REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: AARON A. AGUIRRE, Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
Aldi RAMIREZ, Assistant Director
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
BY: SHELBY MACNAB, Business Manager
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
MAGGIE NAVARRO, Program Manager
Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions Pertaining to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant:
1. Authorize the PARCS Director or Designee to Accept $300,000 in Federal Grant Funding from the Byrne Community Project/ Byrne Discretionary Grants Program and Enter into Grant Related Agreements Subject to Review as to Form by the City Attorney (Citywide).
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopting the 15th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154 to Appropriate $100,000 From the Bureau of Justice Assistance U.S. Department of Justice. (Requires five affirmative votes) (Subject to Mayor's Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council authorize the PARCS Director or Designee to accept $300,000 in Federal grant funding from the Byrne Community Project/ Byrne Discretionary Grant Program and enter into any grant related agreements subject to review as to form by the City Attorney. Staff also recommends Council approve the 15th amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 allocated $300,000 in discretionary grant funding to the City of Fresno for the ‘Advance Peace Fresno-Violence Prevention and Intervention Program’. The award was recommended by Congressman Jim Costa and administered under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Federal Byrne Community Project/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program. The PARCS Department has completed the required application process to receive discretionary funding and seeks approval from Council to accept the grant award, enter into any grant related agreements with DOJ and appropriate funding for the project into the FY23 budget. This item will return to Council a second time to approve a subrecipient agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC) for the Advance Peace Program. Funding from this grant will be used to provide mental health services as part of the Advance Peace Program and any associated administrative costs.
BACKGROUND
On March 15, 2022, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Act) of 2022. As part of the Act, Congress directed $184,707,000 to the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program for projects that prevent crime, improve the criminal justice system, provide victim services and other related activities. This budget action included a $300,000 discretionary grant appropriation requested by Congressman Jim Costa to the City of Fresno Police Department to be used for the Advance Peace Fresno-Violence Prevention and Intervention Program. The City of Fresno’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Community Engagement (ONSCE) in the PARCS Department is charged with managing violence intervention and prevention programming. In 2021, ONSCE was transferred from the Police Department to the PARCS Department. Based on this restructure, the grant will be administered by the PARCS Department.
To implement the congressional earmark, on August 11, 2022, PARCS staff applied for funding under the grant process. The application included a request for $300,000 to be used for mental health services as part of the Advance Peace Program with two goals: (1) improve the mental health and wellbeing of those impacted by violent crime to reduce cyclical and retaliatory violence by supporting social emotional skill development and mental health services for fellows and individuals at-risk of or impacted by violent crime; and, (2) provide mental health screening, referrals and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions to individuals who are at-risk of or have been impacted by violent crime to interrupt the cycle of violence, including Advance Peace fellows. The performance period for the grant program runs from October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2025.
In coordination with Fresno EOC, staff established the objectives of the project which include providing mental health screening for 225 individuals, making approximately 170 referrals for mental health services and providing at least 1,500 hours of group family or individual therapeutic interventions. As a result of the services, it is expected that at least 75% of individuals will self-report or demonstrate new skills and behaviors related to self-awareness and self-management, interpersonal skills, a sense of community and overall wellbeing. The grant proposal did not include any funding for stipends as part of the Advance Peace program.
On September 7, 2022, PARCS received an award letter with grant acceptance requirements. Staff is requesting authority to accept the grant funds and enter into any related grant agreements with the DOJ BJA subject to review as to form by the City Attorney. Upon entering into the grant agreement, staff will prepare a subrecipient agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Advance Peace Program. The subrecipient agreement will include a detailed scope of work and performance measures and will be brought before Council for approval in early 2023.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved this item as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
A resolution accepting grant funding is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable as this resolution does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The General Fund will not be impacted. Over the term of the grant performance period, the City will retain up to 10% of the funds to provide grant administration including required reporting and oversight. Appropriation authority is being requested through the 15th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154. Future appropriations for the remaining grant balance ($200,000) will be requested through the annual budget process.
Attachments:
Resolution
Award Letter