for fiscal year 2017. Prepared By: Stefanie Bowers, Equity Director/Human Rights Coordinator Reviewed By: Geoff Fruin, City Manager Fiscal Impact: The total cost of the funding recommendation is $24,450 Recommendations: Staff: Approval Commission: Human Rights Commission - Approval Attachments: Exhibit A, Resolution Executive Summary: This resolution approves the recommendation by the Human Rights Commission to provide full funding for five out of the eight organizations that applied for the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant for fiscal year 2017. The original budget amount for the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant was $25,000. Background / Analysis: One of the City Council's Strategic Planning priorities for 2016 and 2017 is to foster a more inclusive, just and sustainable Iowa City. To further this vision, the City Council approved funding in the fiscal year 2017 budget for Social Justice and Racial Equity ("SJRE") grants to community-based organizations to build capacity to address social justice and racial equity. City Council approved a total of $25,000. The purpose of the SJRE Grant is to encourage, empower and engage social justice and racial equity initiatives in this community. The SJRE Grant funding is available to for-profit and non- profit Iowa City based organizations (including City of Iowa City departments) to fund programs, activities, or services that help to eliminate inequities in the community. The SJRE Grant lists six priority service areas: Education, Building Community, Housing, Criminal Justice, Health, and Employment. Organizations whose programs, services or activities address one or more of these priorities are considered first for funding. Funding request for operational costs such as rent, salaries or utilities of an organization are not covered by the SJRE Grant. Applications to apply for the SJRE Grant for fiscal year 2017 were available from December 1, 2016 — January 5, 2017. The Human Rights Commission met on January 17 (minutes in City Council Packet of February 21) to review the eight funding requests received. The list below provides the organization, the amount requested and a brief description of the service, program or activity for the funding request. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT 1) Sankofa Outreach Connection ($13,500) To provide a program entitled Sisters at the Center. The goal of the program is to address barriers to health and wellness for women of color. Sisters at the Center will consist of a series of programs intended to educate, while simultaneously creating a sense of connectedness for women of color. The funding will be used for professional service fees including classes, consultants, dietitians, bus passes, and guest speakers. 2) Inside Out Reentry, Inc. ($3,000) To provide services to persons returning from incarceration. Individualized re-entry plans include one-to-one and small group tutoring on computer skills, job readiness tests, and assistance with job and housing applications. The funding would be used to purchase two new computers and one printer for the Resource Center. 3) United Action for Youth ($7,456) Forum Theater (also known as Theater of the Oppressed) is a style of interactive provisional theater that works directly on social issues. The theater troupe would be comprised of twelve people, six youth and six adults who would provide social justice and racial equity forum theater presentations to the community. The funding request is for one week intensive training for staff, salary for the troupe leader and AmeriCorps members, travel, and marketing of performances. 4) Successful Living ($25,000) To provide housing to the mentally ill who are homeless or are otherwise profoundly struggling. The funding would be used to assist in the cost to purchase an additional transitional house. The $25,000 (or any part thereof awarded) would be applied to offset the cash down payment. 5) City of Iowa City, World of Bikes, and Iowa City Bike Library ($3,250) The project will provide refurbished bicycles to youth in junior high that are low-income to improve their access to public amenities via bicycle, and enhance their physical and mental health through "active" transportation. The funding would be used to refurbish fifteen bicycles from the police impound and to contract with a local instructor certified by the League of American Bicyclists. 6) Iowa Legal Aid ($2,200) To provide at least two community legal education events, preferably at the Iowa City Public Library. At least one event will deal with the use of criminal history, and at least one event will deal with court debt. All events will deal with expungement of criminal records, both juvenile and adult. Funding would be used to pay the costs associated with preparation and delivery of community legal education events, and follow up with clients served as a result of the presentations. 7) Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition ($2,500) To launch a multi -media YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) campaign that provides upbeat images of affordable housing residents and structures, and a narrative that makes the social and economic benefits of affordable housing clear. The funding would be used to work with a nonprofit media advisor to increase positive housing stories, and the production and marketing of three high quality Public Service Announcements. 8) Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa ($17,400) To launch a new Unity in the Community initiative that would respond to current priorities and concerns of members of the Center for Worker Justice. The funding would be utilized for expenses related to planning, publicizing, delivering town hall forums, CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT education events, training workshops, community events, and attendance of members at leadership development conferences. The Human Rights Commission met again on January 25 (minutes in City Council Packet of March 21) to discuss the SJRE Grant applications. Similar to its meeting held on January 17, Commissioners poised questions to those organizations that had representative(s) present. After the application review ended, each Commissioner provided staff with their numerical ranking for each applicant with 1 being the highest and 8 the lowest. The numerical score received by each applicant were averaged and ranked from highest to lowest. The resulting ranking is listed below: 1. Inside Out Reentry, Inc. 2. Iowa Legal Aid 3. Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition 4. City of Iowa City, World of Bikes, and Iowa City Bike Library 5. Sankofa Outreach Connection 6. United Action for Youth 7. Successful Living 8. Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa The Human Rights Commission next went over budgetary considerations including whether funding organizations at an amount less than what was requested would be sustainable for those organizations. It was decided by majority vote to recommend to the City Council that the five highest scorers be funded at their requested amount. The Human Rights Commission declined to provide funding for the other three organizations with only $550 remaining. Per the SJRE Grant review process, staff to the Commission shared the recommendation with an ex -officio of the University of Iowa's Chief Diversity Office who concurred with the recommendation of the Human Rights Commission (ex -officio's comments on the recommendation are attached to the minutes of the Human Rights Commission in the City Council Packet of March 21). Funding will be allocated no later than June 1, 2017. To view all SJRE Grant applications submitted for fiscal year 2017 visit the City Council's Social Justice and Racial Equity Initiative webpage under the link City of Iowa City's Social Justice & Racial Equity Grant: Applications submitted for FY17.