Title
Authorizing the City’s Office of Neighborhood Safety to apply for $30,000 grant funding from the Saint Paul Foundation, with no grant obligations anticipated upon receipt of these grant funds.
Body
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, Chapter 86 of the Saint Paul Administrative Code requires all contracts be authorized by the Saint Paul City Council; and
WHEREAS, Section 86.12 of the Saint Paul Administrative Code requires City Council approval prior to submission of grant applications; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has established the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) within the Office of the City Attorney (Ord 22-9); and
WHEREAS, ONS is a community justice, equity, and safety-focused office with programs that are community-centered, equity-focused, and non-punitive; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Foundation has made grant funds available for the provision of grant writing services; and
WHEREAS, the funds, if awarded, would be available in two disbursements: $20,000 for 2022, and $15,000 for 2023; and
WHEREAS, the hiring of a contract grant writer will assist the ONS in applying for grants to fund critical programs; and
WHEREAS, receiving grant funds would support ONS’s existing duties to “establish, coordinate, and/or advance violence prevention, interruption, and reconciliation strategies in order to increase safety”; and
RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul City Council, upon recommendation of the Mayor, does authorize the Office of Neighborhood Safety to apply to the Saint Paul Foundation for a discretionary grant in the amount of $35,000, which would be used to retain a contracted grants writer and provide no additional obligations to ONS and the City.