Title
Dept./ Agency: Administration/Office of Business Administrator
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Grant Agreement
Purpose: To provide needed funds to entities with programs focusing on violence prevention and that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
1) All Stars Project of New Jersey, 543 West 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10036;
2) Inspired By U, LLC, Newark, New Jersey 07108;
3) Newark Community Street Team, Newark, New Jersey 07108;
4) Newark Opportunity Youth Network, 571 Central Avenue, Newark, New Jersey 07107;
5) Next Generation Project, Orange, New Jersey 07050;
6) FP YouthOutcry Foundation, Inc., a/k/a The HUBB Arts & Trauma Center, Newark, New Jersey 07103; and
7) Urban Care, LLC, Newark, New Jersey 07102
Grant Amount: Not to exceed $850,000.00 to be allocated amongst seven (7) entities
Funding Source: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - Department of Treasury Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds/Business Unit: NW051, Dept. G21, Div./Proj. ARPN0, Activity A, Account #71280, Budget Ref. B2021
Grant Period: To commence upon full execution of the Grant Agreements; grant funds to be expended no later than July 31, 2023
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:
ARPA funds in an amount not to exceed $850,000.00 shall be made available to seven (7) entities, whose work focuses on violence prevention and have sustained adverse impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The entities will use these funds towards violence prevention programs. The Grant Funds must be fully expended twelve (12) months from full contract execution.
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WHEREAS, on or about March 11, 2021, the 117th Congress of the United States and President Joseph R. Biden, officially enacted a $1.9 Trillion Dollar stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”), in response to the economic crisis brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on or about May 19, 2021, the City of Newark (the “City”) submitted an electronic portal application to the United States Department of Treasury for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - Treasury’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (the “Application”), and was notified that the City was being awarded a total amount of $176,667,606.00 (the “ARPA Award”); and
WHEREAS, on June 22, 2021, the Municipal Council adopted Resolution 7R1-a(s), authorizing the City’s submission of the Application and the acceptance of the Award; and
WHEREAS, the ARPA Award has provided and will continue to provide the City with much needed monetary support in responding to and recovering from the unprecedented effect and impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the City, its residents, communities and businesses; and
WHEREAS, Biden Administration made clear in the June 23, 2021 Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety, that part of the strategy for ARPA’s unprecedented funding levels is to help state, local and municipal governments implement measures to reduce violent crime, including supporting and implementing violence intervention and prevention programs; and
WHEREAS, the Department of the Treasury, in its Final Rule adopted on January 27, 2022 Federal Register Vol. 87, No. 18, 31 CFR Part 35 (“Final Rule”), allows the City to provide funds to an entity as a beneficiary “for the purpose of directly benefitting…the entity as a result of experiencing a public health impact or negative economic impact due to the pandemic”; and
WHEREAS, violence is recognized as a public health problem, and is the leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 15-34; they are often the victims of unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide, which more often than not are directly associated with firearms; and
WHEREAS, violence is preventable, and with supportive relationships, programs and resources violent behaviors can be diminished and cycles of violence disrupted; and
WHEREAS, several cities such as Toledo, Ohio and Gresham, Oregon, among others, have used their ARPA funds to enhance and implement violence prevention programs (See March 10, 2022, Report: The United States Conference of Mayors, The American Rescue Plan Act: A Transformational Lifeline for First Responders, Small Businesses and Residents in America’s Cities; and
WHEREAS, many of the violence prevention entities in Newark, which were formed to provide supportive social service programs to stem the increase in violence and violent crimes, have been severely and detrimentally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic - they have lost funding, employees and have had to provide more services with less resources; and
WHEREAS, the following seven (7) entities: focus their work on violence intervention and prevention, are all doing business in the City of Newark, and all provide much needed social services to the City’s youth and adult population, and have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic:
• All Stars Project of New Jersey, 543 West 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10036;
• Inspired By U, LLC, 212 Chadwick Avenue, Apt. 3R, Newark, New Jersey 07108;
• Newark Community Street Team, 915 South 16th Street, Newark, New Jersey ;
• Newark Opportunity Youth Network, 571 Central Avenue, Newark, New Jersey;
• Next Generation Project, 317 Ogden Street, Orange, New Jersey;
• FP YouthOutcry Foundation, Inc., a/k/a The HUBB Arts & Trauma Center, 135 Prince Street, Newark, New Jersey 07103;
• Urban Care, LLC, 81 Halsey Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102; and
WHEREAS, each of the seven entities (collectively referred to as the “VP Entities”) submitted a written request to the City’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (attached) detailing how the pandemic affected their organization and seek financial assistance from the City’s ARPA Award; and
WHEREAS, the VP Entities have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are in dire need of funds to address the numerous social and economic barriers and issues Newark residents face daily, and to stem the increase of violence, especially in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities that are rife with drug and gang violence all of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark, through the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, desires to assist these entities so that they can continue to provide much needed violence intervention and prevention services, by granting some of its ARPA Award funds to help these entities; and
WHEREAS, the City, through the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, seeks to award the VP Entities funds for a combined total amount not to exceed Eight Hundred Fifty Thousand and Zero Cents ($850,000.00) as follows:
• All Stars Project of New Jersey: $50,000.00;
• Inspired By U, LLC: $100,000.00;
• Newark Community Street Team: $200,000.00;
• Newark Opportunity Youth Network: $175,000.00;
• Next Generation Project: $75,000.00;
• FP YouthOutcry Foundation, Inc., a/k/a The HUBB Arts & Trauma Center: $200,000.00;
• Urban Care, LLC: $50,000.00; and
WHEREAS, each VP entity, the grant awardee, shall execute an Award Letter and Grant Agreement (attached) to receive the amount listed above and each entity agrees to the terms and conditions associated with the same; and
WHEREAS, the VP Entities intend to use the funds they receive from the City’s ARPA Award to provide greater social services which will impact violence prevention; and
WHEREAS, the VP Entities, shall be closely monitored by the Brick City Peace Collective Foundation, which shall insure that the expenditure of funds complies with all federal, state and local laws; Brick City Peace Collective Foundation shall include a minimum of two (2) Municipal Council members on its Board of Directors; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, working with the Brick City Peace Collective Foundation, shall establish processes so that additional entities that provide social services and work to prevent violence can receive needed funding and assistance.
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, and/or his designee, the Business Administrator, are authorized to enter into and execute grant agreements, for a combined total amount not to exceed Eight Hundred Fifty Thousand and Zero Cents ($850,000.00) to the following entities with programs that focus on violence prevention and that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic:
• $50,000.00 to All Stars Project of New Jersey, 543 West 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10036;
• $100,000.00 to Inspired By U, LLC, 212 Chadwick Avenue, Apt. 3R, Newark, New Jersey 07108;
• $200,000.00 to Newark Community Street Team, 915 South 16th Street, Newark, New Jersey;
• $175,000.00 to Newark Opportunity Youth Network, 571 Central Avenue, Newark, New Jersey;
• $75,000.00 to Next Generation Project, 317 Ogden Street, Orange, New Jersey;
• $200,000.00 to FP YouthOutcry Foundation, Inc., a/k/a The HUBB Arts & Trauma Center, 135 Prince Street, Newark, New Jersey 07103; and
• $50,000.00 to Urban Care, LLC, 81 Halsey Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.
2. The Grant funds will be from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - Treasury’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (“ARPA”), which the City accepted and received pursuant to Resolution 7R1-a(S) adopted on June 22, 2021 shall be the funding source for these funds.
3. The VP Entities shall use the funds they receive from the City’s ARPA Award to provide greater social services impacting and critical for violence prevention.
4. The Department of the Treasury’s Final Rule, in pertinent part, allows the City to provide funds to entities as beneficiaries for the purpose of directly benefitting entities as a result of experiencing a public health impact or negative economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Upon adoption of this Resolution and full execution of the Grant Agreements, the City will disburse funds to each of the seven (7) entities which submitted the necessary documents including those reflecting the adverse impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their organization.
6. The Grant funds must be expended twelve (12) consecutive months from full contract execution. Each entity understands that in order to receive the benefit of the full Grant, it must provide all Grant Reporting to the City in a timely fashion.
7. Attached hereto are seven (7) Certifications of Funds, from Account Line: Business Unit NW051, Dept.G21 Div/Proj.ARPN0 Activity A- Account #71280 Budget Ref: B2021, one for each entity in the amount referenced above, for a combined total amount not to exceed Eight Hundred Fifty Thousand and Zero Cents ($850,000.00).
8. The VP Entities, shall be closely monitored by the Brick City Peace Collective Foundation, which shall insure that the expenditure of funds complies with all federal, state and local laws.
9. The Business Administrator shall file the fully executed Grant Agreements and this Resolution, together with any and all documents relating to the Grant, including, but not limited to Grant Reporting documents, in the Office of the City Clerk.
STATEMENT
Resolution authorizing the Mayor of the City of Newark and/or his designee, the Business Administrator through the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, to enter into and execute Grant Agreements with seven (7) entities for a combined total amount not to exceed $850,000.00, to seven (7) entities that with programs that focus on violence prevention and that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds shall come from the City’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) award, and shall be expended twelve (12) consecutive months from full contract execution by the City. These entities shall use the funds to provide greater social services which will impact violence prevention.