Title
Authorizing Mayor Carter’s Office to submit a Bloomberg Mayor’s Challenge Program Grant Proposal
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has been working toward a new Saint Paul Careers in Climate and Energy Initiative (SPCCEI), in partnership with the Saint Paul Buildings Trades Council, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, Construction Careers Foundation, Center for Energy and the Environment, Xcel Energy, Ryan Companies, Ujaama Place and others; and
WHEREAS, SPCCEI, which to date has been supported with assistance through the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, is building an ecosystem of new pathways for BIPOC and women residents of Saint Paul to gain access to apprenticeships with the union construction trades and other careers in growing fields related to clean energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and green buildings; and
WHEREAS, Bloomberg Philanthropies created the 2021 Mayor’s Challenge, with a focus on identifying and accelerating the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will choose 50 finalists before selecting 15 grand prize winners, and each grand prize winner will receive $1 million and comprehensive multi-year support to implement their innovative ideas; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul will launch the first pilot initiative of SPCCEI in the summer of 2021 by partnering with others to provide about 8 Saint Paul BIPOC and women residents with an apprenticeship-readiness training program that will lead to job opportunities and possible apprenticeship opportunities with the union construction trades, and
WHEREAS, the grant funds, if awarded, will support the City’s work to advance climate justice, consistent with the 2019 Climate Action and Resilience Plan and the purpose of the newly formed Climate Justice Advisory Board; and
WHEREAS, SPCCEI is consistent with Mayor Carter’s pillars of Equity, Resilience, and Innovation; and
WHEREAS, the ability to scale up a construction trades apprenticeship-readiness program in the coming years concurrent with a likely federal American Jobs Plan bill that will be a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, climate and energy, represents a significant opportunity to help BIPOC and women residents of Saint Paul access good-paying jobs in the construction trades and reduce income and wealth disparities in Saint Paul.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby authorizes Mayor Carter’s Office to submit, on behalf of the City of Saint Paul, an application to Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Mayor’s Challenge to scale up the SPCCEI apprenticeship-readiness program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that should the City be selected as an awardee, the Saint Paul City Council authorizes the City of Saint Paul to enter into a grant agreement with Bloomberg Philanthropies.