USDN Rapid Response GrantAward Copyrighted
J uly 20, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 18.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: USDN Rapid Response GrantAward
SUM MARY: City Manager recommending acceptance of a funding award from the
Urban Sustainability Director's Network(USDN) Rapid Response Grant
Program.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
USDN Rapid Response GrantAward-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
Award Notification and Acceptance Letter Supporting Documentation
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Urban Sustainability Directors Network Rapid Response Funding Award
DATE: July 14, 2020
Sustainable Community Coordinator Gina Bell recommends City Council acceptance of
a $9,005 funding award from the Urban Sustainability Director's Network (USDN) Rapid
Response Grant Program. City of Dubuque staff time will provide the match.
The grant funds will be used for a pilot of the "Resiliency Corps" in partnership with the
Multicultural Family Center 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. 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."
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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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
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TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator
DATE: July 13, 2020
RE: Urban Sustainability Directors Network Rapid Response Funding Award
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to request Council acceptance of a funding award from 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.
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 will 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."
DISCUSSION
On July 9, 2020, the sustainable community coordinator was notified that the City of Dubuque was
awarded the grant totaling $9005 to complete the project. Staff will begin work as soon as possible to
meet grant period expectations.
BUDGETIMPACT
The total grant request is $9005. The City of Dubuque has committed to provide staff time as a match.
REQUESTED ACTION
I respectfully request City Council accept the grant award from the USDN Rapid Response grant
program.
USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
1Uly 9, 2020
Gina Bell
Sustainable Community Coordinator
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
gbell@cityofdubuque.or�
563-845-8591
RE:Award Agreement for Resilient Community-Block by elock
Dear Gina:
On behalf of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) we are pleased to provide a USDN
Collaborative Rapid Response grant of $9,005 United States Dollars (USD) to the City of Dubuque,
IA("Grantee") to implement the Resilient Community - elock by elock project. This effort will 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.The work is described in greater detail in the full
project proposal, which is pasted into Appendix 1 of this award letter.
The City of Dubuque, IA is considered Grantee and project lead.They are responsible for invoicing the full
amount of this award upon signing of this letter, delivering any materials to USDN that can help other
USDN members replicate this work, and for submitting final reporting to close the award by its due date.
Project Overview.The following is a summary of this work:
The purpose of the project is to 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.
• Project title: Resilient Community- Block by Block
• Grant amount: $9,005
• Lead community and primary contact:
o Lead Community: Dubuque, IA
o Project Lead: Gina Bell,Sustainable Community Coordinator, SO W. 13th Street,
Dubuque, IA 52001, gbell@cityofdubuque.org 563.845.8591
Project Participants.The following will participate in this work:
• Frontline Community-Led Group:The Multicultural Family Center; Project Rooted
• Project term: 3-months from award notification (August 2020—November 2020)
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
Grant requirements. Other terms of this award include the following:
• Final reporting. All grantees are required to submit a three-to five-page final report that provides
project methodology and an assessment of effectiveness. It should be written for others to use to
inform their own efforts, and capture learned lessons.The report will address these 6 points:
1. The intent of the work-desired outcomes and anticipated impacts
2. An overview of the target population(s), if applicable
3. The method(s) used to complete the work
4. How much the effort cost in total, including any resources that were not funded by this
award
5. The essential components that are necessary for success
6. Pitfalls to avoid and lessons learned-what to do differently and who needs to be included
• Products.Any grant products described in the project's proposal in Appendix 1 must be submitted
to USDN at project completion
• Webinar. Grantees may also be asked by USDN to present project strategies and outcomes on a
network webinar, if network staff determine high network demand for the outputs, outcomes,
and impacts
• High resolution photos. High resolution .jpg photographs of project work, if applicable, should
be submitted at grant completion for use in USDN communications
• Grant budget and expenditures.A detailed record of grant fund expenditures compared to the
original proposal budget. Use the Budget Template here and submit this in Microsoft Excel.
Under United States law, grant funds may be expended only for charitable, scientific, literary, or
educational purposes. They cannot be used for lobbying. Accordingly, this grant is made only for the
purposes stated in this agreement, to be spent according to the budget in Appendix 2. Any grant funds
received by the grantee that are not expended or committed during the grant period may be reallocated
to further the project's goals and spent down to a zero balance with prior approval from USDN.
Gina Bell from the City of Dubuque, IA will act as project manager and will provide project oversight and
coordinate all reporting requirements.
Please sign this letter, indicating that you agree with these terms. Once USDN receives this signed letter
with the acceptance of grant terms complete(following page),it will disburse the grant funds upon receipt
of an invoice.
Sincerely,
Nils Moe
Executive Director, Urban Sustainability Directors Network
cc: Mia Arter, Operations Director, Urban Sustainability Directors Network
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
Acceptance of Grant Terms
The City of Lead City accepts the grant conditions of this letter.
Name: Gina Bell
Title: Sustainable Communitv Coordinator
Date: Julv 13, 2020
Signature• �1m.t�`I�'�
City EIN/Tax ID: 42-6004596
Invoicing instructions:
Invoices should be addressed to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network(USDN) with the following
information, but they should be submitted via email to fund management for processing with USDN:
• Reference: [RR04, Dubuque(IA), Resilient Community—Block by Block]
• Attn: Mia Arter
� Operations Director, USDN
• 1642 Viola Circle
• Port Washington, WI, 53074
Make payment to: City of Dubuque
Payment address: Attention: Sustainability Office, 50 W. 13t"Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
Contact information should payment questions arise:
Name: Elena Fox
Phone: 563.589.4141 Email: efox@cityofdubuque.or�
Project Manager:
Name: Gina Bell
Phone: 563.845.8591 Email: �bell@cityofdubuque.or�
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
Appendix 1: Full Project Proposal
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. 13t" 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 focusing on prevention as
well as response plans. In Dubuque,we know that low-income communities and communities of color
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
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.
Resiliency Corps members will also share city resources such as the 50% fee reduction program for
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
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
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
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 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. See attached.
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USDN Collaborative Rapid Response Fund
RR04—Dubuque,IA
USDNdirectors netwark Amount:$9,005
Grant Close Date:November 2,2020
Appendix 2: Proposal Budget
USDN Grant Proposal Budget Template
Proposal Title: Resilient Community- Block by Block
Lead Member Community: Dubuque, IA
. • .
� � � � • • � - � • - � ••- • 111 � •
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Local GSA Per Diem Rate Lookup
�❑G ra nteewil I submit an invoiceforthe full award amount u pfront and pay projectexpenses d i rectly �
❑GranteewillpayprojectcostsupfrontandfileforreimbursementfromUSDN
-. .
•
Resiliency Corps(8 stipendsJ $4,800.00 $0.00 $4,800.00 $15/hr,5 hours per week for 8 weeks
Artist $800.00 $0.00 $800.00 ^'$100 per neighborhood
CSA+Food Boxes $2,250.00 $2,250.00 $4,500.00 buy one/get one offer
Printing $500.00 $0.00 $500.00 printing of art and zines
Mileage $55.00 $55.00 $110.00 teen transportation,in-kind by RCAC and staff
Training/Coaching $450.00 $1,000.00 $1,450.00 in-kind coaching by MFC,City staff+RCAC
Other expenses $150.00 $75.00 $225.00 incedentals,safety precautions/PPE
Staff $0.00 $4,304.00 $4,304.00 city staff, MFC staff,Resiliency Commission time
TOTAL $9,005.00 $7,684.00 $16,689.00
*Please describe in notes section. Examples of other sources are matching funds from a local partner, in-kind time provided by a facilitator, or donated materials.
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