Title
Dept/ Agency: Health and Community Wellness
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Contract with State Entity
Purpose: To provide an evaluation and quality improvement plan for Advancing Health Literacy to enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19.
Entity Name: Rutgers University - Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA)
Entity Address: 1294 University Avenue, Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contract Amount: Not to exceed $100,000.00
Funding Source: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health (OMH)
Contract Period: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor (X) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS ( ) Fair & Open
( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ ( ) Private Sale (X) Grant
(X) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
body
WHEREAS, the City of Newark (the "City") seeks to continue to provide an evaluation plan and quality improvement plan for Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Health and Human Services solicited proposals for projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of local government implementation of evidence-based health literacy strategies that are culturally appropriate to enhance COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and/or other mitigation measures (e.g., public health prevention practices and vaccination) in racial and ethnic minority populations and other socially vulnerable populations; and
WHEREAS, on April 20, 2021, the City, under the Department of Health and Community Wellness, partnered with Rutgers University-Newark, School of Public Affairs, Partners in Health, and other stakeholders, collaborated and submitted an application to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health/Office of Minority Health, requesting funding to develop and implement a health literacy program to improve responses to COVID-19 public health strategies and other related health outcomes among Newark's racial and ethnic minority populations; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2021, the City was awarded a two (2) year grant award in the amount of Three Million Eight Hundred Seventy Five Thousand and Zero Cents ($3,875,000.00) under the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 (hereinafter "DHHS"); and
WHEREAS, the DHHS has provided a no cost extension, which was adopted by the Municipal Council by Resolution 7R5-b on December 6, 2023, until June 30, 2024
WHEREAS, as a condition of the award, the City must enter into a sub--contract with Rutgers University to continue their planning, research, quality improvements and evaluation services for the grant; and
WHEREAS, as Rutgers University is an entity controlled by the State of New Jersey, this contract is awarded without competitive bidding, as an exception to the Local Public Contracts Law, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(2) and the contract is not subject to the Pay-to-Play legislation; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to continue to engage Rutgers University to continue to perform both planning, research, quality improvements and evaluation services for the grant.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor of the City of Newark (“City”) and/or his designee, the Director of the Department of Health and Community Wellness. are authorized to engage, execute, and enter into a contract with Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration to provide advancing heath literacy to enhance equitable community responses to COV1D-19 to continue the ongoing quality improvement process and project evaluation plan for an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($100,000.00) for the period commencing July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.
2. This contract is hereby ratified from July 1, 2023, to the date of adoption of
this authorizing Resolution.
3. Attached hereto is Certification of Funds in the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($100,000.00) from the Comptroller of the City that states the sufficient availability of legally appropriated funds from Account Code Line NW051;G21; H21Q0; Account# 72090; B2021, for the purpose set forth hereinabove. A copy of the Comptroller’s Certificate shall be filed along with the original resolution and the executed contract in the Office of the City Clerk.
4. This contract is awarded without competitive bidding as an exception to Local Public Contracts Law, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(2), in that the contract is between the City of Newark and Rutgers University-Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration, an agency of the State of New Jersey and as a partner in the grant application is not subject to Pay-to-Play legislation.
5. The Director of the Department of Health and Community Wellness shall file a fully executed copy of the contract in the Office of the City Clerk.
STATEMENT
This Resolution ratifies and authorizes the Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, the Director of the Department of Health and Community Wellness, to enter into and execute a contract with Rutgers University, Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration for the purpose of Advancing Heath Literacy to enhance performance in program development, management and assess Community to continue to implement an ongoing quality improvement process and project evaluation plan for an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($100,000.00) for the period commencing July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.