Loading...
Urban Sustainability Directors Network Catalyst Fund Grant Application Copyrighted June 15, 2026 City of Dubuque CONSENT ITEMS # 13. City Council ITEM TITLE: Urban Sustainability Directors Network Catalyst Fund Grant Application SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval of the submittal of the grant application and funding request to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network Catalyst Grant Fund Program. RESOLUTION Retroactively Authorizing the Filing of an Application for the Catalyst Fund with Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Adopt Resolution(s) DISPOSITION: ATTAC H M ENTS: 1. MVM Memo Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Catalyst Fund Grant Application 2. Staff Memo_USDN Catalyst grant application_05-27-2026 3. 2-2026-USDN-Catalyst-Fund-Q2-Proposal-Form_Heartlandia FINAL 4. 3-2026-USDN-Catalyst-Fund-Q2-RFP-Budget-Heartlandia 5. Retroactive Authorization of Application Resolution_05-2026 USDN Catalyst Fund Q2 Proposal Page 577 of 1594 Dubuque THE CITY QF � All•li�eriea Ciry DLT B E ��, . � �� � � MaSt� Z�C� alZ t�Q Mt55ZSSZ Z zoa�•zoiz•zai3 �' pp zai�*zaig TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Catalyst Fund Grant Application DATE: June 10, 2026 Sustainability Director Gina Bell is recommending City Council approval of the submittal of the grant application and funding request to the USDN Catalyst Grant Fund Program. The total grant request is $19,580.00. No match is required. The project will require minimal staff time but has no additional budget impact. We will not move forward with the project if it is not funded. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. � Mic ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:sv Attachment cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager Gina Bell, Sustainability Director Page 578 of 1594 Dubuque THE CITY OF � All•Ame�iea Cil� D V Y L YIYJM1hLthM IJ Yl � � � ► � � Maste iece on the Mississi i zoo�-zo1z*2D13 �P pp zoi�*zoi9 TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Gina Bell, Sustainability Director DATE: June 6, 2026 RE: Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Catalyst Fund Grant Application INTRODUCTION The purpose of this memo is to request Council approval of a grant application and funding request to the USDN Catalyst grant program. BACKGROUND In 2011, Dubuque became a member of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN). USDN connects local government practitioners to accelerate urban sustainability in US and Canadian communities. The Catalyst Fund works to enhance local capacity to build capacity for sustainable communities. The fund does this by requiring local government and local nonprofit and/or business partnerships to move a short-term project forward. DISCUSSION USDN member communities were invited to apply for grant project funding and sustainability staff with partners throughout the region determined that a regional gathering to discuss current challenges was an immediate need and project timeline would support the work. It will build relationships and collaborations among members, review ongoing research by the NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program and create a report including effective approaches and framing to advance sustainability efforts throughout the region. BUDGETIMPACT The total grant request is $19,580.00. No match is required. The project will require minimal staff time but has no additional budget impact. We will not move forward with the project if it is not funded. REQUESTED ACTION Due to time constraints, the application was submitted to meet the deadline. I respectfully request City Council approve the submittal of the grant proposal to the USDN Catalyst Fund. Page 579 of 1594 U S D N 2026 USDN Catalyst Fund directars network Proposal Form The Catalyst Fund Proposal Form 1. Project title. Convening Heartlandia to Build Capacity and Connection Despite It All 2. Amount requested. $19,580 (USD). 3. Budget. See Excel attachment. 4. Primary project focus. Developmental work. 5. Priority category. Collaborates across states and regions on climate policies and programs. 6. Lead USDN member. Gina Bell, Director of Sustainability, City of Dubuque, 50 West 13t"Street, Dubuque, IA 52001, �bell@cityofdubuque.or�, 563.845.8591. 7. Other participants. • Michelle Kim, Dubuque, IA, Climate Action Coordinator, (USDN), Convening Committee Member • Sarah Gardner, lowa City, IA, Climate Action Coordinator(USDN), Convening Committee Member • Lara Isch, Sustainability Manager, Overland Park, KS (USDN), Convening Committee Member • Jensen Adams, Chief Environmental Officer, Kansas City, MO (USDN), Convening Committee Member • Kim Morrow, Sustainability Manager, Lincoln, NE (USDN), Convening Committee Member • Emily Rountree, Climate Adaptation Partnerships Specialist, NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program, Convening Collaborator Additional potential participating Heartlandia jurisdictions/interested communities: Columbia, MO; Springfield, MO; St. Louis, MO; Cedar Rapids, IA;Ames, IA; Fairfield, IA;Johnson County, IA; Linn County, IA; Lawrence, KS;Johnson County, KS; Douglas County, KS; Rapid City, SD; Brookings, SD; Oklahoma City, OK; Edmund, OK; Norman, OK. 7a. Next to each name,clearly state their role. 7b. Have you confirmed that each one has the capacity to do this work?Yes 7c. State if any partner is missing that this work will seek to onboard. N/A 8. Statement of intent.The Heartlandia Network proposes hosting a convening to bring together current and prospective Heartlandia regional members to: • Build relationships and collaborations among members. • Support and learn from ongoing research by the NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program on climate action planning efforts in the region. • Develop program case studies and other resources to assist regional municipalities and counties that may lack a formal CAP or dedicated staff capacity in advancing regional climate action goals during times when sustainability offices in the region are under threat. • Outline a draft "red state update" report to share approaches and framing that have worked to advance climate efforts in the conservative areas in which Heartlandia members operate that can aid others who may be now facing these headwinds as a result of shifting political dynamics 1 Page 580 of 1594 U S D N I 2026 USDN Catalyst Fund directors networf� Proposal Form 9. Measuring success. • Attendance: At least 50% or more of Heartlandia members will participate in the convening • Membership:At least 1 new jurisdiction previously unaffiliated with the Heartlandia Network will become a member • Case studies: Case studies will be produced on at least 8 distinct programs to be used by both the NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnership Program and Heartlandia Members • Report: An outline for a "red state update" report will be drafted, including commitments 10. Direct outputs from this work. With this funding, we will produce both case studies and a report to support conservative communities working in the sustainability/climate space better understand programs and options available to start/advance this body of work.Travel expenses have been one of the most significant barriers to prevent Heartlandia members from convening in recent years. Many of the states in which we work have been instituting budget reforms that have adversely impacted municipal budgets. At the same time, our communities have been contending with multiple climate- driven and climate-compounding disasters which have further constricted local sustainability budgets, as dollars must be prioritized for recovery efforts. This funding will provide tangible support for: • A catered lunch for the first day of the convening. • Stipends to participating members to cover lodging for two nights and offset other costs • Registration costs for Heartlandia members to the Climate Action KC Summit. • Materials and supplies costs for the convening such as large easel pads and USB drives. The funding will also provide support for several intangible outcomes, including: • Gathering that focuses on sharing information and mutual support. • Building relationships and trust among the large geographic area. • Address immediate threats of downsizing(both the physical and emotional work). • As a network, we will confirm our priorities to work together and define next best steps for each participating jurisdiction. Part of the process with be commitments to ourselves and one another to follow through. 11. Root cause design/the"why".The Heartlandia Network last hosted a regional convening in 2016 (a planned meeting for 2020 took place virtually the following year as a result of the pandemic). Since then, many new members have joined while many of the original members have retired or left their positions. Interest in the network, however, continues to grow, with an average of 3-4 new communities added each year. This convening is an opportunity for members who previously may have never met in person to do so as well as an opportunity for interested potential members to participate and learn from a network event. We anticipate the potential members would include communities that have recently expressed an interest in joining the Network and neighboring jurisdictions of Heartlandia communities that current members would invite to attend. Some members of the Heartlandia Network have taken part in a NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program research project on climate action planning and implementation over the past two years. This convening would be held in collaboration with the program researcher, and the first day will be utilized to share out the findings of the project among members and prospective members and assist with refining the resulting report. The Heartlandia Network also recently proposed 2 Page 581 of 1594 U S D N 2026 USDN Catalyst Fund � directars network Proposal Form developing a set of case studies as a next step for the research project that could be used independently of a formally adopted CAP for smaller cities and communities to implement climate action efforts.The convening is intended tojump start that process with each participatingjurisdiction presenting on a successful ongoing program, allowing Network members to identify future programs and potential collaborations for their own communities while helping build a body of reference materials and resources that can be shared with others. The first day will conclude with a focused "red state update" discussion among participants to discuss strategies and communications tools that Network members have found work well to build and maintain support for climate efforts in the conservative context of the states in which we work. The aim would be to identify learnings that could be shared outside the region with colleagues who may historically not have had to navigate such political headwinds in hopes of aiding their continued efforts as well.The state of the United States is moving in a direction oppositional to the work we are trying to accomplish. During the past decade, cities throughout the Heartland have added sustainability programming and staff. Others have grown offices and completed CAP. Data has been gathered. But as we see a shift in politics, both fledgling offices and long-established offices are fighting for their existence, while trying to move the work forward. Federal shifts impact the entire network but especially in"red"states,which are majority of Heartlandia,where no state level policies, funding and action exist to fall back upon. The second day of the convening will coincide with the Climate Action KC Summit. Heartlandia members attending the convening will participate in the Summit as an opportunity to have a more concentrated look at efforts in one of our member cities, and to broaden the discussion among local Summit participants with perspectives from similar situated communities in the Heartlandia Network. Participating in the Climate Action KC Summit will also provide an event model that other members of the Heartlandia Network can potentially bring back to implement in their own communities. 12. Methodology / the "how". A small group of veteran Heartlandia members have been discussing a gathering to support newer jurisdictions and those with limited resources/capacity in moving climate action forward. In partnership with Emily Roundtree with NOAA, who has spent the past 3 years researching climate action plans and implementation efforts within the Heartlandia region, also approached the group about sharing her findings and taking next steps. This opportunity will allow members to travel to Kansas City, MO to gather as a regional network, build and strengthen relationships and share learnings, ideas and data. Members will leave with deeper connections to regional partners and ideas of how to advance their local work.The gathering will take place over two days. The time will be spent as a mix of relationship building and facilitated discussions and report- outs on projects, details, and Emily's collected data. A small group of inembers will serve as the planning committee and ensure every detail is taken care of. 13. Scalability. Often, sustainability practitioners in conservative-leaning regions can feel their experiences and realities are not fully reflected in larger national or international climate action discussions, including at some USDN events. Ambitious "grass tips" policy changes like building code updates and plastic bag bans may not be possible and, when possible, may even backfire,while more the more"grassroots"efforts that prove successful tend to be more highly tailored to each community 3 Page 582 of 1594 U S D N 2026 USDN Catalyst Fund � directars network Proposal Form and involve unusual and unexpected allies. Although the highly individualized nature of these programs may not always directly translate to other communities, the approaches that make them possible do scale and may even already be familiar to other USDN members in another form.We seek to answer:What approaches work well to co-create a program with conservative stakeholders?What does it look like to embodyfamiliar practices like"assume positive intent"and "step up and step back" when in conversation with those who are highly skeptical of climate change? Is there such a thing as code switching for rural audiences? A chief aim of the convening is to document the collective wisdom of sustainability practitioners who have won some hard earned victories in the climate action space, recognize and celebrate the strength and resilience of these colleagues, and create a toolkit from our shared experiences in the form of the "red state update" report that can be shared with other practitioners in presentations and discussions, including in USDN peer learning groups and future annual meetings. 14. Project timeline. Can the proposed work be done 3-6 months from award announcement?Yes. 15. Project plan. Create a detailed plan and timeline for the proposed work, showing how it will be executed. Use the following table template: .- . - .. - Name a specific date this will be Describe what will be sent to USDN(e.g., Describe what actions the team will take delivered to USDN report, workshop presentation details,toolkit, during the project period to set clear etc.) delivery expectations Invitation with details to Heartlandia members Finalize details and logistics(reserve room, 1 and potential communities and list of 10/15/2026 arrange travel/lodging,facilitation) participating jurisdictions. Presentation by NOAA researcher on Climate 2 Researchreport 11/15/2026 Action Plans in the Heartlandia Region "PechaKucha"style presentations from each A master slide deck containing a case study 3 participatingjurisdiction on a sustainability 11/15/2026 program that could serve as a model for others from each participating jurisdiction Roundtable discussion of challenges and 4 successful strategies for sustainability "Red State Update"report 11/15/2026 practitioners in conservative contexts Summary of activities and discussions that 5 Climate Action KC Summit comprise the Summit,with key takeaways 11/15/2026 which Heartlandia members highlighted 16. Memorandum of Understanding(MOU)Acknowledgment.Acknowledged. 4 Page 583 of 1594 � ' • � • • • ' •�• • • • . • i • . �. • • • �- • � .• •- • � � • � Budget Notes: Proposal budgets should be capped at$20,000 USD and ideally a little bit less than this amount. Proposers are If partnering with a CBO, at least 20% of the budget must be allocated to the CBO(s) in this proposal's budget. can be provided by the CBO or paid out to providers/community members by the CBO. Proposal budgets are expected to minimize expenses as much as possible while also being realistic. Budget for USDN will pay the full amount of the award upfront at the time of the award to either a member community o If there are any unused funds in hand at the conclusion of the project, these should be re ur osed to further Itemized Cost Requested Other Funding TOTAL in USD List Each Cost Against the Requested Amount Below AmOU11t $OUYC@S* 1 11 1 11 1 1 1 . - - . 1 11 1 11 . • 1 11 � 1 11 � 1 1 1 • . • . • • . • 1 11 1 11 - � • . • 111 111 � 1 11 • - � • • • • - � - . 1 /1 . 1 1 1 • � :l /I ' / l/ ll ll ' • - •- • • • • • • • • • •. • • •• • . • . • • - •- • • •- • '.�- Ii � •. • -• • • • • • • •• • - •. • • • - • . •• . • - •. - • •. •. • •- • • -• • • • ' -�-• •- • • •- • •- • •. • - • • • •�• • � • • • • • • • • - • � - in kind facility use in-kind facilitation & report writing ($150/hour facilitation; $50/hour report writing) some participants have funding to cover this in their budgets depends on #of participants, not to exceed, may be less than amount requested, but this amount allows for at least one person from each interested jurisdiction to attend. :ime provided by a facilitator, or donated materials. While this is not required, the Selection an outcome of awards. Page 585 of 1594 Prepared by: Crenna M. Brumwell, 300 Main Street Suite 330, Dubuque IA 52001 563 583-4381 RESOLUTION NO. 230-26 RETROACTIVELY AUTHORIZING THE- FILING OF AN APPLICATION FOR THE CATALYST FUND WITH URBAN SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORS NETWORK (USDN) WHEREAS, applications for certifications, funding, and grants are set by outside entities and outside the control of the City; and WHEREAS, the deadlines set by outside entities do not always coincide with the meetings of the City Council; and WHEREAS, the City applied for the Catalyst Fund opportunity from USDN with an application deadline of 05/27/2026 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA: Section 1. The application to USDN is approved retroactive to May 27, 2026. Passed, approved and adopted this 15th day of June 2026. . Cavanagh, Mayor Attest: Trish L. Gleason, Assistant City Clerk