HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5c. Authorization to apply for a Planning Grant from the CA Strategic Growth Council's Community Resilience Center Program Item 5c
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1005
For Agenda of: 9/5/2023
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Prepared By: Lucia Pohlman, Sustainability and Natural Resources Analyst
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTERS GRANT APPLICATION
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo, California, approving the application for grant funds f rom the California Strategic
Growth Council Community Resilience Centers Program” to authorize staff to apply for a
Planning Grant in an amount not to exceed $500,000.
POLICY CONTEXT
Financial Management Policy Section 740 requires that Council approve any grant
application over $5,000.
On January 17, 2023, Council adopted the Climate Adaptation and Safety Element of
the General Plan (CASE). The CASE includes program MH-1.8: Climate Resilience
Hubs, which states that the City shall “work with community organizations, faith -based
organizations, and other institutions to develop a network for conveniently located
Climate Resilience Hubs including a mix of public facilities, community centers,
businesses, and community-oriented facilities.”
In June of 2023, the City Council adopted the 2023-25 Financial Plan and identified
Climate Action as a Major City Goal. FY23-25 MCG task 4.4.g directs staff to “monitor
funding sources and if feasible pursue a Climate Resilience Hub Planning Grant with
community partners, as called for in CASE program MH-1.8.” This request for
authorization would enable staff to apply for the anticipated Climate Resilience Hub
Planning Grant.
DISCUSSION
Background
The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) released the Notice of Funding Availability
for the Community Resilience Centers grant program on May 26th, 2023. The Community
Resilience Centers program provides funding for local facilities to serve as places of
community during normal times, and places of shelter and aid during climate and other
emergencies, including extreme heat events and poor air quality days.
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Item 5c
The Community Resilience Centers Program provides several types of grants, ranging
from planning to construction. The program’s Planning Grants help communities through
the initial stages of project development—including planning and pre-development
activities, community engagement and coordination, site preparation, and other activities
necessary to prepare for future funding opportunities. Planning Grant awards range from
$100,000 to $500,000 each for a grant term of approximately two years. SGC anticipates
that approximately $5 million in Planning Grant funding will be available for competitive
awards in Round 1. The Sustainable Growth Council requires all lead applicants to
provide evidence of a passed formal resolution that includes authorization to apply for
and accept a CRC Planning Grant, and authority to execute all related documents if
awarded. A draft resolution is provided as Attachment A.
The Community Resilience Centers program is focused on equity, community resilience,
and climate resilience. Fortunately for the City, this means that the grant opportunity also
provides an option to conduct initial planning work and investigate a blended Multi-
Cultural Center and Resilience Hub concept would further City goals related to both
climate resilience and diversity equity and inclusion , and advance adopted policies from
the CASE, CAP, and the MCG work program. The City’s proposed Planning Grant would
request funding for a scope of work including formalization of a shared governance
structure, identifying, studying, and preparing project sites, completing fiscal analyses and
studies, and facilitating community engagement.
To be clear, this is a planning grant and thus the grant would fund a process to convene
stakeholders and consultants to brainstorm, conceptualize, and analyze a potential
facility, the Multi-Cultural Center and Resilience Hub idea (including the who, what,
where, how) are still yet to be determined. Initial outreach to community partners including
the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, CAPSLO, Promotores, SLO County
UndocuSupport, R.A.C.E Matters SLO, the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, and the Northern
Chumash Tribal Council point to strong stakeholder interest in the following concept,
which would be subject to change based on the outcomes of the planning process.
A Multi-Cultural Center and Resilience Hub could be activated by multiple local
organizations that are focused on serving specific cultural, ethnic, and identity-based
groups in our community. These organizations would provide regular programming and
other services to community members. On “sunny” or normal days, the shared facility
could provide office space, meeting rooms, event space, commercial kitchen space,
childcare services, etc. The facility would also be designed to serve as a safe place during
emergencies (back-up power, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, air purification systems, food
distribution capabilities, etc.).
If successful, the City, alongside co-applicants on the grant, supporting partners, and
community members would participate in a planning process to advance a shared Multi-
Cultural Center facility that could operate as a resilience hub during times of emergencies.
Should the Planning Grant point to a feasible next step, the City and its partners could
consider applying for additional rounds of funding. Round 2 of funding for the program is
estimated to be $160 million. In the current funding gu idelines, Project Development
grants range from $500,000 to $5 million and Implementation Grants range from $1
million to $10 million.
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Item 5c
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
The topic of Multi-Cultural Center and/or Resilience Hub has been presented to Council
on numerous occasions including:
June 6, 2023 - Council adopted the 2023-25 Financial Plan:
The Climate Action Major City Goal includes task 4.4.g directing staff to
“monitor funding sources and if feasible pursue a Climate Resilience
Hub Planning Grant with community partners, as called for in CASE
program MH-1.8.”
The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Major City Goal includes task 2.6.d
directing staff to “Explore and develop shared multicultural
programming, activities, and events with Cal Poly, Cuesta College, and
Non‐profit partners through a pilot and/or pop-up multicultural center
experience.”
January 17, 2023 - Council adopted the City’s Climate Adaptation and Safety
Element including program MH-1.8: Climate Resilience Hubs, which states that
the City shall “work with community organizations, faith-based organizations,
and other institutions to develop a network for conveniently located Climate
Resilience Hubs including a mix of public facilities, community centers,
businesses, and community-oriented facilities.
June 1, 2021 - Council adopted the 2021-23 Financial Plan with the Diversity
Equity and Inclusion Major City Goal that included task 2.7.e, to “support
feasibility study for Multicultural Center; provide City liaison / staff support”.
Public Engagement
The application process for this grant, as well as any grant -funded activities, will involve
substantial involvement and participation from community partners. The Human Relations
Commission has received staff updates announcing the City's intent to apply for a SGC
Community Resilience Center Planning Grant alongside community partners.
Leading up to this grant application, in 2022, representatives from the Diversity Coalition
of San Luis Obispo County, RACE Matters SLO, SLO Climate Coalition, Ecologistics, and
SLO County UndocuSupport met regularly to apply for a different SGC grant for Regional
Resilience Collaboratives. This group of stakeholders were excited to put forth a proposal
to determine the feasibility and develop an operations model for a Resilience Hub in the
City of San Luis Obispo. While capacity constraints ultimately caused the group to
withdraw their grant application, these organizations' and others’ interest in supporting a
Resilience Hub are another factor driving the City’s application to the SGC Community
Resilience Centers Program.
CONCURRENCE
Staff from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, Fire Department, and Community
Development Department concur with the recommendation included in this Council
Agenda Report.
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Item 5c
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the recommended
action in this report, because the action does not constitute a “project” under the CEQA
guidelines section 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: No Budget Year: 2023-24
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund N/A
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total
Should the Sustainable Growth Council Community Resilience Centers Planning Grant
be successfully awarded at the requested funding levels the City would receive a
reimbursable grant for an amount not to exceed $500,000. There is no required match.
ALTERNATIVES
Do not submit a grant application. Council may direct staff to not submit a grant
application. If this request is not approved, staff will cease work on the effort. Staff does
not recommend this alternative because the Resilience Center Grant is the best available
source of funds to plan for both a Resilience Hub (MCG task 4.4g) and a Multi -Cultural
Center (MCG task 2.6.d).
ATTACHMENTS
A – Draft Resolution approving Community Resilience Centers Grant Application
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R ______
RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2023 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT
FUNDS FOR CALIFORNIA STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTERS PROGRAM
WHEREAS, for Fiscal Year 2021-22, the Legislature and Governor of the State of
California have provided funds for the program shown above and delegated the Strategic
Growth Council the responsibility for the administration of this grant program and for
establishing necessary procedures; and
WHEREAS, said procedures established by the California Strategic Growth
Council require a resolution certifying the approval of application(s) by the Applicant ’s
governing board before submission of said application(s) to the State; and
WHEREAS, per the guidelines of the grant program, the City of San Luis Obispo
is identified as a city eligible for funding; and
WHEREAS, Community Resilience Centers grantees will enter into a grant
agreement with the State of California and be responsible for compiling and submitting
all invoices and reporting documents; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo, if selected will enter into an agreement
with the State of California to carry out the Community Resilience Centers Grant; and
WHEREAS, the Strategic Growth Council adopted a timeline indicating the full
application is due September 18 2023; and
WHEREAS, in June 2023, City Council adopted the 2023-25 Financial Plan, which
includes Major City Goal task 4.4.g directing staff to pursue a Climate Resilience Hub
Planning Grant with community partners; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo and local non-profit co-applicants intend
to submit a Community Resilience Centers Grant for an amount not to exceed $500,000;
and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. Application Approval. The City Council approves the City of San Luis
Obispo to serve as the lead applicant for the Planning Grant application due by
September 18, 2023.
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Resolution No. _____ (2023 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 2. City Manager Authorization. The City Council authorizes the City
Manager, or designee, to execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to
applications, agreements, and payment requests which may be necessary for the grant.
Upon motion of Council Member ___________, seconded by Council Member
___________, and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _______________ 20 23.
___________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
______________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
___________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
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