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ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE A ROUND 4 TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE COMMUNITIES IMPLEMENTATION GRANT AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $24,165,510
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a grant agreement in the amount of $24,165,510 with the California Strategic Growth Council, and;
2. Authorize the City Manager to appropriate grant revenues and expenditures in the amount of $24,165,510, and;
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute and manage sub-agreements with co-applicants in amounts consistent with the Grant Agreement, and;
4. Authorize the allocation of four (4) grant-funded limited term positions within the City Manager’s Office to oversee the administration of the grant.
It is also recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of the resolution.
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Summary
The Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program, administered by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), funds community-led development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged communities. TCC empowers the communities most impacted by pollution to choose their own goals, strategies, and projects to enact transformational change - all with data-driven milestones and measurable outcomes. SGC coordinates the activities of State agencies and partners with stakeholders to promote sustainability, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. The TCC Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment.
Adoption of this resolution will result in the acceptance of a Round 4, Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Implementation Grant Award in the amount of $24,165,510 via the execution of a grant agreement between the City and SGC (Attachment A). The grant agreement includes a detailed budget and schedule of deliverables - a summary overview is attached (Attachment B) as well as a map of the Project Area (Attachment C).
DISCUSSION
Background
The City’s involvement with the TCC Program began when Council approved an application for a TCC Planning Grant and received $170,000 in August 2018 (Resolution 2018-08-21-1111). Planning Grant activities were subsequently carried out from October 2018 to October 2019. Results of those activities, such as the development of the Sustainable Neighborhood Plan (SNP), sought to directly capture the perspectives of residents and translate them into actionable strategies, such as reducing the cost of utilities through renewable energy sources. Following the conclusion of Planning Grant activities, City staff worked with a coalition of Partners and stakeholders to develop an application for a TCC Round 3 Implementation Grant in the amount of $28.2M, resulting in a partial award of $10.8M. Because the City was not provided a full Round 3 award, SGC modified the rules to allow the City to apply for another TCC Implementation Grant during Round 4. The City applied for a $24.2M Round 4 Implementation Grant in July 2022 and was awarded the grant in October 2022. The proposal, still entitled Stockton Rising, was similar to the Round 3 proposal with some slight modifications and the addition of 3 new projects. The Round 4 Implementation Grant is scheduled to begin immediately following the conclusion of the Round 3 Implementation Grant on September 30, 2023.
Present Situation
City staff and its partnering organizations have spent the past ten (10) months developing the Round 4 Implementation Grant agreement. City staff are seeking Council’s authorization to execute said grant agreement, as well as all necessary sub agreements consistent with the grant agreement, as well as the authority to carry out related administrative tasks.
As the Lead Grantee, the City will be responsible for the oversight of all implementation efforts. The Grant Administration budget will fully support three positions, and a portion of 2 additional positions, (total of 4 FTE) in the City Manager’s Office for the duration of the program: a Director of Sustainability & Environment, two Program Managers, a Senior Management Assistant, and an Administrative Aide. Council approved the creation of the PM III & Senior Management Assistant in July using Round 3 funds; however, reapproval for these positions using Round 4 funds is now required. These positions will ensure the City meets its obligations, such as the timely submission of all invoices and reports to SGC. This also represents a transformative investment in the City’s capacity to pursue broader sustainability & environmental objectives beyond TCC.
Stockton Rising consists of two interconnected components: projects and transformative plans.
Projects
McKinley Park Project - $750,000
The McKinley Park Project will completely transform the existing dilapidated site into a beautiful park full of amenities and activities. The largest municipal park in South Stockton (23 acres), McKinley Park will once again offer a swimming pool, soccer fields, picnic areas, futsal courts, basketball courts, and a baseball field. Residents will once again be able to walk through this beautiful park on brand new pathways and enjoy an afternoon under the shade of newly planted trees. TCC funds will be used to pay for mobilization of construction efforts, tree planting, play fields, walking paths, and bioswales.
Climate Careers Energy & Water - $3,524,810
Rising Sun will operate its Climate Careers program throughout the Project Area, hiring low-income youth to deliver Green House Calls and benefit from an earn-and-learn experience focused on residential energy and water efficiency services, while also benefiting from: professional development workshops, a paid work experience, environmental justice and education workshops, career exposure opportunities, one-on-one interactions with Youth Development Specialists and more. Over 60 employment opportunities will be offered to youth to provide services to over 400 households throughout the Project Area.
Hybrid Electric Bus Purchase - $1,057,554
San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) seeks funding to acquire one hybrid electric bus for the frequency expansion of Route 576. The acquisition of the hybrid electric bus will begin following the grant award process and end with the deployment of the bus into service. The project will also support training of RTD staff to maintain the purchased bus as well as monitoring of the bus through the CALSTART program.
Energy for All Single-Family Solar Installation - $3,926,275
GRID Alternatives North Valley will provide 393 kW-DC of installed solar capacity benefitting up to 87 low-income single-family households/property owners in the Project Area, including 32-35 cool roofs, while engaging learn-and-earn trainee participants in the project implementation. GRID will complete solar readiness (e.g., roof repairs) of homes to install solar as needed. Warranties for the solar systems are factored into the solar installation's initial costs and TCC grant request, so they are provided at no additional cost to the client. GRID will repair and service any issues under a 10-year labor warranty, starting from the date of solar installation completion.
Energy for All Multi-Family Solar Installation - $607,092
GRID Alternatives North Valley (GRID) will install 85 kW-DC of solar capacity for one (1) project in the Project Area. The project will aid in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, lower costs for the affordable housing operator and low-income tenants, and provide clean energy accessibility to the community within the Project Area. Additionally, GRID Alternatives will continue project development efforts to evaluate additional MF properties for solar within the grant term. Warranties for the solar systems are factored into the solar installation's initial costs and TCC grant request, so they are provided at no additional cost to the client. GRID will repair and service any issues under a 10-year labor warranty, starting from the date of solar installation completion.
Energy for All Multi-Family Solar Installation - $607,092
GRID Alternatives North Valley (GRID) will install 85 kW-DC of solar capacity for one (1) project in the Project Area. The project will aid in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, lower costs for the affordable housing operator and low-income tenants, and provide clean energy accessibility to the community within the Project Area. Additionally, GRID Alternatives will continue project development efforts to evaluate additional MF properties for solar within the grant term. Warranties for the solar systems are factored into the solar installation's initial costs and TCC grant request, so they are provided at no additional cost to the client. GRID will repair and service any issues under a 10-year labor warranty, starting from the date of solar installation completion.
Urban Forest Renovation Project - $4,509,930
This project will create a sustainable urban forestry program that will plant and manage trees to improve the quality of life for residents. The project includes: removal of 500 stumps and planting approx. 1,500 new trees at locations where trees were lost to natural events, identifying opportunities for planting new trees, and workforce training. The City of Stockton's Public Works department will work alongside Little Manila Rising to implement this project.
Edible Education on the Farm - $2,500,751
The Edible Education on the Farm project will provide project area residents agricultural and healthy eating educational opportunities and provide access to fresh, local, organic produce through a CSA food box distribution. Education will be provided through field trips to the farm as well as farm festivals. CSA food box distribution is anticipated to involve distribution of approximately 400 boxes each month - resulting in a total of approx. 19,200 boxes distributed over the life of the grant.
Decreasing Asthma Within Neighborhoods (DAWN) Program - $1,006,066
The DAWN Program will conduct home visits to 250 resident households and distribute air purifiers and asthma remediation kits to improve indoor air and reduce exposure to asthma triggers. The program proposes an integrated approach that also incorporates advocacy related to asthma prevention and treatment.
Transformative Plans
TCC's Transformative Elements provide a critical framework for enshrining equity, facilitating community-led transformation, and delivering multiple, integrated benefits to communities. TCC elevates community ownership by requiring that projects demonstrate significant community engagement leading up to the proposal and continuing into implementation, ensuring that projects are derived from resident-identified needs, assets, and visions. TCC also recognizes that we need to invest in the economic prosperity of disadvantaged neighborhoods, while ensuring that no residents are displaced because of the improvements. As such, the Transformative Elements require communities to develop economic development and anti-displacement plans to create local jobs, training pipelines and adopt policies to avoid the displacement of residents and small businesses.
Community Engagement Plan (CEP) - $1,691,586
The CEP is an integrative plan to foster coordination and alignment, outreach, capacity-building, and communications. Partners will consistently reach constituencies most impacted by the effects of environmental pollution and continue building trust throughout the Project Area. The CEP centers residents by emphasizing meaningful participation and recognizing them as key decision-makers.
The Community Engagement Implementation Team (CEIT) includes community-based organizations Public Health Advocates (PHA), Little Manila Rising (LMR), and Catholic Charities (CC). The CEIT will develop educational campaigns and communication strategies for Stockton Rising and facilitate input from residents and the steering committee. The CEIT will also host quarterly Community Coalition Meetings (CCMs), annual summits, and at least two block parties. CCMs will serve as both a venue for educational campaigns to promote climate resiliency and communicate updates on Stockton Rising project implementation.
To guarantee resident capacity building, two resident-centered programs will be implemented. PHA will train resident "Climate Leaders" to become community experts on Stockton Rising. LMR will implement the youth advocates project to engage local youth around climate resiliency, and will conduct annual PhotoVoice walking tours of the area to capture the challenges, opportunities, and progress of TCC projects and resident perspectives through an interactive online story map.
Workforce Development & Economic Opportunities Plan (WDEOP) - $1,208,276
The WDEOP will create high-quality jobs and develop training programs focused on the specific needs of Project Area residents. The WDEOP-funded projects are: (1) a summer youth program focused on residential energy and water efficiency led by Rising Sun Center for Opportunity (RS); (2) a garden program for incarcerated individuals led by Insight Garden Program (IGP); (3) a 15-week urban greening and conservation training program led by Little Manila Rising (LMR) that trains local system-impacted adults in forestry basics, conservation, land stewardship, and job readiness skills, and (4) targeted recruitment and wrap-around services for Project Area residents to complete a variety of locally available training programs that train individuals for multi-craft apprenticeship readiness, truck driving, welding, and software developing. All WDEOP partners, including those listed above and GRID Alternatives who is securing site space for regional training needs, will participate in a WDEOP Coordination Group that will facilitate coordinated recruitment and support of trainees.
Displacement Avoidance Plan (DAP) - $241,654
The City of Stockton acknowledges the importance of protecting its communities and ensuring that all residents can thrive in a safe and healthy environment. The Project Area, in particular, faces significant environmental threats that contribute to displacement and adversely impact the well-being of residents. This Displacement Avoidance Plan aims to address and mitigate these threats by implementing proactive strategies, pursuing collaborative efforts, and promoting sustainable development.
Indicator Tracking Plan (IT) - $724,965
The Evaluation Technical Assistance Provider, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, will support the Stockton Rising TCC Project to fulfill the Data and Indicator Tracking and Reporting requirements by updating the program evaluation framework from the Round 3 TCC Project to include the entire Round 4 TCC Project. UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will collect quantitative and qualitative data on the TCC Project, and additionally provide Grantees and Partners with technical assistance on data collection (data indicators for quantifying environmental, health, economic, and community benefits of the projects) in order to produce the required annual California Air Resources Board (CARB) and project findings reports. They will also support TCC communications by coordinating the production of two narrative profiles per year, for inclusion in forums such as the CARB and SGC Annual Reports. The City, as the Lead Grantee, will also coordinate the Indicator Tracking Plan with the Partners and the Evaluation Technical Assistance Provider.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The grant award is of $24,165,510. Grant Match funding of $14,036,607.06 is coming from the McKinley Park Project (already approved and allocated for said purpose), pledges from partnering organizations, and other grants within the City Manager’s Office to support the administrative positions. This is a reimbursement-based grant, meaning the City and its Partners will pay for project related expenses in full and then submit documentation for reimbursement through this grant. There will be no impact to the General Fund, all related costs will be supported by the grant funding.
To establish the program and grant funding, an appropriation of revenue and expenditures of $24,165,510 is necessary in the TCC Round 4 Implementation Grant, City Manager’s Special Grants Fund - Reimbursement, General Administrative Division.
Attachment A - TCC Round 4 Implementation Grant Agreement
Attachment B - Stockton Rising Summary Budget Overview
Attachment C - Project Area Map