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HomeMy WebLinkAbout(4) WEED AND SEED PROGRAMINTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: STEVE FITZGIBBONS, CITY MANAGER I/t /1 PAUL BROWN, PLANNING DEPARTMEN~i~ /'~'~ WEED AND SEED OFFICIAL RECOGNITION APRIL 10, 2002 Port Arthur Weed and Seed Program Port Arthur was recently designated as an Officially Recognized Weed and Seed Community. Weed and Seed is a law-enforcement and community rejuvenation grant program sponsored by the U.S. Justice Department. This grant program could bring as much as $1.325 million into Port Arthur during the next five years. Official Recognition is the first of a two-step process necessary before the city actually receives the grant funding. City staffand community volunteers are currently preparing a budget and strategy as part of the second competitive stage in which the Justice Department expects to fund about 50 of 64 newly recognized cities. That means that about 80-percent of the eligible sites will receive funding during the first year. At, er qualifying for the first year's funding, the money for subsequent years two through five is considered to be automatic, as long as all program requirements are met. If budget- phase application is successful, the first-year grant funding should be made available in the 2003 budget year beginning Oct. 1, 2002. The "Weed" side of the program represents specialized law enforcement in the target area, which runs ~om Woodworth Boulevard to Houston Avenue and firom the Ship Canal up to the KCS tracks north of 19th Street. The specific enforcement efforts in the target area are determined by a broad spectrum of program participants, including local residents, neighborhood action groups, Port Arthur Police, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney, and on the federal level, the FBI, DEA, ATF and U.S. Attorney Matt Orwig's office for the Eastern District of Texas. The "Seed" part of the program stands for community rebuilding, rejuvenation, redevelopment and resident empowerment efforts that otten fit into the category of social services. These programs may include activities for youth, seniors and the whole community; classes on such skills as applying for jobs, parenting, anger management, home finances, computer skills, and drug abuse prevention and treatment, to name but a few. Prior to this successful 2001 application, the City submitted applications in 1998 and 2000, both of which required more organizational efforts to qualify for Official Recognition. While the grant does not strictly require a cash match fi.om the city, it does require painstaking planning and communication with and among the residents in the target area, law enforcement officials, non-profit organizations and local and state agencies providing the "seeding" services. The Weed and Seed Steering Committee is exploring several potential sites in the target area suitable for the required "Safe Haven." The Safe Haven is an actual physical location within the target area that must remain open at least six days a week and during the evenings to provide services for residents of all ages. For a successful budget-phase application, a suitable Safe Haven facility must he determined. This need represents the most important way the City could participate in the program. Some of the possible sites include the Port Cities Rescue Mission Resource Mall at 530 Waeo Ave., a building on Fifth Street across fi.om the school district administration building, the upstairs area at the new Health Department building, or Jubilation Station pending an agreement between the owner, Mardi Gras, the City and the school district. A school campus could be used if the school district were interested in keeping the facility open during the evening and on Saturdays. The program requires that half of the annual grant amount be used for "weeding" or law enforcement activities and half on the "seeding activities." In past years, "seeding" activities were eligible for a greater percentage of the yearly grant funds, but this year Attorney General Ashcroft changed the funding formula to require that at least half the Justice Department funds be used for law enforcement activities. The program coordinator must be paid primarily out of the "seeding" half of the budget, which leaves less for actual seeding activities than in past years. To compensate for the decrease in grant money for seeding activities, the Justice Department urges the Weed and Seed sites to increase efforts to partner with non-profits and local and state agencies that offer such seeding programs. This allows the Weed and Seed funds to be leveraged with other local, state and federal grant recipients and service providers. The core grant amount for the first year is $175,000, which increases to $225,000 annually for the remaining five-year grant period. After five years, the city can expand the target area or select a new target area and re-apply as a new program. Special emphasis grants are available yearly, which could increase the annual package by about $50,000. The budget phase application must be submitted before May 31, so efforts are moving quickly to advise service providers of the Weed and Seed program needs and requirements and to solicit proposals for programs and other seeding activities. Port Arthur Weed & Seed Program Steering Committee Members Matt Orwig, U.S. Attorney *Steve Fitzgibbons, city manager John Tyler, police chief Craig Hannah, City Council representative for target area Felix Barker, City Councilman and president of P0rt Arthur Neighborhood Action Council Dr. Louis Reed, Port Arthur school superintendent Bobby Feemster, executive director of Port Arthur Housing Authority; Port Arthur school board president Tom Neal, Lamar State College-Port Arthur Jack Leggett, exec. director, United Board of Missions *Ken Hill, resident and exec. director of Port Cities Rescue Mission Mike Kelly, exec. director, YMCA Jerry Brocato, exec. director, United Way *Rev. Tim Dinger, pastor and resident in target area *Joseph Richard, Concerned Citizens of Port Arthur (NAG) *Fablola Small, resident *Deborah Khalajabadi, resident *Anita Ozuna, resident and board president of Savannah Housing Authority *Doris Guyden, resident and CCOPA member Verna Rutherford, president of Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce James Martin, chief juvenile probation officer Montie Morgan, chief adult probation Floyd Batiste, SE Texas Workforce