REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GEORGEANNE A. WHITE, City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
BY: SANTINO DANISI, City Controller/Finance Director
Finance Department
COURTNEY ESPINOZA, Business Manager
Finance Department, Grants Management Unit
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a consultant agreement with Moss Adams, LLC., for an evaluation of the Youth Jobs Corps Program (YJCP) using grant funding from the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant not to exceed $58,000.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve a consultant agreement with Moss Adams, LLC., for the evaluation of the YJCP and authorize the City Manager to execute all related documents including administrative, modification, monitoring, and closeout reports for this consultant. Funding from the workforce administration portion of the TCC grant will be utilized.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On February 28, 2019, the City Council unanimously voted to approve a Master Grant Agreement (MGA) with the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) for the TCC grant award. Originally the workforce administration portion of funding was to fund a Workforce Development Plan (WDP) and software to track workforce trends. Through an original consultant and the development of the WDP, we discovered that the City did not need TCC funding to purchase software. It was determined that an evaluation report of the City’s existing Youth Jobs Corps Program along with the Downtown Ambassador Program would support the objectives for the workforce development plan and provide benefits in the administration of YJCP. There will be three components to the evaluation of YJCP to include; program review and evaluation, continuation of program plan and program comparisons with other grant awardees. These will provide a comprehensive analysis to determine best practices and qualitative data outcomes to access the success and identify shortfalls of the program. This will help to inform necessary modifications to the program to ensure future success for young people in our community. Through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, this evaluation contract will be awarded to Moss Adams, LLC upon Council approval. Though this firm was the only respondent, it was determined by program staff that they are well equipped to complete a comprehensive evaluation of the program, satisfying the deliverables of the TCC grant and providing needed input and analysis of YJCP.
BACKGROUND
The Transform Fresno Plan was created by a participatory steering committee comprised of community stakeholders from the Chinatown, Downtown and Southwest Fresno neighborhoods (Project Area). On February 28, 2019, the City Council unanimously approved the Master Grant Agreement and subsequent subrecipient agreements for various TCC projects. A component of the grant was to provide administrative funding to complete tasks and deliverables as a part of the Workforce Development Plan. The final deliverable for the Workforce Development Plan component is to complete an evaluation of the City of Fresno’s Youth Jobs Corps Program (YJCP). This evaluation will provide important analysis and insight into best practices for this and similar programs across the state and country. Through a Request For Proposals (RFP) process, it was determined that Moss Adams, LLC., was well equipped to complete the comprehensive evaluation report, a Continuation of Program Plan that will examine opportunities for expansion and continuation of the program once current grant funding is exhausted and program comparisons from other grantees in the State and potentially similar programs around the country. These three components of the evaluation will provide comprehensive next steps for growth and potential future resources for the program.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. This approval is for execution of a consultant agreement related to the TCC grant.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered based upon conditions of state funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding for Transform Fresno Plan projects led by Partners will be a direct pass-through of TCC grant funds and will be distributed on a reimbursement basis.
Attachments:
Consultant Agreement with Moss Adams, LLC., for the evaluation of YJCP.