REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
April 9, 2020
FROM: WILMA QUAN, City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
BY: JANE SUMPTER, Assistant City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
COURTNEY ESPINOZA, Program Implementation Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Agreement with Destiny Nicole Thomas, DBA Thrivance Project, LLC for implementation of the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant Transform Fresno Displacement Avoidance Plan within the Transform Fresno Project Area in the amount of $81,000.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve an agreement with Destiny Nicole Thomas, DBA Thrivance Project, LLC for implementation of the Transform Fresno Displacement Avoidance Plan within the Transform Fresno Project Area in the amount of $81,000; and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents related to this agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On February 28, 2019, the City Council approved the Master Grant Agreement (MGA) with the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) accepting $66,500,000 from the State of California’s TCC Grant Program to fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits to disadvantaged communities. Transform Fresno projects include coordination with several Partners to deliver a variety of California Climate Investment projects such as urban greening, active transportation, housing, low income weatherization, and food waste prevention and rescue in the Downtown, Chinatown, and Southwest Fresno communities. The California Department of Conservation, in connection with TCC funding, awarded the City of Fresno (City) $133,333 through a Technical Assistance grant approved by City Council on January 16, 2020. This grant will provide funding to implement components of the Transform Fresno Displacement Avoidance Plan including this consultant services agreement in the amount of $81,000 that was developed through a community process and approved by SGC in October 2019.
BACKGROUND
The TCC Grant Program was established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2722 and is administered by the SGC using Cap-and-Trade funds for the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities. The TCC Grant Program takes a place-based approach that commits applicants to the achievement of economic, environmental, and public health benefits in a specific community through the deployment of integrated climate strategies that combine greenhouse gas reduction activities to achieve multiple community benefits and drive innovation.
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) and the projects were voted on by a 165 person Community Steering Committee. On February 28, 2019, the City Council unanimously approved the MGA which binds the City and SGC for the next five years to complete all projects outlined in the Transform Fresno Plan.
To aid in the implementation process, the Department of Conservation through SGC awarded the City a Technical Assistance grant totaling $133,333 to complete components of the Displacement Avoidance Plan as outline in the Scope of Work in the Grant Agreement. Activities will consist of hiring a consultant to conduct data collection, analysis and research regarding displacement vulnerabilities in the Transform Fresno Project Area. There will be significant contact with the community to collect this information and present the findings.
This consultant contract was put out to bid as required by the City’s procurement process, providing potential contractors the opportunity to present proposals. Two proposals were received. A Selection Committee was created, comprised of representatives from the Anti-Displacement Task Force, Transform Fresno Outreach and Oversight Committee and City staff. The selection committee met to discuss and review the proposals on February 19, 2020. The committee members evaluated the proposals on the ability to meet the stated service requirements, costs associated with providing services, past performance and experience, conformance to the terms and conditions of the Request For Qualifications (RFQ), and other related information provided by the proposers. One proposer was disqualified due to their inflated cost proposal. The Committee interviewed the remaining proposer and unanimously affirmed Destiny Nicole Thomas, DBA Thrivance Project, LLC as a qualified vendor presenting the highest value with the experience needed for this endeavor.
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 Transform Fresno Displacement Avoidance Plan.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered neither proposer was a local vendor.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no negative impact to the General Fund. The Technical Assistance grant is a reimbursement based grant and disbursements will be made on a bi-monthly basis.
Attachment:
1. Consultant Services Agreement