...Title
Dept/ Agency: Administration/Office of the Business Administrator
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Application/Acceptance of Grant Funds
Purpose: To accept Cities of Service AmeriCorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities Program grant funds aimed at helping the City of Newark develop community-informed Opportunity Zone Investments.
Entity Name: Fund for Cities of Service, Inc. ("Cities of Service")
Entity Address: 120 Park Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10017
Grant Amount: $25,000.00
Funding Source: Cities of Service Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities Program
Total Project Cost: $0.00
City Contribution: $0.00
Other Funding Source/Amount: $0.00
Contract Period: Funds to be expended or committed by September 1, 2020
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale (X) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
No municipal funds are required for receipt or acceptance of this grant award.
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WHEREAS, Fund for Cities of Service, Inc., also known as Cities of Service, is a national nonprofit organization that supports mayors and city leaders in their efforts to engage local communities and residents, identify challenges, and solve problems together. Specifically, they work with cities to build city-led, citizen-powered initiatives that target specific needs, achieve long-term and measurable outcomes, improve the quality of life for residents, and build stronger cities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark (the "City") is eligible for funding from the Cities of Service Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program, which does not require the submission of an application, as a member of the Cities of Service Coalition, formalized by the City's Declaration of Service, signed by the Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka on February, 27, 2017 ("Declaration of Service"); and
WHEREAS, the City has a need to obtain funding from the Cities of Service Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program to engage citizens, stakeholders, and other local partners to help develop and guide community-informed Opportunity Zone investments; and
WHEREAS, the City also intends to utilize the grant funds from the Cities of Service Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program to implement volunteer projects that build community and revitalize Opportunity Zone neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, based upon the Declaration of Service, on August 13, 2019, the Business Administrator executed a grant agreement, on behalf of the City of Newark, by which the Cities of Service will provide grant funding to the City under the Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) to engage citizens, stakeholders, and other local partners to help develop and guide community-informed Opportunity Zone investments with no municipal funds required; and
WHEREAS, on April 30, 2020, the Cities of Service informed the City that the Guiding Opportunities grant program, a two (2) year program which was reduced to one year and will end October 2020, and all Guiding Opportunities grant funds must be expended or committed by September 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council must ratify the executed grant agreement with Cities of Service in order to obtain the grant award with no municipal funds required for receipt or acceptance of this grant.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor and/or his designee, the Business Administrator are hereby authorized to enter into and execute a grant agreement with Fund for Cities of Service Inc., also known as Cities of Service, 120 Park Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10017, under the Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program for funding in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) to support the development of community-informed Opportunity Zone investments and for the implementation of volunteer projects that build community and revitalize Opportunity Zone neighborhoods.
2. The Municipal Council hereby ratifies its authorization of the execution of the Grant Agreement, which is attached and made a part hereof, from the date of signing, August 13, 2019, to the date of adoption of this authorizing resolution.
3. The grant award in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) from the Cities of Service Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program is hereby accepted. The grant award must be expended or committed by September 1, 2020.
4. No municipal funds are required for receipt or acceptance of this grant award.
5. The Business Administrator shall file a fully-executed copy of the Grant Agreement and any other associated documents in the Office of City Clerk.
STATEMENT
This resolution ratifies and authorizes the execution of a Grant Agreement with The Fund for Cities of Service, Inc., also known as Cities of Service, 120 Park Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10017, for grant funding in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) from the Americorps VISTA Guiding Opportunities grant program for the development of community-informed Opportunity Zone investments. No municipal funds are required.