AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2021-249R, allocating, to non-profit agencies, Human Services Grant funding of $150,000 from the American Rescue Plan and $849,120.00 from the City’s General Fund, for a total of $999,120.00; authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to act as the Official Representative of the City in matters related to said grant funds, including authorization to execute fundings contracts with selected agencies on behalf of the City; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: December 7, 2021
Department: Planning and Development Services
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: Click or tap here to enter text.
Account Number: Click or tap here to enter text.
Funds Available: Click or tap here to enter text.
Account Name: Click or tap here to enter text.
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: Resolution 2021-127R allocated $349,120 in funding from general fund dollars made available due to the award to the City of CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds to the Human Services Grant fund and removed the restriction that the use of funds must be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resolution 2021-130 allocated $150,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to the Human Services Advisory Board to be used for programs that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
City Council Strategic Initiative: [Please select from the dropdown menu below]
COVID Response
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Comprehensive Plan Element (s): [Please select the Plan element(s) and Goal # from dropdown menu below]
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☐ Core Services
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Master Plan: [Please select the corresponding Master Plan from the dropdown menu below (if applicable)]
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Background Information:
Annually, the Human Services Advisory Board, a council-appointed board, reviews applications for approximately $500,000 allocated to the Human Services Grant through the City’s budget. This year the City Council added $349,120 in funding from former Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) and $150,000 from the American Rescue Plan, for a total funding available of $999,120. Applications for 36 programs and $1.7 million were received from 29 agencies.
Funding Requirements are as follows:
1. Funding must be spent on the program that was approved. Proof of expenditures will be required as part of quarterly reporting.
2. The program for which funding is requested must provide services to residents of San Marcos. (It may also provide services to residents of other communities.)
3. Funding requested cannot be more than 50% of the funding for the program
4. Program must have measurable outcomes.
5. Agency or Organization:
a. must be a Human Services Agency as defined below.
b. must be overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors.
c. must execute an agency agreement with the City of San Marcos.
d. must agree to undergo periodic program evaluations by the Human Services Advisory Board or City of San Marcos staff.
Human Services Agency Definition - A human services agency is an organization that seeks to improve the quality of their clients’ lives by providing, facilitating, or recommending support for an array of basic social, physical health, housing, and mental health services to needy clients in the community. (from HSAB Bylaws, Article VIII)
Only the funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) must meet federal requirements for a connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. Per ARP guidelines, impact from the pandemic does not have to be proven for each beneficiary; any individual with a low to moderate income is presumed to have been negatively impacted by it. Therefore, any program that serves individuals with low to moderate incomes and which assists with the impacts of the pandemic can use ARP Funding. These programs are marked in the recommendations table attached.
This year, in order to provide for additional objectivity in the selection of agencies, all applications were scored by the seven voting members of the Board. Each Board member scored each application on:
1) Community Need and Justification
2) Impact and Cost Effectiveness
3) Implementation Readiness
4) Community Support
In addition, each Board member conducted a Risk Assessment of each application based on the following factors:
1) Program Complexity
2) Project Experience
3) Program or Project Funding Sources
4) Organizational Tenure
Each applicant made a five-minute presentation to the board, which was followed by a five-minute question and answer period.
Applications and agency questionnaires can be viewed here: <https://sanmarcostx.gov/3051/City-Human-Services-Grants>
(to be uploaded by close of business Tuesday 11/30)
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
The Human Services Advisory Board members each scored all 36 applications, then met to discuss and determine which agencies provided the best combination of these factors, and are pleased to provide the attached recommendation for the City Council’s consideration: Please see attached pdf alphabetical list of recommendations for funding.
Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the Human Services Advisory Board’s recommendation and funding the agencies as presented.