TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Planning and Community Development |
Carol Helland |
425-556-2107 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Planning and Community Development |
Beverly Mesa-Zendt |
Acting Deputy Director |
|
Planning and Community Development |
Brooke Buckingham |
Senior Planner |
|
Planning and Community Development |
Alaric Bien |
Senior Planner |
TITLE:
title
2021-2022 Human Services Funding Recommendations
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
The Human Services Commission will present its 2021-22 funding recommendations to Council on October 27, 2020 for inclusion in the overall city budget.
body
☒ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☒ Receive Information ☐ Provide Direction ☐ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
RMC Chapter 4.30 - (4) The commission shall review all requests for funding of human services in light of the guidelines contained in the Human Services Strategic Plan and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.
• Required:
The Human Services Recommendations are to be adopted as part of the overall 2021-2022 budget.
• Council Request:
The Commission is recommending that the funding plan outlined in Attachment B be accepted and adopted as part of the budget.
• Other Key Facts:
Every other year, the City accepts proposals from human services agencies seeking grant
funding in the next biennium. This past March, Redmond participated with 15 other King County cities, releasing a joint online funding application. This allowed organizations interested in requesting funding support from any of the participating cities to complete a single application. This year Redmond received applications from 91 programs, with requests for over $2.5 million per year.
OUTCOMES:
City Council relies on the Human Services Commission to solicit, review and recommend funding allocations to nonprofit agencies who provide services to our community. Each biennium, the Finance Department generates a budget amount for human service needs based on the per capita formula adjusted and adopted as part of the 2017-2018 budget.
The Commission reviews and evaluates the merits of each application. As part of that evaluation, the Commission also considers the needs of the community and the priorities of the City. In conjunction with other Eastside cities’ commissions, the Redmond Human Service Commission participated in an equity training in order to understand and better address some of the systemic inequities in the funding process.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline:
• February 2019 - March 2020: Key informant interviews, focus groups, information sessions, and workshops.
• March - April 2020: RFP Technical assistance and support
• April 2020: Joint Commission Equity trainings
• May - September 2020: Public comment opportunities
• May - October 2020: Human Services Commission review and discussion
• Outreach Methods and Results:
One-on-one key informant interviews and focus groups were used to gather information on how better to work with and support smaller, traditionally underrepresented grassroots community organizations in the application for funding process. These results were used to modify and improve the process across the five Eastside cities (Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah and Sammamish).
Three funders workshops were held, one in person, two virtually, for all interested parties, explaining this cycle’s process, requirements, application and addressing any questions. Staff made themselves available for consultation throughout the open application period.
Eastside cities provided equity training to their human services commissioners and used the guiding principles in their consideration of funding recommendations. This resulted in some programs being recommended for funding that may not have otherwise been recognized. During the application review period (May-October), public comment was invited and received regarding the community’s perception of human service need and priorities.
• Feedback Summary:
- Desire for a welcoming center with cultural activities as well as services.
- Need for newcomers to fully integrate into the community.
- Many residents don’t know what services are already available.
- Nonprofits need more diverse staff and ability to retain staff in general.
- More affordable housing, transportation and financial support are needed for Eastside residents.
- Homelessness, basic needs and mental health services are especially critical during the pandemic.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
$1,608,275/year
Approved in current biennial budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
Budget offer #000248 in 2021-22 Preliminary Budget.
Budget Priority:
Vibrant and Connected priority in 2021-22 Preliminary Budget.
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
The Human Services Commission funding recommendation exceeds the anticipated identified budget by $54,000. Should Council approve the proposed recommendations, a contingency plan has been developed to address the budget overage.
Funding source(s):
Designated revenue sources include:
• $1.3M/year - General Fund per capita formula
• $30,000 - Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement (estimated)
Additional one-time revenue sources include:
• $40,000/year -Human Services Fund Balance (estimated carry-forward from unspent funds in 2020)
• $169,444/year - Round 3 Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV)
Budget/Funding Constraints:
CDBG funds are highly constrained and recipients must also be able to meet all federal funding requirements. They must be expended in the year they are granted and cannot be used to supplant any existing funding.
☒ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
6/2/2020 |
Committee of the Whole - Parks and Human Services |
Receive Information |
|
9/1/2020 |
Committee of the Whole - Parks and Human Services |
Receive Information |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
|
None proposed at this time |
N/A |
Time Constraints:
The Human Services Commission will present funding recommendations at the October 27 Council study session for consideration and incorporation into City’s biennial budget.
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
If not approved at the recommended level, the Commission has identified programs to reduce and/or eliminate as part of its contingency plan.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: 2021-2022 Funding Presentation
Attachment B: 2021-22 Detailed Funding Recommendations