VISTA Expenditure RequestDubuque
THE CTTY OF
DUB E AN-IM~agllrt
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: VISTA Expenditure Request - 10016200-62753
DATE: September 8, 2008
Human Rights Director Kelly Larson is recommending the City contribute $2,000 to the
Iowa Civil Rights Commission as part of acost-sharing effort to maintain the statewide
human rights AmeriCorps VISTA Program.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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D V iJ E AlWlmerical~tlt
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
SUBJECT: VISTA Expenditure Request - 10016200-62753
DATE: September 3, 2008
The purpose of this memo is to request approval to contribute $2,000 to the Iowa Civil
Rights Commission as part of acost-sharing effort to maintain the statewide human
rights Americorps VISTA program.
As you know, we have the benefit of Americorps VISTA member Nick Stuber here in our
office because the Iowa Civil Rights Commission was successful in obtaining a grant to
hire and place VISTAs throughout the state. Currently, VISTA members are placed at
the local civil rights offices in Davenport, Waterloo, Sioux City, and Des Moines, in
addition to our office and the state office. To date, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission
has absorbed the costs associated with these positions.
Recently, Americorps informed the Iowa Civil Rights Commission that there will be
additional cost-sharing requirements placed on the State in order to continue filling
VISTA positions for another year. If the State cannot cover the cost of two spots
($20,000), then statewide we will lose our ability to replace our 8 VISTA members
whose one year terms are expiring this winter. This funding issue does not directly
affect our office because Nick's term does not expire until next summer. Nonetheless,
we embarked on this as a joint effort across the state, and the ICRC VISTA members
directly carried out fair housing outreach for our office last year before Nick was hired.
The President of the League of Iowa Human Rights Agencies, of which I am currently
Secretary, is encouraging each agency that is benefiting from the program to contribute
$2,000 towards its continuance which would fully fund one of the positions. The ICRC
would fund the second position. Because I believe we have benefited significantly from
this program already, I would like to offer to contribute $2,000 in fair housing funds
toward the cost-sharing efforts, taken from line item 62753 in fund 10016200.
The action requested is that you approve this $2,000 contribution toward the statewide
VISTA project.