SUBJECT
Title
COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT PROGRAM GRANTS AND CEQA EXEMPTIONS (DISTRICT: 1)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego is fortunate to have an opportunity to reinvest taxpayer money into our communities for the benefit of the public. This action will assist the County in meeting the needs of the community.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHAIR NORA VARGAS
1. Allocate $30,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Business for Good San Diego to support staff salaries and towards a conference event to celebrate change makers and businesses that make a difference in the community. Expenses for the conference include venue costs, emcee with DJ, tables and chairs, tablecloths, utensils, cups, photo booth, videographer, photographer, stage rental costs, audio visual rental costs, including marketing and advertising. Funding is necessary to address revenue shortfalls that occurred due to the closures of public spaces and attendance maximums caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Allocate $15,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Empowering Latino Futures to support with staff salaries to benefit the 25th Annual International Latino Book Awards and the Latino Book & Family Festival, both events which were financially impacted by the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic due to loss of participants and revenue.
3. Allocate $50,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation to support with staff salaries for their economic development, marketing, and event staff. Funds will also support hosting a Community Health Resource Fair in Summer 2023. Due to ongoing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, staff salaries and the ability to host larger-scale community events were impacted. Funding is necessary to address these impacts.
4. Allocate $15,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Sharia’s Closet to support employee salaries and development trainings for staff. Funding also includes costs towards rent and support towards their Bag of Hope program including purchasing emergency clothing and hygiene kits for those experiencing clothing insecurity. As a result of event cancellations and the curtailment of social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization experienced reduced revenue. This funding is necessary to address these impacts of the pandemic on the organization.
5. Allocate $35,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Vanguard Culture to support the cost of hiring a consultant to develop and create a post-pandemic marketing plan to support the ENVZN23 art festival in Logan Heights. Funding will also include rental costs toward sound and lighting equipment, portable toilets, security, and insurance for the festival. Funding is necessary to address the loss of revenue that occurred due to the closures of public spaces and attendance maximums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. Allocate $37,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget (Org 12905) to Voices for Children to support with staff salaries for marketing, communications, recruitment, and outreach staff. Funds will also be used to purchase digital advertising, as well as support video production costs and produce public service announcements. Funding is necessary to address loss of volunteer recruitment and loss of revenue caused by the cancellation of events and resultant loss of funding opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
7. Allocate $10,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Housing 4 the Homeless to support the cost of salary for staff conducting emergency after-hours outreach for medically fragile older adults and connecting them to services.
8. Allocate $15,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to RISE Urban Leadership Institute of San Diego d.b.a. Civic Link Strategies to support salary costs for the RISE Urban Fellows Program which will develop and train fellows to create a community action project design to directly benefit residents in Central and South San Diego.
9. Allocate $15,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition to support costs of San Diego Black Pride 2023 event venue space, security, and staffing including entertainment and performers.
10. Allocate $35,341 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Biocom Institute to support cost for the purchase of an analytical balance for their Life ScienceXP Science Bridge program which provides teacher training, curriculum, and lab experiences to San Diego high schools.
11. Allocate $25,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Inc. to support the cost of materials needed for their rebranding project including purchasing new computers and design software, creating a new website, as acquiring branded letterhead and information sheets, and photographs for use in marketing materials. Funding also includes to support renovations to office facilities such as updating and installing new workstations, storage cabinets, and a kitchenette.
12. Allocate $45,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District to support the cost of replacing and updating the alert system at Fire Station 16 located at 905 Gillespie Drive, Spring Valley, CA 91977.
13. Allocate $5,460 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Sol-N-Air, Inc. to support the costs of heat warning signs for installation in public parking lots within the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and National City.
14. Amend the purpose of the 5/2/2023 (10) allocation of $25,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Climate Action Campaign to include employee payroll and the development of new strategies for community engagement and education programs. Funding is necessary to address loss of revenue resulting from the cancellation of events and loss of funding opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
15. Amend the purpose of the 3/1/2022 (6) allocation of $10,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Biocom Institute to include salary support to the program. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
16. Amend the purpose of the 12/7/2021 (13) allocation of $30,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Bonita Family Resource Center to include salary support to the program. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
17. Amend the purpose of the 10/11/2022 (4) allocation of $10,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to City of Imperial Beach to include support towards a Movie in the Park event to be held Summer 2023. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
18. Amend the purpose of the 1/11/2022 (6) allocation of $9,500 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Groundswell Community Project to include salary support to the project. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
19. Amend the purpose of the 12/7/2021 (13) allocation of $60,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County, Inc. to include salary support to the program. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
20. Amend the purpose of the 1/11/2022 (6) allocation of $25,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Rider Safety Visibility to include salary support to the program. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
21. Amend the purpose of the 1/11/2022 (6) allocation of $30,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to South County Economic Development Council to include salary support to the project. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
22. Amend the purpose of the 3/1/2022 (6) allocation of $6,800 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Spay-Neuter Action Project to include salary support to the project. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
23. Amend the purpose of the 11/15/2022 (15) allocation of $18,260 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Jewish Family Service of San Diego to include purchasing a recipe card rack, a water bottle filling station, a reach-in freezer, a reach-in refrigerator, as well as installation costs of the water bottle filling station, refrigerator, and freezer. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
24. Amend the purpose of the 02/28/2023 (13) allocation of $30,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Kiku Gardens to include purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle to benefit their lunch program for seniors. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
25. Amend the Neighborhood Reinvestment fund allocation to I am My Brother’s Keeper CDC on 4/26/2022 (20) to authorize the allocation of $12,500 for payroll and waive Board Policy B-72 to allow payroll allocation. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to amend the grant agreement accordingly.
26. Find that all the grants serve a public purpose and that the grants awarded using ARPA funds are necessary to address an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the funded organizations.
27. Authorize the Director, Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs to enter into agreements and make minor amendments to agreements that do not change the purpose or amount of the grant to organizations awarded funds.
28. Find that the proposed grants to San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Inc., Sol-N-Air, Inc., San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District, and Jewish Family Service of San Diego are exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
We recognize the systemic impacts that inequitable policies may create for residents in San Diego County. Find that these proposed allocations of funds are intended to improve the quality of life throughout the County by providing funds for non-profits and local agencies whose work addresses inequities, promotes quality of life and improves outcomes that align with the vision of our county. Organizations and agencies were chosen based on their location or the demographics they serve with a focus on organizations and agencies that focus on vulnerable community members, youth and seniors, and other inclusive community events. The organizations that were chosen work to promote a sense of belonging and utilize equity in their operations, outreach, and programs. Their supporting documents were reviewed as well as impact reports and community testimony.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for these grant requests are included in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Operational Plan for the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905), Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) and Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650). The fiscal impact of these recommendations is $182,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905), $40,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) and $110,801 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) totaling $332,801. The funding sources are American Rescue Plan Act, Transient Occupancy Tax Revenue, and General Purpose Revenue. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Business for Good San Diego
Since 2017, Business for Good San Diego has worked to unite local business owners to drive policy that improves the health, wellbeing, and livelihood of local communities. Today’s allocation of $30,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Business for Good San Diego will provide funding to staff salaries and towards a conference event to celebrate change makers and businesses that make a difference in the community. Expenses for the conference include venue costs, emcee with DJ, tables and chairs, tablecloths, utensils, cups, photo booth, videographer, photographer, stage rental costs, audio visual rental costs, as well as marketing and advertising. Due to the closures of public spaces and attendance maximums during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization was financially impacted by event postponement and resultant loss of participants and revenue. This funding is needed to help address these effects of the pandemic on the organization.
Empowering Latino Futures
Empowering Latino Futures, formerly Latino Literacy Now, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that works with the Latino community to bring a combination of innovative, educational, and culturally relevant resources to this diverse community. Their mission is to remove barriers to educational and professional success for Latinos, Latinas, and other underserved communities by creating products, services, content, partnerships, and programs that lead to equal opportunity for all. Today’s allocation of $15,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Empowering Latino Futures will support staff salaries to benefit the 25th Annual International Latino Book Awards and the Latino Book & Family Festival, both events which were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to loss of participants and revenue when events were canceled.
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation helps foster a thriving community envisioned and realized by its residents. The Jacobs Center’s vision is to be part of a caring community where people are responsible to each other, where all cultures are embraced, where sustaining resources are in place for a vibrant economy, and where residents create the future they envision. Today’s allocation of $50,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation will support salaries for their economic development, marketing, and event staff. Funds will also support hosting a Community Health Resource Fair in Summer 2023. Due to ongoing issues such as event cancellations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, staff salaries and the ability to host larger-scale community events were greatly impacted due to loss of revenue. This funding is necessary to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization.
Sharia’s Closet
Sharia’s Closet is a non-profit organization that is a community clothes closet providing free, emergency clothing to individuals and families who are experiencing financial hardship or crisis. Their mission is to provide free emergency clothing to people that have an immediate need for clothing. Today’s allocation of $15,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Sharia’s Closet will fund employee salaries and development trainings for staff. Funding also includes costs towards rent and support towards their Bag of Hope program including purchasing emergency clothing and hygiene kits for those experiencing clothing insecurity. Event cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the organizations revenue. Despite increased demand for services during the pandemic, the organization’s staff was reduced due to loss of revenue. This funding is needed to address this impact of the pandemic on the organization.
Vanguard Culture
Vanguard Culture is an inclusive non-profit organization dedicated to advancing San Diego’s creative industries. They provide award-winning journalism, cutting edge events, and professional development that create arts jobs, bring diverse communities together, and inspire collaboration among the visual, performing, and culinary arts. Today’s allocation of $35,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Vanguard Culture will support the hiring of a consultant to develop and create a post-pandemic marketing plan to support the ENVZN23 art festival in Logan Heights. Funding will also include rental costs toward sound and lighting equipment, portable toilets, security, and insurance for the festival. Due to the closures of public spaces and attendance maximums in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization was financially impacted due to loss of participants and revenue. This funding is necessary to address these impacts of the pandemic on the organization.
Voices for Children
Founded in 1980, Voices for Children is a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that recruits, trains, and supports Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers who speak up for the needs and well-being of children in foster care. Today’s allocation of $35,000 from the Community Enhancement American Rescue Plan Act budget (Org 12905) to Voices for Children will fund salaries for marketing, communications, recruitment, and outreach staff. Funds will also be used to purchase digital advertising, as well as support video production costs and produce public service announcements. Due to the cancellation of their events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization was impacted due to loss of volunteer recruitment, and financially impacted from the loss of revenue. This allocation is needed to address these impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization.
Housing 4 the Homeless
Housing 4 the Homeless is a nonprofit organization committed to ending homelessness one person at a time. They serve San Diego’s most vulnerable unsheltered community members, helping them to move from crisis and vulnerability to safety, stability, and self sufficiency by connecting them to life saving services. Today’s allocation of $10,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to Housing 4 the Homeless will provide salary support for staff conducting emergency after-hours outreach for medically-fragile older adults and connecting them to services.
RISE Urban Leadership Institute of San Diego d.b.a. Civic Link Strategies
RISE Urban Leadership Institute of San Diego d.b.a. Civic Link Strategies works to elevate and advance urban leadership through dialogue-based civic engagement, dynamic nonprofit partnerships, and direct training and support to increase the capacity of urban residents to effect meaningful community change. Their vision is to help foster thriving, resident-led urban neighborhoods that provide safe and healthy opportunities for youth and families to live, work, and play. Today’s allocation of $15,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to RISE Urban Leadership Institute of San Diego d.b.a. Civic Link Strategies will provide funding towards the RISE Urban Fellows Program which will develop and train fellows to create a community action project design to directly benefit residents in Central and South San Diego.
San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition
The San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition was founded in 2015 to strengthen the Black LGBTQ community in San Diego. The San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition strives to be a haven for their strong and vibrant community. As a central hub for LGBTQ Black life, their primary focus is connecting community members to resources, events, and outlets that support and enrich life, and providing opportunities to strengthen their community. Today’s allocation of $15,000 from the Community Enhancement Program budget (Org 12900) to San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition will support San Diego Black Pride 2023 event covering cost-of-venue space, security and staffing, as well as entertainment costs to support local Black LGBTQ performers and increase tourism.
Biocom Institute
Biocom Institute’s mission is to develop and promote a skilled and diverse pipeline of talent to accelerate the growth of California’s life science ecosystem. They develop and curate programs that foster career exploration, preparation, and advancement to connect the emerging workforce and current professionals with essential skills, knowledge, and opportunities to enter and thrive in life science careers. Today’s allocation of $35,341 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Biocom Institute will provide funding towards the purchase of an analytical balance for their Life ScienceXP Science Bridge program which provides teacher training, curriculum, and lab experiences to San Diego high schools.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Inc.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Inc. was founded in 1945 and has been the resident ballet school in Balboa Park ever since. In addition to offering high-quality, affordable, year-round training, SDCYB produces three major productions at the Casa del Prado Theater each year. They also bring ballet education to public schools and offer ballet classes for over 600 students through a thriving outreach program. Today’s allocation of $25,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to San Diego Civic Youth Ballet will fund materials needed for their rebranding project including purchasing new computers and design software, creating a new website, obtaining branded letterhead and information sheets, and photos to use in marketing materials. Funding also includes renovations to office facilities such as updating and installing new workstations, storage cabinets, and a kitchenette.
San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District
The San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District is one of the largest fire districts in San Diego County serving nearly 140,000 residents in the communities of Bostonia, Casa de Oro, Crest, Grossmont/Mt. Helix, La Presa, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley, and the unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa. Today’s allocation of $45,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District will replace and update the alerting system at Fire Station 16 located at 905 Gillespie Drive, Spring Valley, CA 91977.
Sol-N-Air, Inc.
Sol-N-Air, Inc. is a nonprofit founded in 2014 to educate the public worldwide of the dangers of leaving children and pets in parked vehicles. The primary goal of Sol-N-Air is to provide education via warning signs installed in municipal parking lots, city and county parks, and in private parking lots. Today’s allocation of $5,460 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program budget (Org 15650) to Sol-N-Air, Inc. will provide heat warning signs for installation in public parking lots within the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and National City.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions to approve the grant allocations for the Neighborhood Reinvestment and Community Enhancement Programs supports the Sustainability, Community, and Equity Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan by providing an opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to assist non-profits and public agencies’ programs and services that stimulate tourism, promote the economy, create jobs, enhance a better quality of life, and/or fund one-time community, social, environmental, educational, cultural, or recreational needs that serve public purposes in the county.
Respectfully submitted,
NORA VARGAS
Supervisor, First District
ATTACHMENT(S)
N/A