Title
Approving application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for designation of a portion of the East Side as an Urban Promise Zone.
Body
WHEREAS, the Obama Administration announced, on September 19, 2014, their intention to designate a second round of Promise Zones with the goal of creating jobs, increasing economic activity, improving educational opportunities, reducing serious and violent crime, leveraging private capital and assisting local leaders in navigating federal programs and cutting through red tape; and
WHEREAS, the competitive Promise Zone designations will be for a term of ten years and will entitle communities to: (a) preference for certain competitive Federal programs, (b) technical assistance and (c)subject to enactment by Congress, tax incentives for businesses investing in Promise Zones or hiring residents of Promise Zones; and
WHEREAS, areas eligible for Promise Zone designation: (1) must encompass one or more census tract(s) or portions of census tract(s) across a contiguous geography; (2) have a rate of overall poverty of residents within the Promise Zone at or above 33 percent, and (3) must encompass a population of at least 10,000 residents but not more than 200,000 residents; and
WHEREAS, a group of East Side organizations, led by the Dayton's Bluff Community Council and the Latino Economic Development Center, have convened a community-wide collaboration to design and implement a series of strategies to promote an increase in economic activity and job growth on the East Side of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the East Side collaborative has requested that the City of Saint Paul support its efforts by serving as the Lead Applicant/Lead Organization in applying for designation as a Second Round Urban Promise Zone; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, the City of Saint Paul agrees to be the Lead Applicant/Lead Organization for the Second Round Urban Promise Zone for a designated area on the East Side of Saint Paul that meets the eligibility requirements; and be it finally
RESOLVED, if designation is awarded, the City will provide organizational leadership for the Promise Zone, execute a Promise Zone designation agreement and be responsible to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for fulfilling the responsibilities therein.