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Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Rapid Response Funding Request Copyrig hted J uly 6, 2020 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 9. City Council Meeting ITEM TITLE: USDN GrantApplication SUM MARY: City Manager recommending approval of funding request to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network(USDN) Rapid Response grant program to pilot a"Resiliency Corps" in partnership with the Multicultural Family Center's Summer Teen Empowerment Program. SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type USDN GrantApplication-MVM Memo City Manager Memo Staff Memo Staff Memo Grant Application Supporting Documentation Dubuque THE CITY OF � ui-Aseria cih DuB E , . � . , � II � Maste iece on tj2e Mississi i zoo�•zoiz•zois YP pp zoi�*zoi9 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Urban Sustainability Directors Network Rapid Response Funding Request DATE: June 26, 2020 Sustainable Community Coordinator Gina Bell recommends City Council approval of a $9,005 funding request to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Rapid Response grant program. The project will pilot a "Resiliency Corps" in partnership with the Multicultural Family Center's Summer Teen Empowerment Program to canvas Dubuque's frontline neighborhoods and share information and resources, ask questions and listen to needs related to COVID-19 and climate change impacts. The City of Dubuque has committed to provide staff time as a match and 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:jh Attachment cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator Dubuque THE CITY OF � All•Aiaerica Cily DuB E .�..� ��..�w � I.� �� MGIstP ieC� On the MissiSsi i zoo�.zosz•zoi3 �"p pp 2o��*zo�g TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator DATE: June 26, 2020 RE: Urban Sustainability Directors Network Rapid Response Funding Request INTRODUCTION The purpose of this memo is to request Council approval of a funding request to the Urban Sustainability Director's Network (USDN) Rapid Response grant program. BACKGROUND In 2011, Dubuque became a member of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. USDN connects local government practitioners to accelerate urban sustainability in US and Canadian communities. USDN is dedicated to creating a healthier environment, economic prosperity, and increased social equity, and to sharing best practices that accelerate the application of good ideas. This grant proposal is designed to support innovation around current crises and test new and more equitable community engagement methods. DISCUSSION USDN member communities were invited to apply for rapid response engagement project funding. The sustainable community coordinator and the Multicultural Family Center (MFC) program staff met to discuss potential projects. The project selected addresses both equity and sustainability, while addressing needs related to COVID-19, and can be completed within the required time period (must be completed between July 13, 2020 and December 31, 2020). The project will pilot a "Resiliency Corps" in partnership with the MFC's Summer Teen Empowerment Program (STEP) to canvas Dubuque's frontline neighborhoods and share information and resources, ask questions and listen to needs related to COVID-19 and climate change impacts. It will build neighborhood cohesion through conversation, activities, and food, while offering BIPOC teens work experience and the opportunity to impact their neighborhood's resiliency. The result will guide future engagements with frontline communities and build relationships to move forward climate action in the communities impacted "first and worst." BUDGETIMPACT The total grant request is $9005. The City of Dubuque has committed to provide staff time as a match and 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 Rapid Response proposal to the USDN grant program. U S D N � urban sustainability directors network Request for Proposals � Collaborative Rapid Responses Proposal Form 3 � Member-to-Community Rapid Response � City of Dubuque, IA 1. Project Title. Resilient Community- Block by Block 2. Amount Requested. $9005 3. Project Purpose. Build a "Resiliency Corps" in partnership with the Multicultural Family Center's Teen Program to canvas Dubuque's frontline neighborhoods and share information and resources, ask questions and listen to needs related to COVID-19 and climate change impacts. Build neighborhood cohesion through conversation, activities, and food, while offering BIPOC teens work experience and the opportunity to impact their neighborhood's resiliency. 4. Lead USDN Member. Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator, 50 W. 13th Street, Dubuque, IA 52001, �bell@cityofdubuque.or� 563.845.8591 5. Other Participants.The Multicultural Family Center(MFC) empowers all families and community members of Dubuque to reach their potential and build unity through diversity, equity, and inclusion. They have a teen program and will serve as the frontline community-led organization. MFC Teen Program coordinators, Heidi Zull, Kelly Holland, and Yara Lopez will help with coordination, coaching and facilitation while working with teens.Teen participants will be successful graduates of the Summer Teen Empowerment Program (STEP) which focuses on building job skills, learning about career opportunities and service.Teens will bring energy and enthusiasm to the project, as well as their experiences living in the targeted neighborhoods. Teens will receive additional job skills, monetary payment and coaching from staff.Temwa Phiri, Human Rights Department's Community Engagement Specialist at the City of Dubuque, will serve as a technical partner and will assist with leveraging relationships he has with frontline communities as well as expertise in engagement and working with teens.Jerelyn O'Connor,the Neighborhood Specialist for the City of Dubuque, brings decades of expertise in neighborhood development and social cohesion. Project Rooted, a non-profit which connects kids to real food from the ground up, will provide food boxes and have offered a free box for every box purchased.They are a new non-profit and are looking to grow their roots in the community and they see this opportunity as important to their growth, especially due to the location within a food desert. Members of the Resilient Community Advisory Commission will help to canvas and support the Resiliency Corps. Commissioners serve in an advisory role to City Council on all things related to resiliency and have been looking to get more involved with an activity to build the community's resilience. 6. Engagement plan. In September 2018, a Design and Resiliency Team (DART) made several recommendations for the City of Dubuque.The recommendations included taking a neighborhood-based approach to resiliency to make the idea relevant to residents while 1 ur�a�n susta�na��n i Urban Sustainability Directors Network U S D N directors network 2020 Rapid Response Request for Proposals focusing on prevention as well as response plans. In Dubuque, we know that low-income communities and communities of color are primarily concentrated in one area of the city. We know they face daily barriers to resiliency(access to health care, located food deserts, high under-employment)that are exacerbated by climate change (specifically flooding and heat) and more recently, COVID-19.The goal of this work is to begin to address resiliency issues at the neighborhood level through empowerment and interactions while addressing daily needs, especially those which have surfaced due to COVID-19. Resiliency Corps members, after training, will go door to door, and have conversations with community members.They will provide an activity to encourage neighbors to get to know other neighbors and then follow up with block gatherings and organizing food box deliveries. We will partner with local artist(s)to draw homes/block maps as art and to start the conversation about neighbors and resiliency.This project will help the city gain input on priorities within neighborhoods at the block level. It will improve communication among neighbors and help build social ties. It will also help identify neighborhood leaders and connect residents to opportunities to solve neighborhood issues.Through this program we will inform residents on specific sustainability/resiliency resources (home energy audits,water reduction plans, and other actions) as related to actions identified in the recent update of the 50% by 2030 Plan (Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan for the City of Dubuque).This project will help the city's sustainability office engage with frontline communities in two ways. First, BIPOC teens from frontline communities will make up the Resiliency Corps and they will offer input and help design the project and secondly, by going door to door, block by block to listen and learn the needs of residents will inform the sustainability office on how to help.The project will build capacity for the teens—offering them work within their community after successfully completing the summer STEP job training program as well as supervision and coaching by several adults (sustainability staff, Resiliency Commissioners, other city staff and partner agency staff). Additionally,this project will meet some basic needs (some which have arisen due to COVID and others which have long existed) of our residents.The project interrupts social isolation, provides food, resources and potential energy savings for those interested. After months of social isolation mandated by health officials, this project will safely bring people face to face for human interaction and will encourage (safe)future in-person interactions. We will use an activity based on the Art of Nei�hborin�to encourage neighbors to interact. Participants will fill out a neighborhood map (individually) to determine neighborhood cohesiveness. The map will be created by an artist and will serve as a piece of art as well as inspire people to get to know their neighbors and neighborhood. We will partner with Project Rooted to get participants signed up for their local food boxes and host a socially-distant gathering to introduce boxes and recipes to further create community around local food and "pay" people for their time. In each food box, a zine,with information about the climate action plan,will be included. Food boxes will be made up of fruits,vegetables, meat, cheese, whole grain bread, cooking utensils, nut butters, recipes, instructions and activities to further interaction on a block level. 2 urk�a�r1 su�ta�na��ii Urban Sustainability Directors Network U S D N directors network 2020 Rapid Response Request for Proposals Resiliency Corps members will also share city resources such as the 50%fee reduction program for water, storm water and garbage, COVID-19 related information and home energy audit information and sign ups. Home energy audits include direct installation of LED bulbs and low- flow aerators and limited weatherization, if necessary, making an instant impact on financial savings while also helping the City meet it's 50% by 2030 GHG emissions reduction goal. This community input will put the power of action in the hands of residents and they will take leadership roles to move the plan forward. Actions will be for the community and by the community.Teens will take all precautions to assure their safety and the safety of those with whom they speak. We will provide masks,gloves, mobile hand washing station and hand sanitizer, and training. Listening will be a priority but also identifying leaders and who want to be involved and assuring they are included. 7. Preparation. Gina Bell will do the majority of facilitation and trainings and will work closely with MFC Teen Program staff Heidi Zull, Kelly Holland and Yara Lopez. Interactions will primarily take place at the MFC in separate morning and afternoon sessions to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Because the teens will be participating in the summer program, this will serve as a continuation and all logistics will already be arranged. Preparation for training has already been done by the Resilient Community Advisory Commission, in anticipation of rolling out this plan pre-COVID.This project will build on work that the MFC will do over the summer related to job training with teens as well as work City staff has done related to climate action implementation. No USDN communities were contacted for this grant proposal. 8. Engagement plan and timeline. When the project is launched, activities will begin. After training and with supervision and COVID-19 precautions taken, teens will identify and canvas neighborhood blocks in the City where frontline communities live. They will knock on doors and provide an activity as well as resources but most importantly, they will be there to ask questions and listen to residents.They will take notes and follow up as needed. See schedule below: Timeline Activity Lead 7/16-7/22 Project launch, confirmation with partners, preparations Gina Bell 7/26 -8/1 Introductions, Training and choose neighborhoods/blocks to Gina Bell, MFC, Teens, canvas with teens; zine creation, art renderings technical advisors 8/2-8/8 Blocks One and Two—canvas + activities Teens + support crew 8/9-8/15 Blocks Three and Four+ any follow up from prior blocks Teens + support crew 8/16-8/22 Blocks Five and Six+ any follow up from prior blocks Teens + support crew 8/23-8/29 Blocks Seven and Eight + any follow up from prior blocks Teens + support crew 8/30-9/5 Revisit missed homes +follow up Teens + support crew 9/6-9/12 Feedback, teen input, next steps Gina Bell, MFC, Teens 9/13-10/31 Block Parties, first food boxes arrive, additional follow up Neighbors +All 9. Anticipated outcomes. Neighbors will begin to build relationships or strengthen relationships with their neighbors. City staff and the Resiliency Commission will have block level information to 3 u r r�a r�s u�ta u r7 a�?'. Urban Sustainability Directors Network U 5 D N directors network 2020 Rapid Response Request for Proposals build on this work to further DART recommendations to build resiliency in these neighborhoods and throughout the city. This opportunity will lead into our Climate Action Plan implementation work and help to highlight the Asphalt Art Bike and Bus Project—much of which will take place in or near the neighborhoods work will be focused. It will improve relationships and increase collaborations in the community. It will identify and support new leaders within frontline communities and continue to shift power to residents. 10. Itemized Budget. - . . . � � . - . Resiliency Corps (8 stipends) $4,800.00 $15/hr, 5 hours per week for 8 weeks Artist $800.00 CSA+ Food Boxes $2,250.00 Printing $500.00 art and zines Mileage $55.00 teen transportation Training/Coaching $450.00 Other expenses $150.00 safety precautions/PPE Staff $0.00 TOTAL $9,005.00 4 urban sustainability U S D N directors network _ . . , . _ . . . Resiliency Corps (8 stipendsJ $4,800.00 $15/hr, 5 hours per week for 8 weeks Artist $800.00 CSA+ Food Boxes $2,250.00 Printing $500.00 printing of art and zines Mileage $55.00 teen transportation Training/Coaching $450.00 Other expenses $150.00 incidentals, safety precautions/PPE Staff $0.00 TOTAL $9,005.00 1