Title
Authorizing the Office of Neighborhood Safety to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with Ramsey County to accept a federal grant subaward to fund outreach to Familiar Faces clients and partial staffing costs of a stabilization center for short-term housing of Familiar Faces clients, and to amend the budget of the Office of Neighborhood Safety accordingly.
Body
WHEREAS, Heading Home Ramsey (“HHR”) is the lead agency in Ramsey County working to end homelessness and is comprised of local social services and housing providers, philanthropic partners, businesses, community, citizens, and governments, including Ramsey County, and the City of St. Paul through its Office of Neighborhood Safety (“ONS”); and
WHEREAS, in 2023, HHR submitted a proposal for a federal Department of Justice grant solicitation to fund services and shelters for local homeless people, entitled, “2023 OVC FY 23 Invited to Apply - Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program;” and
WHEREAS, HHR’s grant application was entitled, “Familiar Faces: Engaging Frequent users of Emergency Services,” and proposed partnering HHR with the City for improvement of the function of local criminal justice and emergency response systems in addressing the immediate needs of a core group of the City’s unsheltered population, known as “Familiar Faces;” and
WHEREAS, the ultimate goal of the Familiar Faces grant proposal was the reduction of Familiar Faces clients’ dependence on costly public services; and
WHEREAS, HHR’s grant proposal included a request for a subaward of $1,800,000 to the City of St. Paul to be used for outreach and referrals of Familiar Faces clients to an intensive case management team, case management/care coordination services with partner agencies, and shelter vouchers for temporary shelter and/or hotel rooms; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Justice awarded HHR the grant, attached below, with the City’s subaward of $1,800,000; and
WHEREAS, the subaward to the City does not require any affirmative grant obligations of the City such as matching funds, spending requirements, or hiring or retention responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Neighborhood Safety has been planning development of a residential stabilization center that will house Familiar Faces clients temporarily and will also be home base to the intensive case management team in charge of making referrals and coordinating case plans for the clients; and
WHEREAS, engagement of Familiar Faces clients, creation and staffing of an intensive case management team, and the temporary housing of clients, are activities supported by the grant’s subaward to the City; and
WHEREAS, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners has proposed administering the grant subaward and disbursement of its funds to the City through the attached Joint Powers Agreement between HHR and the City; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute Section 471.59, Subdivision 10 allows two or more governmental units, by agreement, to enter, through action of their governing bodies, joint powers agreements for cooperation and exercise of powers common to the contracting parties; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 10 of the Saint Paul City Charter recognizes the City Council’s authority over the budget and spending of the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the financing and spending plan of the Office of Neighborhood Safety would need to be amended for addition of the subaward funds; 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 $1,800,000 in excess of those dedicated to ONS, therefore be it total revenues in excess of those estimated in the budget; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of Saint Paul, does hereby:
1. Authorize ONS to enter into the attached Joint Powers Agreement with HHR for administration of the Byrne Grant subaward and disbursement of its funds; and
2. Adopt, upon recommendation of the Mayor, that $1,800,000 is available for appropriation to ONS as specified in the attached financial analysis form.