Letter of Recommendation - Four Mounds 2020 Coronavirus Relief Fund Future Ready Iowa Employe Innovation Grant Funds Copyrighted
September 21, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 19.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Four Mounds letterof recommendation-2020 Coronavirus Relief Fund
Future Ready lowa Employer Innovation Fund Grant
SUM MARY: City Manager submitting a Letter of Recommendation in support of Four
Mounds as a potential recipient of the 2020 Coronavirus Relief Fund
Future Ready lowa Employer Innovation Fund Grant.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Letter of Recommendation Supporting Documentation
Dubuque City Manager's Office
THE CITY OF � City Hall
50 West 13th Street
All•America Cily Dubuque,IA 52001-4845
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U� � � � ��� Office(563)589-4ll0
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TTY(563)690-6678
2007*2012*2013 ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2017*2019 �.oiryofaubUque.org
September 15, 2020
Dear Grant Review Committee Members,
I write today in support of Four Mounds as a potential recipient of the 2020 Coronavirus
Relief Fund Future Ready lowa Employer Innovation Fund Grant. My support of Four
Mounds is ongoing as they play an essential role in our community through their HEART
Build Dubuque Program.
For over 17 years, the HEART (Housing, Education, and Rehabilitation Training) Youth program
has worked with students at risk of dropping out of high school in partnership with the city. They
rehabilitate distressed properties from the inside out into single family homes that are sold to
first-time homebuyers. Students not only learn valuable, marketable skills associated with
carpentry, but essential soft skills. HEART students have rehabilitated 37 homes in Dubuque's
disconnected neighborhoods and completed more than 50 community service projects—many
for City parks or community nonprofits. HEART has invested more than $2 million into
Dubuque's urban core.
HEART's successful youth model serves as the foundation for adult programming through Four
Mounds and advances key City Goals and Priorities. Additionally, Four Mounds is a high priority
on the Policy Agenda, as their work aligns with Dubuque's goals in the following ways:
Robust Local Economy: Diverse Businesses and Jobs with Economic Prosperity
HEART Build Dubuque is building workforce development and economic vibrancy through
restoration projects that revitalize and invest in our urban core. The program is positively
impacting downtown economic prosperity through holistic education and hands-on training in
historic restoration trades and more. It is creating jobs and opportunities for adults who are
unemployed, underemployed, and who have been incarcerated.
Vibrant Community: Healthy 8� Safe
Four Mounds HEART Build Dubuque contributes to a vibrant community. Their team holistically
and individually addresses participants' needs from food and transportation, to brain health and
life skills mentoring. Projects completed in Dubuque's downtown invest in dilapidated buildings
and neglected neighborhoods. These projects build neighborhood and community pride, which
translates into further investment and safe neighborhoods.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Livable Neighborhoods 8� Housing: Great Place to Live
HEART Build Dubuque is transforming distressed properties and buildings into homes typically
sold to first-time homebuyers. Because of the addition of their adult program, their teams are
working on the fourth home in partnership the City, and soon will begin their fifth project in one
year.
Sustainable Environment: Preserving and Enhancing Natural Resources
As the last remaining intact gentleman's farm in lowa, and with 100 acres of rare natural
resources, Four Mounds has always been dedicated to preserving and enhancing the natural
resources at the site. In the past year, they hosted a summit with Native American/Indigenous
People to ensure the protection of prehistoric burial mounds. Additionally, their HEART Build
Dubuque transitional pathway program provides education for participants at the site in
ecological restoration, work on the gardens and trails, and more.
Partnership for a Better Dubuque: Building a Community that is Viable, Livable, and
Equitable
By working to recruit and attract community members who are frequently underserved, the
HEART Build Dubuque program is a critical partner in building equity in Dubuque. They
continue to strive in partnering to serve more people and enhance their program.
IMAGINE DUBUQUE
As a partner in enacting the Imagine Dubuque Comprehensive Plan, HEART Build Dubuque
Program Director Becky Bodish will serve as a Coordinator for the plan under the Social +
Cultural Vibrancy category with a focus on expanding programming to train additional local
workers in preservation-related building trades under Green Buildings and Historic Preservation.
Four Mounds provides an essential service for not only building the workforce in Dubuque,
but for restoring people and neighborhoods in the process. As the representative for the
City of Dubuque, I highly recommend them as an award recipient. I look forward to a
continued partnership with Four Mounds as their work continues to transform lives.
Please feel free to contact me with questions.
Sincerely,
�JU"'�"� �y�,t
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork