Title
Adopt a Resolution to Approve an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Budget Adjustment for the Community Safety Ambassador Project and the Beautify San Leandro Project and Authorize the City Manager to Approve Carryovers/Unspent ARPA Funds to Future Fiscal Years’ Budgets
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the reallocation of $70,000 in the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Budget to Downtown Street Ambassadors, and the reallocation of $800,000 in the ARPA Budget to Beautify San Leandro, and to authorize the City Manager to approve carryovers/unspent ARPA funds to future fiscal years’ budgets if needed.
Some projects and programs may take longer to implement. Authorizing the City Manager to carry over unspent ARPA funds to future fiscal years will ensure timely and successful implementation of projects and programs.
BACKGROUND
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package provides significant resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to support urgent COVID-19 response efforts. Within ARPA, the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund provides $130.2 billion for local governments split evenly between municipalities and counties.
The funding allocation to the City of San Leandro is $18.6 million, which the City has received in full. Funds can be used for the expenditure categories described below.
Eligible Uses
1) COVID-19 Response or Negative Economic Impact: To respond to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality.
2) Premium Pay for Essential Workers: To respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers of the state, territory, or tribal/local government that are performing such essential work, or by providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work.
3) Revenue Recovery: For the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue of such state, territory, or tribal/local government due to the COVID-19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year of the state, territory, or tribal government prior to the emergency.
4) Infrastructure Investments: To make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.
ARPA funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024. If obligated by December 31, 2024, agencies have until December 31, 2026, to incur the costs.
Approximately $18.5 million of the $18.6 million funding allocation, has been programmed by the City Council since fiscal year 2021-2022 to fund important programs such as streets and roads, parks and recreation facilities, human services, library services, and infrastructure. As the City continues to implement the various projects and programs, adjustments are periodically needed to conform to program needs.
Soft Story Retrofit Project
The City Council initially approved $100,000 in ARPA funds for the Building Division to hire an experienced consultant to conduct research, undertake public outreach and prepare draft program requirements for implementation. Staff recently conducted a request for proposals (RFP) process and selected the firm CSG and the cost of the contract is approximately $30,000, resulting in $70,000 that can be reallocated.
Downtown Safety Ambassadors
The Downtown Safety Ambassador program is provided through a grant to the Downtown Community Benefit District, which is administered by the San Leandro Improvement Association (SLIA). SLIA also provides a small portion of the funding for the program. Safety Ambassadors provide services to improve the resident and customer experience in Downtown San Leandro and reduce calls for police response. Services include addressing public nuisances, de-escalating non-emergency situations, and performing wellness checks on individuals.
Current budget for the program funds two Safety Ambassadors, seven days a week, from midday through the evening. SLIA also provides funding for Cleaning Ambassadors, who provide cleaning services in Downtown San Leandro from early morning through early afternoon. The ambassador services have received positive feedback from the community and businesses.
Nearing the end of the second year of operation, SLIA continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the ambassador programs and adjust as necessary. Over the past year, businesses and youth serving organizations in the Downtown that have early morning hours have expressed concerns and complaints about increased challenges with trespassing, and inappropriate or aggressive individuals.
To address these challenges and support a safe and quality environment in the Downtown, SLIA and City Staff recommend that funding be provided for Safety Ambassador services in the morning from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. The cost of an additional morning Safety Ambassador would be $75,504, with the City’s share being up to $70,000.
Enhanced Street Cleanliness
The Enhanced Street Cleanliness project intended to arrange for bulky items pick-ups and to purchase and install self-cleaning restrooms at key locations. As businesses reopened during the pandemic recovery, the need for new restrooms have been found unnecessary, resulting in $800,000 that can be reallocated.
Beautify San Leandro
The Beautify San Leandro project intends to improve the cleanliness and aesthetics of residential and commercial neighborhoods in the City. An interdepartmental team evaluated a number of potential beautification projects and selected projects that are:
- Impactful - high priority projects that will create a visible impact
- Balanced - funding to complete or enhance existing projects and new projects
- Deliverable - projects that can be delivered by current staffing
Beautification projects can be grouped into several categories:
- Enhanced Pickup of Illegal Dumping - throughout City and on other entities’ rights-of-way
- Volunteer San Leandro Program - staffing, startup costs, outreach, website, litter pickup kits, and cleanup grant funds
- Downtown Enhancements - improvements to breezeways and landscaping, decorative streetlights
- Median Maintenance & Rehabilitation - funding of shortfall in existing median maintenance contract and new rehabilitation projects
- New Tree Watering - funds to water 1,000 recently planted trees for 3 years
- Public Art - funds for a mural or other artistic enhancements in Downtown, as well one additional mural in the City
The cost of the proposed programs is estimated to be $1.6 million, with $800,000 allocated towards these costs on July 17, 2023.
Reallocation
Based on the reduced needs of the Soft Story Retrofit Project and the Enhanced Street Cleanliness Project, staff recommends $70,000 be reallocated to the Downtown Safety Ambassadors Project, and an additional $800,000 be reallocated to the Beautify San Leandro Project, resulting in a total of $1.6 million for the project.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no new fiscal impacts. The ARPA Budget totals $18.6 million and remains unchanged with the recommended reallocation of $70,000 from the Soft Story Retrofit Project (190-42-820) to the Downtown Safety Ambassadors Project (190-42-836) and the reallocation of $800,000 from the Enhanced Street Cleanliness Project (190-17-818), of which $553,000 will be reallocated to the Beautify San Leandro Project (190-63-817) and $247,000 will be reallocated to the Volunteer San Leandro Project (190-61-817).
PRIOR COUNCIL REVIEW
At the November 13, 2023 City Council Work Session, staff presented proposed Council Priorities Workplan Enhancements Work related to Housing & Homelessness - Encampment Interdepartmental Response, Public Safety - Safety and Security Pilot Programs, and Infrastructure - Beautify San Leandro. Staff received feedback to move forward with funding to implement several programs, including an expanded Downtown Safety Ambassador program and the Beautify San Leandro program.
ATTACHMENT:
• Attachment A: Resolution Approving an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Budget Adjustment for Community Safety Ambassador Project and Beautify San Leandro Projects
PREPARED BY
T. Michael Yuen, Finance Director