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Authorizing the execution of an MOU, accepting a $10,000 gift and in-kind travel support from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and amending the spending and financing budget for the Cities for Financial Empowerment Grant.
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul (the “City”) recognizes the importance of integrating financial empowerment strategies into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to strengthen resident financial stability and resilience; and
WHEREAS, the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund, Inc. (the “CFE Fund”) supports local governments in building and expanding emergency preparedness and recovery infrastructure with a focus on financial empowerment; and
WHEREAS, the City, through the Office of Financial Empowerment and the Department of Emergency Management, previously participated in the Emergency Financial Empowerment Grant program and has developed expertise in integrating financial empowerment into emergency management; and
WHEREAS, the budget for this grant was established on RES PH 24-174; and
WHEREAS, the CFE Fund has requested that the City provide peer engagement and communications support to local governments participating in a subsequent cohort of the program and has presented the City with a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the CFE Fund to guide the work (the “MOU”); and
WHEREAS, as part of the MOU, the CFE Fund has offered the City a stipend of $10,000 to support this work; and
WHEREAS, the CFE Fund has also provided in-kind support in the form of travel, lodging, and meals for City staff members, Emergency Management Director Rick Schute and Financial Capability Manager Kasey Wiedrich, to attend the Emergency Financial Empowerment Kickoff Convening in New York, NY in February 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor, pursuant to Section 10.07.1 of the Charter of the City, certifies that there are available for appropriation funds of $10,000 in excess of those estimated in the 2026 budget;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council:
1. Authorizes the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, Inc. by the appropriate City officials.
2. Accepts the gift of $10,000 from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to support peer engagement and communications activities by the Department of Emergency Management and the Office of Financial Empowerment.
3. Accepts the gift of in-kind travel support, including transportation, lodging, and meals, provided by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund for City staff participation in the February 2026 convening
4. Amends the 2026 Department of Emergency Management budget as detailed in the attached Financial Analysis.
Financial Analysis
See Attachment "Cities for Financial Empowerment Budget Amendment"