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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 17747: LETTER OF ONTEREST TO WHITE HOUSE FOR STRONG CITIES, STRONG COMMUNITIES P. R. NO.17747 06/20/13 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE TO PREPARE A LETTER OF INTEREST TO THE WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON STRONG CITIES, STRONG COMMUNITIES FOR A 2013 STRONG CITIES, STRONG COMMUNITIES (SC2) COMMUNITY SOLUTION TEAM (REQUESTED BY MAYOR PRINCE) WHEREAS, the White House Council on Strong Communities (SC2) invited the City of Port Arthur to request a 2013 SC2 Community Solutions Team; and WHEREAS, the City of Port Arthur is one of 91 selected to apply for this innovative federal /local initiative designed to strengthen local capacity and help communities address their economic and community development priorities as delineated in Exhibit "A "; and WHEREAS, SC2 is a new federal initiative that provides a limited number of communities with full -time, part -time and advisory federal agency personnel (Community Solutions Teams) to help build the capacity of local government, encourage partnerships across sectors, help leverage existing federal investments and improve economic and community revitalization outcomes for participating communities; and WHEREAS, the City Council deems it appropriate to send a letter of interest to receive assistance, as delineated in Exhibit "B". s.pr 17747 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR: Section 1. That the facts and opinions in the preamble are true and correct. Section 2. That the City Council herein authorizes the City Manager or his designee to prepare a letter of interest to the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities for a 2013 Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Community Solution Team containing the information as delineated in Exhibit "B ". Section 3. That a copy of the caption of this Resolution shall be spread upon the Minutes of the City Council. READ, ADOPTED, AND APPROVED, this day of 2013 AD, at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Port Arthur, Texas by the following vote: AYES: Mayor: Councilmembers: NOES: Mayor s.pr 17747 ATTEST: City Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: 4 1 j41-111 City Attorney APPROVED FOR ADMINISTRATION: City Manager s.pr 17747 EXHIBIT "A" s.pr 17747 III Ja � tEO Sr,�r� :7+ Z UNITED STAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 1:4 PROI OFFICE OF POLICY May 31, 2013 The Honorable Deloris Prince Mr. Floyd Johnson 444 4th St Port Arthur, TX 77640 Dear Mayor Prince and City Manager Johnson: On behalf of the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), we would like to invite Port Arthur to request a 2013 SC2 Community Solutions Team. Your city is one of 91 selected to apply for this innovative federal/local initiative designed to strengthen local capacity and help communities address their economic and community development priorities. We are eager to receive your letter of interest as we select the next cohort of SC2 communities. The SC2 initiative partners with communities by providing interagency teams of federal staff to assist with issues mayors have identified as vital to their capacity and ability to address their economic and community development needs. The team's primary mandate is to support local economic and community development priorities by aligning federal agencies' programs and investments, and better leveraging existing resources, in support of those priorities. The teams accomplish this primarily by partnering with the city to provide tailored technical assistance. The SC2 program has already deployed a first round of teams in seven communities throughout the country. Mayors in the current pilot locations have praised the SC2 model and noted that it is transforming the relationship between the federal government and local communities in a number of positive ways. The teams in the first cohort of cities have helped communities implement their economic and community development visions, build strategic partnerships between government and industry, and made more efficient and effective use of taxpayer - funded federal resources. To date, the teams have helped cities more effectively utilize over $345 million in existing federal funds and facilitated over 160 cross - sector partnerships. In parallel, the work in these cities has provided invaluable feedback to the federal government, helping to improve our programs while enhancing responsiveness to local needs.' In addition to selecting a new round of SC2 cities, the President's FY2014 Budget has proposed designating 20 Promise Zones over the next four years as part of the President's priority to strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and build ladders of opportunity for any American willing to lift themselves up. The Promise Zones initiative will revitalize high - poverty communities across the country by attracting private investment, improving affordable housing, expanding educational opportunities, providing tax incentives for hiring workers and investing in the Zones, reducing violence, and assisting local leaders in navigating Federal programs and cutting through red tape. Promise Zones will focus on neighborhoods that could be smaller than cities and cross local jurisdictions; and will emphasize effective local partnerships being in place in those neighborhoods. The selection and application process for these Promise Zones will be announced at a later date this year and is distinct from this request for letters of interest to receive an SC2 Community Solutions Team. ' You can read more about SC2's efforts and achievements in the White House Council's first annual report: http: / /www. whitehouse.gov/blog /2013/04/25/ supporting - local- communities - building - capacity- and - cutting- red -tape 2 For more information, visit: http:// www. whitehouse. gov /omb /budgetlfactsheet/building- ladders -of- opportunity SC2 has learned from its work with the first cohort of cities that team efforts are most successful when mayors and their senior staff actively engage and stay personally involved through the length of the program. Therefore, if you choose to submit a letter of interest, we ask for your personal engagement throughout the selection process and, if selected, your active participation in your community's partnership with the federal government through SC2. It is important to note that receiving a team or other SC2 support does not bring with it any federal funding. While we believe it provides a valuable asset to selected cities, the SC2 initiative is not a grant program, and the assistance provided by a team is not designed to provide or replace inherently local government functions. The attached Request for Letters of Interest provides detailed information about how a team can assist your community in achieving its community and economic development goals, and details about the application process. SC2 is a new approach to federal -local collaboration that is helping communities achieve their goals. To that end, we hope that you will submit a letter of interest. Should you have any questions, please contact Matthew Dalbey, at: 202 - 402 -3138; or Dalbey.Matthew @epa.gov Sincerely, 6 772. .1-e 7 11.4°( Michael L. Goo Mark Linton Associate Administrator Executive Director Office of Policy White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Enclosure 2 EXHIBIT "B" s.pr 17747 • White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative Community Solutions Team • 2013 Request for Letters of Interest On behalf of the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), I'm pleased to inform you that your community is invited to apply to receive a SC2 Community Solutions Team (CST). SC2 is a new federal initiative that provides -a limited number of communities with full -time, part-time and advisory federal agency personnel (Community Solutions Teams) to help build the capacity of local government, encourage partnerships across sectors, help leverage existing federal investments and improve economic and community revitalization outcomes for participating communities. Your community has been identified to apply based on a set of quantitative criteria developed to capture local economic distress across a universe of approximately 1,000 places, drawing on available data from the American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.' Communities in this cohort are likely facing fiscal constraints that limit staff capacity. SC2 will provide support in the form of technical assistance and capacity building to assist your community in strengthening that capacity and addressing economic revitalization priorities. This invitation to apply does not represent any federal grant resources or the promise of new grant resources. SC2 is not a grant program. Background Launched in June 2011, Strong Cities, Strong Communities is an initiative that leverages resources from 19 participating federal agencies and sub - agencies to build the capacity of local government, encourage partnerships across sectors, help leverage existing federal investments and improve economic revitalization outcomes for participating communities. The initiative's goal is to strengthen the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. SC2 strengthens local governments by providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and by creating new public and private- sector partnerships — all in support of the community's vision and priorities. By leveraging existing assets, providing technical assistance, and fostering new connections at the local and national level, SC2 supports cities as they develop comprehensive plans for their communities and invest 1 Five variables were considered: o Ratio of employed/unemployed adults o Unemployment rate o Percentage of adults without high school diploma/equivalent o Percent of population in poverty o Percent of poor population in extremely vacant neighborhoods Each jurisdiction received a percentile score for each variable, which were summed to yield a final distress score. Based on the resulting distress scores, and setting a minimum population threshold of 40,000 and a maximum population of 1 million, a list of eligible applicants was generated. 1 in economic growth and job creation. By partnering across agencies, sectors, and levels of government, SC2 can develop greater efficiencies that will help change how business is done in communities confronting long -term distress. In the first cohort of cities, CSTs have already been able to help communities more effectively utilize over $345 million in existing federal funds and facilitate over 160 cross - sector partnerships, and have played a central role in adding knowledge and skills related to economic and community development to local governments. In parallel, feedback from cities is helping the federal government improve its programs and responsiveness to locally identified needs. SC2's Approach A key part of SC2 is the federal agency personnel that work full -time or part-time as part of a Community Solutions Team (CST). The SC2 Council deploys these CSTs in selected communities to assist cities with issues mayors have identified as vital to their economic and community development strategies, such as efforts to build on local assets, strengthen regional economies, develop transportation infrastructure, improve job - training programs, and support community revitalization. The CSTs work in city halls with their counterparts to support local job creation and economic revitalization priorities. These Teams have a mandate to improve coordination among federal agencies, programs, and investments in an effort to better leverage existing resources, and identify new opportunities (partnerships and investments) in selected communities. CSTs are supported by a team in Washington, DC that troubleshoots and works to resolve challenges arising in the local implementation of federal programs, when required. The CSTs intend to work with the community for at least one year after the deployment with the option to renew based on mutual agreement, after the initiative has been evaluated, and pending the availability of federal staff resources. Note that the assistance provided by a Community Solutions Team is not designed to provide or replace inherently local government functions. Likewise, while working with this federal team will help local government staff better understand and navigate federal regulations, receiving a Community Solutions Team does not create an authority for the city to waive or avoid regulations or requirements tied to existing federal funds or programs in the community. Receiving a Community Solutions Team does not represent any federal grant resources or the promise of new grant resources. SC2 is not a grant program. Benefits of a CST and Types of Assistance Available The SC2 initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. Each participating community will receive the assistance of Community Solutions Teams, which will consist of a team of full -time and part-time Federal staff. 2 You can read more about SC2's efforts and achievements in the White House Council's first annual report: http: / /www. whitehouse. gov/bl og/2013 /04/25 /supporting- local - communities -bu i 1ding- capacity-an d -cutti ng- red -tape 2 The CST will assist the community in: Improving the relationship between local and federal government: SC2 seeks to break down traditional local and federal government silos, allowing the federal government to partner more effectively with localities that have faced significant long -term challenges. Providing coordination, cutting red tape, and lending expertise: SC2 provides on- the - ground technical assistance and planning resources tailored to a community's needs, while also assisting them in using federal funds more efficiently and effectively. SC2 provides the necessary technical expertise to help cities focus efforts around populations served by both federal and local programs. Partnering for economic growth: SC2 assists cities in developing critical partnerships that focus on job creation, workforce improvement, and economic development with key local and regional stakeholders that include municipal and state governments, the business community, non - profits, faith -based institutions, and other public, private, and philanthropic leaders. SC2 provides a customized approach to supporting communities on the ground in their efforts to create jobs and revitalize their economies. Enhancing local capacity: Every community is unique, with its own set of challenges and opportunities. The key to economic revitalization is empowering communities to frame their own economic vision and then partnering with them to identify, strengthen and leverage the tremendous physical, commercial, and social assets that they possess. SC2 provides a number of local capacity - building tools to test various models of place -based technical assistance to help cities and regions maximize the benefits from the federal funds they already receive and build resilient communities. Selected communities will also have access to a learning network of peer communities across the country that will help them adopt proven models to effectuate change. Encouraging regional collaboration: SC2 helps build regional relationships and foster new connections in order to strengthen regional economies to compete in an increasingly globalized world. • SC2, through the CSTs, build community capacity by bringing in federal staff with expertise in specific programs and connections to individuals across the federal government. CSTs offer a variety of technical assistance tailored to local governments' needs, helping them maximize the benefits from the federal funds they already receive. SC2's Work SC2 CSTs can offer assistance in an array of areas — some examples follow. The CST work is meant to provide additional expertise, access to best practices and new partnership opportunities, and capacity to the local government while not replacing local government functions. • Support community efforts to address concentrated poverty and revitalize neighborhoods and schools, and redevelop affordable housing stock. 3 • Support crime reduction, prevention, and youth violence prevention efforts. • Engage relevant stakeholders on access to healthcare and improvements to public health infrastructure. • Create safe and vibrant neighborhoods by improving access to transit and transportation systems. • Engage with relevant stakeholders to help a struggling school or school district, or to support a community's efforts around education reform. • Invest in people by supporting the development of a cradle -to- career system, consulting on strategy for investments in education and workforce development. • Assist with the coordination of efforts to improve education, employment and other key outcomes for disconnected youth populations, long -term unemployed, or other vulnerable adult populations identified by local leaders. • Assist in accelerating implementation of necessary infrastructure plans that will support the growth and expansion of export- oriented industries and community revitalization. • Grow prosperity and opportunity for all by supporting efforts to reduce poverty, increase local circulation of capital, and strengthen Local and minority /women -owned small businesses. • Support small business development strategies. • Assist with peer exchanges to develop a plan to more closely partner with anchor institutions. • Faciliate peer learning and best practices from other similary situated communities that have developed an arts and culture district. The following list illustrates examples of the types of activities in which CSTs may engage to support a community as well as examples of the types of activities that a CST, who remains a federal employee, may not do. What the CST Can Do: • Provide technical assistance around best practices in city and regional planning. Identify the resources that might be needed for implementation. Connect community to expertise and practitioners who may be able to assist. 4 J • Provide technical assistance to help a community determine its existing assets, and ensure that the economic development plan builds from areas of strength. Facilitate peer learning with communities that have excelled in this area. • Align member agencies' work around the mayor's priorities. • Support the city's efforts to convene local, cross - sector partners to align work and resources around economic and community development goals. • Assist a community in diagnosing issues that lower competitiveness for grant dollars. • Help the community to identify grant opportunities by making them aware of publicly available information and opportunities. • Identify opportunities to align different federal funding streams, providing technical assistance as appropriate. • Where there are challenges in managing existing grants, navigate and explain policies and regulations, assist the community with troubleshooting and facilitate the provision of expertise or technical assistance from the appropriate federal agency to ensure compliance and stewardship of taxpayer dollars. • Identify barriers in the implementation of federal grant programs that could be removed to improve federal grant policy. • Make communities aware of federal waivers and programs that can create flexibilities and exemptions to certain regulations. • Assist the community with expertise in how to leverage existing federal, state, and local funding to attract private and philanthropic sector interest. • Provide technical assistance and capacity to the community as it develops a performance management system. • Provide information to the Mayor and other parties . on research, cases studies, or other examples of how other similarly - positioned communities resolved local disputes around matters such as local spending priorities, land use, zoning and building code reform. What the CST Cannot Do: • Provide any assistance not in accordance with federal laws or policies. • Manage or be involved in the day -to -day operations of core City functions or programs. • Represent the City before other federal agencies or departments. • Develop and/or write a City's strategic plan, performance management system, or municipal employee performance standards. • Develop, write, or review a City's grant proposal. • Provide pre - proposal /application technical assistance to a City regarding a particular grant application before or during the grant competition. • Fundraise or advocate on behalf of the City for any federal grant funding or any other funding, including but not limited to, writing or editing funding proposals or letters of support for the City for any federal or non - federal grant funding, unless an agencies' rules otherwise permit this activity. 5 • Lobby or seek support for outside entities to provide matching requirements for City grant applications. • Lobby elected officials, associations, businesses, industries, federal government agencies, or philanthropic organizations on behalf of a City. • Exert authority outside of existing regulations and waiver authorities to resolve an issue. • Make decisions impacting the allocation of local government staff resources, or the retention or termination of local government staff. • Organize and run civic input or other participatory processes on behalf of the City. • Exert federal authority in favor of a particular outcome when instead resolution of a dispute must be reached locally. • • 6 Letter of Interest and Selection Process Ninety -one communities have been invited to participate in the a pre - selection process by submitting a letter of interest by Monday, July 8, 2013. SC2 requests a letter of interest from each community that would like to receive assistance. The letter of interest should contain the information described below and is limited to no longer than five (5) pages, plus attachments. (Please do not submit supplemental information that is not required in the application. Letters of support do not count against the 5 -page limit). The SC2 application process is outlined below with approximate timeframes. The application is meant to be an initial screen to determine the needs, opportunities, capacity, and level of commitment to the SC2 initiative. Communities must provide a point of contact for the SC2 Community Solutions Team. While there is flexibility in the role of the point of contact, this person should ensure that CSTs are able to effectively engage with members of senior staff, including the Mayor, in order to elevate challenges to decisionmakers in a timely fashion. Selection Process: 1) Letters of interest are received from communities no later than July 8, 2013 by 6:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time 2) Application Review (July — August 2013): The SC2 team, which includes select representatives from the 19 participating federal agencies, will review the letters of interest based on the criteria indicated below. In addition to this criteria, applicants will be reviewed for presence of pending Inspector General audits or federal investigations; presence of emergency managers /receivership/bond ratings that indicate fiscal distress; and recent spending history of funds from federal agencies. 3) Phone Assessment (July — August 2013): If necessary, a small group of applicants may be asked to participate in follow -up phone interviews with members of the SC2 team. These calls will be used to further evaluate how well the applicant meets the selection criteria. 4) Opportunity Assessment Visit (August 2013): Based on the indicated criteria, the SC2 review team will select finalists. SC2 will notify applicants selected for further consideration and invite them to participate in the next step of the process. The team may conduct site visits to the selected communities. After potential site visits conclude, SC2 will select finalists for participation in the project with the goal of announcing selected sites by early September 2013. 7 • Letters of Interest Letters of interest will be evaluated on the following criteria, with suggested approximate response lengths in parentheses: 1) Economic Development Plan (2 -3 paragraphs). Briefly explain the current economic development vision for the city. Applicants may consider including the following information: a. A brief description of the region's economic history and major employment sectors b. Discussion of economic development strategies the city is focusing on and its best assets (e.g., a manufacturing center, burgeoning health care sector, waterfront, arts and culture district, etc.) c. Key industry sectors (whether domestic or globally traded) being targeted for employment growth d. Description of community input into the city's economic development vision. Please provide links to or attach relevant planning documents. [Attachments do not count toward the application's 5 -page limit.] 2) Community Needs and Potential Impact (1 page). Referencing the information about SC2's work provided above (pp. 3 -6), specify how a federal Community Solutions Team (CST) might assist your community achieve its economic and community development goals. Please state the top three priority areas in which your community is most in need of assistance and for which you are requesting technical assistance and other forms of expertise. 3) Alignment with Governmental Partners (1-2 paragraphs). CST engagements have g ( g g benefitted from buy -in from other governmental entities. Please describe at least one key governmental, quasi - governmental, and/or inter - governmental relationship that affects local use of Federal funds, and plays a role in local economic revitalization efforts more broadly. Explain how you envision that this entity /entities will complement or support the work of the CSTs. Specifically, if another unit of government coordinates investments in one of the City's stated high - priority areas (from criteria number two above), explain how you propose to work together to achieve desired outcomes. For example, most Department of Health and Human Services funds are administered at the state or county level, therefore the applicant should explain how the locality plans to work or has worked with the state or county in the past to achieve its desired objectives, and how the SC2 Team might engage across governmental entities on the issue. Examples of eligible relationships include the following: • State (Department of Education, Health, Commerce, Transportation, etc.) • County • City Council 8 • Regional Council of Governments • Metropolitan Planning Organization • Regional Development Organization • Workforce Investment Board • Local Transit Agency • Local Housing Authority • School Board, etc. However, this is list is not exhaustive of potentially appropriate partners. NOTE: If you identify a priority area for which you are seeking technical assistance from a Community Solutions Team, and that area receives the majority of its funding from another entity of government, or is administered primarily by another entity of government, for example a County administering your community's health programs, or a Metropolitan Planning Organization administering your community's transit programs — a letter of support from that entity is strongly recommended. Such a letter of support will make your application more competitive, as it represents an important early indication of the potential for coordination among the applicant, other relevant entities of government, and federal partners including the Community Solutions Team. 4) Alignment with Non - Governmental Partners (1 -2 paragraphs). Please also describe at least one public - private partnership with a key philanthropic and/or nonprofit partner, business, anchor institution, local industry association, etc. and how the relationship can be leveraged for CST project success. Is this non - governmental partner currently assisting the city implement its economic development goals (as described in criteria #1)? If so, please explain. Eligible non - governmental entities include the following: • Both large- and small -scale philanthropic organizations, such as community foundations, corporate grantmakers, and family philanthropy • Businesses or corporations • Higher education institutions, including universities and community colleges • Hospitals and research institutions • • Cultural institutions, such as museums, art galleries and collectives, performing arts centers, and theaters • Chambers of Commerce • Community and neighborhood organizations • Business associations • Small- business assistance centers • Faith -based institutions • National, non - permanent, major initiatives • 9 However, this is List is not exhaustive of potentially appropriate partners. Please attach a letter of support from one of the non - governmental partners listed above. The letter should demonstrate the working relationship between the two organizations - how these entities have worked together over time, and how this relationship would strengthen if selected. 5) Alignment with Existing Federal Initiatives (1 -3 paragraphs). If your community has 1) applied for or 2) received within the past three years, or is currently receiving, assistance from the following Federal programs, please briefly describe the nature of this work, and accomplishments to date. You may also include attachments describing the work or proposal for your community. • Choice Neighborhoods (HUD) • Promise Neighborhoods (Department of Education) • Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (DOJ) • Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (DOJ) • Partnership for Sustainable Communities awards: o Regional Planning or Challenge grants (HUD) o TIGER grant (DOT) o Smart Growth technical assistance program, Area Wide Planning Grants (EPA) • Discretionary Grants (DOT) • Healthy Food Financing Initiative (USDAlTreasury/HHS) • Workforce Innovation Fund (DOL) • Social Innovation Fund (Corporation for National and Community Service) • Race to the Top District (Department of Education) • Urban Waters (EPA) • HUBZone Program (SBA) • Communities Putting Prevention to Work Initiative (HHS) • Community Transformation Grants (HHS) • A Business Development program, such as from EDA, MBDA, EPA, GSA, SBA, etc. 6) Point of Contact (1 paragraph). State the name, title, phone, email, and address of the person who will serve as the primary city point of contact with SC2. This person should be a member of the Mayor's senior staff and will be responsible for working directly with the CST Team Lead throughout the engagement and for coordinating CST activities with appropriate city offices and city staff. Note, in the pilot cohort of CSTs, most cities selected the mayor's chief of staff as point of contact. Please describe why the selected official is the best choice to coordinate the engagement. Please also attach a basic organizational chart illustrating the city staff that will most directly liaise with the CST. 10 7) City Leadership Engagement (1 paragraph). Are there any extraordinary circumstances that may constrain or prevent the involvement of your jurisdiction's senior leadership? This is not limited to, but may include, emergency financial management, bankruptcy proceedings, etc. If yes, please explain. 8) Mayoral Engagement (1 -2 paragraphs). Please have the mayor provide a brief comment in the letter of interest, addressing the following: a. How does the Mayor envision this Community Solutions Team's role in the City's priority work areas over the next year? b. How does the Mayor plan to remain personally engaged throughout the CST process and ensuring the CST has access to the Mayor and senior staff? Deadline and Submission Guidelines Letters of interest must be submitted via email to Matthew Dalbey at Dalbey.Matthew @epa.gov no later than Monday, July 8, 2013, by 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. If you have questions about this solicitation, please contact Matthew Dalbey, at: 202 - 402 -3138; or Dalbey.Matthew@epa.gov. 11 j Letter of Interest Checklist A complete letter of interest will include the following items: ❑ A (maximum 5 -page) Letter of Interest that addresses criteria 1 -8 described above, including a brief comment from the Mayor ❑ Letters of Support: • Criteria 4: Required letter of support from one of the non - governmental partners listed • Criteria 3: Optional letter of support ❑ Attachments: • Criteria 1: Links to or attachments of relevant planning documents • Criteria 6: Basic organizational chart illustrating the city staff that will most directly liaise with the CST • 12