REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
October 22, 2020
FROM: LEE BRAND, Mayor
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
BY: H. SPEES, Director, Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to Violence Reduction Services Agreement:
1. ***RESOLUTION - 29TH Amendment to AAR No. 2020-159 appropriating $125,000 for the Fresno Advance Peace Project Agreement (Requires 5 affirmative votes) (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
2. Approve Agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission in the amount of $125,000 for violence reduction services for the Fresno Advance Peace Project.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Recommend Council approve Agreement for Violence Reduction Services between the City of Fresno (City) and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC), under the Fresno Advance Peace Project in the amount of $125,000 effective October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fresno Advance Peace Project is a collaborative partnership between EOC, Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, City of Fresno and Fresno Police Department. EOC will serve as the lead partner for program implementation and oversight. This is the first year of a three year collaborative.
BACKGROUND
Following last year’s budget process and discussions around Advance Peace, the Administration began working with local gang prevention and intervention practitioners and officers of the Fresno Police Department to develop a violence prevention initiative built on assets in the community with a mix of local and outside funding. A program proposal was developed including a recommendation that EOC be the home and implementation partner for this collaborative program.
EOC built the program around a budget of $600,000 per year for three years. The City of Fresno is committing $125,000 per year to EOC as part of this budget.
Fresno EOC has established the following goals for the project:
1) Reduce firearm violence in the City of Fresno by 10% by 2022.
2) Place 70% of cohort participants in a job training or educational program with a 50% job placement rate.
3) 75% of cohort participants are not a suspect in a firearm-related offense for at least three years after program completion.
Council requested that the Mayor’s Office address three concerns prior to moving forward: (1) stipends, (2) police department involvement, (3) program accountability.
Those concerns were addressed, see responses below:
1. Stipends: Staff reviewed the program budget with EOC in detail and determined that there will be no stipends paid under this program. There are payments for student expenses unique to each individual participant similar to those paid in a college student aid package. City of Fresno funds will be directed toward EOC staffing costs.
2. Police Department Involvement: In conferring with both the Police Department and EOC, it is recommended that the Police Department be involved in two primary, but indirect ways in the implementation of the program:
a. Selection of Participants: The Police Department will provide a list of potential participants and work with program staff to jointly identify a final list that will be maintained and updated throughout the life of the program.
b. Data: The Police Department will provide crime and other data as well as review data generated by the program and its evaluation partner on a quarterly basis to assess how the program is progressing in meeting its objectives and performance metrics.
3. Program Accountability: Councilmembers were informed of the metrics City administration and EOC have developed as measures of program success and they agreed that these metrics set a “high bar” for achievement and outcomes. These metrics will be the basis for assessing program performance with the agreement that significant lack of performance may be the basis for termination of the contract.
All three of the above responses to Council concerns are specifically included in the final contract between the City and EOC. We now have a framework for action that is locally led, locally funded, locally staffed and, most importantly, is based on best practices to assure real results.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable to this agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no increase in Net City Cost associated with the recommended action. There is no matching contribution requirement for these funds.
Attachments:
Attachment A - Agreement
Attachment B - AAR Resolution