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Amending the financing and spending plans in the Department of Emergency Management in the amount of $150,000 to accept the Cities for Financial Empowerment Grant to support municipalities in building and expanding emergency preparedness and recovery infrastructure with a focus on financial empowerment.
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul recognizes the importance of integrating financial empowerment strategies into local government infrastructure to enhance residents' financial stability and resilience during emergencies and disasters; and
WHEREAS, the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund has made available a grant opportunity to support municipalities in building and expanding emergency preparedness and recovery infrastructure with a focus on financial empowerment; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul, through its Office of Financial Empowerment and the Department of Emergency Management, has received this grant to further its mission of economic justice and to strengthen the financial preparedness and recovery capabilities of its residents; and
WHEREAS, the proposed project will involve collaboration between local government emergency management offices and local networks of financial empowerment agencies, community-based organizations, and other partners to support residents in prioritizing financial concerns and mitigating financial disruptions during local, regional, or national disasters; and
WHEREAS, this initiative will build upon the successful Bridge Fund program and other financial empowerment efforts previously implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging existing expertise, tools, and strategies; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul will receive $75,000 in funding for the planning phase and, upon successful completion, up to an additional $75,000 for the implementation phase to support the roll-out of financial empowerment resources as part of the local government emergency response procedures; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is committed to convening key stakeholders, conducting landscape analyses, developing public awareness campaigns, and integrating financial empowerment supports into emergency preparedness and response plans to enhance the overall resilience and recovery of its residents; and
WHEREAS, the financing and spending plans have not been established for the grant received; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor pursuant to Section 10.07.1 of the Charter of the City of Saint Paul, does certify that there are available for appropriation funds of $150,000 in excess of those estimated in the 2024 budget; and
WHEREAS, this initiative aligns with Mayor Melvin Carter's administration's priorities of economic justice and financial empowerment for all Saint Paul residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby accepts this grant and approves the changes to the 2024 budget as specified in the attached financial analysis and upon award, authorizes the Department of Emergency Management and the Office of Financial Empowerment to execute the planning and implementation phases of the project in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant agreement.